Thank you for listening to Pictures Media Radio. Welcome to Policy and Rights, the show about the government, Policy and human rights. Welcome back to Policy and Rights Hearing Depictions Media Radio. I'm your host, Michael Cloggs. In our next few segments, we're gonna hear from the United Nations. Of course, ongoing issues with Israel and Palestine as now they're the Israelis are considering ear least talking about they're going to attack Rafi if they if hostages aren't released to
them, and we're gonna get back to that in a second. As the United States vetoed an Algerian proposal for ceasefire in the UN Security Council floor, so we will get back to that, and the United Nations from the press floor, we're going to have a segment about that, as they're going to again talk about the ongoings between pales signed in Israel and other issues that are
going to arise. So but in British Columbia, there was the Throne Speech the Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin as he opened the final session of the forty second Parliament by delivering this speech from the Throne, and there are a few quotes here from David Eby. While our government is proud of his progress we've made
for the people throughout tough times. We're now we're nowhere near satisfied. Our economy is strong, with low unemployment and highest wages in the country, but there are still too many people struggling to get ahead, even those in the middle class who earn a decent paycheck. That's why we'll continue to bring people together to solve big challenges. And he also is quoted in this time of
global uncertainty and turmoil, we face some important questions. We will be as a province where people are driven apart and left to face tough challenges alone, or we will continue to be the place where people take care of each other and build a better future together. If we reject division and bring people together to solve problems, our brightest days are ahead of us. So some of these ideas will be reflected into the throne speech as it is read by Janet
Austen. We're gonna hear that segment today as the show plays forward. But let's get back to the Algerian proposal for a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel, and this is what was highlighted with the UN Security Council. The US used the veto power to squash Algeria's draft for resolution demanding an immediate season fire and Gaza and bring revival texts that would condemn Hamas but also support a temporary cease fire. The US expected to circulate its own draft later later on Tuesday.
Negotiations will be far from easy, with both Russia and China voicing strong opposition to the third use of a veto by the United States. The Council members lament continued suffering and lamb bass possible military operation into Raffi. Algeria ambrassador says it will continue to knock on the Council's store and maximize pressure on Israel and
Hamas for a ceasefire that will end the blood shed. The veto does not absolve Israel of its obligations, it says the ambassador Uh for the observer's state of Palazin Uh. The ceasefire will be a death sentence for Israeli's and ordinary gousans alike, says Israel's ambassador. Guitar Ambassador, speaking on the Golf Cooperation Council, says her delegation will continue to facilitating efforts to free hostages and protect
civilians with a secure ceasefire. As we know, Israel has continued to hit civilian targets, claiming that the Hamas is either hiding hostages there or they're hiding militants that will continue to fight against the Israeli forces. And we still continue to hear that it is a horrible place for children to be right now, because there's nothing but death and destruction. So why don't we listen to what the US Ambassador to the United Nations said in a media stakeout at the United
Nations in New York City. Good afternoon, everyone. You just heard me make the case for a resolution that I believe all of us can agree to. In fact, the points in the proposed resolution have all been articulated by the other fourteen members of this Council. These were not just us ideas. They were all of our ideas that I have heard nearly every member of this Council discussed, both privately and publicly, ideas that would not put sensitive negotiations
in jeopardy, that could lay the foundation for sustainable peace. And yet we were forced into a vote that did not reflect that consensus. You might ask why and I'll leave that to you to opine on. Perhaps some on the Council did not actually want a resolution to pass, because if they did, today's vote would not have happened. Over the last several weeks, I communicated the United States concerns publicly and privately. We submitted numerous, numerous rounds of
edits. We implored our colleagues not to rush toward failure, and so having put forward an alternitative path, we intend to take it. The draft we presented is a forward leaning resolution, and it is one that we intend to work on in good faith with other Council members to ensure it gets over the finish line. That kind of process was disappointingly absent from negotiations on the text
we just voted on all to say we're not giving up. We're eager to continue working with the Council on this proposal, one that would see a temporary cease fire as soon as practicable based on the formula of all hostages being released, and one that would get aid into the hands of those Palestinians who so
desperately need it. Also, we intend to do this the right way so that we can create the right conditions for a safer, more peaceful future, and we will continue to actively engage in the hard work of direct diplomacy on the ground until we reach a final solution. I think we can start with Rami, with Aldudurra, thanks name, ambassadors. So far, everything that Israel has announced it has done, despite the protestations of the UN and the
rest of the international community, almost thirty thousand Palestinians are dead. Israel is now threatening to attack Ruffa, the last supposedly safe zone in Gaza, if
the hostages are not released by Ramadan. Do you really think that your draft resolution, if adopted, would prevent Israel from attacking Ruffa, as they are already in violation of many Security Council resolutions, including resolutions twenty seven to twelve and twenty seven twelve twenty And why doesn't your government instead put effective limits on Israel, like conditioning military support to meaningfully impact their decision making. Look,
we have made clear. I made it clear in my statement today, The President has made it clear. Secretary has made it clear that no attacks on Rafa should take place given current circumstances, and we will keep pressing that. We know we've heard what Israel has said. They have not gone in to attack Rafa, and we will keep engaging and urging and pushing in that direction
to ensure that that does not happen. I can't give you advance information on what we're saying to the Israelis related to that issue, but I can be clear that we are pressing the Israelise urgently every single day. To Michelle, thanks, ambassador. You mentioned in the Council that the call in your resolution for a temporary ceasefire reflects the language used by President Biden last week after months
of the US not wanting to refer to the word ceasefire. What's brought about the change in this language is this to sort of appease domestic pressures, global pressures? What's brought that on? Look, Michelle, I've been clear from the very beginning that we are working around the clock on the ground to get humanitarian pauses that will allow for the hostages to be released and for assistance to
get in. And that happened in November and we got close to I don't know one hundred house sitches out was the final number, and we got needed humanitarian assistance in and we're continuing to work on this. This is not a change. It is not as it's that's what we've been doing all along. It hasn't changed what we've been doing. Thank you, Ambassador sam asm and
automated the newspaper. I have two questions. First, you have been saying that the Security Council that you are not agreeing to either rush under I mean different reasons, but among others, that the Security Council doesn't condemn Hammas. But as a matter of fact, on October eighteenth, it was the US that vetoed a resolution that condemned Tamas. This is one thing. The second thing, I think a lot of Palestinians ask the question, what is the
line when is enough Palestinians. There have been more than twenty nine Palestinian civilians who were killed, majority of home women and children, and people are asking how many dics are enough for the US to stop delivering weapons and to call for our ceas fire immediately for humanitarian reasons. Thank you. In answer to your first question, there were a number of other issues with that resolution.
It did call for a condemnation of Hamas, it did not recognize Israel's right to self defense, which is a right that Israel has, and there were other issues with that particular resolution. Since that time, we still have not gotten condemnation of Hamas, despite the fact that I think it is you know, every Council member on almost every Council member will say that in their statements. We think it should be reflected in a resolution, even a humanitarian resolution.
And let me just say, every life matters, and so it is important that we find a solution that will stop the killing and deaths and suffering of the Palestinian people. And that's why we're on the ground twenty four to seven. No one else is putting their people out there, no one else is putting skin and boots on the ground to find a solution to this situation. And we'll keep working on that every single day. I think Hi.
Ambassador China described your position that the Algerian draft would undermine regional efforts at the hostage deal as completely untenable given the situation on the ground. Explain, then, Ambassador, how the Algerian draft would have placed those talks in jeopardy given that the Algerian text also called for the immediate release of those hostages. Yes, but they also called for an immediate cease fire, which would give Hamas
the cover of not releasing the hostage. Part of the ceasefire that we're working on requires that they do exactly that, and this resolution did not make that connection. And it was our concern that it would send the wrong message to Hamas that this resolution, which actually gives them something that they have asked for without requiring them to do something in return, would have meant that the fighting would have continued, because without the hostage releases, we know that the fighting
is going to continue. Thanks, thank you all. Okay, why don't we listen to Jane Austin as she delivers the Throne speech in British Columbia. Please be seated, Hi skwaichose Tata. Good afternoon, friends, mister Speaker, Premier, Honorable Members, I am pleased to deliver the speech from the Throne leading out your government's plan to build a stronger BC that works better for
people now and into the future. I would like to start by acknowledging the Lapungin peoples, the Songies in Esquimalt, upon whose territories we are gathered today, and special thanks to Elder Butch Dick of the song Ese Nation and Elder Mary Anne Thomas of the Esquimalt Name for starting us off in a good way, and to the Lapungan dancers and drummers for a welcoming paddle song heism. I also want to thank Rabbi Harry Breckner of Congregation Emmanuel for offering prayers and
reflection. This building, long a symbol of colonialism, now has messages written in the Laquangan language permanently inscribed on its stone perimeter. These words about ancestors, warriors and children symbolize a new era, one of the meaningful reconciliation, where we work together to preserve indigenous languages and acknowledge the true history of these lands. As Hereditary Chief Edward Thomas Sr. Of the Esquimalt Nation said during
the unveiling, it's a long time coming. Words and symbols like this are undoubtedly important, but actions must follow. That's why your government remains committed to implementing the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People's Act, which was endorsed unanimously by this legislature. This work is about partnership and cooperation, which underpins everything we do here. Most importantly, it's about a better future for everyone who
calls this land home. As has become recent tradition. We begin by remembering some of those we have lost in the past year. We mourn the remarkable Gloria Kramner Cranmer, Sor Webster, who dedicated her life to the preservation and
celebration of Indigenous culture. We also mourn her younger brother, Lakuagila Bill Cranmer, as we do other Indigenous leaders, including samoy Get Satsen, Mel Bevin, Charles Williams, Lisa Wolf, Stephanie Patterson, Rick Gilbert Byron, Joseph Natasha, Grace Wilson, and former Cowichan Tribal Tribes Chief Skull hey el No, William chip Seymour. We mourn Gordon Gibson Junior and Patty Sahota, who once served in this legislature, as we do former members of Parliament, Vanowen
and Pat Carney. In the arts, we mourn Carver Temosen, Charles Elliott, and photographer Diane Evans, as we do entertainers Bill Hosey, Chad Allen, Jason Hoover and actor Carl Weathers, who frequently filmed in Vancouver and played linebacker for the BC Lions. From the world of sports, we mourn rower Dean Crawford and sportswriter Jack Keating. From media, we moarn broadcasters Red Robinson, Deborah Hope, kol Gee, Kayla Ted farr As, We do Bob
Stall. We mourn labor leader Ray Haynes, environmentalist Kevin Bell, conservationist John Nightingale, communications executive Phil Lynde, inventor Phil Newton, Judge Selwyn Romilly, disability advocate George Lawson and CEO of Sherry Punjab, and longtime philanthropist Ajit Singh bod. From medicine, we mourn registered nurse Avanna Brennan, doctor Yeri Frolick,
and doctor Gridive sing Gel. We mourn then Mizrachi, a medic from Vancouver who was tending to the wounded at a music festival in Israel when murdered by Hamas terror be a blessing. We mourn those who answer the nation's call, including Reuben Sinclair, who, on his passing was Canada's oldest military veteran. We mourned Sergeant Michael Leo and r CMP Constible Rick O'Brien. We mourned
the firefighter who lost their lives during this summer's record wildfires. Devon Gale Zach Muse, Kenneth Patrick, Blaine, Sonnenberg Jackson, Billy boy Bow and Damian Dyson. As we do Langford Assistant Fire Chief Lance cavan All so mourn and reflect on the loss of so many British Columbians from toxic unregulated drugs. To all who have lost a loved one in the past year, we extend our
sympathies and our condolences. We acknowledge and share your grief. It is fitting that as we open this final session of BC's forty second Parliament, communities around the province are celebrating the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. According to legends, twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were selected through a race. The
dragon, the only mythological animal, claimed fifth place. When the Jade emperor asked why he didn't win the race when he could fly, the dragon responded, First, I encountered a village suffering from drought, so I stopped to make rain. Then I saw a rabbit stranded on a log in the water, and blew a puff OF's wind so the log would float to the river bank. In many ways, the story of the Dragon is like the story
of BC. Over the last few years, just look at how far we have come in a short period of time by looking out for each other. When we first gathered here almost four years ago, only a handful of members were able to attend safely in person. Outside these walls, many people's lives and livelihoods hung in the balance. In the time since, we have faced
the impacts of devastating climate emergencies and global upheaval. While your government focused on keeping people healthy and the economy moving, British Columbians were busy working together to rebuild our province stronger than ever. You got effective vaccines into grateful arms. You rebuilt highways after flooding in record time. You kept kids learning in classrooms and businesses operating during difficult circumstances, proving once again that here in BC,
our greatest natural resource is the people of this province. By putting people first, we have built a strong foundation through tough times. Today, our unemployment rate is one of the lowest in Canada. In twenty twenty three, we added seventy four thousand new jobs, some of the strongest job growth in the country. We were the first among provinces in year over year growth in average
hourly wages. Last year. In December, women's employment increased more than in any other province, further proof that increasing wages and reducing childcare bills is good for families and good for business. Take Root a young mum and Richmond with three kids. Thanks to your government's latest fee reduction, she's saving one thousand dollars a month and has been able to return to work as an engineer. Since twenty seventeen, we have helped over two hundred and fifty thousand people get
out of poverty supports like job training. Your government understands that people want to work and feal better off when they have a job and community connection. No, don't worry. It's a pleasure to have a child in the tabor and I think we all feel that, so don't to worry. That's why action will be taken this session to further breakdown barriers for those who can work while
your government continues to support those who cannot. And we are seeing other reasons to be optimistic since the pandemic, tourists are coming back to BC in droves and we can expect that to continue. As BC hosts of the twenty twenty four Gray Cup, followed by the Invictus Games and seven It Bets Men's World Cup Games in Vancouver. The film industry is booming again too. After three years of disruption and labor disputes. South of the border, Hollywood North is
back. Vancouver's text is growing at one of the highest rates in North America, and BC is home to the fastest growing life sciences sector in Canada, with two thousand companies employing almost twenty thousand British Columbians. While BC's economy is strong and growing, your government is nowhere near satisfied. Too many people are
not feeling it yet. Too many are still struggling to get ahead. After decades where our housing market was allowed to serve the interests of investors and speculators, even those who earn a decent middle class income are finding it hard to afford a home. People have a lot on their minds right now. They are facing some big new challenges today. High interest rates are causing considerable anxiety for anyone whose mortgage is coming up for renewal. Inflation has made the cost
of groceries and daily essentials increasingly expensive. This has meant more people taking extra shifts or were about paying bills each month the world is changing fast. New technology has made our lives easier and more affected in many ways, but it has also made them harder in others. Parents are struggling to protect their kids
from dangers that are now in the palms of their hands. Working people are struggling to make a good living and to be treated with fairness in the gig economy, and people all over are struggling to find an affordable home because thousands have been diverted into short rentals like airbnbs. While governments can't solve every problem or fix things overnight, your government makes a simple commitment to you it will have your back, so you are not facing these new challenges alone because leaving
people to fend for themselves does not work. It did not work before and it will not work now. It would mean deep cuts that weaken the service as we rely on. It would drive up costs with added fees and faares like the return of health care premiums or tolls on roads and bridges, and it would leave people at risk to those who take unfair advantage and put profits ahead of people. Everyone here in BC wants to be able to build a
good life. People just starting out in their adult lives want to be able to afford their rent and find good jobs and opportunities in the communities where they grew up. Young families want to know that living in a decent home is within reach, and that childcare is available and affordable. Seniors want to know that after a lifetime of hard work, they will be cared for and will
be able to help their kids and grandkids. That's why your government will continue to work tirelessly with you to take action on all the things that matter most to you. For generations, there was an unspoken promise if you worked hard, got an education, and played by the rules, you could make a good middle class living and be able to afford a decent home. About three decades ago, that started to change in the name of austerity. Governments at
all levels stopped investing in affordable housing. Wealthy speculators, ford investors, and big developers rushed to fill the void. For far too long, we also saw the proceeds of illegal activity parked in BC's real estate market. Housing costs went up, and in recent years, the combination of inflation, interest rate hikes, and a lack of supply has only made the situation harder for people looking to buy or rent a home. This is a generational challenge and we
must meet the moment. Doing nothing is not an option, and tinkering around the edges will not fix the problem. That's why your government has taken strong
action on all fronts to tackle the crisis head on. Landmark changes made over the last year are helping to delay the foundation for a housing market that will work better for people, turning short term rentals like airbnbs into longer term homes, speeding up housing permit approvals, fixing zoning rules that block construction of middle class homes in existing neighborhoods, setting municipal targets for new housing construction, getting
more homes built near public transit, building student housing at an unprecedented pace, and protecting affordable rentals from being turned into luxury condos by big real estate corporations. This month, the first purchase was made by the Rental Protection Fund, saving nearly three hundred affordable co op units in Coquitlam. Thanks to tough legislation passed by this legislature, BC is now able to seize properties from organized criminals
because homes are for people, not for money laundering. While it will take time, for people to feel the flow benefit of these changes. We are starting to see early positive signs. These changes are already helping people like Andrew, a forty one year old small business owner in Vancouver. Andrew is now renting a one bedroom apartment he can afford thanks to an influx of new inventory that hit the market after this legislature passed a law restricting short term rentals.
In twenty twenty three, BC saw a record setting nineteen thousand new rental homes registered, a thirty percent increase from the year before. Taken together, experts predict these changes will deliver hundreds of thousands of new homes in the next ten years. This builds on the work your government has already done to support seventy
eight thousand homes that are either complete or on the way. Your government understands that for every antwer, there are still thousands of other middle income British Columbians who need help finding a home. Breaking down barriers for home builders is part of the solution, but governments getting out of the way completely is how we got into this crisis in the first place. The market alone has not been
able to deliver the homes that working and middle class people need. As a result, the people who are providing the services we all count on, like teachers, construction workers, and nurses, are being priced out of communities. This is holding back our economy, weakening public services, and hurting us all. It was not always this way. During the Second World War, the federal government built houses for workers so they could build warships in Esquimalt and bombers
enrichment. At the end of the war, the demand for housing was even greater as returning veterans looked to rebuild lives interrupted by military service. Once again, the government stepped in the mass production used in the war effort was transferred to building homes for the growing middle class. Prefabricated homes with a choice of standard plans appeared in communities all across the country. They were offered to veterans
at reasonable rents and leader for sale. Known as Victory homes. They offered secure, affordable housing for many families, and many of them are still standing. The same spirit that animated our country then is what is needed in our province today. That's why your government has launched b C Builds. The next step in the Homes for People plan. BC Builds will leverage government owned, public and underutilized land, grant money and low cost financing to bring down construction
costs and make more middle class housing projects viable. This is a model that has been used in cities around the world. These homes will also be built faster, with more efficient provincial and local government approvals, and they will be income tested. Designed for the middle class people who keep our communities working so they can live close to where they work. Think of homes connected to schools
or on top of community centers and libraries. Think of homes on under used land next to hospitals, or empty parking lots transformed into homes for working and middle class families, and your government will not stop there. In this session, action will be taken to protect renters from bad faith evictions and to help more first time home buyers get on the ownership ladder. As we dramatically increase housing supply, so too must we build up the infrastructure and services to support
this growth. Through the billion dollar Growing Communities Fund and partnerships with other levels of government. That is a exactly what we are doing here in British Columbia. In Langley, construction has started on an expanded events center that will add three new ice rinks and better support the needs of a booming population. Just over a year ago, Prince Rupert had to issue a state of emergency and cruise work through the holidays after a major line break that threatened the community's water
supply. Today, your government is helping the city replace crucial sections of its aging water distribution system to ensure people there have safe drinking water. In the year ahead, significant work will continue to cut commute times for families and to keep our economy moving. Construction is set to begin on the Surrey Langley Skytrain, the first rapid transit projects south of the Fraser River in thirty years, and to continue on the Broadway Subway project. Taken together, these projects will
increase our skytrain network by twenty seven percent. This will help thousands of families get to work and back home to their families sooner. So too will continued improvements to Highway One through the Fraser Valley. Top of mind for many British Columbians right now is public healthcare. Specifically, they want to know they can count on care to be there when they need it. BC rose to the challenge in twenty twenty to make sure people were cared for and healthcare workers in
our hospitals were supported, But we face new challenges today. Communities are growing, our population is getting older, and a large number of doctors and nurses are retiring. We are not alone in this. Our neighbors and countries around the world are also feeling the strained, all competing for the same small pool of health care professionals. That's why your government has been taking action to improve access to care and it is starting to make a difference. BC has eliminated
the pandemic surgery backlog. Recent changes have helped hundreds of thousands of people to see a pharmacist to treat minor illnesses, so doctors and nurse practitioners can focus
on sicker patients. BC is building more hospitals, primary care clinics, cancer centers and care homes closer to where you live through the largest healthcare capital strategy in the province's history, and our province will be home to the first new medical school in Western Canada in more than fifty years, at Simon Fraser University's Surrey campus, which will have a focus on training the next generation of family
doctors. BC added more than seven hundred doctors and almost six three hundred new nurses over the last year. We are leading the country with better and faster ways to prevent and detect cervical cancer. Last month's launch of the first at home self screening program for h p V means that ending deadly cervical cancer in British Columbia is now a very real possibility. At thirty six sites across b c our lung cancer screening program is helping to find cancer earlier so people can
get treatment sooner. More than five thousand lung screening tests were done in the first year of the program alone. This early detection is saving lives of people like Shannon from North Vancougar, whose cancer screening came back positive even though she displayed no symptoms. While progress is being made on many fronts, there is still a lot more to do. This session, your government will continue the work it has started to attract, train, and retain the doctors and nurses
we need. It will make new investments to strength and home and community long term care services for seniors, and it will take new action to build on our ten uere cancer plans. Just as important as improving people's physical health is providing better support for mental health and addictions treatment. The latest coroner's update on the toxic drug crisis is a heartbreaking reminder that we need to keep using every
tool in our toolbox. We must continue our work to reduce harm and stigma, to keep people who are struggling alive, and when someone makes the brave decision to break free from addiction, we must ensure they have access to treatment and recovery closer to where they live. That's why your government is working to build a more connected system of mental health and addictions care. Almost three thy six hundred publicly funded treatment and recovery beds are opened throughout the province, with
more on the way. This work is helping people like Richard, who is two years sober and has life back on track after receiving treatment at Discovery House in Penticton. Here in BC, we know that supporting people is the key to building a strong economy. When we lower childcare bills, we help parents enter or re enter the workforce. When we deliver more affordable homes, we
make our communities more attractive for businesses. When we increase the minimum wage, we raise the purchasing power of people who are more likely to spend that money locally. When we connect every rural, remote and First Nations community to high speed Internet, as your government has pledged to do by twenty twenty seven, we are helping connect people to jobs and opportunities. When we build up our highways, bridges and ports, we strengthen our supply chains and help to get
our products to market. Good for people is good for business. At a time when inflation has caused the price of daily assent to rise sharply, helping people and families get costs down is key to building an economy that works for everyone. In just the past year, your government has taken many steps to
do just that. New cost of living credits have been sent out, including a one hundred dollars credit on BC hydrobills, an increase to the BC Family Benefit means families now qualify for hundreds of dollars more per year, and an enhanced Climate Action tax credit is putting as much as nine hundred dollars back in the pockets of more than two million British Columbians. Free contraception is helping people
save hundreds of dollars a year and thousands over their lifetimes. ICBC car insurance rates have been frozen after being cut on average by five hundred dollars a year for drives. New investments in food security are helping people better access and increase apply of low cost local food, and rates have been kept affordable for everyone who relies on BC ferries to get to work, run errands, and visit
loved ones. These measures build on the work done over the last seven years to make light a little easier, eliminating MSP premiums, the largest middle class tax cut in the generation, ending tolls on the Portman and Golden Ears bridges, making public transit free for kids twelve and under, and stopping interest payments on student loans. This session, your government will take new actions to help people with costs while tackling the root causes that are making life so expensive,
like housing affordability. It will do more to help small and growing businesses, many of whom are still finding their feet after the pandemic and are facing new challenges today. Foundational to our province and the backbone of many locally con enemies are our natural resources, from first nations whose deep connection to the land and water goes back millennia, to communities of all kinds who depend on forestry,
mining and energy for jobs. Today, we all share a stake in making sure a strong, sustainable natural resource sector is a core part of BC's future. While climate change poses real challenges, BC's natural resources put us in a unique position to excel in shifting economic times and maximize the benefits to people here. Your government has a plan to leverage our natural strengths as a province to create good jobs and opportunities for everyone, in partnership with indigenous people, industry,
and local communities. To borrow a line from our country's favorite sport, BC must state to where the puck will be, not to where it has already been. By leveraging our strengths in mining to meet global demand for clean technology like battery cells, by leveraging the strengths of BC's forests with a more reliable fiber supply, and by enabling more made in BC wood manufacturing, And by levering our strengths as a clean energy superpower to help industries electrify and ensure
BC is a global leader in the clean economy. Specifically, BC will embark on an unprecedented level of construction over the next ten years, building our electricity system to power a growing clean economy and deliver affordable, reliable power for people. Already, this plan is in action all around the province. In the northwest, Prince George is home to Canada's first stand alone renewable diesel refinery and is a growing hub for clean hydrogens. Soon the Canned Pulp Mill will be
using clean hydrogen to help power its operations. Further to the west is the future site of Cedar LNG and Kinemat, which your government will be the largest First Nations majority owned energy project in the country and one of the cleanest liquefied natural gas facilities in the world. In Maple Ridge, the new E one Molely facility will create hundreds of good local jobs for people, and it will establish BC as a leading producer of the battery components we need to power a
clean energy future. At the same time, we can't continue the old way of doing things. The future is in partnership with First Nations and insustainable development, whether it's forestry, mining or energy. BC companies are leading the way, embracing reconciliation and the opportunities that come with it. Like the recent deal between four members of the Nanuakalas Council and Western Forest Products, an agreement that
represents an important step forward for First Nations participation in the forest economy. A sustainable energy future will ensure cleaner air for future generations and industries they can rely on for good jobs. Your government's plan to grow a strong economy while protecting the environment is working with the goal of protecting thirty percent of our land and water by twenty thirty. Historic action is being taken in partnership with First Nations,
the federal government, and local communities. This will help us conserve both the natural beauty around us, which is also a critical source of fresh food, clean drinking water, and our best line of defense against the impacts of climate change. Our net greenhouse gas emissions are down five percent from six years ago when our continent leading Clean BC plan was first launched. In that same period, British Columbia has achieved the highest average GDP growth among large provinces.
This shows that supporting people, advancing reconciliation, protecting the environment, and growing the economy go hand in hand. The cost of inaction on climate change is simply too high. It is our homes and our communities in the paths of wildfires. It is our crops and our farms at risk of flooding or drought. It is our kids and grandkids who stand to lose the nature that surrounds
them. The climate crisis is here. We have seen it all around us these last few years, and we are expecting another tough drought and wildfire season this summer. Last year, your government launched an expert task Force on emergencies. The goal was to determine how we can better support those on the front lines and help apply the lessons we have learned in preparation for the next emergency.
This year, your government is turning recommendations into action and working side by side with communities and partners to help ensure that people are better protected from one out fires with more full time, year round staff and resources, and it will continue to work to prevent the devastating effects of flooding we saw after the
catastrophic atmospheric river in twenty twenty one. Just last week, new funding was announced to upgrade the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford and protect farmers in the Sumas Prairies and communities in the Fraser Valley. Your government will also take new actions this session to reduce carbon pollution from big industrial admitters, which are driving climate change in the first place. A key challenge in the years ahead is to
make sure everyone in BC can seize the tremendous opportunities ahead of us. Over the next ten years, VIC will need to fill almost a million job openings, many in the emerging clean economy. Seventy five percent of these jobs will require workers to have some kind of post secondary education and training. That's why your government launched the Future Ready Action Plan to equip people for success in our
changing economy and to close the skills gap employers are facing. As your government works to make training and education more accessible and affordable INNBC, it is also bringing in new safeguards to make sure our international education programs are training people for the skills we need. These new measures will help protect international students against bad
actors while making sure BC continues to attract talented students. This session, your government will also take new steps to recognize and better support First Nations mandated post secondary institutes as a key pillar of BC's advanced education system. Every person in every community wants and deserves to feel safe, but the incidents of crime,
violence and hate seen here and across North America are worrying. That is why your government has been tackling these challenges, and we are seeing some real results.
With stricter bail rules and prosecutors working with police and probation officers, repeat offenders are being kept off the streets two hundred and fifty six new RCMP police frown by eighteen percent, and the number of unprovoked stranger assaults has decreased by seventy five percent between the first half of twenty twenty one and twenty twenty three. Your government is also addressing the core issues that bring people into conflict with
the law and their neighbors. It is working with partners on the ground to move people from unsafe encounpments into homes. It is helping people in crisis get compassionate care from others who know what they are going through. And it is helping more Indigenous people access culturally safe legal supports and services, with five new Indigenous Justice centers now in operation. Action is also being taken to support the
survivors of crime. Services to support survivors of sexual assault that were cut in two thousand and two have been restored, and new policing standards are now in place. While reports of many crimes are decreasing, we know that there has been a rise in anti Semitism, Islamophobia, anti Asian hate, and other incidents of racism. That's why the session your government will build on the work being done to make sc a more welcoming and inclusive place by introducing new anti
racism legislation. And that's why your government is working with the Jewish community to make Holocaust education mandatory for high school students, because combating this kind of hate begins from begins with learning from the darkest parts of our history, so the same horrors are never repeated. Keeping our kids safe and healthy is another top
part priority for your government. While a small minority of people in our province claim that teachers and school librarians are a danger to our kids, your government understands the real threats many of you are now aware of. Carson, a twelve year old boy from Prince George. Carson died by suicide last year after being extorted with private images he shared with somebody who was pretending to be somebody else. His parents, Ryan and Nicola have been bravely sharing Carson's story to
raise awareness and prevent this tragedy from happening to other families. This builds on the advocacy of Carol Todd, who has continued to shed light on the issue of bullying, cyber bullying, and online safety since losing her own daughter, Amanda Todd. Your government is committed to making sure that Carson and Amanda's legacies will protect kids in the future. That's why a new suite of concrete actions was launched last months to protect young people from online threats, restrict cell phones
and schools, and hold big social media corporations to account. This is part of a larger effort to keep kids safe and healthy, an effort which includes adding more support for mental health centers, launching an anti vaping strategy, improving
literacy screening, building new schools, and expanding nutrition programs. In Surrey and White Rock schools alone, more than eight thousand kids in need are getting daily nutritious meals thanks to Feeding Futures, the largest investment in school food programs in the province's history. This springs your government will take additional steps to keep kids safe and improve learning conditions for students. New legislation will be tabled to protect
schools and kids from disruptive protests. While everyone has a right to freedom of expression, including peaceful protest, we will not tolerate attempts to disrupt children learning in the classroom. During the pandemic, when hospitals and healthcare workers became the target of aggressive protests, your government took action so doctors and nurses could get
to work and patients could access care. And as schools increasingly become the target for protests, your government will take similar action to ensure classrooms are not disrupted and kids can feel safe at school. We are in a time where significant turmoil surrounds US Wars in Europe and the Middle East are creating tensions around the world, and here at the democratic norms and principles are being tested everywhere.
Global economic uncertainty has families and businesses alike worried. As we begin this final session, we all face some big questions. Will we be a province where are the people whose stories I have shared today, like Roots, Andrew, Shannon and Richard are left to face tough challenges alone. Or will we continue to be a place where people take care of each other and build a better
feature. Your government is committed to rejecting division and working to bring people together to solve problems, because here in BC, our best days are still ahead of us. If we work together, this will be a place where everyone can build a good life where you live in it, whether you live in a city, a town, a rural or First Nations community. Where the wages of working people go up but the cost of a decent home does not.
Where we have more family doctors and shorter weight times in emergency rooms, where our economy grows not in spite of climate action, but because of it. Where our kids are safe in their communities, schools, and online, where everyone belongs, everyone can get ahead and no one gets left behind. That is the vision. Your government is working hard every day to deliver a
stronger BC, one that works better for people. Thank you, And finally I add my personal thanks to all of you who serve together in BC's Legislative Assembly. Indeed to all who assume the noble task of serving in public office. I am so deeply grateful for your commitment to upholding our democracy in this increasingly fractious world. For your leadership, your collaboration, and your tireless work over the past year, and always I wish you all every possible success in
meeting the opportunities and the challenges that lie ahead. HAICHIKACM. Thank you friends, I look forward to seeing you this evening and back to the United Nations. Were on the press floor. A couple updates for you. First, I'll start with the situation in Gaza. The World Health Organization said today it has led two life saving missions to transfer thirty two critical patients including two children, from Nasir Medical Complex in southern Gaza on the eighteenth and nineteenth of February,
that was yesterday in the day before. This has of course, omitt ongoing hostilities and access restrictions. The high risk missions were conducted in close partnership with the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The team also provided limited supplies of essential medicines and food for the remaining patients and staff who are otherwise being cut off from aid for Palestine Redcress and ambulances ensured the safe transportation the patients who underwent medical assessment and triage under the coordination of the hospital Director NASA. Hospital has no electricity or running water, and medical waste and garbage or creating a breeding ground for diseases. WHO staff
said the destruction around the hospital was quote indescribable. The area was surrounded by burnt and destroyed buildings and heavy layers of debris, with no stretch of intact road. An estimate one hundred and thirty sick and injured patients and at least
fifteen doctors and nurses remain inside the hospital. WHO fears for the safety and well being of the patients and health workers who are remaining in the hospital, and the agency also warns that further disruptions to life saving care for the sick and injured would lead to more deaths. And in a statement issued today, the World Food Program said it's pausing its deliveries of food aid to the northern Gaza Strip until conditions are in place to allow the safe distribution of that aid.
The decision to pause deliveries to the north has not been taken lightly, as we know it means that the situation there will deteriorate further and more people risk of dying of hunger. The World Food Program is deeply committed, they tell us to urgently reaching desperate people across Gaza, but the safety and security to deliver critical food aid and for the people receiving it must be ensured. Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jamie McGoldrick, has
wrapped up a visit to Gaza today. He visited the Koreem Shalom crossing and the Rapha crossings and so firsthand the challengers there to getting more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Yesterday, the World Health Organization, along with UNICEF and the World Food Program issued the results of a new analysis that shows a steep
rise in malnutrition among children and pregnant breastfeeding women in the Gaza Strip. The report, in title Nutrition Vulnerability and Situation Analysis in Gaza, finds the situation is particularly extreme in the northern Gaza Strip, which has been almost completely cut off from made for weeks. Nutrition screenings conducted at shelters and health centers in the north found fifteen point six percent, or one in six children under the
age of two, are acutely malnourished. Of these, almost three percent suffer from severe wasting, which is the most severe form of malnutrition. Turning to travel, the Deputy Secretary General is in Bangkok, Amina Mohammad, alongside palnpri Bahida Nukara, the ty Foreign Minister, as well as the Executive Secretary of SCAP. That's the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific,
and that's our Mi da Salcia Alisana. They three of them opened the Asia Pacific Regional Form for Sustainable Development. In her remarks, the Deputy Secretary General stress the need to continue to strive towards the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals
and fulfilling the vision of the twenty thirty Agenda. She highlighted that the Asia Pacific region has demonstrated how a long term vision can be transformed into reality, adding that more progress is possible if we mobilize at a speed and scale and if we work together. The Deputy Secretary General then met with the Prime Minister of Thailand Stretta Tavisin. They discussed Highland's commitment to accelerating SDG implementation, including
targeting actions towards the Triple planetary crisis. She underscored the UN's commitment to supporting the government in these efforts and on sidelines to the event, Miss Muhammad also met with whichrong Um, the Managing Director General of the Asia Development Bank to discuss actions related to the delivery of the SDG stimulus and reform of the international financial architecture. She is now on her way to Brazil to participate on behalf
of the Secretary General in the G twenty Foreign Ministers meeting. The Emergency Relief Coordinator for these United Nations, Martin Griffiths, today released one hundred million dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund known as SERF to support seven of the least funded humanitarian operations in Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. These emergencies are in Sudan, in Syria, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
They received twenty million dollars each, with the remaining support going to Chad, Niger, Lebanon and Honduras. Mister Griffith said the new allocation is a reminder of the crucial fund. The Emergency Response Fund play the crucial role excuse me at a time of immense needs and underfunding of humanitarian appeals. Last year, less than forty percent of the fifteen point six billion dollars needed to sustain
humanitarian appeals around the globe was received. The Emergency Fund also received less funding in twenty twenty three, which was the lowest in last five years, where
donations that the lowest serfs life saving impact is facing serious challenges. Mister Griffiths is appealing to member states to step up and provide full funding and just to update you on one of these crises, and that's Sudan or Colleagues from the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization say that efforts to deliver life saving health assistants to civilians across the country are continuing despite the
many obstacles that they face. Last month, our humanitarian partners provided medical consultations to more than one hundred and eighty thousand people in twelve of Sudan states.
They also delivered medicine to one hundred fifteen thousand people in eight states and supported sixteen mobile clinics in dar Foreign Cordifon, the Humanitarian coordinator for the country, Clementine and Corta Salame, stressed that the unimpeded rapid passage of eight personnel, medicines and other supplies must be in short to support an estimated twenty five million
men, women and children in need of desperate humanitarian assistance in Sudan. Turning to the Sahel, the Wold Food Program today called for urgent support to segard the programs that help communities impacted by various crises in the region. In twenty eighteen, WFP had been working with governments and partners on resilience programs in the Sahel that includes Burkina, Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger,
helping communities access locally grown and locally grown and nutritious food. Thanks to sustained donor funding, more than two hundred and ninety thousand hectares of degraded land have been restored in four million people benefited, and that's in over thirty three thousand, two hundred villages across the Sahel. However, the Rome based state the
programs are an imminent risk of being suspended. To do a lack of funding for March onwards, WFP will be forced to reduce or stop resilience activities across the Sahel and particularly in Nijer. To sustain its resilience buildings support across the region, WFP requires one hundred and eighty three point one million dollars for the next twelve months and moving to Ukraine, our colleagues at the UN Refugee Agency said that after two years of full scale war in Ukraine, amidst massive destruction
and ongoing shelling and missile attacks across the country, the future for millions who have been displaced remains shrouded in uncertainty. According to UNHCR, there are currently almost six point five million refugees from Ukraine who sought refuge globally, while some
three point seven million people remain forcibly displaced in inside their own country. A recent UNHCR study shows that the majority of Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people that sixty five and seventy two percent respectively, still express a desire to return home one day. However, the proportion has declined, with more expressing uncertainty due
to the ongoing war. And in that regard, I just want to flag that on Friday's Security Council meeting on Ukraine, the Secretary of General will be delivering remarks. Moving across the globe to Papua New Guinea, our UN team there has strongly condemned the killing of over fifty three million. Excuse me,
let's try it again. Our team in Papua New Guinea has strongly condemned the killing of over fifty three people in the highland provinces of Anga and Papua New Guinea and calls for an immediate cessation of violence and possible and warns against possible retaliation. Following the killings, Richard Howard, the Resident Coordinator, urged all parties to immediately cease all fighting and called on authorities to fully investigate the killings
with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice. Our team on the ground stands ready to support the government in addressing long standing issues with their never arms and remains committed to assisting the government in limiting tribal violence and bring lasting peace
to the highlands. We have a new Resident Coordinator to announce for not that you would know for Nigeria, a very important job the when our Secretary General appoint has appointed mister Mohammad Malik fal of Senegal as the Resident Coordinator in Nigeria following confirmation by the host government. He took his post up over the weekend and will also serve as the Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria. With more than twenty
years of experience and development and humanitarian and peace building Affairs. Mister fab will lead the work of our UN team on the ground boosting Niger's commitments to advances sustainable development goals and to leave no one behind. We congratulate him on that post. Today is the day to mark something that we are lacking, social justice, the World Day for Social Justice. This day reminds us of the
needs to build fair and more equitable societies. The International Labor Organization will mark the occasion with a series of events to discuss how to put social justice at the center of international, national, and regional policy agendas. I know, schwinghammer fight with the microphone. Okay, you saw the Security Council and you saw that the United States blocked a ceasefire call. What's your rector? Well, I mean it's not the first we've seen a veto in the Security Council.
I think our message and the Secretary's measures has been to repeatedly call for humanitarians cease far in Gaza. The Secretary General continues to hope that the Security
Council will find a way to speak with one voice on this issue. But I think it is also important to remember that there have been a number of resolutions that have passed since October seventh, and it is important that Council members and the international community continue their efforts to move for the implementation of the existing resolutions, notably twenty one, seventy two and twenty seven twenty okay, and
the Israeli ambassador called ANRA in his speech a terrorist organization. I guess you might want to dispute that ANOIR remains and is the backbone of the humanitarian work that is being done in Gaza at great cost to Aunhua's staff themselves. It remains the backbone of not only humanitarian but development, socioeconomic and educational work for Palestine refugees in Lebanon, in Syria, in Jordan and the occupied West Bank. We again call on donors to support the critical work that on what does
if to some then Abda Hamidan Deji thank you. Step follow up first on the Honoraba question. Does this worry you that such a statement by these really ambassador could put the life of many or our workers in danger. Yeah, these sort of incendiary statements are not helpful to the humanitarian work that we're trying to do in Gaza and in other parts of the of the Middle East,
and on the American veto. This is actually the fourth American vito. If we take into consideration the vito on the amendment for the December resolution, do you believe that the US in this case and other countries in other cases, is misusing its veto power? Thank you. We know every time a permanent member of the Security Council vetos, they now have to go and explain themselves in a sense in front of the General Assembly. This will happen, This
will happen again. The veto is the five countries that hold the vito have a great amount of responsibility and I think there needs to be explanation on how the veto is used. Abdelhamid, thank you. Sam Abu Sofia, the director of Camala Aduin Hospital in Gaza. He said the following, we are receiving children, are receiving mal nourished children, and they are dying in front of US. Famine is becoming a major reason for death of children. How
could the SG react to such a statement? Can he really? I mean, how a were reacting to such statements? I mean, look at what the UN system is trying to do in the face of overwhelming odds. Right, we just had a team that went into the middle of a conflict zone to the NASA hospital to rescue patients we have had. We have tried our
best to deliver food and supplies to those who needed the most. I mean our colleagues of the World Food Program and UNISEF and who have just issued a report on the risk of the growing risks and suffering and hunger or especially in
the north. So I think on one hand, we're operationally doing whatever we can, and then on the other hand, we'll continuing to advocate for the people who are suffering, to ensure that policymakers and those member states that have the resources are aware of the dire needs of the people in Gaza DEI. Yeah, though we know that this is not the first time a Security Council resolution draft resolution has been vettled. But you know the four times that US
vettled the resolution, they are about one thing. Sei is fire, which the Secretary General called for in this condition. What else do you think the Secretary General could do to really push for his goal. The Secretary General is continuing to advocate and push, as you said, for his goal in his meetings with policymakers that he has behind closed doors very much in public and his
team on the ground is continuing to advocate for the same thing. And today during his speech Israeli investored and talked a lot about why this is fire is not necessary. Indeed, he said, he said it will let Hamas to leave and come back, and there's no good for us is fire. He kind of forgot Palestinian people. I mean, does the you and communicate with the Israeli mission about this is fire? I think, I sure think. I mean, guys, we have I mean, our every representative that speaks
in front of the Security Council knows what they're saying. They're they're putting forward their national uh position. The Secretary General and his representative and the Secretariat when they brief the Council, whether it's towards Veni Islan, whether it's SIGRed Cog, whether it's Martin Griffiths or anyone else, put forward the facts as we
are with missing. The Member States will take that information and will do whatever they want with which which means the UN did convey to the Israeli civilian lives. Yeah, sorry, it's fine. It is it is not ours, whether it's the the US, whether it's the Israelis, whether it's the mission, you know, whether it's representative of of Palestine or any other country. They all have the facts, right, they don't need uh. They have the facts and they're saying what they want to say. Okay, Dennish.
So uh. Last week updated Ukraine Recovery and Destructions and Needs Assessments report was released. So and were there any similar reports prepared when yes IS convened its military operations in Afghanistan, Syria or Iraq. When when US convened military operations in Afghanistan, Syria or Iraq. Well, there have been reconstruct I mean
these reports are done at the request of the governments. There has been plenty of data and reports done on the needs for reconstruction in Iraq, in Afghanistan and in Syria, though I have to check about Syria, but I know in terms of reconstruction needs after conflict, they've been done for other countries and for this is for Afghanistan and Iraq, as for Iranstan Iraq as well. Yep. Okay, Efraim and then Steffanoena will come back to the room.
Thank you, Steph. There are increasing concerns we're hearing from Washington, DC that the Congress has headed towards permanently stopping or halting the funding for Is this a concern for the Secretary General as well well? Of course it's a concern in the United States was a major, if not the major funder for an UH. There are we very much hope that countries that have the resources that may not have given to anhoa's generously in the past will UH will make up
the difference, as you know. Similar to my answer to Deji, I mean member states will take the decisions that they take for the reasons that they they feel they need to take them. There is money in the world, and there is enough money to fund onnoa's operations currently. I mean I was speaking to Annawa College just an hour ago. I mean they will you know, they will meet their salary and operational needs for February. March is much
more complicated at this point. So we need those countries that have the resources to give, to give in solidarity and to give to help the people that needed. We're also seeing the US pressing for other agencies to do the job of ANDRA, including the w FB and UNISSEEV. And what does the Secretary General think of those Secretary I mean, I'm the Secretary, I think was much more eloquent than I could ever be in answering that question at his press
conference. There is there is no alternative to given its size, given the number of UH local staff that it that it employs, that cannot be UH replaced on what is can you know other agencies w F P Unise cannot step in a w h O and step in and do the work that and does UH Stefano than mister Schurringhammer fun Yeah, is a follow up on Agua.
Actually, there is an article by column Lynch that came out today on the on the Debts website that says them there is a basically clash between the United States at the Secretary General about an rap because apparently un chief presses Relief Agency to rebuff American appeals to take over task from the Palestinian Refugee Agency. Basically apparently Stephano. I've read the article. I've read the article. You've read the article. What is the question the reaction? Is it true? What's
happening? You know? I think I think mister Lynch, like most journalists, UH sees different statements and gets different information and facts and then does his analysis and put something together. I mean, what is and what is clear?
And I think I just literally said it thirty four seconds ago to Ephraim there is no getting around on what right no agency can come in and take over the role that and what does the Secretary General here a few days ago said it in very stark terms as well, that the other agencies cannot do not have the capacity to come in and take over that that role. Bet yeah, but well I didn't finish. I'm sorry. Another question is on
the Navali issue. Of course there have been already several questions, but because still the the body of Navalni was not shown to his mother, and there is you know, there is a lot going on on this. Does the Secretary General has any message for the Russian government about this issue or not showing
the I mean, I think I answered that question yesterday. We thought it and I said, please, I can't be expected to remember what I said the day before, but what I what I believe I said yesterday is that it is important that the body of mister Navali be returned to his family, and that UH states that states have particular responsibility towards people it incarcerates. And the last things on the last things are related to to this question. Is
in Belarus a political prisoner here Ladnik has died the in and custody. Uh any comment on that? I have to see that report. I have not seen that, Beno than Abd Alhamid, thank you. Another report is that the Russian president Putin sent Kim jongun of North Korea a luxury car, like a full as luxury sedan and says, are you okay with that? I mean, like this, I'm okay with that? I have. I have no way. I don't want to meet me light of it. I have
no way to judge the veracity of those reports. I don't have any comment, but I mean like there are sections and I have. I literally have no comment as much as I like luxury cars. Uh, Abd al Ahmid, thank you. As you just said, w FP is suspending its operation for security reasons and is being underfunded. With those developments make it make it much harder for people to survive and guys of course, yeah, yeah, okay, Uh, thank you all. It's only Tuesday. Yes, sorry
to tell you, sorry to give you some breaking news. Thank you for listening today. You've been listening to policy and rights here depictions media Radio. Please find that subscribe button wherever it may be on your screen. This show has been produced by Depictions Media. Please contact us at depictions dot media for more information.