OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES - (HANSARD) Second Session, 42nd Parliament - Legislative Assembly of ...
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Second Session, 42nd Parliament
OFFICIAL REPORT
OF DEBATES
(HANSARD)
Monday, May 31, 2021
Morning Sitting
Issue No. 78
THE HONOURABLE RAJ CHOUHAN, SPEAKER
ISSN 1499-2175PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
(Entered Confederation July 20, 1871)
LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR
Her Honour the Honourable Janet Austin, OBC
Second Session, 42nd Parliament
SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Honourable Raj Chouhan
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................... Hon. John Horgan
Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training...........................................................................................................Hon. Anne Kang
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries......................................................................................................................Hon. Lana Popham
Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing .............................................................................................Hon. David Eby, QC
Minister of Children and Family Development .................................................................................................................... Hon. Mitzi Dean
Minister of State for Child Care...................................................................................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen
Minister of Citizens’ Services.....................................................................................................................................................Hon. Lisa Beare
Minister of Education .................................................................................................................................................. Hon. Jennifer Whiteside
Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation ........................................................................................Hon. Bruce Ralston, QC
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy............................................................................................. Hon. George Heyman
Minister of Finance .......................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Selina Robinson
Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development ................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy
Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations................................................................................. Hon. Nathan Cullen
Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs.............................................................................Hon. Adrian Dix
Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation .......................................................................................... Hon. Murray Rankin, QC
Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation....................................................................................................... Hon. Ravi Kahlon
Minister of State for Trade...............................................................................................................................................Hon. George Chow
Minister of Labour ...................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Harry Bains
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.............................................................................................................. Hon. Sheila Malcolmson
Minister of Municipal Affairs ............................................................................................................................................. Hon. Josie Osborne
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ........................................................................................................... Hon. Mike Farnworth
Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction........................................................................................... Hon. Nicholas Simons
Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport .................................................................................................................. Hon. Melanie Mark
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure................................................................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming
Minister of State for Infrastructure ................................................................................................................................... Hon. Bowinn Ma
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Leader of the Official Opposition...................................................................................................................................................Shirley Bond
Leader of the Third Party .......................................................................................................................................................... Sonia Furstenau
Deputy Speaker.......................................................................................................................................................... Spencer Chandra Herbert
Assistant Deputy Speaker..............................................................................................................................................................Norm Letnick
Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole .......................................................................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard
Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ........................................................................................................................................... Kate Ryan-Lloyd
Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel.............................................................................................................................. Seunghee Suzie Seo
Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services........................................................................................................................... Artour Sogomonian
Clerk of Committees....................................................................................................................................................................... Jennifer Arril
Clerk Assistant, Committees and Interparliamentary Relations ..............................................................................................Susan Sourial
Senior Research Analyst ................................................................................................................................................................... Karan Riarh
Acting Sergeant-at-Arms..................................................................................................................................................................Greg NelsonALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING
Alexis, Pam (BC NDP) ............................................................Abbotsford-Mission Abbotsford-Mission................................................................................. Pam Alexis
Anderson, Brittny (BC NDP) .........................................................Nelson-Creston Abbotsford South...............................................................................Bruce Banman
Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Penticton Abbotsford West...................................................................... Michael de Jong, QC
Babchuk, Michele (BC NDP)...............................................................North Island Boundary-Similkameen ........................................................................ Roly Russell
Bailey, Brenda (BC NDP) .................................................. Vancouver–False Creek Burnaby–Deer Lake....................................................................... Hon. Anne Kang
Bains, Hon. Harry (BC NDP)......................................................... Surrey-Newton Burnaby-Edmonds......................................................................Hon. Raj Chouhan
Banman, Bruce (BC Liberal Party) ............................................ Abbotsford South Burnaby-Lougheed .................................................................... Hon. Katrina Chen
Beare, Hon. Lisa (BC NDP) ....................................... Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Burnaby North ................................................................................. Janet Routledge
Begg, Garry (BC NDP).................................................................Surrey-Guildford Cariboo-Chilcotin ..........................................................................Lorne Doerkson
Bernier, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ...............................................Peace River South Cariboo North.................................................................................... Coralee Oakes
Bond, Shirley (BC Liberal Party).................................Prince George–Valemount Chilliwack ...............................................................................................Dan Coulter
Brar, Jagrup (BC NDP) ................................................................Surrey-Fleetwood Chilliwack-Kent .................................................................................... Kelli Paddon
Cadieux, Stephanie (BC Liberal Party) ............................................. Surrey South Columbia River–Revelstoke ......................................................... Doug Clovechok
Chandra Herbert, Spencer (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–West End Coquitlam–Burke Mountain...............................................................Fin Donnelly
Chant, Susie (BC NDP) ..............................................North Vancouver–Seymour Coquitlam-Maillardville ...................................................... Hon. Selina Robinson
Chen, Hon. Katrina (BC NDP) ............................................... Burnaby-Lougheed Courtenay-Comox................................................................... Ronna-Rae Leonard
Chouhan, Hon. Raj (BC NDP) .................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Cowichan Valley ............................................................................. Sonia Furstenau
Chow, Hon. George (BC NDP) ..........................................Vancouver-Fraserview Delta North................................................................................... Hon. Ravi Kahlon
Clovechok, Doug (BC Liberal Party)........................Columbia River–Revelstoke Delta South .................................................................................................. Ian Paton
Conroy, Hon. Katrine (BC NDP) ....................................................Kootenay West Esquimalt-Metchosin .................................................................... Hon. Mitzi Dean
Coulter, Dan (BC NDP) .......................................................................... Chilliwack Fraser-Nicola ......................................................................................... Jackie Tegart
Cullen, Hon. Nathan (BC NDP) ................................................................... Stikine Kamloops–North Thompson .............................................................Peter Milobar
Davies, Dan (BC Liberal Party)................................................. Peace River North Kamloops–South Thompson..................................................................Todd Stone
de Jong, Michael, QC (BC Liberal Party)....................................Abbotsford West Kelowna–Lake Country ..................................................................... Norm Letnick
Dean, Hon. Mitzi (BC NDP) ............................................... Esquimalt-Metchosin Kelowna-Mission ........................................................................... Renee Merrifield
D’Eith, Bob (BC NDP) ......................................................... Maple Ridge–Mission Kelowna West ..........................................................................................Ben Stewart
Dix, Hon. Adrian (BC NDP) ................................................ Vancouver-Kingsway Kootenay East.......................................................................................Tom Shypitka
Doerkson, Lorne (BC Liberal Party) ........................................Cariboo-Chilcotin Kootenay West........................................................................ Hon. Katrine Conroy
Donnelly, Fin (BC NDP) .......................................... Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Langford–Juan de Fuca .............................................................. Hon. John Horgan
Dykeman, Megan (BC NDP)............................................................... Langley East Langley .............................................................................................Andrew Mercier
Eby, Hon. David, QC (BC NDP) ....................................... Vancouver–Point Grey Langley East....................................................................................Megan Dykeman
Elmore, Mable (BC NDP) ..................................................Vancouver-Kensington Maple Ridge–Mission.............................................................................. Bob D’Eith
Farnworth, Hon. Mike (BC NDP) .................................................Port Coquitlam Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows............................................................Hon. Lisa Beare
Fleming, Hon. Rob (BC NDP) ............................................... Victoria–Swan Lake Mid Island–Pacific Rim............................................................ Hon. Josie Osborne
Furstenau, Sonia (BC Green Party) .............................................Cowichan Valley Nanaimo.............................................................................Hon. Sheila Malcolmson
Glumac, Rick (BC NDP) ..................................................Port Moody–Coquitlam Nanaimo–North Cowichan ............................................................... Doug Routley
Greene, Kelly (BC NDP) ........................................................Richmond-Steveston Nechako Lakes........................................................................................ John Rustad
Halford, Trevor (BC Liberal Party) .........................................Surrey–White Rock Nelson-Creston ............................................................................. Brittny Anderson
Heyman, Hon. George (BC NDP) .........................................Vancouver-Fairview New Westminster.............................................................. Hon. Jennifer Whiteside
Horgan, Hon. John (BC NDP) ......................................... Langford–Juan de Fuca North Coast ........................................................................................... Jennifer Rice
Kahlon, Hon. Ravi (BC NDP) .............................................................. Delta North North Island................................................................................... Michele Babchuk
Kang, Hon. Anne (BC NDP) .................................................. Burnaby–Deer Lake North Vancouver–Lonsdale......................................................... Hon. Bowinn Ma
Kirkpatrick, Karin (BC Liberal Party) ........................West Vancouver–Capilano North Vancouver–Seymour................................................................... Susie Chant
Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal Party)....................................................................Shuswap Oak Bay–Gordon Head..................................................Hon. Murray Rankin, QC
Lee, Michael (BC Liberal Party) ..............................................Vancouver-Langara Parksville-Qualicum........................................................................... Adam Walker
Leonard, Ronna-Rae (BC NDP)............................................... Courtenay-Comox Peace River North ................................................................................... Dan Davies
Letnick, Norm (BC Liberal Party) .................................. Kelowna–Lake Country Peace River South ................................................................................ Mike Bernier
Lore, Grace (BC NDP)........................................................... Victoria–Beacon Hill Penticton ................................................................................................. Dan Ashton
Ma, Hon. Bowinn (BC NDP).....................................North Vancouver–Lonsdale Port Coquitlam...................................................................... Hon. Mike Farnworth
Malcolmson, Hon. Sheila (BC NDP)........................................................ Nanaimo Port Moody–Coquitlam....................................................................... Rick Glumac
Mark, Hon. Melanie (BC NDP).................................Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Powell River–Sunshine Coast..............................................Hon. Nicholas Simons
Mercier, Andrew (BC NDP) ........................................................................ Langley Prince George–Mackenzie....................................................................Mike Morris
Merrifield, Renee (BC Liberal Party)......................................... Kelowna-Mission Prince George–Valemount .................................................................. Shirley Bond
Milobar, Peter (BC Liberal Party) .......................... Kamloops–North Thompson Richmond North Centre..........................................................................Teresa Wat
Morris, Mike (BC Liberal Party) ................................. Prince George–Mackenzie Richmond-Queensborough..................................................................Aman Singh
Oakes, Coralee (BC Liberal Party).................................................. Cariboo North Richmond South Centre .......................................................................... Henry Yao
Olsen, Adam (BC Green Party)............................ Saanich North and the Islands Richmond-Steveston ............................................................................ Kelly Greene
Osborne, Hon. Josie (BC NDP)........................................Mid Island–Pacific Rim Saanich North and the Islands .............................................................Adam Olsen
Paddon, Kelli (BC NDP) ................................................................Chilliwack-Kent Saanich South .............................................................................Hon. Lana Popham
Paton, Ian (BC Liberal Party) ............................................................... Delta South Shuswap...................................................................................................... Greg Kyllo
Popham, Hon. Lana (BC NDP)........................................................ Saanich South Skeena........................................................................................................... Ellis Ross
Ralston, Hon. Bruce, QC (BC NDP) .............................................Surrey-Whalley Stikine........................................................................................ Hon. Nathan Cullen
Rankin, Hon. Murray, QC (BC NDP) .............................Oak Bay–Gordon Head Surrey-Cloverdale .............................................................................. Mike Starchuk
Rice, Jennifer (BC NDP) ...................................................................... North Coast Surrey-Fleetwood.....................................................................................Jagrup Brar
Robinson, Hon. Selina (BC NDP)...................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Surrey–Green Timbers........................................................................Rachna Singh
Ross, Ellis (BC Liberal Party)......................................................................... Skeena Surrey-Guildford......................................................................................Garry Begg
Routledge, Janet (BC NDP) .............................................................Burnaby North Surrey-Newton ..............................................................................Hon. Harry Bains
Routley, Doug (BC NDP)........................................... Nanaimo–North Cowichan Surrey-Panorama ...................................................................................... Jinny Sims
Russell, Roly (BC NDP).................................................... Boundary-Similkameen Surrey South ................................................................................ Stephanie Cadieux
Rustad, John (BC Liberal Party)......................................................Nechako Lakes Surrey-Whalley ................................................................. Hon. Bruce Ralston, QC
Sandhu, Harwinder (BC NDP) .................................................Vernon-Monashee Surrey–White Rock .......................................................................... Trevor Halford
Sharma, Niki (BC NDP)..........................................................Vancouver-Hastings Vancouver-Fairview.............................................................. Hon. George Heyman
Shypitka, Tom (BC Liberal Party) .................................................... Kootenay East Vancouver–False Creek...................................................................... Brenda Bailey
Simons, Hon. Nicholas (BC NDP)......................... Powell River–Sunshine Coast Vancouver-Fraserview...............................................................Hon. George Chow
Sims, Jinny (BC NDP) ................................................................. Surrey-Panorama Vancouver-Hastings ..............................................................................Niki Sharma
Singh, Aman (BC NDP) .............................................Richmond-Queensborough Vancouver-Kensington....................................................................... Mable Elmore
Singh, Rachna (BC NDP)................................................... Surrey–Green Timbers Vancouver-Kingsway..................................................................... Hon. Adrian Dix
Starchuk, Mike (BC NDP) ......................................................... Surrey-Cloverdale Vancouver-Langara................................................................................ Michael Lee
Stewart, Ben (BC Liberal Party) ....................................................... Kelowna West Vancouver–Mount Pleasant..................................................... Hon. Melanie Mark
Stone, Todd (BC Liberal Party) ...............................Kamloops–South Thompson Vancouver–Point Grey ............................................................Hon. David Eby, QC
Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal Party) ............................. West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Vancouver-Quilchena........................................................Andrew Wilkinson, QC
Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal Party)....................................................... Fraser-Nicola Vancouver–West End .....................................................Spencer Chandra Herbert
Walker, Adam (BC NDP) ....................................................... Parksville-Qualicum Vernon-Monashee ..................................................................... Harwinder Sandhu
Wat, Teresa (BC Liberal Party) ....................................... Richmond North Centre Victoria–Beacon Hill............................................................................... Grace Lore
Whiteside, Hon. Jennifer (BC NDP) ......................................... New Westminster Victoria–Swan Lake.................................................................... Hon. Rob Fleming
Wilkinson, Andrew, QC (BC Liberal Party)......................Vancouver-Quilchena West Vancouver–Capilano...........................................................Karin Kirkpatrick
Yao, Henry (BC NDP) ..................................................... Richmond South Centre West Vancouver–Sea to Sky................................................................Jordan Sturdy
Party Standings: BC NDP 57; BC Liberal Party 28; BC Green Party 2CONTENTS
Monday, May 31, 2021
Morning Sitting
Page
Orders of the Day
Private Members’ Statements................................................................................................................................................. 2213
Women and aging
J. Routledge
K. Kirkpatrick
Cruise ship industry in B.C.
D. Clovechok
J. Rice
Anti-Asian racism
N. Sharma
T. Wat
National AccessAbility Week
S. Cadieux
K. Paddon
Private Members’ Motions ..................................................................................................................................................... 2221
Motion 9 — Accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities
D. Coulter
R. Merrifield
B. Bailey
E. Ross
A. Mercier
T. Shypitka
S. Chant
M. Lee
M. Starchuk
C. Oakes
R. Leonard2213
MONDAY, MAY 31, 2021 of women’s qualifications than it does for men. Further-
more, it found evidence that older women are judged by
The House met at 10:04 a.m. interviewers to be less attractive and, therefore, less qual-
ified than older men or younger women. These conclu-
[Mr. Speaker in the chair.] sions are based on evidence gleaned from over 40,000 job
applications.
Routine Business Scientific research aside, social media and journalism’s
fixation on finding out if 80-year-old Nancy Pelosi, argu-
Prayers and reflections: D. Clovechok. ably the third-most powerful person in the world, has had
[10:05 a.m.] plastic surgery kind of proves the point. As one opin-
ion piece put it: “Ambitious…women have to look pre-
Orders of the Day embalmed when they hit the big numbers, knowing that
if they look anything like Bernie Sanders, who’s actually
Private Members’ Statements two years younger than Pelosi, they will actually cease
to exist.” As another journalist put it, the mere fact that
WOMEN AND AGING Nancy Pelosi is Speaker of the United States House of Rep-
resentatives proves she’s had a facelift.
J. Routledge: When my mother was just a few years Another study revealed that when looking for a place to
younger than I am today, she gave me this piece of advice. live, older women are more likely to be told by prospect-
“Don’t get old,” she told me. “When I was a young woman,” ive landlords that an advertised rental suite is not available,
she said, “men would leap up to give me their seats on the but the same unit is then offered to younger applicants.
bus. They would rush to hold doors open for me. Now,” Women who divorce in later years are less likely than their
she said, “when I have arthritis in my hips and my hands husbands to remarry, and I think we all know at least one
and I could use a little extra help, no one offers me a seat older woman who was terrified she would spend the rest
anymore. And when people rush to open doors, it’s so they of her life alone when her husband left her. It’s not an idle
can get through ahead of me. I’ve become invisible in my fear. Almost half of single, widowed or divorced women
old age.” over the age of 65 live below the poverty line, and their
poverty rate is double that of older men.
[S. Chandra Herbert in the chair.] That women disappear as they age is embedded in our
culture. It’s the premise of the Alfred Hitchcock classic The
I’ve begun to notice the same thing happening to me. Lady Vanishes, in which an elderly governess disappears
Do women lose respect as they age? Are older women on a train, and no one can remember what she looked
treated with less respect than older men? If so, why is that? like or even that she was there on the train at all. In the
Does it matter? Is it a social problem we should be con- end, it turns out she was a British spy. In fact, according to
cerned about, and if it is, what are we going to do about one article I read in preparation for this statement, intel-
it? These are the kinds of questions I’ll be addressing in my ligence agencies have been more likely to recruit middle-
statement this morning about women and aging. aged women than the stereotypic Mata Haris because they
Let me begin by describing the invisible older woman tend not to get noticed.
syndrome. Yes, it is a thing. You can google it. The invisible Then there’s the iconic scene from the Netflix sitcom
older woman syndrome is a social phenomenon that starts Grace and Frankie, in which the older Jane Fonda has
to affect many women at the age of about 45. They start to a dramatic meltdown when a male sales clerk remains
feel irrelevant. oblivious as she tries to get his attention but immediately
The women’s movement has made great strides, and notices and serves a young, attractive female customer
the lives of women are much less constrained today than instead.
they were in our mothers’ time or grandmothers’ time. But [10:10 a.m.]
women still tend to be judged by their physical appear- Visibility can be infuriating, but it can also be life-
ance and perceived child-bearing and child-rearing capa- threatening. For example, we know that the pandemic has
city, attributes which are all associated with youth. So had a disproportionate impact on women workers and
when women age, they feel less valuable to society, and family caregivers, but according to medical journals, the
they are not imagining it. impact on older women, especially in long-term care, has
Studies from around the world confirm that older been ignored everywhere in the world.
women are less likely to be hired or promoted than are I’d like to conclude this portion of my statement by
older men or younger women. The results of a compre- reminding us of the often-quoted saying that “men age like
hensive field experiment published in 2017 found evid- wine, women age like milk,” and sour milk is something
ence that when candidates are being interviewed for jobs, you throw away.
physical appearance plays a bigger role in the assessment2214 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 31, 2021 K. Kirkpatrick: Thank you to the MLA for Burnaby by a man, which further exacerbates low-income rates North. Well, it’s been a long journey for women, and it for women, especially those who live alone or as single continues to be. I thank the groundbreaking women that mothers. came before me and started to open the door, and I thank Women also experience more disruption in their car- the amazing young women coming up behind who are eers, as they take time off to have children and to be care- kicking that door open. givers. Now, I noticed something several years ago, when All too often it feels like getting older means being era- I was managing a group of women, that it wasn’t unusual sed from a culture that equates youth with beauty and for a woman employee, when she came to let me know that beauty with value. The world remains rife with ageism and she was pregnant and she was going to plan her maternity sexism for older women. But I do see more and more of leave, that she wouldn’t finish that sentence without apolo- that narrative changing. I’m seeing more roles being writ- gizing to me. This is apologizing for what should have been ten for, I’ll call them, mature women in movies. And I see the happiest time in her life. more women leaders and an expectation that women will Then I found I did it myself. When I told my boss I was be leaders, regardless of age. going to take time off because I was having a daughter, I A friend once told me that when a woman hits 50, apologized. He looked at me like he was a bit annoyed, like she becomes invisible. Now, from the MLA for Burnaby I’d chosen a very inconvenient time to become a mother. North, I did not know there was actually a syndrome Men don’t experience this. called invisible older women syndrome, so I have just [10:15 a.m.] learned something. Perhaps my friend was not too far So the preponderance of women living in poverty is also from the truth. due in part to biology. Women simply live longer than I think aging is a woman’s super power. As we age, we’re men: 83 years in Canada, on average, versus 79 for men. more likely to be able to live our own life with our truth They are much more likely to outlive their spouses and and be comfortable with who we are and the value that we their savings. That leaves them having to save more for bring to others. As I age, I get smarter. But growing up as their retirement. My own 94-year-old mother often jokes a woman in the ’80s and ’90s did result in some traditional that she would have saved more had she known she was baggage that so many women feel, at my age, and are try- going to live this long. ing to get rid of. That’s that self-doubt, the instinct to defer But I wouldn’t trade aging for anything. The alternative to others and the very annoying habit of when you apolo- is not very appealing. I have learned and grown for all gize to someone in the grocery store, and they’re the one of the journeys and experiences of my lifetime. It makes that actually walked into you. me a kinder and gentler person. But I will still never wear I am very lucky that my daughter is growing up in a purple or a red hat. me-too generation, where there aren’t, in the back of her mind, traditional gender roles that are going to guide her J. Routledge: Thank you to the member opposite for life choices. Then when she finds herself in some situation your age-affirming observations. In my opening remarks, I being disrespected because she’s a young woman, she can spoke about the invisible older woman syndrome. But dis- recognize that now, as we perhaps didn’t, and she can call appearing isn’t all that happens to older women. it out. But hopefully, because of all we’ve learned as we age, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella — these are she won’t have to do that. all familiar fairy tales beloved by generations of chil- There is a consequence, however, to longevity. And we dren. These narratives shape our self-image and our rel- can’t forget that there are a number of continuing social ationship to the world. What do they all have in com- issues that impact women disproportionately in their qual- mon? A young, beautiful woman is saved by a hand- ity of life while aging. As our society ages, the ratio of some, young prince. But saved from who? In every icon- women to men continues to increase. In Canada, there ic fairy tale, the young, beautiful heroine is saved from a are two times as many women living after the age of 85 jealous, bitter old woman. Even the classic Wizard of Oz and five times as many over 100. The poverty rate for is premised on the vindictiveness of an older neighbour senior women in Canada is almost double that of men. who morphs into a witch. The largest group of poor seniors are single, widowed or Speaking of “witch,” what are some of the other nouns divorced women over 65, living alone. Almost half of those commonly used to refer to an older woman? Hag. Biddy. live below the poverty line, with isolation being a common Crone. Battle-axe. Old bat. Even today, when women have struggle for senior women. more rights than ever before, more opportunities than ever One of the top factors pushing women into poverty before to lead fulfilling lives and influence the world later in life is the traditional role that they play, and that around us on our own terms, it continues to be normal- traditional role does remain, in many ways, today in the ized, perhaps subconsciously so, that women are expected workplace and in their families. Women are much more to compete with other women for the attention and likely to work part-time than are men. Women continue approval of men. It continues to be normalized that as to approximately make 70 cents per every dollar earned
Monday, May 31, 2021 British Columbia Debates 2215
we age, our status, our worth will be stolen by younger Here in Victoria the industry is responsible for about
women. 800 jobs, contributing about $130 million per year.
We all — women, men; younger, older — have a role to In 2019, pre-COVID-19 times, 264 cruise ships visited
play to break the stereotype. We need to open our eyes and Victoria, with over 700,000 passengers who, on average,
start seeing older women in stores, on public transporta- spent about $83 per person, with crew members spending
tion, in the workplace. We need to start including older on average about $113 per person, locally.
women in our research. We need to start recognizing that It’s obvious that the cruise industry is a key driver of
older women, like older men, have a lifetime of experience, economic activity within the tourism sector in B.C. It rep-
wisdom and gravitas to contribute as we grapple with the resents one of the largest employers yet is an industry that
challenges that confront our planet, our communities, our has been completely shut down. This, in turn, affects thou-
homes. sands of British Columbians and businesses who are dir-
Finally, just as women of all ages are undoing the help- ectly impacted by the catastrophic effect that COVID has
less damsel in distress stereotype, we older women must had on this industry. The industry has not only been under
resist being typecast as crabby old witches. attack from COVID-19 but now is under pressure from
the United States government.
Deputy Speaker: Recognizing the member for Colum- The Jones Act, which for decades has been deemed by
bia River–Revelstoke. the cruise industry as antiquated, is a federal U.S. law
that regulates maritime commerce in the United States.
CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY IN B.C. Within that act is cabotage. That relates directly to the
transports of people and goods between the ports in the
D. Clovechok: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. So same country.
nice to see you. If you have been on a cruise, you would know and have
It gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise and speak noticed the amount of detail that is spent on recording
about the tourism industry, a pillar of this province’s eco- passengers coming on and off ships. This is all due to the
nomy, and to highlight the cruise ship industry as a key Jones Act. Cruise operators are highly motivated to avoid
contributing sector of our economic success. breaking the Jones Act, because if they do not abide by the
I had the great fortune in my career to work for Princess law, there are significant fines that are levied.
Tours, a subsidiary of Princess Cruises, and spend an en- Again, this is an act or piece of legislation that cruise
ormous amount of time on our ships. The job took me operators for years have believed is antiquated and
to the jungles of Costa Rica, to Panama and Nicaragua restricting. What most people may not know is that most
and, of course, to the glaciers of Alaska and so many other cruise ships operating out of the United States ports are
places and ports throughout the world. not registered in the United States and are subject directly
The tourism industry is B.C.’s third-largest economic to the Jones Act.
sector, and we all know it has been the sector that has To put this in simplistic terms, because of the Jones Act,
been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, espe- cruise ships that were not built in the United States or not
cially the cruise ship industry. Traditionally, April is the U.S.-owned, and with non-U.S. crews, cannot travel dir-
beginning of the Alaska cruise season, and the ships begin ectly between U.S. ports unless they stop in a foreign port.
to reposition for Alaskan departures, which typically run This means that a ship with a foreign crew or in any way
right through late September. It has been these ships that foreign cannot, as an example, go on a round trip from
have brought tens of thousands of passengers to visit our Seattle, Los Angeles or even Alaska without stopping at
beautiful ports of Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and a Canadian port, which of course would be Vancouver,
Prince Rupert, visitors all experiencing the beauty and Prince Rupert or Victoria.
hospitality of B.C. and leaving their hard-earned cash Due to COVID-19, the Trudeau government curtailed
behind, supporting our local and provincial economies. the arrival of cruise ships into Canada until 2022. What
British Columbia is the largest cruise region in Canada, that means is that cruise ships originating in the United
accounting for more than 69 percent of all Canadian cruise States and destined for Alaska in 2021, because of the
traffic, with visitors from all over the world. Most cruisers Jones Act, would not be able to stop in Canada, thus
come from the United States, about one quarter from over- preventing them from sailing north.
seas and the rest from Canada. This has been disastrous news for the American-based
[10:20 a.m.] cruise companies and industries, as they are repositioning
The cruise ship industry in B.C. is responsible for about to reopen their Alaska market this summer.
$2.7 billion in economic activity. In Vancouver, each dock- In response, the decision to close our ports has, in turn,
ing ship contributes approximately $3.17 million, for a tot- precipitated the passing of a bill by the Americans that will
al of about $2.2 billion in economic impact. The industry allow ships to go to Alaska without stopping in Canada.
creates around 20,000 direct and indirect jobs in B.C. This bill was unanimously passed in a rare example of U.S.
bipartisanism and, as I say, unanimously. President Biden2216 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 31, 2021
signed the bill into law last week, which allows cruise ships Seattle consulate weekly. Provincial government shares a
to sail to Alaska without requiring them to stop in Canada. common desire with the people of Alaska to see a safe
What does that mean for B.C. and the thousands of return to the cruise ship industry to the benefit of both
British Columbians who depend on the arrival of these of our regions. We’re investing in tourism so that we are
ships? It means that the millions of dollars of tourism-gen- ready when the borders open.
erated moneys that were spent in our province will end On December 22, we announced a $100 million tour-
up being spent in American ports like Skagway, Ketchik- ism-specific stream under the small and medium-sized
an and Juneau, ports that are absolutely dependent on the business recovery grant program as a response to a call
cruise industry. to action from the tourism task force. We’ve also del-
This new law represents an achievement the industry ivered $5 million in dedicated relief funding that is
has wanted for years. The cruise industry has been asking being delivered by Indigenous Tourism B.C. for Indigen-
for the repeal of this for years, and they finally have got it, ous tourism businesses.
all because two Alaskan senators and an Alaskan congress- We have also invested $19 million to support small
man took it upon themselves to do their jobs and fight for municipalities that are dependent upon tourism to build,
the well-being of their constituents, who are so dependent adapt and diversify their tourism infrastructure. We’ve
on the cruise ship industry. invested $20 million for tourism infrastructure projects
supporting destination development. We’ve invested
J. Rice: Under current U.S. law, foreign-flagged cruise nearly $14 million to support targeted tourism develop-
ships travelling between U.S. destinations are required to ment partnership initiatives in the six tourism regions
stop at a foreign port in-between. This rule has greatly across B.C. to help the industry recover from COVID-19.
benefited British Columbia, where Alaska-bound cruise We have also supported local community development
ships have stopped in places like Victoria and Prince management organizations with $60 million so they can
Rupert. retain critical staff and offset fixed expenses. On May 27,
[10:25 a.m.] we announced a $50 million program for B.C. major
A decision made by the federal government of Canada anchor attractions.
temporarily banned cruise ships from Canadian ports The province will continue to support and defend B.C.’s
until February of next year to prevent the spread of COV- tourism industry and all the people, businesses and com-
ID-19. Because of this, the recently passed Alaska Tourism munities who depend on it. I will continue to stand up for
Recovery Act temporarily allows Alaska-bound ships to tourism businesses, and I look forward to receiving cruise
bypass B.C. ports. This is a temporary measure, with a sun- passengers in Prince Rupert when it’s safe to do so.
set clause. The law is clear that the changes would be auto-
matically rescinded when Canadian ports are reopened to Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.
cruise ships. Of course, members are reminded we do not use mem-
My home community of Prince Rupert is ready and bers’ personal names in statements.
willing to welcome Alaska cruise passengers when it’s safe Recognizing the member for Columbia River–Revel-
to do so. We have a breadth of attractions for adventurous stoke. Wonderful part of the world.
souls, with world-class kayaking, whale- and bear-watch-
ing and cultural experiences. D. Clovechok: There you got it. Well done, Mr. Speaker.
Our restaurants cover the gamut from international cui- It is so.
sine to locally caught seafood. While things are gradually Thank you to the member opposite for their comments.
opening up across the province, it’s still not safe enough to The British Columbians and their families whose liveli-
open international and U.S. borders. This is for the health hood depends on tourism and, in this case, cruise ships
and safety of all Canadians. We are working with col- deserve a much better fate. The problem that we see before
leagues across the province, with the federal and U.S. gov- us today has been on the radar screen for over a year, yet
ernments. Premier Horgan is meeting Alaska senators on nothing has really been done to address this issue.
June 9 on this very matter. This issue was in front of the provincial leadership as
The Transportation and Infrastructure Minister has sent of February 12, 2021 when they were cc’d on a letter that
a letter to his federal colleagues around the logistics of was sent to our Canadian Prime Minister from the two
technical stops. The Tourism Minister has met with the Alaskan senators and an Alaskan congressman informing
U.S. Consulate General in Seattle and discussed this issue. them: “As neighbours and economic partners, we are dis-
She has spoken to the federal Economic Development couraged by Canada’s lack of outreach before announcing
Minister on the matter, and she has met multiple times this long-term closure.”
with Ian Robertson from the Greater Victoria Port Upon receipt of this letter from the American politi-
Authority. cians, red flags should have gone up immediately for the
Ian is also a member of our tourism advisory table. leadership of this province, yet the seriousness of this
The B.C. intergovernmental relations team meets with theMonday, May 31, 2021 British Columbia Debates 2217
threat to B.C.’s cruise industry and those who depend on it As I learned the other day, some elders are taking self-
has been downplayed from the start. defence courses, learning how to use their aged limbs to
[10:30 a.m.] protect themselves from the threat of physical violence
It was dismissed by the Premier who said it was “a blip,” on our streets. These elders are arming themselves with
and assured British Columbians the chances of this law whistles, in the hopes that if they are attacked on our
being passed by the American senators were…. streets, people will come to their aid and protect them
from violence and hatred that they may face.
Deputy Speaker: If I might remind the member before This is where we are today. To those elders who are
he goes further, remarks that target specific members in to be revered and protected in this stage of their lives:
this House go contrary to the spirit of this time. Of course, I am ashamed that this is your reality today, and I am
there are opportunities in question period, speeches, etc., sorry. Despite the over 150 years of Asian immigration to
on other bills to target individuals. Canada, we’ve yet to overcome the racism and xenophobia
that exists among us.
D. Clovechok: A good reminder. Thank you. May is Asian Heritage Month, a time to acknowledge
The Minister of Tourism told British Columbians the the contributions that the Asian community has made to
proposed American legislation was “a temporary measure British Columbia — their blood, sweat and hard work
and its passing was very unlikely.” The reason I make these that is so deeply tied to the building of British Columbia,
comments, Mr. Speaker, is that they speak to a point that whether it’s our railway system, our agricultural system,
I’m going to be making. our small businesses, our health care system, and the list
The thing is, is on May 13, the U.S. Senate passed, unan- goes on.
imously, and approved a bill to bypass Canadian borders Our history is also filled with tragic stories, like the
for the duration that they were closed, a bipartisan action fact that two Chinese workers died for every mile of rail-
that virtually never happens in the United States. The way that was laid across the Rockies, and so many more.
biggest issue now for B.C. is that the new legislation has Yet despite these contributions and the generations of
been signed into law by President Biden and will work families that live here in B.C., far too many are met with
to the advantage of the American-based ports, like Los hatred today.
Angeles and Seattle. This will allow U.S.-based cruise ships What is a hate crime? It’s a crime committed against a
from the Los Angeles, Seattle, Alaskan run to completely person or property that is motivated by hate and includes
bypass B.C., a move that analysts say will likely become things like assault, uttering threats, criminal harassment
permanent. and graffiti. Hatred is an ugly thing. It’s defined in law as
The British Columbians who worked directly or indir- an emotion of an intense and extreme nature that is clearly
ectly for the B.C. cruise industry deserve better, or at least associated with vilification and detestation. It puts upon
the same advocacy and respect the Alaskans received from those individuals a feeling that they are to be despised,
their elected officials. Had action been taken immediately scorned, denied respect and subject to ill treatment.
and had the American concerns been taken more seriously This hatred is experienced in reality by our neighbours,
when it first presented, the tourism calamity that is today like a Vancouver lawyer who was yelled at in his car when
and the tourism cruise calamity that will be tomorrow he was on the corner of Fraser and 41st Avenue by two
could have well be avoided. men who screamed a racial slur. When he rolled down his
window in misbelief, they threw garbage at him.
ANTI-ASIAN RACISM [10:35 a.m.]
Or a young woman who was spat at for walking too
N. Sharma: I come here today with a great sense of loudly on the seawall and has written about grappling with
shame — shame that fills my heart as a Vancouver MLA, the impacts of this incident on her well-being. And terrible
whose city is the anti-Asian hate crime capital of North acts of violence: a 92-year-old who was forced out of a con-
America. venience store on to the sidewalk or a woman who was
I know that we are all ashamed of what this means. It punched in the head at a downtown bus stop.
means that reported hate crimes have gone up over 700 These are just some of the hate crimes and the incidents
percent. It means that, as a recent poll found, 43 percent that have been reported. We need to ask ourselves: how
of British Columbians of Asian descent have experienced do we bend this curve? How do we bring a sense of safety
a racist incident in the past year, ranging from racial slurs back to our communities and push back against this
to property damage to physical assault. That is almost half racism?
of the population. It means that as fear of the virus spread, As we learn and listen to the communities that are im-
so did hesitation to visit Asian-owned and operated busi- pacted, we are finding there are many tools that we need
nesses — businesses that have been a staple of our com- to use in solidarity to make our streets and our communit-
munities for decades. It also means that elders in our com- ies safe. Number one, do not be a bystander. Hollaback, an
munity are fearful, now, of walking on the streets. organization, provides bystander intervention training to2218 British Columbia Debates Monday, May 31, 2021
help arm us with knowing what we do if we witness a hate are to truly eliminate hate and intolerance in our province.
crime. That includes the five Ds. We need to take concrete steps that amounts to more than
Distract. Derail the incident by interrupting and di- just sympathy. This is why I wrote to the Premier and
verting its attention. Start a conversation with the victim Attorney General last week, outlining a ten-point plan of
to deflect. crucial actions government could take to truly follow our
Delegate. Seek help from a third party that is more province’s mission of eliminating racism.
capable of intervening. Call 911 if the situation is speci- [10:40 a.m.]
fically unsafe. The official opposition has asked government to take the
Document. Record the incident, always making sure the following steps.
person who is being recorded decides what’s done with the One, activate the Select Standing Committee on Educa-
footage. tion to review policies and actions that have contributed to
Delay. Check with the person that’s affected. Ask them if the rise in racism and conduct a comprehensive examina-
they want you to sit with them or walk with them after the tion of the current state of racism in B.C. by working with
incident. organizations and community representatives to provide
Direct. If it is safe, intervene directly by addressing what recommendations on how we can improve.
is happening and confronting the perpetrator. Two, fund an anti-racism secretariat to monitor and
There are also other supports that are coming. B.C. is quantify discrimination, promote preventative measures
launching a hotline that is intended to be a multilingual and report on this progress to the Legislature by the end of
service not delivered by the police, for British Columbians this calendar year.
to respond and report incidents and receive support and Three, quickly implement and activate the hotline for
referrals. British Columbians to report racist incidents, announced
We need to support our local Asian-run businesses that on April 30, 2021.
have not only been impacted by the pandemic but this Four, increase funding to multiculturalism and anti-
rising hate. We need to support those community organ- racism programs.
izations that are on the front line and are working to keep Five, develop more educational tools and resources for
people safe. the K-to-12 education curriculum to combat racism and
I call upon all of us here today to stand in solidarity educate students about the contributions of immigrants to
against the rise of hate crimes and all do what we can to British Columbia.
support our neighbours and never be a silent bystander in Six, ensure local police forces have sufficient resources
the face of hatred. to respond quickly and to fully investigate hate crimes and
racist incidents, including online reporting.
T. Wat: I thank the member opposite for her comments. Seven, ensure that the Attorney General’s Crown pro-
As MLAs, we have a fundamental responsibility to not secution service treats racist incidents as a priority for
only represent our constituents but represent the many charge determinations and prosecutions.
diverse cultural groups that make up our communities. Eight, press the federal government on amendments
Regardless of our personal political beliefs, we must all be to section 718.2 of the Criminal Code with respect to
allies in our fight against racism and intolerance in this sentencing for hate-inspired crimes to better define hate
province. Amidst these horrific events, it gives me great based on race.
hope and pride to see so many MLAs speaking out against Nine, apply to the National NewsMedia Council for a
the rise in anti-Asian hate that our province has experi- review of media coverage to determine the extent, if any,
enced this past year. to which language, visual depictions and editorial content
Although we are discussing anti-Asian racism, I think may have conditioned people to accept racial stereotyping
it is also important to recognize the heartbreaking discov- and racial intolerance.
ery of a burial site of 215 children at the former Kamloops And ten, call upon major media outlets in Canada,
Indian Residential School. Our hearts go out to the famil- as well as social media outlets, to implement a coherent
ies of those impacted by this horrific discovery. public awareness campaign on racism and the unaccept-
This pandemic has shone a dark light on how deeply able incidents of harassment in recent months in con-
racism and intolerance are still rooted in parts of our soci- junction with the 50 year anniversary of Canada’s multi-
ety. Last year, more anti-Asian hate crimes were reported culturalism policy.
in Vancouver, a city of 700,000 people, than in the top- I look forward to the Premier and the Attorney Gen-
ten most populous U.S. cities combined. Almost one out of eral’s prompt response. Implementing these steps will go
every two residents of Asian descent in British Columbia a long way to securing a bright and tolerant future for all
have experienced a hate incident in the past year. so we can work together to build a culture of acceptance
While I thank government for acknowledging the pub- where all people can feel safe no matter their race, their
lic desire for more anti-racism initiatives by establishing religion or their background.
an Anti-Racism Awareness Week, we have far to go if weYou can also read
