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From YouTube: DECEMBER 8 2020 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
1st Session
42nd Parliament
C
C
D
It's
for
that
reason
that
a
number
of
measures
have
taken
place
in
bc
that
have
not
taken
place
in
other
places
in
the
country,
and
we've
had
relative
success
compared
to
other
jurisdictions
and
dealing
with
it.
But
I
don't
think
people
are
that
concerned
with
what
happens
in
other
jurisdictions.
They
want
us
to
do
everything
we
can
here
and
we
are.
D
The
fact
is
that
rapid
testing,
as
dr
henry
has
explained
many
times,
the
rapid
tests
that
has
been
sent
to
us
are
not
successful
or
effective
in
dealing
with
asymptomatic
testing
and,
in
any
event,
haven't
been
sent
to
us
and
the
numbers
available
to
put
in
place
such
a
system.
It
would
not
be
effective.
D
That
said
well,
as
with
everything
else,
we
are
trying
absolutely
everything,
including
a
pilot
project,
to
see
in
what
ways
they
could
be
effective
in
our
province.
Rapid
testing
is
also
being
used
and
being
piloted
in
other
areas
where
vulnerable
people
live
from
the
downtown
east
side
to
rural
communities,
and
I
just
want
to
assure
her
that
the
reason
why
we're
pursuing
the
pilot
is
that
we're
pursuing
absolutely
every
option
to
keep
people
protected.
D
The
reality
is
that
these
particular
tests
will
not
do
what
the
honourable
member
is
asking
us
to
do,
and
if
they
were
able
to
do
that,
there
would
be
no
reason
not
to
do
them.
We're
following
the
evidence,
we're
following
the
science
and
we're
doing
absolutely
everything
we
can
to
protect
everyone
in
long-term
care.
I
appreciate
the
members
concern
and
seriousness
for
question
and
we
will
continue,
I
hope,
to
work
together
to
to
provide
safe
solutions
as
possible
for
everyone
living
in
long-term
care.
C
Thank
you
very
much
honorable
speaker,
and
I
I
certainly
want
to
let
the
minister
of
health
know
that
the
members
of
the
opposition
absolutely
appreciate
the
exceptional
and
outstanding
work
being
done
by
health
care
workers
and
those,
particularly
in
long-term
care
across
british
columbia.
The
health
minister
himself
has
just
pointed
out
how
important
it
is
that
we
do
absolutely
everything
possible.
C
So
for
weeks
now,
families
seniors
organizations
and
even
the
bc
seniors
advocate,
has
been
calling
for
additional
action
from
this
government.
In
her
recent
comments,
the
seniors
advocate
had
this
to
say
about
rapid
testing,
and
I
quote:
we're
going
to
catch
some
of
those
people,
maybe
not
all
of
them,
but
some
of
them.
We
have
nothing
right
now.
The
question
is:
what
is
the
harm
in
using
them?
End
quote.
C
I
am
sure
that
the
premier
would
agree
with
me
that
we
must
make
every
single
effort
possible
to
protect
our
most
vulnerable
seniors.
The
premier
has
the
opportunity
today
to
take
additional
action
and
implement
a
province-wide
rapid
testing
program
that
has
the
potential
to
make
a
difference
in
long-term
care
homes
right
across
british
columbia.
D
You
again
to
the
member
for
her
question
as
noted,
and
it
has
been
a
disappointment
to
us
over
the
terms
of
the
pandemic
that
the
technology
involved
in
rapid
testing
has
not
been
as
effective
as
as
we
would
have
hoped
by
this
point.
The
fact
is
that
these
tests
are
not
licensed
for
what's
called
asymptomatic
testing,
so
that
is
not
an
appropriate
means
and
in
any
event,
they
that
isn't
an
effective
method
and
the
people
who
say
that
are
the
people
who
are
expert
in
this
area.
D
The
member
will
know
that
this
week
this
week
we
will
be
presenting
our
rollout
plan
for
vaccines
in
british
columbia
and
she
will
know
that
the
priority
of
long-term
care,
I'm
not
letting
anything
out
of
the
bag
early
in
this
regard
the
priority
of
long-term
care
of
long-term
care
workers
and
residents,
and
that
vaccine
plan
will
be
key
to
managing
the
pandemic
for
long-term
care.
In
the
coming
weeks,
I
mean
immediate
weeks.
D
We
are
going
full
effort
on
that,
just
as
we
are
in
ensuring
and
finding
ways
to
use
rapid
tests
in
the
most
effective
way
to
save
lives
and
people
across
british
columbia.
There
is
no
issue
more
important
to
me
personally,
and
I
know
the
member
and
also
the
critic
for
seniors
for
the
opposition,
the
leader
of
the
opposition,
and
that's
why
we're
going
to
continue
to
follow
the
science
to
follow
the
advice
we
receive
from
our
leaders
in
terms
of
testing
in
the
province
and
make
all
the
decisions
necessary
to
protect
our
seniors.
C
Our
question
is:
what
is
the
harm
in
looking
at
a
province-wide
rapid
testing
program
if
it
even
adds
a
simple
extra
layer
of
protection
for
vulnerable
seniors?
The
time
for
that
action
is
now
if
implementing
a
province-wide
rapid
testing
program
has
the
potential
to
provide
any
additional
protection
for
our
most
vulnerable
british
colombians.
There
should
be
no
hesitation
in
putting
a
province-wide
program
in
place.
C
C
B
Minister
of
health,
honorable.
D
D
The
fact
is
that
the
rapid
tests
are
not
licensed
even
for
asymptomatic
people
and
that
we
have
better
overall
plan
to
address
symptomatic
people
in
long-term
care.
The
purpose
of
the
pilot
project,
the
reason
that
we're
pursuing
even
that
option
is
to
see
under
what
circumstances
you
could
use
rapid
testing
to
help
not
to
hinder,
but
to
help
our
overall
protection
of
long-term
care.
D
That's
why
we're
preceding
them,
because
every
day
we
look
at
every
possible
option
to
assist
people
in
long-term
care
and
to
deal
with
outbreaks
and
long-term
care
which,
right
now
in
active,
long-term
care
outbreaks
in
bc,
involve
a
total
of
one
thousand
four
hundred
and
one
people
regularly.
I
talk
to
the
families,
those
people,
as
the
member
will
know,
I
hear
their
their
concerns,
their
worries,
their
the
fact
of
their
separation,
and
so
we
are
taking
the
steps
necessary.
E
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Honorable
speaker,
the
minister
has
referenced
science.
We
know
from
science
that
rapid
tests
can
break
stubborn
bottlenecks.
They
can
contain
infection,
they
can
sever
the
chain
of
transmission.
They
can
reduce
morbidity
and
mortality
and
diminish
debilitating
economic
costs.
E
These
tests,
which
can
deliver
results
in
minutes
rather
than
days
other
jurisdictions
such
as
ontario,
have
called
these
a
game.
Changer.
Two
weeks
ago,
the
federal
government
gave
bc
131
rapid
test
machines,
27
000
test
kits
and
500
000
antibody
tests.
Can
the
premier
confirm
that
bc?
Has
these
tests
and
tell
us
how
many
have
been
deployed
in
long-term
care
facilities?
Thank
you.
D
D
One
might
understand
in
the
case
of
those
machines
that
27
000
tests
would
only
be
able
to
do
the
tests
being
suggested
by
the
honorable
member
one
time
or
less
than
one
time
per
long-term
care
resident
and
less
than
one
time
per
per
worker
in
long-term
care.
Equally
they're
not
licensed,
as
we've
said,
for
asymptomatic
testing.
Dr
bonnie
henry
has
given
the
response
on
this
question
multiple
times,
as
the
member
will
know
that
her
response
is
founded
on
the
science
in
this
area.
D
What
british
columbia
is
doing
in
terms
of
piloting
with
respect
to
rapid
testing
is
not
dissimilar
to
what
they're
doing
in
ontario
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
act,
including
ensuring
that
that
early
access
to
vaccine,
especially
for
long-term
care
workers
to
hopefully
ring
fence
long-term
care,
will
be
key
part
of
our
vaccine
plan.
But
for
the
member
I
think
the
member
is
incorrect
in
suggesting
that
those
tests
or
the
500
000
pambio
antigen
tests
are
the
answer
in
long-term
care.
D
They
are
being
used
in
british
columbia
and
we're
using
and
we're
taking
the
very
steps
required
to
ensure
that
the
best
use
is
made
of
them
so
that
people
in
long-term
care
and
in
other
vulnerable
circumstances,
such
as
rural
communities
such
as
vulnerable
communities
such
as
downtown
east
side,
that
they
can
be
effective.
So
we're
following
the
science
we're
following
the
advice
of
the
people
in
epidemiology
who
lead
this
effort.
The
specific
effort
of
testing
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
do
so.
E
E
That
includes
families
like
leslie
telford's,
whose
mom
sandy
is
in
long-term
care.
She
says,
and
I
quote,
I
do
believe
that
we
can
do
more
testing.
We
have
to
pay
more
attention
to
their
quality
of
life.
We
can't
just
lock
people
away
indefinitely
end
quote
again
to
the
premier
how
many
rapid
tests
does
bc
have
today
and
how
quickly
could
they
be
deployed
to
our
long-term
care
facilities.
D
I
just
answered
that
question,
I'm
happy
to
answer
it
again.
We
have
27
000
tests
of
the
avid
id
now
system
and
131
of
the
machines
we've
received
approximately
a
little
under
500
000
of
the
pambio
antigen
tests.
All
of
them,
of
course,
require
a
nasal
nasophalangeal,
genos
law.
D
All
of
them
require
a
healthcare
worker
to
do
the
swap,
and
all
of
them
are
not
licensed
for
use,
except
in
people
who
are
symptomatic,
and
even
in
the
case
of
people
who
are
symptomatic,
they
are
not
as
able
to
pick
up
the
virus
as
the
regular
nat
tests
that
we
do
on
an
ongoing
basis
in
dc.
D
I
absolutely
agree
with
the
member
that-
and
people
frequently
want
this.
They
would
like
there
to
be
some
a
magic
solution
or
a
single
solution
or
an
easy
solution.
There
is
not
an
easy
solution
to
this
worldwide
pandemic.
We
have
to
do
the
work.
We
have
to
trust
in
the
epidemiologists
who
have
led
us
so
extraordinarily
well
in
this
area.
We
absolutely
have
to
do
testing
on
a
systematic
basis
and
we
have
significantly
increased
our
capacity
to
do
testing
in
bc.
D
We
have
to
ensure,
as
we
have
done
in
pc
our
single
site
model
for
staffing,
ensure
that
we're
adding
healthcare
workers
more
than
a
thousand
of
the
seven
thousand
already
hired,
as
proposed
by
the
premier
in
september.
We
have
to
ensure
that
infection
control
procedures
are
in
place
and
that
effort
is
being
made
by
healthcare
workers
everywhere
in
the
province.
I
am
with
the
honorable
member.
I
am
with
the
families
in
this
area.
D
F
F
We
also
know
that
this
virus
has
disproportionate
race-based
impacts,
but
we
don't
know
exactly
to
what
extent
my
question
for
you,
honourable
speaker,
is
to
the
premier
telling
people
to
stay
home
is
not
good
enough.
We
need
targeted,
supports
that
match
the
realities
that
different
british
colombians
face
to
create
those
supports.
F
D
D
The
member
will
know
that
british
columbia
was
the
first
to
provide
information
around
modeling
first
to
do
a
province-wide
survey
to
see
the
effects
of
coven-19
on
on
groups
across
bc
that
that
all
of
that
information
is
publicly
available
and
we've
continued
to
do
so.
It
is.
It
is
the
case
that,
right
now
we
are
not
providing.
You
know
any
case
counts
disaggregated
data,
but
we
know
what
the
facts
are.
D
We
know
precisely
what
the
facts
are
with
respect
to
indigenous
people,
and
we
know
that
people
who
are
doing
essential
work
and
others
who
are
vulnerable
are
most
effective
from
kobit
19..
I
agree
with
the
member
that
covet
19
affects
people
differently,
it
clearly
does
we
only
have
to
look
at
long-term
care.
We
only
have
to
look
at
people
with
with
chronic
diseases.
We
only
have
to
look
at
people
who
are
doing
essential
work
to
know
that,
but
I
disagree
to
say
we're
not
all
in
this
together.
D
I
think
people
in
bc
have
come
together
in
extraordinary
ways
and
we
have
to
continue
to
do
so.
We
will
continue
to
add
and
provide
information
and
more
information
to
people.
We
have
a
pretty
strong
idea
and
that's
why
the
host
of
measures
taken
by
the
government
across
government
ministries
have
tr
have
supported
people
who
are
renting
supported.
People
on
income,
assistance
and
disability
supported
people
in
vulnerable
circumstances,
raised
up
the
wages
of
workers
in
long-term
care
and
so
on.
D
F
F
Visible
minority
communities
have
been
hit
harder
by
covid19
than
the
general
population
across
the
country,
but
in
bc
we
know
very
little
about
what
is
actually
going
on.
We
are
one
of
the
least
transparent
provinces
in
canada
when
it
comes
to
covet
19..
Most
other
provinces
are
far
ahead
of
us
in
providing
more
detailed
information
about
where
cases
are
occurring
and
who
is
affected,
and
yet
this
doesn't
seem
to
be
a
priority.
D
Well,
I
simply
disagree,
and
I
I
do
so
respectfully
with
respect
to
the
collection
of
data.
What
bc
is
doing,
but
many
other
jurisdictions
in
the
country
are
not
doing,
is
continuing
to
do
case
management
and
systematic
contact
tracing,
which
means
we're
treating
cases
of
people
not
just
as
groups
but
as
individuals.
D
We've
hired,
for
example,
over
1
100
contact,
tracers
yeah
since
august,
in
addition
to
the
team
of
contract
workers,
more
contact
tracers
more
than
500
that
we
put
in
place
before.
So
I
think
british
columbia
and
british
columbia
and
the
british
health
system
has
a
greater
understanding
of
the
impact
of
cloven
19
on
communities
and
how
to
address
it
and
that
that
understanding
informs
our
decisions.
I
simply
disagree
with
the
member
that
we
aren't
being
transparent.
D
But
it's
also
critical
for
us,
including
for
all
of
the
people
most
affected
by
cobin
19,
including
the
very
people
that
the
member
talks
about
that
privacy
be
maintained,
that
people
be
protected,
that
they
trust
their
health
care
system
that
they
can
come
forward.
So
we
can
contact
trace.
Those
are
critical
values
that
we
put
in
place
and
balanced.
Here
we
were
the
first
to
provide
our
modeling.
D
We
provide
regular,
detailed
information,
respond
to
questions
virtually
every
single
day,
either
in
press
conferences
or
in
other
forms,
and
we
are
in
the
legislature
and
and
I'm
always
looking
to
do
better
and
clearly
on
the
case
of
taking
this
disaggregated
data
disaggregated,
race-based
data.
We
have
a
direction
from
the
premier
and
the
government
to
do
better
and
we
will,
but
at
the
moment
the
effort
we're
making
in
british
columbia.
D
G
G
H
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
may
I
first
congratulate
you
on
your
historic
election.
Now
it's
a
proud
moment
for
british
columbia.
H
I
thank
the
member
so
much
for
for
his
first
intervention
in
the
house
and
and
for
his
first
opportunity
to
speak
to
to
talk
about
this
double
whammy
of
the
pandemic.
We
know
how
much
people
in
british
columbia
were
hurting
and
we
know
that
coped
19
has
made
everything
in
the
pandemic
worse.
H
So
I
share
the
members,
concerns
about
the
impacts
and-
and
let
me
say
more
than
anything,
if
you
are
someone
who
is
thinking
about
suicide,
someone
who
is
suffering
in
isolation
if
you're
a
family
member
of
someone,
I
want
to
take
this
opportunity
to
reach
out
and
let
you
know
there
are
supports,
especially
designed
through
the
pandemic,
to
be
safe.
You
can
go
to
gov.bc.ca,
copit19
or
call
811..
H
There
are
so
many
online
and
person-to-person
virtual
supports
that
are
available.
Foundry,
there's
no
cost
addictions
counseling
support.
We
have
an
expanded
bounce
back
program,
particularly
focused
on
youth,
so
encouraged
that
this
spring
we
launched
a
24
7
mental
health
support
line
for
students
in
post-secondary.
A
very
strong
call
that
came
particularly
from
nanaimo,
but
you
know
I'll
I'll
say
you
know.
Just
you
know
more
in
a
more
focused
way.
H
We
had
started
the
work
of
building
up
a
strong
mental
health
and
addiction
system
in
british
columbia
before
the
pandemic
hit.
We
know
even
more
now
how
badly
that
is
needed,
and
I
want
to
assure
all
members
in
the
house
of
our
our
government's
deep
resolve
to
invest
more
deeply
in
people
and
and
and
encourage
anybody
who
needs
help
up
to
to
reach
out
and
ask
for
it.
We
we
need
to
do
more.
We
will
do
better.
G
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
to
me
it's
clear
that
there
is
not
enough
mental
health
resources
in
in
bc.
Last
week,
the
canadian
mental
health
association
reported
that
42
percent
of
british
columbians
said
their
mental
health
has
deteriorated
since
the
start
of
the
pandemic.
G
H
You
know
again,
I
say
to
the
member.
We
agree
there.
There
was
a
great
hole
as
dr
bonnie
henry
said,
when
our
government
inherited
government
in
2017,
there
was
no
mental
health
and
addiction
system
in
place.
We
have
done.
We
have
worked
hard
to
pick
up
the
slack
from
the
front
line
amazing
families
and
service
providers
that
had
been
holding
the
system
together,
but
we
have
already
in
in
the
time
that
we've
had
before
the
pandemic,
hit
able
to
get
more
of
more
supports
on
the
ground.
We
opened
bc's.
H
First
mental
health
and
support
team
focused
through
the
urgent
primary
care
center
in
surrey,
urgent
response
center
we've
opened
a
75
bed.
Mental
health
and
substance
use
division
at
royal
columbian
that
was
opened
in
august,
we've
opened
new
foundry
centers
focused
on
youth,
a
fantastic
model
and
we've
announced
the
locations
for
eight
more.
That
will
be
a
total
of
19
across
british
columbia
there.
H
If
you
ask
me
three
more
questions
I'll
be
able
to
carry
on
the
list
of
the
work
that
we
have
done
and
there's
more
being
rolled
out
right
now
before,
towards
the
end
of
the
summer,
all
of
the
health
authorities
across
british
columbia
received
the
funds
to
be
able
to
expand
supports
for
thank
you,
minister,
for
mental
health
on
the
ground.
We've
got
more
to
do
and
more
underway.
Thank
you.
I
I
A
I'm
grateful
for
all
the
questions
today
and
I'm
grateful
to
the
answers.
The
coherent
answers
from
ministers
responsible
for
the
particular
issues
that
were
raised
by
all
of
the
members
in
this
house.
I
understand
that
politics
is
now
behind
us
and
we
can
all
together,
focus
on
bringing
forward
the
issues
that
matter
to
the
people
in
our
communities
and
matter
the
people
of
british
columbia.
A
With
respect
to
the
final
point
that
the
member
for
fraser,
nicholas,
made
with
respect
to
rapid
testing
pilot
projects
are
in
place
consistent
with
the
response,
the
health
minister
gave
to
the
leader
of
the
official
opposition,
and
we
will
build
on
that.
If
the
science
takes
us
in
that
direction.
With
respect
to
race-based
information
and
data
that
is
being
collected,
we're
working
with
the
human
rights
commission
we're
working
with
the
federal
government
on
those
issues
with
respect
to
the
issues
around
mental
health
and
addictions.
A
Again,
one
of
the
first
provinces
in
the
country
to
have
a
stand-alone
minister
to
focus
on
these
issues,
establishing
urgent
primary
care
centers
with
mental
health
components
attached
to
them
expanding
acute
care
facilities
across
the
province,
making
sure
that
our
schools
have
the
counselors
and
social
workers
they
need
for
young
people
who
are
distressed
at
the
upheaval
in
their
lives.
All
of
those
issues
raised
by
the
official
opposition
today,
honorable
speaker,
are
valid
issues
valid
questions.
A
I'm
grateful
that
they
were
asked,
and
I
want
to
continue
to
reach
out
and
appeal
to
all
members
of
this
house
to
bring
those
issues
forward
and
take
the
responses
from
the
people
that
have
been
designated
on
the
executive
council
to
manage
those
issues
going
forward.
We
have
a
lot
of
work
to
do,
but
I'm
confident
this
new
and
invigorated
legislature
is
up
to
that.