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From YouTube: APRIL 14 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
2nd Session
42nd Parliament
C
C
C
D
Premier
of
british
columbia.
Thank
you
honorable
speaker,
and
I
very
thank
very
much
thank
the
leader
of
the
opposition
for
her
question.
I
know
her
passion
for
this
issue
and
in
fact,
as
I
said,
as
all
of
us
have
said,
from
the
three
major
parties
are
represented
here.
All
of
us
are
committed
to
this,
and
it
will
require
resources.
It
will
require
training
of
new
personnel
to
deliver
those
services.
Creating
spaces
in
our
post-secondary
institutions
is
an
investment
in
the
well-being
of
those
with
addictions
and
mental
health
challenges.
D
Creating
other
opportunities
to
to
remove
stigma
is
another
step
towards
that
it.
The
dedicated
funding
that
was
announced
today
by
the
minister
of
mental
health
and
addictions
will
help
guide
people
to
those
supports
some
2.7
billion
dollars.
Honorable
speaker,
that
is
distributed
through
the
health
authorities
across
british
columbia
for
mental
health
and
addiction
issues.
D
More
prevention
sites
are
required.
In
my
opinion,
safe
consumption,
safe
consumption
sites.
We
need
to
use
all
pillars
on
the
stool,
it's
not
just
about
safe
consumption.
There
has
to
be
alternatives,
there
has
to
be
treatment
and,
most
importantly,
there
has
to
be
enforcement
on
those
that
prey
on
the
vulnerable.
These
are
all
areas
that
we're
going
to
be
focusing
on
in
budget
2021.
I
know
the
minister
of
finance
will
be
speaking
about
those
issues
next
week.
I
look
forward
to
that
debate.
C
C
They
faced
wait,
lists
and
a
lack
of
access
for
treatment
and
the
heartbreaking
story
is
that
morgan
didn't
make
it
all
of
us
need
to
do
better.
The
moms
outside
are
telling
us
that
we
are
not
doing
enough,
and
we
owe
it
to
that
mom
and
every
other
family
across
british
columbia.
That's
been
impacted
to
ensure
that
there
is
a
proper
system
of
supports
that
includes
prevention,
education.
C
It
includes
access
to
treatment
and
counseling
families
should
not
have
to
choose
between
putting
food
on
the
table
and
finding
counseling
support
for
their
children
and,
if
they're,
in
a
position
to
be
able
to
do
that,
we
need
to
make
sure
that
we
have
the
resources
in
place
so
again
to
the
premier.
Will
he
promised
british
columbians
today
that
there
will
be
a
funding
system
in
place
that
allows
for
there
to
be
affordable,
accessible
options
for
families,
including
the
counseling
and
treatment
services,
so
desperately
needed.
D
Premier,
thank
you
ronald
speaker
and,
and
I
thank
again
the
minister
for
me,
the
leader
of
the
opposition
for
her
questions
and-
and
she
said
in
her
remarks
earlier-
that
for
too
long
reactive
services
have
been
the
order
of
the
day
and
we
need
to
be
more
proactive.
We
need
to
make
sure
that
there's
early
intervention
that
means
talking
about
these
issues
in
our
k-12
system,
making
sure
that
there
are
supports
there.
Early
intervention
for
young
people
is
critical
to
success
in
the
long
term.
I
fully
endorse
the
official
opposition's
position
with
this.
D
We
have
had
this
debate
for
too
long.
I
have
been
in
this
place
for
15
years.
We've
been
talking
about
these
issues
for
a
long
long
time,
sometimes
with
me
on
that
side
of
the
house,
sometimes
with
you
on
this
side
of
the
house,
I
don't
doubt
the
commitment
of
any
person
in
this
place
to
address
these
issues.
What
we
need
to
do
is
not
wait
for
solemn
anniversaries.
We
need
to
act
each
and
every
day.
That's
why
we
have
a
minister
responsible.
We
will
provide
the
resources
available
to
make
those
things
happen.
D
And
again
I
applaud
the
leader
of
the
opposition.
Reactive
services
is
what
we
do.
That's
what
our
health
care
system
is
built
upon
and
making
a
seismic
shift
away
from
what
we've
always
done
to
what
we
have
to
do
now
is
going
to
be
a
challenge,
but
I'm
confident
that
we're
up
for
it
and
let's
do
it
together.
E
E
Addictions
don't
wait,
but
the
unfortunate
irony
in
that
comment
is
those
that
are
suffering
from
mental
health
and
addictions
are
forced
to
wait
in
this
province
for
help
the
premier
said
moments
ago
that
we
are
doing
our
best
and
premier.
I
say
this
with
the
utmost
respect.
Our
best
is
not
good
enough
right
now.
A
That
does
tell
us
that
intervention
and
building
up
that
continuum
of
care
that
bc
did
not
have
when
we
first
formed
government
in
2017
that
it
was
starting
to
work
and
the
terrible
loss
of
life
that
has
resulted
from
the
culmination
of
more
people
experiencing
social
isolation,
a
lot
of
supervised
consumption
services
having
to
go
to
half
capacity
because
of
covid19
and
the
accelerated
and
terrible
increased
drug
toxicities
that
has
resulted
from
border
closures
are
all
things
that
across
canada,
have
exacerbated
the
overdose
crisis
and
brought
the
loss
of
life
to
a
terrible
spike.
A
That
british
columbia
is
now
fighting
two
public
health
emergencies.
At
the
same
time,
while
also
building
that
system
of
mental
health
and
addictions
care
that
did
not
exist
before
we
formed
government
has
been
a
great
pressure
on
people
on
the
front
line
and
on
on
the
people
working
on
it
and
the
families
that
have
lost
loved
ones.
I
we're
grateful
to
all
of
them
for
their
work,
that
we
have
been
able
to
build
up
new
treatment
and
recovery
beds.
A
E
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
and
to
the
minister,
now,
is
not
a
day
to
do
a
victory
lap,
because
I'll
tell
you.
One
thing
is:
is
that
mr
speaker,
we
have
committed
in
this
house
to
do
everything
we
can
to
help
support
this
government,
but
for
too
long
british
colombians
have
called
for
a
plan
to
deal
with
this
crisis
and
for
four
years
this
government
has
failed
to
deliver
that
plan
again
to
the
premier.
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
I
believe
that
my
colleague
across
the
aisle
will
be
very
pleased
to
see
the
budget
that
the
finance
minister
will
reveal
next
year
and
I'm
sorry
next
week.
Apologies,
mr
speaker,
and
I'm
pleased
to
give
him
a
copy
of
the
pathway
to
hope,
which
is
our
government's
plan
to
address,
to
build
a
system
of
care
for
mental
health
and
addictions,
informed
with
great
thanks
to
all
the
people
working
on
the
front
line,
the
medical
community,
academics
and
addiction,
medicine
and
health
and
mental
health
care.
A
British
columbia
did
not
have
a
plan.
Now
there
is
one
and
together
we
are
building
it
up
and
working
to
save
lives.
There
is
much
more
work
for
us
to
do
if
we
do
it
together,.
F
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Our
government
agrees
with
the
opposition
that
access
to
mental
health
care
and
addiction
support
should
not
depend
on
the
size
of
your
budget.
I'm
very
encouraged
that,
in
cooperation
with
the
health
authorities,
we've
been
able
to
announce
just
in
the
last
month,
100
new,
publicly
funded
adult
addiction
treatment
beds.
That's
just
one
example
of
the
plan
that
we
are
building
out.
The
opposition
of
the
third
party's
suggestion
from
the
bc
psychologist
association
is
is
a
generous
one.
A
The
premier
has
asked
me
to
in
my
mandate
letter
to
investigate
removing
barriers
to
access
to
mental
health.
Counseling
psychologists
are
an
important
part
of
bc's
mental
health
care
system.
They
are
not
the
only
practitioner,
but
we
are
very
grateful
for
their
work
and,
most
of
particularly
right
now
they
are
employed
at
a
great
many
of
our
new
urgent
primary
care
centers,
which
are
delivering
seven
day
a
week,
access
to
people
in
mental
health
and
addictions,
treatment
and
crisis.
A
F
You,
honourable
speaker,
and
I
appreciate
the
minister's
response
and
recognition
of
of
this
proposal
and
and
and
importantly,
the
recognition
of
how
important
mental
health
care
is
to
everybody's
health.
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
a
meeting
I
think
two
weeks
ago
with
the
parents
in
mum
stop
the
harm,
and
some
of
the
parents
urged
us
very
much
to
think
of
addiction
as
a
mental
illness.
They
don't
make
any
separation
between
the
two,
so
I
appreciate
the
member
opposite,
I'm
drawing
again
that
link
so
strongly
that
we,
especially
during
the
time
of
covid,
have
been
able
to
move
in
the
greatest
transformation.
A
I
think
in
bc's
history,
because
of
this
crisis
of
covid
to
move
mental
health
counseling
to
an
online
and
on-phone
platform
is
a
great
testament
to
the
community
organizations
and
the
bc
psychologist
association
that
helped
us
in
that
with
some
of
that
early
counseling
access.
So
anybody
that
is
watching
that
is
in
crisis
or
needs
help
or
is
feeling
anxious.
As
the
member
says,
we
do
want
to
deal
with
problems
while
there
are
still
small
ones,
please
reach
out
for
help.
I've
confirmed
and
reconfirmed
that
there
is
help
available.
G
I
just
want
to
remind
this
house
that
bc
had
a
plan
in
2010
called
healthy
minds,
healthy
people,
and
it
was
a
10-year
plan
that
went
from
2010
to
2020,
but
that
plan
was
adjusted
when
this
premier
came
into
power
and
under
the
last
four
years,
things
have
gotten
worse
under
this
premier,
the
cost
of
counseling
cost
of
treatment,
the
lack
of
access
to
these
services.
It
all
makes
it
so
much
more
difficult
for
people
to
get
the
help
they
desperately
need.
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
that
we
both
remove
the
stigma
that
prevents
people
from
calling
out
for
help
when
they
need
addictions,
counseling
support
or
are
in
mental
health
crisis.
We
want
people
to
feel
they
have
the
same
access
to
the
healthcare
system,
whether
it's
a
physical
problem
or
a
mental
health
problem.
That
is
the
end
goal.
That
is
the
system
that
we
are
working
hard
to
build
up.
As
dr
bonnie
henry
said,
it
has
been
hard
to
fight
a
pandemic.
For
example,
when
there
was
no
system
of
mental
health
and
addictions
care.
A
When
we
formed
government
we
are
building
that
system.
It's
not
just
a
plan
that
we
have
put
in
place,
but
it
is
the
implementation
of
the
plan.
The
expansion
of
access
to
services
is
unprecedented
in
british
columbia's
history
and
there
is
so
much
work
to
do
that.
We
have
brought
down
wait
times
for
children
and
youth.
Accessing
mental
health
needs
by
20
is
a
measure,
but
it
is
no
comfort
to
the
families
and
children
that
are
still
waiting
too
long
for
care.
G
G
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
that
our
government
removed
the
fees
associated
with
medical
services
premium
is
a
great
re
removal
of
a
terrible
of
a
real
barrier
to
access
to
health
care
that
went
on
in
british
columbia.
For
much
too
long
that
we
have
unfolded.
A
23
new,
urgent,
primary
care,
centers
that
give
seven
day
a
week,
access
to
mental
health
and
addictions
that
we
have
stood
up.
New
123
new
youth
treatment
beds,
a
doubling
of
publicly
funded
youth
treatment
and
addictions
and
recovery
beds,
and
that
we
have
a
continued
investment
and
a
continued
commitment
to
build
up
that
system
of
care
that
did
not
exist
when
we
formed
government
in
2017
is
work
that
we
are
determined
to
do
in
cooperation
with
all
parties.
H
This
premier
has
been
in
charge
for
the
last
four
years
of
this
public
health
emergency
and
things
have
gotten
worse,
not
better.
The
throne
speech
has
offered
nothing
but
platitudes,
and
I'll
quote
people
everywhere
are
experiencing
increased
anxiety,
stress
and
depression.
End
quote,
but
nothing
practical
to
people
who
are
desperate
youth
are
disproportionately
impacted
by
this
pandemic.
H
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
we're
putting
a
priority
on
mental
health,
supports
and
addiction
supports
for
young
people.
We
are
bringing
those
services
to
young
people
in
their
communities
and
their
schools
in
five
school
districts.
We
have
piloted
integrated
youth
and
child
treatment
teams,
we're
bringing
mental
health
teams
into
schools.
Two
different
programs,
one
delivered
by
mcfd,
one
delivered
by
ministry
of
education
that
we
have
funded
and
expanded
enormously.
A
The
very
successful
foundry
program
designed
and
built
by
youth
for
youth,
expanded
it
across
the
province
and
supported
foundry
moving
to
a
virtual
platform
during
covid,
there
are
more
and
more
pieces
identified
in
the
pathway
to
hope
our
10-year
plan
and
I
look
forward
to
the
opposition
members
support
for
continued
investments
and
pathway
to
hope.
H
Well,
unfortunately,
mr
speaker,
we've
lost
pr.
We've
lost
confidence
when
we
hear
this
government
use
the
word
priority
this
province.
The
province's
response.
Recently,
a
hub
of
resources,
nicely
collated
doesn't
do
anything.
There
is
no
new
assistance
as
the
need
grows.
There's
no
financial
support
with
people
who
are
struggling.
People
need
something
more
substantive.
They
need
something
more
substantive
than
a
hub.
As
the
leader
of
the
opposition
said
recently,
people
should
not
need
to
choose
between
groceries
and
mental
health
support.
H
A
B
A
And
it
was
disappointing
to
me
that
the
opposition
pledged
only
25
of
the
investment
in
mental
health
and
addictions
during
the
october
election
campaign,
so
that
to
me
that
we
did
so.
That
does
suggest
to
me
that
their
priorities,
as
reflected
in
their
16
years
in
government,
are,
would
have
carried
on
or
should
they
have
won
the
order.
Please,
in
october,.
B
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
that
the
work
continues
to
implement
pathway,
to
hope,
focusing
on
youth
counseling
on
building
out
new
youth
treatment
beds
on
building
out
the
child
and
youth
support
teams
and
mental
health
programs
in
schools
working
with
counselors
with
families
with
all
of
the
communities
that
affect
young
people
in
particular,
to
make
sure
that
we
can
address
small
problems
before
they
turn
into
big
ones.
A
We
had
committed
to
deliver
the
progress
report
on
the
pathway
to
hope,
I
believe
at
the
end
of
december
and
like
a
lot
of
things
in
the
pandemic,
because
the
people
working
on
the
front
line
are
understandably
consumed
with
two
mental
health
emergencies
that
we
are
going
to
be
delayed
in
in
providing
that
report.
But
I'm
very
happy
to
brief
them.
Remember
on
on
the
elements
that
we
are
working
on,
the
the
report
is
being
drafted
and
my
apologies
to
the
members
of
the
legislature.
A
J
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Let's
be
clear
that
was
in
the
transition
binder
that
it
was
supposed
to
be
delivered
by
the
end
of
2020
transition,
binder
that
was
created
because
of
an
unnecessary
election
that
delayed
government
by
two
months.
It's
delayed
this
budget
by
two
months,
which
is
why
no
one
knows
what
funding
may
or
may
not
be
for
mental
health
and
addictions.
Currently,
the
minister
continues
to
say
that
we
did
nothing.
J
what
this
gov,
what
the
previous
government
did
in
2016
and
12
months.
Mr
speaker
was
an
immediate
hundred
million
dollars
deployed
with
the
declaration
of
the
public
health
emergency,
which
was
five
years
ago
today
we
established
the
bc
center
on
substance,
use
operating
hundreds
of
additional
treatment
beds,
mass
distribution
of
naloxone
and
substitution
therapy
such
as
suboxone
and,
as
the
minister
keeps
talking
about
foundry.
J
Doesn't
exactly
sound
like
nothing
was
happening
in
that
12
months?
Mr
speaker,
in
fact,
that
12
months
then,
minister
terry
lake
received
the
bc
provincial
health
officers
award
for
excellence
in
public
health
and
the
canadian
public
health
association,
public
health
care
hero
award
for
his
12
months
worth
of
work.
J
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
to
them
through
you
to
the
member
office
that,
if
I
said
anywhere
in
this
afternoon
or
in
any
of
our
debates
here,
that
the
previous
government
did
nothing,
then
I
unequivocally
fought.
A
A
The
and-
and
there
is
a
a
great
deal
of
to
of
ideas
on
both
their
there
is
a
great
deal
to
look
back
on
in
the
previous
government
and
across
canada,
of
what
has
what
has
made
an
impact
on
people's
lives.
No
question:
do
we
have
more
to
do
no
question?
Have
the
investments,
under
this
past
four
years
been
exceptional
in
british
columbia's
history
about
building
out
new,
publicly
funded
access
to
treatment?
Yes,
they
have.
Is
there
much
more
to
do?
J
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
I
think
the
the
minister
better
go
back
and
read
all
of
her
hansard
clips,
because
she
repeatedly
repeatedly
goes
on
trying
to
make
it
sound
as
if
this
side
of
the
house
has
never
done
anything,
and
there
was
no
program
in
place
this
from
a
minister
whose
budget
is
smaller
than
the
budget
to
operate
the
premier's
office.
J
But
let's
talk
about
another
group,
I'm
sorry
I'll.
The
premier
finish
is
heckling
and
then
I'll
continue
thanks
dude.
So
let's
talk
about
another
group
of
people.
Let's
talk
about
another
group
of
people
that
have
been
impacted
by
this
crisis
that
seem
to
have
been
forgotten
by
this
government.
First
responders,
paramedics,
fire
police
all
have
been
on
the
front
lines
for
the
last
five
years.
Four
of
those
years
under
this
premier's
watch
second
term
government
now
with
covid
many
are
feeling
burned
out
and
it's
not
just
the
death
numbers
that
are
burning
them
out.
J
Let's
remember:
there's
been
an
incredible
spike
in
non-fatal
overdoses
that
all
these
women
and
men
are
responding
to
on
a
regular
basis.
That's
burning
them
out.
Troy
clifford,
president
of
the
ambulance,
paramedics
of
bc
says-
and
I
quote,
this
is
definitely
impacting
their
fatigue.
Their
stress
end
quote
so
to
the
premier.
D
Premiere,
thank
you
honorable
speaker,
and
this
has
been
a
half
an
hour
in
our
day,
and
much
of
it
was
useful.
Much
of
the
suggestions
that
were
made
were
helpful
and
I'm
hopeful
we
will
be
able
to
build
on
that
going
forward.
D
D
Not
just
within
a
global
pandemic,
but
each
and
every
day
before
kobit
19
hit
our
shores
first
responders.
Were
there
answering
the
bell
going
into
harm's
way
to
protect
british
colombians
and
all
of
us
annually
meet
with
firefighters
we
meet
with
paramedics,
we
meet
with
law
enforcement
and
we
say
thank
you
and
I
say
today
thank
you
with
respect
to
what
will
be
in
the
budget
to
improve
the
lives
of
british
columbians.
D
A
lot
is
what's
going
to
be
in
that
budget,
because
what
we've
been
doing
for
the
past
four
years,
but
most
specifically
for
the
past
12
months,
is
focusing
on
making
sure
that
people
are
whole,
making
sure
that
businesses
can
survive
and
making
sure
communities
have
the
services
that
they
need
and
the
member
can
shake
his
head
as
if
this
is
some
sort
of
a
partisan
game.
It's
not
it's
people's
lives.
D
You
started
on
the
right
track,
man
and
then
you
went
into
the
ditch
because
we
have
to
respect
not
just
people
on
either
side
of
this
house,
but
people
outside
of
this
house
that
respect
and
expect
better
from
us.
We
need
to
stay
not
just
on
message,
for
a
couple
of
minutes
have
to
start
a
question
period,
but
every
day
we
need
to
work
together
wherever
we
come
from.
D
Whatever
point
of
view
we
may
have,
we
need
to
work
together
to
lift
everyone
out
of
this
crisis,
not
just
the
opioid
crisis,
not
just
the
covenant
crisis,
but
the
aftermath
of
all
of
that
on
the
psyche
of
british
columbians
on
families
in
every
part
of
this
province.
I
hope
tomorrow
we
do
a
better
job
than
we
just
did
in
the
last
five
minutes.