SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 320

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 29, 2024 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 320 - May/29/24
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:06:18 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, five nurses on one shift were so sick that they had to be sent to emergency because of exposure to fentanyl smoke. Does the minister find this acceptable?
30 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:06:30 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, all hospitals should be safe places for those who work there. We have passed legislation to protect health workers and provinces have the same responsibilities to regulate hospitals.
30 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:06:43 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, would the minister say if nurses should be exposed to fentanyl smoke in the workplace, yes or no?
20 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:06:53 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, we have passed legislation to ensure workplace safety, including for hospitals, that is regulated by the province. We have ensured there is legislation for health workers to be safe.
31 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:07:05 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, yet that did not happen under the minister in the exemption she granted to British Columbia. Should nurses be exposed to meth smoke in their workplace, yes or no?
31 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:07:15 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member well knows that health services are under the purview of provincial jurisdiction for safety and enforcement.
20 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:07:24 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is in fact a combined jurisdiction. Would the minister agree or not agree that nurses should be afraid they might be stabbed with a knife in their workplace?
31 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:07:37 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I believe all members agree that workplaces, including hospitals, should be safe.
14 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:07:45 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, a leaked B.C. Northern Health memo told nurses to stop confiscating weapons from patients and to permit the use of hard drugs in their rooms. Is the minister aware of this?
34 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:08:06 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, hospitals and law enforcement are under provincial jurisdiction to ensure safe workplaces. We, of course, support the enforcement of safe workplaces for health workers.
26 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:08:17 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, does the minister confirm or deny that she granted an exemption to the province of B.C., at the request of that government, to allow these kinds of hard drugs to be used in public places, including hospitals.
40 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:08:38 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the request by B.C. for the subsection 56(1) exemption had a clear mandate of public safety and public health. That is how we work collaboratively with the B.C. government.
34 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:08:55 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the minister did not answer my question. Did she in fact grant an exemption at the request of the B.C. government that allowed for hard drug use, unprescribed and unsupervised, in hospitals in British Columbia?
38 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:09:13 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the B.C. exemption, which was requested by the province, has been amended, as per its request, to ensure that public safety is a top priority as well as ensuring public health services.
35 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:09:27 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, when did the minister sign that exemption?
9 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:09:32 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member needs to be clear about which amendment.
12 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:09:37 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, when did the minister sign the exemption that allowed for hard drug use in public spaces, including hospitals, in British Columbia?
23 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:09:54 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the exemption was signed under my predecessor.
9 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay
  • May/29/24 8:10:02 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I introduced the safe hospitals act, which would ban the minister or any succeeding minister from allowing open, unprescribed and unsupervised hard drug use in hospitals. Does the minister agree that this is common sense?
38 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ya'ara Saks
  • May/29/24 8:10:19 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the commitment is to work collaboratively with provinces and territories, with their jurisdictions and the responsibilities under their purview, which include health services, safety and law enforcement.
29 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border