Last Spring I began receiving letters from some of my constituents expressing their deep gratitude for an organization called InspireHealth. I had never heard of InspireHealth, but based on the personal experiences that these constituents shared I could tell that the people and programs offered there had had a deep impact on their lives. Intrigued and wanting to learn more, we got in touch with the Victoria Inspire Health office, located right here in Oak Bay, and arranged for a meeting with Dr. Mimi Weldon.

Co-Founded in 1997 by two Vancouver-area doctors, Dr. Roger Rogers and Dr. Hal Gunn, InspireHealth is a not-for-profit health organization that provides free of charge, supportive clinical services to cancer patients and survivors throughout all of British Columbia. Made up of a team of doctors, nutritionists, exercise therapists, clinical counsellors and administrative staff, they provide individuals with guidance on a variety of health-related issues including diet changes, stress reduction and emotional counseling, decision making, exercise, immune system support and personal coaching. Members receive one-on-one consultations with their health professionals to support their health, answer their questions and provide them with the information they need to make decisions about their health; they are able to choose from an extensive selection of programs and services, including their signature LIFE Program; and they can attend a variety of classes which provide ongoing support and knowledge for improving their health.

InspireHealth is supported in part by the B.C. Ministry of Health, who’s annual funding covers close to two-thirds of their operational costs, and in part by private and corporate donations and grants. Currently, there are three InspireHealth locations throughout B.C, as well as an online Virtual Centre for those living in remote and rural communities. The centre here in Victoria opened its doors in October of 2011 and serves Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands with their innovative cancer care programs and services.

InspireHealth takes a non-pharmacological approach, with a focus on lifestyle factors and self-responsibility, offering cancer patients an opportunity to have a look at the ‘big picture’ of their health. Through this supportive approach patients work with their team of medical professionals as partners in their treatment, empowering them to create their own individualized plan that improves their overall health and well-being. Patients can engage with these services before, during and after their standard cancer treatments.

While InspireHealth’s model certainly sounds impressive on paper, what was even more awe-inspiring was seeing it in action. Following our meeting with Dr. Weldon, she invited us to visit the Victoria InspireHealth Centre and witness first-hand what it is they do.

Upon arrival, I was struck by how the bright, warm office, situated along Oak Bay Avenue, felt more like being in a friend’s home than a health care centre. Before beginning our tour of the site, we were invited to join the end of an interactive workshop that was taking place with a small group of patients. Led by Dr. Weldon and Clinical Counsellor Genevieve Stonebridge, we were told that the topic of the workshop that morning was passion.

The participating members shared with us the profound impact InspireHealth has had on both their recovery and their lives as a whole. By creating an environment which encompasses all aspects of their health, from the physical to the mental to the spiritual, by encouraging and empowering them to be the decision-makers in their own journeys of recovery, and by providing the resources and space necessary for their loved ones to both support these journeys and receive support themselves, InspireHealth has truly changed the lives of these individuals forever. At the end of the group workshop, Genevieve asked us all to give one word to describe how we were feeling right in that moment. As we went around the room, the word that immediately came to mind seemed an obvious choice – Inspired.

Today I had the distinct honour to attend the grand opening of the new Oak Bay Secondary School. Honourable Mike Bernier, British Columbia’s new Education Minister (right), Nils Jensen, Mayor of Oak Bay (right) and I gave brief speeches at the ceremony. Further presentations were given by Deborah Nohr, Trustee in School District 61 and Piet Langstraat, School District 61 Superintendent.

Dave Thomson, principal of Oak Bay Secondary School (left) was the Master of Ceremonies. He also introduced four students, each representing one of Oak Bay’s Pillars of Excellence: Academics (Robert Lee), Athletics (Matti Grant), Fine Arts (Veronique Beaudet) and Community Leadership and Philanthropy (Ruby Tang). These young leaders brought their own personal message to the large crowd – a message building upon comments they received this past spring from Alumni who passed them the torch (signifying a passage from the old school to the new).

Of course, while Oak Bay has four Pillars of Excellence from a student perspective, the school has a critical and foundational pillar in Mr. Dave Thomson. Without his tireless effort to guide the school through the transition from the old to the new, we would not have been in a position to celebrate the successes we did today.

Below is the text of my address:

Text of my Speech

Minister Bernier, Mayor Jensen, Distinguished Guests, Principal Thomson, Staff and especially Oak Bay Secondary School Students:

It is a distinct honour for me to be standing here before you as the MLA for Oak Bay Gordon Head. But even more importantly, it’s an honour for me to be here before you as a member of the Oak Bay class of 1979.

When I see you, the students in the audience, I see a future full of hope and opportunity. You, the youth of today, are an inspiration to me. Your passion is infectious. Your innovation and creativity fills me with hope. Your desire to make the world a better place through your community leadership is profoundly appreciated. Thank you for all you have done and all that you will continue to do for the betterment of the world around us.

If you are in Grade 9, we’re now in the only Oak Bay Secondary School you will ever know. For the older students, you have been witness to years of construction and upheaval as the new school was being built. It must be extremely exciting to finally transition into your new school.

There is so much to be proud of at Oak Bay Secondary. Collectively you have excelled in all your Pillars of Excellence: Academics, Athletics, Fine Arts and Community Leadership and Philanthropy.

Let me give you but a few examples. In the area of Leadership, Ian Cameron, student council president during my grad year is now an ABC News executive producer and married to the US National Security Advisor, Susan Rice – they are some of President Obama’s favourite dinner guests. To Academics: At my graduation, Pierre Berton, one of Canada’s most celebrated non-fiction writers and storytellers, and himself a member of the 1937 graduating class, addressed my class of 1979. To Athletics: Donald Carson, Norman Hadley and Mark Wyatt, some of Canada’s most highly regarded rugby stars are all graduates from Oak Bay (around the time I was playing rugby at this school). And to Fine Arts: Roy Henry Vickers, a household name and distinguished First Nations artist, author and speaker whose work can be found around the world was a member of the class of 1965.

I’ve only mentioned a few former alumni. Their successes could be yours. No, their successes will be yours as you continue your journey whose foundation began with the outstanding education you will receive at this new school.

I want to offer my sincere thanks to all the dedicated teachers, administrators and staff at Oak Bay – collectively you have contributed so much to the success of the students and the wonderful culture that exists here. I also want to acknowledge with gratitude the dedicated district leadership, my predecessor Ida Chong, and this government for their ongoing commitment to build this remarkable new facility.

Congratulations on the opening of the New Oak Bay High School and thank you for the opportunity to address you today. Enjoy your new school and continue your proud tradition of excellence in whatever path you choose to follow.

Today in the Legislature we moved to second reading of the absurd Bill 34 – Red Tape Reduction Day Act. The sole purpose of the two-line Bill is to enshrine in law that in British Columbia, the first Wednesday in March would be declared Red Tape Reduction Day. As I noted yesterday, I was taken aback by the hyper partisan rhetoric embodied in this bill.

Thank you to all those who posted comments on my Facebook page yesterday on Bill 34. I quoted from them extensively in the legislature today.

In British Columbia’s history there have been only five other Bills that legislated the dedication of a particular day. These are:

1. British Columbia Day Act [1996]
2. Douglas Day Act [1996]
3. Holocaust Memorial Day Act [2000]
4. Family Day Act [2012]
5. Terry Fox Day Act [2014]

These dates correspond to either public holidays or profound events or individuals in our history. The normal process for government to recognize an event or occasion is through proclamation. In fact, there have been 148 such proclamations this year alone. Ironically, January 19-23 of this year was already proclaimed Red Tape Awareness Week. 2014 saw 165 such proclamations made by the Ministry of Justice.

Not only is introducing and discussing Bill 34 a ridiculous waste of our time and taxpayer money, but it also devalues the importance of other days that have previously legislated designations.

On a personal note, my mother came to Canada from the Ukraine as a refugee following the second world war. Her family were farmers and subjected to Stalin’s collectivization of farms and forced starvation. Bruce Ralston, NDP Member from Surrey-Whalley introduced the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day Act on November 17, 2014. The government did not even allow that bill to come forward for debate. Yet today, we spent the day discussing this ridiculous and frankly insulting piece of legislation. You can imagine what British Columbia’s Ukrainian community are thinking right now.

Below I reproduce the video and text of my speeches as well as the result of the second reading vote.

When you look at the vote you might have a number of questions. I do. First, every single NDP MLA who spoke did so passionately, articulately, and forcefully against Bill 34. As I noted yesterday, I expected the NDP to vote against this legislation at second reading. Yet collectively, each and every NDP MLA voted in support of this legislation. To me, this is an indefensible, unprincipled position that simply cannot be justified. It demonstrates yet another of example of the BC NDP saying one thing then voting against everything they believe in. I was dumbfounded when the BC NDP voted the way they did. In the end, I alone voted against this bill.

Secondly, I was flabbergasted that fully 24 MLAs were not present to vote. What were they doing and why were they not in the legislature? I think these are fair question to ask you MLA if he or she was not there.

Video of My Speech

The Vote

Text of My Speech

A. Weaver: I think it’s important that I start off my speech with a little bit of history of where the term red tape actually comes from.

It all began during the reign of King Charles V in 16^th and 17^th century Spain. Back then, his administration differentiated the most important documents from those that were more mundane by tying them with a red ribbon instead of a rope. In honour of this tradition, I entered the chamber today with my papers, my important papers on this topic, tied in red tape. More recently the term red tape is used to describe unnecessary bureaucratic regulatory roadblocks.

Let’s be clear. Let’s be very clear. This bill has nothing to do with red tape. This bill is yet another example of a narcissistic government trying to take credit for the things that were done by the previous administration. This government is out of ideas.

This government calls an emergency session in July to discuss the project development agreement for its LNG pipedream, continually chasing that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow that keeps never being found. How many hundreds of thousands of dollars — taxpayers’ dollars —were used to bring back the session to debate a bill that we should be debating now? But instead, what are we doing? We’re debating the absurd. We’re debating a bill that should have been done through proclamation, to name a date the red-tape-reduction day.

I’ve put a motion on the order paper, and you will see that in your order papers tomorrow. I take exception with the date proposed. My motion that I’ll bring — and give notice now that I will be calling a division on — is to move the date to April 1. There’s a very real reason why that date would be April 1.

This is a government that is void of ideas. This is a government that has no vision. This is a government that recognizes that its small business base is lost. I know that that small business base is lost. I’ve toured the province. I’ve spoken to businesses. I know that they look at this government, and they see a lack of leadership. They see a lack of leadership because they feel that this government is singularly focused on LNG, at all costs, at all expenses.

There are small businesses — left, right and centre — talking to me about this issue. They wonder where their government is for them. Where is their government actually reducing red tape? Where is their government actually supporting them? Where is their government putting their interests, the interests of British Columbians and small businesses first, instead of spending all of its time, all of its legislative agenda in trying to land its pipedream of an LNG.

Yesterday evening, I was flabbergasted that we are actually debating this. I mean, this is not even a serious bill. The taxpayer of British Columbia should be astonished that we are wasting their money, their time, to debate this, astonished that this government is debating a bill like this. Maybe we should “om the bridge again” and think about it deeply and sincerely as we contemplate more bills like this.

When I put this on my Facebook page, I had no idea. I put it out as a joke. It’s not a joke. I have some comments that were posted on my Facebook page. In my career here in the Legislature, I have had very few posts that have had such a viral organic reach in such a small amount of time. Let me tell you, the comments are not pleasant.

This bill is precisely the reason why voters in British Columbia are turned off by this government, are turned off by politics, are cynical about politicians, cynical about the political goals that they have. The reason why is because this bill has nothing to do about the well-being of British Columbians and everything to do with the narcissistic, self-congratulation government out of ideas, out of direction, visionless and losing its base in small business.

It’s a very sad day for British Columbia. Politics should be serious. We should be discussing serious issues. I welcomed the chance yesterday to discuss the Site C dam. Too bad that it wasn’t seven months ago, but nevertheless, we were able to discuss real issues. Again, it should have been done seven months ago when it would have actually meant something.

Let me read some of these comments. My favourite one, I thought, was…. Well, there are a lot of them. Here’s one: “I can’t believe there is such a thing as a Minister of Red Tape Reduction. Ludicrous. Sounds like something made up in a children’s story. There should be a minister of regulatory affairs, maybe, who is responsible for ensuring regulatory measures to ensure public safety are equitable and achievable and enforceable.”

Another one here: “Is there not anything else they could work on, like — oh, I know — child welfare, the homeless, education, etc.?” “Isn’t that, by nature, an oxymoron?” “I was looking for the line with the words ‘the Onion’ beside my post.” For those who don’t know, the Onion, of course, is a comical, satirical magazine in the U.S. “While they’re at it, can you ask them to make an official silly walks day?” “We’ve already got a Ministry of Red Tape.”

I’ve got to read a few more. “Ha, ha, ha. Let’s do yoga on the bridge.” I’ve already used that one. “What about hard hat day?” somebody posted. “Got to be bright blue.”

Let’s do some more. Well, this one is very dear to my heart. It says: “We could easily reduce red tape.” In capital letters: “Get rid of the Liberals.”

Here’s another one: “Well, that is what the federal Conservatives are touting, 40 percent less red tape, and Clark is a….” With respect. I’m quoting here. “The person, the Premier, is a con,” it says here.

“The stupidity of the B.C. Liberals never fails to surprise me.” Another quote. I could go on and on. “Words escape me.” “Who are these people?” “This is too absurd for words” “Face palm. No, wait. Is it April 1?”  That comment on my Facebook page — I really like to engage my constituents on Facebook — prompted me to put in this amendment to this bill, this ridiculous bill, to change the date to April 1.

“Why? Why? Why? No direction. No leadership. No brains,” is another comment. I’m not picking and choosing. I’m just reading the comments. “What’s next, anti-provincial holiday day?” “How much did it produce to then reduce?” That’s a good one. How much red tape are we introducing to then reduce it?

We could keep on going. “Did it pass?” somebody asked. “Baffling, staggering, stupefying.” “I solemnly swear never to vote for those responsible ever again.” “Give me a break. With PCTIA taking over the language sector, the B.C. government has shown they have no concept of red tape and the harm it does to businesses — businesses that support B.C. residents and the B.C. economy in general.”

These are not my friends and relatives. These are random people commenting on this. Here, “Oh, can we start with the B.C. Liberals?” another comment about reducing red tape. “Comment: no comment.” “Oh, seriously? It’s not even April 1.What a waste of time.”

Here we have another one, and this one is truly my favourite. This one makes me happier than all of the others combined. I will not say this person’s name, but he said the following. This is somebody who never voted in his life before because he thinks that all politicians are corrupt. He thinks that politics is a waste of time. He has lost hope in politics. He thinks the government is corrupt. With respect. He doesn’t believe in support of the opposition either, and he said this.

“Mr. Weaver” — Mr. MLA for Oak Bay–Gordon Head — “I have been thinking long and hard what you told me when I commented on not voting. You made some very valid points, and I have decided to vote. I wish to thank you, and I wish you good luck in the next election.” It is precisely this type of bill brought to us today that is encouraging these non-voters to regain their democracy.

I keep going: “The only thing missing was Mayor Quimby in his sash.” “On that point, I have to agree with you. A bill is not needed to reduce red tape. That requires a minister who knows how to accomplish that within his or her department.” “Seriously? Are we being pranked?” “Stranger than a Monty Python skit.” “What a waste of time and the paper it is written on.”

I keep going on: “This is the kind of waste of time we have to shed. We have a lot of serious issues that need our senior levels of government.” “The Premier leaves me speechless, but Andrew, you and others like you give me hope.”

I won’t bore the House. I’ve got another four pages of them, and not a single one of these comments…. And I come from a riding that was for 17 years the home of a Liberal cabinet minister, a riding that was the only Conservative riding in the province of British Columbia when Dr. Scott Wallace sat in this Legislature here. This is what my constituents are saying — my constituents, who this government would honestly believe form their base.

Well, let me tell you, they don’t have a base anymore, because this government has lost touch with its base, it’s lost touch with the people of British Columbia, it’s lost touch with small business, and this is a desperate attempt for them to try to regain some control of their base. Sadly, it won’t work. It isn’t going to work, and it sadly — well, happily for us — in only two years, this government will be replaced.