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From YouTube: FEB 23 2023 Question Period
Description
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
4th Session
42nd Parliament
C
C
D
I,
thank
you
for
I
thank
the
member
for
the
question
and,
of
course,
he
leaves
out
many
important
facts
strongest
economy
in
the
country.
He
forgot
to
have
mentioned
that.
D
As
long
as
population
growth,
people
are
coming
from
all
across
the
country
from
different
parts
of
the
world
to
make
British
Columbia
home
because
they
know
this
is
a
place
of
opportunity.
They're,
seeing
the
Investments
we're
making
in
people
here.
Honorable
speaker,
they
see
the
Investments
we're
making
in
things
like
child
care,
which
has
ensured
that
we
are
now
leading
the
country
and
having
the
most
amount
of
women
being
employed
into
the
labor
market.
D
Honorable
speaker
years
of
under
investment
years
of
under
investment,
have
created
many
challenges
in
our
in
our
Province
and
we're
making
the
Investments
to
support
people
now
and
into
the
future.
C
C
C
Now,
instead
of
results,
we've
we've
seen
what
we
call
the
housing
flood
and
families
like
Stephen
and
Tara
are
paying
the
price
Stephen
and
Tara,
and
their
children
are
barely
surviving
in
a
toxic
leaky
and
poorly
insulated
two-bedroom
mobile
home.
Their
daughter
must
use
the
dining
room
as
a
bedroom
and
they're
Sur
and
they've,
surrounded
it
by
curtains
to
create
a
makeshift
third
room.
C
67
of
their
income
goes
towards
the
rent
and
they're
constantly
battling
black
mold
caused
by
the
Leaky
mobile
home,
and
yet
when
this
Merit
family
turned
to
the
BC
housing
flub
for
help,
instead
of
help
the
premier's,
affordable
housing
project
prioritize
subsidizing,
Airbnb
rentals
in
Merit
over
the
basic
needs
of
struggling
families
like
Tara
and
Steven.
One
can
imagine
how
those
announcements
they
keep
hearing
ring
Hollow
for
couples
like
Steven
and
Tara.
What
does
this
housing
Minister
have
to
say
to
them
period?.
D
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
we
know
that
there's
a
challenge
with
housing,
affordable,
housing
across
the
province
and
the
members
should
know
that
we
are
seeing
record
numbers
of
rental
starts
in
British
Columbia
right
now.
We
know
that
we
need
more
Investments
into
housing.
That's
why
we've
been
urging
the
federal
government
to
get
into
the
game
to
join
us
join
our
record
amount
of
Investments
but
honor
speaker
for
the
member
to
stand
up
now
and
and
to
suggest
that
this
problem
has
just
arrived.
D
D
Truth
hurts
honorable
speaker,
the
truth,
hurts
and-
and
you
know,
I'm
sure
the
member
has
lots
of
other
questions
and
I'm
happy
to
answer
them.
But
you
know
the
problem
we
have
now
and
if
you
talk
to
housing
experts,
they
will
tell
you
that
it's
Decades
of
under
investment
in
housing
and
British
Columbia
we're.
F
F
Now
the
premier's
housing
flub
is
harming
families
when
Victoria
Walsh
was
expecting
a
child.
The
last
thing
she
expected
was
a
crippling
20
percent
hike
in
rent,
but
that
is
exactly
what's
happened
under
this
NDP
government
Victoria
is
outraged
and
I
quote
my
baby
shouldn't
be
treated
like
a
roommate
and
I
feel
it's
very
unfair.
20
is
just
not
a
reasonable
increase.
It's
way
too
much.
F
B
D
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
and
certainly
I,
can
imagine
how
stressful
that
is
for
that
family
to
have
a
child
and
then
have
their
landlord
increase.
Their
rent
by
20
I
mean
I.
Think
we
all
in
this
house
can
agree
that
that
is
unacceptable
and
I
certainly
hope
that
that
landlord
considers
their
actions,
because
that's
not
what
the
Tennessee
Act
was
designed
to
do
is
certainly
the
same
as
as
when
the
opposition
was
in
this
on
this
side
of
the
house,
nothing
has
changed
their
honorable
speaker.
D
This
is
the
case
where
I
think
the
landlord
should
do
the
right
thing
and
ensure
that
the
the
contract
that's
in
place
is
targeted
to
the
people
that
it's
supposed
to
be
targeted
to
and
not
to
young
families.
F
F
And
the
premier
should
not
have
actually
found
this
strange
because
it
was
when
he
was
housing
Minister.
The
exact
same
thing
happened
to
another
young
family
where
their
rent
was
hiked
when
their
daughter
was
born
a
year
ago.
Back
then,
the
response
from
the
then
housing
Minister
was
quote.
F
It
seems
bizarre
end
quote
so
how
clueless
and
ineffectual
that
this
is
just
as
lost
today
now
Patrick
Marston
has
called
the
now
Premier
to
take
action
back
in
March
of
2022,
and
today
he
says,
quote:
I
basically
got
a
form
letter
back
from
the
then
Minister.
Now
the
premier
and
saw
no
action,
end
quote
so
when
a
major
housing
slub,
just
like
with
newborn
children,
causing
families
to
be
evicted
from
stratas,
the
premier
is
making
life
even
worse
for
struggling
families
with
rent
rentals,
so
Mr
speaker.
D
Thank
you,
honorable,
speaker
and
again,
I
know
that
this
is
a
challenging
situation
for
this
family.
That
is
not
what
the
rental
tenancy
laws
in
this
place
are
supposed
to
be
about
they're
the
same
they're
they're,
the
same
they're,
the
same
laws
that
were
in
place
when
the
previous
government,
where
it
was
in
place
honorable
speaker
again,
remember.
B
D
Landlord
is
to
ensure
that
they
do
the
right
thing
and
support
the
people
that
are
living
in
that
unit
and
not
use
that
20
agreement,
private
agreement
that
they
had
in
place
for
the
wrong
purpose.
Honorable
speaker,
we
have
been
supporting
renters
in
historic
ways
on
this
side
of
the
house.
Central
speaker,
when
we
put
in
the
cops
to
ensure
rents,
can
be
not
increased
dramatically.
D
D
About
how
putting
the
caps
for
rent
increases
is
wrong
because
it's
going
to
hurt
the
private
sector
honorable
speaker,
he
was
talking
about
that.
So
I
just
don't
understand
the
line
of
questioning
today.
Honorable
speaker,
when
we've
taken
historic
steps
built,
we
got
14
000.
the
rental
units
being
built
this
year.
Honorable
speaker,
two
thousand
units
were
a
year
were
being
built
when
they
were
in
government.
D
We
have
14
000
Auto
speaker
and
the
member
also
made
an
assertion
that
the
units
are
that
somehow
units
are
being
displaced
when
we're
building
new
units-
honorable
speaker
just
for
student
housing
alone,
honorable
speaker,
he
says
here
we
go
because
he
knows
the
facts
already,
but
I'm
going
to
tell
again.
D
Honorable
speaker,
what
what
that
means
is
students
are
going
to
be
able
to
live
closer
to
campus,
which
means
that
they'll
be
able
to
save
some
money
from
Transportation
other
costs,
and
it
means
it
will
create
more
capacity
in
communities.
That's
just
one
step
honorable
speaker,
but
I'm
happy
to
talk
the
entire
question
period
on
this
topic.
Thank
you
because
it's
such
an
important
topic.
B
A
Thank
you.
Mr
Speaker,
on
Tuesday
I
asked
the
minister
responsible
for
economic
development,
whether
it
should
be
recapitalizing
the
island,
Coastal,
economic
trust
in
the
response
the
minister
appointed
to
a
33
million
dollar
re-dip,
or
the
rural
economic
diversification
and
infrastructure
program,
as
a
replacement
for
the
trust.
However,
I
think
the
minister
knows
that
this
is
a
false
equivalent.
The
re-dip
is
not
an
appropriate
replacement
for
the
iced
tea
and
I.
Think
the
minister
knows
it.
In
2006,
the
provincial
government
created
investment
tools
for
Regions
across
the
province.
A
The
southern
interior
region
received
692
million
dollars.
The
central
Northern
Region
received
287.5
million
dollars,
and
these
funds
were
designed
so
that
the
principal
was
never
touched.
However,
for
the
island
and
Coastal
communities,
they
put
50
million
dollars
into
a
trust
that
was
designed
to
be
a
sinking
fund.
The
redip
is
available
to
all
rural
communities
to
apply
across
the
province.
The
island
Coastal
communities
are
competing
against
those
rural
communities
that
also
have
access
to
money
from
their
Regional
trusts.
It's
inexplicable
that
the
minister
thinks
that
she's
provided
a
viable,
long-term,
sustainable
alternative.
A
G
Mr
member
opposite,
unfortunately,
you've
taken
my
words
out
of
context.
I,
certainly
wasn't
implying
a
replacement.
Economic
development
is
very,
very
important
to
this
government
and
very
important
to
my
Ministry,
and
there
are
many
different
ways
to
do.
Economic,
Development
and
I
pointed
to
Reddit
as
one
of
those
great
ways
one
of
those
opportunities,
one
of
a
number
of
supports
we're
putting
in
place
as
we
continue
to
ensure
that
there
are
good
jobs
available
everywhere
in
our
Province
Mr
Speaker.
That's
the
point
of
Reddit.
A
Mr
Speaker,
the
effect
of
mentioning
a
33
million
dollar
fund,
is
to
deflect
away
from
the
fact
that
this
government
has
dragged
its
heels
for
months
on
re-capitalizing,
the
island,
Coastal
economic
trust.
It
was
to
put
a
big
number
out
there
to
suggest
that
the
government
is
doing
something
to
support
these
communities
when,
in
fact,
the
thing
that
they
could
be
doing
is
following
through
on
the
comprehensive
environmental,
social
and
governance
investment
strategy,
a
25-year,
fully
costed
business
plan
with
detailed
financial
statements
that
was
provided
to
this
government
back
in
September
2022..
A
A
G
Thank
you
very
much.
Mr
Speaker
and
thank
you
to
the
member
for
the
question
and
positioning
me
is
somehow
anti.
This
fund
is
just
incorrect.
Mr
Speaker
these
folks
have
done
great
work
and
we
know
that
and
I've
heard
from
many
of
my
colleagues
about
the
important
work
of
this
fund.
The
reality
is,
they
bought
a
proposal
forward,
we're
doing
due
diligence
on
that
proposal
and
we're
working
with
them
right
now.
Mr
Speaker.
B
H
Hurting
families
the
families
feel
hopeless,
they
feel
trapped
in
abysmal
rental
situations
because
they
can't
afford
to
move
someplace
else.
I've
heard
from
Kristen
a
mother
with
her
two
young
children
who
lives
in
an
RV
park
without
any
protection
and
faces
constant
housing,
insecurity
and
from
Charlene
and
her
family,
who
are
at
constant
risk
of
homelessness
if
they're,
evicted
and
as
Charlene
puts
it
and
I
quote
it's
hard
to
constantly
feel
like
we're
nobodies,
and
we
have
no
help.
H
End
quote
the
seniors
and
single
mothers
reaching
out
to
my
office
every
day
deserve
better
than
the
premier's
housing
flub.
With
his
abysmal
record.
Can
the
premier
tell
Kristen
and
Charlene
and
their
families?
Why
has
he
hit
failed
to
deliver
the
results
that
they
desperately
need
and
what
they
deserve?.
D
D
I
can
share
with
the
member
that
I've
met
with
folks
who
have
highlighted
those
challenges
for
us.
My
colleagues,
from
across
on
this
side
across
the
aisle,
have
also
raised
this
issue.
We're
is
right
now
the
the
contracts
are
between
private
party
and
and
and
the
folks
that
are
staying
on
the
land
and
what
we've
heard
from
them
is
they
want
more
transparency
of
how
costs
go
up
and
how
they
can
plan
and
we're
going
to
continue
to
work
with
the
monologue,
but
we
know
that
there's
a
real
challenge.
D
Honorable
speaker
I've,
already
highlighted
the
fact
that
we
have
major
challenges.
We're
dealing
with.
We
have
right
now:
global
inflation.
We
have
high
interest
rates
going
up,
which
is
putting
a
real
Challenge
on
the
record
population
is
what
we
need.
We
need
people
coming
at
the
numbers
that
are
coming,
but
we
also
need
to
be
able
to
house
them
and
that's
what
I've
said
to
the
federal
government
as
well:
we're
making
historic
level
Investments.
One
billion
dollars
a
year
to
build
the
housing.
D
We
need
honorable
speaker
because
we
know
that
housing
is
needed,
honorable
speaker,
and
we
also
need
the
federal
government
to
come
in
and
I've
said
to
them.
We
don't
need
you
to
go
more
than
us.
We're
just
saying
match
us,
because
the
population
increase
needs
the
supports
to
be
able
to
be
successful
when
they
get
here
and
that's
what
we're
going
to
continue
to
do.
I
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker
doreen's,
another
person
from
Tumblr
Rich,
tired
of
the
premier's
housing
flub.
She
is
desperate
for
affordable
housing,
a
place
to
live,
but
Doreen
can't
find
affordable
place
to
rent
in
Tumbler
Ridge.
Despite
the
fact,
despite
the
fact
that
there
are
six
empty
BC
housing
units
in
that
town,
this
government
has
is
now
an
absentee
landlord
with
empty
homes,
rather
than
renting
the
properties
to
help
people
like
Doreen,
who
are
in
dire
need
of
housing,
but
unfortunately
Mr
Speaker.
It
gets
even
worse.
I
Bc
housing
has
now
said
due
to
the
lack
of
funding,
rather
than
renting
these
places
out.
They
have
applied
for
a
demolition
permit
for
all
of
the
BC
housing
units
in
Tumbler
Ridge
saying
they
can't
afford
to
keep
them
open,
they're,
going
to
tear
them
down,
taking
away
rental
possibilities
for
people
in
that
community.
So,
instead
of
building
the
affordable
housing,
that's
needed
they're,
actually
going
backwards.
Now
in
this
province
and
tearing
housing
down,
that's
going
to
help
people
in
my
region.
So
why
is
the
Premier
leaving
people
like
Doreen,
hopeless
and
actually
homeless?
D
You,
honorable
speaker
and
again
billion
dollars
a
year
investment
being
made
to
build
the
housing.
We
need.
D
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
I,
don't
know
if
you
go
Decades
of
under
investment
Decades
of
under
investment,
not
enough
investment
in
our
existing
housing
stock
to
make
sure
that
the
existing
Horizons
members.
D
D
Speaker,
the
the
member
raises
a
specific
issue
in
his
community
I'm
happy
to
talk
to
him
about
that
specific
issue
after
question
period.
J
B
J
J
J
This
senior's
been
registered
for
the
BC
housing
plan
for
two
years
and
exhausted
every
source
to
find
housing,
and
you
know
what
they
have
to
show
for
it.
Nothing
but
homelessness
and
no
hope
and
I
wish.
This
was
an
isolated
case,
but
nearly
10
000
seniors
are
on
waiting
lists
for
subsidized
housing
under
this
NDP
government
and
that's
a
50
increase
in
the
last
five
years.
D
Thank
you,
honorable,
speaker
and
I,
think
it
shouldn't
be
news
to
any
member
in
this
house
that,
coming
out
of
the
pandemic,
we've
seen
Global
inflation
we've
seen
higher
interest
rates,
just
put
pressure
on
not
only
Kelowna,
not
only
Victoria,
not
only
Delta
communities,
not
only
across
the
country
but
across
North
America.
This
is
an
issue,
that's
being
felt
everywhere.
That's
why
we're
making
the
historic
Investments
we're
making
that's
why
we
put
in
places
things
members.
D
Remember
the
leader
of
the
official
opposition
chooses
to
continue
to
Heckle
and,
and
he
fails
to
acknowledge
that
actions
such
as
bringing
the
speculation
tax
honorable
speaker
has
actually
helped
bring
20
000
units.
D
And
I
know
I
know,
I
know
he
opposes
that,
because
he
thinks
it's
unfair,
that
people
have
multiple
homes
and
they're,
not
renting
them
and
leaving
them
empty
and
leaving
them
empty.
When
people
like
the
members
issue,
they're
raised
in
Kelowna,
doesn't
have
a
place
to
live,
I
know
that
he
finds
that
unfair,
but
it
shows
who
he's
fighting
for
honorable
speaker.
D
We
have
thank
you
now,
my
friend
across
the
way
who
asked
this
question
should
know
that
we've
got
1300
units
that
we're
funding
in
Kelowna
1300
units
out
of
that
916
are
complete
and
we
have
almost
400
of
them
that
are
just
under
construction,
so
we're
making
those
Investments
we're
building
that
housing.
That's
been
needed
for
more
than
two
decades
honorable
speaker
and
yes,
we
are
behind
two
decades
of
under
investment.
D
K
K
K
The
housing
flood
program,
it's
been
pretty
good
for
Airbnb
and
their
investors,
not
so
good
if
you're
a
family
with
young
kids
trying
to
have
an
affordable
place
to
live,
that's
safe
over
1200
units
in
Burnaby
not
being
funded
by
BC
housing.
While
this
Premier
smacks
municipalities
over
the
head
for
not
doing
their
part
on
housing,
and
now
we
hear
that
in
Tumblr,
Rich
BC
housing
can't
even
figure
out
how
to
fund
six
or
seven
housing
units,
so
instead
they're
going
to
demolish
them
all
and
take
them
out
of
the
rental
pool.
K
K
Not
only
that
they
refuse
to
allow
that
audit
to
come
forward
to
the
Public
Accounts
committee,
so
it
can
be
properly
vetted
in
a
public
venue
and
have
BC
housing
acts.
Answer
actual
pointed
questions
about
it,
so
since
they
won't
allow
that
to
happen,
will
the
premier
actually
confirm
if
the
audit
is
actually
complete
or
not
because
it
wasn't
that
long
ago?
He
said
it
would
be
in
the
spring,
and
if
so,
when
is
the
date
it's
going
to
be
released
and
if
it's
not
done,
when
is
it
done.
D
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker
and
you
know,
I
find
this
line
of
questioning
interesting.
You
know
we
have
an
opposition
now
that
was
in
government
for
60
years.
Imagine
spilling
milk
and
then
asking
that
you
folks
that
come
in.
Why
has
it
been
cleaned
up
enough
already.
B
D
Thank
you,
honorable
speaker,
honorable
speaker.
As
I've
said,
we
have
got
a
housing
crisis.
We
know
that
honorable
speaker
we're
dealing
with
a
crisis
and
our
efforts
are
not
only
on
the
demand
side.
It's
also
on
the
supply
side.
Honor
speaker,
we
are
supporting
the
construction
of
thousands
of
homes
across
first
Columbia,
every
Community
across
this
province.
Honorable
speaker,
we're
also
taking
steps
to
address
demand.
I
know
when
The
Honorable,
the
member
across
the
way,
mentions
taxes.
Honorable
speaker.
D
When
they,
when
they
say
they
don't
like
toxins,
they
don't
like
the
increased
taxes.
They're
talking
about
the
speculation
tax
on
the
speaker,
it's
important
for
the
viewers
at
home
to
know
that
what
they
oppose
is
a
tax
that
ensures
that
people
who
have
multiple
homes
that
choose
not
to
leave
them
not
to
rent
them
and
leave
them
empty,
have
to
pay
an
additional
fees.
That's
increased
the
amount
of
units
by
20
000
units
in
British,
Columbia,
honorable
speaker,
so
we're
going
to
continue
to
invest
in
new
housing.
D
K
Thank
you,
Mr
Speaker,
well,
the
Finish
to
The
Minister's
answer.
There
sounds
exactly
like
the
scenario
his
leader,
the
premier,
was
doing
with
his
two
houses
for
his
family
for
work
purposes,
and
then
he
decided
to
sell
one
off
that
was
sitting
empty
right
before
the
speculation
tax
came
into
effect.
B
K
They've
already
acknowledged
in
their
Throne
speech
that
the
30-point
plan
for
housing
has
been
a
failure.
After
six
years,
it's
delivered
less
than
10
percent
of
the
housing
it
was
supposed
to
deliver.
This
is
the
government's
own
acknowledgment
and
the
minister
continues
continues
to
cite
student
housing
numbers
that
are
factually
incorrect,
Mr
Speaker.
So
the
question
to
the
minister,
given
that
in
Kamloops
alone
on
Thompson
Rivers
University,
there
was
a
dormitory
built
with
over
500
housing
units
in
it.
During
our
time
in
government,
and
the
minister
continues
to
insist.
I
K
D
Well,
honorable,
speaker
and
I
I,
don't
know
where
to
start
with
this
member,
but
I
will
say:
I
I
will
say
honorable
speaker,
they
want
numbers.
So
I'll
share
some
numbers
with
them.
We
have
10
times
the
housing
underway
by
this
province
and
when
they
were
a
government.
Honorable
speaker,
we
have
21
000
units,
honorable
speaker,
they're,
under
construction
right
now
and
honorable
speaker.
He
mentioned
the
the
student
housing
and
and
they
they
claim
they
built
more
than
130
of
student
housing.
I'd
love
to
see.
D
Again,
the
the
opposition
leader
continues
to
Heckle,
which
is
disappointing,
but
I
will
say
honorable
speaker,
we
know
that
there's
a
housing
crisis,
honorable
speakers.
D
Honorable
speaker,
we
know
that
there's
a
housing
crisis,
we
know
that
people
are
facing
challenges,
that's
why
we're
making
the
Investments
we're
in
making
rain
elements,
because
that's
why
we're
seeing
historic,
Monumental
units
being
built
across
this
province?
Honor
speaker,
we
are
putting
supports
in
to
support
people
through
this
challenging
time.
We're
going
to
continue
to
do
that.