It’s been a busy week for the Opposition in the Legislature raising issues about supports for children and their families, about first nations, about the BC Liberal corruption scandal and about healthcare.

I was able to question the Minister of Health about what’s happening at Sunshine Lodge in Campbell River where the families and staff have only just been officially informed they’ll be moving. Sadly the response gave no help to either families or staff dealing with such a huge change in their lives. (This is still in draft format – please scroll down to about 2:25 p.m.)

I also had the opportunity to talk about the need for child care, child care wait lists and the financial pressures on early childhood educators, both in a debate on Monday and again in my response to the budget later in the week.

Not only does the government ignore child care, but it has a record on child poverty which should be seen by everyone as an indictment of its policies. I was able to argue for a comprehensive government strategy to eradicate child poverty in support of a motion we put forward. With the highest rate of child poverty anywhere in the country – for the fourth year – the need has never been greater. Other provinces have plans to ensure everyone has equality of opportunity: we can too.

My response to the budget, gave me another chance to raise concerns about the government’s priorities. We’ve got widespread homelessness, a growing gulf between the rich and poor, our rural communities in crisis: and no answers, or money, from the government. And while the BC Liberals boast their green budget, with the first carbon tax in North America, the government has given subsidies to the oil and gas industry.

I talked about the NDP vision of a Sustainable BC, of what can and should be achieved by ensuring that a sustainability perspective is at the heart of all our actions. (For those readers who do not want to go to another site to read this, an extract of my speech is at the bottom of this report.)

As many people may be aware, Wednesday was anti-bullying day. It was fitting therefore that was the day I was able to talk about the Campbell River Dialogue event, a wonderful day which brought together a diverse group of people to talk about inclusiveness in Campbell River.
I am happy to meet with constituents at my Port McNeill or Campbell River office: I can be contacted by phone on (250)-287-5100 or (866)-387-5100 or by email at claire.trevena.mlaleg.bc.ca .


…… This is purportedly a green budget. As I've mentioned, there are revolutionary parts in it, but they are very sadly wasted revolutionary parts. It isn't looking at a truly inclusive future, and it is neither visionary, nor is it really functional. It is not offering an alternative view. It's saying: "We're going to take money from you here, and we're going to give you a tax cut." That is not really an alternative view that we could be having. We could be using this opportunity.
We on this side of the House do have alternatives. We do have a vision. Our job is to oppose, but our job is also to provide people with a really good opposition and a really good choice. And I believe we are offering that choice.
We have a vision that does include a gas tax. It most certainly does, but our vision is much bigger. Our vision is for a truly sustainable B.C. We have the opportunity, and our party, our side of the House, has endorsed a truly sustainable vision for B.C. Our vision includes a healthy ecosystem through personal actions and through corporate actions which really will reduce our impact on the planet.
Our vision includes a diversified economy, a healthy economy which serves the needs of people and the needs of communities, not just the needs of corporations. Our vision — this is where we do very much differ, but it is a vision for us — is a vision of equity. Our vision of a sustainable B.C. is a vision of equity where our wealth — our resource wealth, our financial wealth, the wealth of our people — is shared justly and with compassion.
Our vision, as the NDP, is one of individual and community well-being which is built on mutual respect, on cooperation and on democracy. We believe that we can all share in the benefits and that we can share in the enjoyments of our wealth. That's our vision. Our vision is of a sustainable B.C. where taxes raised through progressive taxation, taxes raised through tax-shifting, taxes raised and moneys raised are spent on the public good, on society's good, on our planet's good so that we can make a difference, so that we all — all our communities — have a future.
I think the saddest thing about this budget, which, as the opposition, we will be voting against…. It's so sad to have to vote against the first carbon tax in North America. We will be voting against it because this government does not have that vision. This government is moribund. This government is completely moribund……..