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From YouTube: MAY 17 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
2nd Session
42nd Parliament
A
A
C
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
first
of
all
to
all
of
those
families
and
to
all
of
those
in
long-term
care
who
have
lost
their
lives
or
been
affected
by
the
covet
19
pandemic
and
there's
not
a
single
person
living
in
long-term
care
who
hasn't
been
so
affected.
C
You
are
always
in
our
thoughts
and
those
people
that
group
of
people
or
who
inspire
our
medical
health
officers
every
day
to
do
the
work
that
they
do
with
respect
to
our
medical
health
officers.
They
receive
with
respect
to
the
determining
of
whether
an
outbreak
has
occurred
or
not
years
of
training,
and
we
put
in
their
hands
those
important
judgments,
and
I
think
most
people
would
agree.
C
They've
done
an
excellent
job
in
every
case
where
an
outbreak
occurs,
our
healthcare
workers
move
towards
the
outbreak
in
order
to
support
people
living
in
those
circumstances
and
the
staff
dealing
with
it.
With
respect
to
the
enhanced
surveillance
protocols
that
were
put
in
place,
these
measures
were
to
ensure
immediate
action
took
place
when
even
there
was
a
suggestion
of
an
exposure.
This
did
not
change
the
the
fact
that
public
health
leaders
and
medical
health
officers
would
declare
an
outbreak
where
appropriate,
but
it
ensured
that
action
was
taken
immediately.
A
C
Herbal
speaker,
you
know,
I
have
family
of
long-term
care.
I
can
tell
you
that
families
are
not
kept
in
the
dark.
These
moments
when
outbreaks
occur,
are
some
of
the
worst
moments.
They
are
for
medical
health
officers,
they
are
for
those
working
care
homes
and,
most
importantly,
they
are
for
residents
and
for
their
families.
They
are
very
challenging
moments
and
measures
are
taken
immediately
and
measures
and
those
measures
have
increased
and
improved
since
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic.
C
The
honorable
speaker,
when
I
became
minister
of
health
87
of
care
homes
were
below
standard
in
terms
of
staffing
and
we've
taken
action
to
change
that
when
I
became
minister
of
health,
employees
in
care
homes
were
treated
worse
than
almost
all
other
employees
in
bc,
we
took
action
together
unanimously
and
changed
that
we
brought
in
a
single
site
order.
We
put
in
some
of
the
best
infection
control
in
the
country
and
the
losses.
C
Still
in
spite
of
all
of
the
efforts
of
medical
health
officers,
all
the
efforts
of
our
health
care
teams
have
been
so
deep,
there's
not
a
day.
That
goes
by
that
anyone
involved
from
family
members
to
staff
to
residents
doesn't
mourn
those
losses.
We
do
every
single
day
and
that's
why
such
significant
efforts
were
made
and
yes,
changes
were
made
in
the
measures
that
were
taken
during
the
pandemic.
For
example,
on
june
30th,
we
r
we
restored
social
visits
in
the
in
the
beginning
of
march.
We
resort
much
more
significantly
visits
to
long-term
care.
C
We
made
changes
along
the
way
in
terms
of
infection
control,
as
we
learn
more
about
the
pandemic.
That's
what
our
trained
medical
health
officers
do.
They
make
decisions
on
outbreaks
based
on
the
evidence
and
they
fight
every
single
day
to
ensure
that
residents
are
protected,
I'm
proud
of
them
and
at
the
same
time
I
recognize
the
profound
loss
that
so
many
people
feel
in
dc.
D
C
Honorable
speaker,
I
I
think
with,
as
the
member
says,
all
due
respect
the
the
suggestion
that
the
efforts,
the
immediate
efforts
of
our
medical
health
teams,
of
our
provincial
health
officer
of
our
public
health
system,
in
responding
to
these
to
these
situations,
to
coven,
19
and
long-term
care
and
to
outbreaks
and
long-term
care
caused.
C
D
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
This
isn't
about
the
public
health
officers.
I
am
actually
talking
about
the
actions
of
this
health
minister,
the
health
minister,
who
now
says
that
he
will
quote
look
into
this
important
matter.
End
quote
well.
I
believe
he
should
have
been
looking
into
it
when
this
policy
was
developed
last
october,
but
instead
he
was
campaigning
because
of
the
premier's
pandemic
election.
C
The
actions
that
have
been
taken
with
respect
to
protecting
people
in
long-term
care
actions
that
have
meant
that
our
record,
when
compared
virtually
to
anywhere
else
in
canada
and
across
north
america,
and
indeed
where
long-term
care
systems
exist,
have
led
to
lower
mortality
rates
than
anywhere
else.
Those
actions,
I
think,
are
worthy
of
respect
to
make
to
to
conflate
issues
in
this
way
when
the
stakes
are
so
high.
When
so
many
people
lost
their
lives
when
the
impact
was
so
great
on
everyone
involved,
but
especially
residents
and
their
families,
I
think,
is
the
wrong
approach.
C
It
is
a
tragic
situation
indeed,
when
anyone
passes
away
from
covet
19.
What
I
think
our
teams
have
done
on
and
the
balance
of
events
shows
this
in
difficult
circumstances,
when
the
declaration
of
outbreaks
have
profound
effects
on
people
as
well,
and
their
health
they've
done
a
very,
very
good
job.
E
C
Many
many
of
those
cases,
in
fact
80
of
those
were
such
a
technique,
was
implied,
resulted
in
no
outbreaks
and
others
resulted
in
outbreaks,
and
this
is
what
occurred.
But
when
the
member
says
that
no
action
was
taken,
in
fact,
very
significant
action
was
taken
immediately
and
then
more
action
was
taken
as
they
went
forward.
C
That
means
from
time
to
time
that
medical
health
officers
made
changes
in
their
approach
to
it,
for
example,
with
respect
to
recommendations
amongst
about
visitors
in
bc,
and
these
are
the
decisions
we
would
expect
them
to
make
in
order
to
help
keep
people
safe,
but
also
to
recognize
the
profound
impact
of
the
pandemic
on
everyone
in
long-term
care
in
every
way.
Even
those
ways
beyond
covet
19.
E
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
I
think
that
it's
important
to
note
that
there
were
42
outbreaks
during
this
period
in
long-term
care
homes,
a
thousand
cases
and,
as
has
been
pointed
out
over
190
deaths
before
november
9th
2020
fraser
health
was
directing
its
long-term
care
homes
to
treat
one
positive
cova
19
case
as
an
outbreak,
and
to
impose
tight
ins
restrictions
on
its
staff
and
residents
after
november
9th.
The
directive
was
relaxed
in
the
week
before
this
decision.
Bc's
seven
day
average
for
cases
was
growing
exponentially.
E
The
government
made
a
choice
to
relax
outbreak
standards
in
long-term
care
homes
in
the
middle
of
the
growing
second
wave
of
covid19.
That
choice
was
questioned
at
the
time
by
both
bc.
Seniors
advocate
isabel
mckenzie
and
terry
lake.
The
chief
executive
of
the
bc
care
providers
association
both
advocated
at
the
time
for
more
testing
and
brought
their
concerns
about
the
repercussions
of
this
policy
change
to
the
minister
of
health.
E
C
During
this
period
she
was-
and
this
was
she
was
not
wrong
or
right
to
do
that-
strongly
advocating
for
more
visitation
and
long-term
care
and,
in
effect,
a
relaxation
of
some
of
the
measures
that
were
in
place
in
order
to
deal
with
the
social
consequences
of
covet
19.
C
The
idea
that
isabel
mckenzie-
and
I
don't
think
this
has
been
suggested-
I
don't
think
by
either
ms
mckenzie
or
by
terry
lake-
that
they
came
to
me
and
talked
to
me
about
this
in
particular.
Just
not
correct,
I
don't
believe
I
don't
have
any
recollection
of
it
and
I
don't
think
it's
true.
I
think
they
were
arguing
for
different
things
and
that's
a
different
discussion.
We
shouldn't
conflate
these
issues.
F
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
mr
speaker.
Last
week,
without
warning,
the
government
cut
the
climate
action
revenue
incentive
program,
gutting
support
for
local
action
to
fight
climate
change.
Ubcm
president
brian
frankel
says
not
only
are
communities
puzzled,
but
there
was
absolutely
no
consultation
at
all
before
this
decision.
G
Thank
you
very
much,
honorable
speaker,
thank
you
to
the
member
opposite
for
the
question
and
enabling
us
to
have
a
discussion
in
this
house
about
the
very
critical
and
important
role
that
local
governments
play
in
climate
action.
Mr
speaker,
we
all
should
be
very
proud
of
what
local
governments
are
doing
to
tackle
climate
change,
and
we
know
that
communities
are
on
the
front
lines
of
climate
change.
G
Mr
speaker,
we
know
that
local
governments
want
to
take
action
on
creating
more
compact,
efficient
communities,
and
so,
mr
speaker,
in
budget
2021,
we
have
satisfied
11
million
dollars
to
do
that
work
and
to
work
with
local
governments.
I'm
really
looking
forward
to
working
with
local
governments
on
that
and
have
hope
to
have
much
more
to
say
soon.
Thank
you.
F
B
F
F
G
G
So,
mr
speaker,
this
is
about
listening
to
and
working
with,
local
governments,
communities
of
all
sizes
across
bc.
But,
mr
speaker,
there
is
one
more
year
of
carat
funding
coming,
so
this
decision
gives
us
the
months
to
come,
to
renew
and
to
transition
our
relationship
and
support
for
local
governments,
as
we
all
work
together
to
tackle
climate
change.
Mr
speaker,
we
should
be
very
proud
of
what
local
governments
do.
G
H
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
I
would
suggest
to
the
minister
that
that
listening
to
and
working
with,
local
governments
is
not
about
slashing
programs
which
local
governments
have
been
embracing
for
over
10
years,
without
any
consultation
and
and
and
before,
and
before
the
the
minister
crows
too
much
about
the
ndp's
record
on
climate.
She
might
want
to
to
to
be
advised
that
emissions
have
gone
up
every
single
year
under
the
ndp.
H
Their
plan
has
a
44
gap
in
actually
achieving
their
2030
emissions
reduction
target
and
they
ended
revenue
neutrality
on
the
carbon
tax,
not
a
record
that
they
should
be
too
proud
of.
Mr
speaker,
here
we
go
again
last
week.
It
was
the
the
fruit
and
vegetable
program
the
this
week
this
week
again
without
consultation,
this
government
is
is
cutting
a
successful
program.
That's
doing
good
environmental
work
at
the
local
level.
Communities
across
bc
have
embraced
this
program
and
they've
counted
on
it
for
its
steadily
steady
annual
funding
to
fight
climate
change.
H
Even
in
the
latter,
the
minister
wrote
to
municipalities
about
her
decision
to
cut
the
program.
She
boasted
about
its
success.
Saying,
and
I
quote:
50
local
governments
reported
achieving
carbon
neutrality
and
quote
as
newest
minister
councillor
patrick
johnstone
says,
and
I
quote:
it's
the
only
data
source
we
have
for
how
cities
are
doing
on
their
greenhouse
reduction.
You
can't
manage
what
you
don't
count.
End
quote
so
again,
mr
speaker.
Last
week
it
was
fruit
and
vegetables
this
week.
H
Why
is
the
the
premier
betraying
local
communities
by
eliminating
this
very
successful
and
very
important
important
local
climate
action
program?.
G
But,
mr
speaker,
carop
is
not
the
only
way
that
we've
been
funding
local
governments
and
supporting
them
in
their
work
and
mr
speaker,
over
the
last
decade,
much
has
changed.
It
is
time
to
renew
to
transition
to
work
with
local
governments
in
ways
that
suit
today,
not
just
a
decade
ago.
So,
mr
speaker,
over
the
last
decade
we
have
created
the
bc
climate
action
toolkit.
G
We
have
invested
just
recently
over
63
million
dollars
in
partnership
with
the
federal
government
through
the
clean
dc
communities
program,
to
support
local
governments
in
their
efforts
to
create
more
energy,
efficient
and
and
switch
to
clean
energy.
Mr
speaker,
we've
boosted
active
transportation
infrastructure
with
an
18
million
dollar
investment,
and
the
list
goes
on
mr
speaker.
We
know
how
important
it
is
to
work
with
our
partners,
local
governments,
I'm
absolutely
committed
to
doing
that,
and
that's
what
we're
going
to
continue
to
do.
Thank
you.
H
Thank
you
very
much
speaker
well
seven
months
ago,
as
the
member.
H
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
seven
months
ago,
as
the
mayor
of
tofino,
her
community
benefited
from
this
local
climate
action
program,
but
the
first
thing
she
does
as
minister
is:
she
goes
and
cuts
it.
She
was
a
mayor
and
she
was
part
of
the
leadership
of
the
ubcm
committee
on
on
climate
action.
She
knows
how
important
this
program
is,
but
she's
cutting
it
now.
G
Thank
you
once
again,
honorable
speaker,
and
let
me
reiterate
just
how
important
local
governments
are
in
tackling
climate
change
and
the
battle
that
we
have
before
us
as
all
orders
of
government.
Mr
speaker,
so
much
has
changed
over
the
past
decade,
I've
heard
from
a
number
of
different
local
governments
over
the
past
week
and
a
real
range
of
responses.
Mr
mr
speaker,
we
know
we
need
to
listen
to
local
governments
and
we
know
we
need
to
know
how
just
how
to
support
them
in
the
actions
that
they
want
to
take.
G
So,
mr
speaker,
sometimes
that
does
mean
renewal
and
transition
and
change.
Mr
speaker,
I'm
so
committed
to
sitting
down
and
having
those
conversations
with
local
governments.
I
think
the
member
opposite
knows
that
he
knows
where
I'm
coming
from,
and
he
knows
just
how
passionate
and
committed
I
am
to
this
file.
So,
mr
speaker,
that's
exactly
what
I'm
going
to
do
with
my
colleagues
in
this
government
so
proud
during
this
week,
local
government
awareness
week
to
continue
and
renew
that
commitment
to
working
with
local
governments.
Thank
you.
I
The
legion
is
looking
for
for
assistance
through
the
circuit
breaker
program,
but
the
province
has
said
no,
and
I
have
learned
that
they
are
not
the
only
veterans
that
do
not
qualify.
The
army,
navy
and
air
force
organization
also
does
not
qualify.
They
wrote
to
the
premier
quote:
we
find
that
the
legions
of
bc
are
being
discriminated
against
by
our
exclusion,
from
the
same
grants
that
are
available
to
our
industry
association.
Colleagues
in
bc's,
beleaguered
hospitality
industry
end
quote
the
first
time
we
asked
the
government
to
fix
it.
I
J
I
joined
the
legion
in
1979
and
I
defy
anyone
in
here
to
match
that,
except
perhaps
a
member
for
abbotsford
west,
but
the
member
puts
the
question
forward
in
good
faith,
and
I
appreciate
that
and
I
I
also
understand
the
challenges
that
the
legion
is
facing.
As
a
result
of
covet
19.,
it's
dropped
off
all
of
the
activities,
whether
it's
renting
halls
for
weddings,
for
dances
for
for
the
regular
gatherings,
whether
it
be
battle
of
the
atlantic
remembrance
days
were
not
the
last
remembrance
day
was
not
like
any
other
we've
ever
had.
J
So
I
appreciate
the
intent
with
which
the
members
ask
the
question,
and
I've
been
working
with
ministers
on
this
side
of
the
house
and
the
federal
government
to
try
and
find
ways
for
not-for-profits
to
benefit
from
the
myriad
of
programs
that
we
have
in
place
now.
I
appreciate
that
you're
going
to
ask
me
a
supplemental
question,
so
I'm
going
to
sit
down,
so
you
can
do
that.
J
But
our
commitment
on
this
side
of
the
house,
honorable
speaker,
is
to
make
sure
that
we
are
working
with
everyone
in
the
community
not
for
profits,
businesses,
communities,
individuals,
so
that
we
can
get
through
this
pandemic
together
and
we're
very,
very,
very
close
to
seeing
the
end
of
it.
I
hope
it
happens
soon
before
the
next
question.
I
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker,
and
thank
you
to
the
premier
for
actually
standing
up
and
answering
a
question
today.
I
appreciate
it,
but
there
seems
to
be
that
maybe
the
premier
has
not
bothered
to
read
the
letter
so
here's
another
quote:
the
legions
of
bc
are
facing
the
same
threat
of
closure,
laying
off
of
staff
inability
to
pay
for
utilities
and
to
pay
for
property
taxes.
End
quote
these
veterans,
who
have
sacrificed
so
much
aren't
asking
for
anything
extra.
Mr
speaker,
they
just
want
to
be
treated
the
same
as
everyone
else.
I
J
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
I
appreciate
the
intent
of
the
question.
We
have
been
working
with
the
not-for-profit
sector
from
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic.
The
economic
recovery
task
force
included
representatives
from
the
not-for-profit
sector
because
of
the
profound
impact
mostly
volunteers
have
had
as
a
result
of
covet
19,
mostly
aged
volunteers,
and
particularly
when
it
comes
to
legions
right
across
british
columbia.
So
protecting
those
individuals
is
a
very
high
priority,
making
sure
that
they
will
be
sustained
throughout
and
beyond.
The
pandemic
is
why
the
e-commerce
program
was
put
in
place.
J
The
the
emergency
rent
subsidy
was
put
in
place.
They
can
access
that
the
emergency
wage
subsidy
they
can
access
that,
but
with
respect
to
the
circuit
breaker
and
the
impact
on
food
and
beverage,
which
I
think
is
the
intent
of
the
question,
I
know
that's
a
a
core
business
for
the
legion
to
make
sure
that
they
get
the
dollars
in
the
door,
so
they
can
pay
for
all
the
important
programs
they
put
in
place
to
make
sure
our
veterans
live
in
the
dignity
and
the
respect
that
they
deserve.