►
From YouTube: APRIL 25 2022 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
C
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker.
Look
life's
never
been
more
expensive
in
british
columbia.
People
deserve
better
than
what
we
seem
to
have
under
the
premier's
secret
plan.
I'm
not
sure
what
he's
doing
here
to
work
on
inflation,
but
costs
and
bc
are
higher
than
ever.
The
latest
inflationary
data
shows
that
things
are
getting
even
worse,
not
better
here
in
british
columbia,
with
the
cost
of
living.
Now
it's
jumped
up
almost
6
over
last
year.
C
C
So
this
is
what
the
premier
said
last
thursday,
and
I
quote,
the
minister
of
finance
has
been
directed
by
me
to
look
at
efforts
to
bring
forward
initiatives
to
assist
with
inflation.
Well,
we'll
see
how
that
goes.
End
quote
that
sure
doesn't
sound
very
much
like
a
commitment
from
this
premier
to
do
anything
so
I'll
give
the
premier
another
chance.
What
is
the
premiere
going
to
do
now
to
address
the
inflationary
costs
that
are
hurting
people
in
british
columbia,
premiere.
D
I
appreciate
the
question
from
the
critic
from
from
peace,
river
south
and,
of
course,
our
objective
as
members
of
this
house
is
to
make
life
better
for
our
constituents,
and
we've
been,
of
course
doing
that,
mr
speaker,
as
you
know,
since
2017,
when
we
first
ordered
a
business,
was
to
do
away
with
tolls
on
bridges
that
were
put
in
by
kevin
faulcon.
D
The
second
thing
we
did.
The
second
thing
we
did
was
fix
the
dumpster
fire
at
icbc
that
led
to
not
one
not
two
by
three:
it
retakes
the
policyholder,
as
well
as
a
20
reduction
in
costs,
and
if
it's
not
just
the
traveling
public
that
have
benefited
from
these
policies.
Honorable
speaker,
the
aforementioned
medical
services,
premiums
are
gone
completely.
They
do
not
exist
in
british
columbia,
kevin
falcon
indexed
them
annually,
so
they
would
go
up
year
over
year
over
year.
That
was
their
solution
to
inflationary
speaker
to
introduce
an
inflationary
tax
on
regular
people.
D
And
fathers
on
the
other
side,
because
they're
past
their
child
raising
years,
but
as
grandparents
they
will
know
that
their
children
are
ecstatic
to
have
access
to
a
child
opportunity
benefit,
so
they
can
raise
their
kids
here
in
british
columbia
with
sixteen
hundred
dollars
more
in
their
pockets.
Members.
Well
again,
honourable
speaker,
members.
D
C
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker,
so
an
on
answer
from
the
premier.
What's
affecting
people
today
right
now,
six
percent
increase
in
inflation.
C
The
premier
said
that
the
minister
was
going
to
work
on
something,
but
we
don't
know
what
that
is
obviously
a
secret
plan
from
this
premier,
but
look
house
prices
have
gone
up
six
hundred
thousand
dollars
under
this
premier's
watch.
Renters
are
paying
three
thousand
dollars
a
year
more
under
this
ndp
government,
still
no
renters
rebates.
So
while
the
premier
again
has
no
problem
giving
himself
a
retroactive
pay
increase
for
himself
and
cabinet,
forty
thousand
000
nearly
half
think
about
this.
C
Nearly
half
of
the
people
in
british
columbia
are
only
200
200
away
from
not
being
able
to
pay
their
bills
every
month,
so
the
ndp
took
care
of
themselves,
but
they
weren't
able
to
take
care
of
the
renters
with
the
renters
rebate.
They've
done
nothing
to
lower
housing
prices
that
they
promised
to
do
now.
It
looks
like
they're
just
going
to
skirt
over
and
do
nothing
to
help
with
the
inflationary
pressures
that
are
hitting
the
people
of
british
columbia
today.
So
will
the
premier
be
more
specific
about
now?
What's
he
going
to
do
now?
D
D
Written
by
one
of
their
former
colleagues,
george
abbott,
who
talked
about
the
yanking
back
and
forth,
of
tax
policies
that
was
under
the
watch
of
the
other
guys
all
for
stunts
and
instead
we're
focusing
on
people.
Honorable
member
and
I
absolutely
understand
the
challenges
and
the
hardships
that
people
are
facing.
As
we
come
out
of
a
pandemic
that
constrained
economic
activity
across
not
just
the
province
but
the
country
and
indeed
around
the
world,
and
only
only
bc.
Liberals
will
be
so
filled
with
hubris
that
they
would
think
that
british
columbia
is
the
only
place.
D
B
G
Well,
thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
here
in
2022,
when
people
are
faced
with
200
left
in
their
bank
account
and
not
being
able
to
pay
their
bills,
and
the
premier
had
no
problem.
Rushing
his
retroactive
pay,
which
in
fact
we'll
see
a
check
in
his
bank
account
long
before
any
relief
is
seen
for
people
with
the
rebate
check
around
the
price
of
the
pumps.
G
The
premier
has
repeatedly
promised
to
make
life
more
affordable,
but
he
just
simply
hasn't.
Under
the
ndp
housing
and
rents
are
up
at
record
levels.
The
cost
of
gas
has
doubled.
In
fact,
gas
is
around
50
to
60
cents
more
expensive
than
bc
than
it
is
in
alberta,
where
it
gets
shipped
from
to
bc,
and
the
cost
of
groceries
is
up
almost
20
percent.
On
thursday,
the
premier
said-
and
I
quote,
the
minister
has
been
working
on
inflation
initiatives
for
months
and
will
continue
to
work
on
it
for
the
days
ahead.
G
End
quote:
working
on
it,
no
actual
solution
and
no
deliverable,
but
there
are
families
who
don't
know
how
they're
going
to
pay
for
their
groceries
tomorrow
morning,
and
yet
the
premier
and
this
government
is
dragging
their
feet,
trying
to
bring
forward
any
actual
meaningful
results
for
people.
Will
the
premier
be
clear?
What
is
he
going
to
do
about
inflation,
and
when
will
they
actually
do
it.
A
A
There
are
many
people
around
the
world
and
many
jurisdictions
around
the
world
that
are
worried
about
rising
costs
for
necessities
of
like
food
and
housing,
and
it's
especially
hard
on
people
who
are
struggling.
There's
no
doubt
about
that.
Mr
speaker,
the
federal
government
and
the
bank
of
canada
have
the
tools
to
combat
inflation.
Inflation
directly,
and
our
government
has
always
been
committed
to
reduce
costs
for
british
columbians
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
do
that
very
important
work.
G
Thank
you,
while
there's
jurisdictions
around
the
world
and
around
this
country
that
are
actually
trying
to
take
meaningful
action
at
the
same
time,
but
the
fact
is,
life
has
never
been
more
expensive
as
it
is
now.
Under
this
ndp
government
people
are
paying
more
for
everything.
Beef
and
butter
is
up.
G
32
percent,
fresh
vegetables
are
up
24
and
gas,
almost
70
cents
more,
a
liter
under
the
ndp,
while
the
ndp
cabinet
has
had
no
problem
acting
very
quickly
to
give
themselves
that
raise
a
retroactive,
raise,
I
might
add,
the
premier
refuses
to
even
say
when
he
will
help
british
columbians.
In
fact,
this
is
what
he
said
last
week.
This
is
how
little
urgency
they
have
on
this
subject.
G
People
need
help
now
they
need
answers
now.
They
don't
need
to
wait
a
few
more
weeks
to
maybe
possibly
find
out.
The
government
is
going
to
have
nothing
to
say
so
again.
What
is
the
premier
going
to
do,
and
when
is
he
going
to
do
it?
People
are
200
away
from
not
paying
their
bills
every
single
month.
They
can't
wait.
A
You
very
much,
mr
speaker.
Well.
Instead
of
giving
tax
breaks
to
the
wealthy
and
large
corporations,
we've
been
using
that
money
to
help
average
british
columbians,
so
we
have
a
child
opportunity,
benefit
up
to
133
dollars
a
month
in
people's
pockets,
500
off
of
their
car
insurance
on
average.
Mr
speaker,
after
we
cleaned
up
the
dumpster
fire.
Remember.
B
H
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
The
family
doctor
crisis
in
our
province
is
top
of
mind
for
a
lot
of
people
right
now.
There's
900
000
british
columbians
without
primary
care,
and
those
who
are
with
it
are
finding
their
access
increasingly
cut
back.
40
percent
of
british
columbians
are
afraid
of
losing
their
family
doctor.
H
This
government
has
opened
27,
urgent
and
primary
care
centers
as
their
solution
to
this
crisis.
They're
quick
to
open
them,
but
many
lack
funding
plans
and
adequate
staffing,
they're
open,
limited
hours.
They
fill
up
quickly
and
there's
gatekeeping
over
who
can
use
them.
They're
meant
to
deliver
care
for
people
who
are
in
urgent
need.
They
are
demonstrably
not
the
solution
for
the
family
doctor
crisis.
H
F
Yes,
27,
urgent
and
primary
care
centers
have
served
over
a
million
people
during
the
pandemic.
Those
urgent
primary
care
centers
were
essential
in
british
columbia
because
of
the
absolute
transformation
of
our
primary
care
system
that
happened
on
a
dime
in
2020.
They
have
played
a
central
role:
they're,
not
the
only
part
of
the
plan.
We've
added
new
community
health
centers,
we've
added
new
residency
positions,
we've
added
dramatically.
I
mean
dramatically
three
times
the
number
of
nurse
practitioners
serving
in
primary
care
that
have
ever
served
before.
H
Thank
you,
animal
speaker
and,
and
I
I
think,
there's
an
interesting
trend
that
we
see
with
this
government,
particularly
when
it
comes
to
health
care,
which
is
a
lot
about
the
inputs,
but
not
much
about
the
outcomes,
and
so
we've
gone
from
700
000,
unattached
patients
in
this
province
to
900
000,
unattached
patients.
We're
hearing
doctors
talk
about
leaving
their
practices
because
the
burden
on
them
is
too
great
when
they're
dealing
with
fee
for
service
and
having
to
run
a
small
business
in
addition
to
caring
for
their
patients.
H
F
Thank
you
very
much,
honourable
speaker
and
minister
once
the
member
speaks
of
outcomes.
I
just
say
this
that
this
is
a
transformation.
That's
occurred
on
fifa
service
visits.
In
addition
to
that,
we've
added
the
number
of
app
doctors
alternate
payment
doctors,
the
amount
by
15
a
year
over
the
in
each
of
the
last
three
years
15
of
years.
We
are
transforming
the
system,
but
the
member
is
right.
This
is
primarily
a
fee-for-service
system
unusual
in
canada,
80
of
primary
care
building
billings
are
fee
for
service,
and
that
has
happened
over
time
over
multiple
governments.
F
That's
where
we
are
today
80,
but
during
the
pandemic
talk
about
the
response
of
the
primary
care
system
and
the
response
of
the
government.
In
2018
there
were
16
million
500
000
primary
care
visits
and
in
the
last
in
2021
the
full
year
during
the
pandemic,
there
were
18
million
and
43
000
visits.
Now
that
was
a
dramatic
increase,
but
it
hides
the
real
story,
which
is
we
had
to,
and
family
doctors
had
to
on
a
dime
change.
F
The
system
such
that
there
were
647
000
virtual
visits
in
2018
and
13
million
virtual
visits
in
2021.
This
transformation
has
happened
and
it
has
had
a
significant
effect,
including
on
patients,
many
of
whom
struggle
with
the
lack
of
in-person
visits.
This
has
been
an
extraordinarily
challenging
time
and
I
want
to
acknowledge
the
exceptional
work
done
by
family
practice,
doctors
and
others,
but
in
that
context
the
million
in-person
visits
at
upcc's
have
been
incredibly
valuable
and
I
don't
think
honorable
speaker
criticizing
them
is
the
right
approach.
They
are
part
of
the
answer.
A
F
E
E
British
colombians
want
a
relationship
with
a
family
doctor,
but
it
is
shocking
to
think
that
in
british
columbia,
one
in
five
british
columbians
a
number
that
has,
by
the
way
dramatically
worsened
since
2017,
have
no
family
doctor,
so
the
minister
tells
them
go
to
a
walk-in
clinic.
Well,
guess
what
we
discovered
this
week,
we
discovered
that
british
columbia
had
the
worst
wait
times
in
canada
at
walk-in
clinics.
The
average
in
ontario
is
15
minutes.
E
It
is
2
hours
and
41
minutes
in
the
premier's
backyard
at
8
20
this
morning,
every
single,
urgent
and
primary
care
center
in
victoria
was
already
at
capacity
and
not
taking
patients.
The
only
walk-in
clinic
left
had
a
4-hour
and
30-minute
wait
time.
This
is
simply
not
good
enough
in
british
columbia.
The
minister
can
spout
numbers
all
he
wants.
What
british
columbians
want
him
to
do
is
work
to
ensure
that
they
can
have
a
relationship
with
a
family
doctor.
F
Minister
of
health.
Well,
thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
there
was
a
series
of
statements
said
by
the
member.
I
was
referring
to
the
criticism
of
upcs,
not
of
healthcare.
Workers
remembers
the
opposition
and
it
made
a
series
of
other
statements
that
she
put,
in
my
words
that
I've
never
said
and
don't
think
I
don't
believe.
So,
I'm
not
sure.
If
that's
helpful
to
the
debate,
I
think
I
just
disagree
with
it.
F
I
just
say
that,
frankly,
the
member,
what
I
would
say
is
that
what
is
required
in
our
primary
care
system
is
significant
reform,
because
we
have
in
bc
an
unusual
primary
care
system.
We
have
one
that
is
more
fee
for
service
than
anywhere
else.
We
have
more
people
coming
to
british
columbia
than
from
anywhere
else
and
how
we
responded.
F
We've
responded
by
a
very
significant
investment
in
team-based
care
such
that
there
are
950,
more
people
working
primary
care
networks,
300
of
them
in
urgent
and
primary
care
centers
across
the
province
to
provide
more
service
to
people.
We've
just
been
through
a
two-year
pandemic.
So
far
more
than
two-year
pandemic.
That's
changed
primary
care
more
than
any
other
part
of
health
care,
more
than
acute
care,
more
than
long-term
care.
F
In
fact-
and
we
are
working
our
way
through
this
that,
but
I
would
say
that
in
that
period
we've
added
more
than
600
family
practice
doctors,
we
have
the
hot
largest
family
that
practice
program
residency
program
in
canada.
That's
because
we
added
60
new
positions
since
2017,
and
we
have
to
continue
to
do
this
work
together
because
I
agree:
access
to
longitudinal
care,
particularly
for
those
with
chronic
diseases
and
those
who
are
older,
is
absolutely
critical
and
that's
a
priority
for
this
government.
E
The
the
minister
makes
it
sound
like
he
just
figured
this
out
yesterday.
This
is
a
two-term
half-decade
government
and
british
columbians
are
concerned.
In
fact,
many
british
columbians
feel
hopeless
that
they
will
ever
have
the
ability
to
have
a
family
doctor.
Under
this
government's
leadership.
People
feel
hopeless.
Let's
listen
to
the
words
of
jacqueline
brand,
who
said-
and
I
quote,
I
don't
have
a
family
doctor
anymore
since
the
james
bay
clinic
closed.
E
I
am
73
years
old
and
I
need
my
prescription
filled
and
I
need
it
soon
and
I
don't
know
where
to
go.
End
quote
here's
what
we
do
know
one
in
five
british
columbians
do
not
have
a
family
doctor.
The
minister
says,
go
to
a
walk-in
clinic,
they
wait
for
hours.
Our
numbers
are
the
worst
in
the
country
and
in
fact,
when
the
premier
was
asked
about
this
issue
last
week,
what
did
he
do?
What
he
typically
does
he
blamed
ottawa?
E
It
is
long
past
time
and
the
minute
and
the
premier
can
laugh
and
shake
his
head.
It
is
not
funny
to
the
one
in
five
british
columbians
who
can't
access
a
family
physician.
He
should
check
it
out
in
his
own
backyard,
as
recently
as
this
morning
when
they
couldn't
get
in
to
an
urgent
primary
care
center.
F
Well,
thank
you
and
again
the
point
the
premier
was
making
was
a
point
by
the
way
that
his
predecessor
had
me
with
respect
to
the
canada
health
transfer.
F
As
an
honorable
speaker,
there
is
a
role
for
everyone
in
that
process.
When
I
became
minister
of
health,
when
I
became
minister
of
health,
83
percent
of
primary
care
buildings
were
fee-for-service
in
bc.
The
number
was
46
in
ontario,
and
that
requires
a
change.
It
requires
a
change
because
the
fee
for
service
model
which
supports
volume,
doesn't
reflect
the
needs
of
the
increasing
and
complexity
of
patients,
and
I
know
the
member
knows
this
because
we've
talked
about
it
many
times
and
we've
discussed
many
times
and
she's
made
the
point
many
times.
F
F
We
do
it
by
adding
new
models
of
care
members,
including
community
health,
centers
and
indigenous,
and
first
nations
led
health
centers
in
british
columbia.
We
do
it
that
way.
We
do
it
by
training
and
having
more
residency
positions,
and
we
have
we
do
it
from
moving
from
last
in
canada
and
nurse
practitioners
to
the
fastest
growing
place
of
center
of
nurse
practitioner
primary
care
in
the
country.
That's
how
we
do
it.
We
do
it
by
building
out
team-based
care.
This
was
a
significant
issue
and
I
became
minister
of
health.
F
I
I
Bc
was
the
only
province
to
see
an
increase.
The
wait
times
are
now
up
over
50
percent
on
this
ndp
watch.
Wait
times
are
skyrocketing,
clinics
are
shutting
down
and
doctors
are
leaving
their
practices.
We
have
a
system
that
is
under
crisis,
underneath
this
ndp
government
in
maple
ridge.
This
morning
the
cottonwood
medical
clinic
was
at
its
capacity
and
a
clinic
just
down
the
street,
had
a
wait
time
of
three
hours
and
30
minutes.
Willowbree
medical
center
in
langley
had
a
six
hour
and
thirty
minute.
Wait
time,
that's
not
acceptable
under
anybody's
watch.
I
B
F
The
respect
to
the
survey
that
he
cites,
it's
a
partial,
not
comprehensive
survey
you
have
to,
and
by
a
private
company,
fair
enough.
I
think
people
are-
and
this
is
my
view-
always
any
significant
weight
for
health
care
is
too
long
for
me.
It's
why
we've
done
surgical
renewal
on
surgeries.
It's
why
we
have
a
primary
care
plan.
It's
why
we're
supporting
long-term
care?
It's!
Why
we're
adding
residency
positions?
It's
why
we've
significantly
increased
almost
double
the
number
of
nurse
practitioner
positions
in
the
problems,
including
those
working
in
the
members
constituency.
F
It
is
a
challenge
for
people
in
dc
the
question
of
a
family
practice
doctor,
particularly
in
circumstances
where,
with
the
doctor,
their
aging,
their
doctor
is
aging
out
and
retiring,
and
those
people
who've
been
with
that
doctor
for
20
30
40
years
find
themselves
without
a
family
practice
doctor.
That's
why
we
are
responding
in
the
way
that
we
are.
J
Dr
tamina
ali
was
named
bc's
family
physician
of
the
year
in
2020.
She
provides
incredible
care
to
the
people
of
south
surrey,
but
now
she
says
she's
at
a
breaking
point
and
every
day
she
says
she's
on
the
cusp
of
quitting
and
her
quote:
we
are
hurting
in
family
medicine
in
this
community
is
hemorrhaging
members
daily.
J
F
Jeff
helt
well,
honorable
speaker,
I
think
it's
fair
to
say
that
the
premier
and
the
government
will
continue
to
lead
the
country
with
respect
to
the
canada
health
transfer,
and
I
don't
think
that
is
inconsistent.
That
is
one
aspect
of
how
you
deal
with
challenges
with
respect
to
primary
care.
How
do
we
do
that?
We
add
primary
care
networks
and
team-based
care
950
new
ftes,
that's
significant!
F
We
significantly
increased
the
number
of
nurse
practitioner
positions.
The
creation
of
nurse
practitioner
positions
was
the
work
on
the
government
side
of
george
abbott
when
he
was
minister
of
health.
It
was
the
work
at
that
time,
but
when
I
became
minister
of
health,
we
were
last
in
canada
in
terms
of
the
number
of
nurse
practitioner
working
with
it.
We
profoundly
changed
that
that's
how
you
do
it
in
south
surrey
and
cloverdale.
There's
a
nurse
practitioner-led
clinic.
That's
how
you
do
it.
F
J
Thank
you,
mr
speaker,
and
the
minister's
words
are
not
met
by
action
from
this
government
from
this
premier,
and
we
see
that
day
after
day,
every
member
of
this
house
is
getting
the
letters,
the
emails,
the
phone
calls
the
visits
saying
we
need
help.
We
do
not
have
a
family
doctor,
we
need
support,
every
riding
is
getting
those
calls
and
the
minister
can
dismiss
them.
J
Dr
ali
says-
and
I
quote,
our
cries
are
not
being
heard.
Family
medicine
is
hemorrhaging,
we
are
an
endangered
species
and
without
us
the
primary
care
system
is
going
to
fall
apart.
End
quote
a
system
that
the
minister
spent
most
of
this
question
period.
Talking
about-
and
this
doctor
is
saying
it's
at
critical
mass
and
this
minister
continues
to
dismiss
these
issues
in
surrey.
13
walk-in
clinics
are
full
by
10,
am
13
walk-in
clinics
are
full.
D
D
Secondly,
secondly,
honorable
speaker
at
no
time
at
no
time
have
I
at
no
time
have
I
blamed
the
federal
government.
They
don't
want
an
answer,
honourable
speaker,
because
they
are
part
of
the
problem.
That's
why,
honorable
speaker,
honorable
speaker,
the
opposition,
characterizes
the
opposition,
characterizes
cooperative
federalism,
making
our
country
work
by
ensuring
that
there's
adequate.
But
do
you
want
to
hear
it
man
do
you
want
to
hear
you
just
want
to
hear
your
voice?