►
From YouTube: MARCH 8 2023 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
42nd Parliament
C
Women
are
suffering
disproportionately
under
the
collapsing
Health
Care
System.
Under
this
NDP
government
maternity
services
are
lacking,
leading
to
Clinic
closures,
frequent
Ward
diversions
and
severe
shortages
of
OB
gyns
and
midwives.
Gynecological
oncologists
are
lacking
with
the
fewest
of
any
province
in
Canada.
D
Of
Health
well,
thank
you
very
much
honorable
speaker
and
thank
you
to
the
member
for
her
question.
Women's
Health
has
been
a
high
priority
for
our
government
from
the
beginning,
and
the
significant
difference
has
been
made
both
for
health
care
providers
in
in
the
majority
of
cases,
women
and,
of
course,
for
women
receiving
care.
Significant
action
has
been
taken
across
the
board
and
consistently,
including,
if
we're
talking
about
maternity
care,
the
significant
investments
in
midwives
and
significant
Investments.
We
need
to
increase
training
spaces
for
doctors
and
nurses
and
nurse
practitioners
and
midwives.
D
It
is
of
highest
priority
to
us
every
single
day.
The
list
of
of
actions
that
have
been
taken
is
long,
but
what
is
important
is
that
we
have
to
continue
to
build
our
Public
Health
Care
System.
It's
why
we
have
a
health
human
resources
plant
with
more
than
70
actions
for
more
nurse
practitioners
and
more
nurses
and
more
doctors
and
more
health
care
workers,
and
why
I
think
this
government
has
made
a
real
change
in
the
care
provided
to
women,
no
matter
where
they
are
in
the
Health
Care
system
by
treating
all
health
care
workers.
C
Crystal's
plea
is
very
simple
and
I'm.
Gonna
quote
it
imagine
it
was
your
sister
admitted
to
a
bed
in
the
hallway
end
quote
across
BC
countless
women
continued
to
be
denied
access
to
basic
health
care.
How
much
longer
is
this
Premiere
going
to
continue
to
neglect
the
health
of
women
like
Crystal
and
her
daughter.
D
Of
Health,
thank
you
very
much,
honorable
chair,
I
think
as
a
Public
Health
Care
system
over
the
last
number
of
years.
Our
health
care
workers,
our
Health
Care
Professionals,
have
demonstrated
extraordinary
skill
and
extraordinary
compassion
under
the
most
challenging
of
circumstances
to
Public
Health
emergencies
presented
concurrently
and
significant
challenges.
People
face
over
the
last
couple
of
years.
For
example,
a
number
of
people
waiting
women
and
men
on
surgical,
wait
lists
has
been
reduced
in
a
time
of
extraordinary
challenges
in
our
health
care
System.
It
is
true,
it
is
true.
D
At
present,
there
are
approximately
ten
thousand
people
in
acute
care.
Hospitals
admitted
to
Acure
care
hospitals
in
BC,
and
this
is
an
exceptional
Challenge
and
our
staff.
One
of
the
most
difficult
of
circumstances
have
been
up
to
that
challenge.
They
have
worked
exceptionally
hard
providing
care
for
everybody,
every
person
in
our
health
care
System.
They
deserve
our
respect
and
they
have
it.
They
deserve
our
support
and
they
have
it.
E
E
E
Five
months
ago,
I
shared
Sarah's
story,
a
pregnant
mother
in
her
second
trimester
left
alone
for
hours
at
the
hospital
forced
to
have
a
miscarriage
in
the
washroom
and
left
traumatized.
That
wasn't
the
only
case.
Over
the
weekend
we
learned
about
Sonia
Portillo's
story,
a
young
woman
who
suffered
an
untreated
miscarriage
and
she
was
left
in
a
hospital
hallway
in
Langley
overnight
bleeding
heavily
and
experiencing
excruciating
pain
and
in
Sonia's
words,
not
mine.
E
Her
words
she
said
and
I
quote:
I
was
bleeding
through
my
clothes,
I
tried
to
get
up
and
walk,
and
it
was
a
no-go
just
instantly
dizzy,
nauseous
and
I
needed
to
lay
down
even
to
recuperate.
My
breath
end
quote:
that's
the
reality
for
some
women
in
British
Columbia
today,
more
women
than
we
can
tell
the
stories
of
in
this
legislature
so
to
the
premier
six
years,
two
terms:
Sarah
Sonia
and
dozens
and
dozens
and
dozens
of
other
women
like
them.
D
It
shows
why,
honorable
speaker,
we
need
to
take
the
actions
we've
taken.
The
actions
we've
taken
in
Primary
Care,
honorable
speaker,
more
than
2
000
doctors
joining
a
new
payment
model.
The
actions
we've
taken
in
nursing
care,
though
leading
the
country
in
new
registered
nurses
since
I've,
been
minister
of
Health.
The
actions
we've
taken
for
health
science
professionals
to
add,
in
that
case
this
year,
more
than
336
training
spaces.
The
actions
we've
taken
to
add
health
care
workers
and
to
treat
them
with
respect
in
our
Public
Health
Care
system,
which
is
fundamentally
important.
D
We've
added
net
38
000
workers
and
the
challenges
are
real
and
we're
going
to
have
to
add
in
the
next
five
years.
Thirty,
eight
thousand
more
and
that's
why
we've
taken
actions,
Time
After,
Time,
After,
Time,
to
make
things
better
and
to
support
our
public
health
care
workers
and
all
the
patients
in
that
system.
E
E
This
isn't
about
overworked
and
under-resourced
and
demoralized
nurses
or
doctors.
They
do
their
best
every
single
day.
This
is
about
where
it
starts
at
the
top.
It's
about
the
premier.
It's
about
the
minister.
It's
about
doing
the
job
that
will
make
a
difference
for
women
like
Sarah
and
Sonia.
Women
today
are
not
having
their
most
basic
needs
met.
What
kind
of
system
do
we
have?
That
leaves
a
young
woman
like
Sonia,
in
critical
condition,
without
medical
care
or
support
in
this
province?
D
And
we'll
speaker
all
patients,
all
patients
admitted
the
emergency
room,
get
care
and
they
get
Care
on
a
regular
basis.
I
want
to
make
that
very
clear
to
everybody.
When
people
need
to
go
to
an
emergency
room,
they
will
get
exceptional
efforts
by
everyone
involved.
D
Oh
honorable,
speaker
in
the
case
in
this
case,
of
course,
these
are
matters
that
are
appropriately
dealt
with
complaints
when
they're
brought
forward
concerns
when
they're
brought
forward
appropriately
dealt
with
by
the
patient
care
quality
office.
That
is
the
system
that
we
set
up
together
as
a
legislature
to
do
that
in
order
to
give
people
voice
and
to
ensure
that
their
voices
are
heard
and
that
change
is
brought
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
act.
Honorable
speaker
to
make
the
changes
for
Women's
Health.
D
F
G
Third
party,
thank
you
Mr
Speaker
today
and
every
day,
I
honor,
the
matriarchs,
whose
patience,
love
and
support
has
forged
the
person
that
I
am
today.
This
question.
These
two
questions
that
I'm
about
to
ask
are,
in
honor
of
my
friend
and
colleague,
the
leader
of
the
third
party,
my
grandmothers,
my
aunties,
my
mother,
my
sisters,
my
nieces
cousins,
my
wife
Emily
and
my
daughter
Ella
my
question
to
the
government.
H
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
and
thank
you
to
the
member
officer
for
the
question.
I
share
his
commitment
to
this
work
and
our
obligations
as
governments,
but
as
members
of
our
community,
to
stand
up
against
gender-based
violence
in
all
its
forms.
It
happens
in
communities
of
every
kind
across
our
province.
H
We
know
that
indigenous
women
and
girls
racialized
women,
newcomers,
immigrants,
trans
people
in
our
communities
are
disproportionately
likely
to
face
violence.
We
are
committed
to
taking
action
on
gender-based
violence
and
supporting
survivors,
we're
building
an
action
plan
led
by
the
Parliamentary
secretary
for
gender
Equity
to
end
gender-based
violence
and
ensure
that
the
supports
are
there.
While
that
work
is
underway,
Mr
Speaker
we're
continuing
to
take
steps
to
ensure
that
supports.
Are
there
providing
funding
to
about
50
community
centers
sexual
assault,
centers
and
increasing
it
by
10
million
dollars
a
year.
H
This
is
funding
that
is
for
emergency
sexual
assault
response.
I
know
the
member
opposite:
has
a
commitment
to
this
issue,
as
do
I
Mr
Speaker
we're
providing
stable
funding
to
over
400
victim
services
and
violence
against
women
programs,
investing
in
housing
for
women,
leaving
violence
and
seeking
safety
and
opportunity
with
their
children,
Mr
Speaker.
This
is
work.
We're
committed
to
me
personally.
All
those
on
this
side
of
the
house
and
I
will
continue
this
work.
Thank
you.
G
G
G
As
the
minister
mentioned,
there
has
been
finally,
after
many
years
of
advocacy
from
the
minister
before
she
was
a
member
of
this
place
to
increase
the
funding
for
sexual
assault.
Centers
and
certainly
I,
know,
there's
a
gratitude
for
that,
but
unfortunately
it
doesn't
appear
Mr
Speaker,
that,
despite
the
promises
of
action
plans
and
the
promises
that
have
been
made,
that
gender-based
violence
is
actually
a
priority
for
this
government.
So
through
you
again,
Mr
Speaker,
the
promises
are
not
actions.
When
is
this
bcndp
government
going
to
deliver
on
the
Promises
with
actions
to
address
gender-based
violence.
H
You
Mr
Speaker
and
thanks
again
to
the
member
with
regards
to
the
action
plan.
That
is
the
commitment
our
government
has
made
we're
taking
the
time
to
get
it
right,
including
with
our
partners
in
the
communities,
Our
Community,
Partners,
Service
delivery
partners
and
indigenous
Partners
Mr
Speaker.
That
action
plan
is
underway,
but
we're
not
waiting
for
the
plan
to
take
those
concrete
steps
that
survivors
need
and
that
communities
need.
Just
this
week,
Mr
Speaker
with
the
introduction
of
the
intimate
images
act
as
one
example
but
Mr
Speaker.
H
All
post-secondary
institutions
are
now
required
to
have
sexual
violence
and
misconduct,
policies,
investments
in
transition,
homes
and
safe
homes
and
second
stage
housing
working
with
our
partners
from
police
to
Frontline
service
providers.
Mr
Speaker
this
this
work
is
underway
for
an
action
plan
and
steps
are
taken
across
all
parts
of
government
to
have
this
services
and
supports
in
there.
While
we
undertake
that
big
picture
work.
Thank
you.
I
Okay,
thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
in
his
response
to
my
colleague's
previous
question,
about
very
serious
issues.
Around
Women's
Health,
the
minister,
read
off
a
list
of
things
that
the
government
has
done,
but
did
not
talk
about
the
results.
What
this
minister
is
doing
and
what
this
government
is
doing
with
respect
to
health
and
women's
health
is
just
simply
not
working.
So,
despite
all
the
announcements
and
the
press
releases
from
the
NDP
government,
nurses
are
continuing
to
face
physical
assaults
and
unsafe
working
conditions
in
hospitals
and
the
situation.
I
As
we
all
know,
here
is
only
getting
worse
the
threat
of
being
muzzled
by
the
minister
of
health,
and
this
is
a
real
threat
and
we
hear
it
over
and
over
again.
It
is
not
silenced
nurses
at
Royal,
Inland
Hospital,
who
are
reporting
to
us
multiple
cold
white
assaults
and
attempted
assaults
in
just
the
last
few
weeks.
One
nurse
who
can't
be
named
for
fear
of
Retribution
by
this
NDP
government
says
and
I
quote:
I
fear
for
my
personal
safety
and
fear
that
more
violent
incidents
are
yet
to
come.
I
Unquote,
it
is
rippled
through
the
department
causing
a
visible
increase
in
staff.
Anxiety
and
concerns
five
months
ago,
this
NDP
government
made
yet
another
empty
announcement
of
320
protection
officers,
but
none
have
been
seen.
Zero
have
been
seen
when
will
nurses
finally
see
some
real
results
from
this
Premier
instead
of
empty
NDP
promises
here.
J
D
Well,
thank
you
very
much
honorable
speaker
and
yes,
indeed,
working
with
the
BC
nurses,
Union
working
with
all
Healthcare
unions
and
all
workers
in
health
care,
we
are
changing
the
way
we
do
security
support
workers
in
our
Public
Health
Care
system
and
we're
doing
it.
Honorable
speaker
in
cooperation,
I,
must
say
one
of
the
things
that
we
have
changed
honorable
speaker
is
to
bring
back
an
independent
occupational
health
and
safety
system
for
health
care
workers
in
BC
One.
D
Honorable
speaker,
one
that,
by
the
way
the
previous
government
got
rid
of
in
2010
got
rid
of
by
the
leader
of
the
opposition.
We
have
changed
for
healthcare
workers
in
BC
by
giving
all
health
care
workers
their
rights
back.
People
will
recall
the
impact
honorable
speaker
of
Bill
29
and
of
Bill
94
on
health
care
workers
across
these.
D
D
Continue
the
leader
leader
of
the
opposition,
no
doubt
showing
across
more
lessons
in
empathy,
honorable
speaker
but
I
I,
would
say.
Honorable
speaker,
I
would
say
that
these
issues
are
of
fundamental
importance
and
that's
why
we've
done
this
work
together.
That's
why
we're
bringing
about
this
change
together?
Honorable
speaker,
yes,
the
previous
government
privatized
security.
Yes,
the
previous
government
laid
off
health
care
workers
and
we
are
giving
them
back
their
rights
and
I
simply
reject
the
suggestion.
I
simply
reject
the
suggestion,
with
the
changes
that
we've
put
in
place.
D
D
Honorable
speaker,
you
know
it's
a
fundamentally
serious
issue.
It's
one
I
take
fundamentally
seriously
is
when
we've
taken
action
on
it's
one
that
we're
implementing
it's
when
we're
implementing
with
the
BC
nurses
Union
with
the
Health
Sciences
association
with
the
heu
honorable
speaker
and
the
reason
we're
doing
it
is.
We
know
how
important
it
is
to
every
healthcare
worker
and
to
every
patient
that
they
be
safe
in
our
hospitals
in
our
health
care
facility
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
act
in
this
area.
A
But
now,
students
from
across
British
Columbia
are
calling
on
this
government
for
funding
to
further
that
work
to
ensure
that
sexualized
and
gender-based
violence
supports
on
campus
are
properly
funded
and
resourced.
This
Premier
and
this
budget
have
failed
to
answer
that
call.
So
the
alliance
of
BC
students
have
said,
and
I
quote,
leaving
sexualized
and
gender-based
violence
supports
on
campus
under-resourced
and
underfunded.
Is
both
irresponsible
and
dangerous?
End
quote:
why
is
the
Premier
failed
to
provide
the
necessary
funding
to
protect
students
from
sexual
assault
and
gender-based
violence
on
campus.
K
You
very
much
Mr,
Speaker
and
I
joined
with
the
member
about
sexualized
violence
on
campus.
That
is
wrong
and
it
will
not
be
tolerated
by
anyone.
I
think
in
this
house,
and
the
member
is
correct.
It
was
under
her
government
that
policies
were
required
to
be
put
in
place,
but
I
want
to
remind
everybody
in
this
house
that
that
came
with
zero
dollars
and
it
was
our
government
was
our
government
that
provided
three
quarters
of
a
million
dollars
to
colleges
and
universities
to
prevent
and
to
respond
to
sexual
violence.
That
was
our
government.
K
Here
we
also
provided
half
a
million
dollars
to
public
post-secondary
institutions
to
establish
and
improve
Anonymous
reporting
systems
because
they
needed
help,
and
it
was
our
government
that
responded
with
the
resources
that
they
needed.
Mr
Speaker.
We
also
introduced
a
new
requirement
that
all
private
training
institutions
must
now
have
sexual
violence
policies
and
report
on
them
annually,
because
the
previous
government,
let
them
off
the
hook
around
this
Mr
Speaker,
we're
going
to
continue
to
work
with
our
our
our
private
and
public
post-secondary
institutions
to
make
sure
that
everyone
that
everyone
feels
safe
on
campus.
J
Gender-Based
violence,
family-
pardon
me,
gender-based
Family
Violence,
is
a
life
or
death
issue
and
women
are
disproportionately
impacted
by
a
lack
of
access
to
family
legal
services
and
shockingly,
seventy
percent
of
legal
aid
applications
are
made
by
women
and
55
percent
of
those
applications
are
denied.
J
L
You
Mr,
Speaker
and
I
want
to
thank
the
member
for
the
very
important
question
as
the
matters
before
the
court.
I
can't
comment
on
the
specifics
of
the
case,
but
I
can
say
that
access
to
justice
is
something
that
this
government
takes
very
seriously.
We've
invested
in
continued,
invest
in
access
to
Justice
Services,
particularly
in
the
area
of
family
law,
by
focusing
on
early
resolution
for
family
law,
so
women
and
people
without
access
to
lawyers
can
get
early
resolution
for
the
matters
that
they
need
and
divert
things
away
from.
L
J
Yes,
thanks
Mr
Speaker,
while
the
the
one
intervened
by
the
premier
himself
and
that
answer
just
simply
wasn't
good
enough.
The
premier
led
the
effort
to
intervene
in
the
case
against
the
Single
mother's
Alliance,
and
he
needs
to
make
the
effort
to
fix
the
damage
that
he's
done
so
through
you,
Mr
Speaker
to
the
premier.
When
will
the
premier
fix
the
damage
he's
done,
opposing
The
Single
mother's
Alliance.
L
I'm
unable
to
talk
about
a
case
before
the
court
I'd
like
to
talk
about
our
investments
in
legal
aid
when
they
were
in
government
Mr
Speaker,
they
got,
they
had
40
percent
cuts
across
the
board
and
they
cut
Family
Law
Services
by
60
percent.
They
completely
eliminated
Poverty
Law
Services
in
this
province
and.
M
L
M
You
Mr
Speaker,
it's
shameful
that
Vancouver
has
become
the
anti-asian
hate
crime,
capital
of
North
America
Asian
women
are
facing
Rising
violence
based
on
both
race
and
gender.
My
colleagues
and
I
have
been
calling
for
a
racist
incident
hotline
since
2020,
but
the
NDP
government
has
only
made
empty
announcements
for
years
as
typical
of
NDP.
They
fail
to
do
it.
M
The
human
rights
commissioner
has
called
out
NDP
for
their
delay
and
lack
of
action.
Saying
I
quote
the
ministry
was
unable
to
provide
details,
including
when
it
would
be
operational
operated
and
what
funding
will
be
allocated
to
it.
End
quote
this
delay
is
unacceptable
and
leaves
Asian
women
at
risk
of
more
violence
and
discrimination.
L
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker
I
would
like
to
thank
the
member
for
raising
this
important
issue.
I
was
at
the
announcement
yesterday
with
the
human
rights
commissioner,
where
she
addressed
the
rise
and
hate
that
we
saw
during
coven
and
I
got
to
hear
firsthand
some
of
the
incidents
of
that
hate
and
what
people
suffered,
and
it's
obviously
something
we
take
seriously.
We
can
all
in
this
house
condemn
jointly
and
together
and
send
a
clear
message
that
Hate
In
This
Promise
is
unacceptable.
L
Who,
with
that
anti-hate
report
that
she
issued
yesterday
the
valuable
contribution
than
having
an
independent
human
rights,
commissioner,
it
does
for
our
Province
for
us
to
understand
in
government
how
we
need
to
respond.
I'll
be
looking
at
those
very
detailed
recommendations,
we'll
be
reviewing
it
with
our
team,
and
this
government
will
respond
to
them.
Thank
you.
Mr
Speaker,.