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From YouTube: MAY 10 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
2nd Session
42nd Parliament
B
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
the
opposition,
the
media
and,
most
importantly,
the
public
have
been
calling
for
covid19
data
transparency
for
months
now,
but
the
premier
not
only
ignored
those
requests.
He
in
fact
ridiculed
the
suggestions
and
he
pretended
on
a
regular
basis
that
we
were
the
most
transparent
jurisdiction
in
canada.
B
We
now
know,
thanks
to
a
very
embarrassing
leak
to
the
media,
that
those
concerns
about
the
lack
of
transparency
are
true.
The
premier
had
information
that
british
columbians
deserve
to
have
including
neighborhood
level
cases
positivity
and
vaccination
data.
That
information
was
withheld
so
much
for
the
promise
of
transparency.
D
Premiere,
thank
you
honorable
speaker
and
I
thank
the
leader
of
the
opposition
for
her
question.
She
will
know
that
for
almost
15
months
now,
the
public
health
office
chief
public
health
officer
in
in
coordination
with
the
bc
center
for
disease
control,
has
been
releasing
daily
information
about
infections
in
health
authorities,
hospitalization
rates
impacts
on
pregnant
individuals
and
a
whole
host
of
other
data.
I
believe
that
was
trend
setting
at
the
time
and,
as
the
member
knows
full
well,
we
have
more
information
today
on
immunizations,
because
we
are
doing
more
immunizations
than
ever
before.
B
Let's
be
clear,
no
one
is
denying
that
there
were.
There
were
reports,
there
were
people
out
in
the
media
on
a
regular
basis.
What
is
absolutely
clear
is
that
not
all
the
information
was
being
shared
and
what
what
is
also
obvious
is
that
this
premier
stood
up
on
a
regular
basis
and
said:
oh
we're
the
most
transparent
jurisdiction
in
the
country.
We
now
know
that
is
absolutely
not
correct,
so
we
should
be
clear.
The
information
was
available.
B
The
premier
promised
british
columbians
that
he
would
be
transparent
and
he
broke
yet
another
promise,
and
on
january
14th,
to
add
insult
to
injury.
He
actually
tried
to
justify
that
by
using
the
word
hysteria,
he
actually
said
we
don't
actually
want
to
cause
hysteria
by
giving
british
colombians
information.
His
words,
not
mine
and
the
premier
can
laugh
and
think
it's
funny,
but
I
can
assure
you,
british
columbians
didn't
think
it
was
funny
then,
and
they
don't
think
it's
funny
now.
B
It
is
unbelievably
disrespectful
and
harmful
to
communities
like
wally
and
newton,
who
have
had
positivity
rates
over
20
percent
over
20
percent.
The
premier
continues
to
refuse
to
provide
more
detailed
data
on
school
cases,
workplace
exposures,
rapid
test
use
and
race-based
data.
It's
unacceptable,
14
months
into
the
pandemic.
So
maybe
let's
try
this.
Will
the
premier
today
stand
up
and
apologize
for
his
comments
about
creating
hysteria
in
british
columbia
and
instead
and
instead
commit
to
providing
all
the
information
that's
available
to
british
columbians.
D
Premier,
thank
you,
honourable
speaker,
and
from
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic,
we
made
a
decision
on
this
side
of
the
house
to
allow
public
health
officials
to
speak
directly
to
british
columbians
with
the
information
they
needed
to
keep
themselves
safe,
and
that
approach
has
served
us
very,
very
well.
Two
million
british
colombians
have
already
received
received
our
first
vaccination,
two
million
british
columbia's
animal
speaker
where
this
close
to
50
percent
of
british
columbians
eligible
to
have
a
vaccine
taking
in
a
vaccine.
D
D
Their
government
to
focus
on
the
things
that
matter
to
them,
when
am
I
going
to
get
vaccinated?
Are
I
going
to
be
able?
Am
I
going
to
be
able
to
go
and
visit
my
parents
in
a
long-term
care
home
that
was
neglected
by
ripping
up
contracts
by
the
former
government,
making
sure
that
you
have
to
work
in
one
two,
three
different
long-term
care
facilities?
I
will
take
the
honorable
speaker.
A
Meanwhile,
he
continued
to
fail
to
provide
basic
data
that
other
provinces
have
been
providing
all
along
and
now,
not
surprisingly,
he's
blaming
that
on
the
bureaucrats
and
looking
back
20
years
for
anything
to
change
the
channel.
Now.
Look,
mr
speaker,
the
leaked
internal
reports
are
more
than
45
pages
and
they
include
detailed
breakdowns
of
case
counts
and
vaccinations
by
neighborhood.
A
E
Well,
thank
you
very
much
honorable
speaker
and
thanks
to
the
member
for
her
question.
Siri
has
been,
I
think,
a
top
priority
for
months
and
months
and
months
in
this
pandemic
in
bc.
The
member
knows
this
and
knows
of
the
work
that
public
health
officials
have
been
doing
in
surrey
throughout
that
period.
From
virtually
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic,
we've
been
offering
daily
reports
on
cases.
E
It's
been
a
focus
on
fraser
health
for
many
months,
there's
weekly
surveillance
reports
with
detailed
information
from
the
bccdc,
that's
in
the
hands
of
the
bccdc
and
the
bccdc
consults
widely
in
terms
of
the
direction
it
gives
to
public
health
policy
in
surrey.
The
first
place
that
education
workers
were
immunized
in
full
in
surrey
outside
of
small
communities,
front
line
workers,
those
involved
in
public
safety
in
it
first
in
surrey.
Now
we're
focusing
on
neighborhoods
in
surrey.
E
Surrey
has
been
a
priority
from
the
beginning
and
I
think
all
surrey
mlas,
including
the
honorable
member,
are
strong
advocates
for
that,
and
we
have
to
continue
to
do
that.
Syria
has
faced
the
brunt
of
the
pandemic
because
of
this
of
circumstances
in
surrey.
The
number
of
essential
workers
and
others
something
we
have
been
speaking
to
virtually
since
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic
and
work
that
we
have
to
continue
to
do
together.
E
I'm
proud
of
the
efforts
of
everyone
in
surrey,
including
members
of
the
opposition
in
raising
registrations
over
this
past
week
by
three
hundred
and
ninety
thousand,
it's
a
real
achievement.
We
need
people
to
get
registered,
we
need
them
to
get
vaccinated
and
we
need
people
to
continue
to
follow
public
health
guidance
and
public
health
orders.
At
this
critical
moment
in
the
pandemic,.
A
A
E
Indeed,
the
document
to
which
the
member
refers
is
shared
with
more
than
100
people
who
are
involved
in
developing
the
public
health
response
to
the
situation
in
syria
and
all
communities
around
bc,
I
think,
are
to
be
commended
me
in
bc
are
are
taking
the
decision.
And,
yes,
it
is
a
political
decision
to
support
public
health
officials
to
support
dr
bonnie
hanley,
to
support
dr
rick
augustus
and
to
support
our
medical
health
officers
and
health
authorities
around
bc.
E
That
is
a
choice
we've
made
and
they
have,
I
think,
led
us
through
this
pandemic
with
honor
and
distinction,
and
they
will
continue-
and
I
think
dr
henry
will
have
more
to
say
about
this
today-
to
ensure
that
british
columbians
are
informed
across
across
the
province
and
both
the
pandemic
and
the
situation
with
the
pandemic
in
peace.
F
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
let's
further
to
this
line
of
questionings
about
these
reports
that
were
released,
that
provided
substantially
more
information
than
what
has
consistently
been
released
to
the
public.
The
reports
contain
information
that
scientists,
the
press
members
in
this
chamber
and
the
public
have
asked
for
for
months,
and
these
requests
have
been
ignored.
F
Trust
is
a
two-way
street.
The
public
must
trust
the
decisions
being
made
by
the
government
and
the
advice
being
given
to
them,
and
the
government
must
trust
the
public
by
providing
them
with
the
information
on
what
is
informing
those
decisions
and
why,
by
failing
to
keep
the
public
fully
informed,
the
government
also
fails
to
keep
the
public
fully
engaged.
F
F
E
Well,
the
member
will
know
that
the
provincial
health
officer
myself,
the
deputy
provincial
health
officer,
the
ministry,
have
given
I've
prepared.
Hundreds
of
briefings,
I
believe,
about
200
public
briefings,
regular
monthly,
modeling
efforts,
which
we
were
the
first
in
canada
to
institute
that
have
kept
people
informed
about
the
trajectory
of
the
pandemic
weekly
surveillance
reports,
with
detailed
informations
by
local
health
areas.
For
months
and
in
the
process.
E
The
member
talks
about
informing
a
broad
group
of
people
that
advise
the
bccdc
who
and
advise
the
provincial
health
authority
on
the
direction
government
should
take
and
and
in
the
surveillance
of
the
pandemic
and
the
surveillance
of
the
health
of
british
columbia.
What
this
has
meant
is
that
we've
made
decisions
with
respect
to
immunization
and
respect
to
control
of
transmission
of
the
virus
that
have
focused
on
where
people
are
most
vulnerable,
and
you
see
this
reflected
in
all
of
our
immunization
strategy
from
the
beginning.
E
I
think
our
provincial
health
officials
have
done
a
very
good
job
and
they
will
continue
to
provide,
as
they
have
through
the
pandemic,
more
and
more
information
to
the
public
as
it
becomes
available
to
present,
and
that
is
what
they
are
doing.
I
think
that
the
provincial
health
officer
is
very
committed
to
the
idea
of
informing
the
public
and,
in
fact
has
done
so
from
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic,
through
extraordinary
efforts,
my
supporter
in
that,
and
and
will
continue
to
be
available
myself
and
accountable
myself
for
the
efforts
we're
making.
F
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and,
and
often
the
minister
prefaces
his
question.
His
answers
to
these
questions
with
the
member
will
know.
But
in
fact
we
are
asking
the
questions
because
we
don't
know
the
press
has
been
asking
questions
because
they
don't
know.
Scientists
and
experts
have
been
asking
questions
because
they
don't
know
the
answers,
because
the
data
hasn't
been
provided.
F
Vaccination
rates
case
numbers
by
community
health
service
authorities
has
not
been
made
public.
This
is
data
that
has
been
requested
by
academics
and
scientists
in
bc
to
help
promote
safety
and
targeted
measures.
There
have
been
long
standing
calls
for
more
transparency
of
data
related
to
schools,
workplaces
and
related
to
long
covid.
F
Without
this
data
signals
that
government
does
not
without
this
data
it
signals
that
government
does
not
trust
the
public
to
make
informed
decisions.
It
is
an
example
of
the
government's
desire
to
control
the
narrative
and
the
messaging
on
covet
19,
rather
than
completely
empower
the
public
in
a
health
emergency.
F
This
government
has
a
growing
issue
with
transparency
and
a
refusal
to
give
up
control
of
that
narrative.
The
criticism
that
they
are
facing
is
a
direct
result
of
their
refusal
to
admit
uncertainty
and
change
course
when
needed.
My
question
again
for
you,
honourable
speaker,
it's
the
minister
of
health.
E
Well,
thank
you
very
much,
honorable
speaker
and
and
sorry.
My
screen
just
went
off
there.
I'm
back.
I
think,
thank
you
very
much,
honourable
speaker,
and
thank
you
to
the
member
for
her
question.
E
I
think,
what's
essential
in
the
coven
19
pandemic
is
we
do
everything
we
can
to
limit
transmission,
that
we
support
people
when
they
become
ill
with
cobit
19,
which
is
a
terrible
vicious
virus
that
we
provide
broad
information
to
the
public
as
we
have
as
the
bc
center
for
disease
control
does
every
single
day
updating
its
dashboard
and
every
single
week
with
more
detailed
surveillance
reports,
and
we
have
to
continue
to
do
all
of
those
things
while
ensuring
that
people
are
vaccinated
at
a
high
rate
as
vaccines
come
to
bec
and
that
we
focus
on
the
most
vulnerable.
E
E
But
I
think
what's
important
to
focus
on
now
is
that
everybody,
everyone
in
british
columbia,
get
registered
that
when
your
time
comes
book,
your
vaccination,
when
your
time
comes,
go
and
get
vaccinated
and
in
the
meantime,
as
well
ensure
that
we
follow
provincial
health
measures
and
provincial
health
guidance.
Those
are
the
things
we
need
to
do
right
now,
this
critical
moment
in
the
pandemic.
That's
that's
the
message.
G
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
I
thank
the
the
member
for
his
question
and
the
the
upsurging
gang
violence
that
we
have
seen
which
periodically
happens
in
this
province
is
absolutely
just
despicable,
and
the
events
that
we
saw
on
the
weekend
are
just
a
heinous
criminal
act
committed
by
people
who
just
have
no
regard
for
the
for
the
for
public
safety
or
for
liza
for
themselves.
H
I
can
tell
you
what
we
are
doing
is
working
very
closely
with
police
agencies
right
across
the
province
to
ensure
that
they've
got
the
resources
they
need
to
get
the
job
done.
That's
why,
since
we
took
office,
not
only
have
we
increased
the
number
of
police
in
communities
the
first
since
2012,
by
the
way
we
put
in
place
british
columbia's
first
witness
security
program
so
that
we
have
a
program
designed
to
meet
the
needs
of
here
in
british
columbia.
H
H
H
Thank
you,
honourable
speaker.
As
I
was
telling
the
member
there's
a
significant
amount
of
work.
This
government
has
undertaken
and
there's
a
lot
more
to
come
and
we
are
determined
by
working
with
the
police
and
the
public
to
get
this
violence
under
control.
G
Well,
I
appreciate
the
the
tone
and
the
and
the
lecture
from
the
solicitor
general,
but
his
words
are
not
working.
I
asked
him
a
direct
question.
I
asked
if
those
200
policing
officers
were
going
to
be
undertaken
and
this
minister
refused
to
answer
so
ask
it
again,
because
what
we've
seen
so
far
is
we've
actually
seen
cuts.
We've
cut
the
surrey,
safer
schools
together
program.
We
set
up
roadblocks
in
their
interior,
but
you
know
what
we
do
not
have
the
officers
on
the
street
to
do
the
job.
We
need
them
to
do
so.
H
Solicitor
general.
Thank
you
honorable
speaker
and
I
appreciate
the
question
from
the
member
I
just
outlined
to
him
the
important
investments
which
are
police
priorities
which
they
want
to
see
in
place
which
we
have
done
since
taking
office.
Honorable
speaker,
that's
what
we
are
working
on
I'll,
add
another
investment
that
has
taken
place
since
we
formed
government
again,
which
they
had
12
years
to
do,
but
failed
to
do.
H
We
put
in
place
a
firearms
analysis
laboratory
the
first
one
here
in
british
columbia
based
in
surrey,
honourable
speaker,
based
in
surrey,
and
on
top
of
that
we
increased
the.
I
hit
the
integrated
homicide
investigation
team's
budget
by
15
since
2019
10
since
last
year's
budget
alone.
That's
what
solves
crimes,
honorable
speaker,
that
and
intelligence.
Those
are
the
tools
that
police
are
asking
for
and
and
and
to
his
question
on
the
200..
H
Let's,
oh
as
a
former
solicitor
general,
you
should
know
that
that
issue
has
been
around
and
it
is
related.
Oh
oh,
she
wants
to
echo
the
member
wants
to
heckle,
but
when
addressed
the
heckle,
it's
all
through
the
speaker.
Well,
honorable
speaker
through
the
speaker,
guess
what
those
members
that
she
talks
about
are
things
like
mat
leave
they're
in
small
community
policing
programs
which
we
know
have
been
had
a
challenge
for
a
long
time,
in
fact
the
last
time
that
they
did
anything
when
they
sat
in
this
house
was
in
2012.
Since
that
time.
H
Honorable
speaker,
we
have
added
30
members
to
to
to
those
healing
donations.
We
have
added
a
12-member
team
in
three
communities
based
in
terrace,
based
in
cameron's
based
in
prince
george,
to
deal
with
some
of
the
pressures
the
member
from
nacho
lakes
came
crying
to
me
because
he
wanted
additional
police
officers
in
vanderbilt.
Guess
what
he
sat
on
this
side
of
the
house
for
how
many
years
and
wasn't
able
to
get
it
done,
but
we
did
honor.
I
I
I
can
stand
here
and
I
can
I
could
stand
here
and
talk
about
the
the
work
previous
governments
took
to
create
cfseu,
the
largest,
the
largest
integrated
andy
gang
police
program
in
canada,
or
talk
about
the
100
additional
officers
that
were
that
were
created
and
funded
for
a
place
like
surrey,
mr
speaker,
but
you
know
what,
in
the
face
of
dramatically
increased
gun
violence,
I
don't
think
that's
what
british
colombians
want
to
hear.
I
think
they
want
to
hear
about
some
solutions
to
the
gang
violence.
That's
happening
right
now,.
I
Those
are
the
facts:
there
are
by
the
solicitor
general's
own
admission,
200
vacancies
vacant,
policing
positions
that
british
columbians
british
colombians,
understandably
are
puzzled
by
in
the
face
of
this
violence.
The
question
my
colleague
asked,
and
that
I
will
repeat,
is
in
the
face
of
this
increased
indiscriminate
violence
that
is
putting
innocent
people
at
risk.
What
is
the
government?
What
is
the
premier
going
to
do
now?
What
action
are
they
going
to
take
today
to
keep
people
safe.
H
H
They
want
to
see
additional
funding
for
gang
exiting
programs.
This
budget
contains
7.6
million
dollars
additional
to
do
just
that.
They
wanted
to
to
ensure
that
we
have
a
witness
security
program
that
allows
them
to
get
people
into
a
witness
security
program
that
will
allow
them
to
testify
to
make
stronger
cases
to
have
better
prosecutions
which
results
in
longer
sentences.
Those
are
police
priorities,
that's
what
we're
working
on
and
that's
what's
going
to
keep
people
safe
in
this.
I
It
is
entirely
understandable,
as
we
stand
in
the
midst
of
this
in
dramatically
increased
firearm
violence
gun
violence,
to
ask
why
those
positions
have
not
been
filled
or
why
at
least
a
portion
of
those
positions,
a
significant
portion
of
those
positions
haven't
been
filled.
Mr
speaker,
words
actually
aren't
enough
in
this
situation.
I
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
I'll
repeat
again
to
the
honorable.
H
We
work
with
police
on
their
priorities,
they're
the
individuals
who
do
the
day-to-day
work
on
the
ground.
They
know
what's
required.
They
know
what
resources
are
in
place,
and
I
remind
the
member
when
he
was
finance
minister.
He
provided
over
a
budget
that
cut
4.2
million
dollars
for
gang
funding
to
fight
organizing
gang
crime
in
this
province.
H
We've
accomplished
that
we've
worked
cooperatively
with
the
federal
government
on
a
guns
and
bank
strategy
nationwide,
which
saw
the
feds
come
to
the
table
with
50
million
dollars,
30
million
and
20
million.
All
of
that
has
gone
to
policing
in
this
province.
All
of
that
has
gone
to
support
the
men
and
women
doing
a
very
dangerous
and
difficult
job,
and
I
know
they're
going
to
get
to
the
bottom
of
all.
This.
J
J
J
E
Thank
you
very
much,
thank
you
to
the
member
for
question
and,
of
course,
having
people
in
my
family
living
with
cancer
as
well.
I
know
the
situation
which
she
speaks
and
the
challenge
to
all
families
who
are
dealing
with
a
serious
illness
such
as
cancer
or
other
chronic
diseases
and
chronic
illnesses,
people
living
with
disabilities
independent.
E
It's
why,
with
respect
to
our
immunization,
we
provide
we
priorize
people
who
are
clinically
vulnerable.
As
you'll
remember.
In
march,
we
set
out
a
150
000
people
that
has
expanded
since
more
than
200
thousand
clinically
vulnerable
people
have
been
enumerated,
immunized
in
every
community
around
bc.
E
These
these
measures,
these
efforts
were
led
by
the
provincial
health
services
authority
in
the
direction
of
their
vice
president,
dr
maureen
o'donnell,
and
the
provincial
health
officer
who
focuses
on
medical
issues
and
provides
guidance
and
medical
advice
on
those
issues.
These
are
not
issues
that
we
will
decide
in
the
house
between
us,
but
rather
will
be
guided
by
the
direction
of
medical
specialist
medical
experts.