No. 45 VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

One-thirty o’clock p.m.

Prayers and Reflections by the Hon. Sheila Malcolmson.

On the motion of Trevor Halford that a bill intituled Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Repeal Act be introduced and read a first time, the House divided.

Motion negatived on the following division:

Nays — 47
Lore
Blatherwick
Dhir
Routledge
Chant
Toporowski
B. Anderson
Neill
Osborne
Brar
Krieger
Davidson
Parmar
Sunner
Beare
Greene
Wickens
Kang
Begg
Arora
Higginson
Sandhu
Lajeunesse
Choi
Rotchford
Elmore
Popham
Dix
Sharma
Farnworth
Eby
Bailey
Kahlon
Chandra Herbert
Whiteside
Boyle
Ma
Yung
Malcolmson
Gibson
Glumac
Shah
G. Anderson
Chow
Morissette
Valeriote
Botterell
Yeas — 44
Loewen
Kindy
Milobar
Warbus
Halford
Rattée
Wat
Kooner
Banman
Hartwell
L. Neufeld
Van Popta
Dew
Clare
K. Neufeld
Rustad
Wilson
McInnis
Paton
Day
Bhangu
Toor
Hepner
Giddens
Dhaliwal
McCall
Maahs
Block
Stamer
Gasper
Mok
Davis
Williams
Chapman
Bird
Doerkson
Luck
Tepper
Chan
Boultbee
Sturko
Brodie
Armstrong
Kealy

Order called for “Members’ Statements.”

Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”

Steve Morissette presented the Report of the Special Committee to Review the Lobbyists Transparency Act for the Second Session of the Forty-third Parliament, April 2026.

The Report was taken as read and received.

By leave, Steve Morissette moved that the Report be adopted.

A debate arose.

Motion agreed to.

Ian Paton presented a petition regarding aerial spraying to eradicate spongy moths.

The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”

The Hon. Mike Farnworth moved —

That, pursuant to Standing Order 16 (4), any division called in Sections A, B or C during the morning sitting on Thursday, April 23, 2026, be deferred until the start of Orders of the Day for the afternoon sitting on Thursday, April 23, 2026.

Motion agreed to.

Order called for Committee of Supply.

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

15  The Hon. Mike Farnworth moved —

That, should the motion for second reading of Bill (No. M 237) intituled Insurance (Vehicle) Amendment Act, 2026, pass, notwithstanding Standing Order 84A (1), Bill (No. M 237) be committed to the Special Committee to Review Provisions of the Insurance (Vehicle) Act.

And that, notwithstanding Standing Order 84A (2), the Special Committee to Review Provisions of the Insurance (Vehicle) Act report Bill (No. M 237) back to the House by the deadline fixed for the Special Committee to present its final report to the House.

A debate arose.

The House divided.

Motion agreed to on the following division:

Yeas — 49
Lore
Blatherwick
Dhir
Routledge
Chant
Toporowski
B. Anderson
Neill
Osborne
Brar
Krieger
Davidson
Parmar
Sunner
Beare
Greene
Wickens
Kang
Begg
Arora
Higginson
Sandhu
Lajeunesse
Choi
Rotchford
Elmore
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
Nays — 42
Loewen
Kindy
Milobar
Warbus
Halford
Rattée
Wat
Kooner
Banman
Hartwell
L. Neufeld
Van Popta
Dew
Clare
K. Neufeld
Rustad
Wilson
McInnis
Paton
Day
Bhangu
Toor
Hepner
Giddens
Dhaliwal
McCall
Maahs
Block
Stamer
Gasper
Mok
Davis
Williams
Chapman
Bird
Doerkson
Luck
Tepper
Chan
Brodie
Armstrong
Kealy

On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 20) intituled K’ómoks Treaty Act, a debate arose.

The debate continued.

On the motion of John Rustad, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

(In Committee — Section A)


Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

And then the House adjourned at 6.51 p.m.

HON. RAJ CHOUHAN, Speaker

NOTICE OF BILLS

Thursday, April 23

Tara Armstrong to introduce a Bill intituled Home Rental Fairness Act.

NOTICE OF MOTIONS

Thursday, April 23

M 210  Lynne Block to move —

That the Select Standing Committee on Education be empowered to examine, inquire into, and make recommendations respecting the K-12 education system, with a focus on:

a. student literacy and numeracy achievement;

b. the effectiveness of current assessment and reporting frameworks; and,

c. progress toward provincial adult literacy goals.

That, in addition to the powers previously conferred upon Select Standing Committees, the Select Standing Committee on Education be empowered to:

a. appoint of its number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee and to delegate to the subcommittees all or any of its powers except the power to report directly to the House;

b. sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c. conduct consultations by any means the Committee considers appropriate;

d. adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and,

e. retain personnel as required to assist the Committee.

That the Committee report to the House by December 31, 2026, and that during a period of adjournment, the Committee deposit its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, or in the next following Session, as the case may be, the Chair present all reports to the House.

NOTICE OF QUESTIONS

Thursday, April 23

4  Reann Gasper to ask the Hon. Minister of Education and Child Care the following questions: —

1. Why is autism funding being cut before expanding community services?

2. Why are outdated levels being used for autism? Why is it not a direct pathway?

3. Why are some individuals admitted on diagnosis alone but others are not? Is this being criticized by the Autism Funding Unit (AFU) since diagnosis was needed?

4. Why not simply expand individualized funding to all children with disabilities?

5. Why is early intervention funding being cut or outright eliminated for children under 6?