►
From YouTube: MARCH 29 2022 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
D
D
D
D
C
Centers.
That
is
significant
action
and
more
action
needs
to
be
taken.
The
issues
that
are
raised
are
a
struggle
in
the
community,
and
the
member
will
know
this,
and
not
just
in
victoria
but
across
the
province.
That's
why
we
continue
to
take
those
actions,
continue
to
add
resources
to
primary
care
and
will
continue
to
do
so,
reflecting
exactly
what
the
petition
says
and
exactly
what
the
community
says,
which
is
that
we
need
to
improve
primary
care
to
ensure
people
have
access
to
good
health
throughout
their
lives
and
not
just
urging
care
when
they
need
it.
D
Well,
what
british
columbians
want
to
hear
today
is
how
they
are
going
to
access
a
family
physician.
We
know
that
longitudinal
care
helps
better
health
outcomes,
so
we
can
add
buildings.
We
can
add
supplies
we
can
add
whatever.
What
we
need
to
do
is
ensure
that
we
are
training
that
we
are
looking
at,
how
we
are
going
to
have
family
physicians
that
meet
the
needs
of
british
columbians.
D
When
people
don't
have
a
family
physician,
the
minister
knows
full
well
what
happens:
they're
forced
to
go
to
a
walk-in
clinic
or
in
many
cases
they
end
up
being
treated
in
emergency
rooms,
and
he
knows
that
that
adds
pressure
to
a
system
that
is
already
under
stress.
Here's.
What
danielle
from
kamloops
had
to
say-
and
I
quote-
walk-in
clinics-
are
closing,
and
there
are
no
alternatives
to
see
a
physician
aside
from
sitting
in
an
emergency
room
simply
to
get
a
referral
or
a
type
of
regular
screening
done
to
prevent
more
serious
illness.
D
C
That
was
supposed
to
provide
a
primary
care
doctor
for
everybody,
and
we
know
that
the
number
of
people
lacking
primary
care
doctor
increased
when
that
program
was
abandoned
three
years
later,
and
so
this
is
something
governments
have
been
working
on
for
a
long
time
and
it's
not
the
gp
for
me
didn't
have
some
successes
it
did,
but
that
we
are
taking
those
steps
so
urgent
and
primary
care
centers.
A
million
visits.
Team-Based
care
is
necessary
now
to
provide
longitudinal
care
to
ensure
that
healthcare
professionals
work
to
the
full
extent
of
their
skills.
C
More
than
800
fte
full-time
equivalent
staff
joining
54
primary
care
networks
is
significant,
and
we
have
to
continue
to
do
that.
Work.
We
don't
do
it
just
by
you
know.
By
making
pronouncements,
we
do
it
in
communities
day
by
day
ensuring
that
people
have
access
to
the
care.
We
need-
and
most
importantly
remember,
talked
about
family
practice.
Doctors.
Nurse
practitioners
are
important
too
george
abbott,
when
he
was
minister
of
health,
started
the
process
of
nurse
practitioners
in
bc.
But
when
I
became
minister
of
health,
we
were
10th
in
canada
in
their
utilization.
B
B
Right
it
is
clear
that
people
are
hurting
and
they
are
hurting
because
of
the
doctor
shortages
we
are
seeing
today,
things
are
getting
worse,
not
better
for
people
like
bro
andrews
from
victoria-
and
I
say-
and
I
quote,
personal
health
care
used
to
be
a
reason.
People
moved
to
bc
now.
The
lack
of
it
is
the
reason
that
people
leave.
C
Oh
honorable,
speaker,
you
know
I
I
say
with
great
respect
that
nobody
understands
more
than
people
with
chronic
disease
the
importance
of
primary
care.
I
understand,
and
I
understand
the
struggle
people
face,
and
it's
particularly,
it
seems
to
me
at
different
points
of
our
lives,
because
sometimes
our
need
for
health
care
is
constant
throughout
our
lives.
That's
true
of
many
people
with
chronic
diseases,
including
people
dealing
with
mental
health
and
addiction
issues
for
others.
It's
more
episodic
at
different
parts
of
our
lives.
C
We
need
a
lot
of
care
and
then
not
for
a
long
period
of
time
and
that's
the
importance
of
primary
care
in
our
communities.
You
know
urgent
primary
care
centers,
which
we
started
in
2017,
with
more
than
a
million
visits,
have
played
an
important
role
in
providing
people
care
that
they
need,
but
they
played
an
essential
role
during
the
pandemic
when
their
doors
remained
open
for
people
and
provided
excellent
care
throughout
that
period,
team-based
care
doctors
and
nurses
and
nurse
practitioners
and
healthcare
workers
of
all
kinds.
That
is
the
response.
C
In
the
20th
century,
sole
practice,
family
practitioners
we're
the
center
of
our
primary
care
system.
Now
it's
team-based
care
and
the
significant
investment
urgent
primary
care,
centers
primary
care
networks,
hundreds
of
new
staff-
if
the
member
is
suggesting
he's
against
that,
then
he
should
say
so,
but
that
won't
make
things
better.
We
are
taking
the
actions
that
make
things
better
in
communities,
but
that
there's
more
work
to
do
and
that
primary
care
is
important.
I
absolutely
agree.
B
B
It's
getting
worse,
it
is
not
getting
better.
There
are
twenty
six
hundred
doctors
nearing
retirement
across
this
province
when
these
practices
close
they're
going
to
have
enormous
impacts
on
every
single
constituency,
and
it's
people
like
elaine
from
nanaimo
who
says
I
quote
yesterday
my
wonderful
family
doctor,
who
is
in
his
70s,
told
me
that
he
has
to
retire
and
that
so
far,
he's
not
been
able
to
find
anyone
to
take
over
his
practice.
It's
going
to
mean
another
500
people
without
a
family
doctor
end
quote
so
the
can.
C
Health,
well,
honorable
speaker,
the
member
is
making
the
case
and
so
why
these
initiatives
are
absolutely
necessary.
We
need
absolutely
to
attract
family
doctor
practice,
doctors
for
the
future
and
nurse
practitioners
and
nurses
and
health
sciences,
professionals
and
community
and
health
care
workers
supporting
primary
care.
All
of
those
things
we
need
to
do
and
to
continue
to
recruit
the
next
generation
of
health
care
workers.
And
how
do
you
do
that?
C
Hopefully,
the
member
supports
that
new
community
health
centers,
because
many
new
family
practice,
doctors,
the
ones
that
are
coming
into
the
system-
do
not
want
to
run
businesses
in
the
same
way
that
current
family
practice
doctors
have
for
a
long
time.
So
we
are
moving
from
one
path
which
is
fee
for
service
to
many
more
alternative
payment
arrangements.
These
are
all
the
ways
we
have
to
do.
We
have
to,
in
other
words,
pursue
a
primary
care
plan.
C
That's
coherent,
such
as
the
one
we're
pursuing
in
order
to
provide
the
very
care
the
member
talks
about,
because
it
is
a
moment.
It
is
a
moment
when
your
longtime
family
practice
doctor
decides
they
they
want
to
retire
or
have
to
retire,
and
that
is
a
major
moment,
and
so
we
need
all
of
these
actions
and
more
to
address
the
situation
in
the
coming
years.
F
Thank
you
honorable
speaker
on
march
16th,
the
human
rights
commissioner
sent
a
letter
to
the
provincial
health
officer
indicating
that
the
removal
of
provincial
mask
mandates
places
the
greatest
burden
on
the
most
vulnerable
in
british
columbia.
The
premier
has
publicly
stated
that
covid19
is
an
airborne
virus.
F
Masking
is
one
of
the
least
restrictive
and
most
effective
ways
to
mitigate
the
spread
of
this
virus.
The
commissioner
said
in
her
letter
quote,
given
the
benefits
of
the
mask
mandate
for
thousands
of
marginalized
people
and
the
minimal
impact
on
those
who
are
asked
to
wear
one,
the
balance
at
this
time,
favors
continuing
the
mass
mandate.
The
letter
states
again
quote
lifting
the
mass
mandate
will
do
disproportionate
harm
to
those
who
are
already
marginalized.
F
C
Minister
of
health,
thank
you,
honourable
speaker.
In
british
columbia,
we
have,
under
the
public
health
act,
an
independent
provincial
health
officer
who
works,
has
worked
and
done.
I
think
extraordinary
work
in
the
pandemic.
Balancing
these
very
issues.
Careful
consideration
is
given
to
public
health
measures
so
that
they
that
they
don't,
as
you
say,
interfere
in
people's
behavior
more
than
is
necessary
by
the
requirements
of
the
pandemic,
and
that
is
what
dr
henry
has
done.
Consistently
the
decisions
around
the
provincial
mass
mandate,
there
was
very
significant
notice,
given
that
those
were
under
consideration.
C
In
fact,
there
was
some
criticism
even
here
that
we
were
taking
too
long
to
do
that,
but
we,
the
provincial
health
officer,
gave
that
due
consideration,
including
all
of
the
questions
that
the
member
raises.
C
I
I
would
say
this,
though,
that
those
who
are
clinically
vulnerable
have
been
more
the
focus
of
our
efforts
as
a
government
and
as
the
provincial
health
officers
adverts
than
anywhere
else
in
canada.
No
one
has
focused
in
terms
of
vaccination
on
the
clinically
vulnerable
as
effectively
and
as
substantively
as
we
as
we
have,
and
we
will
continue
to
do
that
continue
to
reflect
the
evidence
and
to
continue
to
support
public
health
in
their
in
their
important
decisions.
C
To
balance
these
considerations,
I
very
much
appreciate
the
letter
from
the
human
rights
commissioner
and
that's
a
it's
an
important
point
of
view
to
be
expressed.
But
it's
a
point
of
view
that
is
not
new
to
the
provincial
health
office,
the
provincial
health
officer
and
obviously,
obviously
there's
some
disagreement
there
between
one
position
and
the
other.
But
I
can
assure
her
that
the
focus
on
the
clinically
vulnerable
will
continue
to
be
the
the
principal
focus
of
this
government
as
we
can,
as
we
continue
to
deal
with
the
kova
19
pandemic.
F
You,
honourable
speaker,
and
as
the
human
rights
commissioner
points
out,
the
clinically
vulnerable
now
are
deprived
of
choices,
choices
to
use
public
transit
choices
to
send
their
children
to
school
choices
to
operate
in
public
because
the
risk
to
them
is
so
much
greater.
The
premier
has
tasked
his
government
with
tackling
systemic
discrimination.
It
is
in
the
mandate
letter
of
the
minister
of
health,
and
yet
our
human
rights
commissioner,
has
said
that
the
sudden
removal
of
the
mask
mandate
will
have
profound
effects
on
vulnerable
people.
F
She
says
quote:
while
many
of
us
have
the
good
fortune
to
simply
move
on
with
life,
thousands
of
british
colombians
will
be
left
behind
because
of
their
age,
disability
or
other
protected
characteristics
under
bc's
human
rights
code.
She
continues.
The
mask
mandate
is
not
about
eliminating
risk;
it
is
about
sharing
the
burden,
the
risk
burden
across
society,
rather
than
transferring
it
to
a
marginalized
or
medically
vulnerable
minority.
F
C
Minister
of
health
that
we're
doing
just
the
opposite
and
the
evidence,
the
evidence
over
this
pandemic
demonstrates
that
we
have
given
focus
from
the
beginning
of
the
pandemic
to
those
most
clinically
vulnerable
in
long-term
care
people
who
are
clinically
vulnerable
in
the
community.
It's
been
reflected
in
every
aspect
of
the
covet
19
response,
and
it
has
because
of
the
ethical
values
and
approach
of
our
provincial
health
office
and
our
provincial
health
officer
and
the
ethical
approach
we've
taken
in
british
columbia
to
these
questions,
and
that
will
continue
today
to
be
the
case.
C
E
Remember
for
apples
for
the
west
thanks!
Mr
speaker,
I
listened
carefully
to
the
exchange
a
few
moments
ago
between
the
health
minister
and
my
colleagues
and-
and
it
strikes
me
that
the
the
minister
is
is
either
overlooking
or
wanting
to
avoid
a
key
aspect
to
the
challenge
we're
all
confronted
by
when
we're
facing
a
serious
shortage
of
family
physicians,
it
seems
clear
that
the
response
needs
to
include
at
least
two
things.
E
We
need
to
train
more
family
physicians
here
in
british
columbia
and
we
need
to
be
more
aggressive
in
recruiting
internationally
trained
physicians,
we're
doing
neither
in
british
columbia
right
now,
mr
speaker
for
hundreds
and
hundreds
of
british
columbia's
brightest
best
and
brightest
young
people.
This
is
what
happens.
They
apply
to
medical
school
in
british
columbia.
They
can't
get
in
because
there's
not
enough
spaces,
so
they
apply
to
internationally
renowned
medical
schools,
spend
hundreds
of
thousands
of
dollars
and
they
get
trained.
E
They
get
trained
at
those
institutions
and
then
they
want
to
come
home
and
practice
here
in
bc
as
doctors
and
they
can't
because
the
process
for
having
their
credentials
recognized
is
so
incredibly
complicated.
It
takes
years
and
years
and
years
there
are
delays
in
writing
the
exams
that
they
need
to
write.
C
Health,
well,
thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and,
as
the
member
will
know,
he
says,
nothing's
happened
when
I
became
minister
of
health
6218
family
practice.
Doctors
today
6852
is
a
significant
increase
more
than
the
increase
in
population
growth,
but
the
nature
of
family
practice
is
changing
and
we
have
to
address
significant
issues
around
that.
So
for
the
member
to
get
up
and
say,
oh
nothing's
happening
when
in
fact
we're
seeing
an
increase
in
number
of
family
practice.
Doctors
is
incorrect.
C
We
are
taking
steps
and
you'll
see
those
steps,
particularly
with
with
across
health
professions
in
the
coming
months,
but
this
is
not
as
simple
a
question
as
the
member
will
know,
because
the
member
was
minister
of
health
and
you'll
know
that
the
the
very
measures
in
place
to
a
credit
to
provide
accreditation
of
doctors
or
are
largely
on
the
international
theme,
the
same
as
they
were
under
his
government.
But
we
need
to
take
steps.
E
Supplemental
thanks
honorable
to
be
here
well
with
the
greatest
respect.
I
think
the
minister
is
still
avoiding
the
fundamental
issue
here,
which
is:
why
aren't
we
training
more
doctors
in
british
columbia?
E
E
Debbie
atkins
contacted
us
from
parksville.
She
has
a
relative
who
is
a
pediatric
specialist
who's
today,
working
at
a
hospital
in
switzerland,
internationally
trained
internationally
credentialed
at
a
world-leading
institution
wanted
to
come
to
british
columbia,
but
it
was
made
clear
to
him
that
it
would
be
years
before
he
would
be
able
to
put
his
talents
to
work
in
british
columbia.
C
Minister
of
health.
Well,
honorable
speaker,
I
think
the
member
will
appreciate-
because
I
think
the
issue
is
so
serious-
we
won't
get
into
a
discussion
of
records.
We
were
10th
in
canada
and
the
number
of
nurses
per
capita.
When
I
became
minister
of
health,
we
were
10th
in
canada.
The
number
of
nurse
practitioners
in
british
columbia
became
minister
of
health
were
below
the
average
or
at
the
average,
in
terms
of
family
practice.
C
Doctors
and
and
we're
seeing
a
change
in
that
in
in
circumstances
in
the
nature
of
family
practice
and
we're
responding
to
that
and
the
way
we're
responding
to.
That
is
a
significant
reform
of
of
practice,
which
includes
team-based
care,
the
very
doctors
that
the
member
talks
about
those
trained
in
british
columbia
was
trained
elsewhere.
The
young
doctors
coming
into
the
system
want
a
different
kind
and
a
different
style
of
practice,
and
we
are
making
significant
changes
in
the
system
to
address
that
and
all
of
these
measures.
C
All
of
these
opportunities
for
primary
care
and
the
expansion
out
to
team-based
care
are
important.
We
are
going
to
need
more
family
practice
doctors
in
the
future
and
that
will
require
training
in
british
columbia.
It
will
require
new
medical
school
in
british
columbia.
It
will
require
other
steps,
and
it
is
absolutely
our
intention
to
do
so,
but
for
the
member
to,
I
think
suggests
that
action
hasn't
been
taken
when
such
dramatic
action
has
been
taken
to
respond
to
this
question
that
had
been
building
for
a
long
time
with
no
action
is
incorrect.
A
A
The
ndp
are
not
helping
the
situation
because
they're
breaking
their
promise
to
build
a
medical
school
at
sfu's
campus
in
surrey.
Despite
promising
one
in
the
last
election,
there
has
been
absolutely
no
funding
for
a
medical
school
in
surrey
for
two
consecutive
budgets
so
to
the
minister
of
advanced
education.
Why
is
she
breaking
the
ndp's
promise
to
fund
a
medical
school
when
there
is
nearly
eight
million
people
without
a
family
doctor
in
the
province
of
british
columbia?.
C
Mr
felt
well
thank
you,
honourable
speaker
and
the
minister
of
events
and
education,
and
I
are
in
fact
putting
the
effort
required
into
what
will
be
a
major
project.
But
there's
two
sets
of
things.
The
minute
member
will
understand.
A
new
medical
school
is
necessary
to
address
the
situation
into
the
future
and
I
believe,
to
provide
some
innovative
new
opportunities
and
that's
important
and
that's
something.
The
government
is
hard
at
work
on.
A
Members
supplemental
well,
thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker.
The
government
continues
to
be
all
talk
and
no
action
on
this
and
I'll
quote
sfu's
news
release
from
last
october
over
the
next
several
months.
It's
hoped
that
the
province
will
green
light
development
of
a
business
case
for
the
proposed
school
end
quote,
but
here
we
are
months
later
no
business
case
no
budget,
no
hope
to
address
the
doctor
shortage
in
british
columbia.
So
again
to
the
minister
of
advanced
education.
C
With
great
with
great
respect,
honourable
speaker,
you
know
across
british
columbia.
This
is
particularly
important
in
rural
and
remote
communities
in
the
interior
of
the
province,
where
these
issues
are
even,
I
think,
more
keenly
felt
than
they
are
in
urban
sectors.
Significant
action
has
been
taken
and
continues
to
be
taken
in
many
communities,
for
example
in
quenelle,
where
there's
an
urgent
and
primary
care
center,
where
there
wasn't
before
and.
C
C
C
The
the
government
is
proceeding
on
numerous
tracks.
We
are
we're
taking
steps
to
improve
access
to
internationally
trained
health
professionals
to
come
into
the
ec
market,
because
in
many
areas,
the
frankly
the
system
that's
in
place
provides
an
impediment.
It
provides
a
it,
creates
a
financial
disincentive.
This
is
particularly
true
of
nurses.
It
provides
a
structural
disincentive,
there's
two
processes-
the
national
and
a
provincial
one
in
that
case,
and
why
we
need
to
take
those
actions
with
respect
to
the
sfu
medical
school.
C
E
Thank
you
very
much,
mr
speaker,
and
it's
very
clear
we're
seeing
a
shifting
of
resources
from
clinics
and
doctor's
offices
to
the
urgent
primary
care
centers.
But
the
net
result,
and
the
minister
can
say
it's
not
all
he
wants,
but
the
fact
of
the
matter
is:
we
have
200
000
more
people
in
this
province
without
a
doctor
without
access
to
a
family
doctor,
then
when
they
form
government,
it's
closing
in
on
a
million
people
without
a
doctor,
because
it's
just
been
a
shifting
of
resources
around
not
an
added
capacity
to
the
system.
E
It's
the
payment
model
that
is
obviously
critical
for
keeping
family
doctors
is
one
of
the
most
cited
reasons
for
doctors
closing
their
doors
over
the
last
while.
But
despite
all
this
fact,
the
agreement
expires
on
friday
and
we
have
no
idea
what
the
status
of
negotiations
are
or
even
what
the
bargaining
mandate
is.
This
is
the
first
time
since
the
90s
that
the
public
sector
negotiating
mandate
has
been
suppressed,
not
surprising.
I
guess,
given
that
this
is
the
government-
that's
been
cited
as
the
most
secretive
in
canada.
E
C
Minister
of
health,
honourable
speaker,
the
member
knows
that
the
signature
initiative
in
the
primary
care
plan
our
primary
care
networks
across
bc.
Every
primary
care
network
was
proposed
by
local
divisions
of
family
practice,
including
doctors.
In
other
words,
there
has
never
been
this
level
of
work
working
together
and
consultation,
as
there
is
now.
Does
that.
C
Mean
the
well
honorable
speaker,
the
first
surgeon
in
primary
care
center
was
in
kamloops
and
it
it
aligned
with
it
honorable
speaker
the
ability
for
new
doctors
to
come
and
practice
in
primary
care
in
kamloops.
Right.
In
fact,
it's
one
of
the
most
successful
of
its
kind
in
north
america,
in
kamloops,
honorable
speaker,
and
so
I'm
happy
happy
to
show
the
numbers
happy
to
show
the
numbers
anytime
anytime.
C
Period
in
this
place,
I
don't
want
to
relax,
because
we
all
have
much
business
around
the
place.
I'd
be
happy
to
provide
them
to
them
this
morning
between
11
and
12
is
happy
to
provide
them,
because
the
numbers
are
so
good,
and
I
tell
you.
C
You
know,
honourable
speaker
urchin
primary
care
centers
and
I'm
surprised,
because
I'd
understood
that
they
were
supported
by
members
of
the
opposition
have
been
essential
in
this
period
of
pandemic,
because
the
doors
of
those
urgent
primary
care
centers
have
stayed
open
where
it's
not
been.
Virtual
care
and
they've
played
an
essential
role.
C
The
minister,
the
member
seems
to
dismiss
a
million
visits,
but
a
million
visits
with
a
lot
of
visits
to
people
in
british
columbia
with
respect
to
issues
of
collective
bargaining,
I
I
don't
know
if
this
is
new
or
news
to
members
of
the
opposition,
but
collective
bargaining
should
take
place
at
the
bargaining
table
and
it
will.