BC Today – Daily Report July 28, 2020

Quotation of the day

“Ride a bike.”

Premier John Hogan suggested being harassed for driving vehicles with U.S. ​ ​ licence plates should change their plates, take public transit or cycle.

Today in B.C.

On the schedule The house will convene at 10 a.m. for question period.

Monday’s debates and proceedings Bill 14, Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act (No. 2) — the government’s ​ “first steps” to address issues with strata insurance — cleared third reading.

Bill 24, Municipalities Enabling and Validating (No. 4) Amendment Act, passed second reading ​ and passed committee stage. The legislation corrects a procedural defect in the Fraser Valley Regional District’s parcel tax bylaws.

MLAs spent the rest of the day at committee stage on the budget bill.

Contentious mental health bill stalled for the summer Time’s up for Bill 22, Mental Health Amendment Act — at least for now. ​ ​

Mental Health and Addictions Minister says the controversial legislation — which ​ ​ would allow minors to be held for up to a week of “stabilization care” following an overdose — will not be passed this summer, due to lack of time.

However, Premier told reporters the reason is the lack of support for the ​ ​ legislation among MLAs.

While the premier defended the legislation’s intent, he admitted elements of it prompted “some pushback,” adding that he believes “should be doing everything” it can to address the ongoing overdose crisis — including considering involuntary care options.

The BC Green caucus issued a statement saying it “felt unable to support the passage” of Bill ​ 22 as currently drafted and “proposed pausing” it at second reading pending “detailed ​ consultation” with stakeholders to address the “substantive concerns” about its effects.

“While we recognize stabilization care can be a necessary and appropriate option in certain cases, we were profoundly concerned about the disproportionate harm the policy could have on Indigenous youth,” said interim Green leader . ​ ​

“No one supported” Bill 22, according to Liberal Mental Health and Addictions critic Jane ​ ​ ​ Thornthwaite, who has twice put forward similar private member’s bills. She called it a ​ “complete failure from all ends.”

The legislation has prompted concerns from chief coroner Lisa Lapointe, who warned it could ​ ​ have “serious unintended consequences,” including a potential increase in fatalities.

Darcy suggested the bill will be revisited at a later date, and it is set to remain on the order paper.

“We’ll take this time to talk to more people about the work that we were already thinking about doing with our partners on safeguards in regulation to protect young people’s rights,” she said.

The minister emphasized that the government’s “primary focus has always been building the ​ voluntary system of care” to ensure young people can get access to treatment when they need it.

Critics call for resources, not detainment Darcy’s announcement came less than an hour before a news conference held by a fleet of the bill's critics, including the BC Civil Liberties Association, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) and Health Justice.

Jennifer Charlesworth, the province’s representative for children and youth, called out the ​ NDP’s approach for “a lack of balance,” noting the legislation comes with no additional resources needed to establish “a full array of voluntary substance use treatment and harm reduction services for youth.”

Garth Mullins, a member of the Area Network of Drug Users and host of the popular ​ Crackdown podcast, warned the legislation could make youth reluctant to call 911 for ​ overdoses, because of worries they or their friends could be detained.

“The government is getting it wrong — I think the record numbers of overdose fatalities over the last two months really show that,” he said, pointing to Premier Horgan’s since retracted suggestion that drug use is initially a choice. “Bill 22 is evidence that the government does not ​ ​ understand this crisis, which has continued on their watch since 2017.”

Kukpi7 Judy Wilson of the UBCIC called on the government to scrap the bill entirely and start ​ ​ from scratch with consultations involving Indigenous nations, families and people with lived experience of substance use.

“It isn't reform,” she said of Bill 22. “It's steps backwards and we need to go forward with a ​ ​ proper process.”

Later this week, Darcy said she will be announcing investments to renovate and rebuild six Indigenous treatment centres around the province and build two new ones — one of them a 20-bed facility for Indigenous youth in Chilliwack.

Today’s events

July 28 at 12:15 p.m. – Online ​ ​ The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is hosting a digital town hall featuring Liberal Leader ​ ​ . Wilkinson will be sharing his ideas for B.C.’s economic recovery. ​

July 28 at 12:15 p.m. – Online ​ ​ The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture will announce support for B.C.’s sports organizations during the coronavirus pandemic.

Topics of conversation

● B.C. reported 264 active cases of COVID-19 (down 30 since Friday) with 11 people in hospital, three of them critical. Two new deaths were reported, pushing the provincial total to 193. ○ A new outbreak was declared at a fruit-packing plant in the Fraser Valley with 15 confirmed cases as of yesterday. A public health investigation is ongoing. ○ One new case was confirmed in the outbreak for a total of 14 cases to date, one of which is already resolved.

● Another bill currently on the order paper has raised the ire of Indigenous groups. The First Nations Leadership Council says Bill 17, Clean Energy Amendment Act, stands to ​ ​ ​ ​ “absolutely devastate” economic opportunities for some First Nations. ○ The bill would make it easier for BC Hydro to buy energy produced in the U.S., likely at the expense of independent power producers in B.C. — many of them First Nations. The FNLC is calling for the bill to be withdrawn. ○ “It undercuts B.C. First Nations that have developed power projects,” said Robert ​ Phillips of the First Nations Summit. “It could be very detrimental to First Nations ​ who have worked so hard to put them in place, whether they are run-of-the-river projects, or other energy sources that we would think would be part of the future.” ○ Clean energy producers have said the legislation would deter investment in new ​ projects. ​

● An op-ed from ’s editorial board looks at B.C. and Alberta’s efforts to ​ ​ ​ ​ curb “an overdose epidemic deadlier than COVID-19.” While both provinces made progress in reducing the number of overdose deaths before the pandemic hit, they have seen their gains more than erased — although Alberta’s latest overdose death figures are from March, so the extent of the pandemic’s impact is unclear. ○ B.C. has “tried to respond” to rising overdose deaths through a variety of means — including limited safe supply measures and calls for decriminalization. ○ “Alberta’s opioid crisis is, so far, less severe than B.C.‘s – but it’s not far behind, and the government has shown less urgency,” the editorial board wrote. ○ Alberta’s UCP government has focused heavily on treatment and recovery while cutting support for harm reduction measures, a strategy the newspaper said “underestimates the intractability of addiction.”

Appointments and employments

New auditor general begins his term ● Michael Pickup began his eight-year term as B.C.’s auditor general yesterday. ​ ○ Pickup served as the auditor general for Nova Scotia since 2014. Prior to that he spent 25 years with the Office of the Auditor General of .

○ Pickup replaces acting auditor general Russ Jones, who stepped in to head the ​ ​ office following former auditor general Carol Bellringer’s resignation at the end ​ ​ of 2019.

Funding announcements

● British Columbians looking to trade in their vehicle for an e-bike can now get an extra $200 towards their new ride from the province’s Scrap-It program. Retailers will ​ ​ contribute $50 toward each rebate with the transportation and energy ministries covering the remaining $1,000. ○ The province is also launching a one-year pilot program that will offer businesses $1,700 toward the cost of cargo e-bikes. Interested businesses will be able to purchase up to five cargo e-bikes under the program. ○ Over the next two years, the province will provide a total of $1.5 million in e-bike rebates.

● Sixty-four affordable homes will be built on Fifth Street in Victoria with $17.2 million in interim construction financing from the province’s HousingHub program. The ​ ​ five-storey, wood-frame building will include a mix of unit sizes — from studios to three-bedrooms — and is being built in partnership with Aryze Developments. ​ ​ ○ The ground floor will be commercial space leased by the Vancouver Island ​ School of Art. ​

● A partnership between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the City of ​ ​ ​ Dawson Creek and the South Peace Community Resources Society proposes ​ ​ ​ building 30 modular supportive homes in the community. The city has received a rezoning application for the proposed development.

Question period

Hefty costs for ‘NDP insiders’ ● Liberal MLA asked Premier John Horgan why former NDP MP Murray ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Rankin was paid more than $122,000 in fees plus $6,000 in expenses for his work ​ with the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Johal said Horgan “led everyone to believe” Rankin’s services would come “at no cost to the public.” ○ Rankin was hired last year to facilitate discussions regarding the nation’s rights and title.

● Horgan said Rankin was not paid while he was still a sitting MP but has since been receiving compensation for his work for the B.C. government.

● Johal then brought up former NDP MP , who was hired in January ​ ​ to “support a peaceful resolution to the Coastal Gaslink dispute.” ○ Johal said Cullen has been “paid more than $87,000 in fees, plus $2,600 in expenses, for what works out to two months of work.” ○ He called Cullen and Rankin’s costs a “taxpayer-funded quarter of a million-dollar payout to NDP insiders.”

Working on governance issues with the Wet’suwet’en ● Liberal MLA asked Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation ​ ​ Minister Scott Fraser about the government’s Memorandum of Understanding ​ ​ signed with the Wet’suwet’en Nation this spring. ○ “Who represents the Wet'suwet'en First Nation?,” he asked. “Specifically, who has the legal authority to negotiate and enter into an agreement with the government of on behalf of the people of the Wet'suwet'en?”

● Fraser outlined the “significant discrepancy within Wet'suwet'en about governance” and reminded de Jong that the MOU was signed by provincial and federal government representatives and by the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs.

The Liberals also asked about hotels purchased to house homeless people and ongoing ​ tensions in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District between the Tiny House Warriors — ​ who oppose the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion — the Blue River First Nation and the regional district. The Tiny House Warriors have been camped in the area since the summer of 2018.

Green Party house leader asked about the government’s investments ​ ​ in mental health and addictions support amid the pandemic.