Nos. 18 and 19 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Ten o’clock a.m.

Prayers and Reflections by Jennifer Blatherwick.

On the motion of Kiel Giddens, Bill (No. M 233) intituled Public Sector Construction Projects Procurement Act was introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

On the motion of Jordan Kealy, Bill (No. M 234) intituled School Amendment Act, 2026, was introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

On the motion of Tara Armstrong that Bill (No. M 235) intituled Drug Recovery and Community Safety Act be introduced and read a first time, the House divided.

Motion agreed to on the following division:

Bill (No. M 235) introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

Order called for “Members’ Statements.”

Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”

Brennan Day sought leave to move Motion M 204.

Leave not granted.

Amna Shah rose on a point of order regarding Private Members’ Time and the application of Standing Orders 27 (5) and 27A (6).

The Speaker stated that he would take the matter under advisement.

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

Order called for Committee of Supply.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of the Whole.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section C of Committee of Supply.

On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 2) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2026, a debate arose.

On the motion of Gavin Dew, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

(In Committee — Section A)

Bill (No. 3) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2026, was again committed.

Jeremy Valeriote moved a proposed amendment to clause 1 of Bill (No. 3) which was defeated on the following division:

Clauses 1 through 3 and the title of Bill (No. 3) passed.

Section A of Committee of the Whole reported Bill (No. 3) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2026, complete without amendment.

Bill (No. 3) to be read a third time at the next sitting.

(In Committee — Section C)

Section C of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Education and Child Care.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

And then the House adjourned at 11.49 a.m.

Thursday, March 5, 2026

One o’clock p.m.

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

On the motion for third reading of Bill (No. 3) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2026, a debate arose.

The House divided.

Motion agreed to on the following division:

Bill (No. 3) read a third time and passed.

Order called for Committee of Supply.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of the Whole.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section C of Committee of Supply.

The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 2) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2026.

The debate continued.

On the motion of the Hon. Jodie Wickens, the debate was adjourned to later today.

(In Committee — Section A)

Bill (No. 5) intituled Trade Recognition Act was committed.

Clauses 1 through 6 of Bill (No. 5) passed.

Jeremy Valeriote moved a proposed amendment to clause 7 of Bill (No. 5) which was defeated on the following division:

The Chair announced that the votes being equal, and in accordance with established practice to maintain the bill in existing form, she cast her vote in opposition to the amendment.

Clauses 7 through 9 of Bill (No. 5) passed.

Gavin Dew moved a proposed amendment to clause 10 of Bill (No. 5) which was defeated on the following division:

The Chair announced that the votes being equal, and in accordance with established practice to maintain the bill in existing form, she cast her vote in opposition to the amendment.

Clauses 10 through 15 and the title of Bill (No. 5) passed.

Section A of Committee of the Whole reported Bill (No. 5) intituled Trade Recognition Act complete without amendment.

Bill (No. 5) read a third time and passed.

The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 2) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2026.

On the motion of the Hon. Jodie Wickens, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

(In Committee — Section C)

Section C of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Education and Child Care.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

And then the House adjourned at 5.21 p.m.

HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker

NOTICE OF BILLS

Monday, March 9

Sheldon Clare to introduce a Bill intituled Insurance (Vehicle) Amendment Act, 2026.

Anna Kindy to introduce a Bill intituled Health Professions and Occupations Repeal Act.

NOTICE OF QUESTIONS

Tuesday, March 10

1  Korky Neufeld to ask the Hon. Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills the following questions: —

1. Will the Minister reveal the findings of the internal investigation regarding the ongoing student union issues at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Langara College?

2. Will the Minister commit to discussing the ongoing student union issues at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Langara College with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Citizens’ Services?

3. What is the Minister’s plan to double the apprenticeship seats?

4. What is the per-seat funding lift?

5. Are capital dollars attached?

6. How does this square with no new college capital “replacing”?

7. Why are 20 percent of new seats allocated to BC Building Trades?

8. What accountability measures ensure quality and outcomes?

9. Does BC Building Trades have the same obligation as the public post-secondary institutes?

10. Will colleges meaningfully benefit, or is this primarily a research university investment?

11. How does this differ from existing graduate program funding?

12. How will the $30 million funding be distributed geographically and institutionally?

13. Graduate satisfaction is currently at 86.6 percent; the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills (PSFS) service plan has a target of 90 percent. Given financial strain and staffing reductions, how realistic is achieving a three-point increase?

14. How will this be accomplished?

15. Employment outcomes after skills training baseline are at 67 percent, but forecast is at 71 percent; is this ambitious enough in a labour-constrained environment?

16. Do immediate college graduate rates differ from university graduates?

17. Is it correct that 19 out of 25 public post-secondary institutions will file an annual deficit?

18. What does the Minister attribute that to?

19. Do nine of these 25 public institutions have an accumulated operating deficit?

20. Can the Minister name those institutions?

21. Does the Minister know the amount of an accumulative deficit for each institution? Please supply the list.

22. The PSFS transfer to educational institutions and organizations remains flat at $3.24 billion over three years. How is a flat operating envelope consistent with rising inflation, wage settlements, utilities and benefit costs?

23. What is the real (inflation-adjusted) decline in institutional operating funding?

24. Is the Ministry assuming institutions will absorb cost increases through reductions?

25. How does this align with the service plan goal 2 commitment to a “sustainable” system in the PSFS service plan?

26. What reduction target is expected for colleges and universities FTEs?

27. How does this align with expanding trades seats?

28. How will service levels be protected?

29. The mandate letter suggests the Minister will work with institutions to evaluate and advocate federally in relation to funding challenges caused by federal changes related to international students. What modelling has been done on system-wide revenue loss due to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) caps? Where is that reflected in the service plan financial projections?

30. The public post-secondary institutions financial summary shows a total revenue in 2025/2026 to be $9.149 billion and in 2026/2027 to $9.161 billion. This implies a very modest growth despite international volatility. What if permit reductions persist for longer than projected?

31. Does the Ministry view the IRCC reduction as temporary volatility or structural contraction?

32. If structural, why does the service plan not include system restructuring metrics?

33. Where are targets related to institutional mergers, program rationalization or administrative consolidation?

34. The government often emphasizes “student choice.” How is student choice preserved if public institutions are exclusively supported?

35. Does the Ministry believe that students in private institutions are less deserving of support than those in public institutions?

36. Is there a principled policy rationale for differentiating support between students based solely on institutional governance structure?

37. Has the Ministry evaluated the systemic risk to B.C.’s post-secondary ecosystem if private institutions were to close?

38. What would be the economic impact on communities where private institutions operate and employ local residents?

39. Does the Ministry view private post-secondary institutions as partners in fiscal efficiency, given that they operate without core operating grants?

40. B.C. faces a growing deficit. Would it not be fiscally prudent to leverage private sector training capacity rather than duplicating it through public capital expansion?

41. How does excluding private institutions from policy consideration align with the province’s stated commitment to economic productivity and workforce readiness?

42. Would the Minister consider a formal review of the role of private post-secondary institutions within B.C.’s broader fiscal and workforce strategy?

43. If the government were to support only public post-secondary institutions, what is the Ministry’s plan to replace lost private sector capacity?

44. If the government were to support only public post-secondary institutions, what is the Ministry’s plan to avoid increased taxpayer burden?

45. If the government were to support only public post-secondary institutions, what is the Ministry’s plan to prevent disruption to domestic students currently enrolled in private programs?

46. What was the government’s provincial attestation letter (PAL) distribution logic?

47. Why is there a lack of priority alignment?

48. Were there plans to take program labour market alignment into consideration when allocating or reallocating PALs?

49. By allocating with labour market considerations, will this not eliminate more bad actor schools?

50. What is the Minister doing to fix this mess?

51. How will this government meet its own goals of skilled training in order to build our economy, when institutions public and private are telling us they are in decline in staffing and programming?

52. Could the Don Avison review of post-secondary sustainability lead to further privatization?

53. Will this review lead to consolidation of services?

54. Will the Minister reaffirm the province’s commitment to the 2 percent tuition cap?

55. What measures in this budget show the province is properly funding higher education?

56. What will this Minister do to strengthen the tuition limit policy to keep education affordable and stop institutions from bypassing it with new or repackaged ancillary fees?

57. How will the new review determine gaps in government funding?

58. Will the Minister increase provincial funding by developing a funding model that reduces reliance on student fees, accounts for inflation and provides long-term financial stability for institutions?

59. Will this Minister take urgent action to reinvest in post-secondary education and protect the future of education in our province? What is this Minister’s plan to accomplish this?

60. Can the Minister describe the extent and the nature of the Ministry’s engagement with the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA)?

61. Can the Minister explain how their insights have informed their own skill development program?

62. Has the Minister done any cost-benefit analysis to per-pupil cost?

63. Given Look West, the Strategic Investment Fund, trades and highly qualified professionals and provincial nominee program (PNP) alignment, how does this service plan structurally reposition the post-secondary system to support B.C.’s industrial strategy, beyond incremental program adjustments?

64. If international enrollment drops 30 percent longer-term, what is plan B?

65. Is government prepared for institutions insolvency?

66. Are there triggers for emergency stabilization funding?

67. Would government permit tuition increases?

68. Are colleges disproportionately exposed to international student volatility?

69. Are micro-credentials sufficiently funded to scale?

70. Is the Ministry implicitly expecting cross-subsidization from trades funding?

71. How does the Minister reconcile flat base funding with the expectation of system transformation?

72. Are we looking at a structurally smaller international sector?

73. What are the early warning indicators of institutional distress?

74. Will trades funding be permanent base funding or time-limited?

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