Three of Richmond’s MLAs took part in a Richmond News roundtable discussion in anticipation of the Oct. 19 provincial election.
All three are planning to run again.
Teresa Wat, who is the MLA for Richmond North Centre, which will be renamed Richmond Bridgeport for this fall election, is serving her third term as a BC United (formerly BC Liberal) MLA.
Kelly Greene is the MLA for Richmond-Steveston and Henry Yao is the MLA for Richmond South Centre, which will be renamed Richmond Centre.
Both Greene and Yao are serving their first term.
(Aman Singh, who is serving his first term as the MLA for Richmond-Queensborough, was unable to attend the roundtable due to a family emergency.)
The Richmond News asked the three MLAs about some pressing issues that have reached crisis proportions in the province of B.C. and in Richmond, namely, housing, health care and the drug toxicity emergency.
The MLAs also weighed in on education with schools being increasingly crowded in Richmond and in many large cities in the province.
The News also gave the MLAs an opportunity to introduce themselves and talk about their work representing their constituents.
This is Part 2 of a two-part video series.
** Since this two-part video series was posted, MLA Teresa Wat has switched from BC United to the Conservative Party of BC.
School shortage in Richmond’s city centre
The Richmond School District has expressed the need for a school in city centre – and it’s estimated it will cost more than $70 million to buy the land, according to a recent capital plan created by the school district.
Brighouse elementary is already over capacity and has several modular buildings to accommodate students.
And both Richmond Centre and Lansdowne will be redeveloped adding thousands of residents into the core.
But the challenge is there’s little land available for a school in city centre.
This was the message from BC NDP MLA Henry Yao. He said the minister of education is aware of the need for a school in Richmond’s city centre.
“It’s not the money that is the issue, it’s the land (in city centre),” Yao said, adding the government is speaking to “community partners” to find a solution.
But BC United MLA Teresa Wat said there are neither enough teachers nor enough schools, especially in communities such as Surrey.
Wat noted the NDP promised in the election campaign to get rid of portables, “but we still see so many portables.”
Wat said a BC United government would solve this issue by managing finances better “so we can allocate our money, and, most important of all, we need efficiency instead of spending money without outcome.”
BC NDP MLA Kelly Greene, however, said she came into politics as an education advocate fighting against the BC Liberal (now BC United) government that “always slashing the budget” and “looking for efficiencies by illegally increasing class sizes.”
“That’s not in the best interest of British Columbians, that’s not in the interest of kids and I really shudder to think what would happen if our government wasn’t making these investments” such as seismic upgrades to schools, Greene said.
Toxic drug crisis continues with seven deaths a day
The B.C. provincial government declared a toxic drug crisis in 2016 due to the rising number of deaths from unregulated, tainted street drugs.
Wat pointed out the number of deaths has increased since this crisis was declared, and she claimed that even more people have died since decriminalization of possessing small amounts of drugs was introduced last year.
She noted that almost seven people are dying every day in B.C. of toxic drugs, calling this “a waste of human lives.”
Wat also criticized the rollout of a safe supply of drugs – prescribed drugs to combat the illicit street supply that is tainted with dangerous chemicals such as fentanyl.
“Again, it’s been implemented for a few years and we still do not see any results,” Wat said.
However, fewer than 5,000 people access prescription opioids - "safer supply" - while it's estimated 225,000 people in B.C. are "at risk of unregulated drug injury or death," according to the BC Coroners Service.
In February, Richmond city council was debating whether to ask Vancouver Coastal Health to create a safe drug consumption site at Richmond Hospital.
It was something Wat opposed at that time, but, in the video interview, she said safe consumption sites are needed “for certain circumstances.”
But it’s more important to have a “comprehensive program” to combat the drug toxicity crisis, Wat added, with a focus first on prevention and having enough treatment beds for people who want to stop using drugs.
She said the fact people have to pay for treatment is “not acceptable.” A BC United government would provide free, public treatment beds “for all those who want to get rid of these drug habits,” Wat said, as well as subsidizing private treatment centres to provide more beds.
“Trying to help those who took drugs get back into the community, to be a constructive member of our community instead of relying on drugs to harm themselves.”
Wat also said there should be a focus on enforcement of the illegal aspects of the drug trade. But she said the current BC NDP government is “soft on crime” and has a “catch and release policy” that allows criminals back on the street on bail instead of holding them in custody.
“People are scared in downtown, not even just in Vancouver, in any part of British Columbia, including Richmond,” Wat said. “That means whatever is being implemented by this government is not working.”
Greene disagreed with Wat's comments on the levels of crime in Richmond.
“I’d really like to object to the characterization of Richmond as unsafe – it is one of the most safe communities in British Columbia and statistics prove that," she said.
Greene said the BC NDP government is making "record investments" in treatment beds; however, she added, if people are forced into treatment, rates of overdose increase. She also said there's a need to have a variety of ways to support people and that there's no "one-size-fits all" solution.
She added prevention is part of the B.C. education curriculum to teach young people about the danger of using drugs.
“Just like prohibition of alcohol didn’t work, we’re seeing that people continue to use drugs even when they are illegal – and they are still illegal,” she said.
However, she said, now if people have small amounts for personal use, they’re not going to be “victimized by the legal system when what you really need is medical treatment.”
Yao reiterated the need to help people with addiction which he said was a “health-care issue.”
Yao added the most important thing is to remove stigma and “dehumanization” and “demonization” of people who use drugs.
Yao noted the messages on social media about the drug users during the city council debate on a safe-consumption site and associating them with crime and “dark and inappropriate behaviours” was “wrong.”
To view Part 1 of the MLA roundtable, click here.
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