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From YouTube: FEB 7 2023 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
42nd Parliament
C
You
Mr
Speaker
Mr
Speaker.
The
government's
current
approach
to
mental
health
and
addictions
has
utterly
failed
over
11
000
lives,
lost
chaos
and
disorder
on
the
streets
of
virtually
every
Community
across
this
province,
a
broken
system
that
is
costly,
inadequate
and
impossible
to
navigate
for
increasingly
desperate
families.
C
The
ministry
even
acknowledges
that
the
NDP
don't
even
track
the
funded
bads
that
are
available,
nor
do
they
know
what
outcomes
they're
getting
from
any
of
the
Investments
they're
currently
making.
Now
we
know
better
as
possible,
but
frankly
the
throne
speech
yesterday
was
a
promise
of
more
of
the
same
failed
approach.
D
Thank
you
very
much,
honorable
speaker
and
I
do
want
to
thank
the
member
for
his
question
on
an
issue
that
I
know.
All
members
of
this
house
are
concerned
with
I
know
that
many
of
us
here
have
experiences
in
our
communities,
in
our
circles,
have
been
impacted
by
the
mental
health
and
substance
use
crisis
in
our
Province
a
crisis.
Frankly
that
is
experienced
in
all
jurisdictions
of
our
country
of
our
continent.
D
There
is
no
question
honorable
speaker
that
the
progress
significant
progress
that
we
made
in
2019
after
two
intensive
years
of
this
work,
a
significant
progress
in
which
we
saw
a
significant
reduction
in
mortality
associated
with
the
toxic
drug
crisis.
That
progress
was
bedeviled
by
the
covid-19
pandemic
and
we
are
working
hard
to
catch
up
to
read,
to
regain
to
regain
that
ground,
we
are
very
committed
to
supporting
British
Columbians
through
this
crisis.
We're
going
to
continue
to
do
the
work
continue
to
make
the
Investments
500
million
dollars
in
2021
to
stand
up
services.
C
You
Mr
Speaker,
well
Mr
Speaker.
The
problem
is
that
everywhere
you
look,
you
can
see
very
clearly
that
things
are
getting
markedly
worse
and
yet
I
just
heard
the
minister
stand
up
and
defend
more
of
the
status
quo.
Doing
more
of
the
same
thing
and
expecting
to
see
different
results
is
illogical
and
I
recognize
it's
become
a
bit
of
a
Hallmark
of
this
government.
C
There
has
to
be
a
dramatic
shift
away
from
the
current
approach,
just
focusing
on
supplying
publicly
supplying
addictive
drugs
to
people
struggling
with
addiction,
while
at
the
same
time
decriminalizing
crystal
meth
heroin.
Fentanyl
cocaine
is
not
going
to
end
well,
we
need
to
focus
on
actually
helping
people
recover
from
their
addictions
to
get
better,
so
they
can.
C
We
also
have
an
obligation,
where
necessary,
through
involuntary
care,
if
necessary,
to
take
those
that
are
most
vulnerable
and
have
been
left
on
the
streets
to
their
own
devices
to
be
put
into
proper
care
so
that
they
can
be
looked
after
as
a
caring
and
compassionate
Society
ought
to
do
now.
Your
own
Premier
did
briefly
pay
lip
service
to
this
idea,
but
quickly
backed
off
and
now
nobody
knows
where
a
government's
position
is
on
this
issue.
So
my
question
to
the
minister:
will
somebody
in
government
clarify
your
position?
D
You
thank
you
honorable
speaker.
There
was
a
lot
packed
into
that
in
in
into
that
question.
Member
and
I
just
I
I,
do
want
to
start
by
assuring
British
Columbians
that
when
it
comes
to
Investments
that
our
government
has
made
the
work
that
we
do
with
our
health
authorities
with
our
community
partners
with
Frontline
providers
that
that
work
is
very
much
focused
on
the
Continuum
of
Care
and
responses
that
is
required
in
the
crisis
that
we
are
that
we
are
dealing
with.
D
We
invested
500
million
dollars,
500
million
dollars
in
2021
to
build
out
that
integrated
system.
We
have
a.
We
have
worked
to
increase
our
detox
beds,
care
and
treatment
beds
after
care
supports
all
the
way.
Through
our
system,
we
are
building
out
those
supports,
and
importantly,
we
are
working
on
mechanisms
to
keep
people
alive
so
that
we
can
get
them
to
treatment
because
we
think
keeping
British
Columbians
alive
and
giving
them
a
chance
to
recover
is
important.
D
We
know
that
they're
that
that
there
are
tools
and
under
the
mental
health
act,
that
providers
that
Physicians
have
access
to
and
that
they
use
when
it
comes
to
the
question
of
of
involuntary
care,
and
we
are
working
hard
to
continue
to
support
our
Frontline
providers
with
respect
to
to
their
their
use
of
those
tools.
C
Well,
thank
you.
Mr
Speaker,
well,
Mr
Speaker!
The
minister
needs
to
know
that
what
really
matters
are,
what
outcomes
you're
getting
it's,
not
a
thick
Pathways
The
Hope
document
that
has
no
measurable,
no
measurables.
No.
C
B
C
D
You
thank
you
honorable,
speaker,
I,
think
there's
no
question,
particularly
when
it
comes
to
Children
and
Youth,
and
certainly
what
I
hear
from
what
I
heard,
certainly
through
our
education
system.
What
I
hear
from
people
in
my
community
what
I
hear
from
parents
is
the
need
to
intervene
and
address
mental
health
issues
with
Children
and
Youth
before
they
get
to
be
the
kinds
of
problems
that
lead
to
addictions
to
addictive
substances.
D
That
is
why
our
our
government
has
has
targets
is:
is
scaling
up
services
for
children,
members,
555
million
dollars
last
week
to
announce
an
expansion
of
our
interest,
rated
child
and
youth
teams.
Those
services
that
are
pulling
together
supports
for
kids
throughout
many
throughout
multiple
agencies
so
that
we
can
wrap
care
around
kids.
Those
are
providing
important
outcomes
and
important
opportunities
to
connect
kids
to
care
and
services.
We
are
scaling
up
The
Foundry
access
to
Foundry
in
many
communities
across
across
the
province.
D
There
is
no
question
that
those
are
critical
Investments
to
be
made
in
in
our
children
and
youth,
and
we
will
continue
to
work
with
Physicians
work
with
our
health
authorities
with
respect
to
the
tools
that
they
currently
have
under
the
mental
health
act.
When
it
comes
to
circumstances
under
which
an
individual
may
need
to
be
involuntarily
admitted.
A
D
Thank
you,
honorable,
speaker
and
I,
want
to
thank
the
member
for
her
question
and
express
my
express
my
sympathy
and
and
and
and
shared
concern
for
the
experiences
that
that
that
her
constituent
has
gone
through
and
that
that
we
that
we
of
course
hear
from
from
from
parents
and
again
I,
know
that
many
many
of
us
here
stories
with
respect
to
the
challenges
that
that
our
our
people
in
our
community
experience
with
their
with
with
Children
and
Youth
I,
do
want
to
say,
though
again,
though,
that
children
and
youth
are
very
much
at
the
Forefront
of
our
10-year
Vision
in
the
pathway
to
hope.
D
It
is
a
road
map
that
creates
an
integrated
system
of
care
for
everyone.
Since
2017
we've
invested
nearly
240
million
in
new
and
expanded
mental
health
and
substance
use
care
for
young
adults,
including
youth
youth
treatment
beds.
More
than
28
000,
Children
and
Youth
receive
community-based
Mental
Health
Services
each
year
and
I've.
You
know,
I've
seen
the
The
Foundry
services
in
action,
where
kids
can
access
very,
very
much
barrier-free,
really
access
to
it
to
Primary
Care,
as
well
as
mental
health
substance
use
substance,
use
treatment.
D
A
A
Even
if
his
daughter
wanted
treatment,
Bob
was
told
that
the
weight
would
be
three
to
six
months
or
cost
tens
of
thousands
of
dollars,
leaving
a
massive
gap
between
basic
stabilization
and
getting
treatment.
So
will
the
government
support
involuntary
care,
if
necessary,
and
our
plan
for
an
accessible,
no-cost
recovery,
oriented
system
of
care
so
that
people
who
need
treatment
can
get
the
help
they
need
when
they
need
it?.
D
Thank
thanks
thanks
very
much
honorable
speaker
and
again.
These
of
course,
are
areas
of
our
Health
Care
system
that
we
are
working
very
hard
with
all
of
our
partners
to
to
scale
up
the
the
services
and
I
think
you
know
the
member
makes
a
really
important
point
about
that
gap
between
between
you
know,
an
individual
who
is
in
crisis,
and
we've
done
a
lot
at
the
crisis
end
to
to
to
ramp
up.
D
You
know
peer
assisted
care
teams
and
such
on
the
on
the
on
that
identification
of
the
of
the
initial
crisis.
End
of
things
then
we're
doing
you
know
we.
We
need
to
do
more
work
on
making
sure
that
we
are
that
we
have
a
seamless
process
for
for
individuals
for
Children
and
Youth
and
adults
when
it
comes
to
accessing
accessing
treatments.
So
that's
work
that
our
Premier
has
committed
to
our
Premier.
D
You
know
first
talked
about
that
seamless
approach
in
in
in
the
safer
communities
action
plan.
Last
November:
that's
work
that
we
are
our
undertake
taking
with
health
authorities
to
build
and
they'll
be
more
more
to
say
on
that,
obviously,
in
in
the
coming
weeks
and
in
the
interim,
what
we
are
doing
is
continuing
the
work
to
expand,
expand
the
services,
the
Investments
for
for
access
to
to
to
counseling
to
care
and
treatment
specifically
for
youth.
D
We
and
including,
with
respect
to
to
interventions
through
our
specific
response
to
the
toxic
drug
crisis
through
through
through
through
making
sure
that
that
safe
Supply
is
is
available
for
across
the
Continuum
of
Care.
53
million
in
early
psychosis
intervention
supports,
including
a
hundred
new
full-time
care
providers
in
the
system.
D
There's
just
no
question
that
they
that
the
the
the
Investments
that
are
being
made
are
significant
and
at
the
same
time
we
all
know
we
are
experiencing
a
rising
tide
of
need,
a
rising
tide
of
need
as
a
result
of
the
pandemic.
As
a
result
of
the
crises
that
our
communities
have
been
through
over
the
last
three
years,
so
Mr
Speaker,
we
are
going
to
continue
that
work.
We
agree
that
there
are
that
there
is
more
work
that
needs
to
be
done.
D
We
agree
at
our
very
grateful
frankly
for
the
cooperation
and
for
the
the
sentiment
across
all
parties
of
this
house
through
that,
through
the
health
standing
committee
last
year
on
the
solutions
that
we've
been
working
on.
That's
important,
collaborative
work
that
we
need
to
do
together
in
our
communities
to
face
this
crisis,
foreign.
E
E
Doctors
speaking
out
about
their
serious
concerns
about
patient
safety
are
threatened,
punished
and
silenced.
Island
Health
isn't
just
punishing
doctors,
though
honorable
speaker,
they're,
punishing
entire
communities.
The
patients
who
are
going
without
care
are
the
ones
who
the
minister
must
be
accountable
to,
and
my
questions
for
you
is
to
the
minister
of
health.
Does
he
have
confidence
in
Island
Health.
F
Honorable
speaker,
Island
Health,
honorable
speaker,
has
delivered
over
the
last
three
years,
and
that
means
Island.
Health
is
doctors
and
nurses,
and
nurse
practitioners
and
Health
Sciences
professionals
and
healthcare
workers
has
delivered
honorable
speaker
an
extraordinary
response
to
a
pandemic
that
has
faced
the
entire
world
and
they've
done
it
together.
Honorable
speaker,
honorable
speaker
over
the
last
12
months,
Island
Health
has
been
part
of
that.
We
have
a
new,
a
new
to
practice
contracts
for
new
doctors
to
bring
them
in
to
longitudinal
Primary
Care.
F
We've
set
records
in
the
number
of
surgeries
and
diagnostic
procedures,
we've
done,
which
matters
for
people
who
need
surgery
and
matters
for
people
who
need
diagnostic
procedures.
Honorable
speaker
and
we're
working
hard
to
deliver
care
everywhere.
I
reject
the
idea
that
when
people
raise
concerns,
they
are
threatened.
They
are
not
honorable
speaker,
we
have
an
outstanding
team
at
Island
Health.
Honorable
speaker,
we
have
an
outstanding
team
that
is
doing
its
very
best
to
deliver
Health
Care
in
very
challenging
circumstances
a
worldwide
pandemic
and
has
said
records
in
the
process.
We
always
have
to
do
better.
F
E
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
when
a
health
and
I
when
the
Island
Health
employee
satisfaction,
survey
comes
out
and
fewer
than
half
say
that
they're
satisfied
with
their
management
and
they
say
that
they,
their
health
authorities,
not
care
about
their
well-being.
I
would
hope
that
the
minister
would
be
concerned
about
that.
I
would
hope
that
the
minister
would
indicate
that,
as
the
representative
for
people
in
this
province
that
he
would
demonstrate
some
concern
about
the
conditions
that
are
being
expressed
in
a
survey
like
that.
E
Let's
look
at
one
situation
in
Island
Health
honorable
speaker,
there
used
to
be
four
doctors
for
the
Port
Hardy
Hospital
come
this
summer.
There
will
be
one
Dr,
Alex
notaros
has
come
forward
with
solutions
for
his
patients.
Hiring
physician
assistants
would
be
a
way
to
meet
the
needs
of
people
on
the
north
islands,
who
have
been
deeply
underserved
by
the
health
system.
They
have
seen.
Hospital
closures
become
a
regular
part
of
their
lives,
but
his
Solutions
are
being
rejected.
E
He
Dr
notaros
has
spoken
out
about
the
mismanagement
of
Health
Care
by
Island
Health.
In
his
own
words,
he
is
experiencing
quote
continued
harassment
by
the
health
authority
leadership.
That
is
the
words
of
a
doctor
who
is
holding
down
the
emergency
room
in
Port
Hardy,
who
is
serving
the
needs
of
people
in
those
communities.
E
E
F
Minister
of
Health,
thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
with
respect
to
the
issues
in
the
north
island.
In
the
last
week,
we've
we've
taken
specific
action
to
support
those
communities.
That
means
incentives
to
bring
nurses
and
doctors
to
the
region.
Additional
honorable
speaker,
diagnostic
care
in
the
region.
Honorable
speaker
supports
the
communities
in
the
region,
including
for
mental
health
and
addiction
issues.
F
Honorable
speaker
and
those
came
honorable
speaker
because
we
did
listen
to
communities,
including
the
member
for
North
Island,
including
representatives
in
North,
Island
Health,
who
met
with
representatives
of
all
communities
and
and
honorable
speaker,
received
their
suggestions
and,
in
fact,
enacted
those
suggestions,
honorable
speaker
so
I,
think
honorable
speaker
what
I?
What
I
can
say
is
what
you
see
is
a
very
significant
challenge
in
those
communities
and
specific
action
to
address
those
challenges
which
I
think
is
what
you
need
to
do.
It's
why?
F
Honorable
speaker,
we
put
in
place
new
to
practice
contracts
in
BC
109
contracts
signed,
they
were
Against
The
Honorable
speaker.
We
put
in
place
honorable
speaker
a
fundamental
reform
to
Primary
Care.
Honorable
speaker,
we
put
all
honorable
speaker
not
the
status
quo
in
one
week.
Honorable
speaker
in
one
week,
honorable
speaker,
one.
F
Auto
feature:
it
is
the
absolute
responsibility
of
Island
Health
to
work
with
communities
as
it
is.
My
responsibility
will
continue
to
do
that.
The
actions
that
we
took
honorable
speaker
in
Port
Hardy
an
important
meal
in
other
communities,
we're
informed
by
those
communities,
and
we
are
going
to
continue
to
act
with
that
in
mind.
G
Thank
you
very
much,
honorable
speaker.
As
part
of
this
government's
Pursuit
and
implementation
of
decriminalization.
There
was
a
very
specific
letter,
in
fact,
a
letter
of
requirements
to
support
BC's
exemption.
In
the
letter
there
is
a
list
of
requirements
and
I
would
like
to
just
ask
the
minister
about
one
of
them.
The
government
has
been
asked
to,
and
I
quote,
ensure
that
individuals
who
desire
treatment
or
other
supports
can
access
them
when
needed.
D
Thank
you
honorable
speaker,
and
thank
you
to
the
to
the
member
for
for
her
question
and
more
broadly
I
want
to
thank
this
house
for
their
support
of
this
decriminalization,
a
program
which
was
a
subject
of
discussion
through
the
health
standing
committee
and
which
which
which
providers,
which
you
know
the
front
line
providers,
police,
municipalities,
people
who
use
drugs
the
whole
the
whole
Continuum
of
of
people
and
stakeholders
who
are
who
are
in
this
space
have
supported
as
an
important
way
as
important
mechanism
to
reduce
fear
and
stigma
so
that
we
can
better
connect
people
who
need
at
who
need
help
to
that
care
and
support.
D
And,
of
course,
we
are
making
the
Investments
necessary
in
order
to
scale
up
that
the
system
of
care
and
treatment,
we've
added
360,
new
treatment
and
Recovery
beds.
For
for
adults
and
youth.
We
have
over
3
200
beds
across
and
spaces
across
across
the
province,
55
million
dollars
for
integrated
child
and
youth
teams,
complex
care
housing.
We
we
are
coming
at
this
from
all
of
the
different
angles
across
the
entire
Community
across
the
entire
Community.
You
know,
Continuum
of
Care,
that's
required
from
addressing.
B
D
Of
people
who
are
in
crisis
trying
to
connect
them
with
care
working
to
close
those
gaps,
and
we
know
there's
more
work
to
be
done.
We
know
we
all
need
to
work
together
in
our
communities
to
pull
together
to
get
British
Columbians
through
that
crisis
and
I
am
grateful
to
be
able
to
count
on
the
support
of
this
house
to
do
that.
Work
as
well
as
our
partners
in
the
health
authorities
and
Frontline
providers.
G
Answer
shows
British
Columbians.
How
utterly
disconnected
this
minister
is
with
the
situation
that
families
across
this
this
province
are
facing.
I
can
tell
the
minister
from
first-hand
experience
that
in
my
office
I
hear
from
families
that
are
desperate,
they
are
at
their
wit's
end
and
there
are
no
treatment
options.
No
Services
the
letter
of
requirement
actually
goes
on
to
say
something
else.
The
minister
might
want
to
give
us
an
answer
to,
because
obviously
the
last
answer
was
no.
G
The
letter
of
requirements
also
specifically
says
that
this
government
must
must
and
I
quote,
meet
the
unique
needs
of
people
living
in
rural
communities.
End
quote:
how
can
the
minister
stand
here
and
pretend
that
families
who
live
in
rural
British
Columbia
have
access
to
treatment
when
they
need
it?
Because
she
knows
they
simply
do
not?
Can
the
minister
get
up
and
tell
us
whether
or
not
she
believes
they
have
met
the
criteria,
as
laid
out
in
the
letter
of
expectations
from
the
federal
government,
foreign.
D
B
D
We
have
have
a
work
to
do
that.
We
have
been
doing
since
the
27
17
to
build
an
integrated
system
of
care
out
of
a
fragmented
kind
of
scouter
shot
of
of
services,
and
that
is
a
situation
that
that
requires
working
with
all
of
our
partners,
which
is
the
work
that
we
have
been
doing,
and
so,
when
we,
you
know
when
we
talk
about
introducing
complex
care
and
communities
like
Bella
coola
and
at
Kamloops
and
Powell
River,
and
up
the
Sunshine
Coast.
That
is
part
of
the
part
of
the
answer
to
this.
D
B
D
The
need
to
invest
Upstream,
that's
that's
what
we
need
to
do.
I
think
when
all
of
the
parties
stood
together
on
last
week
and
announced
this
this
announce.
That's
this
move.
We
under
all
parties
stood
the
police
who
stood
with
us.
D
On
housing
as
part
of
our
government
safer's
community
plan,
because,
honestly
colleagues,
we
have
to
do
all
of
the
things
in
this
space.
We
have
to
do
all
of
this
all
of
the
things
in
order
to
make
progress
for
British
Columbians
and
have
their
backs
on
this
issue.
That's
the
work
we're
going
to
do.
H
Thank
you.
Thank
you
maker.
This
is
a
term
government
that
has
six.
It
has
had
six
years
to
put
services
in
place,
but
has
utterly
failed
to
do
that
work.
They
have
failed
Mr
Speaker
to
do
even
the
most
basic
groundwork
to
support
this
decriminalization
experiment.
No
wonder
there
was
no
mention
of
decriminalization
in
yesterday's
Throne
speech.
The
letter
of
requirements
from
the
federal
government
says
and
I
quote,
data
collection
will
need
to
start
immediately
to
establish
a
baseline
end
quote.
H
I
B
I
Thank
you
honorable
speaker,
I
appreciate
the
exchange
of
ideas
today
and
the
conversation
we're
having
I,
think
there's
two
things:
I
really
appreciate
one:
a
recognition
from
leader
of
the
leader
of
the
opposition
that
and
and
commitment
to
support,
decriminalization
I
think
that
I
think
he
was
asked
in
he
was
asked
by
the
media.
I
Speaker
again,
I
appreciate
the
leader
of
the
opposition,
making
it
clear
he
supports
decriminalization.
He
was
clear
in
the
media,
but
I
also
appreciate
the
leader
of
the
opposition,
acknowledging
that
to
do
this
important
work.
It's
going
to
require
Investments,
because
that
wasn't
the
case
when
he
was
the
minister
of
Health
when
he
saw
deep
cuts
on
the
speaker.
It.
J
B
I
J
Fact,
honorable
speaker,
when
he
was
a
finance
minister
and
the
federal
government,
the
Harper
government
made
deep
cuts
to
Health
Care
transfers.
He
actually
thought
it
was
great.
He
was
the
only
only
Minister
from
across
the
country
that
thought
the
tax
those
tax,
those
Health
Care
Cuts
were
fantastic.