To find out what issues trouble Victoria businesses the most, it can be instructive to listen to what their leaders are asking government.

Housing, transportation and high interest rates freezing privately-funded construction projects were all on the table as Premier David Eby he sat down with Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Williams Tuesday.

But the concern most talked about was public safety, particularly drug use and mental health issues tied to the unhoused.

The two spoke in front of a packed house of roughly 200 at the chambersB次元官网网址檚 breakfast with the premier event in downtown Victoria.

B次元官网网址淪omething that seems to be a glaring, obvious point is that so many of those people need to be in recovery and treatment,B次元官网网址� Williams said. B次元官网网址淚s there any progress coming to get those folks into treatment?B次元官网网址�

Eby answered that the province is trying to provide people a B次元官网网址渃ontinuous chainB次元官网网址� of recovery, which means treatment extends from the medical system into the community, and includes housing.

Williams asked if there is any thought to involuntarily admitting some into mental health care centres, but Eby spoke of the stress that would provide.

B次元官网网址淟ike every area of our health care system right now, mental health beds and hospitals are under strain,B次元官网网址� he said.

Williams also asked Eby to explain the recent reversal of government policy decriminalizing public drug consumption.

B次元官网网址淚 think that we all can agree that weB次元官网网址檙e seeing escalating public drug use post-decriminalization, and that the behaviour was, in my opinion, escalating,B次元官网网址� Eby said. B次元官网网址淲e had to take steps to ensure that police have the tools they need to keep our community safe.B次元官网网址�

Speaking after his meeting with Eby, Williams said these intertwined issues are ultimately the result of a housing crisis, and Eby had addressed that in a number of ways in his remarks.

B次元官网网址淭he reason that people are living on the street is that they canB次元官网网址檛 find someplace to live,B次元官网网址� Williams said.

But, he also said what has happened since decriminalization has made things worse, applauding the governmentB次元官网网址檚 reversal.

B次元官网网址淲e think it was the right thing to do,B次元官网网址� Williams said. B次元官网网址淔or all the reasons he outlined it had become a crisis. It was an experiment that didnB次元官网网址檛 work out.B次元官网网址�

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