►
From YouTube: MARCH 1 2023 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
42nd Parliament
C
C
I
had
big
change
but
failed
to
deliver
nothing
that
eliminates
user
fees
that
are
a
barrier
to
access,
nothing
about
actually
reducing
the
already
unforgivable
wait
times,
not
a
dollar
allocated
to
build
any
mental
health
and
addiction
recovery
communities
around
the
province.
None
of
that
is
in
there.
Sadly,
this
government's
entire
focus
is
almost
completely
on
publicly
supplied,
addictive
drugs
and
decriminalizing
hard
drugs
like
heroin,
cocaine,
methamphetamine
and
Fentanyl.
C
E
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
when
we
form
government
the
substance
use
treatment
system
in
this
province
was
in
complete
disrepair.
We
are
making
historic
Investments
to
improve
access
to
treatment.
So
when
people
ask
for
help,
help
is
available
for
them.
So
budget
2023
invests
one
billion
dollars
to
expand
services.
E
I'll
repeat
that
Mr
Speaker
one
billion
dollars
to
expand
Services
over
the
Continuum
of
Care
195,
new
treatment
beds
to
start
and
many
more
as
we
expand,
Regional
care,
new
model
of
seamless
beds
or
seamless
care
to
support
people
in
the
recovery.
Journey
new
recovery
communities
to
support
people
after
they
leave
treatment,
accelerating
accelerating
our
response
to
the
toxic
drug
crisis,
including
prescribed,
safes
or
Supply,
more
complex
care
housing
for
people
who
need
higher
levels
of
support.
We
are
also
bringing
more
crucial
services
to
Regions
right
throughout
the
province.
C
C
Adding
five
treatment
and
Recovery
beds
a
month
over
the
next
three
years
is
hardly
the
kind
of
bold
action
that
British
Columbians
were
hoping
to
see.
The
fact
of
the
matter
is,
there
are
huge
gaps
between
what
we've
been
calling
for
as
an
opposition
and
what
the
premier
has
proposed
in
this
budget.
We
urgently,
as
we
say,
we
urgently
need
to
move
away
from
their
primary
focus
on
publicly
supplied,
addictive
drugs
and
decriminalization
over
towards
a
focus
on
treatment
and
recovery,
so
it
can
actually
help
people.
C
And
what
should
have
been
at
the
very
top
of
government's
list?
What
should
have
been
at
the
very
top
at
minimum
is
to
ensure
that
there
was
free
and
ready
availability
and
access
to
treatment
and
Recovery,
regardless
of
their
economic
circumstances
or
regardless
of
where
they
live
in
the
province.
That
would
have
been
sort
of
the
bare
minimum.
C
E
E
Supports
are
available
to
help
people
access
those
beds
if
they
need
it,
we're
continuing
to
build
more
treatment
and
recovery
services
around
the
province,
but
Mr
Speaker.
Don't
just
take
this
from
us.
Don't
just
take
it
from
me.
I
want
to
quote
Johnny
Morris
the
CEO
of
Canadian
Mental,
Health,
Association,
BC
division
and
he
said
I
would
say
the
word
historic
does
fit.
I.
E
B
A
Mr
Speaker,
my
first
reaction
to
the
NDP
addiction
and
mental
health
plan
is
actually
sadness
because,
like
so
many
people
in
British,
Columbia
I
had
actually
hoped
that
all
Financial
barriers
would
be
removed
for
all
forms
of
addictions
and
mental
health
treatment.
Not
just
proposed
future
beds.
All
treatment
bags.
A
D
E
E
I
know
that
the
the
minister
for
mental
health
and
addictions
is
going
to
welcome
the
opportunity
to
roll
out
this
plan
to
show
the
significant
details
of
how
we
are
going
to
provide
services
right
across
the
province
and
I.
Don't
understand
why
the
opposition
thinks
a
billion
dollars
is
no
money.
Mr
Speaker.
A
We
talk
about,
we
talk
about
care
when
people
need
it
and
we
keep
hearing
about
the
the
Finance
Minister,
and
we've
heard
it
before
from
other
ministers
in
this
house
talking
about
providing
British
Columbians
with
care
when
they
need
it,
and
yet
we've
had
people
dying
on
wait,
lists
waiting
for
care.
They
needed
care
in
the
years
since
you
formed
government,
they
need
it
today.
They
need
it
yesterday
and
they
need
it
immediately.
A
But
the
reality
is
is
that
the
gaps
between
this
budget
and
a
real
plan
that
prioritizes
treatment
and
Recovery
are
massive,
better
is
possible,
and
this
budget
falls
short
despite
people
waiting
months
for
treatment
beds
in
BC,
the
budget
only
promises
to
add
five
treatment
beds
a
month
over
the
next
three
years,
while
people
are
dying
on
wait
lists.
The
best
the
service
plan
can
say
is
that
they
hope
to
maintain
current
waiting
list
times.
F
The
the
member
for
the
question,
and
indeed
thank
I'm,
grateful
to
the
official
opposition
to
all
parties
in
this
house
for
their
I
would
say
relatively
recent
interest
on
the
part
of
the
opposition
in
this.
In
this
question,.
F
Since
2017,
we
have
been
addressing
the
fragmentation
in
the
mental
health
and
substance
use
system
that
existed
when
we
formed
government.
We
know
and
I
think
all
members
of
this
house
know
this
was.
This
was
the
subject
of
much
discussion
during
the
select
standing
committee,
for
which
we
are
very
grateful
for
the
for
the
input
from
British
Columbians
for
the
commitment
demonstrated
across
all
members
of
this
house.
F
British,
what
British
Columbians
expect
from
the
discussions
that
we
have
in
this
house
are
to
recognized
that
good
ideas
come
from
come
from
many
places,
and
it's
important
that
we
are
evidence
driven
in
the
work
that
we
do
so
that
that
is
the
work
that
we
are
doing
right
now
with
our
health
authorities,
with
the
provincial
Health
Services
Authority,
with
our
Frontline
providers,
to
look
at
how
we
are
needing
to
scale
up
and
invest
the
unprecedented
one
billion
dollar
investment.
This
budget
makes
that
mental
health
and
substitutions.
F
The
fragmented
landscape
of
beds
that
we
inherited
in
2017
there
are,
in
fact,
under
under
the
work
that
we
have
done
to
scale
up
treatment
beds.
More
treatment
beds
that
are
are
free
of
fees
than
there
have
ever
been
in
this
province.
Right
now,
as
a
result
of
of
beds
that
we
have
an
investment
that
we
have
made
and
and
and
that
that
is
that
we're
going
to
be
looking
at
how
we,
how
we
do
more
of
that
with
the
investors
we've
made.
H
Premier
had
an
opportunity
to
rise
to
the
challenges
we
face
today
by
building
community
health
centers
or
ensuring
that
there
is
accessible
Transit
across
our
Province.
We
could
have
had
preventive
preventative
mental
health
care
and
brought
people
with
disabilities
out
of
poverty,
let
that
sink
in.
For
a
moment.
Honorable
speaker,
we've
been
pleading
for
this
so-called
Progressive
NDP
government,
a
majority
government
to
do
the
bare
minimum
and
lift
people
with
disabilities
out
of
poverty,
and
they
didn't
do
it.
We
could
have
strengthened
our
communities
and
focused
on
the
well-being
of
British
Colombians.
H
The
premier
has
a
majority
government,
a
six
billion
dollar
Surplus
and
an
80
billion
dollar
budget,
but
instead
of
creating
systems
change,
some
renters
will
get
an
extra
33
dollars
a
month.
Six
years
after
the
government
promised
it
one-off
rebates,
unmet
promises
and
holding
up
old
ideas
are
not
going
to
make
change.
H
This
is
a
budget
that
delivers
status
quo
in
a
time
when
leadership
is
needed,
and
I
would
argue,
honorable
speaker
that
we
will
always
get
status
quo
as
long
as
we
keep
using
GDP
to
measure
success
instead
of
following
the
lead
of
other
countries
who
are
budgeting
and
measuring
their
economies
with
well-being.
My
question
is
to
the
premier:
how
is
he
going
to
measure
success.
E
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker
and
I.
Thank
the
member
for
the
question
and
I'll
tell
the
member
what
measure
successes
is
in
putting
in
a
budget
that
supports
people
putting
a
budget
forward.
That's
going
to
support
people
right
across
this
province.
It
makes
record
investments
in
supports
to
people
with
costs
and
and
put
more
money
in
people's
pockets.
You
know
Minister
Mr,
Speaker
I
have
gotten
so
many,
so
many
feedback,
so
much
feedback.
So
many
emails
texts
from
people
who
are
so
grateful
for
the
free
contraception,
contraception.
E
We
are
hearing
from
people
who
are
seeing
the
expansion
of
the
K-12
School.
Food
programs
is
incredible
for
people
like
of
families
across
the
Spectrum,
the
low
income
or
not.
They
are
so
happy
because
families
are
saying
we
know
that
our
kids
are
going
to
school
and
when
the
and
teachers
are
saying
to
me,
when
those
kids
can
get
those
healthy
meals,
they
can
learn
better
and
so
we're
hearing
that
as
well.
E
H
Difference
between
a
status
quo
and
a
GDP
oriented
as
opposed
to
well-being,
would
be
that
we
would
move
to
Universal
food
programs
in
schools
that
we
wouldn't
increase
the
shelter
rate
by
125,
but
we
would
ensure
that
people
with
disabilities
are
lifted
out
of
poverty.
This
is
the
difference
between
status
quo
and
Leadership,
and
another
thing
is
clear:
honorable
speaker,
this
is
not
a
climate
Leader's
budget
in
the
Fraser
Valley
damage
from
the
atmospheric
river
is
estimated
to
have
been
17
billion
dollars,
and
yet
climate
is
little
more
than
an
afterthought
in
this
budget.
H
In
fact,
this
budget
reduces
the
three-year
funding
of
clean
BC
by
300
million
dollars
reduces
a
climate.
Leader's
budget
would
not
would
stop
short-sighted
Investments.
It
would
have
enough
money
to
protect
our
communities
from
inevitable
fires
and
floods.
It
would
have
a
restoration
economy
at
its
core,
with
good
paying
jobs
for
years
to
come.
It
would
invest
in
community-based,
clean
energy,
not
doubling
down
on
expanding
fracking.
H
A
climate
leader
would
not
rely
on
a
panel
of
13
people,
12
of
them
Bankers
to
guide
its
decision
making.
It
would
look
to
the
solution
makers
across
BC
who
care
about
their
communities.
Honorable
speaker,
my
questions
to
the
premier.
Let
me
point
out
again
a
300
million
dollar
reduction
to
funding
in
clean
BC
this
government's
favorite
Shield.
Why
is
climate
an
afterthought
in
this
budget.
E
More
funding
for
the
clean
VC
go
Electric
commercial
vehicle
pilot
program
to
help
businesses
move
to
commercial,
zero
emission
Vehicles
we're
increasing
the
climate,
Action
Tax,
Credit
Mr
speaker,
so
that
when
the
carbon
credit
or
carbon
tax
does
rise,
people
will
actually
get
money
to
complement
that
we're
making
sure
that
we're
putting
more
money
back
into
people's
pockets.
We're
making
sure
that
we're
supporting
people
in
this
province
and
that's
what
this
budget
is
about.
It's
supporting
people,
Mr
Speaker,.
I
I
I
Despite
the
urgency
of
his
situation,
Tran
waited
for
11
excruciating
weeks
before
receiving
his
first
appointment
with
an
oncologist,
and
it
proved
too
late.
According
to
his
daughter,
Shannon,
Tran
and
I
quote.
Had
he
received
medication
in
April
or
May,
he
would
have
had
a
chance
but
having
to
wait
the
11
weeks
so
much
growth
of
the
cancer
had
happened.
I
J
Well,
thank
you
very
much
honorable
speaker,
Cancer
Care,
when
a
cancer
diagnosis
comes
needs
to
come,
and
it
needs
to
come
quickly
and
that's
why,
in
successive
budgets,
honorable
speaker,
because
we
know
and
the
member
talks
about
one
case,
we
know
how
people
feel
in
those
circumstances,
we
know
it
in
all
of
our
families
in
everybody's
family
in
BC.
It's
that's
why,
over
the
last
number
of
years,
we
have
added
physicians
in
Cancer,
Care
every
year
provided
money
for
it
recruited
for
it,
and
we
have
to
continue
to
do
so.
J
It's
why,
in
this
budget
and
last
Friday,
the
premier
of
the
British
Columbia
announced
a
10-year
cancer
plan
that
addresses
issues
around
prevention
and
diagnosis
and
treatment
and
research
that
will
build
out
and
strengthen
our
cancer
system,
440
million
dollars
in
this
first
period
with
more
to
come,
because
these
are
priorities
for
everybody
and
every
family.
That's
why
we
have
to
deliver
such
care
in
the
public
health
care,
System.
I
Maybe
the
minister
would
like
to
hear
what
oncologist
Dr,
Sarah
Finlayson
said
and
I
quote
it's
heartbreaking.
The
wait
times
are
the
longest
they
have
ever
been
in
my
career.
The
moral
distress
among
our
group
is
the
highest.
It's
ever
been
in
my
career
end
quote
plain
and
simple:
this
government
is
failing
women
with
gynecological
Cancers
terms,
six
years.
How
on
Earth?
Can
the
minister
stand
in
this
house
and
say
that
it's
a
priority
when
women
are
forced
to
endure
completely
unacceptable
wait
times.
J
Of
Health
well,
thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
the
member
talks
about
statistics.
It
is
true
that,
in
terms
of
cancer
outcomes,
the
British
Columbia
is
second
in
the
country
and
not
first
in
the
country.
It
absolutely
Our
intention
to
be
first
in
the
country.
Well,
honorable
speaker,
the
information
is
the
information,
but
I
think
what
I
try
and
do,
and
what
we
are
doing
is
when
we
see
problems,
we
address
problems.
I'll
just
give
you
an
example.
J
With
respect
to
gynecological
cancer,
we
added
21
surgical
days,
20
hours
a
week
in
this
period
in
this
most
recent
period,
to
address
issues
of
Weights.
That
means
practical
things.
It
means
surgeries
for
people
who
need
surgeries.
That's
the
kind
of
action
the
BC
cancer
agency
is
taking,
and
that's
the
kind
of
action
that
is
supported.
J
Specific
precise
has
happened,
delivering
care
to
people
right
here
and
right
now
and
in
a
10-year
plan
that
will
build
out,
for
what
we
know
will
be
an
increase
in
demand
twice,
as
many
people
over
75
in
10
years
means
more
age-related
cancer.
So
we
have
to
continue
to
do
what
we're
doing,
which
is
take
all
the
actions
required
to
prevent
cancer
to
provide
diagnosis
and
care
and
treatment.
With
the
respect
to
gynecological
oncology
Services,
we
have.
K
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
I
believe
I
I
just
heard
the
minister
saying
the
work
that
they've
done
in
the
last
few
weeks
and
just
recently
announced
a
10-year
cancer
plan
that
I
believe
was
originally
announced
was
going
to
happen
in
2017.
So
these
answers
mean
nothing
for
Anna
Kane,
who
was
diagnosed
with
gynecological
cancer
and
is
stuck
waiting
for
care.
K
So
for
the
last
two
years,
Anna
and
her
husband
Jeff,
would
wake
up
at
6
a.m
in
the
morning
and
drive
from
kualaikum
Bay
to
a
drive
or
to
a
walk-in
clinic
in
Courtney,
where
they
wait
in
line
hoping
to
receive
basic
medical
attention.
Despite
making
16
visits
last
year,
Anna
was
only
given
blood
tests
and
no
other
tests
or
antibiotics
for
her
bouts
of
constipation
diarrhea
and
bloating.
Last
month,
Anna
was
diagnosed
because
these
are
symptoms
of
Anna
was
diagnosed
with
ovarian
cancer.
K
This
was
done
in
a
crowded
emergency
room,
her
alone
in
her
room,
and
she
was
told
that
to
get
told
to
get
her
Affairs
in
order.
So,
as
Anna
says
quote,
our
system
is
totally
broken
after
52
years
of
marriage,
Anna
and
her
husband
Jeff
are
left
to
sit
by
the
phone
day
after
day,
worrying
and
waiting.
While
they
wait
to
maybe
get
an
appointment
in
the
next
month
with
an
oncologist
so
to
the
premier.
J
In
their
response
to
the
budget,
the
the
opposition,
Finance
critic
was
critical
of
the
changes
we've
made
to
improve
compensation
and
supports
for
doctors,
including
oncologists
I.
Disagree
with
that
there
is
an
international
competition.
This
is
I
believe
the
best
place
in
the
world
to
provide
care,
and
we
will
be
we
are
we
have
been
and
we
will
be
actively
recruiting
more
oncologists.
All
cases
honorable
speaker
or
people
are
dealing
with
cancer
caused
enormous
challenges
for
families.
J
We
all
know
this
and
that's
why
the
BC
cancer
agency
has
taken
action
and
it's
going
to
continue
to
take
action
and
why
British
Columbia
needs
the
10-year
cancer
plan,
announced
and
delivered
by
the
Minister
of
Finance
in
this
budget,
and
that's
why
we're
going
to
continue
to
work
to
improve
care
everywhere.
In
BC.
L
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker
well
again
here
today
we
listen
to
the
minister
of
Health,
rattle
off
statistics
and
and
there's
always
a
lot
of
a
lot
of
rhetoric
that
that
is
thrown
out
in
this
chamber
from
the
minister
of
Health,
as
he
tries
to
portray
A
system
that
is
actually
in
in
collapse.
L
That
is
just
one
example:
Mr
Speaker
I
want
to
talk
about
another
a
case,
another
individual,
another
person,
Linda
Van
hoof
is
a
77
year
old
resident
of
the
village
of
Chase
and
she
has
been
living
with
chronic
lymphatic
leukemia.
A
life-threatening
disease
after
undergoing
back-to-back
chemotherapy
treatments,
Linda
was
living
a
vibrant,
healthy
life
for
the
past
15
years,
but
Linda's
body
has
now
stopped
responding
to
chemotherapy
and
her
oncologist.
Her
oncologist
has
recommended
a
drug
called
idella
recipe
as
her
only
remaining
auction,
but
here's
the
problem.
L
Unlike
many
other
provinces,
this
drug
isn't
funded
here
in
British
Columbia
and
it
costs
ten
thousand
dollars
a
month.
Attempts
by
the
family's
oncologist
to
have
the
government
reconsider
and
fund
the
drug
have
been
denied.
The
situation
is
dire
and
Linda's
family
is
pleading
for
help.
Linda's
daughter,
Ali,
Mackey
asks
and
I
quote:
how
is
it
that
there's
a
drug
that
could
give
my
mother
more
years
of
life,
but
it's
not
funded
in
the
province
we've
resided
in
for
46
years,
yet
it's
funded
in
other
provinces
in
Canada
end
quote.
L
So.
My
question
to
the
minister
is
this:
when
will
the
minister
be
accountable
and
fix
species
broken
cancer
system
for
people
like
Linda,
Van,
hoof,
Francis,
Tran
and
a
king
and
the
countless
other
British
Columbians
who
are
in
similar
circumstances,
so
that
people
in
this
province
can
once
again
receive
the
Cancer
Care
that
they
need
when
they
need
it?.
J
We
see
on
an
annualized
basis,
10
to
12
percent
increases
every
year
in
our
cancer
drug
expenditures,
dramatically
increasing
the
availability
of
drugs
every
year
for
patients,
they've
gone
in
fact,
honorable
speaker
in
the
short
last
four
years,
from
about
280
million
to
about
390
million,
and
that
means
more
care
for
people,
because
we
know
that
when
care
is
available,
that
we
want
people
to
get
access
to
cancer
drugs
that
circumstances
in
place
in
most
jurisdictions
in
Canada.
It's
why?
J
When
we
talk
about
access
to
cancer
drugs,
we
have
Cancer
Specialists
make
those
decisions,
as
we
did
by
the
way
when
other
parties
and
other
ministers
of
Health
were
in
office
in
this
chair.
All
that
was
always
the
case
and
the
reason
it's
the
case
is
you
want
that
to
be
the
case
that
patients
want
that
to
be
the
case,
the
cancer
specialist,
the
cancer
approach
that
makes
those
decisions,
but
they
have
consistently
made
those
decisions
in
favor
of
patients.
J
You
can
see
it
in
the
expenditures
made
the
expansion
of
drugs
available,
the
continuing
expansion
of
drugs
available.
It's
also
why
you
need
continued
investment
in
this
Public
Health
Care
system,
which
the
budget
presented
by
the
Minister
of
Finance
does,
because
you
can
see
that
new
drugs
are
expensive,
they
cost
a
lot
of
money
and
that's
why
we
are
expanding
dramatically,
making
historic
investments
in
the
BC
cancer
agency
in
the
Ministry
of
Health,
to
ensure
honorable
speaker
that
those
jugs
are
available
now
and
into
the
future.