►
From YouTube: MAY 11 2021 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
2nd Session
42nd Parliament
C
C
D
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
thank
you
to
the
member
for
the
question.
The
death
of
a
child
is
a
tragedy
that
no
family
should
have
to
face.
My
heart
goes
out
to
them.
D
We've
been
working
hard
to
build
up
the
system
of
voluntary
supports
and
have
added
services
in
so
many
areas
in
response
to
the
families
that
have
told
me
and
and
told
colleagues
that
how
hard
it
has
been
to
access
service,
despite
the
number
of
new
supports
built
in
young
people,
still
fall
through
the
cracks,
and
for
that
I
I
grieve
along
with
the
peers
and
friends
and
family
that
have
lost
young
ones.
D
The
approach
that
we've
taken,
although
understanding,
absolutely
that
that
there
are
parents
who
still
who
do
believe-
and
I
agree
with
them-
that
stabilization
care
might
have
made
a
difference
in
the
lives
of
their
children.
The
focus
that
I
have
as
minister
right
now
is
on
building
up
that
system
of
voluntary
care.
D
That
will
work
to
save
lives
right
now,
and
it
will
also
facilitate
the
complex
conversations
that
are
ahead
of
us
as
we
re-address
legislation
to
to
stabilize
young
people
after
an
overdose
and
work
to
connect
them
with
care.
Before
they're
discharged.
C
C
C
Well,
this
pandemic
is
one
public
health
crisis.
The
opioid
crisis
is
another
one,
and
it's
been
going
on
for
that
five
years.
The
premier's
words
are
cold
comfort
to
the
families
and
here's
another
quote
from
the
premier
level.
I
believe
this
is
an
important
bill,
because
I've
talked
to
parents,
who've
lost
children,
they
wanted
government
to
do
something,
so
there
was
at
least
a
legacy
for
the
loss
of
a
loved
one.
C
So
once
again,
mr
speaker,
here
we
are
eight
months
later.
There
is
no
new
legislation.
None
on
the
horizon,
it
seems
like
the
premier
was
only
worried
about
his
legacy
eight
months
ago,
not
bringing
forward
legislation
in
a
meaningful
way
so
again
to
the
premier.
When
will
the
premier
be
introducing
a
new
bill
that
helps
parents
and
families.
D
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Again,
my
thoughts
are
with
the
family
and
the
friends
of
the
two
young
women
who
lost
their
lives
this
month
and
the
and
and
many
more
1
000
over
1
700
people
that
have
lost
their
lives
to
toxic
drug
supply
in
this
year.
The
pandemic
is
heartbreaking.
D
Our
work
to
expand
the
system
of
care
has
been
going
on
the
last
few
years
and
it
continues
that
unprecedented
investment
announced
this
past
month
by
the
finance
minister.
Half
a
billion
dollars
to
build
up
that
mental
health
and
addictions
response
is,
is
work
that
carries
on
the
again
unprecedented
investment.
D
There
is
so
much
more
work
to
do
and
yet
to
have
just
already
almost
100
million
dollars
of
this
budget
dedicated,
particularly
towards
supports
for
children
and
families,
to
be
doubling
youth
treatment
and
recovery
beds,
unprecedented
in
british
columbia's
history
to
be
training
up,
new
health
care
support
mental
health
workers
in
many
of
our
universities
and
post-secondary
institutions
to
have
added
to
new
school
districts,
the
integrated
child
and
youth
teams
trying
to
get
ahead
of
problems
trying
to
address
problems
while
they're
still
small
before
they
build
into
a
crisis.
E
E
E
As
ali's
mum
put
it
if
I
was
able
to
be
there
for
her,
if
I
had
the
help
and
she
had
the
help,
I
think
she
would
be
here
right
now.
The
premier
justified
a
pandemic
election
that
put
government
on
pause
by
saying
he
needed
a
majority
to
help
families
like
allies.
So
my
question
to
the
premier
today
is:
where
is
that
help
for
ali's
family.
D
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
We've
heard
from
families
who
lost
to
overdose
who
believe
that
better
care
after
an
overdose
would
have
saved
their
child.
Our
government
agrees,
which
is
why
we
are
trying
to
build
up
the
mental
health
and
addictions
response
system
for
young
people
across
the
entire
continuum
of
care
that
young
children
that
young
people
still
fall
through
the
cracks
is
a
something
that
that
weighs
on
every
person,
of
course,
on
the
front
line,
every
peer,
every
friend,
it's
a
heartbreaking
loss
for
someone.
D
So
young
and
again
I
extend
my
condolences
to
the
family
and
friends
of
of
the
two
young
women
on
vancouver
island
who
died
to
overdose
this
month.
D
We
remain
as
a
government
deeply
committed
to
building
up
that
system
of
care
to
preventing
loss
of
life,
to
drug
toxicity,
to
tackling
addiction
and
mental
health
problems,
while
they
are
still
small
problems,
building
up
doubling
the
number
of
youth
treatment
beds
and
working
to
build
up
better
post-overdose
connection
to
care,
that's
what
last
summer's
legislation
was
intended
to
do.
We
did
hear
that
building
up
voluntary,
getting
the
voluntary
care
built
up
and
on
the
ground
is
an
important
companion
to
that
legislation,
and
that
is
the
work
that
we're
doing
right
now.
D
E
E
D
Thank
you
miss.
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
The
death
of
a
child
in
these
circumstances
is
some
remember.
B
D
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
The
death
of
a
child
in
circumstances
like
this
is
something
that
the
coroner
will
investigate.
I
look
forward
very
much
to
the
advice
of
the
coroner
and
that
of
the
representative
of
children
and
youth.
We
want
to
know
from
the
analysis
that
we'll
receive
from
them
whether
stabilization
care
would
have
helped
in
this
to
prevent
these
two
deaths,
I'm
hungry
for
that
advice
and
that
information.
D
D
Those
supports
to
build
up
that
system
of
care
to
save
lives,
and
we
will
learn
every
lesson
that
we
can
from
the
loss
of
these
two
young
lives
and
we
will
honor
the
process
that
the
coroner
and
the
representative
for
children
and
youth
have
laid
out
for
us
to
do
that
with
respect
and
do
everything
we
can
as
a
government
to
prevent
further
loss
of
life.
F
Mr
speaker,
the
results
from
the
university
of
victoria
or
university
of
british
columbia
trial
of
rapid
testing
in
first-year
residences
has
come
back
with
positive
results,
positive
cases
and
positive
findings.
25
pcr
confirmed
cases
were
caught
in
this
trial,
stopping
further
transmission
from
spreading
from
highly
infectious,
yet
asymptomatic
people.
F
The
trial's
results
noted
that
students
preferred
to
test
themselves
when
given
the
option
and
effectively
decreased
the
spread
of
covid19
due
to
great
engagement,
the
study
from
ubc
shows
success
using
rapid
tests
in
communal
settings
and
that
people
are
wanting
agency
in
what
they
can
do
to
bend
the
curve
directives
to
stay
home
and
stay
safe
are
passive
and
have
exhausted
people.
Rapid
tests
are
a
tool
of
engagement.
They
give
people
something
to
do.
They
give
people
an
action
and
an
active
role
to
play
in
our
pandemic
response.
F
G
Thank
you
very
much
and
thank
you
to
the
member
for
his
question.
I
would
start
by
disagreeing
somewhat.
I
think
that
there
is
a
role
for
all
british
columbians
and
british
columbians
have
done
an
excellent
job
in
following
public
health
guidance
engaging
with
one
another
on
it
and
following
public
health
orders
and
you've
seen
that
repeatedly
as
case
counts
have
gone
up
and
then
come
down
because
of
the
actions
of
british
columbians
with
respect
to
rapid
testing,
our
policy
is
directed
by
our
scientific
experts
at
the
bccdc,
the
provincial
health
officer.
G
We
laid
out
that
policy
in
detail
on
march
the
3rd
dr
bonnie
henry
did
on
behalf
of
on
behalf
of
the
province
and
that
allows
for
an
increased
use
from
rapid
testing.
Some
of
the
technology
that
the
member
is
talking
about
is
very
recent
here
in
british
columbia,
some
of
the
technology
that's
been
used
in
other
jurisdictions,
isn't
yet
licensed
in
canada.
F
Mr
speaker
and
thank
you
to
the
minister
for
the
response,
a
government
of
canada
news
release
from
the
health
canada
just
a
couple
of
days
ago,
talks
about
testing
and
screening
as
important
tools
to
help
reduce
the
risk
of
outbreaks
quickly
to
identify
and
isolate
cases
and
limit
spreading
in
workplaces
and
in
the
community.
It
goes
on
to
say
across
the
country,
rapid
tests
have
already
helped
to
identify
and
stop
the
transmission
over
11
000
confirmed
cases
of
covid19.
F
The
reluctance
of
this
bc
ndp
government
to
remove
barriers
to
rapid
testing
is
frankly
astonishing.
They
did
finally
change
the
restrictions
to
allow
non-medical
professionals
to
administer
rapid
tests
in
the
workplace.
Yet,
as
of
last
week,
33
workplaces
have
applied
for
these
point-of-care
tests
and
zero
have
been
approved.
F
British
columbia
is
falling
behind
on
rapid
testing
in
the
workplace.
We've
used
one
percent
of
the
rapid
tests
in
our
stockpile.
With
more
than
a
million
of
these
tests
set
to
expire,
this
fall.
The
federal
industry
advisory
panel
has
called
for
rapid
tests
in
workplace
and
said
the
bc
is
dragging
its
heels.
My
question,
honourable
speaker,
is
again
to
the
minister
of
health.
Why
has
this
government
created
barriers
to
access
rapid
tests
in
the
midst
of
this
pandemic?
G
Speaker,
I'm
I'm
really
surprised
that
the
member
on
this
precise
point
of
how
to
use
testing,
surely,
amongst
all
subjects,
should
be
guided
by
scientific
experts
and
is
in
british
columbia,
suddenly
becomes
a
partisan
issue.
It's
not
a
partisan
issue.
Our
policy
is
guided
by
the
canadian
committee
and
we've
heard
regularly
from
dr
dalla
and
sue
page,
who
will
be
familiar
with
members
of
the
house
who
are
chairing
the
federal
committee
and
by
the
dr
bonnie
henry
in
the
bccdc.
G
Our
policy
around
rapid
testing
was
based
first
on
validating
the
tests,
which
was
important,
then
doing
a
series
of
pilot
projects,
then
setting
out
a
policy
and
now
using
them
more
and
more
as
the
technology
evolves,
and
that
is
based
on
the
scientific
evidence.
It's
not
a
trade
agreement
where
one
political
party
has
one
position.
Another
has
another
position.
We
are
being
guided
by
dr
bonnie
henry
by
the
bccdc,
by
federal
advice
and
by
the
scientific
evidence,
and
that
will
continue
to
be
the
case
in
the
coming
days
and
weeks
of
this
pandemic.
H
Konawest,
thank
you.
Mr
speaker.
Tenants
of
subsidized
housing
in
bc
were
shocked
to
learn
that
they
did
not
qualify
for
the
rent
freeze
under
this
government.
The
bc
housing
notice,
tenants
received,
says
quote:
the
government
of
bc.
Rent
freeze
does
not
apply,
does
not
apply
to
rent
geared
to
income.
H
I
Thank
you,
mr
chair,
so
thank
you,
mr
chair.
So
rent
geared
to
income
is
exactly
as
it
is
described.
You
pay
the
rent
you
can
afford.
According
to
your
income.
The
reason
why
there's
not
a
rent
freeze
required
for
that
group
is
because
it's
directly
tied
to
the
tenant's
income.
So
if
you've
lost
all
of
your
income
because
of
covet,
then
your
rent
goes
down
accordingly.
If
your
income
has
gone
up
despite
covet,
you
pay
a
rent.
I
Accordingly,
it's
a
very
carefully
tailored
mechanism
and,
to
be
blunt
honorable
speaker,
the
entirety
of
people
living
in
supportive
housing
are
paying
well
below
market
rent.
It's
supportive
of
affordable
housing
geared
to
the
individual
person's
income.
H
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker.
I
I
think
that,
when
it
comes
to
the
pandemic
issues
that
that
answer
is
a
bit
insensitive,
the
fact
is
that
these
people
are
still
renters
they're,
still
paying
to
bc
housing
a
rent.
The
premier
is
the
only
landlord
in
the
province
who
gets
a
raise
in
rent
this
year,
he's
exempted
his
government
from
his
own
rent,
freeze
rules
and
the
tenants
who
need
it
most
of
the
ones
who
pay.
Why
is
the
premier
playing
by
a
different
set
of
rules
and
charging
bc?
I
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
I
mean,
I
guess
I
would
take
the
members
concern
more
seriously
if
he
hadn't
just
been
on
the
radio
advocating
against
free
cell
phones
for
low
income
people.
Let
me
read,
let
me
read
the
quote.
I
He
says
he
says
he's
on
the
side
of
the
people
in
support
of
housing.
Oh
that's
interesting.
He
blamed
the
fact
that
telus
is
providing
free
cell
phones.
He
said
so
frankly
the
reason
that
homeless
people
are
coming.
First
of
all,
I
said
homeless.
People
are
coming
to
british
columbia
from
across
canada
and
the
reason
is
quote
because
it's
the
best
option
in
canada
in
a
lot
of
cases,
because
the
government
has
quote
even
provided
cell
phones
unquote.
I
Advocating
against
low-cost
cell
phones
for
people
who
are
homeless
or
at
risk
of
homelessness,
and
then,
in
this
question
purity
says,
rent
geared
to
income
is
somehow
unfair
to
people
when
it's
actually
geared
to
their
actual
income.
The
member
needs
to
get
his
story
straight,
whose
side
is
he
on
honorable.
B
A
A
They
have
written
to
the
premier
to
ask
the
premier
to
urge
the
premier
to
purchase
the
land
so
that
these
folks
can
retain
their
their
affordable
co-op
housing
units.
President
of
tri
branch,
dave
palipao,
says,
and
I
quote,
we're
in
a
panic.
This
is
home
to
many
many
people
for
four
decades
and
quote.
Interestingly
enough.
Tribrant's
tri
branch
is
located
in
the
in
the
riding
of
the
mla
for
coquitlam
burke,
mountain
he's.
Nowhere
on
this
issue.
A
This
co-op
is
literally
in
the
backyard
of
the
former
housing
minister
and
the
current
finance
minister
she's
also
missing
in
action
on
this
file.
So
the
question
is
this:
will
the
premier
step
up
and
will
he
save
these
hundreds
of
affordable
co-op
homes
in
coquitlam.
I
Attorney
general.
Thank
you,
mr
chair.
This
is
an
issue
we're
dealing
with
across
the
province.
There
are
a
number
of
co-ops
that
were
established
by
the
federal
government
when
they
used
to
support
co-op
housing.
They
don't
anymore
that
are
on
leases
that
are
expiring.
South
falls
creek
in
vancouver
is
another
example
there's
a
very
large
co-op
in
burnaby,
and
I
appreciate
the
member
drawing
this
to
my
attention.
Of
course,
I've
heard
about
it
from
local
members
as
well
and
bc.
I
A
You,
mr
speaker,
well,
we
know
why
the
government
won't
step
in
to
protect
these
homes.
The
answer
is
because
the
developer
evicting
them
is
the
international
union
of
operating
engineers,
pension
fund,
the
cooperative
housing
federation
vc
president
tom
armstrong
says-
and
I
quote
now:
the
union
pension
funds
trustees
say
to
themselves.
We
have
to
get
a
market
return
on
the
value
of
our
property.
End
quote,
mr
speaker.
The
the
iuo
just
happens
to
be
the
same
union.
A
That's
donated
over
590
000
to
the
ndp
just
happens
to
be
one
of
the
ndp's
19
hand-picked
unions
that
are
benefiting
at
taxpayers,
expense
from
the
ndp's
discriminatory
union-only
mandate
on
major
infrastructure
projects.
So
again,
the
question
to
the
premier
is
this:
why
is
the
premier
throwing
220
british
columbians,
mostly
seniors
and
those
on
low
incomes?
Why
is
he
throwing
them
out
of
their
homes
in
this
affordable
housing
co-op
to
reward
the
ndp's
union
donors
attorney
general.
I
Well,
let's
be,
let's
be
frank,
honorable
speaker,
if,
if
we
had
already
purchased
the
building,
the
member
would
be
standing
up
saying
that
we
purchased
it
to
favor
the
union
if
we
didn't
we're,
not
purchasing
it
to
favor
the
union.
There's
there's
no
win
here,
but
I
can
tell
the
member,
if
he's
legitimately
concerned
about
the
tenants
in
the
building
that
bc
housing
is
working
with
the
union
to
have
negotiations
about
an
appropriate
price
based
on
appraisals.
I
That
conversation
is
ongoing
and
I'm
well
aware
of
the
issue,
and
we
are
concerned
about
the
tenants
in
the
building.
The
vital
issue
to
us
is
protecting
the
tenants
and
making
sure
that
they
are
looked
after,
and
that
is
definitely
a
priority.
I
think
the
member
for
raising
the
issue
and
for
his
encouragement
to
buy
the
building.
J
Thanks,
mr
speaker,
for
over
15
years,
the
bc
school
fruit
and
vegetable
nutritional
program
has
been
creating
an
exciting
direct
link
between
students
in
the
classroom
and
farmers.
J
K
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker,
and
thank
you
for
the
question.
The
fruit
and
vegetable
program
is
something
that
has
been
very
valuable
and
we
have
worked
with
the
association
for
a
number
of
years.
K
J
J
Look,
I'm
troubled
that
the
minister
continues
to
speak
in
the
past
tense
about
a
program
that
has
been
such
an
incredible
success
that
has
been
funded
by
previous
governments
by
this
by
this
government
until
now.
Here's
what
people
say
about
this-
this
is
from
the
cello
school
on
mile
293
alaska
highway
from
someone
that's
worked
there
for
six
years.
I
can
tell
you
with
100
honesty
that
the
vegetables
that
we
receive
at
the
school
are
the
only
vegetables
that
some
of
our
students
get.
J
I
got
a
handful
of
letters
from
quadra
island
from
merit
from
big
lake,
elementary
from
clinton
from
a
coal,
martha
curry
in
surrey,
from
right
across
british
columbia.
J
J
J
K
K
In
some
cases
this
is
the
only
fresh
produce
or
fruit
that
schools
receive,
especially
in
our
northern
communities,
but
we'll
be
working
within
the
ministry
of
agriculture
within
our
feed
bc
program
to
look
at
ways
to
support
more
fruit
and
vegetables
that
are
grown
and
processed
in
bc
to
be
distributed
in
bc
through
all
of
our
major
institutions,
including
health.
Thank
you.
L
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
mr
speaker,
I
personally
I'm
happy
to
say:
I've
been
very
involved
over
the
years
with
bc
agriculture
in
the
classroom.
I've
worked
with
ms
pat
ton
on
this
project,
which
98
of
teachers
in
bc
have
told
us
how
important
it
is
for
this
program
to
continue
with
children
in
schools,
getting
milk
vegetables
and
fruit
and
going
home
and
telling
their
parents
how
important
it
is
for
them
to
continue
to
eat
those
products
as
they
grow
older,
the
bc,
school
fruit
and
vegetable
nutritional
program.
L
Mr
speaker
has
been
seeking
funding
since
february
on
march
22nd.
They
met
with
the
minister
of
agriculture
in
april,
they
emailed
her
saying,
and
I
quote:
will
the
program
be
government
funded
or
is
it
no
longer
supported?
The
answer
is
required
by
may
the
10th,
which
was
yesterday,
mr
speaker,
in
order
to
prepare
plans
and
order
bc
products,
end
quote,
but
the
budget
came
and
the
deadline
passed
yesterday
with
no
funding
for
the
program,
no
money
for
fresh
vegetables
in
the
classroom,
yet
four
million
dollars
for
more
spin
doctors
in
the
premier's
office.
K
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
and
thank
you
to
the
member
for
the
question
again
highlighting
a
program
that
is
very
valuable
and
is
is
something
that
many
schools
in
many
parts
of
british
columbia
depend
on.
We
will
be
working
together
with
the
association
and
the
ministry
of
health
and
the
ministry
of
education
to
look
at
how
a
program
can
continue.
K
We
know
that
the
earlier
that
children
get
a
taste
of
fresh
british
columbia
produce
in
their
lives
the
more
chance
that
they
will
have
to
be
healthy
eaters,
and
so
this
is
something
that
I'm
very
interested
in.
I
know
the
minister
of
health
is
and
the
minister
of
education,
and
we
will
be
working
together
to
find
a
way
to
distribute
this
amazing
produce
around
the
province.
Thank
you.