►
From YouTube: MAY 3 2022 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Crime
is
out
of
control
across
this
province
under
the
attorney
general's
catch
and
release
system
in
surrey,
a
man
with
a
lengthy
criminal
record
recently
attacked
a
mother
and
her
11
month
old
daughter,
knocking
over
her
stroller.
While
shouting
he
was
going
to
kill
the
child.
A
A
C
And-
and
thank
you
to
the
member,
I
think
her
question
illustrates
a
couple
of
the
major
challenges
we
face.
You
know
when
I
think
about
how
I
would
react
if
somebody
did
that
to
my
family.
C
It
fills
me
with
anger
and
an
instinct
to
protect
those
that
I
love,
and
I
think
everybody
in
this
house
would
feel
the
same
way
clearly
when
someone
has
had
literally
dozens
of
convictions,
which
means
that
the
crown
is
prosecuted
they've
been
to
court,
the
judges
found
them
guilty
and
sentenced
them,
and
this
activity
continues
when
they're
released
from
those
sentences,
we
need
a
solution
that
goes
beyond
the
current
system.
A
Over
the
weekend
we
saw
shocking
video
of
bus
passengers
trying
to
restrain
a
man
who
violently
assaulted
four
people
on
a
bus.
The
attacker
was
a
prolific
offender
but
was
released
on
conditions
after
that
violent
assault,
one
of
the
victims,
tristan
les
brown
says-
and
I
quote
my
immediate
thought.
When
we
found
out
he
was
released
on
bail,
he's
going
to
seriously
injure
someone.
End
quote
just
another
example
of
catch
and
release
under
this
attorney
general's
watch.
A
C
Attorney
general,
thank
you
honorable
speaker,
and
I
think
that
when
we
think
about
public
spaces
in
downtown
cores
or
on
transit,
as
the
member
says,
we
need
people
to
have
confidence
when
they're
using
public
services
when
they're
in
public
areas
that
they're
safe,
that
they
feel
comfortable
and
I'm
happy
to
work
with
the
opposition
on
these
issues.
Where
we
part
company,
I
guess,
is
understanding
provincial
jurisdiction
and
responsibility
and
federal
authorities.
I've
explained
to
the
member-
and
I
know
she
knows
this-
she
actually
was
an
attorney
general
and
she
was
attorney
general.
C
C
Now
it's
important
to
be
realistic
about
the
context
we
work
in,
because
that
will
inform
how
we
respond
to
it.
We
have
to
use
provincial
authorities
to
address
these
issues.
It
is
unfair
of
the
member
to
blame
the
crown
prosecution
service
that
is
using
the
same
rules
that
they
used
under
her
for
what
we're
facing
right
now,
we
need
to
work
together
to
address
this
serious
issue.
D
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker,
and
to
be
clear.
The
fingers
are
pointing
at
the
attorney
general
in
his
failed
catch
and
release
system,
and
it
rings
very
hollow
and
for
very
good
reason.
When
we
hear
the
attorney
general
try
to
deflect
the
bc
liberal
government,
we
acted
on
prolific
offenders.
The
prolific
offender
program
involved,
intensive
supervision,
linking
offenders
to
services,
as
well
as
increasing
enforcement.
D
This
is
what
the
attorney
general
had
to
say
when
he
was
the
head
of
the
bc
civil
liberties
association
on
october
25th
2011
in
the
vancouver
sun.
He
said,
and
I
quote,
we
have
serious
concerns
with
the
results
of
this
program
and
are
continuing
to
investigate
the
aggressive
policing
tactics.
End
quote
a
program
that
dropped
prolific
offender,
reoffending
rates
by
40
percent.
C
Attorney
general
well,
thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and,
and
I
know
that
the
opposition,
when
they
were
in
government,
grappled
with
the
issue
of
chronic
offenders,
and
I
accept
that
we
have
a
different
approach
than
they
did
when
they
were
on
this
side
of
the
house.
Our
approach
includes
500
complex
care
beds
for
people
with
serious
mental
health
and
addiction.
C
C
And
if
the
member
is
is
here
to
say
that
they
cared
more
about
resources
for
crown
council,
let
me
just
and
and
resources
to
address
these
kinds
of
issues
on
the
criminal
justice
side.
Let
me
just
give
that
member
just
one
fact.
In
the
last
year
of
their
government,
they
increased
crown
council
resources
by
0.9
percent.
D
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
The
end
result
is
under
this
attorney
general's
catch
and
release
system,
people
don't
feel
safe
in
their
communities.
Prolific
offenders
are
running
the
streets
right
now.
There
is
zero
trust
that
this
attorney
general
is
taking
any
meaningful
steps
both
on
the
prolifica
center
side,
as
well
as
with
police,
and
in
fact
the
attorney
general
has
a
long
history
of
anti-police
comments.
D
He
opposed
a
successful
prolific
offender
program
saying
he
had
serious
concerns
with
so-called
aggressive
policing
tactics
said
you
have
to
take
police
statistics
with
a
bit
of
a
grain
of
salt
yeah,
we're
supposed
to
trust
his
statistics
when
everyone
acknowledges
that
crime's
running
out
of
control-
and
he
says
it's
actually
dropping
and
his
record
over
the
last
five
years-
is
a
75
increase
in
the
rate
of
no
charge
assessments
once
again,
the
attorney
general.
When
is
he
going
to
address
prolific
offenders
instead
of
his
failed
catch
and
release
system?.
C
C
Getting
getting
tough
on
crime
doesn't
mean
a
blank
check
for
police.
It
means
addressing
the
core
issues
and
policing
are
not
going
to
police
are
not
going
to
be
able
to
address,
and
they
tell
us
that
they
are
not
going
to
be
able
to
address
the
mental
health
and
addiction
issues
in
our
communities
under
that
government's
watch
homelessness
tripled.
That
is
not
a
policing
issue.
It
is
a
public
order
issue,
but
it
is
not
a
policing
issue.
Shame
on
them
for
not
addressing
those
social
issues
that
drove
the
issues
we're
facing
today.
E
Thank
you
honorable
speaker,
I'm
heartened
to
hear
the
attorney
general
say
things
this
morning,
including
that
we
need
to
work
together
to
address
serious
issues
and
his
his
comments
about
the
all
party
committee
and
the
value
of
that
work.
For
years
advocates
have
asked
for
a
review
of
the
mental
health
act.
It
was
asked
for
in
2017
by
the
community
legal
assistance
society.
E
So
it
was
incredibly
welcome
news
when
the
attorney
general
reported
that
the
act
will
be
significantly
modernized,
but
this
moment
of
joy
was
interrupted
when
we
realized
that
the
process
is
going
on
behind
closed
doors.
To
quote
the
attorney
general
quote:
we're
doing
a
review
of
those
processes
and
the
legislation,
because
it's
very
dated
the
mental
health
act
is
criticized
for
its
lack
of
accountability
and
oversight.
It
has
caused
significant
harm
to
thousands
of
british
colombians,
so
this
is
not
a
tinkering
around
the
edges
situation
without
involving
patients
and
families.
E
This
issue
warrants
a
full
public-facing
review
of
the
act.
It
requires
serious
transparency
to
make
sure
that
it's
working
for
people
and
communities.
My
questions
for
you,
honourable
speakers,
the
attorney
general.
Why
is
the
review
an
internal
process
by
the
ministry
and
not
a
public
facing
committee,
as
recommended
by
the
special
committee
on
reforming
the
police
act.
C
Attorney
general.
Thank
you.
Honorable
chair
a
couple
of
pieces.
When
I
spoke
to
that
reporter
from
the
thai
I
explained
that
we
were
doing
a
policy
review
of
two
pieces
of
legislation.
One
is
the
adult
guardianship
act
and
the
other
is
the
mental
health
act.
There
are
a
number
of
lawsuits
where
the
province
is
being
sued
in
relation
to
the
mental
health
act.
Part
of
that
work
obviously
involves
a
policy
review
to
make
sure
that
we
are
responsive
to
what's
happening.
C
The
reporter,
then,
with
the
editor,
decided
to
run
a
headline
that
we
were
overhauling.
The
mental
health
act
that
my
team
contacted
the
thai
to
say:
that's
not
what's
happening.
If
I
communicated
that
just
to
be
clear,
we
are
not
in
that
process.
If
we
were
obviously
to
the
member,
the
community
would
be
broadly
involved
in
that
process.
We're
doing
the
work,
that's
necessary
to
respond
to
litigation
and
to
make
sure
legislation
is
up
to
date.
I
can
advise
the
member
that
that
work
will
continue.
E
Thank
you,
arnold
speaker,
so
we've
gone
from
the
news
that
there
is
an
overhaul
of
the
mental
health
act,
which
is
much
needed
long
overdue
to
the
news
that
there
isn't
an
overhaul
of
the
mental
health
act.
However,
pieces
of
that
legislation
are
being
addressed
behind
closed
door,
but
let's
look
at
this
government's
record
on
this.
E
The
handling
of
would-be
bill
22,
the
involuntary
stabilization
care
for
youth
in
the
consultation
process
behind
closed
doors
experts
flagged.
This
legislation
was
harmful,
but
the
government
was
determined
to
push
it
through,
despite
resistance
from
the
very
communities
it
affected
and
now,
two
years
later,
they
finally
recognized
that
it
was
deeply
flawed
legislation.
E
E
C
F
Oh,
thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
new
reports
show
that
241
calls
to
police
are
abandoned
every
single
day.
British
columbia
simply
can't
get
through
to
the
police.
Four
out
of
every
10
calls
that's
up
from
25
from
the
same
time
last
year,
but
while
the
crimes
people
face
every
day
are
underreported,
the
attorney
general
would
rather
undermine
police
data
to
protect
his
catch-and-release
system.
F
This
is
a
pattern
of
behavior
in
the
past.
The
attorney
general
has
claimed
that
the
vancouver
police
department
has
a
history
of-
and
I
quote,
releasing
misleading
information.
End
quote
bottom
line
here
is
that
people
have
lost
faith
in
the
attorney
general's
catch
and
release
system.
So
when
will
the
attorney
general
take
action
to
get
prolific
offenders
off
of
our
streets.
C
Attorney
general,
thank
you,
honorable
chair
and
I'm
so
glad
that
the
member
stood
up
to
ask
this
question
because
I'm
busy
finalizing
a
letter
to
him.
He
did
an
interview
on
cfax
on
april
28th,
where
he
made
some
absolutely
outrageous
allegations
about
me
about
crown
council
and
about
the
administration
of
our
criminal
justice
system.
C
He
said
that
I
changed
bc's
charge
assessment
policy
quote
me
used
my
name
changed
the
charge
assessment
policy
years
ago
to
essentially
implement
a
much
higher
standard.
That's
required
before
charges
can
actually
be
approved.
I
have
an
article
from
2014
from
then
attorney
general
suzanne
anton
defending
the
exact
same
charge,
assessment
standard
that
we
have
today.
He
alleged
I
have
a
new
full
disclosure
policy
that
forces
police
to
have
full
disclosure
before
charging
murderers
insinuating.
That
crown
council
are
allowing
murderers
to
go
into
the
community.
C
Because
of
a
policy
I
made
that
mou
drafted
under
the
bc.
Liberals
amended
twice
under
the
bc.
Liberals,
the
exact
same
policy
and
the
idea
that
it
would
prevent
hard-working
crown
council
from
protecting
the
public
from
murderers
is
absurd.
It
is
absurd
and
he
needs
to
apologize
to
crown
council
for
making
such
an
allegation.
C
And
in
the
last
year
he
sat
around
the
cabinet
table.
He
signed
off
on
a
budget,
a
0.9
percent
increase
for
crown
council,
which
we
increased
10
times
in
our
first
year
of
government,
but
that
didn't
stop
him
from
going
on
c
facts
to
say
we're
under
funding
crown
council.
He
said
he
said
they're
overloaded,
with
files
they
have
20
percent
fewer
files,
because
crime
is
in
fact
down
honorable
speaker
so,
honorable
speaker.
If
he
wants
to
stand
up
and
apologize
to
crown
council,
I
think
he
should.
G
B
F
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker.
Well,
the
only
person
that
owes
british
club
is
an
apology.
Is
this
attorney
general
for
being
sucked
on
crime
there
there
is
there
is
there?
Is
chaos
taking
place
on
our
streets
all
over
this
province,
and
it's
on
this
attorney
general's
watch?
He
has
tools
at
his
disposal
and
he's
choosing
not
not
to
implement
them.
Crime
is
through
the
roof.
F
D
F
H
B
F
I
know
I
know
these
are
inconvenient
truths
that
the
members
of
the
opposite
are
not
wanting
to
hear.
They
dismiss
the
fact
that
people
don't
feel
safe,
walking
down
their
streets
in
broad
daylight.
Assaults
are
through
the
roof
they
can.
They
can
laugh.
F
British
columbians
aren't
laughing
in
2011
the
attorney
general
said
we
should
cut
police
funding
because
quote,
I
simply
think
we've
hit
the
point
where
crime
is
at
a
low
and
acceptable
level.
End
quote,
and
he
continues
to
this
day
to
claim
that
crime
is
acceptably
low.
Last
week
in
this
house
he
said-
and
I
quote,
I
disagree
with
the
member
that
the
statistics
show
that
things
are
getting
worse.
End
quote,
but
despite
his
denial,
serious
crimes
are
on
the
rise
all
across
this
province
in
vancouver,
violent
crime
is
up
7.1
percent.
F
Stranger
assaults
are
up
33
percent
over
four
attacks
per
day.
Arson
is
up
49
and
there
is
a
huge
increase
in
glass
breaks
which
are
up
48
and
the
police
say
that
glass
companies
can't
even
keep
up.
When
will
the
attorney
general
acknowledge
that
his
catch
and
release
system
is
a
failure?
And
when
is
he
going
to
step
up
and
take
action
to
protect
british
clemens,
so
they
once
again
feel
safe
in
their
communities.
C
I
have
stood
in
this
place
and
I
have
agreed
with
the
opposition
that
there
are
serious
issues
that
need
to
be
addressed.
I
have
agreed
with
them
that
we
need
to
be
creative
within
provincial
jurisdiction.
I
have
an
announcement
coming
with
in
the
coming
days
about
exactly
how
we're
going
to
do
that,
and
yet
he
stands
up
and
insists
the
opposite.
B
Member
for
prince
george
mckenzie.
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
You
know
the
attorney
general's
job
is
to
prevent
the
administration
of
justice
from
falling
into
this
dispute.
There's
been
a
number
of
significant
changes
to
the
criminal
code.
There's
been
some
significant
supreme
court
of
canada,
decisions
that
that
affect
how
prosecutors
do
their
job,
and
so,
if
they're,
if
the
attorney
is
relying
on
policy
from
from
six
seven
ten
years
ago,
to
support
what
he's
doing
today,
it's
wrong
he's
got
to
be
nimble
enough
to
address
these
issues
that
have
surfaced.
B
I've
watched
the
chief
of
police
in
vancouver
on
the
news
last
week
saying-
and
I
quote,
I've
heard
a
number.
I've
heard
a
lot
of
armchair
quarterbacks,
but
nobody
knows
our
data
better
than
we
do
we're
talking
about
invasion
of
people's
space
physically
assaulting
people
attacking
people
robbing
people
violent
crime
is
more
concerning
than
property
crime,
full
stop.
He
says,
and
it's
up
7.1
percent
end
quote
this
weekend.
C
Attorney
general
honorable
speaker,
the
member
for
kamloops
south,
could
take
a
lesson
from
that
member.
I
am
grateful
for
a
question
that
acknowledges
the
very
real
context
that
we
face
the
challenge
that
we
face.
Now
I
mean
armchair.
Okay,
you
know
I
mean
this
is
politics,
but
this
is
the
challenge
that
we
face
and
the
policies
are
unchanged.
The
member
is
a
hundred
percent
correct.
We
need
to
be
creative
within
the
authorities.
We
have
to
respond
to
this
problem.
I
agree
with
him.
Those
policies
are
not
serving
us
right
now.
C
I
have
an
announcement
in
the
coming
days
about
how
we
will
address
this
issue
that
has
become
particularly
acute
during
the
pandemic,
and
I
know
the
members
know
this
so
we'll
do
that
work.
I
thank
the
member
first
question.
I
also
want
to
thank
that
member,
because
that
is
the
one
member.
I
have
heard
a
constructive
suggestion
from
about
how
to
address
this
issue.
He
suggested
that
we
have
dedicated
crown
council
for
some
chronic
offenders.
I
think
it's
a
great
suggestion
and
in
fact
we're
looking
at
doing
that.
So
thank
you.
I
I
I
C
I
think
your
honorable
chair,
I
have
had
good
discussions
with
the
mayor
from
williams
lake,
the
mayor's
from
terrace
trail,
who
have
raised
these
issues
for
me
in
addition
to
the
urban
mayor's
caucus,
I
have
announcement
in
the
coming
days
about
how
we
will
address
this
issue.
I
agree
with
the
member.
The
current
system
is
not
working
for
certain
groups
of
offenders
and
we
need
to
address
that
and-
and
I
look
forward
to
sharing
that
information
with
him.
H
C
Attorney
general.
Thank
you.
Honorable
chair.
I
know
I've
heard
the
concerns
from
the
leaders
in
the
chinatown
community.
I
know
the
city
of
vancouver
has
I
share
their
hope
that
an
increase
in
foot
traffic
in
the
neighborhood
as
cruise
ships
return
as
tourists
return
to
gas
town
into
chinatown
will
have
an
impact
in
a
positive
way.
C
The
city
of
vancouver
has
taken
a
number
of
steps,
but
I
do
have
to
take
exception
to
the
members
suggestion
that
I
somehow
downplayed
the
issues
in
chinatown
or
in
downtown
vancouver
or
in
other
downtown
centers.
The
members
keep
repeating
this
over
and
over.
Even
when
I
stand
up
and
say
this
is
a
serious
issue,
we're
taking
action
minister
for
public
safety,
and
I
have
an
announcement
to
share
in
the
coming
days
about
what
we're
going
to
do
to
be
creative
with
the
mayors
and
other
subject
matter.
C
Experts
in
this
area
to
address
these
issues,
and
I
hope
that
when
the
member
is
communicating
with
key
constituencies
that
she
tells
people
that
that
the
government
recognizes
the
issue
we
wish
they
would
move
faster.
I
accept
that,
and
we
will
have
more
to
say
about
this
in
the
coming
days
to
those
in
chinatown.
Those
merchants
and
others
were
on
your
side
and
we'll
have
more
to
do
to
assist
you.
G
G
End
quote.
So
what
does
the
minister
mean
by
good
progress?
Random
attacks
are
up
33
in
vancouver,
that's
good
progress
and
in
south
surrey,
the
latest
year-over-year
crime
data
shows
a
six
percent
increase
in
violent
crimes.
Good
progress,
according
to
the
attorney
general,
a
ten
percent
increase
in
business
break-ins,
good
progress.
According
to
the
attorney
general,
an
82
percent
increase
in
criminal
disturbances,
again
good
progress.
According
to
this
attorney
general.
C
Attorney
general,
the
answer
is
simple.
I
didn't
the
member
takes
a
single
line,
as
the
members
are
entitled
to
out
of
context.
I
don't
know
how
they
could
listen
to
me
stand
here
over
and
over
and
say
these
are
serious
issues.
C
The
government
needs
to
be
creative
to
address
them,
minister,
for
public
safety,
and
I
are
working
with
police
with
mayors,
be
creative
within
provincial
jurisdiction
to
address
these
issues,
we're
working
within
challenging
federal
context,
and
I
guess
I'm
I'm
just
not
sure
what
else
to
say
to
that
member
to
underline
how
seriously
I
take
it
that
people
in
some
communities
in
our
province
not
feel
safe
and
that
they
have
concerns
about
the
system,
not
work
working
the
way
it
should
so
it's
a
priority
for
our
government.
It's
a
priority
for
me.
C
G
G
G
C
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
I
appreciate
the
sense
of
urgency
that
the
member
has,
I
will
announce
it
in
the
minister
of
public
safety,
we'll
announce
it
as
soon
as
we
can,
but
the
member
will
know
that
responses
to
complex
challenges
like
this
require
collaborative
work,
we're
working
with
the
mayors,
we're
working
with
other
key
leaders
on
this,
and
we
have
to
do
that
work.
It
does
take
a
little
longer,
but
the
end
result
will
be
better.