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From YouTube: OCT 6 2022 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
B
Thank
you
very
much.
Mr
Speaker.
Well,
despite
lots
of
empty
NDP
promises,
life
has
never
been
more
unaffordable
in
British
Columbia,
the
price
of
everything
from
gasoline
to
groceries
to
rent
everything
has
skyrocketed.
Yesterday,
gas
prices
in
Vancouver
were
73
cents,
a
liter
higher
than
they
were
in
Toronto,
and
this
cost
of
living
crisis
is
having
its
greatest
impact
on
families,
families
that
are
struggling
to
even
put
food
on
their
table.
B
Unless
this
government
steps
up
and
supports
ending
this
or
freezing
pay
a
pay
wage
for
this
year.
The
official
opposition
believes
that
accepting
a
pay
increase
of
up
to
10
percent
would
be
completely
out
of
line
with
the
expectations
that
British
Columbians
have
British
Columbians,
who
are
struggling
as
I've
said,
and
so
the
question
is
a
very
simple
one
to
the
Finance
Minister
as
family
struggle
with
skyrocketing
costs.
Will
this
government
support
the
official
opposition
and
put
a
freeze
on
MLA
salaries
for
the
forthcoming
year.
C
Thank
you
very
much.
Mr
Speaker
Global
inflation
is
certainly
a
big
challenge,
not
just
here
for
British
Columbians,
but
certainly
across
Canada
and
around
the
globe,
and
people
are
getting
squeezed
Mr
Speaker,
which
is
why,
which
is
why
we
have
taken
significant
steps
to
help
British
Columbians.
In
fact,
just
this
week,
people
have
started
to
receive
their
carbon
act,
their
climate
action,
tax
credits
and
we've
been
hearing
about
the
impacts
that
that's
making
for
average
British
Columbia's
Mr
Speaker.
C
In
fact,
we
heard
just
recently
yesterday
and
today
from
a
woman
named
Zoe,
who
said
she's,
so
grateful
for
the
one-time
payment.
It
really
helps
those
of
us
seniors
on
fixed
low
incomes.
Thank
you.
We've
heard
from
Denise,
who
said
we
regularly
don't
get
much
help
from
government,
but
obviously
we
received
387
dollars
and
it
really
helps.
Thank
you.
We
heard
from
Twitter
on
Twitter
from
Nate
great
way
to
demonstrate
the
climate
action
and
affordability
agenda
can
go
hand
in
hand.
Mr
Speaker.
C
We
have
been
taking
action
to
help
British
Columbians,
there's
going
to
be
more
coming,
Mr
Speaker
because
we
have
heard
from
British
Columbians
how
challenging
it
is,
but
I
have
to
say
I'm
hearing
from
the
members
opposite
where
affordability,
when
they
were
in
government,
they
gave
tax
breaks
to
Big
corporations.
The
leader.
A
A
A
B
Every
member
in
this
chamber,
every
MLA
will
receive
upwards
of
a
ten
thousand
dollar
pay
increase
next
year.
Again
in
case
the
backdrop
of
families
barely
being
able
to
put
food
on
their
table,
I
frankly
can't
believe
that
while
families
are
having
trouble
making
ends
meet
that
this
government
isn't
willing
to
stand
up
today
and
just
say.
Yes,
we
are
going
to
lead
by
example.
We
will
join
the
official
opposition
and
we
will
make
a
sacrifice
here,
like
British
Columbia,
for
doing.
B
Now
moments
moments
ago,
I
provided
notice
to
the
clerk
of
my
intention
to
introduce
a
private
member's
bill
that
would
freeze
MLA
salaries,
meaning
that,
while
families
are
facing
upwards
of
eight
percent,
inflation
mlas
once
won't
see
any
increase
in
their
paychecks.
If
the
government
chooses
to
introduce
their
own
legislation
on
this,
the
the
government
should
should
know
they
have
the
full
support
of
every
member
of
the
official
opposition
and
with
that
legislation
and
I
want
to
be
clear
about
something
here.
This
is
about
principles.
This
is
about
leading
by
example.
B
B
Foreign
freezing,
MLA
salaries
was
the
right
thing
to
do.
Then
it's
the
right
thing
to
do
today.
Will
the
NDP
stand
up
today?
Do
the
right
thing
recognize
that
that
families
are
struggling
and
agree
with
the
official
opposition
to
support
the
official
opposition's
call
to
freeze
MLA
salaries
for
the
forthcoming
year.
C
B
A
C
Freezing
that
that
they're,
that,
when
they
were
in
government
they
took
care
of
people
is
absolutely
what
they
did.
Mr
Speaker
was.
They
did
not
allow
the
lowest
paid
workers
in
this
province
to
get
an
increase.
They
they
would
absolutely
not
increase
minimum
wage,
I
think
Mr
Speaker.
We
need
to
remember
a
couple
of
things.
We
too
froze
MLA
salaries.
We
did
that
just
a
couple
of
years
ago,
we
did
do
that.
Members,
Mr
Speaker.
C
If
they
would
be
happy
to
listen,
I
would
be
happy
to
tell
them
that
I
I
am
interested
in
having
a
conversation
with
our
house
leader
and
chair
of
lampsy,
to
consider
the
proposal.
D
D
It
should
be
a
fairly
simple,
yes
or
no,
and
one
would
have
hoped
that
the
government
and
cabinet
had
already
had
internal
discussions
on
something
like
this,
but
apparently
not
and
it's
bad
enough
that
it
would
result
in
an
upwards
of
ten
thousand
dollar
raise
for
every
single
MLA
in
here,
but
I'll
remind
the
minister
and
the
rest
of
cabinet
and
the
public.
It's
actually
fifteen
thousand
dollars
for
the
cabinet
ministers.
D
So
it
is
a
significant
increase
at
a
time
when
most
people
in
the
public
would
not
be
seeing
fifteen
thousand
dollars
added
to
their
payback.
In
fact,
Mr
Speaker.
A
new
survey
shows
that
over
half
of
the
people
in
BC
say
to
become
less
affordable
to
feed
themselves
and
their
families
working
men
and
women
in
our
province
on
record
numbers
are
being
forced
to
go
to
food
banks
now
to
try
to
be
able
to
provide
for
their
families.
This
Thanksgiving.
D
D
So
while
families
have
to
tighten
their
belts,
this
Thanksgiving
the
gravy
trains
running
along
for
this
government.
We
need
leadership.
Will
the
minister
not
consult,
not
consider
stand
up
today
as
the
head
of
government
finances
and
say
they're,
not
taking
the
raise
and
they're
going
to
suspend
it
for
a
year.
A
E
E
The
member
will
also
know
that
when
it
comes
to
the
increase
that
takes
place
at
the
end
of
each
year,
based
on
the
CPI
that
that
takes
place
not
in
this
chamber
but
in
fact
takes
place
at
the
lampsi
meetings
when
they
do
their
budgetary
proposals
for
the
for
the
for
the
for
the
coming
year
and
again
that
member
is
wrong.
It
does
not
have
to
be
overridden
in
this
chamber.
A
E
E
So
that
comes
back
to
lampsy
at
the
end
of
this
fiscal
at
the
end
of
this
year,
when
the
budgetary
process
is
underway,
when
we
know
exactly
what
the
inflationary
rate
is
at
that
time,
because
it
changes
throughout
the
year
and
a
decision
will
be
made.
I
can
also
tell
you
that
the
Finance
Minister
has
already
approached
me
about
that
in
terms
of
raising
this
issue
at
lampsi
to
deal
with
the
cost
of
living
increase
and
how
he
would
deal
with
it.
I'm.
E
Disrespect
and
that's
when
and
where
this
will
be
done.
What's
unfortunate,
honorable
speaker
is
and
I
understand
that,
when
they're
bereft
of
ideas,
when
they've
arrested
any
public
policy
announcements,
they
want
to
try
and
grandstand,
which
is
what
they've
done.
But
the
reality
is
that's
where
it
will
be
dealt
with
and
that's
exactly
what
we're
going
to
do
and
the
Finance
Minister
is
indicating
that.
D
Let's
be
clear:
Mr
Speaker,
the
Finance
Minister
was
at
least
permitted
to
try
to
answer
the
question.
The
first
two
times
didn't
indicate
that
she
had
discussed
this
at
all
with
the
solicitor
general,
but
on
answer
number
three:
suddenly
it
has
been
under
discussion
by
government
Mr
Speaker.
So
what
has
become
very
clear
today
is
the
government
needs
a
little
more
time
to
come
up
with
their
justification
and
rationalizations
moving
forward.
So
let's
look
at
another
way
that
life
has
become
less
unaffordable
under
this
NDP
government.
D
Yeah
BC
has
the
highest
gas
prices
highest
gas
taxes
in
North
America.
We
have
for
quite
some
time
now
now.
I
know
they
don't
seem
to
be
aware
of
how
bad
people
are
hurting.
So
for
the
minister
of
energy
Zone
knowledge
right
across
from
his
constituency
office,
gas
is
currently
two
dollars
and
forty
cents
a
liter
today
and
climbing
as
we
head
into
the
long
weekend.
D
This
is
hurting
Everyday,
People
Mary
Kleiner
from
Vancouver
who
owns
a
moving
business,
has
already
spent
three
thousand
dollars
more
on
fuel
this
year,
which
is
Raising
costs
for
all
of
her
customers.
Statistics
Canada
has
pointed
out
to
the
gas
relief
program
as
a
significant
factor
in
controlling
inflation
in
Alberta.
They
took
action.
The
University
of
Calgary,
Economist,
Trevor
tone,
says
and
I
quote
the
full
provincial
gas
tax
cut
being
passed
on
to
Consumers
end
quote.
Instead
of
cutting
taxes.
C
You
very
much
thank
you
very
much.
Mr
Speaker
well
again,
I
have
to
say
it's
always
fascinating
to
hear
members
opposite
talk
about
affordability
for
British
Columbians,
given
their
track
record
when
they
they
would
give.
They
would
give
speculators
in
the
top
two
percent
earners
in
this
province
a
tax
break
because
that's
what
they
did
last
time,
Mr
Speaker,
and
they
have
said
that
they
would.
They
would
do
it
again
and
so
Mr
Speaker.
What
we've
been
doing
is
really
helping
British
Columbians
with
their
child
care
costs.
In
fact,
Mr
Speaker.
C
550
dollars
a
month,
Mr,
Speaker
and
I
think
and
I
think
Mr
Speaker
I
can
really
speak
to
an
event
that
I
was
at
I
was
at
a
baby
shower
just
not
too
long
ago,
and
one
of
the
young
women
who
was
just
heading
back
to
work
after
taking
her
second
maternity
leave
came
up
to
me
in
absolute
tears.
Mr
Speaker,
this
young
woman
Kate,
said
you
don't
understand
what
this
means
for
me
and
my
family.
C
What
it
means
Miss
for
her
Mr
Speaker
is
that
she
will
get
to
keep
this
extra
thousand
dollars
a
month
because
that's
what
it
means
for
her
and
she
said
what
that
means
for
her
Mr
Speaker
and
for
her
family
is
that
she
will
have
more
time
with
her
children,
because
we
are
delivering
on
child
care
that
that
I
would
say.
Mr
Speaker,
the
previous
NDP
government
started
and
I
believe
the
minister
over
here
the
Minnesota
Republic
safety
brought
it
in
and
guess
who
cut
that
Mr
Speaker!
F
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and,
and
indeed
the
cost
of
living
and
affordability
for
British
Columbians
is
top
of
mind
for
everybody
right
now,
and
people
are
struggling,
they
go
to
the
grocery
store
and
the
basics
are
far
more
expensive
than
they
were
even
weeks
or
months
ago.
We
know
that
food
is
going
to
get
more
expensive
as
climate
change
progressives.
We
know
that
without
closing
the
vacancy
control
loopholes,
rental
housing
will
continue
to
rise.
F
Renton
Victoria
has
jumped
18
percent
in
the
last
year
alone,
and
we
know
that
without
access
to
Affordable
Transit
people
will
have
no
choice
but
to
drive
their
cars
and
pay
the
rising
costs
of
gasoline
in
this
house
in
this
province
today,
we're
hearing
proposed
concrete
steps
from
the
opposition,
we're
hearing
responses
from
government,
but
we're
also
hearing
a
lot
of
pointing
and
blaming
and
I.
Don't
think
that's
what
British
Columbians
want
to
hear
right
now.
C
You
thank
you
very
much.
Mr,
Speaker
and
and
I
agree
with
the
member
people
really
are
struggling.
They
they
really
are
and
that's
why
we
have
taken
already
taken
some
significant
actions,
whether
it's
an
ICBC
rebate,
additional
supports
through
the
climate
Action
Tax
Credit,
so
that
we
can
be
efficient
and
get
money
into
people's
hands.
The
BC
family
benefit
there'll
be
an
additional
Top-Up
for
those
families
that
are
eligible
Mr
Speaker.
It's
why
we
limited
rent
increases
to
only
two
percent.
C
We
had
to
change
that
formula
as
well,
so
we've
taken
some
significant
steps
over
the
last
number
of
years
and
I
and
again
I
want
to
say
and
I
hear
the
members
saying
well
that
was
retroactive,
but
if
we
hadn't
done
that,
then
then
I
think
it
would
be
7.4
would
be
the
tax
increase
if
the
BC
liberals
were
on
this
side
of
the
house,
Mr
Speaker,
so
we're
continuing
to
address
those
very,
very
challenging
problems
that
are
not
just
here
in
British,
Columbia
and
I.
C
F
Well,
speaker
and
and
while
I
appreciate
the
points
that
the
minister
made,
none
of
them
spoke
to,
what
people
can
see
is
happening,
and
this
is
this
growing
profit
taking
that
is
happening
by
corporations,
so,
as
people
are
struggling
to
just
afford
to
live,
companies
are
claiming
record
profits,
Loblaws
first
quarter
earnings
Rose
by
almost
40
percent.
First
quarter,
40
percent
rise,
Cargill
reported
a
63
percent
increase
in
profits,
profits
of
almost
five
billion
dollars.
F
Oil
and
gas
profits
are
through
the
roof.
Canadian
natural
resources
has
more
than
doubled
its
profits
Petronas.
One
of
the
key
owners
of
the
destructive
Coastal
gasoline
pipeline
reported
5.1
billion
in
profits
over
the
summer,
more
than
double
their
profits.
Last
year
there
is
a
growing
inequality.
F
And
it
is
marked,
tell
us
inserting
itself
into
our
Public
Health
Care
System
reported
profits
of
4.4
billion
over
the
last
quarter,
an
increase
of
7.1
percent.
My
question
again
to
the
Minister
of
Finance,
while
British
Columbians
struggle.
These
corporations
are
raking
in
record
profits.
What
steps
is
she
going
to
take
to
ensure
that
British
Columbians
are
not
suffering
from
this
profit-taking.
C
You
very
much
terrible.
Perhaps
the
member
didn't
hear
my
previous
example
of
this
young
woman,
who
is
seriously
benefiting
in
a
big
way
from
our
investment
in
child
care
and
perhaps
she's
forgotten
that
we're
delivering
free
transit
for
children.
This
makes
a
significant
difference
for
families,
but
I
also
want
to
assure
the
member
that
we're
committed
to
ensuring
that
big
corporations
pay
their
fair
share.
Mr
Speaker,
it's!
Why
we're
eliminating
the
largest
fossil
fuel
subsidy
in
BC,
the
Deep
Well
royalty
program?
It's
why
we're
increasing
the
minimum
oil
and
gas
royalty
rate
by
66
percent?
C
G
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker.
Yesterday,
after
seven
long
months,
the
government
quietly
released
the
response
to
the
2022
coroner
service
death
review
panel
on
the
illicit
drug
toxicity
deaths.
The
response
was
too
little
too
late
in
2018.
The
government
accepted
all
recommendations
from
that
panel,
but
not
this
time.
Not
only
is
the
minister
failed
to
implement
the
recommendations,
she
has
given
absolutely
no
faith
or
directions
that
this
government
accepts
the
23
recommendations
put
forward.
G
The
reality
is
that,
under
this
Minister,
things
have
gotten
worse,
in
fact,
tragically,
since
this
report
was
released
211
days
ago,
over
1200
British
Columbians
have
lost
their
lives.
My
question
is
how
many
poor
people,
how
many
people
have
to
die
before
this
Minister
actually
takes
action
and
understands
that
this
is
an
urgent
situation.
H
You
Mr
Speaker
every
day
the
loss
of
life
to
the
toxic
drug
Supply,
the
voices
of
people
working
on
the
front
line,
the
families
and
loved
ones
and
community
members.
Who've
lost
team
members,
co-workers
peers.
Those
Voices
All
inform
every
day
our
government's
response
to
the
toxic
drug
crisis
and
the
ongoing
Public
Health
Emergency,
as
the
toxicity
of
the
drugs
has
increased
and
the
loss
of
life
has
deepened.
Our
government
continues
to
evolve
its
response
that
that's
why
we
went
from
one
supervised
consumption
site
in
2016
to
42.
Now,
that's
why?
H
In
the
first
two
weeks
of
the
pandemic,
British
Columbia
introduced
the
first
in
Canada
prescribed
safe
Supply
program
to
separate
people
from
the
toxic
drug
Supply
and
why
we
continue
to
expand
and
involve
it.
That's
why
we've
added
hundreds
of
new
addiction
treatment
beds?
That's
why
we
introduce
new
regulations
into
the
treatment
and
Recovery
sector
and
we're
going
to
do
more
across
the
Continuum
almost
every
week.
There
are
new
announcements
of
new
programs,
and
we
continue
to
take
advice
from
people
on
the
front
lines
about
how
to
how
to
save
lives.
I
Sarah
said
this
is
Sarah's
voice.
Not
mine,
I
went
in
there
and
gave
birth
to
my
son,
all
by
myself
screaming
for
help.
I
was
just
standing
there
in
the
bathroom
by
the
wheelchair,
and
we
had
no
help
even
once
she
got
to
her
room.
Sarah
says
no
one
checked
on
her.
For
hours
and
she
waited
again
alone
traumatized
and
in
shock
and
I
want
to
be
clear.
This
is
not
about
nurses
or
doctors,
they
are
overwhelmed,
they
are
demoralized,
they
are
overloaded.
I
J
Minister
of
Health,
thank
you
very
much
honorable
speaker,
obviously
honorable
speaker
in
a
case
such
as
this,
the
grief,
the
sense
of
loss
of
individuals
is
profound
and
every
time
this
occurs
every
time,
there's
a
curse.
We
need
to
review
and
make
the
system
better
to
respond
better
to
hear
those
voices.
J
For
two
and
a
half
years
we
have
been
in
crisis
for
two
and
a
half
years,
we've
been
in
public
health
emergency
for
two
and
a
half
years
when
you've
delayed
tens
of
thousands
of
surgeries.
That's
a
crisis
when
you
make
a
decision
to
move
Primary
Care
to
the
virtual.
That's
a
crisis
when
you
take
actions
in
long-term
care
that
affect
everyone.
That's
a
crisis
and
Our
obligation.
It
seems
to
me,
after
two
and
a
half
years
of
that
crisis
and
six
years
of
the
public
health
emergency.
J
That's
the
overdose
crisis
that
our
system
is
facing
is
to
continue
to
build
and
support
health
care
workers,
to
add
nurses,
not
to
cut
them,
but
to
add
them
to
to
lead
the
country
in
more
nurses
and
then
add
more
to
create
circumstances
that
people
can
come
to
this
country
and
work
and
provide
better
care
for
people.
Our
obligation
to
people,
individuals
and
all
people
is
to
provide
the
best
possible
care
in
this
minister
of
Health
I'm
determined
determine
not
the
leader
of
the
opposition,
chooses
to
Heckle.
That's
fine
on
honorable
speaker.
J
He
chooses
to
Heckle
honorable
speaker.
There
is
a
contrast
here
and
I
will
leave
that
contrast
for
another
day,
but
registered
nurses.
They
were
cut
when
he
was
minister
of
health
and
we
have
led
the
country.
Yes,
they
were.
The
numbers
don't
tell
a
very
distinct
story,
but
that's
not
the
important
question.
The
important
question
is
right
now,
taking
the
steps
that
we
are
taking
to
continue
to
build
a
Health
Care
system
that
provides
high
quality
care
for
everyone
and
I
remain
determined
to
do
so.