Today in the legislature we debated Bill 4: Witness Security Act, 2019 at second reading. This bill would establish a witness security management and support program in British Columbia. Witnesses are essential to justice in our province. They come forward, often at great personal risk, to help us ensure a safe and a just society. The least we can do is to protect them in return.

Below I reproduce the video and text of my brief remarks.

Video of Remarks

Text of Remarks

A. Weaver: It gives me great pleasure to rise and stand in support of Bill 4, the Witness Security Act, 2019. This bill takes the important and necessary step of establishing a provincial witness security program.

As you know, hon. Speaker, witnesses are essential to justice in our province. They come forward, often at great personal risk, to help us ensure a safe and a just society. The least we can do is to protect them in return.

Although the federal witness program does its best to protect these individuals, delays and strict program requirements have resulted in low witness retention. This, in turn, has hampered the administration of justice in British Columbia. By establishing a provincial program now, we are following the same path that other provinces, such as Alberta and Saskatchewan — at least temporarily — as well as Manitoba have followed.

As members are aware, public trust in British Columbia’s government has been rather shaken of late. Money-laundering and its connection to the crises involving real estate and opioids have abounded in the newspapers. There have been serious allegations made in our own legislature that point to a culture of entitlement and abuse of power.

In light of these events, it’s more important than ever that we restore the public trust by improving our justice system. British Columbians must trust our judicial system, not only to hold people accountable for their actions but to protect the people who do an immense public service by coming forward as witnesses.

I’m pleased to see this legislation before us today, as it, in my view and the view of my caucus colleagues, marks another step forward in restoring public trust in British Columbia.

With that, I thank you for your attention and take my place in the debate.