 So greetings everyone. I have to tell you the lights are pretty bright. I can't see you, but I know you're there So I'll just sit start by saying it is concluding yet another UBC Municipalities and it was another opportunity for people from around the province to come together in person to talk about the challenges We're facing all of us together in communities large and small from top to bottom From coast to Rocky Mountains and as much as UBC M is often times a place of handing out of Lolley In the past what we've tried to do today is meet the needs of communities Not just during UBC and week, but every week of the year and I think that's appreciated by those who have to make plans To address and deliver services and communities rural and remote Large urban centers as well. So I hope that this will be a trend continuing for governments down the road that We don't just think about working together when we could be here But we're working together every day of the year and with that I'll I'll ask Lindsay to take some questions Okay, we do We have media on the phone line So I will remind them please to press star one to enter the queue. You're all limited to one question and one follow-up We're gonna start in the room Richard sassman global news one of the things I'm guessing you heard a little bit about From mayors and counselors was the health care system one of the things specifically we're hearing about our ambulance wait times We've heard some recent stories about people who've waited extended periods of time What is the province doing to address these ambulance challenges? Not just in urban areas, but rural areas as well and what responsibility does the province have compared to that of Ottawa? well in this instance the province and local governments and health authorities have Responsibility and what we've been doing over the past five years is modernizing the ambulance service bringing more Members on permanently rather than having them on call Particularly in rural and remote places where they were getting in some cases two dollars an hour To wait for catastrophe. I remember being in Port Renfrew some years ago at a meeting. It was late at night and the ambulance Paramedic was at the meeting I was at and as I was leaving he said if you're gonna go off the road Do it before you get to Lost Creek or the call will go to sook. I mean he was joking but The system wasn't working when we arrived and we've tried to make amendments to address the concerns particularly in in rural and remote Communities, but we are also working and we'll have announcements to make in the short term about how we can collaborate with first responders So that ambulance paramedics and firefighters who many of the firefighters have the same level of training as paramedics oftentimes get to sight earlier than than ambulances because of their the number quite frankly of Firefighters and communities around the province and so we're looking at ways to find more collaboration I think that will ease the ease the strain in the short term and in the long term We need to build out the system further. We've started that back in 2017 and we'll continue to do that Both elections BC and the BC NDP are now Investigating issues around the leadership to replace you. Are you worried at all about the integrity of that vote? To the process going in to find your replacement and the important job of Premier and you worried at all about some of the things that Anjali Apodurai is saying that could Dismantle a lot of the work that you have done as premier. Well, I I have seen public coverage through through the media of Investigations that are underway. I've not been briefed on the material that's been presented I've only I only know what I'm seeing on my TV and reading in my in my clippings But I am I'm concerned seriously concerned about the integrity of the process, but I know I've been a member of the NDP since 1983. I know we think very hard about these issues and we put in place processes to protect the integrity of the system and People are charged with that. There's an electoral officer within the process There's the executive of the BC NDP and I understand elections BC is looking at it as well So I I have nothing more to say other than yes, I am concerned about the allegations But they're allegations and there are investigations underway Next question Justin McAruy CBC. I'm gonna tell me what the game is you're developing This may be my last chance to ask you. I have seven questions about Ocean Falls. Oh good. You Said that UBCM is not about making Announcements, but listening of the work that needs to be done over the last year I guess did you hear from municipalities about their anger over these over-developing crises of health care shortages and mental health And did you have a stronger sense or a takeaway from that in the last week? Well, what I meant in my comments was that the best thing that comes out of the gathering of elected representatives from the two orders of governments from across the provinces It is an opportunity to collaborate. It's an opportunity for communities to share best practices and most importantly it's important for the the province to hear directly from the front line of the three orders of governments local governments are at home all the time and We go to Victoria others go to Ottawa and we're detached and separated from Prince George were detached and separated from Cranbrook so these are opportunities to hear directly from representatives and I believe that's Extraordinarily valuable and I've evolved my thinking on that over time from a staff person who used to service this event To someone who's benefited from the hard work of local government staff as well as Provincial government staff, so I believe we we learned a lot as we do every time we come together But in terms of the the way you put the question Justin anger I don't believe is what I heard I heard frustration Dispondency and and a lack of hope in some areas and and my job is to to hear those concerns I'm well aware of them that these problems didn't arrive yesterday, and they won't be solved Magically tomorrow, they'll only be solved if we roll up our sleeves together and focus on the challenges recruitment and retention of health care providers in Communities is a challenge if those communities don't have other services I've mentioned Fort St. James in my comments and what motivated us to to get the capital project going in the and the new hospital in Fort St. James is now underway is to assist that community in recruiting health care workers Coming to work in a state-of-the-art facility is appealing to someone who may be coming from another part of the country or another part of the World or someone who's working in an urban center who wants to perhaps have a slower pace and enjoy the extraordinary Benefits of living in rural British Columbia, but they're not going to go and work in atco trailers And so the community talked to us they spoke to us loudly and clearly not it with anger But with focus on reason as to why that capital project should go forward and it is going forward And it will make a transformative difference to the the indigenous nations in that territory than the Cosley the Glaston Binti as well as as tackler and of course the people who live around Stewart Lake, so I believe that the benefits of UBCM are Starting the discussions to lead to solutions and that's what we did this week And we're gonna start Monday morning to work on those those concerns that we heard today Yesterday there was a session with leaders from the community's most affecting Affected by the record flooding last year somebody asked what are some of the immediate steps that can happen now? Mayor Henry Braun said the province could take over Responsibility and funding for diking he said that he heard from you last year that it was a priority that it could come in The fall session and he said I take the premier at his word Should he continue to take you at his word in this final session that you have? Yes, he should We're working on a strategy with municipalities. You will know by I know you will know because you asked the question that Responsibility for diking was devolved as the word that was used download is the word you would use if you're on the receiving end of the Devolution downloaded on to municipalities back in 2003 And clearly that was an ill-advised policy change at the same time I don't believe the province should have paramountcy over all of our rivers and all of the challenges of managing Climate change we need to do that together municipalities don't want to Pass off to another order of government the responsibility They want a partner that will be there with them and that's the model. We're working on minister Farnworth And minister Blair at the federal level I have to give props to the federal government when the atmospheric river hit us last fall They were quick to respond not just with resources so that we could build back The coca-cola and the other the rail beds and other things that were disrupted But they are here for the long term and and minister Farmworth's working on that is minister responsible for emergency preparedness Working with extraordinary leaders like Henry. I'm very sad that he won't be seeking re-election but again a demonstration of how people step up to respond to the crisis that's in front of men Henry and the people of Abbotsford and also the mayor Brown and the people of merits I tell to my colleagues across the country when I get the opportunity when they talk about the challenges that they have I speak about merit particularly because the last year the town was evacuated because of fires and smoke Many of the people that were evacuated had already been evacuated to merit from Lytton And then the the rains came and those same citizens were evacuated again Unprecedented and I say that word too often, but I don't know how to describe it When when we see that the impacts of climate change so graphically We need to double down on our efforts to make sure that we are five million souls in a sea of eight coming on eight billion Are doing everything that we can but we also need to make sure we're advocating to other jurisdictions through our trade policies through our engagements In multilateral tables with the federal government that we're doing everything We can to ensure that the rest of the world is keeping pace with the changes that we're making to meet these extraordinary challenges Next question Dan from on a post-media Premier my first question is a personal one This is your last UBCM as premier What specifically would you think you'll miss about these UBCM gatherings? In the future, and is there anything you will not miss? Well, what I'll definitely miss is the post-speech scrum This is a real opportunity for me to engage in discussion about the issues of the day And so I'm happy to do that. No, what I will miss is the collegiality quite genuinely I know and I don't mean to People are frustrated in communities. I think anger. I'm I'm always hopeful and I know the people that I engage with They do that because they're hopeful. They don't do it because they they've got an axe to grind They have a problem and they need a resolution and so I've always when I got into government not for not to Be flashy not to to look for a grandaisement. I did it because my neighbors Needed help. That's how I started and that's I think how I'm going to finish but throughout UBCMs as a as a staff person as a Backbench MLA as leader of the opposition and now as premier what I've observed and what I have felt deeply particularly over the past number of years is how powerful Working together can be and I just can't stress that enough. I know it sounds a Bit Polly Anna, I'm not allowed to say Polly Anna. Am I is that on the board? I have a board of words I'm not allowed to say but I guess that board can go out the door But I will miss the collegiality and the camaraderie I have a friend Ken Williams is the mayor of Highlands just to claim the game for another term And we we kind of made it a deal that every year we'd meet at UBCM and at the Association of Vancouver Island and coastal communities luncheon and talk about how lucky we are to come from southern Vancouver Island And I did that again this year with Ken and I said next year gonna have to find another lunch dates But he knows my number so it'll call me, but I'll miss that and what won't I miss? It's really hard to say because I'm in it and I don't want to be too modeling. I'm gonna say more than I think I can I Don't want to be overly reflective, but I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity and to drop in on people's lives I mean I did a little bit of a travel log at the end of my speech But I could have gone on for hours about the extraordinary people I've met and you know, it's the it's the office If you come in and say hey, I'm the premier people want to talk to you if I'm just John at the coffee shop They go yeah, whatever, you know, and they move along So I am very blessed to have been able to engage and start a conversation with people and you never know where it's gonna go Sometimes you don't like the outcome But as I've said, we're an amalgam or a collection of all of the things all of our experiences throughout our lives And and I'll cherish every minute is premier even the very very deep dark days of the pandemic The Atmospheric River and also of course my personal health journey all of that I was able to get through the cancer treatment because I was buried in good wishes from British Columbians And indeed Canadians and I just can't be more grateful and thankful for the opportunity. I've had to do this work And we heard both during UBCM and before we've heard from cabinet ministers about Your government taking action to expedite housing approvals at the local government level with the legislature sitting next month How much detail can you share about the timeline of what we should expect? And maybe the content of what's going to happen now Well, we have the largest capital budget in BC history And again, I wish I could recite them all but I can tell you at least of one engagement I had this this week with the city of Port Alberni and Mariminians went through a half a dozen BC housing projects that were started in 2017 or 2018 that are coming to conclusion now So we have built mountains of housing unprecedented more student housing in the past five years than had been built in the previous 20 and student housing freeze up housing stock in communities for for for renters So if we're building houses on campus that means that those students aren't pushing other people out of their housing stock Rental stock in communities. So we've done a lot and we have just scratched the surface That's what my takeaway is and that's what minister Rankin is charged with doing Continuing to make sure BC housing is responsive to communities and that we move processes as quickly as possible And the most important thing that we are doing a need to get going faster on is complex care There are too many people that are not getting the services they need and that's leading to street disorder that's leading to a sense of fear in communities particularly in in urban centers, but not exclusively and And that's the big challenge that I heard over and over again from representatives here We need to make sure we're not just building affordable housing We need to make sure we're building appropriate housing for people who need Virtually 24-hour care the closure of of Riverview Clearly was the wrong policy because it wasn't accompanied with massive investments in community services We now have to find a way to to create a Riverview style location That also has Programs for people in communities because not everyone requires 24-hour care But many people require access to health care providers. It will also and I'm sorry to I've given lots of clips here, and I hope you can use some of them We want to make sure that law enforcement has the services and resources that they need and that means making sure that they're social workers and other addiction specialists and others that can assist law enforcement in doing The very complex job that they now are faced with which is not just law and order But also oftentimes diagnosis and and in many cases immediate treatment with respect to Overdoses and other other issues like that. So we need more people to provide services and you'll talk to any Anybody today in the private sector, whether it's hospitality the the restaurants here the hotels desperately short of staff Practitioners care aides. We don't have enough teachers. We don't have childcare workers Every sector of the economy is being affected by what we all knew was coming the so-called gray tsunami Which are now I am a proud member of as people retire They're wanting more services They're living longer and there are fewer people to provide those services that leads to a labor crisis And that's one of the biggest challenges we have today. Not enough people Next question brand, you know northern beat. Thank you. Hi. Hi premier. Hey Um Good speech Thanks, you mentioned in me entered for a while They seemed wrapped You mentioned in your speech talking about the sort of sometimes toxic discourse that's out there And then how you deal with it and you have hope But I've talked to a number of mayors and counselors who have cited it as a Major or even the reason that they are not running again. So does this concern you or what are your thoughts on that? It concerns me greatly and it should concern all thoughtful compassionate citizens of this country It's not just at the local level of the provincial level It's at the federal level as well and and I I know there's anger. I know there's frustration With many people not getting the services and they need whether it's in health care or housing Education any number of areas businesses who are frustrated that they can they could expand if they only had Access to more more workers not skilled just workers So I don't believe though that that frustration should should create a Toxic environment for solving these problems and and it's a real issue and and the vast majority of British Columbians Are supportive of their elected representatives? I can't count the number of people who told me they didn't vote for me lots but I also know lots of people did and and and now it doesn't matter and what I take away from that is If I can talk to conservatives and liberals and greens and try and find common ground Then others can too and those that live on the comment sections and live under anonymous Twitter handles They're free to do that, but I might appeal to regular folks is to meet that hatred with kindness and compassion meet that venom and toxicity with a Collaborative approach that's a very good suggestion you have of pushing everyone into the sea, but I don't think that's gonna work Why don't we try something else? I mean, I'm being a bit glib, but that's I guess my defense mechanism against this I one example that that I share with people and I'll share with the cameras On family day a few years ago We posted a picture of my wife Ellie and I and our two boys in a hammock on a summer holiday You know innocent picture two kids Man and wife Trees in the background smiles on their faces summer day what's to be toxic about and My son received a copy of this from one of his buddies saying nice haircut dude because he had a Had a buzz cut and so he laughed at that and smiled and the first comment He could see on his insta feed was a positive one and I told him do not read the comment section but he was enticed because it was it was a pawn memory for him and He started and within two or three Posts the venom started completely unrelated to anything other than oh here's an opportunity to say to John Horgan And anyone who's associated with them that I hate you and everything about you Doesn't help anyone doesn't advance any cause it just creates a sense of I don't want anything to do with that And when I hear of elected representatives who are saying I'm not doing this anymore Because of this venom from anonymous people that makes me very very sad I'm not leaving for that reason. I would prefer to stay and combat that with a big smile Dave Barrett spouse. I'm glad to be able to talk about Dave Barrett so much. It was very important to me I didn't get a chance to ask him because he was in Advanced stages of dementia when I became leader, but I asked his wife surely if she could give me any advice and She looked around to make sure no one was listening and and she said Dave would have said keep smiling at the bastard's Horgan because it'll drive them crazy and And so that's what I've tried to do I when someone's screaming and spitting at me about something that I have no Connection to I just try and smile at them and hope that they will calm down and find a hobby or find a better Way to channel their anger and and for those who are leaving because of that contempt I hope they'll reflect instead on the countless number of people who are just getting on with their lives and saying I'm glad you're doing that because someone has to whether it's being a School board trustee a city counselor or an MLA Yes, I do. Thank you somewhat related Number again mirrors and councils have talked off the record because I don't want to speak about it but they they're concerned about some of the Candidates parachuting in some have ties to More of the extreme elements that we've seen recently and they're quite worried. Yeah, I've heard that yeah And so so what's your response on that? Well, we thankfully we live in a free society and People can put their hand up and say vote for me But I am absolutely confident that the majority of people whether they're voting in a local election whether they're voting in a provincial election or in a federal election are more thoughtful than the the anonymous voices on Twitter and The advantage and I guess I can say whatever the heck I want can't say the guy Academy of the people's party lot of noise lot of attention a lot of cameras six percent of the vote and why I'm a proponent of Proportional representation is because it allows us to say there are the people who are hateful and their number is small If you don't put a label on them if you don't put them on a ballot They can pretend to be a majority But they are not and when they put their hand up and say vote for us We're angry at everything and they get annihilated that gives me hope that the communities and people are more focused on Positive outcomes not just being angry Hi premier Back in March yourself in Washington State Governor Jay Inslee announced a plan to develop a trans boundary initiative in an effort to prevent Future Nooksack River floods at the time it was said that details on it would be released in the spring the Americans have indicated they're not Considering building a dyke to prevent a future flood to ward Canada from that river I'm wondering what you have done if anything to change their mind on that front and when British Columbians might expect an update on that initiative Well, my colleague Rick Glumak is my designate to liaise with Washington State not just on Nooksack, but other trans boundary issues. I participated in the Cascadia court or conference with governor governors from Washington, Oregon and and California just this week We have a range of issues that we need to collaborate on we have economic social and cultural connections from the Alaska Panhandle down to Baja and As West coasters, we have to collaborate on those areas where our Bio region intersects and governor Inslee is well aware of that the challenges around Nooksack It's almost like you put a barrier here. It'll create a problem somewhere else And that's why Minister Farnworth my colleague Rick Glumak MLA as well as representatives from emergency management BC local government and Washington State officials indigenous peoples on both sides of the border are working on a solution But to say let's just let's just dyke the Nooksack here to prevent water from overflowing into Sumas Prairie at extraordinary high water times will have knock-on effects down the road and We have had collaboration on rivers whether it be the Skagit Which is a trans boundary river the Columbia, which is a whole treaty is built around So I'm competent that we'll find a way forward with respect to Nooksack I again, I'll miss Henry bronze leadership from Abbotsford But I know his counsel and whoever replaces him will have the same focus Which is to protect the territory that they're responsible for but in a way that does not have knock-on effects in Washington State And will there be a requirement for Collaboration and dollars being spent south of the border by us and dollars perhaps potentially being spent by Americans above the border That's entirely possible But those are as everyone would imagine very complex discussions But the fact that we're at a table the fact that we've had a historic event that we can focus on to Prevent in the future. I think is a cause for optimism Yes, different Topic we got another update this week as we do every month on the number of British Columbians who have died due to the toxic drug Supply it's been over five years now since you introduced a standalone ministry to tackle the issue and build the continuum of care needed To respond to the crisis that continuum is still in the works per the current minister And I'm wondering if you can reflect a bit on where we are five years after you set that ministry up And what you hope will change in the years to come well, thank you for the question and it has been it was our our Mission and purpose to ensure that there was someone at the cabinet table that was getting up every day Seeking solutions to the challenges of a toxic drug supply that toxic drug supply was made worse by the pandemic and the closing of borders because now we have burgeoning fentanyl underground industry Within British Columbia that is perhaps more toxic than the supply that was coming offshore prior to 2017 or prior to the pandemic But again, what I heard from communities not just today, but have for the past five years Is that this is a vexing challenge that is costing us the lives of our brothers and sisters our Our neighbors and our friends and we need to redouble our efforts. We have more than ever Elevated the the ability of first responders to have the tools they need But there's more work that needs to be done and in one area that I'm particularly interested in and I talked about in an earlier question Is making sure that we're we're trying to find that solution between institutionalization and just Allowing people who clearly need mental intervention to just be Rambling around in our communities. We need to balance civil liberties. We need to balance delivery of health care We need to balance the importance of protecting people's lives and addictions are debilitating I had a nicotine addiction years ago and it was one of the most difficult things that I ever experienced I can't imagine having to break an opioid addiction that wasn't brought upon by Personal choice it could have been through the number of people who are prescribed opioids for pain remediation as a result of an industrial accident or even just showing up that their doctors or their or or An acute care facility is profound and so Having a better understanding from a policy perspective on the magnitude of the problem is one thing But the numbers continue to tell us a tragic story about human beings not just a toting up at the end of every month But a reflection on families that are losing loved ones because we can't crack this nuts And we have done a lot on harm reduction. We've worked with the federal government to decriminalize simple possession Harm reduction strategies in British Columbia are well advanced on other jurisdictions, but it's a four-pillar approach It's not just about harm reduction. It's about ensuring that there's housing and securing ensuring that there are supports outside of harm reduction and also Enforcement there are criminal elements at play here and let's let's I don't want people to assume that simple possession is not a crime Praying on people is a crime and we need to acknowledge that and we need to be sure that the public understands That there are a multitude of approaches at play here Clearly not all of them are working effectively and we continue to manage and monitor that on a daily basis And we can do that because we have a minister responsible I will also say imitation is the highest form of flattery Every other jurisdiction in the country now has a minister of mental health and addictions because we need to make sure We're doing this every day not just the end of the week I have time for a couple more questions in the room. Ben Mildure, CTV, thank you there Oh, sorry. No, wait. Hey premier Mayors across the province have been very vocal about their concerns over public safety repeat offenders, you know hurting local businesses, hurting tourism, hurting the reputation of a lot of these nice places We have here in BC. You feel like you've done enough to Tackle those issues Well, we have a report We've just received from Doug LaParde from former law enforcement As well as Dr. Butler, an academic in this area. We're going to review that material and see where we go We do know because the I say it's the major the urban mayors caucus, which is all of our Cities over 80,000 people come together To speak about how they can use best practices in their communities How they can work with us on law enforcement on complex care complex housing And and so we continue to do that And and the frustration I absolutely hear it and I understand it because I live in a fast-growing area in southern Vancouver island and Safety is a primary concern for many people but I want to also say that Seattle is experiencing this Portland San Francisco San Diego and communities right across the country And the challenge for all policymakers is trying to find the way to respect civil liberties respect the rule of law ensure that people have access to Defense if they're charged with With anything but this notion that there's a deliberate policy to Release people that are a harm to the community is is I think A bit of a fabrication and we need to make sure we're giving comfort to people that when there are Criminal elements in the community that are clearly Putting other people at risk that we are taking steps in a civil society to protect other people from having their rights intruded upon that's a delicate balance and That governments of all stripes are challenged by that every day But I'm confident that we have the right people in place and the report that we're About to receive will give us a bit more direction and we'll hopefully be able to get that complex care housing going ensuring that that the people who do need to be In care are getting the care they need Yeah, just quickly in regards to monday's holiday Is your government hearing from concerned parents who are now I guess scrambling to get child care with schools being out? Yeah, we're hearing that of course and and I uh, I very much regret That a time that should have been for solemn reflection on 70 years of service by queen elizabeth to the people of canada and to the commonwealth Uh, what was complicated by a decision the federal government made without significant consultation with provinces There's a patchwork across the country of of holidays as a result of that We have collective agreements in place in british columbia that it go back for Four or five cycles of bargaining. So these these So-called me to clauses have been in place for some time And whenever in the in the clauses in many collective agreements, but not the bc teachers federation I want to be clear on that But many other public sector unions have these clauses and they contain a clause It says that the federal government mandates a holiday that holiday is in effect here. So we were Put into a bit of a dilemma. I understand the challenges for parents I very much hope that we can get through monday As best as we all can but uh, it really does quite frankly diminish from what should have been An opportunity for all of us to spend a few moments reflecting on the extraordinary life of queen elizabeth Rather, we have people frustrated because they have domestic issues. They have to deal with so I regret that But it came on us quickly and other provinces are feeling the same challenges and have have responded differently, of course But we've taken the course we are and I'm hopeful that tuesday will come and we'll go on from there monday will happen tuesday will follow Last question in the room. Jeremy Haynes were at flation media Great shirt man Can you guys pan over there? I'm here to be a service. Can you do a walk by? Can you do a walk? One of my journalism instructors told told me always to ruin the clips. Oh, well, that would be perfect as a print I'm good with that. I've been put up to this. Marcella Bernardo is sick So i'm here to ask her annual question. Uh-huh What's going on with daylight savings time? Yeah, thank you, Marcella It is it has been something that I uh, I was late to the party on about quick to respond to Save and accept for the fact that other jurisdictions haven't followed suit You will know those who follow this issue. We passed legislation in british columbia to end the the changing of clocks Every fall and every spring and of course we're falling back and springing forward just so everyone remembers that We had hoped that washington, or again in california would follow suit washington has put in place The appropriate legislative tools as has or again california who started this quite frankly Have been slow to the party the federal government in the in the united states is responsible for these determinations and there was a breakthrough last year when the senate actually Passed something and that was allowing jurisdictions to go this direction. So I uh, I don't want to Spoil any surprise for marcella particularly, but also for british communes by commenting today We'll be in the legislature next month, and we'll have more to say at that time I think i'm done on that one walk by man. Come on do it for me. Do it for me. Okay. Thank you We're now going to go to the phone line First first question is from martin mcman news 11. I had him on yesterday Mr. Premier sorry to ruin the fun. You're all having there You said you're seriously concerned about the allegations related to the fundraising issues under investigation within your party's leadership Raise could you be more specific about what it is you're concerned about? well, uh, certainly the integrity of the process Is not for me to judge That's for the executive of the ndp and and the electoral electoral officer that was appointed by The executive to ensure that there was fairness in the process my concern is that That if if the process is being violated then that has an impact on the end result Again, I said when I made my announcement that I wasn't seeking reelection That my job was to continue providing services for people until there was a replacement and that's that's what i'm going to do i'm concerned as a I guess you could characterize me as a lifetime member of the ndp proud of history going back to the 1930s of building a political party that includes farmers academics workers small businesses uh, uh, the range of people in the community we have In our caucus now more women than men diverse in in ethnicity sexual orientation regional representation We've worked very hard to be in my opinion a reflection of the people of the province and And I very much want to have a be part of a political party that's addressing the multitude of issues in in the marketplace of ideas not just one or two So, uh, that's my personal view, but i'm confident that uh, the processes and procedures in place are strong And uh, any investigations that are underway don't involve me and uh, i'll comment on them when they're concluded Martin, do you have a follow up? Yeah, I I know there is that external look at this as well, but in terms of your party's Investigation how confident are you in its ability to investigate itself? I'm very confident We we built the the structure for that very purpose the table officers for example without getting into much to the structures of The internal workings of our administration within the political party that i'm a part of uh, we have Table officers who are independent are not supporting any candidate and then an executive That is responsible for the administration of our our party The public needs to know that the intersection between party politics and governments are not my concern My concern is as premier british columbia is to make sure that i'm up every day working for People regardless of how they vote. Uh, the party will manage, uh, its affairs and we'll go from there Next question is from rob buffins ctv victoria Oh, hi premier. Thanks for taking my question. My personal relates to crime As you may know, there was a rally in the nimo earlier this week with people there upset outside the courthouse About what they see as an increase in crime in their community Last night in victoria. There was a stabbing and a police officer was attacked on pandora outside our place I know you you've mentioned that this prolific offenders report is coming out next week the summary is anyways Um, but what do you say to people who are feel like something urgently needs to be done? What's your reaction to folks who are upset in the nimo or victoria, but what they feel is an increase in crime? Well, I met with um, mayor crow from the nimo yesterday with other urban mayors and one of the topics of discussion was Street disorder as that's being characterized and it's a serious problem. Everyone knows that You and others are covering it ably so that the public has an understanding of the magnitude of the problem The prolific offenders report will help us guide a solution going forward, but The best we can do in my opinion is to support law enforcement Be there for them and and as governments and policymakers at the federal and apartment the provincial and the local government level is to ensure that we're providing them with the tools that they need and that means ensuring that they have either training or support from Those that have experience with mental health and addictions challenges because many of the issues that we're talking about Are a result of people who have Have serious mental health and addictions challenges and that's why There's not an immediate solution beyond making sure that we're putting in place the building blocks for complex care housing and training The people to provide the services that these citizens desperately need But first and foremost we need to protect the broader community and that means supporting law enforcement By giving them the tools they need to do their jobs, which are now way more complex than they were Even 10 years ago much less 25 years ago Rob do you have a follow-up? I do it relates to what you're just discussing there the business improvement association earlier this week Called on the province to take urgent action And they talked about coming up with a concrete plan to support individuals dealing with mental health and addictions issues The downtown victoria business association today Said they would like to see consideration given or they'd actually like to see Involuntary supports for some people who are in the groups of addiction. I wanted to get your reaction to that Well, that's certainly something that i've explored In my time in office It met with stiff opposition from some I know that others are still talking about it and we'll see how we go In the legislative session ahead of us and and that those that follow my departure But I absolutely understand Community's concern that there is a perception that certainly not enough is being done But there is a lot of work underway The magnitude of the problem has been made worse by the pandemic We were indoors for a long period of time And those that had nowhere to go to were outdoors and and so a sense of entitlement a sense of invincibility a sense of Certainly a detachment from civil society was part of that we all experienced it in a different way And now where I think we're seeing in the large part the repercussions of that and we need as a society to collectively come together orders of government different groups like business associations healthcare providers those that work in and around policies that are Directed at solving these problems continue to work together until we get the outcomes we all need But I don't think anyone that including the business Association really believes that there's a magic solution here or certainly the goodness. We would have used it before now We have time for one more question. Andrew McLeod type Hey, Andrew. Yeah, hi premier You started and finished first talking about some of the legacy of the barracks government I'm wondering what you think B5 50 years from now. Are there And what specifically people might try to say hey, they can thank the parking government for that Well, I I'm not in the business of I'm a historian, but I'm not gonna do history from the podium But I appreciate the the question Andrew And maybe we'll have a chance to talk about that at another time But I I think that I would hope that people would speak well of our efforts to try and solve the what are have been extraordinary circumstances events as I said We had a plan a platform that we put before the public We're Diligently implementing that program But we're also responding to things that we hadn't imagined or contemplated atmospheric rivers heat domes These are things that are brand new to all of us that had horrific impacts on people and communities. So I'm hopeful that They will say we did our best under trying circumstances and it's a shame. Morgan never made it the MBA Andrew David Was the old growth strategy People are starting some of the critics a little bit and into more sort of talking logs I'm wanting from your point of view or what degree you satisfied with the progress I'm I'm very satisfied with the progress and thanks for the question. Andrew. This is the Oregon unplug part of our proceedings today To the critics. I say get a life to the critics. I say listen to communities When I hear people say that they're speaking for indigenous people I say have you ever met an indigenous person? Have you been in a community that struggled with poverty for generations? And when they see an opportunity some do-gooder comes in with a tilly hat and says you're all bad people The government needs to do this the government needs to do that People need to stand up and support each other and to the critics I say put your name on a ballot and see how much support you have high school cm. Thanks everybody Uh, it's just a shame. I won't be here next year. Bye. Thanks for joining us