►
From YouTube: MAY 20 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
2nd Session
42nd Parliament
C
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well
bc's
restart
program
has
been
on
hold
since
november
of
last
year.
Multiple
jurisdictions
have
released
specific
detailed
reopening
plans
and
that
allows
businesses
to
do
the
critical
planning
that
is
necessary.
Saskatchewan,
in
fact,
has
a
detailed
road
map,
and
that
is
based
on
vaccination
rates.
Washington
state
is
on
track
to
fully
reopen
its
economy
by
june.
The
30th
quebec
is
planning
to
have
outdoor
festivals
by
that
time
as
well.
C
Well,
here
in
bc,
local
restaurants,
retailers
and
tourism
operators
are
all
asking
to
know
what
they
can
expect
and
when
they
will
hear
so,
will
the
premier
stand
up
and
tell
us
today
when
he
will
be
releasing
a
reopening
strategy
for
our
province?
That
includes
detailed
targets
and
timelines
so
that
british
columbia's
businesses
can
have
some
of
the
certainty
that
they
deserve.
A
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
thank
you
to
the
leader
of
the
official
opposition
for
the
question.
It's
certainly
everyone
knows
that
the
pandemic
has
had
lots
of
uncertainty,
uncertainty
for
people,
uncertainty
for
businesses
and
and
we're
all
feeling
hopeful
we're
starting
to
see
people
get
booked
for
vaccinations,
we're
starting
to
see
people
actually
get
vaccinated
and
that's
giving
off
all
hope.
C
Thank
you,
and
we
certainly
know
the
premier
has
a
track
record
of
showing
up
and
messing
up
he's
still
giving
contradictory
statements.
In
fact,
he
says
he
doesn't
want
to
give
people
false
hope,
and
then
he
turns
around
does
exactly
that
and-
and
in
fact
yesterday,
when
asked,
the
minister
of
education
was
asked
about
a
50
million
dollar
reduction
in
covert
specific
funding
for
school
districts,
and
she
went
on
to
explain
that.
Well,
we
can
make
that
reduction
because
it
won't
be
needed
in
september.
C
Universities
have
been
told
that
they
will
reopen
well,
apparently,
the
premier
and
the
government
are
busy
making
plans
for
the
fall,
but
unfortunately,
businesses
are
not
in
the
same
position.
They
have
been
left
with
uncertainty.
They
have
no
idea
if
this
government
has
a
specific
plan
to
restart
the
economy
of
british
columbia
so
again
to
the
premier.
Will
he
commit
to
making
to
announcing
a
specific
plan
that
includes
targets
and
timelines?
Our
businesses
in
british
columbia
are
struggling,
they
need
certainty
and
what
they
need
from
this
government
is
to
finally
give
them
a
plan.
A
You,
arnold
speaker,
and
from
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic,
we've
been
working
closely
with
the
business
community
with
not
for
profits
with
various
stakeholders.
It's
been
a
challenging
time.
There's
no
doubt
about
it.
I
don't
think
anyone
can
deny
that,
but
we've
been
doing
it
together.
It's
been
really
a
team
bc
approach
here
in
british
columbia.
That's
served
us
well.
We've
we
created
an
industry.
A
A
Dr
henry
takes
questions
so
that
everybody's
in
the
same
room,
hearing
the
same
questions,
hearing
the
same
answers
and
that's
how
we've
been
trying
to
provide
some
certainty
during
a
very
uncertain
time.
That
being
said,
I've
already
shared
with
the
member
that
we'll
be
releasing
a
plan
on
tuesday
and
and
there'll
be
more
information.
I
believe
this
briefing
has
been
booked
with
both
the
official
opposition
and
the
third
party
to
give
them
details
on
that
as
well.
D
Mr
speaker,
a
little
breaking
news
that
cruise
ship
bill
that
stood
no
chance
of
passing
the
u.s
congress
a
few
moments
ago.
It
just
passed
the
house
of
representatives,
it's
on
its
way
to
the
president
for
signature
I'll
await
the
premier's
next
sterling
prediction,
with
great
anticipation.
D
D
D
Here's
here's
dustin
a
young
man
who
has
poured
his
heart
and
soul
into
running
a
fraser
valley,
restaurant
who
says:
don't
they
understand
I've
lost
staff?
I
have
to
hire
rehire
replacements.
I
have
to
purchase
food
and
supplies
a
week
at
a
time
and
a
week
in
advance.
A
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
the
mention
the
member
mentioned
that
business
retired
people
are
tired.
This
pandemic's
been
hard
on
everyone.
Families
with
young
kids
are
tired.
They
want
to
get
out.
The
kids
want
to
see
other
people.
Everyone
is
tired,
honorable
speaker
and
that's
why
the
minister
of
health
has
said
so
many
times
in
this
house,
for
people
to
please
get
registered,
please
get
booked,
please
get
vaccinated.
A
We
need
to
celebrate,
as
one
of
my
colleagues
said,
the
people
that
are
getting
vaccinated.
We
need
to
celebrate
the
people
that
are
actually
doing
the
vaccinating.
The
member
mentions
the
struggles
of
of
restaurants.
My
family
ran
a
restaurant
for
over
a
decade.
I
know
the
challenges
a
family
run
restaurant,
where
everybody's
working
at
the
restaurant.
So
I
know
it's
hard
and
we've
been
working
closely
with
the
restaurant
associations
and
all
the
organizations
that
support
them
and
again
we
will
have
a
plan
that
opens
up
that.
A
That
has
a
restart
plan
on
tuesday
that
that
lays
out
some
metrics
so
that
there
was
some
certainty
for
businesses
and
and-
and
I
appreciate
the
comments
and
the
intent
of
the
member
and
and
that's
certainly
what
we're
trying
to
do
on
tuesday.
D
You
know
mr
speaker,
british
columbians
have
supported,
have
genuinely
supported
public
health
officials
in
addressing
public
health
issues.
This
house
has
supported
public
health
officials
addressing
public
health
issues,
but
it's
the
premier's
job
and
the
government's
job
to
plan
for
the
economic
restart
of
this
province,
and
it's
about
time.
He
and
the
government
started
doing
their
job.
Mr
speaker,.
D
You
know
you
know
the
quebec
plan.
The
quebec
plan
sets
vaccination
targets
tied
to
actual
dates
tied
to
operational
decisions,
about
actual
activities
that
people
are
going
to
be
able
to
return
to
the
saskatchewan
plan.
I'm
glad
the
attorney
general
finds
that
all
funny
he
should
explain
why
he's
laughing
about
a
plan
from
the
province
of
quebec
in
saskatchewan
in
saskatchewan,
a
step-by-step
reopening
road
map
tied
to
vaccination
thresholds
and
actual
dates
that
allow
people
to
plan,
and
you
know
what
actually
acts
as
an
incentive
for
people
to
get
vaccinated.
D
A
A
And
other
jurisdictions
continue
to
look
to
british
columbia
for
guidance
on
how
to
do
things,
how
to
keep
schools
open
safely,
honorable
speaker
how
to
ensure
that
our
seniors
are
safe,
how
to
ensure
that
businesses
are
supported.
We're
proud
of
the
supports
we've
put
in
place.
The
members
should
be
proud.
All
of
us
have
been
working
closely
together
and
he
says
that
we
sometimes,
I
think
he
said
we
sometimes
support
public
health
office
and
what
they've,
given
us
advice
on
is
that
we
need
to
get
vaccinated.
A
We
need
to
continue
to
encourage
people
to
follow
the
rules
and
that's
what
we're
encouraging
everyone
to
do
today
and
there
will
be
a
restart
plan
announced
a
tuesday.
I
I
don't
know
what
the
issue
is
when
I've
given
them
the
answer,
they
keep
asking
the
same
question
over
and
over
again
there
will
be
a
restart
plan
on
tuesday.
E
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Yesterday
another
blow
was
dealt
to
this
government's
attempt
to
justify
their
continued
inaction
on
protecting
old
growth.
Three
independent
scientists
did
the
work
frankly
that
the
ministry
of
forests
should
have
done
a
year
ago.
These
scientists
mapped
out
the
forests
across
bc
that
meet
the
old
growth
panel's
criteria
for
immediate
logging
deferrals.
E
These
are
the
rarest
grandest
highest
risk
old
growth
areas
in
our
province.
With
this
blueprint,
the
ndp
government
has
the
information
they
need
to
protect
these
forests.
They
have
the
tools
that
will
make
this
happen.
So
what's
missing,
the
only
thing
that's
missing
it's
become
clear
over
the
past
year
is
the
political
will
to
do
anything
other
than
to
continue
to
liquidate
these
forests.
E
F
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
I
thank
the
member
for
the
question
and
we
all
know
that
bc's
ancient
forests
are
are
part
of
what
makes
this
province
such
a
great
place
to
live.
We
are
doing
the
work
that
needs
to
be
done
to
protect
them.
We
have
started
doing
that
work
protecting
hundreds
of
thousands
of
hectares.
We
are
continuing
to
do
that
work.
We
are
doing
the
work
and
we
will
continue
to
do
that
work.
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
E
The
fact
that
that
would
get
a
clap
is
just
ridiculous.
The
answer
is
brutal.
The
inaction
is
brutal
and
for
the
past
three
years,
while
we've
asked
questions
about
old
growth
logging,
our
bc
ndp
colleagues
have
stared
at
the
ground.
Just
wishing
it
would
go
away.
Well,
we
won't
mr
speaker,
these
ancient
forests.
Our
elders
need
someone
who
will
stand
up
for
them
now
british
columbians
are
being
arrested
because
the
people
who
are
elected
to
do
so
have
not.
E
The
work
has
been
done
by
these
three
scientists
who
have
laid
out
a
step-by-step
process
for
the
government
if
they're
confused,
they
couldn't
have
been
more
clear
quote.
Deferrals
are
a
means
to
an
end,
but
they
are
not
the
end
goal.
Immediate,
appropriate
deferrals
are
critical
to
create
space
for
conservation
moving
rapidly
towards
identifying
adequate
forest
for
protection,
recruitment
and
long-term
resiliency
is
of
utmost
urgency.
End
quote,
mr
speaker.
E
F
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
our
government
has
taken
action
by
already
protecting
hundreds
of
thousands
of
hectares
of
old
growth
that
were
proven
previously
left
vulnerable.
We
know
there's
more
work
to
do
and
we
are
doing
just
that.
We
are
engaging
with
workers
with
communities
with
companies
with
environmental
groups
and
having
those
really
important
government-to-government
discussions
with
indigenous
nations.
F
We
are
looking
at
the
maps
we
are
looking
at
the
areas
we
are
also
looking
at,
where
the
indigenous
nations
have
a
right
to
be
consulted
to
be
to
have
those
discussions
with
them,
and
we
are
undertaking
those
very
very
important
discussions.
We
know
that
there's
more
work
to
do
and
we
are
doing
that.
It
might
not
make
the
member
happy
that
we
aren't
doing
it
on
his
schedule,
but
we
are
doing
it
on
the
schedule
of
the
people
of
the
province.
F
G
Shuswap
well,
thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
for
more
than
120
years,
the
interior
provincial
exhibition,
the
ipe
has
been
an
attraction
bringing
thousands
of
people
to
the
communities
of
armstrong
and
spelmsheen.
It
honors
the
region's
rural
and
agricultural
experiences,
providing
a
glimpse
into
the
past
and
showcasing
a
bright
future.
But
tuesday.
The
premier
said
that,
while
the
p
e
would
be
allowed
to
apply
for
a
grant
as
a
major
attraction,
it
appears
that
the
ipe
will
not
be
allowed.
H
Thank
honourable
speaker-
and
I
think
the
member
opposite
for
the
question.
On
tuesday,
the
premier
and
I
announced
a
significant
investment,
50
million
dollars.
It
is
a
grant,
it's
not
a
loan,
and
it's
for
anchor
attractions.
It's
for
those
organizations
that
have
large
gatherings
which,
obviously,
because
of
the
pandemic,
we
we
can't
have
right
now
turn
style
attractions.
H
There
is
dedicated
funds
for
the
urban
sector
and
the
rural
and
for
tour
bus
operators
to
facilitate
visitors
to
be
going
to
those
anchor
attractions.
It's
a
significant
investment.
I
encourage
the
member
to
support
the
organization
to
apply.
Decisions
have
not
been
made
yet.
We've
been
completely
transparent
about
our
deadline
because
we
want
to
get
the
money
out
the
door
as
quickly
as
possible.
H
I
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
I
believe
what
I
just
heard
the
minister
say
is
that
events
can
apply,
even
though
on
the
website
it
says
they're
ineligible
to
apply.
So
that
is
that's
good
news
for
us
now
very
large
or
very
large
attractions
like
the
pne
and
the
capilano
suspension
bridge
in
my
riding
are
in
desperate
need
of
help.
I
Instead,
the
premier
created
a
two-tiered
system
that
is
not
based
on
need
and
doesn't
work
for
anybody.
This
is
what
nancy
stewart
of
the
capilano
suspension
bridge
says
and
quote.
We
are
grateful,
of
course,
for
any
help,
but
for
businesses
our
size,
we
have
had
no
revenue
going
on
two
years,
and
yet
we
need
to
pay
fixed
expenses
of
around
one
million
dollars
a
month.
I
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
On
tuesday,
our
government
made
a
significant
announcement,
50
million
dollars
of
grants,
not
loans
to
help
anchor
attractions.
I
will
repeat
it
anchor
attractions.
These
are
organizations
and
I'm
not
going
to
name
names,
but
there
is
a
variety
of
different
types
of
attractions
that
could
apply.
The
member
opposite,
isn't
suggesting
that
the
elected
minister
should
be
deciding
who
should
get
the
money.
There
is
a
transparent
process.
H
There
is
an
invitation
for
anchor
attractions
to
apply
in
urban
communities
and
rural,
because
I
I
imagine
that
the
member
office
that
isn't
suggesting
that
all
of
the
money
should
go
to
the
urban
community
because
then
we'll
be
ignoring
the
rural.
We
are
trying
to
support
the
tourism
ecosystem
across
the
province.
That
was
a
call
to
action
from
the
sector.
We
are
listening
and
we're
responding
with
investments
to
help
a
sector
that
we
know
have
been
hard
hit
and
as
the
minister
for
jobs,
economic
recovery
and
innovation
just
announced,
the
restart
plan
is
coming.
H
J
You,
mr
speaker,
well,
the
minister
has
been
saying
since
december.
Good
news
is
coming.
What
the
industry
needs
is
actual
tangible
action
groups
like
the
north
thompson
fall,
fair
and
kamloops
and
barrier
are
confused
about
whether
or
not
they
can
apply
for
the
grant.
Just
like
the
ipe
is
confused
and
just
like,
frankly,
the
p
e,
although
the
minister
and
the
premier
make
it
sound
like
they
can
apply
when
you
read
the
criteria,
they're
actually
not
eligible,
but
playland
would
be
because
playland
is
an
amusement
park.
J
So
we
have
a
botched
program
where
some
attractions
have
been
denied
the
funding
they
need,
based
on
nothing
more
than
geography,
because
other
attractions
in
rural
bc
need
more
than
a
half
a
million
dollars,
but
they
don't
get
to
even
apply
or
ask
under
this
government
program
because
of
where
their
geography
is.
We
have
a
criteria
system.
J
That's
confusing
and
says
typically
operates
year
round
to
qualify,
says
you
can't
be
a
festival
or
for
an
event,
but
the
minister
just
said
you
could
be
peony,
like
I
said,
apparently
qualifies:
does
it
or
doesn't
it
so
again?
Is
the
premier
making
this
up
as
they
go
along
or
do
festivals,
an
event
qualify
or
not
for
the
minister
to
say
that
he
would
encourage
us
to
work
with
our
constituents
to
apply
for
a
grant
that
no
one's
even
sure
if
they
qualify
for
or
not,
and
neither
is
the
minister
is
a
little
bit
misleading.
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
I
know
that
we
can't
use
props,
but
I
have
the
description
of
the
qualifications
right
beside
me.
The
website
is
online,
it's
transparent.
I.
I
hope
that
the
member
opposite
isn't
suggesting
that
our
government
isn't
being
transparent.
We
are
inviting
anchor
attractions
to
apply
for
a
grant,
not
alone.
We
are
clearly
outlining
what
the
eligibility
criteria
is.
The
member
opposite
just
mentioned
that
people
have
been
denied.
How
can
they
be
denied?
We
just
opened
up
the
grant.
On
tuesday
we
just
announced
50
million
dollars
to
support
the
tourism
ecosystem.
H
H
It
is
going
to
support
through
targeted
funds,
the
tourism
sector,
but
when
the
member
opposite
wants
to
go
back
to
december
december
9th
I
received
the
report
from
the
tourism
task
force
and
shortly
thereafter
we
announced
100
million
dollars
in
grants,
not
loans,
and
to
this
day
we
have
over
3
500
tourism
operators
that
received
grants
loans
to
me,
that
is
success.
Thank
you,
honorable
speakers.
J
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Let's
be
clear
to
the
minister:
people
are
being
denied
the
funds
they
need
based
on
their
geography
if
they
need
more
than
a
half
a
million
dollars
of
support
and
don't
happen
to
live
in
the
metro
area,
their
attraction
is
not
in
the
metro
area.
It's
not
in
the
premier's
riding.
They
don't
qualify
for
the
help
they
actually
need.
J
That's
the
point
that
the
minister
seems
to
not
understand,
and
perhaps
the
minister
can
dial
back
her
arrogance
and
confidence
from
tuesday
and
explain
to
us
exactly
the
position
this
government
is
taking
in
regards
to
the
cruise
ship
industry.
We've
just
heard
earlier
that
the
house
of
representatives
has
now
passed
the
bill.
The
talk
coming
out
of
washington
is:
they
do
want
to
make
it
permanent.
J
H
H
H
Thank
honorable
speaker,
I
want
to
paint
the
context
because
we
are
a
destination
of
choice
for
cruise
ships.
Now,
with
respect
to
the
bill,
we
are
actively
advocating
with
the
federal
government.
They
are
alive
to
our
concerns
about
our
port
and
our
our
west
coast
and
our
best
coast,
minister
of
transportation
and
infrastructure,
myself,
premier's
office,
intergovernmental
relations.
We
have
all
brought
to
their
attention
our
concerns.
It
is
not
off
the
table
for
technical
stops,
we've
told
them
to
do
whatever
it
takes
to
defend
our
tourism
industry,
including
the
cruise
ships.
H
We
are
relentless
in
our
advocacy
and
we
will
continue
to
do
the
work,
but
I
want
to
remind
for
the
record
member
that
this
is
a
temporary
bill
and
it
does
not
have
a
permanent
permanent
measure.
It
will
be.
It
will
be
rescinded
as
soon
as
the
the
ports
and
borders
are
open.
I
want
to
re-emphasize
that
it's
a
temporary
measure
we're
going
to
call
for
those
technical
stocks.
Members.
K
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
The
premier
is
simply
out
of
touch
when
we
asked
him
about
providing
support
to
the
legion.
His
answer
was
baffling,
and
I
quote:
protecting
those
individuals
is
a
very
high
priority.
Making
sure
they
will
be
sustained
throughout
and
beyond.
The
pandemic
is
why
the
e-commerce
program
was
put
in
place.
End
quote
the
legions,
don't
want
a
website,
they
want
to
be
treated
fairly
and
equally
and
to
be
able
to
apply
for
the
same
help.
Other
liquor
and
food
establishments
qualify
for
nothing
more,
nothing
less.
K
K
K
A
Thank
you,
honourable
speaker,
and
as
the
premier
highlighted
in
his
remarks
and
and
I've
made
clear
that
everyone
here
in
this
chamber
respects
our
veterans.
Everyone
respects
their
contributions
to
society.
I
highlighted
that
my
grandfather
was
a
member,
the
premier
highland,
that
he's
been
a
member
since
1979
since
1979
on
our
speaker.
A
I
reached
out
to
veterans
of
fair
canada
to
talk
about
the
the
challenges
the
legions
are
facing.
They
notified
us
that
a
few
months
ago
that
they
announced
20
million
dollars
to
go
to
support
the
efforts
of
the
legion
14
million
dollars
of
that
to
go
directly
to
legions
across
the
country.
In
fact,
legions
in
british
columbia
have
received
that
support,
but
on
top
of
that,
we're
also
looking
at
other
measures
to
find
ways
to
support
them.
A
L
L
L
If
families
have
not
talked
to
the
media,
this
would
have
been
swept
under
the
rock
end
quote.
My
question
is
to
the
premier:
would
the
premier
tell
families
why
this
disastrous
policy
was
implemented
at
long-term
care
home?
Will
the
premier
explain
what
the
government
knew
when
they
knew
it
and
why
this
government's
policy
change
was
kept
from
the
public.
M
Thank
you
to
the
member
for
her
question
in
british
columbia.
The
we
have
made
every
effort
extraordinary
efforts
to
protect
people
in
long-term
care
in
a
pandemic
both
to
support
their
other
health
needs
which
include
social
needs,
but
also
to
keep
people
protected,
and
that's
happened
from
the
beginning,
the
single
site,
order
that
was
brought
into
place
here
in
british
columbia.
Virtually
nowhere
else
in
the
country
has
that
been
done
with
the
effectiveness
because
we
gave
it
the
resources
it
need.
M
I
support
them
100
on
these
questions,
but
it's
statutorily
their
authority
and
those
medical
health
officers
have
been
with
those
families
and
with
those
residents,
people
in
public
healthcare
went
into
outbreaks
to
support
people
because
of
those
efforts
they
in
effect
did
something
that
all
of
us
wouldn't
want
to
do,
which
has
moved
towards
the
flame
and
the
difficulties,
and
I
think
that
their
efforts
and
their
professional
experience
and
their
analysis
deserve
our
respect.
It's
one
thing
to
say
that
we
support
public
health.
It's
another
thing
to
to
support
public
health.