In the 30 minutes I had in Budget Estimates 2023 with new Minister Hon. Lana Popham, I asked about support for the tourism industry, museum storage of sacred Indigenous cultural items, support for music festivals, and involvement in the Belleville terminal upgrade in Victoria's Inner Harbour. [Transcript] A. Olsen:...
And, the BC NDP year-end spending spree continues. In a contrast to the billion dollars of one-time funding for local governments, Hon. Nathan Cullen, Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship Minister is using the funds allocated to his Ministry to create a legacy. The Watershed Security Fund, to be managed in a...
The BC NDP continues to furiously spend the multi-billion dollar surplus before March 31st. In supplementary budget estimates I had a few minutes to ask questions about the decision of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to distribute $1 billion to the Growing Communities Fund to support the priorities of the188 local...
Last week the BC NDP government announced an investment of $500 million as an interim measure to keeping ferry fares affordable for BC Ferries users. This will greatly assist my constituents of Saanich North and the Islands who live, work, and recreate on the Saanich Peninsula and Southern Gulf Islands! I have heard...
In Supplementary Estimates for the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, we are debating how Minister Murray Rankin is spending $75,000,000 of extra funding allocated from the Finance Minister. I don't dispute that the six agreements Minister Rankin chose to expediate are worthy. Indeed, it is likely...
With my part of the 60 minutes that was available to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Health, I had a limited opportunity to canvass important topics. In this session, I asked Minister Adrian Dix about the work being done to implement the recommendations of the In Plain Sight report on racism in the...
With my part of the 60 minutes that was available to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Transportation and Infrastructure, I had a limited opportunity to canvass a couple of important topics. In this session, I asked Minister Rob Fleming about the dumping of scrubber wash water, grey and black water from...
Our budget estimates exchange with Minister Katrine Conroy was frustrating. Sonia Furstenau and I have been questioning Minister Conroy in Question Period for months now and attempted to use the time in estimates to dig into the issues a little deeper. Unfortunately, the pace was dreadfully slow. During our time we...
Housing prices are skyrocketing in British Columbia and across the country and it continues to be a challenging policy issue for all orders of government. In budget estimates for the Ministry of Finance I asked Hon. Selina Robinson about her approach to balancing the supply and demand policy measures that are needed...
Over the past few months tensions have been building in the forests on Southern Vancouver Island and across British Columbia. In responses in Question Period and media availabilities, Premier John Horgan has on more than one occasion asserted Indigenous sovereignty, rights and title. In the past, sovereignty, rights...
With one hour available to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation I had a limited opportunity to canvass a couple of important topics. In this session I asked Minister Bruce Ralston about cost estimates for Site C and the viability of LNG and LNG Canada. View the video. Starting at 4:21pm. (Access time...
With 30 minutes available to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Citizens Services I had a limited opportunity to canvass a couple of important topics. In this session I asked Minister Lisa Beare about supporting Indigenous business owners ability to name their businesses using traditional names, genuine progress indicators, broadband...
With 30 minutes available to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Municipal Affairs I had a limited opportunity to canvass a variety of topic. To that end, in this session I asked Minister Josie Osborne about her decision to unilaterally cut the $8.4 million Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program. This program was a revenue neutral...
With one hour and twenty minutes available to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation it provided an excellent opportunity to have a detailed exchange on a variety of important topics. In this session I asked Minister Murray Rankin about the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act action...
With only 30 minutes allocated to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Advanced Education & Skills Training it was difficult to dig into any topic to the level of detail that I would like. In this session I shared the time with my colleague Sonia Furstenau. For the time I had available to me I asked Minister Anne Kang about facilitating...
With only 30 minutes allocated to the BC Green Caucus for Budget Estimates in Tourism, Arts and Culture it was difficult to dig into any topic to the level of detail that I would like. I'll certainly be following up with Minister Melanie Mark on the issues I raised. In this session I ask questions about why the provincial government does not have...
My work in budget estimates wrapped up with questions to Hon. Carole James (Minister of Finance).My B.C. Green Caucus colleague Sonia Furstenau canvassed issues relating to COVID-19. In the time I had allotted to me I asked about the decision to delay the 2020 scheduled increase of the carbon tax and if September 30th is still the target date...
The B.C. Green Caucus had one hour in budget estimates with Minister Doug Donaldson (Forests, Lands, Natural Resources and Rural Development). It is a massive Ministry with responsibility for many aspects of our province. My colleague Sonia Furstenau and I have spent a lot of time over the past few years asking about the BC NDP's plans for...
This coming fall the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act will be convening to look at the decades old British Columbia Police Act. This is important work and I am thankful to be able to participate on this special committee.In this session of budget estimates I ask Minister Mike Farnworth about a few policing issues including...
In this round of budget estimates I had a brief opportunity to inquire with the Minister of Health, Hon. Adrian Dix, about an on-going healthcare challenge on the Saanich Peninsula and across the province - a lack of access to primary care or as many know it, a shortage of family doctors. Since the 2017 election the provincial government has been...
For Budget Estimates in Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness I canvassed a variety of issues in the 45 minutes I had with Minister Michelle Mungall. We covered a number of areas of provincial concern such as resilient supply chains, local manufacturing, focus on stimulus investments, employing youth, economic transitions, general...
The whirlwind tour through Budget Estimates continued with questions to Hon. Scott Fraser (Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation). With so many important issues and such limited time it's a difficult decision determining what I ask and what is left for another time. In this session I ask Minister Fraser how his Ministry is engaged...
COVID-19 has uncovered many existential risks in our society and economy. One significant area of concern raised by my constituents and British Columbians from across the province is our food supply. There is a strong desire that we double down on the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that British Columbians have access to...
The BC Green Caucus was up in Budget Estimates with Hon. Bruce Ralston (Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources) this week. My colleague Sonia Furstenau and I asked Minister Ralston questions in a number of areas including BC Hydro, Site C, mining and LNG. The transcript below begins with Sonia's final question to Minister Ralston about...
In this session of budget estimates I continue my work from earlier in the week to draw attention to the ongoing struggles of the tourism industry. In Question Period (Monday), I asked Minister Lisa Beare about her plans for supporting tourism operators over the next 18-24 months. In my Statement (Wednesday), I highlighted how as an MLA I lean on...
I appreciate the brief opportunity to honour the powerful work of community advocates I have met with several times by asking Hon. Shane Simpson (Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction) in Budget Estimates about potential accessibility and inclusion legislation. It's my preference to be discussing the actual legislation this Spring,...