Today I asked the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions for a detailed breakdown of how much of BC's health care budget is dedicated to mental and behavioural health care delivery. I also asked if the Minister agrees that increased mental health care would create better health outcomes and lower...
Today I asked the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development if he will introduce the promised reforms to Forests and Range Practices Act by this fall session. I also asked the Minister again if government will pause logging in old-growth ecosystems at the highest risk...
British Columbia has officially been in a public health emergency since April 2016 due to the opioid crisis that is devastating families and communities across the province. Since then more than 5600 British Columbians have died from an illicit drug overdose. It is both tragic and unacceptable....
Today I asked the Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development if the provincial government will pause harvesting in the highest risk ecosystems as they consult on an old growth forest strategy, and deliver supports for affected workers. I also asked what specific steps...
Today I asked the Minister of Environment when the provincial government will restore the scheduled carbon tax increase. A few months ago this government delayed, indefinitely, the next scheduled carbon tax increase. In the current economic context, this may be seen as a tough question, but it is now more than ever...
Over the past year there has been a growing crisis in skyrocketing insurance premiums for stratas. This has created a desperate situation for the more than 1.5 million British Columbians (30%) living in a strata building. People are fearful that the security of their homes is threatened and many are concerned if they...
Today in Question Period I asked the Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness if her ministry is developing a concrete proposal for how stimulus spending can enact this recommendation to use CleanBC as an economic driver in recovery that can also help us build greater resilience in local supply...
The training and experience I gained from working for a decade in the hospitality industry is an important part of my journey in community service. Today I acknowledged those years and raised my hands to the people who helped shape those experiences for me. In addition, in this time when the tourism and hospitality...
Today I asked the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture if the provincial government has a strategic, sector specific plan to support BC's tourism sector. Tourism operators across the province have been significantly impacted by the pandemic and a large increase in local tourism will not make up lost revenue....
Today I asked the Minister of Health why privately operated care homes are not obliged to make their audited financial statements available to the public, and when British Columbians can expect the government to implement a more transparent system. [Transcript] ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR FOR-PROFIT LONG-TERM CARE...
My office has been inundated with emails from constituents on the Southern Gulf Islands who are concerned about the potential impact of a COVID-19 outbreak in one of their communities. They have been advocating for the provincial government to limit the access of non-residents similar to what the elected leaders of Tofino, Ucluelet and Ahousaht...
I delivered the BC Green Caucus response to Premier John Horgan's Ministerial Response to the serious public health and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19. The impact of this virus is unlike anything we have experienced before, the global response is unprecedented. It was a surreal day in the British Columbia...
Last week the B.C. government took control of a fourth retirement home from Retirement Concepts, British Columbia’s largest chain of for-profit care homes, citing neglect of seniors. The home in Summerland joins homes in Comox, Nanaimo and Victoria that are already under the control of B.C’s health authorities. In...
Is the provincial government committed to public transit? British Columbians are concerned that Budget 2020 appears to be a step backward on public transportation funding. We know that access, reliability and convenience are critical factors to increasing ridership. Once people believe the government is committed to...
With a pipeline blockaded in northern British Columbia, trains stopped in their tracks across the country, the proceedings of the legislature in Victoria disrupted, and demonstrations in my riding and communities across the country, the past few weeks have been confusing and frustrating for many Canadians. Despite all...
Yesterday I was hoping to get an answer to a straightforward question about the BC NDP's commitment to innovation, technology and the knowledge-based economy. I asked the Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness about whether three longstanding tax credits for the film industry (worth approximately...
The BC NDP government released their economic framework a few weeks back. There was no fanfare and in the end it was almost as if there was no 90-page document outlining their economic agenda. There is a lot in the framework that I take issue with and I will be exploring that in the coming weeks. I'm...
I am deeply concerned with the state of relations with Indigenous people in British Columbia and Canada. The dysfunction is a result of decades of government policy. To de-escalate the tensions that are simmering dangerously close to a rolling boil, leadership must come from the halls of Parliaments across the...
In Budget 2020 the BC NDP government continues to make incremental investments in our shared priorities like CleanBC, housing, child care, support for post secondary students and a money laundering inquiry. However, the budget falls short of delivering the coherent, ambitious and modern economic agenda that British...
The 2020 Speech from the Throne was overwhelmed by the well-publicized protests that nearly shut down the British Columbia legislature. For the most part the Speech was a recap of work that has been accomplished by our minority government through the Confidence and Supply Agreement...
With the dramatic protests that unfolded around the legislative precinct on opening day of the Spring session there is much confusion about all aspects of Indigenous reconciliation going forward. I have been clear that I am deeply frustrated with the B.C. NDP's decision last Spring to deliver an taxpayer funded...
In my final statement of the decade I acknowledge the career and passion of Cathy Cook. From the start of my tour of the Saanich Seed Orchard & Nursery, Cathy demonstrated her deep passion for her work. When I heard she was retiring after nearly four decades of service to our forests I knew I needed to highlight...
Today in Question Period Premier John Horgan characterized me as being "gloomy" for highlighting how climate change is challenging our province. Frankly, I'm gloomy because this week's report from the UN warns we are on the path to 3.2 degrees warming - something one expert described as "terrifying." This legislative...
In the past year I have asked the Minister of Health (Hon. Adrian Dix) about the significant challenges my constituents are having getting access to a family doctor. (Oct. 22/18 - What about the family doctor crisis?, Apr. 8/19 - Addressing the crisis in primary care) The BC NDP government has been working with a...
One of the more controversial actions of the provincial government in recent years is the attempt to protect caribou by shooting wolves from helicopters. We can all agree that many caribou herds in British Columbia are at a crisis level. Some herds have gone extinct, some are close to extinction and others are in...
Bill 38, the Climate Change Accountability Amendment Act (2019), strengthens the responsibility of the provincial government to take action on reducing emissions and addressing climate change. It is important that government is accountable because trust us is not good climate policy. The Bill establishes the...