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From YouTube: OCT 26 2022 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
3rd Session
42nd Parliament
C
You
Mr
Speaker
Mr
Speaker,
there's
of
all
the
failed
NDP
promises
that
we've
canvassed
in
this
house,
there's
probably
none
more
disappointing
than
their
failed
promise
to
make
housing
more
affordable,
just
as
in
crime
or
in
health
care.
So
too,
with
housing,
we
find
a
massive
Chasm
between
what
was
promised
and
the
terrible
results
that
we
actually
see.
C
Now
we'll
recall
that
in
the
ndp's
very
first
budget,
they
brought
forward
a
whole
blizzard
of
new
taxes
on
housing
and
they
assured
us
that
this
was
how
they
were
going
to
get
to
more
affordable
housing.
So
here
we
are
in
their
second
term,
entering
into
year
six
of
their
mandate.
Let's
do
a
gut
check.
How
are
we
doing
well
I'm,
sorry
to
have
to
tell
the
house
that
British
Columbia
now
enjoys
the
highest
housing
prices
in
North
America
third
highest
on
the
planet?
C
And
it's
no
wonder
that
we
have
a
situation
where
three
quarters
of
existing
renters
have
given
up
on
ever
owning
a
home
under
this
NDP
government,
the
incoming
Premier,
who
just
went
through
that
tainted
leadership,
race,
well,
Minister
responsible
for
housing,
oversaw
the
worst
decline
in
housing.
Affordability
in
a
generation-
you
don't
have
to
take
my
word
for
that.
C
It's
actually
stats
from
the
National
Bank
of
Canada,
which
pointed
out
that
we
saw
the
single
largest
decline
in
housing,
affordability
in
a
generation
under
that
former
housing
Minister,
and
yet
this
is
the
same
individual
that
incoming
tainted
Premier.
Who
is
now
promising
to
fix
this
terrible
problem
that
he
himself
oversaw.
C
But
it's
not
just
that
Mr
Speaker.
It's
also
the
promise
that
we'd
heard
from
this
government
that
within
10
years
they
would
build
a
hundred
and
fourteen
thousand
affordable
units
of
Housing.
And
yet
here
we
are
halfway
through
that
10-year
plan
and
we've
seen
exactly
six
percent
of
those
114
000
promised
housing
units
actually
delivered
many
by
the
way
started
under
the
previous
BC
liberal
government.
C
A
Higher
turned
we've
traded,
20
000
units
that
are
now
available
for
people
to
live
in,
but
the
opposition
leader
is
quoted
as
saying
that
tax
is
unfair
quote.
These
are
not
speculators.
These
are
people
that
have
a
second
property
and
they've
been
forced
to
pay
an
additional
cost.
Mr
Speaker
we
are
living
with
a
housing
crisis.
We
need
to
take
steps
to
do
it
in
a
dynamic
way
and
the
tools
that
the
leader
of
the
opposition
would
all
would
offer
nothing
to
this
cause.
C
Well,
Mr,
Speaker
I,
don't
know
where
to
begin.
Let
me
start
with
the
so-called
20
000
new
homes.
This
this
so-called
speculation
tax,
was
apparently
producing.
Well,
that's!
Actually
what
they're
doing
is
counting
every
single
rental
property
that
was
built
by
the
private
sector
across
the
province
of
British
Columbia
I
can
assure
you
that
numbers.
C
Hear
the
question
please
understand:
Mr
Speaker,
that
if
the
speculation
tax
was
supposed
to
take
care
of
speculators,
I
am
at
least
curious
as
to
why
the
incoming
tainted
leader
and
premier
of
that
party
is
keeps
talking
about.
How
he's
introducing
a
flipping
tax
I
thought
we
had
the
speculation
tax.
C
The
fact
of
the
matter,
Mr
Speaker,
is
as
anyone
in
a
five-minute
private
conversation
in
the
private
sector
could
have
told
government
is
that
if
they
wish
to
have
more
affordable
housing,
they
need
to
get
a
heck
of
a
lot
more
Supply
into
the
marketplace
and
I'm
glad
glad
that
the
incoming
Premier
designate
has
now
recognized
in
the
second
term
after
overseeing
the
housing
file
for
years.
C
That
maybe
supply
has
something
to
do
with
the
housing
price
crunch
we
face
now,
but
I
would
also
I
would
also
just
point
out
that
the
average
rent
Mr
Speaker,
the
average
rent
in
Vancouver,
has
risen
by
twelve
hundred
dollars
a
month
under
this
NDP
government,
twelve
hundred
dollars
a
month
and
Vancouver
is
now
the
most
expensive
city
in
Canada
for
renters.
That's
their
record.
Now
they
can
point
fingers.
They
can
talk
about
mysterious
speculators.
C
They
could
talk
about
all
these
other
things,
but
the
fact
is
that
is
their
record,
so
Mr
Speaker
with
the
highest
rents
in
the
country
right
here
in
the
Lower
Mainland,
with
the
third
highest
housing
prices
in
the
planet,
with
all
of
their
taxes
that
they
love
to
name
wonderful
names,
having
not
produced
any
of
the
results
that
they
promised.
Will
this
housing
Minister
finally
admit
that
their
approach
has
failed
and
British
Columbians
have
been
let
down.
A
You
Mr
Speaker
we're
making
up
for
lost
time
after
years
where
the
old
government
didn't
build
homes
at
all.
Let
me
give
you
an
example:
Mr
Speaker,
not
according
to
provincial
figures,
but
according
to
the
cmhc,
more
than
twice
the
number
of
homes
under
construction
than
when
the
opposition
leader
was
Finance
Minister.
Those
are
facts.
Mr
Speaker
I
want
to
talk
about
in
my
constituency,
Mr
Speaker.
A
A
And
Mr
Speaker
Mr
Speaker,
that
means
in
an
overheated
market
like
Victoria
and
Oak
Bay
students
are
not
competing
to
the
same
extent
with
people
looking
for
rental
housing
because
there
is
housing
available
at
the
University
of
Victoria.
We
are
building
nearly
8
000
student
housing
beds
across
British,
Columbia
and
398
just
opened
last
month
at
the
University
of
Victoria.
They
built
non
Mr,
Speaker
130
in
16
years.
A
And
Mr
Speaker
the
the
temerity
Mr
Speaker
to
talk
about
rental,
to
talk
about
the
admittedly
High
Cost
of
rental.
Our
government
capped
next
year's
rental
increase
at
two
percent.
This
government
seems
to
think,
although
there's
been
contradiction
by
the
leader,
opposition
on
cknw
and
elsewhere,
so
I'm
not
entirely
sure
of
their
position,
but
I
think
it
is
that
they
would
have
two
percent
plus
inflation
Mr
Speaker.
That
would
mean
next
year.
Tenants
in
this
province
would
be
facing
a
7.4
increase
in
rent.
We
kept
it
at
two
percent.
D
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
look,
multiple
housing
Advocates
from
around
the
province
have
actually
said
the
incoming
Premier
schemes
are
actually
going
to
make
things
worse
for
renters
and
even
for
and
it
will
help
increase
speculation.
You
know
speculation,
something
the
NDP
members
here
should
know
about,
because
not
only
has
there
tainted
incoming
Premier
overseeing
the
worst
decline
in
housing,
affordability
in
a
generation,
his
own
caucus
is
full
of
speculators.
D
In
fact,
in
fact,
in
fact,
honorable
speaker
well,
I
can
keep
laughing
it's
I
got
some
numbers
here.
I'll
share
with
you,
since
they
want
to
see,
seem
to
think
that
this
is
actually
a
funny
issue
that
they
talk
about
NDP
mlas
in
this
house,
actually
own
102
properties
and
95
percent
of
that
caucus
owned
properties
not
only
just
around
BC,
some
of
them
hidden
in
private
trusts
and
numbered
companies,
but
also
have
properties
everywhere
from
Halifax
in
the
United
States
to
properties
in
Mexico.
D
D
You
can
you
can
you
can
talk
about
this
amongst
your
caucus
and
all
your
real
estate
holdings
later,
if
you'd
like,
but
since
the
last
election
alone,
the
NDP
have
profited
by
over
8
million
dollars
in
their
own
personal
real
estate
deals
that
they've
dealt
with
so
so,
while
the
NDP
are
hypocritically
profiting
on
their
own
real
estate,
portfolios,
they're
attacking
they're
attacking
the
everyday
men
and
women
who
are
actually
trying
to
work
and
build
affordable
homes
in
communities
around
British,
Columbia
so
to
the
housing
Minister
again,
will
the
NDP
stop
attacking
home
builders
and
actually
do
their
job
and
build
the
houses
that
they
promised.
A
A
The
honor
The
Honorable
member
referred
to
the
plan
of
the
member
for
Vancouver
Point
gray,
I'm
pleased
the
ubcm
I
mean
a
statement
said
that
this
is
a
comprehensive
and
constructive
plan.
Multiple
elements
respond
directly
to
local
government
requests.
Mr
Speaker.
We
think
we
are
aligned
with
local
governments
as
we
undertake
together
the
hard
work
to
increase
the
housing
Supply
in
this
province.
I
talked
about
20
000
homes
that
were
empty,
and
now
our
now
I
have
lights
on
at
night.
A
If
you
go
buy
them
in
places
like
Vancouver
coal,
Harbor
speculation,
tax
has
turned
the
corner
on
that.
There
are
six
36
000
homes,
open
or
underway.
The
housing
starts.
Mr
Speaker
are
at
record
highs
in
our
Province
and,
as
I
said,
Mr
Speaker.
We
have
capped
the
annual
rent
increases
Below
in
inflation
and
prevented
illegal
Renovations.
We've
increased
housing
near
Transit
hubs.
There
are
a
number
of
steps
that
need
to
be
taken
and
Mr
Speaker.
We
are
taking
them
foreign.
D
D
B
B
Members,
let's
please
the.
D
D
D
You
know
I'm
not
sure
what
the
minister
knows
about
affordability,
I
mean
the
cost
of
maybe
just
a
bedroom,
a
bedroom
in
his
multi-million
dollar
mansion,
just
a
bedroom
is
probably
more
than
what
it
costs
for
an
entire,
affordable
house.
In
my
riding
you
know,
maybe
the
next
time
he's
sipping
a
margarita
at
his
vacation.
B
D
You
Mr
Speaker,
well,
I'll,
make
it
simple
back
to
the
housing
minister.
So,
instead
of
attacking
the
men
and
women
and
the
people
that
are
actually
building
affordable
houses,
again,
they
promised
a
hundred
and
fourteen
thousand
houses
and
have
failed
on
that
promise.
When
will
they
finally
deliver.
B
A
A
A
We
are
on
track
to
spend
seven
billion
dollars
over
10
years
through
BC
housing
and
we're
on
track
to
do
that
now
and
we're
on
track
to
deliver
those
hundred
and
fourteen
thousand
homes
Investments
with
the
federal
and
local
governments,
a
new
housing
Hub
Mr
Speaker,
which
has
already
brought
more
than
six
thousand
homes
to
the
to
the
market.
Mr
Speaker.
We
have
worked
with
local
governments
and
given
them
a
number
of
tools
to
achieve
what
they
need
to
do.
We've
made
investments
in
transit,
which
of
course,
is
Central
to
the
housing
Supply
issue.
E
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
thousands
of
my
constituents
in
Spanish
North
and
the
islands
are
desperate
to
get
access
to
Primary
Health
Care
Mr
Speaker
back
in
February
I
asked
the
minister
of
Health
about
a
doctor's
clinic
charging
a
so-called
continuity
of
care
fee.
Over
and
above
MSP
billing.
For
the
past
year,
we've
asked
the
minister.
Why
there's
a
growing
corporatization
of
Primary
Health
Care
on
his
watch?
He
claims
to
support
Equitable
Universal
Health
Care
system
for
all
British
Columbians.
E
Yet
the
excruciatingly,
slow
pace
of
his
response
is
leaving
our
our
communities
with
without
accessible
health
care
and
vulnerable
underserved.
Citizens
are
desperate
in
Sydney.
A
new
operator
is
just
hung
a
shingle
for
twenty
four
hundred
dollars
annually.
You
can
get
Primary
Health,
Care
Services
not
covered
by
MSP
prior
to
the
minister,
Primary
Health
Care
included,
preventative
care,
screenings,
Diagnostics
and
so
on.
However,
now
people
have
to
pay
out
of
pocket
for
what
they're
calling
non-medically
necessary.
Services
end
quote:
Mr
Speaker
through
you
to
the
minister
of
Health.
F
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
in
2018,
one
of
early
actions
as
minister
of
Health
was
to
strengthen
the
protections
by
regulation,
the
Medicare
protection
act
of
Provisions
that
have
been
passed
under
the
previous
government,
but
never
proclaimed,
taking
consistent
action
to
support
Public
Health
Care
everywhere,
including
the
repatriation
of
private
contracts
and
actions
to
support
public
care
in
every
way.
F
This
has
included,
in
particular
honorable
speaker,
the
purchase
of
private
surgical,
centers
and
private
MRI
centers
to
reduce
wait
times
in
the
public
system
with
respect
to
people
who
may
be
in
violation
the
Medicare
protection
act,
though,
that
is
the
responsibility
under
the
law
under
the
Medicare
protection
act
or
the
Medical
Services
Commission,
and
they
consistently
take
action,
including
cases
in
the
members.
Writing
on
that
basis,
they're
going
to
be
taking
action,
they
have
the
authority
based
on
the
ACT
to
take
action,
including
the
power
of
injunctions,
and
they
take
that
that
role
very
seriously.
F
B
E
Yeah,
thank
you.
Mr
Speaker,
the
minister,
can
The
Minister's
response
is
void
of
actually
answering
the
question.
The
reality
is
that
while
I've
we've
been
asking
these
questions
over
the
last
year,
the
minister
has
stood
up
and
continued
to
repeat
the
same
rhetoric
back
to
us.
Meanwhile,
in
our
communities
we
are
seeing
more
and
more
services
which
are
differentiating
between
those
who
can
afford
to
pay
for
the
health
care,
Primary
Health
Care
that
they're
desperately
needing
and
those
who
cannot.
E
That
is
the
very
definition
of
a
growing
two-tier
Health
Care
system
in
our
Province
under
this
Minister's
watch.
Yet
he
will
not
respond
directly.
It's
been
months
since
the
minister
has
been
sitting
on
a
report
in
investigating
teles
Health's,
enabling
a
two-tier
Health
Care
system.
He
has
the
report
Mr
Speaker.
Meanwhile,
we
have
prominent
NDP
staffers
former
staffers
continuing
to
Lobby
this
government
on
behalf
of
Telus
health.
E
It
seems
the
NDP
lobbyist
pipeline
is
not
just
for
Oil
and
Gas
Pipe
companies,
Mr
Speaker
they're,
now
getting
into
the
corporatization
of
our
Health
Care
system
as
well.
Meanwhile,
meanwhile,
more
and
more
services
continue
to
show
up
in
our
communities
across
the
province.
A
Victoria
Clinic
is
offering
access
to
a
family
doctor
for
a
hundred
and
ten
dollars
a
month
in
McLean's.
The
owner
said
this
quote.
E
The
reality
is
that
the
kinds
of
changes
that
need
to
happen
within
the
public
system
take
years
to
implement
if
they
ever
do,
clinics
like
ours
and
patients
throughout
BC,
don't
have
the
luxury
of
waiting
for
that
to
happen.
I
have
operators
in
my
communities
that
are
pleading
for
the
government
to
act
quicker
so
that
we
are
not
being
exploited
by
services
that
are
charging
fees
to
the
minister
of
health.
Is
this
his
vision
of
Equitable
access
to
Universal,
Primary
Health
Care
in
BC.
F
Minister
of
Health,
thank
you
very
much
honorable
chair
honorable
chair.
We
are,
of
course,
a
province
of
laws.
We've
strengthened
the
Medicare
protection
act.
We
have
a
strong
Medical
Services
Commission,
which
enforces
those
laws
and
takes
the
action
where
appropriate.
There
is
no
report
to
be
sat
on
the
Medical,
Services
Commission
does
reviews,
and
then
it
takes
action
that
is
their
Authority
under
the
law.
As
the
member
surely
well
Knows
by
now,
honorable
speaker
surely
well
known
what
I
would
what
I
would
say.
Honorable
speaker
is.
F
Doctors
committed
to
full-service
Family
Practice
because
of
actions
that
we've
taken
working
with
the
resident
doctors
and
the
doctors
of
BC
honorable
speaker
and
yes,
honorable
speaker,
we're
working
closely
with
doctors
and
nurse
practitioners
and
everyone
else
in
BC
to
make
improvements
to
Primary
Care
everywhere
in
the
members
riding
and
everybody.
Where
else.
B
G
You
so
much
honorable
speaker,
well,
renters
and
landlords
in
my
community
have
been
completely
ignored
by
the
residential
tenancy
Branch
under
the
tainted
incoming
Premier,
who
oversaw
the
worst
decline
in
housing,
affordability
in
a
generation
in
Kelowna
a
19
year
old
woman
came
to
me
after
she
was
physically
assaulted
by
her
tenant.
Despite
the
fact
that
the
police
charged
and
placed
a
restraining
order
on
her
tenant,
the
tenant
was
still
allowed
to
live
in
her
house.
G
What
should
have
been
urgently
resolved
at
the
residential
tenancy
Branch
instead
took
months,
this
woman
was
left
alone
to
deal
with
her
assailant,
who
later
broke
the
windows
of
that
same
house
with
a
baseball
bat
to
the
housing
Minister.
Can
the
housing
Minister
explained
why
the
NDP
would
force
a
landlord
to
keep
renting
to
someone
who
physically
attacked
them
without
any
support.
G
A
Speaker
Mr
Speaker.
There
is
of
course
a
new
compliance
and
enforcement
unit
in
the
residential,
tenancy
Branch,
so
landlords
and
tenant
have
a
place
to
go
when
disputes
of
the
kind
The
Honorable
member
has
brought
forward
are
addressed.
There
are
new
rules,
of
course,
allowing
landlords
to
make
to
seek
increases
in
rent
in
certain
circumstances,
where
necessary,
Capital
expenditures
must
be
made
in
order
to
ensure
the
house
remains
habitable.
C
A
I
believe
Mr
Speaker,
the
residential
tenancy
branch,
has
had
an
increase
in
staff.
Lately,
the
residential
tenancy
branch
is
aware
of
the
Need
For
Change
they've
been
swamped
by
work,
as
you
can
well
imagine
in
this
difficult
period
and
they're,
making
the
necessary
changes
to
adopt
to
those
realities.
H
White
Rock,
thank
you,
Mr
Speaker.
The
last
time
we
heard
from
the
tainted
incoming
Premier
on
his
promise
of
a
400
annual
renters
rebate
was
before
budget
day
and
he
said,
and
I
quote
we're
working
on
it.
End
quote,
but
after
two
thousand
days
of
being
at
the
cabinet
table,
the
former
housing
Minister
only
managed
to
oversee
the
worst
decline
in
housing,
affordability
in
a
generation,
and
he
has
failed
time
and
again
to
deliver
the
rebate.
H
He
even
failed
to
mention
the
rebate
in
his
hundred
dollars
hundred
day
non-action
scheme
100
days
no
renters
rebate
promised.
Meanwhile,
the
skyrocketing
cost
of
living
is
eating
away.
The
value
of
the
now
six
year,
late
rebate,
every
single
day
to
the
housing
Minister.
When
will
the
renters
rebate
get?
When
will
renters
get
the
400
annual
renters
rebate?
That
was
promised
six
years
ago
by
this
government.
I
For
we
will
bring
in
the
rentress
rebate
during
our
mandate,
but
I
think
it's
really
important.
That
I
think
it's
really
important
to
remind
everybody.
I
To
remind
everybody
about
how
the
Old
Government
operated
and
treated
renters
and
in
fact
Mr,
Speaker
I
was
actually
thinking
and
recalling
sitting
on
that
side
of
the
house
and
listening
to
Christy
Clark
giggling
at
the
Inc,
the
rising
cost
of
housing,
giggling
and
thinking
and
saying
to
people
just
move
out
the
valley
just
leave
the
Lower
Mainland.
If
you
can't
afford
it
and
then
I
remember
the
next
leader
of
of
of
the
opposition,
who
thought
that
renting
was
a
a
a
wacky
time.
I
I
I
I
The
automatic
two
percent
we
made
sure
that
that
was
eliminated.
We
also
have
capped
rents
during
the
pandemic.
We
said,
and
what
did
the
members
opposite
said?
They
thought
that
was
a
terrible
idea
to
cap
rents.
During
a
pandemic,
we've
taken
additional
efforts:
Mr
Speaker
for
this
coming
year,
capping
rents
at
two
percent.
B
I
Thank
you
very
much,
Mr
Speaker.
In
fact,
the
previous
leader
leader,
said
that
the
eviction
banter
in
covid-19
was
not
leadership
and
was
a
formula
for
trouble.
That
is
a
quote
from
him.
In
April,
the
8th,
2020.
Mr
Speaker.
The
opposition
continues
to
oppose
the
Caps
that
we've
been
putting
on
rent
making
helping
renters
get
through
what
is
a
difficult
inflationary
time,
in
fact,
Mr
speaker.
Thank
you.
A
renter
paying
2
000
a
month
will
avoid
paying
18
814
dollars
because
we
put
in
a
cap
because
we
made
a
difference.
J
J
Members
on
the
other
side
of
the
house
shake
their
heads,
let's
remind
them
not
once
but
twice
glossy
brochures
all
about
the
promises
to
renters
in
British
Columbia.
Let's
look
at
the
record
of
this
government.
Let's
look
at
the
fact
that
under
this
government's
watch
and
the
tainted
incoming
Premier
guess
what
the
biggest
decline
in
housing,
affordability
in
a
generation-
that's
the
record
of
this
government
and
the
incoming
Premier.
So
will
the
Minister
of
Finance
get
up
today
and
tell
British
Columbians
exactly
when
renters
in
this
province
will
see
the
rebate?
I
You
very
much
everybody
will
be
bringing
in
the
renters
rebate
in
this
mandate,
but
I
also
want
to
point
out
Mr
Speaker,
and
we
did.
We
did
the
math
around
the
Old
Government,
bringing
in
their
rent
increase
formula,
two
percent
plus
CPI,
and-
and
here
we
are
15
years
later,
if
if
they
had,
if
we
had
continued
with
that
the
members
the
Ms
mock
75
years
ago,
well,
we
can
just.
We
only
have
to
go
back
16.
years
well,
20
years
now,
members
15
years,
15
years,
members.