B.C. Today – Daily Report April 26, 2019

Quotation of the day

“I want to do shit.”

Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver says he’s focused on getting “good public policy” ​ ​ implemented — not on perceived political “drama” between his caucus and the NDP government.

Today in B.C.

On the schedule The House is adjourned until Monday, April 29 for a two-week constituency break.

‘Go slow’: B.C. Green Party leader suggests his P.E.I. counterpart should consider options Less than two years ago, Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver found himself in a very similar ​ ​ situation to that of Prince Edward Island Green Party Leader Peter Bevan-Smith today: leading ​ ​ the largest Green caucus his province has ever seen — and holding the legislature’s balance of power.

On Tuesday, P.E.I. voters elected a minority Progressive Conservative government. The PCs won 12 of the legislature’s 27 seats, while the Greens took eight and the incumbent Liberals were reduced to six. One seat remains vacant: a byelection has yet to be scheduled for ​ ​ Charlottetown—Hillsborough Park after Green Party candidate Josh Underhay died in an ​ ​ accident days before the election.

“There are some really important conversations that need to go on [in P.E.I.],” Weaver told BC ​ Today, adding he would advise Bevan-Smith to consider his potential options. “Go slow. Take a ​ couple of weeks to reflect upon the result. Talk with your supporters, your stakeholders. Talk with both political parties.”

The comparison between P.E.I.’s current predicament and B.C.’s 2017 election result — including a Liberal Party turfed after years in power — is strong but imperfect. In 2017, the B.C. NDP and Liberals received a nearly identical share of the vote, but the Liberals locked down 43 seats to the NDP’s 41, and both parties courted the three-person Green caucus in a bid to form government.

It is unclear how PC Leader Dennis King plans to negotiate his power play. His party won a ​ ​ more clear mandate than either the NDP or Liberals did in 2017, and it is possible he will be able to form government via a confidence vote without making any formal alliances.

In B.C., the Greens and the NDP eventually came to an understanding, which was codified in the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA). CASA outlines the policy foundations and issues “that reflect shared values” as well as “a process to ensure that disputes can be resolved.” There is also a secretariat whose main function, according to Weaver, is to facilitate communication between the government and the Greens.

However, CASA is coming up on its second year anniversary and any number of pundits are suggesting Premier is — or will become — confident enough in his New ​ ​ Democratic government to call a snap election that could swipe power from the Greens.

For his part, Weaver has suggested CASA could use an update, but mostly because of the progress the government and its Green partners have made on the shared priorities included in the agreement — not because of a faltering alliance.

“When you look in [CASA], a lot of the specifics have been done,” Weaver told BC Today in a ​ ​ phone interview this week. “Both John [Horgan] and I have talked about whether we should think about some other things that we put in this to get agreement. We haven’t had time … and there will be no time in May, I can tell you that for a fact.”

The agreement has worked well so far, according to Weaver, particularly its dispute resolution mechanism, which the Green leader described as “really effective.”

“There have been hiccups … but, by and large, it’s been very good,” he said, dismissing periodic speculation that his caucus could topple the government whenever it chooses. (Although, that would require a confidence motion, and with the spring budget passed, another one is not on the radar until next spring, barring unforeseen circumstances.)

“Drama, controversy — it sells,” Weaver said. “We’re interested in good public policy. I can’t stand the games, the shenanigans.”

For his part, Weaver is not above stirring up a little drama: shortly before the House rose for its constituency break, he refused to vote on an amendment to the government’s bill forming a framework for a liquid natural gas industry to launch in B.C. Weaver — long opposed to LNG development — exited the chamber instead of casting a vote on the amendment, which requires the government to make agreements related to LNG project public. The Green caucus, as promised, voted against the bill at third reading.

Aside from LNG, Weaver said he plans to push the government on its education and labour reform plans.

“We think the NDP are messing it all up in terms of the way they are thinking of redoing the ​ ​ [education] funding model,” Weaver said. “We don’t think that the NDP have made public ​ education the priority it should be.”

On the government’s forthcoming overhaul of the province’s labour code and Employment Standards Act, Weaver indicated he intends to play a mediating role between the pro-labour NDP and the free market-supporting Liberals.

“The last thing B.C. needs is yet another policy lurch on labour code from one extreme to the other,” he told The Tyee in a recent interview. ​ ​ ​ ​

However, the Green leader is on board with some of the government’s other forthcoming priorities, especially government-subsidized child care.

“The single most important thing in a minority government is that communication must be occurring,” he said, adding that he and Horgan typically meet weekly and enjoy a “very good working relationship.”

Talking about CASA is tricky business. While the agreement itself is public, discussions related to its specifics are confidential in order to protect the interests of both the government and the Greens.

Today’s events

April 26 – Fort McMurray ​

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps will tour a steam-assisted gravity drainage operation in Alberta’s ​ ​ oilsands. Calgary City Councillor Ward Sutherland invited Helps on the tour in February after ​ ​ Victoria City Council voted in favour of launching a class-action lawsuit against the oilsands.

April 26 at 10 a.m. – Victoria ​ Premier John Horgan will hold a media availability at RedBlue Heating and Refrigeration to ​ ​ announce new provincial incentives for energy-saving home improvements.

April 26 at 10 a.m. – West Kelowna ​ Agriculture Minister will be at Alpine Roots Farm with representatives from the ​ ​ Young Agrarians for an announcement on helping new and young farmers access land.

April 26 at 11:30 a.m. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, will convene a panel discussion, ​ hosted by the Public Policy Forum, on the spread of misinformation about vaccines on social media and the impact it is having on vaccine-preventable diseases in Canada. The discussion will be livestreamed. ​ ​

April 26 at 1 p.m. – Sooke ​ Premier John Horgan and Health Minister will be at Sooke Municipal Hall for an ​ ​ ​ ​ announcement about improving primary care services.

April 26 1:15 p.m. – Armstrong ​ Citizens' Services Minister will tour Purple Springs Nursery to see how high-speed ​ ​ internet has helped the business expand.

April 26 at 2 p.m. – Sooke ​ Premier John Horgan will attend the opening of the Knox Centre, a new affordable housing ​ ​ development.

April 26 at 7 p.m. – Prince George ​ Labour Minister will attend an NDP fundraiser dinner at China Sail Restaurant. ​ ​

Weekend events

April 27 at 2 p.m. – Coquitlam ​ B.C. Liberal supporters will canvas in the Port Moody—Coquitlam riding, which the party noted NDP MLA “won by less than 2,000 votes in the 2017 election.” ​ ​ ​

April 27 at 6 p.m. – Chemainus ​ NDP MLA (—North Cowichan) will be joined by Bob Chamberlin, the ​ ​ ​ ​ federal NDP candidate in the Nanaimo—Ladysmith byelection, for the 2nd annual People, Politics and Progress fundraiser at the Sawmill Taphouse.

April 28 at 1 p.m. – Sechelt ​

NDP MLA (Powell River—Sunshine Coast) will make an announcement ​ ​ about the legacy of John Phare, who died in a tree-felling accident while working on the Old ​ ​ Sechelt Mine wildfire in 2015, at Spirit Square.

Topics of conversation

● Alberta premier-designate Jason Kenney could make good on his promise to proclaim ​ ​ the province’s “turn off the taps” legislation as early as his new government’s first cabinet meeting, scheduled for next Tuesday. National Post columnist Tyler Dawson offers an ​ ​ ​ ​ explainer of how the legislation would work. ​ ○ Attorney General has promised B.C. will have an emergency ​ ​ injunction and a constitutional challenge at the ready should Kenney make good on his promise.

● Fair Voting B.C. and Nova Scotia-based Springtide are working together on a constitutional challenge against Canada’s first-past-the-post voting system. The ​ organizations will argue the voting system’s results do not reflect the wishes of voters and that politicians alone cannot be relied upon to change the system. ○ “The self-interest of politicians is so tied to the nature of the electoral system,” Springtide executive director Mark Coffin told The Tyee. “This is an issue where ​ ​ ​ ​ not only is it the case that politicians haven’t come to protect these kinds of rights, it’s not clear that they can really be trusted to protect our democratic rights in this way.”

● Meanwhile, the No B.C. Proportional Representation Society says proportional representation proponents should “stop pestering voters” on the issue. “P.E.I. voters just said no to proportional representation; BC voters just said no in December, 2018 to make it three times in 13 years; Ontario voters said no in 2007— it’s time for advocacy groups to listen to the democratic will of voters and stop pestering them with endless attempts to eliminate our simple, stable and successful First Past The Post electoral system in Canada,” society president Bill Tieleman said in a statement. ​ ​ ○ The society, which formed in response to B.C.’s referendum on electoral reform and became the official “No” campaign, is considering “staying open” to respond ​ to the possible constitutional challenge to FPTP.

● Ontario’s anti-SLAPP legislation, introduced by the province’s former Liberal government in 2015, will be tested at the country’s top court. On Thursday the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear two cases challenging the law that were previously dismissed by ​ ​ ​ the provincial appeals court. ○ Anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) laws are designed to prevent wealthy individuals and companies from launching costly legal action in an attempt to suppress public criticism. ○ B.C.’s anti-SLAPP law was given royal assent last month. The legislation affects all cases filed on or after May 15, 2018.

● Nearly 7,000 Canadians have opted to end their lives with medical assistance since the procedure was legalized in 2016, according to the most recent statistics from Health ​ ​

Canada. The average age of those accessing medical assistance in dying is 73, and cancer is the most common diagnosis. ○ Last year, between January 1 and October 31, 2018, 773 British Columbians died with medical assistance — nearly one-third of the 2,614 medically assisted deaths Health Canada recorded during that time period.

New briefs - Governmental

Ministry of Health A trio of primary care networks (PCNs) will be established in Richmond over the next three ​ ​ years through a partnership between the Ministry of Health, Vancouver Coastal Health and the ​ Richmond Division of Family Practice.

Up to 70 new health-care professionals will be recruited to staff the PCNs — Richmond West, ​ Richmond City Centre and Richmond East — including 32 new doctors, 14 new nurse ​ practitioners and 24 additional health-care professionals, ranging from registered nurses to clinical pharmacists.

In addition to helping Richmond residents access regular primary care, the networks were developed to address community-specific needs including improving care for seniors and enhancing “cultural safety and culturally appropriate” care for Indigenous and immigrant ​ residents.

The health ministry estimates the Richmond PCNs will require $15 million in annual funding by their third year of operation.

Funding announcements

Cash promises continued to flow in this week as federal ministers kept their week-long B.C. junket going.

● A 10 kilometre stretch of Highway 1 in Langley — a key link to the port of Metro ​ Vancouver and the U.S. border that handles close to 9,000 commercial trucks per day — will be widened to accommodate high occupancy vehicle lanes in both directions, among other improvements. Ottawa is contributing up to $109 million through the New Building ​ ​ Canada Fund, the province will invest up to $99.4 million and the Township of Langley ​ ​ is providing up to $27 million. ○ The major infrastructure project includes reconfiguring the 232nd Street ​ ​ interchange and adding a new underpass at Glover Road and the CP Rail crossing. A new truck parking lot will also be added near highways 1 and 17, with room for up to 150 commercial trucks and up to 45 passenger vehicles.

● Sustainable Development Canada is investing $2.89 million in Rotoliptic ​ ​ Technologies Incorporated. The company has developed high-efficiency pump ​ ​ ​ ​ technology that is easy to deploy, energy-efficient and applicable to a variety of needs. “This innovation has the potential to lower both the energy consumption and the cost of ownership by approximately 40 per cent,” according to Sustainable Development Canada. ○ The government investment will also help the company maintain nine jobs and create six more.

● Jobs, Trade and Technology Minister celebrated the official opening of ​ ​ the new $126-million building that will house Simon Fraser University’s sustainable ​ ​ ​ ​ energy engineering degree program, the only one of its kind in western Canada. The five-storey, LEED-certified, 20,458 square-metre facility can accommodate 440 new full-time equivalent student spaces and 40 faculty and staff. ○ Ottawa’s Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund and the ​ ​ provincial government each contributed $45 million to the project, while the university and its donors provided $26 million. SFU also provided the land, valued at $10 million.

● A four-storey apartment building and townhouse complex in Nelson will provide 43 new ​ units of affordable rental housing in the community next fall. The Ministry of Municipal ​ ​ Affairs and Housing is investing $4.5 million into the project, while the City of Nelson ​ ​ is providing approximately $27,000 and the Columbia Basin Trust is providing ​ ​ $542,400. Culos Developments Group will build the complex, which will be operated ​ ​ by the Nelson CARES Society. ​ ​ ○ One-fifth of the units will rent at the provincial shelter rate of $375 per month and ​ half will feature rent rates geared to income.

● The Ministry of Education will spend up to $12.2 million to upgrade Chief Maquinna ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Elementary School in Vancouver. A seismic assessment conducted in May 2018 found ​ the entire school is at risk of damage in the event of an earthquake. Construction is expected to begin next spring, with completion scheduled for fall 2021.

● Penticton-based Peter’s Bros. Construction will fulfill a $7.4-million resurfacing ​ ​ ​ contract from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for more than 30 ​ ​ ​ kilometres of paving along Highway 16.

New lobbyist registrations New lobbyist registrations from April 18 – April 25, 2019

Client — MAXIMUS Canada Services Inc. ​ ​ Consultant — Karin MacMillan and Mike Alvan Bailey ​ Firm — Western Policy Consultants Inc. ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o To brief officials on the capabilities of MAXIMUS Canada Services Inc. and the possibility of MAXIMUS providing services to Government.

Organization — Vancity Community Foundation ​ Consultant — Allison Felker, Sean Condon, William Azaroff ​ ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o Funding request for Social Development programs within the Downtown Eastside Vancouver

Client — Nisga'a Lisims Government ​ ​ Consultant — Bartek Kienc ​ Firm — Canadian Energy Infrastructure Corp. ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o Sale of land in accordance with provincial land disposition policy.

Organization — Canadian Energy Pipeline Association ​ Consultant —Various In-house Lobbyists ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o Engage in discussions regarding aboriginal relations issues of importance to on energy literacy, economic impact or pipeline integrity matters. Specific areas of discussion focus on social impacts of operating in communities, job skill and training initiatives, indigenous consultation processes and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). o Engage in discussions such as the Land Based Spill Response Initiative and other collaborative efforts to increase the level of emergency preparedness in BC communities. o Discussions of issues and policies related to energy pipeline development and the environment, including Land Based Spill Response, the Climate Leadership Plan, Environmental Assessment Office, methane emissions regulations, Environmental Assessment (EA) revitalization, clean growth strategy, carbon pricing, Southern Mountain Caribou Protection Strategy, Boreal Caribou Recovery Implementation Plan, Peace Liard Moose Management Plan and regulatory reform.

Client — GE Healthcare Canada ​ Consultant — Andrew Retfalvi ​ Firm — Global Public Affairs ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o Creation of a new special reimbursement fund for GE's radiological imaging product, DaTscan, in British Columbia.

Organization — ASPECT Association of Service Providers for Employability and Career ​ Training Consultant — Janet Morris-Reade ​ ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o On behalf of ASPECT members, we inform government for policy and delivery of employment training and services contracts as well as identify issues that may arise during implementation of the contacts.

Client — ChargePoint ​ ​ Consultant — Nicole Johnson and Katie Shaw ​ Firm — Global Public Affairs ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o ChargePoint is interested in engaging and working collaboratively with the provincial government in their ambitious commitment towards electrifying the transportation sector as part of CleanBC.

Client — Glencore Canada Corporation ​ ​ Consultant — Katie Shaw ​ Firm — Global Public Affairs ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o Discuss potential alternative use project at the former Brenda Mine site.

Organization — Uber Canada Inc. ​ Consultant — Michael van Hemmen ​ ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o To enable transportation best practices in British Columbia. Issues relating to the provision of smartphone applications to connect users with providers including best practices about ridesharing regulation, micro-mobility regulation, and consumer delivery.

Client — Dynacare ​ Consultant — Steve Vander Wal ​ Firm — Hill+Knowlton Strategies ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o Dynacare would like to explore opportunities to explore how the company can support the B.C. Government in delivering reliable service to British Columbians.

Organization — BC Chamber of Commerce ​ Consultant — Val Litwin and Dan Baxter ​ ​ Name or Description of Policy, Program or Decision: o Lobbyist activities across a wide spectrum of the BC economy, including Employment, Health, Industry, Infrastructure and Justice.