The largest opposition caucus in B.C's political history used its first Question Period to call for a public inquiry into B.C.'s safe supply program.
The first Question Period of the newly elected legislature opened with Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad's call for a probe into the prescribed pharmaceutical alternatives program, little more than hour after B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne had announced program changes.
Rustad quoted past government statements seemingly questioning the scope of the problem before citing a leaked government document that found safe supply being "trafficked provincially, nationally and internationally."
"A significant portion of the opioids being freely prescribed by doctors and pharmacists are not being consumed by their intended recipients," it reads.
Conservatives have been citing this report as evidence that government has downplayed the problem.
"Will the Premier stop gaslighting the public?" Rustad asked. "Will he admit his government has been misleading the public on this? And will he enact a public inquiry into the safe supply scandal?"
Premier David Eby appeared cool to the idea without rejecting it explicitly. Echoing Osborne, Eby said the risk of pharmacies diverting opioids existed before the program. He then pointed to the investigation unit, which Osborne's ministry had set up.
"It resulted in a very significant investigation, which they were briefing police on," Eby said. "That's how the opposition knows about this. It has resulted in criminal investigations that are ongoing with the College of Pharmacists to shut down bad actors and the unfortunate and difficult but necessary decision to move to a witnessed-only program, which we know will compromise the access of people who need this program to stay alive. But we have to do it to ensure that we are addressing the risk of diversion."
Conservative MLAs including Surrey-Cloverdale''s Elenore Sturko returned to the subject several times. Conservative Claire Rattée, MLA for Skeena, gave the debate a personal dimension, when she referenced her time as a homeless addict living on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Osborne said Eby had asked her to reduce diversion before the memo leaked, adding that she did not want any aspect of the investigation to be compromised.
"I still it is unfortunate the presentation leaked," she said.
She added that government needs to balance access to life-saving medication with the need to keep communities and their resident safe. The changes she announced earlier in the day mean safe supply drugs can now only be taken under the supervision of a health-care worker
"As we more information, we will continue to adapt and change as we go along....we want to be collaborative, work with people, have evidence before us and make these informed decisions. (So) the timing is what it is, but that's how it is coming."
Other issues arising during Question Period included the state of the economy in the face of threatened tariffs from the United States. B.C. Green MLA Jeremy Valeriote raised questions about the effectiveness of plans to speed up resource development.
"The government's main response to the tariff threat is a hasty plan to fast-track 18 mining and energy projects, including an LNG export terminal," he said. "The government estimates these projects would create 8,000 jobs. That leaves 116,000 job losses unaccounted for, a staggering number of jobs."
B.C.'s Finance Ministry Brenda Bailey defended the plan.
"While we accelerate these important projects that we have brought forward, acceleration doesn't necessarily mean only getting to yes," Bailey said. "Acceleration can also mean getting to no, because we're still keeping the vital, vital protection of environment and collaboration with Indigenous peoples as our guiding light on these decisions."
Question Period also touched on the long-running labour dispute involving the Kootenay Lake Ferry. Conservative MLA Harman Bhangu, MLA for Langley-Abbotsford, said the dispute has caused turmoil in the eastern Kootenays, disrupting lives and livelihoods since its starts in September.
B.C.'s Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside acknowledged the disruption.
"I have urged both parties to be at the bargaining table, to work hard, diligently and with urgency to end this dispute," she said. "We know that negotiations are right now taking place between the operator and their employees. Government is not at the table in these talks. We know that the most sustainable and best outcomes in a negotiating process occur at the bargaining table."
