Speech by the Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia June 22, 2017
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia June 22, 2017
IN MEMORIUM
Fellow British Columbians, and members of the legislature,
let us start by acknowledging the honour we share, gathering within the
traditional Lekwungen territory of Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.
Members, we begin by honouring the best among us, some of
the British Columbians who shaped our identity, represented us at our best, and
made us proud.
In their own way, Jett Bassi, Beau Dick, Chandra Bodalia,
Neil Macrae, Bob Robertson, John Shields, Ian Stewart, Richard Wagamese, and
Bill Wong each represented and reflected their communities – and the diversity
that makes us the envy of the world.
We remember Christine Archibald who was brutally taken from
her family in the attacks on London Bridge, by people fueled with hate, but who
are destined to fail in spreading their evil.
I also pay tribute to Clayton Cassidy, who tragically lost
his life protecting his neighbours and the town he loved.
And recently we lost a true trailblazer in Grace McCarthy.
Tough, compassionate, principled, and unflinching in the face of change – we
will miss her experience and wisdom.
REFORMING OUR
INSTITUTIONS
British Columbia is a place like no other. Everyone who was
born here or has come here knows that this place is special, and absolutely
unique.
However, there are a few ways in which we could be more like
others in this country.
On the issue of political and democratic reform, your
government acknowledges more should have been done sooner, and more needs to be
done now.
Your government will pursue comprehensive reforms that will:
Ban corporate, union, and third-party donations, including
donations in kind, to political parties;
Impose a maximum donation limit for individuals to political
parties, comparable to other Canadian jurisdictions;
Ban donations to political parties from outside British
Columbia, including foreign donations;
Ban funding to a provincial political party from a federal
political party;
Restrict the role of money influencing elections through
third parties;
Ban loans to parties by any organization other than a
Canadian chartered bank or credit union; and
Apply these reforms to local government candidates and
political parties.
The results that British Columbians delivered in the May
election require cooperation. Your government is committed to working with all
parties in the legislature.
Following referenda in 2005 and 2009, there remains a desire
by many members in this place to revisit electoral reform.
With the confidence of this house, your government will
enable a third referendum on electoral reform. It will require extensive public
consultation to develop a clear question, and will ensure rural representation
in the legislature is protected.
It is vital that any referendum reflects the views of British
Columbians, not just its political parties.
Additionally, your government will work with other parties
to strengthen lobbyist legislation and regulations.
LEADERSHIP AND
OPPORTUNITY
Members, we gather for the first time since British
Columbians sent you here following an unprecedented outcome in the May
election.
British Columbians want a stable government, and in sending
us this result they expect us to listen and find a way to work together. They
expect us to collaborate, while respecting the dignity, rules, and traditions
that govern our constitutional monarchy, our democracy, and this legislature.
British Columbians voted for parties that spoke to the
importance of economic growth and jobs, strengthening our social programs, and
protecting our environment. They have told us to find a better balance to move
forward on all these priorities.
The election result also exposed a growing gap in
understanding between rural and urban B.C. We have an obligation to do
everything we can to bridge that gap, because urban and rural communities
cannot succeed without one another.
With that in mind, instead of focusing on areas of
disagreement, we should reflect on who it is that we are, and what we share in
common.
We are fortunate to reside in a part of the world that is
unmatched in many ways. We have:
Canada’s most diverse population of First Nations and
Indigenous peoples, whose cultures have shaped our province, and with whom we
seek justice, reconciliation, and partnerships in economic growth;
An abundance of natural resources, the bedrock of British
Columbia’s economic success;
A system of clean, transformational power that is the envy
of the world, created by previous generations, with the opportunity to
transform our economy into the cleanest in the world;
A super, natural, and biodiverse environment, that we enjoy
today and must protect for future generations;
A diverse population that is open-minded, independent, and
prepared to embrace change;
A place where we have the freedom to be ourselves;
Thriving urban communities, and strong rural communities
that connect us to our land and wildlife;
A province built on hard work, leading in jobs and economic
growth, and with a financial foundation that is the envy of North America.
Your government worked diligently to create jobs and
economic growth in the province. And thanks to that effort, your government
will confirm a higher than expected surplus at Public Accounts in July.
This unanticipated surplus provides reason to consider
moving our fixed election date to the fall, to ensure British Columbians are
fully informed of our province’s fiscal position before a General Election.
While other provinces have created structural deficits,
B.C.’s unmatched record of five successive balanced budgets has created a
structural surplus that puts us in an enviable position.
This moves up the anticipated elimination of our operating
debt to 2020, one year ahead of schedule – an accomplishment not achieved since
1976.
Growing surpluses allow us to return dividends to British
Columbians, but our sound fiscal management must be nurtured and not taken for
granted.
Your government recognizes the importance of labour
stability in the province and will continue to share the dividends of economic
growth in public sector labour agreements. Over the past decade, most
labour issues have ended without disruption. This is a sign that the Labour
Code is fair and, as such, no further changes are contemplated by your
government.
We reside on what was once considered the far edge of North
America, and today we are quickly becoming a central focus for the world. With
that comes vast opportunity, and pressure on our legislature to deliver a
bright future for all, not just for those who already enjoy advantages.
The stresses from our growth are unprecedented. We must be
unafraid to grasp change and harness growth through purposeful decisions. If we
do not shape growth, it will shape us.
Members, your government presides in this chamber as the
party with the most seats, but not a working majority. It has a duty to present
an agenda for consideration and seek the confidence of this House.
Your government has listened and is presenting an agenda not
exclusive to one party, but one that includes ideas from all British Columbians
that members from all three parties carry into this place.
With the confidence of this House, your government will pursue
an agenda that seeks the balance British Columbians have told us to find
between economic, social, and environmental priorities.
CHILDCARE AND EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Your government has listened to the call of families and
employers to move further on childcare and early childhood education.
The financial pressures and time crunch on families today
are real and increasing. Parents want and need to work and childcare is
fundamental to that goal.
New investments cannot wait – they need to be made now.
With the confidence of this House, your government will
amend the 2017 Budget to make a billion-dollar investment in childcare and
early childhood education over the next four years – the single largest boost
in B.C. history.
Your government’s plan is guided by three core principles –
delivering the highest quality care, reducing waitlists by creating more
spaces, and making childcare more affordable.
This investment will be sustained over the long term, and
will enable:
building 60,000 new child care spaces – a 50 per cent
increase over the next four years;
covering an additional 150,000 children, a five-fold
increase, with either full or partial childcare subsidies;
funding up to 4,000 new early childhood educators with $10
million in grants and bursaries;
exploring partnerships with school districts to co-locate
new child care spaces at elementary schools.
While your government applauds the federal government’s
efforts to expand spaces, it will seek further help to increase supports for
parents to make childcare even more affordable.
Your government welcomes discussion with members of this
legislature and families to ensure this billion-dollar investment meets the
needs of British Columbians in all corners of the province.
However, your government recognizes these investments are
urgently needed, and will move on this as quickly as possible.
FAIRER, HEALTHIER
SOCIETY
As our province grows, so does the need for more services.
And as British Columbians create new jobs and economic growth, we must share
that success by shaping a future that improves services for those in need.
Vulnerable Citizens
Child poverty has been reduced by 50 per cent since 2001,
but more needs to be done.
A new Poverty Reduction Strategy, with a particular focus on
children, will be implemented province-wide.
In addition to disability rate increases provided for in
previous budgets, Budget 2017 will be amended to increase social assistance
rates by $100 per month, with a process to recommend future annual increases.
We must also strengthen investments in people who want to
transition from social assistance into the workforce.
Your government will expand the Single Parent Employment
Initiative to broaden supports for single parents who can only find part-time
work, or who are under-employed, and want to find full time employment.
Reducing poverty includes supporting children in care. Your
government will introduce a basic income support for youth aged 18 to 24 who
are transitioning out of care, and will provide free post-secondary tuition for
all children in care.
Your government will also fully implement the
recommendations in the Report on Indigenous Child Welfare from Special Advisor
Grand Chief Ed John. In particular, your government will focus on:
increasing early intervention and prevention services to
keep families together;
creating a more equitable funding formula for child welfare;
and
reunification and permanency planning.
Your government will increase legal aid funding by 25 per
cent, ensuring British Columbia families can better access and navigate our
legal system.
Mental Health and Addictions
The opioid crisis is devastating families. British Columbia
is leading North America in our response. However, despite the heroic efforts
of first responders and policy makers at all levels of government, this battle
continues.
Your government will redouble its efforts by increasing
investments and embracing innovative treatments to save lives. Recovery from
addiction is possible, and a coordinated system of care can help those ready to
start their life-saving journey.
Harm reduction services and recovery oriented systems of
care must work seamlessly together. Your government will continue to provide
opioid substitute therapies and recovery services, and renew efforts on drug
education and prevention.
The federal government must also strengthen its commitment
to this crisis, starting with increasing the number of RCMP officers dedicated
to drug enforcement by 30 per cent. Those who are trafficking fentanyl and
other illicit drugs must be held accountable for their actions.
With the federal government’s legalization of cannabis comes
new revenue for the province. Your government commits to dedicating every
dollar from the sale of cannabis to drug education, prevention, enforcement and
treatment for those who are addicted to opioids and other drugs.
To ensure these initiatives are coordinated, a Minister of
State for Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery will be appointed to be a
strong voice at the cabinet table, with a mandate to increase investments in
future budgets and establish a single point of entry for those seeking help.
In addition, an Expert Panel on Mental Health will review
how services are currently deployed and recommend ways to close gaps in service
delivery that sometimes make it difficult to access care.
Your government will expand the successful province-wide
Foundry program – a single point of entry for young people who are experiencing
mental health issues.
We know that mental health issues are often identified at
school when there are experts available to recognize them. Your government will
ensure all schools across the province have one person trained to identify
mental health issues and refer those in need to resources.
Finally, a new Centre for Mental Health and Addictions in
Surrey will be fast-tracked to get it up and running as quickly as possible, to
provide better access to care for B.C. families.
This will be part of an overall health strategy for Surrey,
including the planning for a new hospital.
Health Care
British Columbians are the healthiest people in Canada. In
the last decade, new and expanded hospitals have been built or are under
construction in every region of our province to serve growing communities.
Your government heard more needs to be done, and will
accelerate efforts to keep up with the fast pace of growth and replace aging
infrastructure in all regions of the province.
Work is already underway to shift our health care system
towards greater preventative care, but this work must be accelerated to keep
our population the healthiest in Canada. More money will be specifically
focused on reducing waitlists for patients and their families.
Your government will:
accelerate access to hip and knee procedures;
establish wait-time guarantees;
speed up access to MRI services;
increase access to family doctors by training 112 more
General Practitioners, bringing the total to 400;
increase the scope of practice for professions such as nurse
practitioners and pharmacists; and
increase support for health care teams delivering
comprehensive services for patients.
Seniors
Our health care system is particularly important for our
senior citizens – those who cared for us, and are counting on us to care for
them.
Your government is committed to increasing the number of
residential care beds by 500, and ensuring clear, measurable daily care hour
standards are in place, monitored, and enforced in every institution.
Your government will also increase its efforts to help
families who care for their aging loved ones at home by doubling the Home
Renovation Tax Credit to help people make necessary home improvements. It will
also create a new Respite Tax Credit, and ensure both benefits apply to
families who care for loved ones with disabilities.
Medical Services Plan
With a stronger provincial balance sheet, the time has come
to reduce the cost of MSP for B.C. families without shifting the burden into
income taxes. This must be done while continuing to increase overall healthcare
funding.
With the confidence of the house, your government will cut
MSP premiums by 50 per cent for households making up to $120,000 – saving
families as much as $900 per year.
All parties in this House share the view that MSP should be
eliminated. Your government supports a review that considers how this can be
done as soon as possible.
Education
Last year, the BC Teachers Federation won their court
challenge at the Supreme Court of Canada. Together with teachers, your
government is determined to ensure their win will be a win for every student.
Our students are already among the top in the world – first
in reading, second in science, and sixth in math. The thousands of new teachers
being hired across the province will ensure B.C. students will be even more
successful.
We must also ensure student success is not limited to those
who fit more easily into traditional classrooms. Your government will increase
the number of educators providing instruction to students in need of extra
support, whatever their unique needs.
Our students’ results prove that we have an excellent
educational system – a tribute to those who work within it. But with the
breathtaking pace of change in the world, our education system must adapt.
With the confidence of this house, your government will
review the funding formula for school districts. The review will focus on
supporting districts with declining enrollment, as well as ensuring
fast-growing districts can keep up with growing demand sooner than current
system allows.
Today, your government is announcing it will also convene a
Royal Commission in Education – the first in 30 years. The work of that
Commission, struck in 1987, laid the foundation for the success of our students
today.
It is the right time to convene a new Royal Commission – one
that shapes the future for a new generation of learners and educators as our
society grows and changes.
How do we train teachers? What do we teach? How do we fund
schools? How do we engage the community? How do we make sure testing and
standards remain rigorous? How do we reduce conflict in the system and ensure
student needs are always put first?
On these points, your government welcomes advice from a
future Royal Commission.
Your government is continuing to make record investments in
the new school construction and seismic upgrades. This will now include a
commitment to ensure that all playgrounds requiring upgrades will be funded so
parents no longer need to raise money for something we all recognize as
essential for learning.
Accessibility
British Columbia is a leader in barrier-free living for
our citizens. And your government will go further.
Your government will:
increase accessibility requirements on new construction and
in the design of public spaces;
increase the minimum number of suites within a multi-unit
residential building designed with basic accessibility features, ensuring these
suites are distributed throughout the building and represent the types and
sizes of suites otherwise available in the building.
COMMUNITIES AND
TRANSIT
Transit
Transit is fundamental to shaping a sustainable, affordable
future for communities. Your government heard more needs to be done, and more
will.
With the confidence of this house, your government will:
match federal funding to build rapid transit along Metro Vancouver’s
Broadway Corridor and in Surrey;
match federal funding for the next phase of the mayors’
transit plan; and
repeal the requirement for new transit revenue sources to be
affirmed by referendum in Metro Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver mayors will have the tools and
accountability they have asked for to fund transit.
Beyond those immediate commitments, we must look further and
farther.
Your government will boost capital investment in partnership
with other levels of government and the private sector to significantly expand
a transit network that will transform the Lower Mainland.
Better transit must connect housing and employment, and must
lead to more supply and density with purposeful decision-making.
Your government will immediately undertake feasibility
studies to connect communities by rapid transit, light rail and other means of
expanded transit:
east from the Evergreen Line toward Maple Ridge and Mission;
into South Surrey;
into Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack;
west to the University of British Columbia;
across to the North Shore; and
up to Squamish.
Your government will also work with Washington State to
connect communities across the border to unleash the economic potential of
high-speed rail to Seattle.
Other areas of the province also experiencing growth need
transit support too – like the South Island, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops, and
Prince George. Your government will pursue light rail on the South Island and a
passenger ferry connection between Nanaimo and Vancouver.
This vision won’t happen overnight, but we must be bolder in
mapping out our future to shape growth.
BC Ferries is finally on a solid financial footing. They
have acquired 11 new vessels since 2000, are transitioning vessels to LNG from
diesel, and on-time performance has improved to 91 per cent. Your government
will carry through on its commitment to deliver fare relief for those in
ferry-dependent communities.
And for British Columbians looking for other modern options
to get from A to B, your government will deliver on its commitments to support
car and ride sharing.
While all parties in this legislature publicly stated their
support for ride sharing in the recent election, your government has heard the
message that legitimate implementation concerns remain. Any proposed
legislation will be referred to an all-party committee for extensive
consultation with the public and stakeholders, in particular regarding
boundaries and insurance.
Tolls
Your government has heard the concerns of people who are
served by tolled provincial highway infrastructure. Since investments such as
Trans-Canada Highway upgrades, the Sea to Sky Highway, the WR Bennett Bridge,
and the Cariboo Connector are not tolled, all communities should be treated
equitably.
With the confidence of this house, your government will move
to eliminate tolls on the Port Mann Bridge as quickly as possible.
Your government will also work with TransLink to accelerate
the timetable for the replacement of the Pattullo Bridge, and to remove tolls
on the Golden Ears Bridge.
An expanded crossing between Richmond and Delta is essential
to reducing congestion, ensuring safety, and providing for future light rail.
Recognizing concerns about the design, your government will listen and work
collaboratively to move this project forward.
These changes are affordable with the province’s strong
fiscal position, without compromising our commitment to balanced budgets.
Post-secondary, ABE and ESL
Post-secondary institutions are essential to powering up the
economy of the future.
Your government will create 2,000 more graduates in science,
technology, engineering and math from institutions across the province. This
will include new engineering schools in Kamloops and Prince George, as well as
100 new graduates at the new engineering building at SFU Surrey.
These spaces will support our students to develop the skills
our economy needs to continue to grow.
British Columbia’s post-secondary and creative sectors are
responding to the major shifts in digital technologies. Your government will
double funding for the BC Arts Council to build capacity to lead in the new
economy, and uphold our province’s commitment to the value of creativity and
innovation.
And as we welcome people from around the world to make B.C.
their home, we need to ensure newcomers can put their ideas, energy, and skills
to work.
To that end, your government will fully fund adult basic
education and ESL programs, and continue to expand the system of credit
recognition so that fewer are left on the sidelines.
Housing Affordability
And while B.C. continues to grow, the benefits also come
with real challenges – especially for affordability.
Despite actions that have had a real impact, housing
affordability remains a particular challenge for far too many people.
Your government’s singular goal is to ensure housing is
affordable for British Columbians.
We all want to live in communities that are culturally and
economically diverse, so we must ensure the middle class is not pushed out of
urban real estate markets. Our kids want to be able to live in the communities
they grew up in, and we all want to live in communities where our kids can live
too.
Last year, your government invested $900 million into
building new affordable supportive housing across the province. People will
begin to move into these 5,000 new units over the coming months.
The single most important action governments can take to
make housing more affordable is to work with local governments and the private
sector to increase supply.
With the confidence of this House, your government will work
with local governments and the private sector to increase the supply of family
and starter housing for middle income earners, especially along new transit
lines and corridors.
Your government will work with the private sector to build
50,000 units of new housing across the province over 10 years that will go into
a new Rent-to-Own home program available to middle class families. The program
will help middle class renters grow equity through their monthly rent payments
until they are in a position to own the home.
With the confidence of this House, your government will work
with and support municipalities to remove obstacles and eliminate backlogs to
speed up the construction of new housing supply, especially for families.
To better protect renters, your government will:
prohibit landlords from skirting rent control protections
when term leases expire; and
make sure tenants’ rights are protected while respecting a
landlord’s ability to make improvements to their buildings.
Addressing housing affordability rests with all levels of
governments. Your government will bring together and welcome the ideas from all
parties and participants at a Housing Summit to be convened this fall. Real
estate speculation will be one of the challenges put before participants.
Strong Communities
The wealth of our province has always depended on the
understanding that the future of urban and rural communities is inextricably
linked – one cannot succeed without the other.
And although most of our population lives in thriving urban
centres, we must never forget that those who live in smaller communities make
as big an impact on our province. Rural communities are uniquely connected to
the land and our resources.
This connection between urban and rural is why B.C. has
succeeded, and this election shows why we must redouble our efforts to bridge
the divide.
With a strong economy and the strongest balance sheet in
Canada, your government will double the Rural Economic Dividend, returning more
resource revenue to the rural communities responsible for so much of our
province’s wealth.
Supporting rural communities also means making sure the
industries they depend on remain strong.
British Columbia’s forest industry built our province.
Today, our forest products are building houses and towers around the world.
Your government will increase its efforts to promote the use
of B.C. wood abroad, and will fight to defend B.C. workers in the forest
industry from U.S. protectionism by every means at its disposal.
In the interim, B.C. will pre-purchase wood for construction
of public housing at home.
Your government will work to open eight new mines by 2022,
and will ensure it bolsters B.C.’s world leading responsible mining standards
with $18 million to improve mine permitting, oversight, compliance, and
enforcement.
Food security also matters in British Columbia – it is an
issue that bridges the urban-rural divide. As we continue to grow, we need to
protect and preserve agricultural land.
Your government will:
double the Grow Local program and make it permanent;
bring an additional 91,000 hectares of agricultural
land into production by 2020;
activate an all-party select standing committee to study how
B.C.’s agricultural land can be used and stewarded; and
ensure all high-quality farmland lost as a result of the
Site C project is replaced with comparable land in other parts of the province.
Finally, British Columbia boasts some of the world’s richest
and largest natural gas reserves. This gives us a unique opportunity to
displace coal power and other dirtier forms of fossil fuels around the world.
A new LNG industry has included First Nations from the
ground floor, through a bottom-up process of consultation. LNG will be an unprecedented
opportunity for First Nation communities across British Columbia, helping lift
families out of poverty and strengthening their ability to shape the future of
their choosing.
The first Indigenous Cabinet minister elected to this place
who carries a government portfolio is responsible for shepherding the future of
this industry. After 146 years since this legislature was founded, this is long
overdue. He will carry the voice of Indigenous peoples who demand to be a full
partner in economic opportunity into this place.
Whether it is LNG, mining, forestry, aquaculture, renewable
power, tourism or other industries where partnerships are being formed, and as
a result, First Nations here in British Columbia are enjoying more benefits
than ever before. Over 400 economic and reconciliation agreements have been
signed since 2013, and we all still have so much potential to realize together.
Members. Just this past Monday, Indigenous leaders and
mentors from across Canada, including British Columbia, were recognised with
national honours at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, and I was delighted to be witness to
that special ceremony.
Yesterday was National Aboriginal Day – a day that Canadians
recognize and celebrate the outstanding contributions of Indigenous
peoples.
It is a reminder of the hard and essential work of
reconciliation that your government is committed to, nation-to-nation.
There is still much work ahead, and we must travel this
journey together.
ENVIRONMENT AND
INNOVATION
Clean Energy
British Columbians have been gifted with vast clean energy
opportunities including hydro, wind, and solar.
We have an enviable system of hydro power built by
generations before us who had the vision to plan not just for their needs, but
for our future. Without them, we would be burning fossil fuels to generate our
electricity today.
And now, we are called on as a generation to tackle climate
change by shaping a low-carbon future.
We must build on a previous generation’s vision by
electrifying our economy with clean hydro power to realize this goal. 61 per
cent of B.C.’s greenhouse gas emissions come from Metro Vancouver, a third of
which comes from transportation.
Your government is committed to an ambitious emissions-free
target for all new non-commercial vehicles registered in Metro Vancouver by
2035, advancing the previous goal of 2050 by 15 years.
This is an ambitious target, and BC Hydro’s supply of clean
power cannot meet this capacity today.
That is why this historic transition requires plentiful,
reliable and affordable clean electricity – born in British Columbia.
More sources of renewable energy like wind, solar, and
geothermal will help. But they will not be enough.
Site C gives us the opportunity for an abundance of clean
energy, allowing us to meet our obligation to transition our economy from
carbon to fight climate change.
With the confidence of this house, your government will
invest an additional $50 million over the next five years to fund a significant
expansion of vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the province, making
British Columbia number one in Canada.
Further, your government will also direct BC Hydro to
immediately begin consultations with private sector clean energy producers,
First Nations, and communities to support community power opportunities
including wind, solar, and geothermal.
Your government will also work with the governments of
Alberta and Canada for a strengthened clean electricity intertie between
British Columbia and Alberta to displace thermal coal with clean hydro power
across the Rocky Mountains.
Climate Change, Carbon Tax and PST Reduction
British Columbia is a leader in the fight against climate
change. Despite opposition at the time, we were the first jurisdiction in
North America to put a price on carbon. Our carbon tax framework has been
recognized by global institutions as one of the best in the world.
Canada has been clear in its desire to see all provinces
implement a $50 per tonne carbon tax by 2022, outlined in the Pan-Canadian
Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Your government will meet this
goal by raising the carbon tax by $5 per tonne per year starting in 2019, up to
a total of $50 per tonne by 2022.
A made-in-B.C. approach will stand firm on the principle of
revenue neutrality. For all future carbon tax increases, the provincial sales
tax will be reduced by a corresponding amount.
Your government will take the advice of the climate
leadership team to protect workers and businesses in energy intensive trade
exposed industries by ensuring new costs from the carbon tax are offset by
other taxes, so companies with strong ties to B.C. have good reasons to
innovate and reduce their emissions.
Your government will also increase forest salvage and move
toward the goal of banning slash burning, ensuring this creates new economic
opportunities in our forest towns without hurting workers.
Strengthened Environmental Protection and Wildlife
Management
Your government has heard the call for more frontline
resources to protect our environment and wildlife, and will:
increase funding to hire more conservation officers across
B.C.; and
implement a wildlife management plan that ensures
sustainable populations and protects our biodiversity.
In addition, your government will move to protect the health
and safety of B.C.’s unique environment by reviewing our system of professional
reliance to ensure public confidence is maintained.
Your government will also ensure that direct payments it
secured from the federally regulated Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project
are dedicated to environmental protection and restoration.
Enhancing BC Parks
Visiting our provincial parks is the quintessential,
affordable, B.C. family vacation.
British Columbia has assembled the third-largest parks
system in North America. These are places for us to celebrate, places for
families to reconnect, and places for the world to discover.
Your government created and funded a bold BC Parks Future
vision. With the confidence of this House, your government will add $50
million over five years to B.C.’s parks budget. This will create more
campsites, raise the standard of our park facilities, and create a youth
rangers program that will add staff in our parks between May and September.
We are blessed to have such magnificent places to preserve
and share that unite all British Columbians wherever they live.
CLOSING
Members. Your government’s core principles remain. Our
province has:
created more jobs than anywhere in Canada since the start of
the BC Jobs Plan;
a record of five consecutive balanced budgets thanks to
careful management;
a growing economy that is the envy of Canada;
These are foundations built by the hard work of British
Columbians that allow us to care for each other and bridge the urban-rural
divide.
With the means to do more thanks to B.C.’s success, we must
and we will.
British Columbians seek a better balance between economic,
social, and environmental priorities. This agenda is a sincere effort to meet
that desire.
While we do not always agree on the best path forward, we
all recognize that British Columbia is a unique place with qualities unmatched
around the world.
We are experiencing a time of stress from growth and change.
Change that will shape us if we do not act to shape it for ourselves.
Together, we must ensure we harness the opportunity before
us to create the future we all want for British Columbia.
The May election delivered a divided result. Your government
has listened to that result and brings forward this agenda to gain this House’s
confidence and, in doing so, the confidence of the people of British Columbia.
It is submitted with humility and openness to change.
Thank you to all members who serve in this assembly. We
thank you, and your families, for the sacrifices you make – some of you for
many years.
We in British Columbia are richer for your service and
dedication. I wish you all success.
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