BC budget 2026

from Doug Ford. We have uh Donald Trump putting the United States on high alert more or less he UH what what we were able to record from UH from his UH his talks was about UH Venezuela and how the United States, in the United States industry can use that oil and how they will ensure that the people of Venezuela benefit from that from that oil and how

it is actually being used. The former governments were repressing the people from from the benefits of the oil and putting all of it into their own pockets, while ownership of the country belonged to countries like Russia and China, and the people of Venezuela were most simply but being abused and oppressed by an an Authoritainian government that was puppeted up by the two countries of Russia and China.

So Donald Trump, as we know, sent troops in there captured the Venezuelan president and is now currently putting on trial for drug trafficking and other crimes against the United States and has now propped up the government with the with the United States taking control of its oil industry, he is going to make some claims about well, of course, remember his statement of drill Baby drill that he made in his inauguration that Venezuela is going to become the

second country in the world in production of barrels of crude oil under his idea of drill baby drill. So

we will hear that in a few minutes. We're also going to hear from the Montreal Institute of Global Security as they're talking about international or should I say trans national repression against well one members of the UH of the people who would be Chinese Canadian and the Chinese communities that exist in Canada, saying that the Chinese government is is using its past for for visitors to place threats against Canadian citizens in order to gain control of

those communities and the economy they go along with them. They are also also there was a statement made by a ceases analysts that I'm going to read from the CBC website as He says that service has a large security screening branch, which already screened some citizens and immigration applications. He said it should screen visitors from China to reduce

the possibility of the Chinese government agent's slipping in. The expert and public inquiry into foreign interference have pointed to China as one of the largest sources of transnational repression in Canada, with government agents engaging in activities like surveillance of members of the Chinese dysphoria, online attacks and threats against a family members back in China. So we do have a statement that the Montreal Institute of Global Security

made in Ottawa in front of the press. So, but we want to get to our major topic of the day, which is the BC government released Budget twenty twenty six and Budget twenty twenty six open as it was put on the legislative floor. A Budget twenty twenty six opens the door for people to train for good paying careers and in skilled trades through two hundred and eighty three million dollars in new funding over the next three years.

This will expand spaces for in demand trades programs, increasing the per seat funding to training centers, and enhance the BC Employer Training Grant to double apprenticeship seats by twenty twenty eight to twenty twenty nine. It also included a new four hundred million dollar British Columbia Strategic Investment Fund to help BC invest quickly in collaborative opportunities major projects

as federal governments invest in Canada sovereignty. With that being said, it was also announced by the Federal Minister of Housing former Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robinson that they're going to be fast tracked new housing projects in British Columbia. So wowhoo, new budget at work already. Okay, okay, So this is

what the critics are saying about the budget. While it does a lot of things to support other areas such as the marine sector with shipbuilding and ship repairs and safeguarding what matters in turbulent times, budget Budget twenty twenty six protect the most critical services that people rely on every day through five point one billion dollars in funding to strengthen healthcare K through twelve, education is better supported, And yet they are talking about closing these at tumble Ridge.

They have moved since I've moved portables in into the parking lot there and they're talking about closing down part of the school that we will be looking further into

about why the school is in question. According to the Vancouver Province on February eighteenth, Budget twenty twenty six also includes six hundred and thirty four million dollars in new funding for K through twelve education over the next three years, including a one hundred and sixty seventy million dollar investment in classroom Enhancement Fund, which will result in more teachers

for everyone. Debt is something that is extremely positive. The teacher to student ratio in British Columbia is still way too far off to support quality education and it still has needs needs to be fixed. They are also talking about a three hundred and thirty million dollars left Childcare BC will protect children, childcare services and families who rely on those services by maintaining lower fees and the spaces and support for operators and educators who achieve more over

than next eight years. Budget twenty twenty six provides two hundred and fifty million in new funding and support and expansions. So back to what the critics are saying that while all this spend spend spend is happening that someone's got to pay for it. So Budget BC Budget twenty twenty six also comes with a number of tax increases for the residence of British Columbia. It is on the back half of it. So I invite everybody who is listening to this that check out and see what taxes could

be increased. There is one particular story that also stands out where a gentleman who has lived a long number of years in Vancouver has has been hit with the speculator,

this speculatory tax and has been fighting it. And it's because of his Asian background that he holds a I believe it dual citizenship and the speculator, the speculation tax that they British Columbia imposed, uh keeps reoccurring for him and he is currently he resides in the in the home in question that they are taxing and has been a permanent resident in that particular home for quite a

number of years. So if we're talking about tax increases, well, property tax is one of the things that that would be top at the list. So what happens to people when the taxes start to become unaffordable for their homes anyway?

So why don't we get started, And we're going to start off with Donald Trump and his statements about Venezuela, and we will hear from Doug Ford as he talks about new things that he has in mind for Ontario and the Montreal Institute for Global Security before we get into the budget speech that was delivered on the legislative floor in British Columbia.

or Russia will not gonna happen. We are not gonna have And I like China, I like Russia. I love the people of China. I love the people of Russia. I get along very well with President Putin.

what happens. But I think the numbers, Caitlin, were really amazing. Look to think about five point four percent. Nobody thought that. They thought it was going to be two percent. And you know what it is, it's tariffs. And it's also November fifth. We had a great election, a great, great election. Our country was dead one and a half years ago and now we have the high honest country anywhere in the world.

We're going to make it real easy. They're going to be there for a long time. We're going to be there together for a long long time. And they're going to be taking the oil and they're going to be bringing oil prices down. They're going to make a lot of money. They're going to get their money back. They're going to be safe. The people of Venezuela are going to be big beneficiars, and the United States of America is going to be a big beneficiary for what we've done.

And you know, one other thing I might say, it's also very big for national security because again, just like Greenland, we can't have China or Russia occupy Greenland, we can't have China or Russia occupy Venezuela. And if we didn't do what we did, China or Russia would have been in Venezuela. I think I can meet with mister Chevron, so let me ask you they would have been there if we didn't do this.

take your holidays. But there are a whole bunch of people that want to get that little extra overtime getting paid double time and a half. They get their regular statutory eight hours and then they get another time and a half or anything that they work. So even if someone's making twenty dollars an hour, now you get to go in and make fifty dollars an hour, but that would be up to companies to decide, but that would probably add close to a million working hours that people

can pocket. So just throwing that out there, we'll look into it and find out how realistic it is. I know, the Eaton Center was open and people in the suburbs are saying, why do I have to go downtown? Why can't I go to Yorkdale? But it would have been packed yesterday. But anyways, it was a great, great weekend and we worked, at least I did. I worked on the weekend. There was no family day for myself, just

returning calls, listening to people right off the hop. I got a lot of calls from students about oh SAP and there were interesting calls. I returned everyone with a standard statement, but I wasn't getting hundreds. I was getting thousands, but I get quite a few all the time, and trying to just explain that, you know, the situation that Ontario was facing wasn't sustainable any longer. Were putting in by next yearn billion dollars a year into our colleges

and universities. I want to reminded a lot of the students that you know, I fought for them for seven and a half years, not letting universities in college raise tuition, and I don't think anyone had a problem with that, but I was getting massive pressure from the sector to do that, and finally we did it, and then OSAP as well. That created a problem when federal government cut off foreign students coming in, so it really hurt a

lot of colleges and universities. I support the students our number one selling feature when companies come from around the world. I'm always saying we have the brightest and best students, the brightest and best colleges in universities in the world. But when you're in the hole two point five billion dollars, it wasn't realistic. Now we've brought the middle of the pack. We're still giving MOROSAP loans, then BC and Saskatchewan and Alberta. I think we're equal to Manitoba. So I'm always there

to support it. But I mentioned to the students you have to invest in your future into in demand jobs because a lot of the students, I'm not one to say, you know, like you're picking basket weaving courses and there's not too many baskets being sold out there, Go into healthcare, go into trades, go into jobs of the future. Focus on stems, science, technology, engineering, and math. Those are where the jobs are. And then we're accountable to the taxpayers too.

They want to know the courses see students are picking, and that the taxpayers are paying, that they're actually going to graduate and move forward in that sector that we need. So I'll always be there to invest in colleges and universities. Again, I think this year or coming here will you have the seven billion dollars. There's three billion more than the previous liberal government. And so I'll continue supporting and fighting

for students even though we're probably upset right now. But I've heard some nightmare stories on the other side as well, about kids going out there buying fancy watches in Cologne and not needing it, and families making two hundred grand getting their kids' education. That doesn't fly with the taxpayers. I'll tell you that right now. Focus on jobs, because you're number one area you should focus on. Once you graduate,

you got to get a job. And a lot of times kids will graduate and figure out, oh, well, there's no basket manufacturing. I should maybe pick something else. Focus on jobs of the future, and you will have a job when you come out of college or university. Just had a meeting with the foreigner former governor of Missouri. He is head and I'm gonna just read this off. She's a president of American Automotive Policy Council and former

governor and that's Governor Blunt from Missouri. So I, you know, built her case and he wasn't disagreeing that we have to get this mc A U s m c A deal done or kuzma, uh, you know, get it going. I think the Prime Minister did a great job with Janis Charret. I've never met her, but I've heard glowing comments about her. So she'll she'll lead the team. I'm happy for that. But we have to make sure we get this done as soon as possible because the uncertainty

around the world, it's not good for anyone's economy. So those are Those are a couple items. I'll open it up to any questions.

million working hours that people might not otherwise do. There's so many people right now that had to work family day, no matter if it's our healthcare workers or police or firefighters, paramedics, people that work in the eat and center, people that work in the small stores. I'm going to throw it out there, and nothing's guaranteed. Talk to the retail council. I'll talk to the big ones. You know all the food retailers, be at the WALMARTSLA Shop, you know all

of them home depots. I wanted to go to Home Deepot yesterday it was closed.

and they finally came to the table. And you know, for the people in Ambersburg, they're getting about roughly half a million directly dollars for investment in creating new opportunities for companies to come here, and as well another half a million over to Windsor Essex that falls into that jurisdiction. And we've mentioned to my Minister of Economic Development, Amisburg is the highest priority right now because we have so

many inquiries from around the world. Make sure you showcase that great community, showcase the people, and hopefully we're going to be able to fill that empty building. Well, I know that quite a few of them went down to the Silantis plant. I want to thank Stlantis. They're adding seventeen hundred jobs and I know quite a few of them went down there. I think there's still sixty could be wrong, sixty people that haven't found employment, But those are sixty people that need to pay their rent or

pay a mortgage or put food on the table. So we're going to support them. And then we have some provincial investments that we're going to announce over the next month or so down there that will create more good paying jobs. So I just want to protect those those folks down there that lost their jobs and bring new jobs in.

for the people. And then on top of that, we have a couple of announcements that we're gonna make down there that will help more people get employed after those announcements, So I think, well, uh, the ideal situation was to keep grown Royal there. They made their decision, but again it goes back to if I didn't u that twenty three million, they wouldn't get anything at all. And that was my rationale right from the get go to see investments here in Ontario as much as we as much as we can.

to General Dynamics along with Ontario Shipyards. Un just picked those two because they're pretty large employers. But we need to make those investments. And I've been advocating for the defense sector, especially the Defense Bank that would create thirty five hundred jobs. There's only one place to put the Defense Bank. That's here in Toronto.

loved ones back home, and spy on fellow Canadians. And we're here to present this report, a detailed report on the subject of transnational repression in Canada, documenting which diaspoorg groups are targeted, which countries, most notably led by China and Russia, but others as well that are engaging in a form of interference in Canadian society. One of the key things Canada led during the G seven is presidency led and made transnational repression one of the key aspects

of foreign policy and collaborating with the G seven. So it's coming from Cana's leadership of the G seven that we launched report and ask for other countries G seven member countries to work with Canada because this is a threat

that's increasing. It's a threat that's becoming more pronounced. And in the United States, with the government change there, we've seen a cutting of funds to all the key organizations that study transnational oppression, that can monitor what was happening, nefarious actions online and looking at what authorities in these closed authoritari states we're targeting. So we've lost that ability to track and monitor transnational pression. We need to build

up capacity. We need to have more funds coming to Canadian society groups to do the research that is no longer being in Washington.

and a domestic priority. So that being said, I just want to remind everyone that the Hogue Commission came out last year and it stipulated that there is wide scale foreign interference happening in Canada, but it also stipulated that transnational repression was one of the key issues that came out that she heard from Canadian diaspora groups and it really Justice Hogue felt that it was one of the

most underreported threats to Canadian democracy. So we're here today to present this report that's available on our website MAGS Institute dot org, and to really give guidance to both government and society about what can be done and what's happening to diaspora groups across this country of ours. I would now like to turn to my colleague Marie Lamanche to give some comments. As the author of the report, give some comments in French.

particularly the defam kiss from antimidate.

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The extent of it, the actors are involved, and I think it's important to remember that when we think of T and R, we think of some, as Marie mentioned, some traditional actors, like the Chinese and like the Russians. When Marie and I were doing the research for our paper,

we found out that it goes well beyond that. There is Algerian transnational repression here in Canada, whereby their people from the Algerian diaspora, part of the Cavilia community, they are seeking some sort of independence or some kind of autonomy within Algeria, who are being pressured by the Algerian government not to say anything about it. And as we're speaking here in February of twenty twenty six, you've all been watching what's happening in Iran with the mass riots

and the attempts to overthrow the regime. I've spoken to Irani Canadians who regularly receive threats to not raise what's happening Iran here in Canada, to not protest against their regime, and I think Marie did a great job of outlining the types of threats that these people face, everything from

online harassment. Women are receiving sexual threats. And that's bear in mind that we've had assassination plots, one of which was successful here in Canada out in British Columbia a couple of years ago of a SEAK activist by agents of the Indian government. I have a former colleague, a very senior Saudi intelligence official I met many years ago, and a Saudi hit squad was sent to Canada in the late twenty tens to assassinate him as well for

things he was standing against the Saudi regime. Therefore, it's really important that and as Marie and I write in the report, t and R is a widespread phenomenon, as Kyle has mentioned through Geese having leadership, but are Canada has pointed that out let's not narrow or focus on one or two nations.

to be the CEASES Act. So t and R is a subset of foreign interference, they're collecting intelligence, they're corroborating the intelligence, they are providing intelligence and decision makers, and I think it's incumbent on the government to take that intelligence seriously. The whole inquiry pointed out quite starkly that a lot of intelligence on Chinese interference in our elections and through tn R was ignored for reasons I won't

get into. So it's important that if we're going to deal with T and R, and as Kyle and Marie mentioned, this is a very sort of broad band approach to what to do about T and R, but at a minimum, the government has to remain informed on who the actors are, where they are and what they're doing. Marimentioned police stations. People, they go all the police stations that that's yesterday's news.

No it's not yesterday's new's because they're still here. And so we have the intelligence services, we have the RCMP, the investigates under their own legislative mandate. So let's take the information that we are being gathered by the professionals.

Let's sure that it's being read, that it's being consumed, so that the actions that Canada and in sharing with our g seven partners as well, can be as best informed as possible, so that the policies and actions that we can take are based on the best information and therefore the greatest possibility of success in preventing You'll never eliminate T and R, you can certainly get to a point where you can minimize the effect of it, because, as Marie said, diasporas are suffering, and we are a

nation of diasporas, and we want to make sure that those diasporas feel that they can function. They can vote freely, they can voice their opinions freely, they can express their own views on their regimes back home without fear of any kind of violence to them or to their families. So the information is there, let's do our best to use it.

For the people of tumblr Rich and for everyone throughout this province.

Esquire Martinations. We honor and respect their enduring stewardship of these lands and the wisdom, culture and traditions which are so generously shared with our community and province Musium, and also on behalf of all the members of this lestlative family, I would like to welcome all the guests, friends, family members, everyone to.

What the parents are feeling, what the children and teachers are feeling, what siblings, grandparents, friends and neighbors are feeling. I am at a loss to provide words as guidance to what the future may look like. As your MLA, I am accustomed to standing in this house and speaking with certainty.

words to offer. I've attended gatherings where grief filled every corner of the room. I have seen neighbors hold each other, each other up. I have watched first responders and teachers show courage while carrying their own sorrow. Loved ones, friends, neighbors, even strangers have shared hugs, tears, and handshakes, sometimes with no words spoken at all.

I will continue to push my colleagues in this house to support you and to ensure that the mental health and all other supports that your community requires will be there just today, but long into the future.

It's an uncomfortable role being unable to offer tangible relief, but making the only contribution I could offer, absorbing as much grief and sadness as I could and taking it as far away from Tumblr Ridge as possible. Mister Speaker, Tumblridge is a community that exemplifies the fabric of our nation, dignity, solidarity for one another, selflessness. While tragedies struck this small town, love prevails and I see a community united and committed

to one another. It's been said, but important to restate gratitude and appreciation for the courage and dedication of first responders, teachers, school staff, RCMP, Northern Health and local community services from the elected representative president. I was heartened to see true

cross partisan unity in the face of tragedy. For this, I want to convey my deepest gratitude and respect to the Prime Minister, the Premier, the leader of the Opposition, the Member for Peace River South who has carried this heavy burden, and the mayor. They took on the heart wrenching work of sitting with those who lost loved ones. It's essential that all of us helped carry the weight of this pain and the memory of lives lost too soon.

The Treaty Eight Nations guiding wisdom and heartbeat of drums was grounding and essential to begin the process of healing. Grieving is a group process, and ceremony helps us overcome pain and heartbreak. I arrived in Tumblrridge wanting to help. I left with the result to do better for my constituents, for my daughters and my family, for my community, and for BC. Because we sometimes forget that life can change in an instant. No family should have to live through

a tragic event like this. Within this chamber and beyond, we can resist the temptation to divide and lay blame. We can carry forward the unity showing in Tumblr Ridge. Do our jobs well and with full hearts, learn from this tragedy and honor the victims, their families, and the people of our great province. To the people of Tumblr Ridge. We grieve with you and we stand with you. Thank your honorable Speaker.

a great soccer player with an even better attitude. He excelled at science and he wanted to be an engineer, and his mom told that many times he would ask and say to ask his parents, are we staying? We're going to make Tumblr Ridge our home? He would ask his parents that, and that afternoon, the last message.

also twelve. She left to draw paint and had dreamed of attending art school in Toronto, a city that she had just visited, and attended a Blue Jays game with her family she wanted to become an artist. She was also a figure skater who began performing when she was three years old. And I'll note many in this house are aware Kylie and Tiki were the best of friends. Ezekiel Schofield was thirteen years old and was an avid hockey player who played us a forward for the tumblr

Ridge Raptors, and he will be remembered. My visit to tumblr Ridge this week was something I don't think anybody in this house could ever comprehend, and I am so I am so grateful that we were able to lean on our colleagues at such a difficult time. There is sorrow in that town today and tomorrow and for a long time ahead, but there is also strength, friends, neighbors and loved ones supporting one another, Colleagues from across the aisle supporting one another. I also want to recognize the

first responders, educators and students. Some of those students, by the way I just mentioned their names, who acted so courageously and their stories will be told.

the opportunity to do the same today. Today, honorable Speakers, importantly remember the people were lost and whose lives were forever changed by this horrific tragedy. Shanda Aviagana Durand was an educational assistant. I think most members of this House will know the important work that educational assistants do. She

was no exception. In fact, she was exceptional. She worked at tumblr Ridge Secondary School, dedicated her days to helping young people learn, grow and feel supported and her self sacrifice in her actions on the day of this horrific event likely saved the lives of three children. In the library, we're holding Maya Gabella, just twelve years old and her family in our heart. She's in a hospital room, critical care. Pray for her healing, Pray for her family and friends,

and for her quick recovery. Thinking of Paige Hokstra, nineteen years old, recovering after being seriously injured. The events of that day, I met so many people in Tumblr Ridge who knew and loved Page. Her resilience and the care surrounding her speak to the deep love of family, friends and community. We were in Emma Jacob's just eleven years old child whose life was taken in the home where this tragedy first unfolded, This loss of the heartbreak in

the community. The words cannot capture and them It's Mom Jennifer Straying thirty nine years old, who also died in her home, leaven Behind, provount.

heavy heart. People throughout the province and across the country are grieving the terrible tragedy in tumblr Riche You've just heard very powerful words spoken in this House, and I thank my colleagues. We think about those whose lives have been changed forever, and we more in the precious lives lost. We more in the future they were supposed to have,

the dreams they never got to achieve. British Columbians are standing with everyone impacted by the servit Fic tragedy, and we will do everything in our power to support people through this dark time. It feels very out of sync to continue with the business of government. But we do, and today I present Budget twenty six twenty seven, and we do so holding the people of tumble Ridge in our hearts and in our thoughts. Mister Speaker, This past

year has been incredibly challenging. One year ago we witness the launch of an unprovoked and unjustified trade war at the hands of our closest ally the trade war and rupture of the world's order continue to have ripple effects that are being felt around the world. This budget is different from our past budgets because this moment is different. We are in a period of sis, serious fiscal pressure.

Global uncertainty is slow in growth, Commodity markets are volatile, the housing market has cooled, and at the same time, costs are rising for everything from health care to building infrastructure, and British Columbians are feeling it too. Families are stretched by the cost of living. We must be disciplined, focused and honest about the choices ahead. We must assume this pressure on our revenue is the new normal and operate accordingly.

And in this budget we have done that. Our priorities are clear, protect and improve core public services that people rely on, like health care and education, keep b C one of the lowest taxed provinces for middle and working class families. Reduce the deficit responsibly over time while protecting what's working. And to achieve this, we are taking three key steps. First, we will make the public sector leaner so more dollars reach the front lines. Second, we will

pace infrastructure projects carefully, delivering them efficiently without driving up costs. Third, we will make changes to generate new revenue while taking action to grow the economy and secure the long term impact of major projects. This is about making careful choices

now to avoid more difficult choices later, mister Speaker. Over the last eight years, we've built the foundations as strong province depends on hospitals, schools, roads, transit, housing and clean electricity are being delivered to support communities and good jobs throughout British Columbia. This was done at a time when the BC economy was being hit simultaneously by numerous disruptions, a global pandemic, soaring inflation, devastating wildfires and flooding, and

now an unprovoked trade war. We entered this period from a provisient position of strength, with one of the lowest debt to GDP ratios in the country, and this gave us room to absorb shocks and to invest. We were able to deliver income support ICBC rebates and affordability measures when it was needed most. Our government delivered the BC Family Benefit to help with the costs of raging children. We cut childcare fees in more than half. Car insurance

rates were dramatically reduced. These measures helped to ease the hit on households. Today, housing costs are coming down from peak levels. Rent prices are falling faster here than anywhere else in the country. Children are learning in new schools. We've created twenty three thousand, five hundred new seats, with another twenty three thousand, five hundred on the way. People are receiving treatment in fourteen new and improved hospitals, with

twenty more coming. They're also accessing healthcare in forty one new urgent and primary care centers, with five more to come. Rapid transit projects like the Surrey Langley Skytrain extension and the Broadway Subway project will get people to the places they need to go faster, Mister Speaker, A lot of progress has been made to improve life and to bring down costs, but we know that many families are struggling. People keep working harder, they don't feel like they're getting

further ahead. The cost of everyday life keeps going up, especially at the grocery store. This year, we will bring forward legislation to ban the property controls that restrict businesses from selling fresh food near grocery stores, spurring more competition and getting food prices down. We are also introducing legislation to make it easier for businesses to move goods and

provides services across provincial borders. Barriers between provinces that complicate trade make it harder to process food locally, which limits competition and a game drives up prices. By strengthening supply chains, making the food we eat here at home, and allowing more competition across provincial lines, we can address some of the structural reasons for high food costs, Mister Speaker, This budget is also about facing our fiscal reality with clarity.

As times change, so must our approach. VC's economy has many strengths, but it also has many big challenges. We must make strategic choices about where we spend our resources. Were scrutinize government spending and ensuring as many dollars as possible reach the front lines in classrooms and in emergency rooms. When it comes to our fiscal position, Budget twenty twenty six reduces the deficit over time, carefully and thoughtfully. So how do we achieve this? We do it through making

disappoint decisions. As many families make careful decisions to keep their household finances in order, so too must we. We have begun a multi step process to adjust government spending to respond to the fiscal reality we face. This includes reducing operational and administrative costs and saving on contracting, hiring, and travel. We're continuing a hiring freeze in the public service. We've launched reviews across the public sector at health authorities,

through post secondary institutions, and through clean BC. Budget twenty twenty six continues this work. This means reducing staff levels across the public sector by fifteen thousand full time positions over the next few years. We are making careful decisions about where these reductions will take place. We will protect our vital front lines services in areas like health care

and education, while reducing bureaucracy and administration. We are also adjusting the pace of our capital plant to protect our ability to deliver projects over the long term. This is not about stopping. We will continue to outpace other provinces in per capita investments in schools, childcare centers and transit. We will keep opening new hospitals and will break ground on a permanent home for SFU's Medical School in Surrey

this year. This is about adjusting the pace of some of the things we want to do so that we can do what we need to do to secure BC's future. Under our government. BC is among the lowest taxed provinces in Canada for working in middle class families, and this budget doesn't change that. We made the right choices to cancel the carbon tax and to bring down housing costs, keeping more money in people's pockets. But the reality facing every province is the same. Growth has not kept pace

with the cost of delivering public services. If we want to protect healthcare, schools, childcare and the services that people rely on, we need to rebuild a stable and sustainable revenue base. And that's what Budget twenty twenty six does. It makes careful tax changes so we can protect services and avoid deep cuts while keeping BC competitive. People earning under one hundred and forty nine thousand dollars will continue to pay the lowest personal income taxes in the country.

Budget twenty twenty six includes a change to the first income tax bracket of about half a percentage point. Will offset the extra costs for lower income earners by increasing the BC tax reduction credit. We're also updating some household related taxes, some housing related taxes. Those with homes above three million dollars in value will be asked to contribute a little more. The property tax deferment program is being changed to help those who need it most, and the

vast majority of homeowners see no change, mister Speaker. These are careful, considered choices at a time of global uncertainty. Budget twenty twenty six is about protecting what matters most and building on PC's strengths, mister Speaker, because we refuse to balance the books on the backs of families. The path forward is clear. Grow the economy and grow it

with urgency and purpose. When more people are working, when wages are rising, and when investment is landing in our communities, families are better off and government has the resources to protect the services that people count on. British Columbia starts from a position of strength. We have abundant natural resources, clean and reliable electricity, and ports that connect us directly

to the fastest growing markets in the world. Most importantly, we have people who are hard working, entrepreneurial and ready to deliver on the world stage. That strength is already translating into real results. New minds in LNG projects are reaching final investment decisions, major projects are advancing capitalists choosing BC.

We're determined to make that growth work for people. That means training, new training opportunities, more pathways into good paying jobs, and a clear plan to ensure that British Glemions are first in line for the opportunities ahead. Over the next twenty four months, BC is projected to be the second fastest growing province in terms of GDP in Canada. Our job is to turn that momentum into lasting prosperity and to build a stronger, more self reliant economy that works

for everyone. Mister speaker, this is how we build that strong, secure future, a future with whoms you can afford, jobs with good pay, health care when and where you need it, an economy that works for everyone, not just the few. To deliver on that future, we need to start with a strong foundation for growth. We need to move more projects ahead faster, invest in skills, training, and improve BC's

position as a desirable place to invest. In moments like this, British Columbian snow, we can't just sit back and hope. We must build because building is how we protect our future. And to build we need power, clean, affordable, reliable power, and we're ready to step up. BC Hydro's twenty twenty five call for power drew nearly double the targeted energy, with fourteen proposals totaling over nine thousand, one hundred gigawatt hours a year, enough to power about nine hundred thousand homes.

The North Coast Transmission Line is a nation building project that will deliver keen energy, clean energy to power port expansions, LNG facilities and mines, and it will be built in true partnership with First Nations. It's grounded in recent agreements that reflect shared decision making, shared benefits, and in some cases co ownership. Once operational, it is expected to contribute nearly ten billion dollars per year to g d P and generate nine hundred and fifty million dollars a year

in revenue. It will create almost ten thousand direct jobs per year on average, and reduce emissions by about two to three million tons of carbon dioxide per year. This line creates the certainty companies need to make final investment decisions, and it ensures opportunity translates into jobs and lasting benefits for local communities. As our trade mission to Asia last year made clear, growing economies also need access to energy. They are looking for BC's LNG to meet energy demand

and support the transition to a cleaner economy. Our LNG has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world thanks to electrification. Six major LNG projects are complete, underway or reaching final investment decisions this year. We're doing all of this in partnership with First Nations, moving projects forward with confidence and with clarity. Mister Speaker, with certainty on power,

mines can move from concept to construction. Last year, we saw a record breaking seven hundred and fifty million dollars invested in mineral exploration in BC. For too long, mining projects were tied up in delays and inefficient processes. We have made significant progress on speeding up approvals. In twenty twenty five, almost thirty five percent more exploration permits were issued than an twenty twenty four. We also reduced timelines

for major mine applications by thirty five percent. Let me give you an example of what that looks like on the ground. The Mount Milligan copper gold mine expansion near for Saint James had its permitting times cut in half. This expansion supports the existing five hundred and seventy four jobs and as much as four hundred million dollars in

projected capital spending. Centera Gold CEO told us that this was a strong example of what can be accomplished when governments, first nations and industry worked together in support of responsible resource development. I know how important it is for businesses and government to work together. We heard that permitting times were creating problems for the industry. We listened and we

fixed it. In January, our government announced new fixed permitting timelines and an additional three million dollars to expedite approvals in the mining industry. Budget twenty twenty six also includes more than forty million dollars over three years to address urgent capacity needs, reduce duplication, and slash the permitting backlog. On top of that, we're introducing new tax credits to align regulations with the federal government and continue to support

our mining industry. With all of these exciting projects moving forward, it's no question that we are on the cusp of a huge demand for skilled people. Mister speaker, this is where we are making some of our biggest investments, because investing in young people is investing in our future. Budget twenty twenty six includes two hundred and forty one million dollars in new funding over three years to train people

for in demand skills and higher wages. This will address weightless increase per seat funding and expand skilled trade certification. That means more spots will be available within the next two years for people to train for these high paying, in demand jobs. I think about people like Gord, who had been working in an Amazon warehouse, earning twenty dollars

an hour moving boxes. He did some entry level training on welding and got some jobs out of that, and then did the next level, and the next, and eventually got his red seal. Now Gord earns more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year, and his life's been transformed by the opportunity that Trade's training gave him. For young people trying to make ends meet. A new high paying job provides security, financial freedom, and an opportunity

to build a life in their community. For communities, it means the wealth generated circulates and multiplies locally, supporting local businesses. All of this from a high paying, for litle job. As the economic engine of a more independent economy, British Columbia needs to have an attractive business environment for investors and entrepreneurs. I believe that investing and growing in BC is one of the smartest and safest decisions inters can make.

Look at Photonic, a quantum technology company based in Coquitlam. Founder doctor Stephanie Simmons said she started her company in BC because it's the best place to recruit top tier quantum talent and leverage local academic research. With its new approach to quantum computing. Photonic has raised three hundred and

seventy five million dollars since twenty sixteen. In fact, it just had one of the largest quantum technology finances ever announced in Canada, raising one hundred and eighty million dollars in its latest investment round. The federal government has been clear that provinces must participate financially to access federal stimulus funding. That's why Budget twenty twenty six commits to allocating four hundred million dollars to a special account so that we

can quickly capitalize on federal funding opportunities. This could leverage billions in federal stimulus funding and private sector investment. This funding is critical to building a strong, more secure future for the people of BC, mister speaker. Another critical part of building a stronger, more secure future is getting the

most value out of our natural resources. Our manufacturers have the skills and expertise to do just that by processing and refining are made in BC materials into something even more valuable. There are nearly twenty thousand manufacturing businesses in BC, employing more than one hundred and seventy thousand people, and the sector is expected to grow by another fifty thousand jobs in the next decade. That's more people like Ted. He's the founder of Spearhead Timberworks in Nelson, who I

met when I visited his business. He has an incredible operation specializing in designing and fabricating architectural timber and steel. Spearhead received seven point five million dollars from our Manufacturing Jobs Fund, which will help them add state of the art product lines and increase capacity to fabricate the complex

high value timber projects using BC wood. A new Manufacturing and Processing Investment tax credit will help manufacturers like TED invest in productivity and innovation so they can continue to do what they do best. Some of our largest manufacturers are in the maritime industry. BC's maritime sector is the biggest in Canada, employing more than forty four thirty four thousand people, and there are more opportunities on the horizon

as the federal government increases defense spending. Through the Looquest strategy, we're aiming to secure thirty five percent of federal defense vessel contracts in ten years, and to do that, shipbuilders need more support. Budget twenty twenty six extends the Shipbuilding and ship Prepare Tax Credit. This credit supports employers hiring shipbuilding and ship prepare apprentices, securing a sustainable future for

the industry. We're also supporting innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs by updating the Scientific Research and Development Tax Credit to align with federal changes. It's by supporting our innovators, our manufacturers, and our businesses that we continue to move be Se forward. Speaker, I hope you're not streaker. Is there something we don't know, mister speaker, mister speaker. A strong economy is about more than statistics and forecasts. It's about taking care of people.

It's about creating the wealth. We need to improve and protect vital services. And when it comes to vital services, healthcare is at the top of the list. It's also facing big challenges. Demographics are shifting, healthcare workers are retiring, the cost of providing care is increasing. Our government has been working hard to make sure that British Columbians can access the care they need when they need it. A lot of progress has been made. For one, we're building

the workforce of tomorrow. This summer will welcome the very first class of medical students to the new s FU Medical School in Surrey, and in the year ahead we expect to break ground on the school's permanent home. We're starting to see results that matter. Every day, hundreds of people in BC are getting a phone call or email letting them know that they have a new family doctor

or nurse practitioner. This is in addition to the hundreds of maintenance and renovation projects to modernize and upgrade hospitals throughout our province. These projects represent the largest investment in healthcare infrastructure in BC history, but we know there is still much more to do. We must remain focus on protecting what we've built and delivering better, faster healthcare for people.

This spring, as part of a national Pharmacare agreement, BC will provide enhanced public coverage for both men apostle hormone therapy and a wide range of diabetes cation and devices. We are also continuing to fund in vitro fertilization treatments so people can start a family. But we also know that the system cannot simply keep doing the same things and be sustainable over the long term. Let us be clear, privatization or a US style two tier system is not

an option for British Columbia. We must always be in a place where we can take care of each other, no matter how much money someone has, and that's why your government is making responsible choices to reform care, not to cut or privatize it. A comprehensive review of health authorities is identifying administrative duplication and redirecting savings to the front lines, and since the review began, eleven hundred ministrative positions have been eliminated, closed or love vacant, and the

savings are be invested in frontline patient care. Responsible choices also mean earlier intervention so people can get help before they end up in hospital. It means bolstering community based services so fewer people depend on emergency care. Because British Columbians deserve a healthcare system that they can rely on today and into the future. Mister Speaker, every baby born in BC is something to cherish. Becoming a parent is one of the biggest adventures and most rewarding chapters that

many of us will ever take. We know that finding affordable childcare can be a worry for new parents, and we've been working hard to make it easier for families to access affordable, high quality childcare close to home. Since twenty eighteen, families have accessed nearly fifty eight thousand new

licensed care spaces throughout bc. BC's childcare affordability programs are saving families an average of seventy two hundred dollars per year on childcare costs and helping people access childcare when they need it. Most people like Rachel. Rachel's a single mom who was laid off right after she returned from maternity leave. Finances were extremely tight, and she was considering pulling her child out of childcare to make ends meet. But a phone call to the Affordable Childcare Benefit Line

changed everything. Rachel learned she was eligible for six months of childcare subsidy while she searched for work, and she got a new job. Her childcare is, her child is still in childcare, and she no longer needs the subsidy. That's what these programs are about, providing people like Rachel with the support when they need it and where they

need it. Budget twenty twenty six invests three hundred and thirty million dollars over three years to protect the progress that we've made and to stabilize the childcare services that people rely on.