►
From YouTube: APRIL 27 2023 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
42nd Parliament
C
The
responsibility
for
this
explosion
of
violence
and
social
disorder
Falls
squarely
on
the
shoulders
of
this
soft
on
crime
premiere.
This
Crisis
began
during
his
five
years,
as
attorney
general
marked
by
his
catch
and
release
program
that
allows
violent
prolific
offenders
to
act
with
total
impunity.
Knowing
they'll
be
released
right
back
into
the
community,
his
decisions
as
housing
minister
to
Warehouse
those
with
severe
mental
health
and
addiction
issues
without
any
proper
supports
into
communities
over
local
community
opposition
and
its
utter
failure
to
address
encampments
and
violence.
C
Intense
cities
has
only
made
the
crisis
worse
and
now
he's
adding
more
fuel
to
the
crisis,
with
his
Reckless
decriminalization
and
disregard
for
police
Chiefs
concerns
with
the
open
public
use
of
crystal
meth
heroin,
cocaine
and
Fentanyl
Andrea
Miller,
a
young
mother
whose
five-year-old
daughter
Everly
found
a
bag
of
fentanyl
on
her
Elementary
School
playground
and
unwittingly
brought
it
home.
Andrea
and
thousands
of
other
parents
in
communities
right
across
this
province
are
saying
enough
is
enough.
So
my
question
to
the
premier
is:
when
will
he
realize
it's
his
record?
D
D
The
federal
government,
the
the
Justice
Minister,
made
a
commitment
to
us
that
those
changes
would
be
put
in
place
this
legislative
session
in
Ottawa.
At
the
same
time,
this
government,
as
the
member
well
knows,
has
done
what
we
can
do
in
terms
of
the
province
investing
the
largest
amount
of
money
in
terms
of
new
police
officers
for
small
rural
communities
across
the
province.
The
specialized
investigation
teams
that
are
crucial-
the
largest
investment
in
RCMP
funding,
there's
over
a
billion
dollars
in
the
budget
for
mental
health,
supports
right
across
the
full
spectrum
and
housing
initiatives.
D
C
B
C
D
D
D
D
Putting
in
place
a
firearm
forensic
Firearms
lab,
so
the
police
are
able
to
build
a
stronger
case
is
not
a
radical
agenda.
Putting
in
place
more
than
a
billion
dollars
for
mental
health.
Supports
honorable
speaker
is
not
a
radical
agenda.
Putting
in
place
housing
initiatives
that
did
not
take
place
when
that
site.
Sat
on
this
side
is
not
a
radical
agenda.
D
What
it
is
Honorable
speaker
is
a
public
safety
agenda
designed
to
put
in
place
the
tools
police
have
asked
for
work
with
local
communities
to
do
what
just
to
to
put
in
place
the
resources
that
they
have
been
needing
and,
at
the
same
time,
going
to
Ottawa
this
province,
taking
the
leadership
role
to
get
the
criminal
code
change
so
that
those
who
are
violent
Defenders
are
not
given
fail.
Honorable
speaker,
that
is
not
a
radical
agenda
that
is
a
public
safety.
D
E
E
They
don't
want
to
be
the
premier's
social
experiment,
guinea
pigs
any
longer.
They
want
to
feel
safe
in
their
communities.
This
is
Andrea's
reality.
Listen
to
what
she
says,
I'm
now
terrified
that
I
may
send
my
children
to
school
and
never
see
them
again
because
of
something
an
addict
is
Left.
Behind
I
now
have
naloxone
in
my
home
because
the
drug
epidemic
is
invading
the
homes
and
lives
of
people
with
no
connection
to
it.
D
Thank
you,
honorable,
speaker
and
I
appreciate
the
the
question
from
the
member
who
also
sat
on
this
side
of
the
house
and
who,
as
attorney
general
knows
when
he
was
attorney
general,
knows
that
the
the
criminal
code
is
federal
responsibility.
He
also
knows,
as
to
the
opposition,
that
the
challenges
that
we
have
been
facing.
D
It's
why
this
government
has
worked
with
other
provinces
to
get
the
federal
government
to
change
the
criminal
code
that
is
taking
place
at
the
same
time.
Honorable
speaker,
we
also
know
on
the
social
side
in
terms
of
the
opioid
epidemic
epidemic,
which
was
taking
place
when
they
sat
on
this
side
of
the
house
is
taking
place
again
right
across
this
country.
D
And
decriminalization
was
part
of
that
honorable
speaker
at
the
same
time.
At
the
same
time,
we
also
know
that
there
needed
to
be
significant
increase
in
mental
health
services
and
supports
a
billion
dollars
in
this
budget
to
do
just
that,
honorable
speaker,
so
whether
it's
the
whether
it
is
the
social
side,
the
enforcement
side,
all
four
pillars
that
are
required
to
deal
with
this.
This
challenge
that
we
face
in
this
province.
E
E
I
sometimes
wonder
what
what
world
some
of
these
folks
are
are
living
in
Mr
Speaker.
You
know
most
people
don't
have
a
police
escort
that
takes
them
to
and
from
work.
The
sad
reality
is
more
and
more
people
require
one
and
it's
because
of
the
policies
of
this
Premier
Mr
Speaker
people
are
paying
the
price
for
purposeful
policies
Advanced
by
this
premier
expanding
drug
availability.
Instead
of
focusing
on
treatment
recovery,
it's
not
just
failing
the
addicts,
of
course,
but
it
is
failing.
Children
like
Everly
and
Remington
again.
This
is
what
their
mother
says.
E
Andrea
says
it's
no
longer
a
matter
of
if
something
happens
to
our
children,
but
a
matter
of
when
something
happens
to
them.
That
is
the
sad
reality
and
Mr
Speaker
enough
is
enough.
Will
the
premier
speak
to
Andrea
and
the
frightened
angry
British
Columbians
living
across
the
province
and
explain
why
he
has
allowed
his
choices,
his
policies,
his
social
experiment,
to
put
their
Public
Safety
in
jeopardy.
D
You,
honorable
speaker
and
I,
appreciate
the
the
question
from
my
from
my
colleague
across
the
way
I've
pointed
out
to
this
house
the
initiatives
undertaken
by
our
governments
that
our
Premier
has
led
in
terms
of
ensuring
we
are
doing
everything
we
can
in
terms
of
Public
Safety
by
working
with
the
police,
the
men
and
women
on
the
ground
who
deal
with
these
situations
every
day
and
giving
them
the
tools
that
they
ask
for
the
experts
on
the
street
ask
for
we
have
worked
with
local
governments
to
deal
with
the
specific
challenges
they
face
in
their
individual
communities.
D
That's
why
we've
put
in
place
the
hubs
across
the
province,
the
twelve
hubs.
It's
why
we've
expanded
the
car
program,
the
mental
health
supports
the
peer
assisted
care
teams,
and
we
will
continue
to
do
that.
It's
also
why,
as
I've
said,
we
went
to
Ottawa
to
get
changes
to
the
criminal
code,
but
it
is
much
more
than
that.
Honorable
speaker,
that's
required.
D
D
Me
put
it
this
way.
Honorable
speaker,
we
invested
in
mental
health
facilities.
We
didn't
close
the
Adolescent
psychiatric
unit
in
Abbotsford.
We
didn't
eliminate
psychology,
psychology
services
for
adult
Rehabilitation
at
the
Royal
Inland
Hospital.
We
didn't.
We
didn't
close
the
only
withdrawal,
Management
program
in
the
Fraser
Valley.
We
didn't
cut
Social
Work
budget
and
Fraser
Health
Region.
We
didn't
close
the
Waddell
Haven
guest
home
in
Mission,
a
residential
mental
health
facility
that
provide
Addiction
Services.
We
didn't
close
the
11
Residential
Care
beds
at
Bear,
Creek
Lodge
at
Newton,
Regency.
D
B
F
G
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker
and
I
thank
the
the
member
for
the
question
and
when
it
comes
to
to
the
role
of
the
mental
health
act
in
our
in
our
Province,
we
know
that
there
have
been
a
number
of
recommendations
that
have
come
forward
to
ensure
that
the
operation
of
the
mental
health
Act
is
is
Works
in
a
in
a
better
way
for
for
people
who
are
ex,
who
are
who
are
involuntarily
committed
under
the
act
as
well
as
those
clinicians
who
are
who
are
also
working
under
the
mental
health
act.
G
We
have
brought
in
the
rights
advice
process,
as
was
as
was
recommended
in
order
to
ensure
that
individuals
who
are
receiving
that
care
have
have
appropriate
rights.
Advice
members
following
the
recommendations
of
the
ombuds,
the
ombuds
person's
report
in
2019,
to
develop,
in
consultation
with
collaboration
with
health,
Justice
education
and
curriculum
for
clinicians
working
on
the
front
lines
to
better
improve
their
ability
to
work
to
work
under
the
the
the
the
framework
of
that
act.
B
F
F
The
reality
is
is
that
the
two
committees
that
have
made
recommendations
didn't
make
recommendations
to
ensure
the
operation
of
the
ACT.
Those
two
committees
called
for
a
full
review
of
the
mental
health
Act.
The
language
was
very
clear.
It
was,
it
had
nothing
to
do
with
ensuring
the
operation
of
the
act.
In
fact,
the
minister
of
Public,
Safety
and
solicitor
general
chose
to
to
talk
about
how
effective
that
committee
process
was
Mr
Speaker
on
a
variety
of
other
issues
around
policing.
F
So
what
we
have
is
we've
got
a
government
that
is
picking
and
choosing
the
recommendations
that
suit
their
purpose,
rather
than
listening
to
the
good
work.
That's
done
by
members
from
all
sides
of
this
house
where
expanding
access
to
Mental
Health
Care
investing
billions
of
dollars
in
an
outdated
act.
Our
understanding
of
mental
health
and
substance
use
disorders
has
changed
drastically
in
the
last
decade.
Yet
BC's
mental
health
act
hasn't
been
substantially
updated
for
60
years
Mr
Speaker.
F
We
can't
rely
on
a
broken
legislative
framework
while
trying
to
tackle
a
modern,
Mental,
Health
crisis
stakeholders,
Advocates
experts,
officers
of
the
legislature,
including
the
ombuds
person
and
the
representative
of
Children
and
Youth,
and
two
Committees
of
this
house
have
tasked
this
government
with
updating
the
mental
health
act.
The
most
recent
recommended
a
comprehensive
review
within
six
months
of
the
report's
release.
That
was
the
health
committee,
meaning
Monday
May
1st
of
this
year.
G
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker
and
again
I'm
I
I'm
grateful
for
the
members
question
and
for
the
advocacy
and
for
all
of
the
work
that
has
been
done
by
the
select
standing
committee
by
experts
by
all
of
the
the
the
clinicians
and
Advocates
out
in
community
and
in
our
health
authorities,
who
provide
input
who
provide
recommendations
around
work
that
we
know
is
necessary
to
do
in
terms
of
improving
how
how
people,
who
are
experiencing
mental
health,
disparate
distress
who
are
struggling
with
addictions,
are
receiving
care
in
our
Health
Care
system,
and
we
are
doing
the
work
to
make
improvements
across
the
system
we
have
brought
in
the
rights
advisor.
G
A
Is
enough
rallies
that
started
in
Nanaimo
over
a
year
ago
and
they're
happening
today
across
this
province
and
he's
present
in
the
gallery
today,
and
he
says
that
the
premier's
policies
have
quote
created
a
monster,
a
positive
feedback,
loop
of
addiction
and
suffering
end
quote
in
many
ways:
Nanaimo
has
become
ground
zero
for
the
crisis
plaguing
communities
across
this
province.
Violent
crime
has
more
than
doubled
in
that
community,
and
just
yesterday
a
popular
downtown
coffee
shop
has
had
its
Windows
smashed
and
it
was
the
seventh
time
it's
been
vandalized
in
just
one
month.
D
D
D
D
Thank
you.
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
It
is
this
government,
under
the
leadership
of
our
Premier
and
attorney
general,
when
he
was
attorney
general
that
went
to
Ottawa
and
we
put
on
the
table
we
put
on
the
agenda.
The
needs
the
need
to
make
changes
to
the
criminal
code
to
deal
with
the
unintended
consequences
of
the
changes
that
were
made
to
the
criminal
code
when
it
came
to
bail
reform.
D
Whether
it
was
Alberta
Saskatchewan,
Manitoba
Ontario,
we
were
all
on
the
same
page
honorable
speak,
and
we
made
it
clear
that
changes
need
to
be
made
and
we
received
a
commitment
from
the
federal
government
to
get
those
changes
so
that
we
have
an
expanded
definition
on
reverse
onus
so
that,
if
you're
using
a
weapon,
you
can
be
denied
bail.
If
you
have
a
History
of
Violence,
you
can
be
denied
Veil.
Honorable
speaker.
Those
are
changes
that
police
wanted
to
see.
Those
are
changes
that
we
ask,
for
those
are
changes
that
we're
going
to
get.
D
A
In
this
province,
failing
to
provide
the
direction
needed
by
the
courts
in
this
province-
and
enough
is
enough-
is
enough.
People
across
this
province
are
saying
enough.
Is
enough
Mr
Speaker
enough,
and
when
will
this
soft
on
Prime
Premier
end
is
Catch
and
Release
justice
system
at
the
rally
in
Penticton,
they
say
quote:
rampant
crime
has
left
us
feeling,
victimized
and
pervasive
evidence
of
homelessness
has
resulted
in
each
of
us
feeling,
hopeless
and
vulnerable.
Our
concerns
lie
in
the
total.
Lack
of
appropriate
and
successful
management.
Of
those
issues
by
the
government.
A
End
quote
is
the
community
that
the
premier
threatened
as
housing
minister.
He
bullied
the
community
saying
that
if
they
didn't
accept
his
plan
to
Warehouse
people
with
severe
mental
health
and
addictions,
issues
without
proper
supports
that
he
would
send
a
thousand
tents
and
sleeping
bags
to
create
a
tent
city.
D
Honorable
speaker
and
I
appreciate
the
the
question
from
from
the
member
right
from
day
one
this
Premier.
This
government
has
taken
Public
Safety
incredibly
seriously
from
putting
in
place
and
putting
in
place
the
very
tools
that
that
police
have
been
asking
for,
which
is
what
the
member
says.
We
need
to
do
right
from
day
one
we
put
in
place
the
the
witness
security
program
modeled
for
the
situation
here
in
British
Columbia.
That's
resulted
in
more
than
32
Cold
Case
convictions
of
individuals
being
charged
and
be
now
behind
bars
where
they
belong.
D
I
I
And,
let's
just
take
it
back
to
take
it
back
to
results,
we
have
more
overdose
deaths
than
ever
before.
In
the
province's
history,
we
have
more
people
on
the
streets
homeless
than
ever
before.
In
the
province's
history,
we
have
more
violent
random
attacks
taking
place
in
communities
right
across
this
province
than
ever
before.
We
have
40
percent
fewer
people
in
jail
today
under
this
government
than
when
they
came
to
office,
and
we
have
more
vandalism
and
crime
and
social
disorder
taking
place
all
over
British
Columbia
Mr
Speaker.
B
I
Actually
being
experienced
by
British
Columbians
now
Mr
Speaker
people
have
had
enough.
They've
had
enough
with
the
soft
on
Prime
premiers,
Catch
and
Release
policies.
They've
had
enough
of
the
premier's
deliberate
policy
to
Warehouse
people
without
supports
British
Columbians
have
had
enough
of
the
Premier
careening
British
Columbia
down
the
path
of
decriminalization
without
the
guardrails
that
were
promised.
British
Columbians
have
had
enough.
I
Just
yesterday,
Victoria
residents
at
the
local
Quadra
Heights
playground
were
accosted
by
two
people
who
proceeded
to
dig
out
a
crossbow
that
they
had
stashed
under
the
Merry-Go-Round
at
the
playground
and
I
quote,
we
thought
that
they
were
looking
for
lost
drugs,
but
no,
they
pulled
out
a
crossbow
I
couldn't
believe
it
I'm
still
shaken
up
by
it.
I
went
to
work
and
I
still
couldn't
calm
down,
so
I
came
home.
End
quote
Mr
Speaker.
This
happened
at
a
children's
playground.
I
Parents
and
families
expect
this
government
to
do
way
better
than
what
is
the
current
reality.
So
my
question
to
the
premier
is
this:
how
many
more
British
Columbians
need
to
be
put
at
risk
of
violence,
literally
endangered
in
their
neighborhoods,
in
parks,
in
playgrounds
and
stores?
On
transit
buses,
how
many
more
have
to
face
that
that
reality
before
this
soft
on
crime,
Premier
puts
an
end
to
his
failed
policies?
Does
his
jobs
and
gets
serious
about
prioritizing
the
safety
of
British
Columbia.
D
You,
honorable
speaker
and
I,
appreciate
the
the
question
from
November
and
everyone
deserves
to
to
be
safe
and
no
one
should
have
to
deal
with
the
situation
that
the
the
member
outlined
and
I
can
tell
the
honorable
member
that
the
two
individuals
that
dug
up
that
that
weapon
were
in
fact
arrested
by
the
police
and
I
and
I
hope
and
I
hope
that
they
are
charged
honorable
speaker,
I've
also
outlined
the
actions
that
this
government
is
taking
by
working
with
police
working
with
communities
working
with
the
federal
government
and
I
want
to
remind
that
member,
because
he
was
a
cabinet
minister
at
one
time
that
the
criminal
code
is
not
a
policy.
D
That's
not
a
policy,
that's
a
fact,
honorable
speaker
and
what
I
can
tell
you
is
that
we've
needed
changes
to
that
criminal
code,
and
it
is
this
side
of
the
house
that
is
pushed
to
get
those
changes
and
a
commitment
from
the
federal
government
to
change
it
so
that
those
kinds
of
individuals
can
be
held.
Honorable
speaker.
D
D
What
did
that
member
and
his
colleagues
think
when
they
sat
on
this
side
of
the
house
and
cut
187
and
a
half
billion
dollars
from
Child
and
Family
Protection
or
thirty
four
and
a
half
million
dollars
from
youth,
Justice
youth
services
and
Youth
and
Child
mental
health?
Honorable
speakers,
schools
were
Cuts.
Those
were
cut
vulnerable
speaker.
That
tape
has
consequences
down
the
road.
Honorable
speaker
this.