B.C. Today – Daily Report March 6, 2019 Quotation of the day “Is this the demon who refuses to rent out her property? Is this the target of this tax?” Liberal Party Leader Andrew Wilkinson questions why a widow on a fixed income may be ​ ​ forced to pay the speculation tax on an inherited cabin. Today in B.C. On the schedule The House will convene at 1:30 p.m. to allow the government to hold its weekly cabinet meeting in the morning. Tuesday’s debates and proceedings Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth introduced Bill 11, Civil Forfeiture ​ ​ ​ ​ Amendment Act, which would enhance the ability of the province’s civil forfeiture office to trace, preserve and forfeit the proceeds of crime. In the House, MLAs completed their review of the supplementary estimates for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and began reviewing the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Commitee A spent the day reviewing the supplementary estimates for the Ministry of Children and Family Development. In the House Health Minister Adrian Dix welcomed representatives from the Alzheimer Society of B.C., who ​ ​ were at the legislature to attend an annual dementia luncheon event. Advanced Education, Skills and Training Minister Melanie Mark paid tribute to the organizers of ​ ​ the Leading Influence MLA prayer breakfast, which took place before the morning session. Mark said 37 MLAs attended the event. Liberal MLA Ben Stewart (Kelowna West) introduced West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom, and ​ ​ ​ ​ Liberal MLA Joan Isaacs (Coquitlam—Burke Mountain) welcomed Belcarra Mayor Neil ​ ​ ​ Belenkie. ​ Multiple MLAs welcomed firefighters from their respective ridings to the chamber. A memorial for B.C. firefighters killed in the line of duty was held at the legislature on Monday. Belcarra mayor and residents visit the legislature to seek speculation tax exemption Belcarra Mayor Neil Belenkie appeared with B.C. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson Tuesday ​ ​ ​ ​ to call on the NDP government to exempt his municipality of 700 people from the speculation tax, which he called a "punishment" for property owners. “Belcarra does not have a speculation problem, it does not have a rental market problem,” Belenkie told reporters, noting the resort municipality of Whistler is exempt from the tax, despite an exceptionally tight rental market. The mayor said he attempted to express his concerns about the impact of the tax on his constituents to local NDP MLA Rick Glumac, but received “veiled threats” that his protest could ​ ​ lead to a more difficult relationship with the provincial government. And, after a meeting with Finance Minister Carole James that he claimed lasted “less than 10 ​ ​ minutes,” Belenkie said he was told, “absolutely no, there is no opportunity for an exemption” for Belcarra. Glumac categorically denied implying Belenkie’s objection to the speculation tax could have consequences for his relationship with the government. “I talked to him after the meeting with the Minister of Finance, which I set up for him,” he told reporters. “We talked for like an hour afterwards, a very cordial conversation.” The Ministry of Finance would not confirm whether Belcarra will be denied an exemption, with a Ministry spokesperson telling media the government is “ensuring an open dialogue with B.C. mayors by meeting with them annually to review housing affordability in their regions.” Meanwhile, Wilkinson introduced several homeowners from the area, who said they oppose the tax. “The NDP have classified them as speculators,” Wilkinson said of the group of seniors. “These people are not speculators, they have had these cabins for generations.” One of those present was Charline Robson, whose Belcarra property was handed down by her ​ ​ aunt. She told reporters the small structure — uninsulated and without potable water or road access — is worth about $15,000, while the land it sits on is valued at around $1.3 million. Robson said she and her family vacation there, but that the building is unsuitable for year-round living and can’t be rented out to avoid the speculation tax, which she expects will cost her upwards of $5,000 per year. “I was frightened to death, I still am,” Robson said of being subject to the speculation tax. “I hope they’ll just drop [the tax].” Being forced to sell the property “would be devastating, it really would be,” Robson said. She told reporters she does not believe she qualifies for an exemption from the tax but admitted she has not contacted the government’s information hotline or the constituency office of Glumac. Tweaks to civil forfeiture law target criminal assets: Public Safety Minister Proposed amendments to B.C.’s civil forfeiture law will make it easier for the province’s civil forfeiture office to seize assets acquired by criminality, Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth told reporters shortly after introducing Bill 12, Civil Forfeiture ​ ​ ​ ​ Amendment Act, in the House. “[These amendments] put the onus on the individual in cases such as where police find a large quantity of drugs … as well as cash, to prove that that cash is legal … and not as a result of the drug trade or trafficking,” he told reporters. “Some of the other amendments will make it easier to be able to trace financial transactions and the transfer of assets, particularly assets coming into the province from out of country. That will assist police in terms of issues such as money laundering and organized crime in general.” The province’s civil forfeiture laws are currently being challenged in court as “grossly ​ ​ disproportionate,” but Farnworth said the proposed amendments were developed in consultation with both legal and law enforcement experts. “Other provinces are already doing this,” he said. “We are confident that the amendments are constitutional and will, in fact, stand up to any court challenge.” Farnworth said he is “comfortable” both with the way the civil forfeiture office is currently operating and with the government’s proposed amendments to the act. “I think they are very much supported by the public,” he added, saying the legislative tweaks are designed to “send a clear message” to criminals operating in the province. “If you are engaged in organized crime, the drug trade [or] serious criminal activity and you have assets that you have obtained because of those activities, you are going to lose them, plain and simple,” Farnworth told reporters. Topics of conversation ● Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s popularity has taken a three-point hit since the ​ ​ SNC-Lavalin scandal started, according to a recent poll conducted by Ipsos for Global ​ ​ News. The poll concluded that, in a ballot question, Trudeau’s Liberals have the support of 31 per cent of voters, Andrew Scheer’s Conservatives would take 40 per cent and ​ ​ Jagmeet Singh’s NDP would get 20 per cent. “This is the first time we’ve actually seen ​ ​ the Conservative Party resuscitated and looking like they could potentially form the government,” said Ipsos Public Affairs CEO Darrell Bricker. ​ ​ ○ Fifty-five per cent of the 1,000 people polled said the SNC-Lavalin scandal will affect their vote this fall, including 20 per cent of Liberal supporters polled. ○ More than two-thirds of respondents believe former Liberal cabinet minister Jody ​ Wilson-Raybould’s account of political interference by Trudeau’s office, while ​ one-third believe the prime minister’s version of events. ● Former U.S. president Barack Obama was in Vancouver yesterday, where he spoke to ​ ​ ​ ​ a sold-out crowd at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Obama has been touring Western Canada this week with stops in Winnipeg and Calgary. ● With no interest on provincial student loans, post-secondary students in B.C. are “likely ​ to borrow more” and take on more debt than they can afford, according to Liberal Party ​ Leader Andrew Wilkinson. “The concern with the NDP taking the interest off them ​ ​ ​ completely is that students in their early years may get a little carried away with how much they are borrowing,” Wilkinson told reporters yesterday. He said he’s spoken to some post-secondary students with more than $80,000 in debt and no degree to show for it. ○ “Students need some counselling about the debt they are taking on,” he added. ● Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson has given the City of Maple ​ ​ Ridge until the end of this week to come to the table and discuss a comprehensive ​ housing plan with the province. The city is in the process of dismantling a homeless ​ camp after multiple fires broke out in the encampment last week. ​ ​ ○ Robinson said the province has pitched multiple proposals for supportive housing to the city in recent months but had no uptake from city hall. Question period During Tuesday’s question period, Liberal MLAs asked Finance Minister Carole James about ​ ​ the implementation of the speculation tax. “Is this a demon?” ● The official Opposition trotted out multiple examples of senior property owners in Belcarra and accused the finance minister of being “uncaring” and unfairly branding them as speculators. ○ “Is this the demon who refuses to rent out her property? Is this the target of this ​ tax?” Liberal Party Leader Andrew Wilkinson asked, in reference to a widow on ​ ​ a fixed $22,000 annual income who he said faces a $5,000 speculation tax bill on an inherited cabin. ● James refused to rise to comment on specific cases, saying that her ministry is happy to answer any questions property owners may have about the new tax. ○ “Are we going to continue, as a government, to address the crisis that was left? Yes, we are,” James said. “Do we have a big job ahead of us? Yes, we do, considering the mess that was left after 16 years by the other side.” Next steps on Trans Mountain ● Green Party MLA Adam Olsen asked Environment Minister George Heyman what the ​ ​ ​ ​ province plans to do now that the National Energy Board (NEB) has recommended that Ottawa proceed with the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.