The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.
Ten o’clock a.m.
Prayers and Reflections by Lawrence Mok.
On the motion of Tara Armstrong that a bill intituled Defunding Aboriginal Title Claims Affecting Private Property Act be introduced and read a first time, the House divided.
Motion negatived on the following division:
| Nays — 49 | |||
| Lore Blatherwick Dhir Routledge Elmore Toporowski B. Anderson Neill Osborne Brar Krieger Davidson Parmar |
Sunner Beare Greene Wickens Kang Begg Arora Higginson Sandhu Lajeunesse Choi Rotchford |
Chant Phillip Popham Dix Sharma Farnworth Eby Bailey Kahlon Chandra Herbert Whiteside Boyle |
Ma Yung Malcolmson Gibson Glumac Shah G. Anderson Chow Morissette Valeriote Botterell Sturko |
| Yeas — 38 | |||
| Loewen Kindy Halford Wat Kooner Banman Hartwell L. Neufeld Van Popta Dew |
Clare K. Neufeld McInnis Bhangu Paton Day Chan Toor Hepner Giddens |
Dhaliwal McCall Wilson Maahs Block Stamer Gasper Tepper Mok |
Williams Chapman Bird Doerkson Luck Davis Armstrong Kealy Brodie |
Order called for “Members’ Statements.”
The Speaker delivered his reserved decision as follows:
Honourable Members:
On Thursday, March 5, the Member for Surrey City Centre raised a point of order regarding the application and interpretation of Standing Order amendments respecting the consideration of Private Members’ business that were adopted by the House on Thursday, February 19. While no other Member offered submissions on the point of order, the Chair wishes to advise the House that the Chair engaged with all House Leaders to understand their discussions and intent prior to the introduction of these Standing Orders amendments for consideration by the House.
The Member for Surrey City Centre sought clarification from the Chair on the interpretation of Standing Order 27 (5), and the actions prescribed “when the Member reaches the third place on the list of assigned placements of Members to present Private Members’ business.” While there has been leniency to date in the application of the Standing Order and the related application of Standing Order 27A (6), the Chair and the House Leaders are agreed: a Member must have an eligible item of business on the Order Paper before they reach third place on the list of precedence for Private Members’ business. The application of this requirement will be strictly upheld going forward.
As Private Members’ Time can be unpredictable, the Chair encourages all Private Members to ensure that their designated item of business is on the Order Paper well in advance of the Member arriving at the third place on the list of precedence for Private Members’ business.
The Member for Surrey City Centre also sought guidance from the Chair on when a Private Member’s bill is considered to be on the Order Paper. A bill is duly before the House once it has been introduced and the motion for first reading has passed, and once the House has adopted the motion to add the bill to the Order Paper for consideration at a subsequent sitting. At that point, the bill is added to the Order Paper, under Schedule D. While, pursuant to Standing Order 79, debate on the bill cannot proceed until the bill has been printed, the bill is officially before the House. Providing notice of a bill, where the notice appears on the Order Paper under Routine Business, does not constitute a bill being on the Order Paper.
The Chair thanks the Member for Surrey City Centre for the spirit in which she sought the Chair’s guidance and hopes that it is to the benefit of all Members.
HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker
Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”
The Hon. Niki Sharma (Attorney General and Deputy Premier) tabled the Property Assessment Appeal Board Annual Report, 2025.
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
12 The Hon. Mike Farnworth moved —
That, notwithstanding Standing Order 2 (1), Standing Order 2 (2) (b), and Standing Order 3,
a. when the afternoon sitting on Thursday, March 12, 2026, is adjourned, the House stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Monday, March 30, 2026; and,
b. when the afternoon sitting on Thursday, May 7, 2026, is adjourned, the House stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
Motion agreed to.
Order called for Committee of Supply.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A and Section C of Committee of Supply.
The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 9) intituled Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2026.
On the motion of Korky Neufeld, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.
(In Committee — Section A)
33. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $1,683,425,000 be granted to His Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Ministry Operations, to 31st March, 2027.
Section A of Committee of Supply reported the Resolution and completion of the estimates of the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
The Speaker advised that Section C of Committee of Supply did not convene due to a lack of quorum and will therefore not report.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
And then the House adjourned at 11.53 a.m.
One o’clock p.m.
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
Order called for Committee of Supply.
Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A and Section C of Committee of Supply.
13 The Hon. Mike Farnworth (Minister of Transportation and Transit) moved —
That this House affirms its unequivocal support for the B.C. Human Rights Code and the Tribunal’s powers to enforce it, protecting people from hate speech and discrimination based on Indigenous identity, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and age.
A debate arose.
Á’a:líya Warbus moved the following amendment —
That Motion 13 be amended by deleting all the words after “Human Rights Code” and substituting therefor the following “and protecting all people from hate and discrimination.”
A debate arose on the amendment.
The House divided.
The amendment to Motion 13 negatived on the following division:
| Nays — 50 | |||
| Lore Blatherwick Dhir Routledge Elmore Toporowski B. Anderson Neill Osborne Brar Krieger Davidson Parmar |
Sunner Beare Greene Wickens Kang Begg Arora Higginson Sandhu Lajeunesse Choi Rotchford Chant |
Phillip Popham Dix Sharma Farnworth Eby Bailey Kahlon Chandra Herbert Whiteside Boyle Ma |
Yung Malcolmson Gibson Glumac Shah G. Anderson Chow Morissette Valeriote Botterell Sturko Boultbee |
| Yeas — 36 | |||
| Loewen Kindy Warbus Halford Wat Kooner Banman Hartwell L. Neufeld |
Van Popta Dew Clare Rustad McInnis Paton Day Chan Toor |
Hepner Giddens Dhaliwal McCall Wilson Block Stamer Gasper Tepper |
Mok Williams Chapman Bird Doerkson Luck Davis Kealy Brodie |
The debate resumed on the main motion.
The House divided.
Motion agreed to on the following division:
| Yeas — 83 | |||
| Lore Blatherwick Dhir Routledge Elmore Toporowski B. Anderson Neill Osborne Brar Krieger Davidson Parmar Sunner Beare Greene Wickens Kang Begg Arora Higginson |
Sandhu Lajeunesse Choi Rotchford Chant Phillip Popham Dix Sharma Farnworth Eby Bailey Kahlon Chandra Herbert Whiteside Boyle Ma Yung Malcolmson Gibson Glumac |
Shah G. Anderson Chow Morissette Loewen Kindy Warbus Halford Wat Kooner Banman Hartwell L. Neufeld Van Popta Dew Clare Rustad McInnis Paton Day Chan |
Toor Hepner Giddens Dhaliwal McCall Wilson Block Stamer Gasper Tepper Mok Williams Bird Doerkson Luck Davis Valeriote Botterell Sturko Boultbee |
| Nays — 3 | |||
| Armstrong |
Kealy |
Brodie |
|
(In Committee — Section A)
18. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $2,711,928,000 be granted to His Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Children and Family Development, Ministry Operations, to 31st March, 2027.
Section A of Committee of Supply reported the Resolution and completion of the estimates of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 9) intituled Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2026.
On the motion of Bryan Tepper, 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 Forests.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
The Speaker declared a short recess.
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor having entered the House, and being seated in the Chair —
Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, read the titles to the following Acts:
Bill (No. 3) Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2026.
Bill (No. 5) Trade Recognition Act.
Bill (No. 7) Post-Secondary International Education (Designated Institutions) Act.
Her Honour was pleased in His Majesty’s name to give assent to the said Acts.
The said assent was announced by Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, in the following words:
“In His Majesty’s name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth assent to these Acts.”
Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, read the title to the following Act:
Bill (No. 4) Supply Act (No. 1), 2026.
Her Honour was pleased in His Majesty’s name to give assent to the said Act.
The said assent was announced by Kate Ryan-Lloyd, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, in the following words:
“In His Majesty’s name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth thank His Majesty’s loyal subjects, accepts their benevolence, and assents to this Act.”
Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor was then pleased to retire.
And then the House adjourned at 5.22 p.m.
HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker
Monday, March 30
Gavin Dew to introduce a Bill intituled Brain Injury Support Act.
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