►
From YouTube: APRIL 6 2022 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
C
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker.
The
the
latest
real
estate
numbers
are
showing
the
housing
crisis
is
continuing
to
worsen
under
this
government.
In
fact,
the
fraser
valley
real
estate
board
says
now
that
a
benchmark
home
in
that
region
is
up
to
1.7
million
dollars.
That's
a
40
increase
from
last
year
in
surrey,
the
average
price
is
nearly
2
million
dollars
now
for
an
average
home,
but
you
know
what
the
most
insulting
part
of
all
that
is
for
families.
C
C
D
Honorable
chair
some
important
numbers
being
released
today
by
my
colleague,
the
minister
for
jobs.
A
hundred
thousand
people
moved
to
british
columbia
in
the
last
year,
a
hundred
thousand
a
sixty
year
high
in
migration,
our
province.
D
D
We
managed
covid
and
kept
schools
open
for
families,
there's
an
opportunity
and
success
that
people
can
find
here
in
british
columbia,
but
it
brings
away
the
challenges
and
the
member
is
raised
one
of
them.
We
have
housing
supply
that
is
not
keeping
up
with
population,
and
I
am
working
hard
with
the
minister
for
municipal
affairs
to
reach
out
with
municipalities.
In
fact,
I'm
speaking
with
him
and
metro
vancouver
today
on
this
very
issue,
we're
working
to
identify
ways
to
support
municipalities
to
get
more
housing
built,
we're
having
some
success.
D
Honorable
speaker,
we
are
setting
records
for
the
amount
of
housing
that
is
being
built
in
this
province.
We
have
47
607
units
that
were
built
in
2021,
that's
an
all-time
high,
which
is
very
good
news.
C
Well,
I
do
appreciate
that
the
ministers
acknowledge
in
the
ndp
failures
of
not
keeping
up
with
supply
and
demand
in
the
province
when
it
comes
to
building
housing.
It's
not
just
me
saying
that
in
fact,
the
the
ndp
friends
in
the
canadian
center
for
policy
alternatives
has
even
come
out
and
said
that
this
government
has
failed
to
deliver
the
affordable
housing
units
that
they
have
been
promising
this
people
in
this
province.
C
In
fact,
you
look
at
surrey
alone,
renters
renters
in
surrey
were
promised
to
renters
rebates,
two
straight
elections.
Now
not
only
they,
but
every
renter
in
this
province
has
been
promised
that
renters
rebate
and
now
rent
is
270
more
a
month,
just
in
surrey,
so
a
renter's
rebate
was
promised.
They
failed
to
deliver
on
that.
But
instead
yesterday,
as
we
know,
the
ndp
had
no
problem
giving
themselves
a
raise
and
making
that
retroactive
to
last
year.
D
General,
thank
you
honorable
speaker.
Well,
if
I
were
that
member,
I
wouldn't
compare
government
records
on
housing.
Frankly,.
D
Attorney
general,
thank
you
honorable
speaker,
so
in
2012,
when
kevin
falcon
was
the
finance
minister,
I
think
it's
important
to
talk
about
records
when
he
was
finance
minister.
This
was
the
assessment
in
2013
after
he'd
been
at
work
for
a
year
after
a
small
contraction
in
2011
bc,
housing
starts
improved
by
4
in
2012.
D
However,
home
construction
has
been
notably
weak
in
the
latter
half
of
2012,
which
starts
posting
declines
of
2.8
percent
in
the
july
to
september
quarter
and
14.
In
october
to
december,
we
posted
quarterly
contractions
in
the
final
two
quarters
of
the
year
to
suggest
further
weakening
in
bc
home
building
going
into
2013..
A
Well,
thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker,
among
the
the
statistics
that
the
the
minister
just
rattled
off,
there's
a
couple
important
ones
that
he's
neglected
to
mention
under
under
the
ndp's
watch.
Under
this
government's
watch,
we
have
the
highest
housing
prices
in
in
british
columbia's
history
and
we
have
the
highest
rent
increases
that
british
claimants
have
ever
seen,
and
this
was
the
government.
This
was
the
party
that
was
going
to
solve
affordability
and
especially
housing
affordability.
A
It's
been
an
abysmal
failure
on
this
government's
watch
now,
while,
while
the
while
the
while
the
ndp
cabinet
was
busy
providing
themselves
with
a
with
a
pay
raise
and
as
we've
we
learned
yesterday,
it
would
be
retroactive
to
last
year
a
retroactive
pay
raise
for
cabinet
students
are
being
forced
to
camp
outside
just
to
attend
their
university.
A
Daniel
drury
is
a
student
who
was
forced
to
buy
a
van
in
order
to
have
a
place
to
live,
while
he
studies
here
at
the
university
of
victoria.
He
says,
and
I
quote:
I've
been
surprised
by
how
many
people
have
done
it
or
know
someone
who's
done.
It
there's
definitely
times
where
I've
been
like.
Oh,
my
god,
why
am
I
doing
this
end
quote?
A
D
A
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
the
the
the
the
cc
the
ccpa
has
said
over
and
over
and
over
over
the
last,
the
last
number
of
years
that
the
ndp
are
counting
homes
that
haven't
even
been
opened.
Yet
they
they
haven't,
they
haven't
been
opened
yet,
and
you
know
this
government
is
really
good
at
creating
the
illusion
of
action.
You
know
they
talk
often
about
the
of
student
housing
that
they've
created
in
in
kamloops
at
tru.
A
They
there
was
a
big
huge
announcement
of
of
of
hundreds
of
additional
units
that
were
created,
but,
mr
speaker,
the
one.
The
one
detail
that
was
missing
was
what
the
government
did
was
they
forced
the
university
to
acquire
an
existing
apartment
building
which
already
had
been
providing
student
housing
for
the
past
30
years.
There
was
no
no
increase
in
in
housing
units,
and
so
at
tru,
and
at
uvic
and
at
universities
all
across
this
province.
There
are
countless
numbers
of
students
who
don't
have
the
housing
that
they
need
any.
A
So
again
again
to
to
to
the
housing
minister,
how
can
the
premier
and
the
cabinet
possibly
give
themselves
a
pay
raise
retroactive
to
last
year,
while
they're
leaving
students
flapping
in
the
wind,
when
they're
trying
to
get
an
education.
D
D
I
receive
them
gladly.
I
receive
them
gladly,
because
I
know
the
housing
is
needed.
They
know
the
housing
is
needed
and
we
are
funding
that
housing
and
the
students
need
it.
The
students
need
it,
the
seniors,
need
it,
and
so
many
other
people.
This
seems
like
a
good
opportunity,
honorable
speaker,
to
provide
an
update
on
our
114
000
unit
housing
plan.
We
have
11
000
11
000
units,
complete
10
000
units
in
active
construction
of
a
total
of
35
501
units
funded.
Thank
you
honorable
speaker.
E
Thank
you.
Honorable
speaker.
Yesterday,
the
white
house
released
a
memo
on
addressing
the
effects
of
long
covet,
recognizing
that
anyone
who
has
had
a
covet
infection
can
experience
long-term
and
chronic
effects
from
this
virus.
The
united
states
is
creating
a
federal
long-covered
program
in
this
province.
There
are
potentially
83
000
bc
residents
experiencing
symptoms
of
long
covet.
For
them,
the
pandemic
is
far
from
over
long
covered
can
be
severe.
E
F
Honorable
speaker,
the
first
first
thing,
I'd
say
in
response
to
that
question
should
be
obvious
to
anyone.
Who's
reviewed,
the
cloven
19
pandemic
anywhere
is
the
best
way
to
avoid
coping
the
west
way
to
avoid
serious
symptoms
of
clothing.
The
best
way
to
avoid
long
covert,
the
best
way
to
survive
covet,
is
to
get
vaccinated
and
get
vaccinated
when
you're
invited
to
do
so.
That
is
the
best
way
on
the
speaker
with
respect
to
long
covet.
It
is
an
absolute
priority.
F
We
know
that
many
people
recover
differently
and
do
not
recover
well
and
have
long
term
results
and
consequences
of
clovid
19..
It's
all
the
more
reason
why
it's
important
to
be
vaccinated.
It's
why
we
set
up
the
interdisciplinary
clinical
care
network,
which
is
the
first
of
its
kind
in
canada,
to
coordinate
our
response
across
health
authorities
to
make
sure
that
people
get
the
care
they
need.
F
Our
post
cover
clover
recovery
clinics
are
in
place
and
they
don't
just
support
direct
patients
at
the
clinics
in
the
thousands
with
positive
results,
but
they
support
primary
care
providers
and
healthcare
providers
across
bc,
because
we've
taken
those
steps,
there
is
more
to
learn
and
there
is
more
to
do
and
bc
is
leading
canada
in
that
regard,
and
working
with
everyone
in
the
world
to
support
people
who
are
struggling
with
covet
19.
E
E
Dr
zach
schwartz
is
the
lead
of
the
post-covet
recovery
clinic
at
vancouver
general
hospital.
He
recently
stated
in
an
interview
with
ctv
that,
even
with
clinical
support,
some
patients
quote
seem
to
have
stalled
and
not
recovered,
and
those
patients
in
that
clinic
are
the
lucky
few
to
have
made
it
up
to
the
top
of
the
waiting
list.
Honorable,
honorable
speaker,
people
are
grappling
with
a
new
illness
that
has
impacted
their
day-to-day
lives.
E
Some
have
lost
their
livelihoods.
They
have
little
information
and
limited
support
through
you,
honourable
speaker,
to
the
minister
of
health
beyond
the
coveted
post
recovery
clinics
which
can't
serve
everybody
who,
in
this
this
province
is
suffering
from
long
covet.
What
additional
supports?
Can
the
tens
of
thousands
of
british
colombians
managing
long
covert
expect
from
this
government.
F
Minister
of
health,
thank
you
honorable
speaker.
Well,
first
of
all,
with
respect
to
information,
because
the
member
says
it
talks
about
information
patients
and
their
caregivers
can
access
a
normal
speaker,
can
access
the
interdisciplinary
clinical
care
networks,
online
education
tools
and
resources
to
support
themselves
as
they
recover.
F
F
Those
are
in
place
now
we
need
to
have
and
it's
why
it's
so
important
to
have
a
robust
primary
care
network
across
bc
to
support
people
who
are
dealing
with
chronic
illnesses
across
the
spectrum,
from
from
continuing
to
suffer
the
effects
of
covet
19
to
other
chronic
diseases
such
as
diabetes,
and
we
have
to
continue
to
build
that.
But
I
would
say
this
honorable
speaker:
I
can't
emphasize
it
enough
that
it
is
important
now
to
get
vaccinated.
F
There
are
68
000
people
over
70
who've
been
invited
to
get
their
booster.
Those
who
haven't
got
it.
They
need
to
phone
up.
Today.
There
are
more
than
450
pharmacies
available
to
give
vaccinations
today
last
week,
their
more
than
a
hundred
thousand
unfilled
appointments.
We
can
support
each
other
and
prevent
this
as
well
by
getting
vaccinated.
G
Thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Well,
we
know
this
government
can
move
at
lightning
speed
if
it
suits
them.
It
would
be
an
foi
fee
to
restrict
access
and
being
signed
off
within
15
minutes
of
legislation
or
when
it
comes
to
their
own
pay,
especially
if
it
can
be
retroactive.
Pay
raises
to
the
premier
end
of
the
cabinet.
That
seems
to
be
moved
along
very
quickly.
At
least
it
wasn't
backdated,
I
guess
just
retroactive,
but
when
it
comes
to
the
people
of
litton,
it's
been
280
days
and
they
still
have
no
idea
when
they
can
go
home.
G
Hydro,
telephone
lines,
they're
piled
up
on
the
streets,
no
infrastructure
repaired,
and
there
is
not
even
hydro
or
911
service.
Mr
speaker,
I
know
the
minister
will
get
up
and
talk
about
the
flood
event
I'll
remind
the
minister
that
flood
event
happened.
Five
months
after
the
fires,
it's
now
been
another
four
months
after
the
flood
event,
and
people
still
deserve
action
on
specific
timelines
and
specific
actions
that
are
going
to
be
taken.
So
they
know
when
they
can
get
home.
They
don't
need
excuses
anymore
to
the
minister.
H
Thank
you.
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
I
thank
the
member
for
the
question,
and
then
there
is
a
significant
amount
of
work
that
is
underway
at
at
litton
lytton.
As
the
member
may
well
know,
the
contracts
have
been
awarded
for
degree
removal
debris
removal
has
started.
There
has
been
the
assignment
of
a
a
a
an
assistant
deputy
minister
to
work
very
closely
with
the
community
litan
on
a
full-time
basis
on
the
recovery
process
in
terms
of
the
the
the
hydro
and
the
power
lines
and
the
power
poles.
H
H
H
I
can
also
tell
you
that,
in
terms
of
the
permitting
required,
we
have
worked
very
closely
with
the
insurance
industry
to
ensure
that
those
who
are
insured
those
who
have
no
insurance
or
who
are
underinsured
will
not
have
to
pay
for
any
of
the
archaeological
work
that
the
permit
is
held
on
a
single
basis.
So
they're
not
going
to
have
to
go
through
the
process
individually.
There's
a
significant,
significant
amount
of
work
working
very
closely
with
the
community
of
litton.
H
Minister,
thank
you
honorable
speaker,
providing
supports
to
communities,
isn't
theoretical.
H
Ensuring
that
they've
got
the
supports,
while
a
community
is
being
rebuilt,
is
not
theoretical,
honorable
speaker
picking
up
the
permitting
process,
which
they
were
very
much
concerned
about
and
in
terms
of
we're,
limiting
their
ability
to
start
that
rebuilding
process
and
making
sure
that
they
don't
have
to
worry
about
those
costs
is
not
theoretical.
Honorable
speaker,
the
debris
cleanup
is
underway.
H
H
As
I
said,
we've
ensured
that
the
permitting
process
is
being
held
by
one
individual,
so
individuals
in
the
in
the
community
don't
have
to
go
through
that
process
themselves.
They
don't
have
to
pay
that
money.
That
work
is
underway
and
with
the
removal
of
the
debris,
then
the
rebuilding
process
is
going
to
start
and,
and
you
will
start
to
see,
the
significant
improvement
and
the
significant
rebuilding
that
everybody
wants
to
see.
H
There's
been
commitments
from
the
rcmp
in
terms
of
rebuilding
there's
been
medical
services,
provided
that
are
now
being
serviced
out
on
the
the
first
nations
community,
canada
post
is
being
installing
a
mail
service
for
communities.
All
of
those
things
are
happening
and
they're
gonna
continue
to
happen
until
that
community
is
rebuilt.
I
Mr
speaker,
I
was
listening
carefully
yesterday
when
the
attorney
general
correctly
pointed
out
the
important
role
that
bc's
core
of
prosecutors
plays
in
protecting
the
safety
of
our
communities.
He
he
referred
to
the
authority.
He
has
to
issue
directions
related
to
general
prosecutorial
policy,
which
is
something
we're
clearly
going
to
want
to
discuss
with
him
in
the
days
ahead.
D
General.
Thank
you,
mr
chair.
Let
me
start
off
by
thanking
our
hard-working
crown
prosecutors
for
the
important
work
they
do.
I
I
know
the
opposition
and
I
sometimes
agree
about
that-
hard
work
that
it's
important,
difficult,
challenging
work,
and
sometimes
I'm
not
so
sure
where
the
opposition
stands
in
terms
of
the
challenge
of
that
job.
Given
the
questions
that
were
asked
yesterday,
let
me
say
to
them
that
I
appreciate
their
work.
D
I
appreciate
the
time
they
take
the
hours
they
spend
the
work
they
do
with
victims,
the
traumatic
scenes
that
they
have
to
hear
recounted
the
horrific
evidence
they
have
to
go
through
in
order
to
prosecute
crimes
in
our
courts,
and
I
am
incredibly
grateful
for
what
they
do
bargaining,
as
the
member
knows.
He
used
to
be
the
minister
of
finance
for
this
province
takes
place
at
the
bargaining
table
and
I
am
sure
that
government
in
the
crown
will
ultimately
come
to
a
mutually
satisfactory
agreement.
I
Thanks
honorable
chair,
it's
been
three
years
three
years
without
a
contract,
and
I
am
told
by
30-year
veterans
of
the
prosecutorial
service
that
they
have
never
seen
morale
as
bad,
as
is
presently
the
case.
So
the
minister
can
stand
in
the
house
and
say
things
that
I
think
all
members
would
agree
with
about
the
importance
of
the
work
and
the
value
that
we
place
in
the
work
of
the
prosecution
prosecutors
prosecution
service,
but
where
the
government
really
gets
to
reveal
that
value
is
by
sitting
down
and
negotiating
a
contract.
D
D
I
agree
with
the
member.
Their
work
is
important,
it
should
be
recognized
and
they
should
be
appropriately
compensated.
That
work
is
happening
at
the
bargaining
table.
I
have
confidence
in
the
public
servants
that
are
negotiating
that
and
in
the
crown
council
association
that
they
will
be
able
to
reach
mutually
beneficial
agreement
that
recognizes
that
important
work
every
single
day.
J
Well,
the
adp
cabinet
has
found
a
way
to
give
itself
a
retroactive
pay
increase.
J
In
the
sea
to
sky
have
been
without
services
for
over
10
weeks,
there's
a
transit
dispute
there's
a
strike
that
entering
its
ten
tenth
week.
This
strike
is
hurting
vulnerable
people
who
need
to
get
to
work,
need
to
get
to
medical
appointments
need
to
get
to
school.
People,
like
my
constituent,
laura
who
says
the
transit
strike,
is
making
an
already
challenging
time
more
challenging
and
we
desperately
need
to
get
buses
back
up
and
running.
J
It's
hurting
people
who
are
spending
thousands
of
dollars
to
take
cabs
to
get
to
work.
A
constituent
wrote
to
say
I
want
to
share
with
you
that
my
son
called
last
week
crying
because
he
cannot
pay
his
rent
he's
spending
his
wages
on
taxis.
J
People
are
being
forced
to
walk
miles.
How
much
longer
will
residents
have
to
wait?
I
have
to
tell
you
that
the
minister
that
the
residents
up
and
down
the
whole
see
the
sky
corridor
it's
long
past
resolution
and
they
can't
wait
any
longer
as
a
pawn
of
provincial
labor
negotiations.
Mr
speaker,
when
will
the
minister
step
up
and
help
people
like
manuela
who
are
desperate
for
return
of
transit
services.
K
Thank
you
onward,
speaker
and,
and
I'm
fully
aware
of
the
situation,
mr
speaker,
and
we
continue
to
monitor
very
very
closely,
and
I
also
know
that
the
strike
is
having
an
impact
on
people
who
are
seated
within
the
cedar
sky
corridor
who
depend
on
on
this
service.
K
K
Both
sides-
and
I
miss
mr
speaker
also-
have
met
with
both
mayors,
mayor
of
squamish
and
mayor
whistler,
and
we
have
discussed
the
importance
of
them
getting
back
to
the
bargaining
table
and
we
will
continue
to
ask
those
those
those
parties
to
to
to
to
find
a
way
to
to
get
back
to
the
buying
table
as
late
as
two
days
ago.
I
met
with
them
again,
mr
speaker,
so
there
therefore,
mr
speaker,
let's
protect
the
integrity
of
the
bargaining
table.