►
From YouTube: MARCH 30 2023 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
42nd Parliament
A
B
You
Mr
Speaker,
well,
small
businesses
in
British
Columbia
are
literally
caught
in
the
crossfire
of
the
brutal
violence
and
random
attacks
enabled
by
the
soft
on
crime,
premier's
catch
and
release
system,
Sandeep
Alexander,
for
example,
owner
of
the
festival
Cafe
has
faced
Relentless,
vandalism,
theft
and
even
threats
to
his
staff.
He
says
and
I
quote
almost
every
other
day
we
have
people
walking
in
threatening
our
staff,
taking
money,
iPads
being
stolen
and
multiple
encounters
of
vandalism.
B
D
You,
honorable
speaker
and
I,
appreciate
the
question
from
the
member
and
all
of
us
share
the
concerns
around
the
issues
that
the
opposition
has
raised
and
that
we
hear
about,
but
I
want
to
make
it
clear.
Everyone
deserves
to
feel
safe
in
their
communities.
That's
why
we've
taken
the
initiatives
and
the
actions
that
we
have
done
in
terms
of
increasing
resources,
that
police
have
asked
for
to
be
able
to
deal
with
the
situation
that
they're
facing
that
the
men
and
women
who
do
an
incredible
job
in
terms
of
law
enforcement.
D
Our
communities
right
across
this
province,
putting
in
place
the
the
tools
that
they
have
required,
whether
it's
ensuring
that
we
get
changes
done
in
terms
of
the
criminal
code,
whether
it's
ensuring
that
we
get
changes
in
terms
of
the
way
in
which
calls
are
dealt
with
through
the
expansion
of
car
programs
to
deal
with
mental
health,
calls
the
peer-assisted
care
teams
which
we
piloted
on
the
North,
Shore
and
U.S
Minster,
and
have
proved
it
to
be
extremely
successful
and
are
going
to
go
out
across
the
province
specialized
teams
of
police
prosecutors
and
and
probation
officers
and
correction
officials
to
be
able
to
deal
with
people
that
police
have
identified
before
they
get
to
the
justice
system
or
after
they
get
to
the
justice
system.
D
All
initiatives
the
police
have
requested
to
to
be
able
to
that
they
can
do
the
job
that
they
need
to
do.
Honorable
speaker,
we
take
this
very
seriously
other
initiatives.
Today's
legislation
that
has
been
tabled,
part
and
Par
of
the
of
that
work.
Honorable
speaker,
we've
done
a
lot,
there's
more
to
do
and
we
will
continue
to
do
it.
B
Well,
thank
you
to
the
minister
for
that
response
and
I
would
ask
him
to
take
just
a
moment
and
stop
and
reflect
on
how
absolutely
terrifying
it
would
be
to
be
working
in
a
dollar
store
or
convenience
store
or
a
cafe
and
have
someone
who
is
armed,
walk
in
and
either
threaten
or
actually
physically
assault
that
person.
It
is
terrifying
and
it
is
happening
everywhere,
and
it
is
because
we
have
a
soft
on
crime
Premier
who
has
a
catch
and
release
policy
in
place.
B
Let's
hear
from
John
neat
who
runs
JJ
bean
coffee
because
he's
speaking
up
as
well,
here's
what
he
had
to
say.
You
go
down:
Columbia,
Street
and
Hastings,
and
people
are
shooting
up
right
in
front
of
you.
Don't
even
care
it's
happening
everywhere
in
every
alley.
Every
door,
every
storefront
and
crime
is
worse
than
it
has
ever
been,
not
my
words.
B
The
words
of
John
neat,
desperate
businesses
are
begging
for
support
to
help
mitigate
the
devastating
impacts
of
of
vandalism
and
property
crime,
and
yet
the
premier
and
again
today,
this
Minister
simply
ignore
their
pleas
for
help.
So
how
many
more
people
need
to
be
hurt
and
how
many
more
businesses?
The
question
is
about
mitigation
to
support
businesses
in
British
Columbia.
How
many
more
of
them
need
to
close
before
this
random
violence
and
vandalism
stops.
D
And
I
know
honorable
speaker,
the
opposition
wants
to
dismiss
initiatives
such
as
230
million
dollars
for
RCMP
in
small
and
Rural
communities
that
will
help
ensure
that
enforcement
takes
place
in
those
communities
that
she's
talking
about
the
opposition
wants
to
ignore.
The
initiatives
in
terms
of
mental
health
supports
in
terms
of
housing
supports
that
those
with
mental
health
who
commit
who
are
committing
some
of
the
challenges
or
committing
some
of
the
crimes
that
we've
seen
in
communities
across
this
products
that
she
talks
about,
that
they
get
to
help
and
are
off
the
streets.
D
They
can
try
and
dismiss
the
fact,
the
expansion
of
the
car
programs,
which
is
something
that
they
called
for
honorable
speaker,
which
is
put
in
place
where
action
was
taken
by
this
government
and
you
call
for
it
to
be
expanded
and
that's
exactly
what
we've
done.
Honorable
speaker,
those
are
actions
and
initiatives.
D
New
initiatives,
such
as
the
peer
assisted
care
teams,
which
have
been
piloted,
seem
to
be
a
success,
and
now
we
want
to
take
it
out
across
the
province.
Unlike
the
last
time
when
you
sat
on
this
side
of
the
house,
there
was
an
effective
pilot
program,
a
repeat
offender
Management
program,
you
canceled
it
on
levels.
E
But
let's
be
clear:
Mr
Speaker
the
initiatives
after
initiatives
after
initiatives
over
the
past
six
years
for
this
Premier
are
not
working.
The
Prem
risk
catch
and
release
system
is
failing.
Violent
random
attacks
have
never
been
worse
in
British
Columbia
than
they
are
right.
Now,
under
this
soft
on
crime,
premium,
serious
results
involving
weapons
or
bodily
harm
in
Vancouver
are
up
over
30
percent
compared
to
the
2017-2019
average.
Yesterday,
the
VPD
announced
that,
despite
arresting
over
200
people
with
4
700
previous
convictions,
combined
many
were
on
the
streets
right
back
out
on
the
streets.
E
F
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker
and
I
want
to
thank
the
member
for
raising
this
very
important
issue.
Everyone
deserves
to
feel
safe
in
their
communities
and
when
we
hear
about
the
violence
in
our
streets,
we
know
we
have
to
take
action
and
that's
exactly
why
we're
taking
the
actions
that
we're
taking
Mr
Speaker.
It's
exactly
why
we
went
to
Ottawa
to
ask
for
changes
to
the
criminal
code,
specifically
around
repeat
violent
offenders,
so
we
had
better
Tools
in
our
justice
system
to
keep
them
off
our
streets.
F
E
C
E
I,
don't
know
what
the
member
or
opposite
was
referring
to,
but
I
know
that
every
member
here
in
this
house,
with
our
daughters
like
mine,
who
work
in
downtown
Vancouver
blocks
away
from
where
that
deadly
stamming
occurred
on
Sunday
young
people
who
go
to
work
every
day
in
downtown
Vancouver.
Her
co-workers
are
friends
who
don't
feel
safe
and
I
know.
Each
member
in
this
house
recognizes
what
it
means
when
your
children
or
your
spouse
or
your
your
parent
is
walking
in
the
neighborhoods,
where
they
don't
feel
safe
anymore
and
that's
what
it
feels
like.
E
E
Twenty
percent
of
well-established
Legacy
businesses
that
have
been
part
of
the
community
for
Generations
have
permanently
closed.
Just
in
the
past
five
years.
Under
this
NDP
government
next
month,
Kent's
Kitchen
will
join
the
growing
list
of
closures,
including
Goldstone
Bakery,
on
Kiefer
Street
and
mitzi's
on
Pender
Street.
F
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker.
Everyone
deserves
to
feel
safe
in
their
communities.
Women
walking
down
the
street
people
in
their
businesses,
and
we
know-
and
we
I
want
to
send
a
message
to
all
those
businesses
and
those
people
that
are
feeling
unsafe,
that
their
government
is
taking
the
actions
necessary
to
make
the
situation
better.
F
This
is
an
issue
that
I
know.
We
joined
ministers
across
this
country
to
sit
down
with
the
federal
government
to
talk
about
what
we're
all
experiencing
in
cities
across
this
country,
which
is
an
increase
in
violence
in
Ontario.
They
talked
about
gun
violence
in
Manitoba.
It
was
bear
spray,
and
here
we
talked
about
our
issues
and
we
called
upon
the
federal
government
to
make
the
changes
necessary
to
the
bail
policy.
F
So
we
had
better
Tools
in
our
system
for
repeat
violent
offenders,
I'm
pleased
that
we
have
a
commitment
that
they
said
they
would
make
those
changes
this
spring
and
we'll
be
watching
to
make
sure
that
they
happen
and,
in
the
meantime,
we'll
continue
to
invest
in
the
programs
and
work
with
our
communities
to
make
the
situation
better.
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,.
G
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
the
motney
play
in
northeastern
British
Columbia
is
the
largest
potential
greenhouse
gas
emission
Source
in
Canada
and
the
sixth
largest
in
the
world.
While
the
government
rhetoric
promotes
LNG
as
clean,
we
can't
escape
reality.
Exploiting
these
fossil
fuels
is
contributing
to
catastrophic
climate
change.
Mr
Speaker.
By
approving
new
LNG
projects,
the
BC
NDP,
is
locking
our
province
into
a
fossil
fuel
economy
for
decades.
G
The
impacts
of
these
choices
will
be
far-reaching,
including
the
Upstream
emissions
increased
by
fracking
fracking
emits
large
amounts
of
methane,
which
is
85
times
more
potent
than
carbon
dioxide.
Fracking
is
water,
intensive
causes,
earthquakes,
poisons
groundwater
and
is
linked
to
rare,
Cancers
and
serious
health
problems.
G
H
The
purpose
of
the
framework
is
to
create
a
context
in
which
British
Columbians
can
be
assured
that
we
will
be
on
track
to
meet
our
legislative
emission
reduction
targets
as
part
of
our
clean
BC
plan
and
to
meet
our
oil
and
gas
sectoral
Target
by
working
with
industry
and
Indigenous
Nations
to
put
in
place
a
regulatory
cap
on
emissions
from
the
oil
and
gas
sector.
There
are
a
variety
of
means
that
will
be
used
to
meet
that
cap.
H
There
are
other
factors
in
play
with
respect
to
the
montney,
the
recent
agreement
with
the
blueberry
River
First
Nation,
to
limit
disturbance,
all
of
which
is
going
to
lead
to
concentrated
work
by
industry
by
government
by
First
Nations
to
ensure
that
we
are
on
track
to
meet
our
targets.
While
we
also
focus
on
building
a
strong
economy
that
will
include
clean
energy
opportunities
in
different
places
in
British
Columbia,
that
will
benefit
indigenous
Nations.
H
G
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
and
the
minister
knows
that
the
energy
action
framework
doesn't
do
anything
for
the
increased
threat
of
earthquakes,
The,
increased
poison,
groundwater,
The,
increased
poisonous
and
toxic
tailings
ponds,
and
so
that
that
is
really
the
future
of
the
Northeast
in
our
Province.
Remember
last
fall
when
the
premier
said
that
new
fossil
fuel
infrastructure
is
not
compatible
with
meeting
our
climate
targets
for
decades.
G
This
bcndp
government
has
promised
to
be
one
thing
and
then
they've
showed
British
Columbians,
that
they
are
another
on
one
hand,
approving
more
LNG
and
more
fracking
and,
on
the
other
hand,
creating
a
framework
to
reduce
emissions
that
we
just
heard
about
from
the
minister.
There
was
no
LNG
industry
in
this
province
until
this
BC
NDP
government
created
and
subsidized
it
and
the
best
way
to
deal
with
emissions.
As
we
all
know,
Mr
Speaker
is
to
not
create
them.
G
In
the
first
place,
new
poll
shows
that
British
Columbians
overwhelmingly
prefer
government
to
focus
on
developing
renewable
energy
over
LNG.
Instead,
the
bcndp
has
chosen
more
methane
emissions,
more
fracked
gas,
Wells,
more
polluted
water,
more
poisonous
tailings
ponds,
more
pipelines
more
RCMP
rates.
My
question
is
to
the
minister
of
energy
mines
and
low
carbon
Innovation.
When
will
fracking
end
in
this
province.
H
You
very
much
honorable
speaker,
I,
think
what
the
the
member
opposite
is
trying
to
to
do
is
take
his
focus,
a
justifiable
focus
on
meeting
our
climate
targets
and
reducing
emissions
and
making
it
a
completely
binary.
Choice
like
there's
a
light
switch.
We
can
flick
today
and
move
to
a
new
energy
reality.
It
is
a
transition.
We
are
engaging
in
that
in
that
transition.
We
are
doing
it
through
a
number
of
mechanisms
that
included
the
announcements
from
a
little
over
two
weeks
ago.
H
The
new
energy
action
framework
is
a
way
to
meet
both
our
climate
commitments
and
and
build
a
healthy,
clean
energy
economy
that
is
growing
around
the
world
and
that
we
want
to
be
on
the
Leading
Edge
of
let
me
simply
close
by
quoting
the
professor
at
the
school
of
Earth
and
ocean
Sciences
at
the
University
of
Victoria
Andrew
Weaver
BC
is
leading
the
way
with
a
new
enhanced
energy
framework,
a
bold
plan
that
will
drive
down
emissions
and
build
new
opportunities
in
the
clean
economy
sector.
H
J
To
save
their
help
to
save
their
lives,
to
take
care
of
their
loved
ones
to
take
care
of
one
another
to
help
us
deal
with
a
global
pandemic,
that's
affected
every
one
of
our
Lives
honorable
speaker.
It
is
true
that
there
are
at
present
more
than
a
million
people
who
haven't
taken
their
bivalent
shot,
I
encourage
them.
There
are
appointments
available
today
and
I
encourage
them
to
do
so.
J
The
reason
we
get
vaccinated
is
to
love
one
another
and
to
express
that
love
by
taking
actions
to
protect
ourselves
and
to
protect
our
loved
ones.
I'm
very
proud
of
the
vaccine
campaign
and
I
encourage
everyone
who
hasn't
got
their
first
shot
to
get
their
first
shot.
I
haven't
got
their
second
shot
to
get
their
second
shot,
who
hasn't
got
their
third
shot
to
be
at
their
third
shot,
get
their
bivalent
vaccine
today.
I
I
It
is
now
being
almost
two
years
since
the
original
series
of
coveted
vaccine
shots
were
administered
to
health
care
workers.
In
BC.
From
my
discussion
with
nurses,
approximately
75
percent
of
the
nurses
in
the
north
and
60
provincially
have
not
received
a
third
booster
shot
according
to
the
federal
Minister.
This
means
those
nurses
are
essentially
the
equivalent
of
unvaccinated
health
care.
Workers
BC
is
facing
a
health
care
crisis.
Nurses
are
being
burnt
out
working
far
too
many
overtime
shifts,
hospitals
are
providing
minimal,
nursing
coverage.
Emergency
rooms
are
continuously
on
diversion
health
care.
I
J
Of
Health,
thank
you
very
much,
honorable
speaker.
As
always
honorable
speaker
in
the
in
in
responding
to
the
covid-19
pandemic.
We
rely
on
the
science
and
on
issues
of
vaccination
we
rely
on
public
health.
The
ordering
question
is
a
provincial
Health
order.
It's
one
that
I
support,
but
it's
a
provincial
Health
order.
99
plus
a
BC
health
care
workers
got
vaccinated.
Honorable
speaker.
J
A
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker.
Every
day
we
see
the
terrible
consequence
of
people
with
severe
mental
health
and
addiction
issues
not
receiving
the
help
that
they
desperately
need.
The
Riverview
lands
have
long
been
recognized
as
a
potential
site
for
healing
the
fact,
a
premier
or
a
fact
the
premier
himself
admitted
in
2021,
saying
quote:
it
has
the
potential
to
touch
many
more
lives
through
delivery
of
more
mental
Services
mental
health
services.
End
quote
yet.
Two
years
have
now
passed
and
BC
housing
has
now
shockingly
confirmed
that
there
are
zero
plans
to
realize
that
potential.
A
In
fact,
without
any
public
notice,
it
work
on
Riverview
abruptly
stopped
in
January,
and
there
isn't
even
a
timeline
for
resuming
work.
Riverview
is
stalled.
Bc
housing
is
a
complete
disaster,
given
the
terrible
costs
of
this
failure.
Why
is
the
Premier
accomplished
absolutely
nothing
in
two
years
to
address
the
mental
health
and
addiction
crisis
by
using
the
lands
at
Riverview.
K
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker.
There
are
so
many
things
in
that
statement
that
are
factually
incorrect.
Honorable
speaker,
I,
don't
know
where
to
start,
but
I
will
say
this
honor
speaker
it's.
What
is
understood
is
that
when
the
previous
government
shut
down
Riverview
that
there
were
not
enough
supports
built
in
communities
to
support
people
that
needed
it,
that
honorable
speaker
is
a
fact
honor
speaker.
K
We
are
right
now
in
discussions
with
quick
illumination,
it's
what's
a
what's
vitally
important
in
those
negotiations
is
that
we
don't
go
in
there
and
say
here's
our
plan
come
on
to
our
plan.
What's
vitally
important,
part
of
those
discussions
is
saying:
let's
sit
down
to
the
table
and
build
those
plans
together,
and
so
the
interview
props,
the
members
are
talking
about.
K
I
had
made
that
clear
to
the
member
to
the
reporter
as
well
that
we
are
in
conversations
with
with
the
corporate
elimination,
where
conversations
with
them
about
what
the
future
of
that
site
can
look
like.
They
are
in
an
election
right
now.
That's
why
there's
a
pause,
because
we
want
to
let
their
election
process
happen
once
the
election
process
is
over.
We
will
continue
that
conversation.
L
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker.
What
is
clear
is
BC.
Housing
is
in
complete
disarray
and
they
seem
to
go
out
of
their
way
to
have
a
lot
of
secrecy
around
their
operations.
In
fact,
we
have
a
forensic
audit.
That's
now
been
sitting
for
upwards
of
three
weeks
on
the
government
books.
The
premier
has
the
power
to
release
the
forensic
audit
immediately
as
the
Freedom
of
Information
Act
makes
it
very
clear
under
section
25.
He
has
that
power.
K
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
the
premier
earlier
this
week
made
it
clear.
I
certainly
have
made
it
clear
that
Our
intention
is
to
have
that
report
released
with
as
little
reduction
as
legally
possible.
I
have
read
the
report,
I
believe
it's
in
the
public
interest.
Right
now
we
are
following
the
process
that
needs
to
be
frost
followed,
which
is
notifying
any
entities
that
may
be
named
to
give
them
the
right
to
be
able
to
see
the
contents
where
they're
named
once
that
is
done.
C
M
For
Abbotsford
West
thanks
honorable
chair
what
what
we
have
and
what
the
government
teams
to
refuse
to
want
to
acknowledge
is
an
absolute
mess
out
there.
We've
got
a
growing
state
of
lawlessness.
We've
got
people
who
are
terrified
to
go
out
in
the
streets
in
their
own
Community.
We've
got
businesses
that
are
being
forced
to
close
because
of
the
escalating
rate
of
violent
crime
where
they
operate.
What
we?
M
What
we
also
know
is
that
when
it
comes
to
releasing
reports
and
information
that
accurately
reflect
the
negative
results
of
the
premier's
failed
policies,
he
has
a
marked
preference
for
finding
times
when
he
thinks
the
least
number
of
people
might
be
paying
attention.
So
let
me
ask
this
Minister.
Insists
that
the
report's
coming
well,
which
holiday
long
weekend
is
he
going
to
release
it
on?
M
Is
it
maybe
he'll
drop
it
on
the
weekend,
everyone's
heading
off
to
the
campground
in
Victoria
Day,
or
maybe
the
government
hopes
that
maybe
the
government
hopes
that
the
the
noise
from
the
Canada
Day
parades
will
drown
out.
The
criticism
that
undoubtedly
exists
within
that
forensic
audit,
Mr,
Speaker
or
or
who
knows
maybe
they'll
declare
a
new
statutory
holiday
called
take
out
the
garbage
day,
Mr
Speaker
Mr
Speaker.
M
K
Thank
you
speaker.
We
will
take
no
lessons
from
that
side
about
releasing
reports.
They
have
zero
credibility
on
the
topic,
honorable
speaker
and
what
I
have
said,
I'll
repeat
again,
which
is
I've
read
the
report.
I
believe
it's
in
the
public
interest.
We
are
following
the
normal
processes
that
are
needed
and
we
will
be
releasing
it.