Rylund Johnson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard the Minister of Health say in her first response that one of the key things to a health response is safe supply. And this was fundamental and essential to BC being granted this. I know Yukon has implemented similar safe supply work. I'm wondering if the Department of Health has any plans to address safe supply here in our territory? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In yesterday's auditor general report, it became clear that we have to make sure there is coordination in our response to the substance abuse issues in this territory. And I think one of the clear lines of coordination is of the RCMP's role. But I think before we even have that conversation, we have to make sure we're on the same page.

So my question for the Minister of Health and Social Services is does she believe that our response to substance abuse issues is first and foremost a health issue and not a criminal one? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, I'm going to ask a couple more questions, I guess. I'm wondering out of the total amount on tree planting we're spending and if the Minister has any idea or knows in front of her where we're planting trees. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes, and I'll just point that, you know, this $15 million here going, $10 million of it was from COVID secretariat, so clearly the department did a bit of an assessment of what is needed to increase that capacity for the endemic going forward and needed an extra $5 million. But we also know the Department of Health and Social Services, even with its budget, runs a deficit consistently.

I'm just trying to understand if there is still a gap, we think, of increased COVID costs on the healthcare system going forward or whether we think you know, I know we're not going to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a question about the reduction in contract services here in the management board secretariat. It's rather significant. And I'm just wondering how what contracts we expect to lose from this? I don't really understand what the management board secretariat does to be honest.

And if we don't actually expect to lose any contracts, just if someone could colour how we end up, you know, with about $700,000 of surplus in a specific accounting line for this group. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I see there's $6,200,000 increased to the Housing Corporation which shows up in the Department of Finance as a transfer. My understanding of this money was that it was going to be a permanent increase to the Housing Corporation so that their grant from the government, or the GNWT, has been rather consistent for almost a decade or so.

So I'm just wondering if this is a permanent increase to what we give the Housing Corporation, and if so, is there anything that kind of reflects that in the main estimate or in the supplementary appropriations? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I see that there's $5,470,000 for the transformation to a polytechnic university. I'm very happy to see that this is 100 percent federal money. But I believe there was a couple million in the capital budget previously for some upgrades to the college as well. But I'm just hoping the Minister could give an explanation of what we are spending this $5 million on. Thank you.

For.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am well aware that alcohol is of a primary concern and issue to our substance abuse issues. But I think absent action now, we will find ourselves in a similar situation to the Yukon in the years to come. We have seen increasing drug use and many people on the front lines speak to that regularly.

But my question for the Minister of Health is BC in granting this or in receiving this application, the federal Minister of Health said this is really a template for how to respond to substance abuse issues. So I'm wondering if the Minister of Health will commit to looking at...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I have asked these questions of Justice before. Today I directed them to Health because the decision ultimately made was by the BC public health asking for an exemption to the federal Minister of Health.

And so my question for our Minister of Health is does she agree with the Canadian Association of Police Chiefs, 60 percent of the Canadian public, the overwhelming amount of public health officials, the federal Minister of Health, the BC Minister of Health, and really anyone who has worked on the front lines, that decriminalization is a step that saves lives and...