2005 Legislative Session: First Session, 38th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes

only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2005

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 1, Number 5

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Statements (Standing Order

B) Assistance for commercial fishers

G. Coons

Ismaili Walk

Nuraney

Medical clinic in Surrey

Hammell

Government services for children

Roddick

Remediation of Gorge waterway

Karagianis

Fundraising for victims of

Hurricane Katrina

D. Hayer

Oral Questions

Fees for school materials and

programs

Horgan

Hon. S. Bond

Farnworth

Emergency preparedness and

maintenance of Fraser River dikes

Gentner

Hon. J.

Les

Funding for emergency

preparedness

J. Brar

Hon. J.

Les

Assistance for victims of Quesnel

landslide

Simpson

Hon. I.

Chong

Future of Port Alice pulp mill

Trevena

Hon. C.

Hansen

Impact of government policies on

Kamloops economy

H. Lali

Hon. C.

Richmond

Conservation officer for Golden

Macdonald

Hon. B.

Penner

Remuneration for rural paramedics

C. Wyse

Hon. G.

Abbott

Budget Debate

Hon. C. Taylor

J. Kwan

Introduction and First

Reading of Bills

Revenue Statutes Amendment Act,

2005 (Bill 2)

Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2005 (Bill 3)

Hon. C.

Taylor

Tabling Documents

September update budget and

fiscal plan

Budget consultation paper

Government's service plans and

strategic plan, 2005-2006, 2007-2008

[ Page 63 ]

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2005

The House met at 2:04 p.m.

Prayers.

[1405]

Statements

(Standing Order 25

b) ASSISTANCE FOR COMMERCIAL FISHERS

G. Coons: I rise to make a statement about the commercial

fishing industry. Our Pacific coast of Canada is truly unique. Here over 29,000

kilometres of coastline are bordered by an area with a vital link to one of the

most precious resources, our wild salmon.

In my hometown of Prince Rupert the great abundance of fish, at

one time greater than probably anywhere else in the world, enabled Prince Rupert

to be the finest port on the Pacific coast, if not in the world. But now, as we

all realize, commercial fishers who rely on the lucrative sockeye salmon runs

from the Skeena River and the Fraser River are reeling. They're reeling from

unprecedented management actions in their fishery.

These moves have created a growing sense of despair not only about

the future of the industry but about the crisis that looms. These men and women

struggle to support their families with the threat of bankruptcies and

apprehended boats looming just around the corner. The long tradition of

providing for your families with the abundant supply of fresh salmon has been

all but lost to distant memories for this season.

It's time to throw our total support behind the plea for immediate

federal compensation by these hard-working and courageous workers. Employment

insurance qualification standards mean that many of our constituents throughout

coastal communities and provincewide will not be able to collect EI this year,

because they have not made at least $5,000. This seems ludicrous to me, as this

system penalizes individuals who are already suffering due to poor runs or for

whatever reason.

I have many friends and colleagues involved in the fishing

industry. They desperately need help in this time of need. Federal assistance

had been available for farmers on the prairies in time of need. Why not the same

for British Columbians? Federal Fisheries Minister Geoff Regan has indicated

that although the government has not compensated commercial fishers for missed

fishing opportunities in the past, he would discuss it with his colleagues.

I hope that this assembly soon takes a stance to support the call

by the United Fishermen and Allied Workers Union for mortgage and insurance

costs to be paid by EI as well as full EI benefits for all fishers and deckhands

who tried to fish this year, regardless of whether they attain the

qualifications levels for compensation. Why do we need to do this? Because it's

right.

ISMAILI WALK

J. Nuraney: Canadians and British Columbians are known for

their kindness and generosity towards charities and humanitarian causes. In

times of need we have always responded to the call to help others. Each year

community groups and philanthropic organizations across the province raise tens

of thousands of dollars for worthy causes.

One such group, the Ismaili Muslim community, has prided itself in

supporting such efforts. Each year they organize two very popular walks: the

World Partnership Walk on behalf of the Aga Khan Development Network, the

world's largest private non-denominational development agency; and the Ismaili

Walk, an initiative to raise funds in partnership with local organizations for

worthy causes in the lower mainland.

[1410]

The Ismaili Walk takes place in Vancouver each September and

benefits a local non-profit organization. The walk was founded in 1991 and is

partnered with local hospitals, the Vancouver Public Library, Simon Fraser

University, the food bank, Habitat for Humanity and the Crisis Centre of Greater

Vancouver to raise funds to further the mandate of the partner non-profit

organization. To date the walk has raised over $1.8 million for local community

organizations. For the third year in a row the Ismaili Walk for Kids took place

last Sunday in Stanley Park and raised $200,000 for this laudable cause. Our

government, through its partnership initiatives, will match this fund to give it

an extra impetus.

As a member of the Ismaili Muslim community, I feel very proud of

our community's achievements, and I congratulate the organizers and the

participants in this great event.

MEDICAL CLINIC IN SURREY

S. Hammell: I rise to make a statement in this House

regarding a remarkable non-profit society that serves a unique community in the

city of Surrey. The Surrey HIV/AIDS Centre Society in the Whalley area operates

a medical clinic; a needle exchange; and services to people with HIV/AIDS,

including a food bank and counselling.

The medical centre attends to the needs of people who have homes

and jobs but primarily serves the poorest in our city, who are more than often

homeless or in ill health. Those of us in this chamber are, I'm sure, aware of

the close correlation between a person's health and the wealth of the

individual. This medical clinic serves people with HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C,

hepatitis B and a host of other ailments that often accompany the mentally ill,

substance abusers, the homeless and people in poverty. The medical clinic treats

150 AIDS patients monthly, 50 people on anti-retroviral

[ Page 64 ]

drugs, 50 methadone patients and about two dozen people who drop in for

emergency medical care.

The needle exchange, which is part of this clinic, passes out

about 15,000 needles per month as addicts exchange dirty needles for clean ones.

This medical clinic diverts an estimated 5,000 visits a year from the overworked

emergency ward at Surrey Memorial Hospital and manages this discrete population

and the needs of many patients that can be difficult to serve in any other

setting.

This medical clinic serves all of us well. Unfortunately, the

needle exchange and the medical clinic are being forced to close in an effort to

clean up the Whalley area and get rid of undesirable persons. If we closed our

eyes and wished hard, we'd all be back in Kansas. I urge the House to join me in

trying to ensure that this centre stays open and serves the people of Surrey.

Mr. Speaker: I just want to remind members that they're

two-minute statements.

GOVERNMENT SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

V. Roddick: It's an exciting time in homes across the

province. For many youngsters it has been the first time ever heading off to

school. But it's more than a matter of physically getting to school. There are

extra costs for supplies, and those costs are some that families have difficulty

meeting. That's why every family on income assistance received in their August

cheque a school startup supplement of $42 for each child aged five to 11 and $58

for each child aged 12 to 18 — a helping hand for those attending school for the

first time.

[1415]

We invested more than $1.3 million in the school startup

supplement last year. I chose the word "invested" carefully, because — make no

mistake — this is an investment. It's an investment in a better future for our

children. Like the record-level funding we've put into the entire education

system, it's an investment in a better future for our province.

This government knows that taking care of our children's health

and well-being is key in helping them learn and grow to their fullest potential.

Our Healthy Kids program increased health supports for children in need. We've

raised prescription eyeglass coverage so kids who need new glasses get them each

year. We've increased payment amounts for dental services so that low-income

families have better access. We've been able to make these important investments

today because we did what we said we would do. We have rebuilt B.C.'s economy,

and our most vulnerable, no matter what their age, are sharing the benefits.

REMEDIATION OF GORGE WATERWAY

M. Karagianis: I would like to make a statement today about

an event in my community. The magnificent Gorge waterway is one of Victoria's

greatest assets. In the mid-1990s an inspired Esquimalt resident by the name of

Mr. John Roe was walking along the waterway with his 11-year-old son Wesley when

he realized that the Gorge had become a repository for discarded shopping carts,

sunken boats, garbage, compost and all of the litter and debris that our society

creates every day.

For years the garbage had been allowed to accumulate, effectively

killing off the natural life of the waterway and endangering the birds, the

fish, and all of the wildlife that lived along it. John immediately took action,

formed the Veins of Life Watershed and began to haul garbage out of the

waterway. His vision was to make the Gorge swimmable for human beings and

inhabitable for wildlife by the year 2000, for the millennium.

John Roe and the Veins of Life were successful in that mission.

But John and the Veins had a further vision: to clean up the storm drain-off

that was running into the waterway and halt the flow of chemical and oil

drainage from the surrounding communities into the beautiful waterway.

This year the Gorge park, a 28.8-acre park in Esquimalt, will

celebrate its 100th birthday. To commemorate this auspicious occasion, Esquimalt

has embarked on an innovative environmental project that will be the showplace

for the region and an excellent educational tool for students. An old creekbed,

culverted and turned into a storm drain many years ago, is now being daylighted.

This storm drain has for decades allowed runoff from a large part of Esquimalt

to flow into the Gorge with its mix of chemicals, detergents, oil and other

pollutants.

The daylighting project will remove the storm drains and re-create

a streambed providing a meandering phytoremediation field that will clean the

runoff naturally and allow a natural wetland to develop, once again attracting a

thriving population of birds, wildlife and native plants into the park. The

project will be completed in November of this year and will be a unique

destination for visitors. I hope every member here has a chance to come visit

the site when it's completed. I'm sure everyone here will join me in

congratulating Esquimalt on this landmark celebration and on its foresight in

embarking on this project.

FUNDRAISING FOR VICTIMS OF

HURRICANE KATRINA

D. Hayer: We have all heard about the devastation and human

suffering brought by Hurricane Katrina, but many of us have not thought much

about the incredible relief efforts and fundraising that is going on throughout

the world and even in our own communities. I want to pay special tribute to

those donating their time and money to this massive effort to aid those stricken

by this disaster.

[1420]

The Red Cross and the Salvation Army have played a great part, but

one of the principal fundraisers in greater Vancouver is the Tzu Chi Foundation.

Recently I met with the CEO Gary Ho and the volunteers. I had

[ Page 65 ]

the privilege of touring the Tzu Chi Canada Discovery of Humanity in Tsunami

Relief exhibition at the Plaza of Nations. I was so impressed with their

efforts. They have already raised more than $1 million U.S. for the Katrina

disaster. It is surely needed for these victims, many of whom lived in poverty

before the disaster and now face even more hardship.

I was impressed to read in the newspaper this weekend that young

Surrey girls Brenna Thiessen and her friends Shannon Charters and Katrina

Wishinski raised an incredible amount of more than $1,700 for those victims with

a simple but overwhelmingly successful lemonade stand. If those children, who

I'm so proud of, can do that, then all of us in this House can pitch in, as

well, to help the shattered lives of so many in Louisiana, Alabama and

Mississippi. This terrible hurricane will continue to take its toll in human

suffering for many months, and we need to help those who need it most. I know

that if we faced a similar disaster, our neighbours to the south would not

hesitate to help us.

Oral Questions

FEES FOR SCHOOL MATERIALS

AND PROGRAMS

J. Horgan: I want to thank everyone for joining me today

for my inaugural question. I appreciate you all coming out for that.

The B.C. School Act states clearly that educational resource

materials necessary to participate in an educational program be free of charge.

But as a result of government underfunding, school boards in some areas of the

province have been charging fees for these services. Can the Minister of

Education please tell this House which school boards are charging fees for

educational materials?

Hon. S. Bond: In fact, the member opposite is correct. The

school board does state very clearly that educational materials that are

required in the course of graduation are to be provided free of charge to

students. There are provisions for school boards to make arrangements to charge

fees for some aspects of a child's education. But let's be perfectly clear. This

government has committed $150 million in this year alone, the single largest

increase in over a decade, which brings education funding to its highest level

ever in the province — and that at a time when enrolment is declining. In fact,

we've lost 30,000 students.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

J. Horgan: That makes six months now that that announcement

has been made. You made it in January. You made it in February. You made it in

March. You made it in April, August and now in September. I'm confident the

member from Langara will be making a similar announcement in a few moments. But

the Supreme Court has ruled that levying fees for student participation and

programs is illegal. It continues in this province to this day. In some cases as

much as $920 can be levied against a student to complete a program for

graduation. Will the minister stand up on behalf of school boards and say she

will adequately fund education in this province so that these fees can be

reduced or eliminated?

Hon. S. Bond: In fact, I understand the original ruling

actually took place under the previous NDP government.

One of the things that we are doing…. I am, as is the member

opposite, concerned that when students attend our schools they receive the kind

of excellent opportunity they deserve in this province. In fact, we believe that

so much that we've made it one of the great goals of this province, to ensure

that we have the most literate, best-educated province on the continent. And we

have demonstrated that — $150 million. This budget is at the largest it's been

in the history of this province at a time when enrolment continues to decline.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a further supplemental.

[1425]

J. Horgan: Yes, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the

minister for highlighting that golden goal. I share her enthusiasm for education

in this province, but I want to ask her why it is that in districts like school

district 63 a student can be paying an additional charge to take a food safety

course or computer skills or other vocational training and get a better

education than those kids that are unable to pay that fee. To the minister: is

the creation of a two-tiered education system the end result of your programs

over the past four years?

Hon. S. Bond: We care that the students of this province

get an excellent education. Under the ruling that is clear in the School Act,

there is provision for school districts — and, actually, school boards who are

in the best position to make those decisions — to charge for some goods and

services.

We intend to continue to fund education at record levels in this

province. We will continue to give school boards the authority and the autonomy

they require to deliver the best possible education outcomes, and in fact, we

expect to hold school boards accountable for maintaining their authority under

the School Act.

M. Farnworth: Despite the minister's comments, many parents

are facing increasing costs in ensuring that their children can take advantage

of the educational opportunities and, hopefully, achieve the golden goal that

the member talks about. For example, students in Mission have to pay $20 for a

locker, a $100 deposit to play soccer, $10 for drama, $25 to take art, $10 for

the school band, $55 just to participate in gym class. You talk about wanting to

make children fitter and the best educated.

To the minister: do you really believe that the examples just

listed are optional, that they're not part of a

[ Page 66 ]

well-rounded educational experience that all British Columbians should be

able to achieve, regardless of income?

Hon. S. Bond: As I understand, as the member opposite would

well know, the initial ruling was made after a 1997 discussion about this. In

fact, we are asking school boards to comply with what is expected of them under

the School Act. I have asked my deputy to ensure that superintendents are aware

and that boards comply. The ruling does provide for some provision for school

districts to actually utilize fees where that's appropriate.

Let me make it perfectly clear. We are committed to having a

top-notch public education system for every student in this province, and in

fact, we will insist…

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. S. Bond: …that school boards uphold the School Act, as

it is clear they must.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

M. Farnworth: To the minister: regardless of the ruling,

you've set out that one of the great golden goals is the best education system

in this country. That means every student being able to take advantage of the

opportunity — whether it's in sports, whether it's in arts, whether it's in

education. Because of your government's lack of funding in those areas, parents

are being forced to pay fees. If you funded the school boards properly, they

wouldn't have to pay those fees.

Will the minister commit to funding the education system properly

so that the pockets of parents are not picked to pay fees so their students or

their kids can take advantage of the opportunities they should be taking

advantage of?

Hon. S. Bond: In fact, let's make the point once again for

the member opposite. This year alone in the province of British Columbia we are

adding $150 million to the public education budget. That, in fact, is the

largest increase in over a decade in British Columbia, bringing funding to a

record high.

[1430]

What are school boards doing with that? We're seeing countless

school districts add programs for children in arts. We're seeing record dollars

being spent in terms of special education. We are meeting the needs of students

across this province because we've chosen to invest in public education at a

level that is unprecedented British Columbia.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND

MAINTENANCE OF FRASER RIVER DIKES

G. Gentner: Can the minister responsible for emergency

preparedness provide us with a detailed accounting of the steps he has taken in

the last two weeks to ensure that the province is prepared for a natural

disaster?

Hon. J. Les: I would point out to the member opposite that

appropriate emergency planning is going to be more than a two-week process. In

fact, I am very proud of the emergency planning personnel and the emergency

plans that we have here in British Columbia. That was demonstrated recently when

our urban search and rescue team was the first internationally to be called to

Louisiana to assist with Hurricane Katrina. We also saw two years ago, with the

forest fire situation in the Kelowna area, how competently that was handled by

our emergency program as well. I'm confident that we have the plans in place and

the personnel in place to look after British Columbians in the event of an

emergency.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

G. Gentner: I appreciate the minister's earth-shattering

confidence, but before the earth underneath his feet is removed, I remind him

that similar assurances were provided to our neighbours south of the border.

Dikes along the Fraser River provide protection against flooding.

Can the minister provide a status report on the repair of those dikes? What

specific assurances can he give that they will survive a significant earthquake?

Hon. J. Les: The member brings up an issue that we have

been acutely aware of for a considerable amount of time. We have been working

with the federal government to take those steps that ensure that the dikes

remain intact and that the rivers are managed in a way that allows them to carry

the water capacity required.

I should also point out to the member that as various emergency

events happen in different places around the world, we are always eager to learn

from those experiences so that we can continue to build an effective emergency

management system here in British Columbia.

FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

J. Brar: The member for Surrey-Tynehead made a very moving

statement this afternoon about what happened south of the border. The questions

are being asked to the Minister of Public Safety. The response I hear is: two

weeks are not enough. This government has been there for the last four years.

The minister is also saying that he has enough funding there. I note that in the

last budget, tabled in February of this year, the government cut the emergency

preparedness budget. Can the minister explain what that budget was for? And can

he explain: why was it cut?

Hon. J. Les: As I've just indicated to the members

opposite, we have an emergency management system and plan in place in British

Columbia that is the envy

[ Page 67 ]

of many other places. We've been recognized by numerous people, especially in

the recent several years, for supplying excellent emergency management services.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

J. Brar: What I hear from the other side is: there is no

problem. That's what I hear in the response from the minister — that we are

ready for anything. That's exactly what happened in the U.S.A. That was exactly

the administration's response in the U.S.A.

[1435]

In the last year of the former government's budget for emergency

preparedness, the total budget was $20 million. This government cut that budget

by almost $5 million a year. Again to the minister: what justification can he

provide for cutting that budget, and can he tell us if he has learned anything

from the tragedy that happened on the other side of the border?

Hon. J. Les: Again, as I indicated earlier, emergency

preparedness is a continuous learning exercise. We learn from all of the events

where emergency personnel are required. We continue to do that, and I am sure

the plans and the personnel that we have in place are adequate to look after the

emergency situations that might arise in British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: Member for North Island. Cariboo North —

sorry.

ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF

QUESNEL LANDSLIDE

B. Simpson: My wife has been trying to get me to move back

to the Island for some time, so….

In August of this year the provincial government committed $6

million to the city of North Vancouver to permit them to purchase nine homes

that were devastated by the slide, which unfortunately killed one person. The

city of Quesnel, in which I reside, has a large slide area on the west side of

town involving 750 homes. Those homes cannot get building permits to repair

them, because an engineer won't sign off and the city of Quesnel will not allow

those building permits to be issued. The residents are caught in a catch-22.

The city of Quesnel has asked the province for assistance. Will

the Minister of Community Services please inform the House what she intends to

do to assist the hundreds of residents in Quesnel who have asked for her help?

Hon. I. Chong: I thank the member for his question because

I, too, am very concerned about the challenges that are being faced by the west

Quesnel homeowners. I can advise this member that they have applied for a grant

under the B.C. community water infrastructure program grant. That is currently

being reviewed. We are reviewing that in conjunction with our provincial

emergency response program team, and I am not able to advise how soon that

answer will be available. But we in fact have received it, and we will continue

to work through that review.

Mr. Speaker: I'll move you back. The member for Cariboo

North has a supplemental.

B. Simpson: I do wish to thank the minister for recognizing

the special circumstances in Quesnel and for recognizing the late application

there. However, I guess it begs the question of whether or not there's a double

standard in this province.

Again, the math is quite straightforward. In North Vancouver there

were nine homes, $6 million and, as far as I understand, no application process.

The money was paid in full for that situation. In Quesnel we have 750 homes

involved in this slide. The city of Quesnel is asking for funding for three

years for $12 million for 750 households — three years and $12 million. Would

the Minister of Community Services please explain this disparity and, if she

would, rectify it?

Hon. I. Chong: Again I thank the member for bringing this

issue up because, in fact, it is very challenging for these homeowners in west

Quesnel. I can say that the west Quesnel homeowners were encouraged through

their municipality to put forward this application, and because this is the

process they've chosen — to request funding in this manner — this is the

application that we are currently reviewing. If the member has any additional

information that he would like to supply, I would be very happy and pleased to

receive it so that we can work through this in a very quick way.

FUTURE OF PORT ALICE PULP MILL

C. Trevena: North Island is a very nice place to live.

I would like to ask the Minister of Economic Development why he

has left it until five minutes to midnight to try to facilitate the purchase of

the specialty cellulose mill in Port Alice.

[1440]

Hon. C. Hansen: This is a file that the ministry has been

actively working on now for many months — in fact, many years — in terms of the

challenges pertaining to the future of the Port Alice pulp mill. Over the last

number of weeks there has been considerable effort put into trying to find ways

that the province could assist the proponent. That has been a bit of a shifting

sand for us.

We want to make it clear that the province is prepared to assist

with the cost of necessary remediation of pre-existing contamination, but the

bottom line is that we don't think it's responsible for the province to say to

any business operator in the province that they would not have to accept the

full responsibility for any environmental problems that they may trigger in the

future.

[ Page 68 ]

At the end of the day it is not a decision for government to make.

It is a decision for the company that's looking at the possibility of restarting

the mill to make. We are trying to be supportive in every way we can, but at the

end of the day it is a decision that has to be made by a private sector

operator.

Mr. Speaker: The member for North Island has a

supplemental.

C. Trevena: I beg to differ. I think that it is incumbent

on the government to take a role in this. The village has been left for a year.

There is a potential buyer in the village today, but he's now giving a drop-dead

date of Friday. That is two days after a year in which this village has been

left hanging, waiting for something to move, waiting for some intervention by

the government — not a subsidy but an intervention — to help facilitate this

deal.

First the government refused to commit on fibre supply. Now we are

stuck on an environmental issue. I would like to ask the Minister of Economic

Development how people can believe that this government is good for business or

good for industry if it so flagrantly ignores a major contributor to the Island

and to B.C.'s economy.

Hon. C. Hansen: As the member knows, because of the

conversations that she and I have had on this file, I think what we are

primarily concerned about is not the business interest. We are primarily

concerned about the environmental interest of this particular part of northern

Vancouver Island. I do not believe it would be responsible for government to

allow for any operator of any company to not take full responsibility for any

environmental problems that they might trigger in the future.

IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES

ON KAMLOOPS ECONOMY

H. Lali: This Liberal Premier and this Liberal government

promised British Columbians a golden decade of milk and honey. Prosperity for

all, they promised — the Liberals did.

Hon. Speaker, let me tell you how the people of Kamloops are

celebrating their prosperity under the so-called golden decade. Kamloops food

bank saw a record number of people using its services last week; 272 hampers of

food were given out in one day. In one year almost 9,000 children received their

food from the Kamloops food bank. This is an absolutely shameful indictment of

the golden decade.

My question is to the Minister of Employment and Income

Assistance. How can this Liberal government justify its social and economic

policies when there is a 16-percent increase in food bank usage across British

Columbia and a 42-percent increase among the usage by children?

[1445]

Hon. C. Richmond: First of all, let me remind the member

that the unemployment rate in Kamloops is the lowest it has been in decades.

People in the construction trades in Kamloops, in home building and in

industrial building, are finding it difficult to find workers. We are assisting

them in any way we can to put people who feel they've been left behind to work

in Kamloops, and our employment programs are working.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order. The member has a

supplemental.

H. Lali: Clearly, the minister is not answering the

question. It's obvious that the Premier's golden decade has quickly turned into

a picnic for his wealthy friends on Howe Street. Clearly, the Premier's social

and economic policies are benefiting the top 2 percent of income earners in this

province — who, by the way, heavily financed the Premier's re-election campaign.

Meanwhile the number of homeless increases, and food bank lineups also increase.

My question again is to the minister: how can this Liberal

minister sleep at night in good conscience while his social and economic

policies devastate the lives of the less fortunate in society? How can this

Liberal minister abandon hungry children in Kamloops — which is his home, by the

way — and leave it to the goodwill and generosity of the Kamloops residents to

feed the hungry, when it's the responsibility of this government to make sure

they look after all rungs of society?

Hon. C. Richmond: For that member to say we are ignoring

the plight of children and the less fortunate is just absolutely untrue. We have

assisted literally hundreds of people in our town back into the workforce. They

have productive jobs, and we are adding more to those rolls every day.

One of the most difficult problems we had as government was to

change the direction of…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Listen to the answer, please.

Hon. C. Richmond: …employment assistance. The ministry

doesn't consider itself successful when it adds people to the welfare rolls and

they get to a figure of 400,000, as they did under the past administration.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

CONSERVATION OFFICER

FOR GOLDEN

N. Macdonald: To the Minister of Environment: when will

Golden receive the conservation officer it was promised before the election?

Hon. B. Penner: As I explained to the member in a meeting

earlier this week, we are committed to increas-

[ Page 69 ]

ing the number of conservation officers and in fact this summer had hoped to

have an extra 15 conservation officers out protecting our resources in the

province. Unfortunately, in part due to the increasingly hot job market in

western Canada, including British Columbia, it's harder and harder to attract

qualified people.

We were able to hire 13 qualified conservation officers. I could

tell the House that as the Minister of Environment, I am not prepared to put

unqualified personnel into the role of conservation officer in this province.

It's a very important job. We place a high priority on protecting our

environment, and we are out looking for skilled and qualified people to meet

those jobs next year.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

N. Macdonald: There were 13 qualified people. He chose to put

them somewhere else other than Golden. We have had wardens and conservation

officers for 100 years in Golden, until this government got rid of the two that

we had and left our community with none. We've been promised by two of your

government's ministers that a conservation officer would come — so far, nothing.

When — what date — will the minister keep his government's commitment and put a

conservation officer back in Golden?

Hon. B. Penner: As I explained to the member a couple of

days ago in my office, we will be doing the recruitment process this year. We

hope that will help us get the word out across western Canada that we're looking

for conservation officers and people with the particular skill set we need.

[1450]

Being a conservation officer is not an easy job. It can be

dangerous; it can be risky. You're dealing with people who are armed. You're out

in remote locations. You're dealing with wildlife. We have to have qualified

people fit the bill. It's my job as Minister of Environment to make sure that

the people we do hire are qualified. I take the advice of the conservation

officer service that after interviews were conducted this year, we were only

able to come up with 13 people who were able to fit the bill. It's unfortunate

we weren't able to get the full 15, but we're working hard to make sure that

next year we can do that.

REMUNERATION FOR

RURAL PARAMEDICS

C. Wyse: Mr. Speaker, after an ambulance paramedic pays for

their own training with fees and other expenses approaching $10,000, these

individuals face the following pay schedule: remote classification, $2 per hour

on standby with pager; rural classification, $10 per hour on call. These

classifications move to full hourly pay when called.

Urban and metropolitan classifications receive full hourly wage

per shift. Under this system, qualified paramedics move from remote rural areas

a.s.a.p.

My question: how does the Minister of Health intend to retain

properly trained ambulance attendants in remote and rural B.C. under the

existing classification system for ambulance service?

Hon. G. Abbott: I do appreciate the question from the hon.

member.

Like so many parts of the health care system and so many

occupations in British Columbia, it is always a challenge to ensure that we have

the human resources that are needed to provide an effective ambulance service.

I would say this, though. The reason why we will be able to

attract and retain people in rural areas such as where I come from, Sicamous in

the Shuswap, is because it's the best place in British Columbia to live. That's

a good start on why they will want to be there. I suspect you would like to say

the same of your constituency as well.

Further, the other point I would want the member to acknowledge,

if he would, is that, in fact, we have seen a very positive agreement negotiated

between the paramedics and the Ministry of Health, the province of British

Columbia. That collective agreement and all of the very progressive changes

contained in it are a great step forward, and I'm sure the member celebrates it

along with me.

[End of question period.]

Orders of the Day

Hon. C. Taylor: Mr. Speaker, I move that this House at its

next sitting resolve itself for this session into a committee to consider the

supply to be granted to Her Majesty.

Motion approved.

ESTIMATES OF SUMS REQUIRED

FOR THE SERVICE OF THE PROVINCE

Hon. C. Taylor presented a message from Her Honour the

Lieutenant-Governor: Estimates of Sums Required for the Service of the Province

for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006, and a supplement to the estimates for

the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006, recommending the same to the Legislative

Assembly.

Hon. C. Taylor moved that the said message and the estimates

accompanying the same be referred to Committee of Supply.

Motion approved.

Hon. C. Taylor: Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the hon.

Premier of British Columbia, that the Speaker do now leave the chair for the

House to go into Committee of Supply.

[1455]

Budget Debate

Hon. C. Taylor: Hon. Speaker, this budget is the first of

five this government will table in its second mandate. It reinforces the

direction and the determina-

[ Page 70 ]

tion that, over the last four years, helped to turn our province around. It

sets a course for a brighter future, one that is possible because of the work

British Columbians have done to return this province to a leadership position in

Canada, in North America and indeed the world.

We faced some difficult choices in the past four years, and we

will continue to face choices. But today we do so from a position of strength.

Our economic growth is strong, people are optimistic again, and now that we have

our fiscal house in order, we have an opportunity to share more of the benefits

with more British Columbians.

The February budget and the public accounts that followed showed

how far we've come. They underlined our commitment to sound fiscal management,

with a record-setting surplus, a record-setting debt reduction, and targeted

investments in programs and people to help maintain our positive momentum. This

budget update reaffirms the commitments made in February and goes beyond them to

move us ever closer to achieving the government's five great goals.

Today I will concentrate on the changes in this budget update from

the February 15 document. Today we are announcing renewed and focused support

for our seniors, a new and significant commitment to first nations, as well as

new measures to help keep our economy competitive.

Now, we do not pretend and we're not going to suggest that we can

do everything we want to do immediately. We cannot. Today's budget update is

step one. It's a first step forward in our new mandate. With a balanced budget,

with a strong economy, as we've said so many times, we have more and more

attractive options and real opportunities to work together to build a future

that reflects the priorities of all British Columbians.

We begin our mandate, and we begin this update, by reaching out to

British Columbia's senior citizens. Like all governments across North America,

one of the biggest challenges we face today is how to meet the challenges — but

also seize the opportunities — presented by our aging population. The great

majority of seniors in our province enjoy a very good quality of life, and we're

working now to ensure that we can meet the changing needs of a much larger

senior population in the future. By 2031 nearly one in four British Columbians

will be 65 or older. One in 15 will be 80 or older. But these are just the

statistics. Let's never forget who we're talking about. We're talking about our

parents, our grandparents — the people who built our province, nurtured their

families and never lost sight about how great British Columbia could be.

We have a responsibility. Now, thanks to our strengthening

economy, we have the opportunity to build on the social supports that many of

our low-income seniors depend on.

First, we are reinstating the seniors' supplement, starting next

month. This monthly payment supports the lowest-income seniors in British

Columbia by topping up their federal guaranteed income supplement benefits. With

the renewed seniors' supplement, seniors will receive approximately $50 more

each month — $600 more each year. The change will benefit almost 40,000 seniors,

including some of the lowest-income people in the province. The benefit to

seniors across the province will be $50 million over three years in this budget

update.

[1500]

Second, just as our robust economy has allowed us to bring back

the seniors' supplement, it's also making it possible to double our annual

investment in the SAFER program. SAFER, which stands for Shelter Aid for Elderly

Renters, provides assistance to seniors who spend more than 30 percent of their

income on rent. It is currently available to single people paying up to $520 a

month in rent and couples paying up to $575. The amazing thing about this

program is that those levels haven't changed since 1990. We all know what has

happened to rents in the past 15 years. So effective October 1, we're raising

the rental ceiling in all categories by $90 around the province, and we are

raising the ceiling by $180 for singles and couples who live in high-rent areas.

As well as having listened to seniors from around the province and

heard about some of the problems with SAFER's benefits, we also know that

there's another issue. So we are extending SAFER to benefit seniors who own

manufactured homes, recognizing that many of them pay significant monthly pad

rentals.

There are approximately 12,000 B.C. seniors currently benefiting

from SAFER. With these changes, many of them will in fact increase their monthly

benefits, and we will open and expand this program by the addition of

manufactured homes. That will bring, in both cases, 7,200 new seniors into the

SAFER program. Over three years these changes will provide $42 million in rent

relief for low- and modest-income seniors.

Third, in addition to enhancing rent and income supplement

programs for our seniors, we are allocating 150 million new health care dollars

in the next two years towards our goal of building the best system of support

for seniors in Canada.

Hon. Speaker, we are on track to deliver, as you know, on the

Premier's commitment to add 5,000 new residential assisted-living and supportive

housing beds by 2008, and 2,700 beds will be completed by December 2006 — next

year. We will reach our goal of 5,000 by the end of 2008. In fact, we've already

broken ground for hundreds of new units in places such as Burns Lake,

Abbotsford, Lake Country, Powell River and Saltspring Island, and those are just

in the last two months alone.

These beds are being built in partnership with community groups,

health authorities, non-profit societies, private sector organizations and other

levels of government, all supported by countless dedicated volunteers. But new

beds alone will not meet the needs of all of our senior citizens. Thousands are

in facilities that need to be modernized. Many have unique needs related to

disabilities or to illnesses such as dementia. Furthermore, our bed commitment

is not being made

[ Page 71 ]

in isolation. It is being made and met in the context of a broader,

longer-term renewal of our total health care system.

These new dollars — $75 million this year and $75 million next

year — will help ensure that as new units come on stream, we have the resources

and the added flexibility we need to support a smooth transition and to allow

more of our seniors to age in place where appropriate. Of this new funding, $40

million will be invested directly in services provided by partners such as

Kiwanis Club, Salvation Army and SUCCESS. The balance will be used by health

authorities to strengthen and modernize a full range of services to help ensure

that our seniors get the care they need.

Beyond these significant financial initiatives, our seniors need

to be listened to on policy issues that affect their lives and, by extension,

all of our lives. To that end, the new Premier's council on aging and seniors

issues will hold meetings throughout this fall with B.C.'s seniors and with

researchers, policy-makers, service providers — anyone who works with older

people. The council is headed by Dr. Patricia Baird, who is one of North

America's leading authorities on health and public policy.

[1505]

This council will examine in detail a range of issues related to

our aging population, from mandatory retirement to transportation, recreation,

community infrastructure. The council's work will help assure seniors in our

province that they have the supports and services they need to continue enjoying

full, rewarding lives in the communities to which they've contributed so much.

We are investing a total of $242 million over three years in these

new initiatives, and taken together as a package, they are significant steps

forward for British Columbia's senior citizens.

With this budget update we're also moving forward to deliver on

the government's commitment to build a new relationship with first nations. Many

share in the renewed sense of hope and opportunity that we're seeing in this

province, but others still struggle to overcome a legacy of dislocation and

discrimination, of life in the margins of everyday society. That's why it is so

important to build this new relationship, reflecting a vision of economic

prosperity for all first nations across British Columbia.

We have made progress towards that vision in the past several

years. Together we have signed five agreements-in-principle, foundations for

treaties, along with more than 300 smaller-scale agreements in areas such as

forestry, oil and gas, parkland, agriculture, aquaculture and economic

development. Similarly, we've moved ahead with a number of key initiatives in

areas including education and child and family services. These developments are

underpinned by our interest, our dedication to collaborating government to

government with first nations leaders to continue to strengthen and improve the

quality of life in their communities.

Our vision for a new relationship is based on openness,

transparency and collaboration. By addressing the systemic problems of the past,

we will reduce uncertainty, litigation and conflict, and we will work to

increase the capacity of first nations communities to be effective partners in

consultations concerning the use of land and resources.

Too often available funding from all levels of government is

focused on short-term priorities and needs. It results in a reliance on

third-party expertise, so we need to invest in first nations communities to

advance training and skills development and to create lasting growth, prosperity

and true self-reliance. This is the key to improve social and economic

well-being for our first nations communities. Our government is committed to

this direction and to bringing about real change, and in fact, this new

relationship has the potential to reshape our social and economic landscape

completely. It will create a more inclusive and prosperous future for all

British Columbians.

Today we take another step forward towards that future by setting

aside $100 million to establish a first nations new relationship fund. Through

this fund we will support first nations as they build their own direct capacity

to participate in this new relationship. We will work with first nations leaders

and others to finalize official terms of reference in the coming months, and we

will bring more details to the Legislature in the spring.

[1510]

Like all of our communities, each first nation is unique with

unique needs, strengths and priorities. We will respect that fundamental truth,

as we engage in a dialogue and work to identify issues and to find solutions. We

will continue to work towards treaties, but we recognize that this road is long.

It will have many turns, but a strong, new relationship based on respect will

help ensure we navigate that road together with a shared sense of values and

direction to the ultimate benefit of all British Columbians.

Hon. Speaker, in this province we've had great success, as we

talked about before, in turning our economy and our fiscal position around. In

2001 we faced a structural deficit of $4 billion. Today, with this budget

update, we are now forecasting surpluses of $1.3 billion this year, $600 million

the following year and $400 million in 2007-2008. All of our projections are

protected by significant forecast allowances.

Overall our fiscal position is stronger than in February due

mainly to strong economic growth which we expect will continue to top 3 percent

a year throughout the fiscal plan, driven by strength in retail sales,

construction starts, investment, job growth and high commodity prices.

Our economy is doing very well, but we cannot take all of these

positive economic drivers for granted. Yes, we have a surplus, but we cannot

assume that everything will continue to go up indefinitely. That way lies the

risk and the danger of returning to budget deficits, which we will not do.

[ Page 72 ]

We will not endanger the health of our province with careless

spending. Instead, we will continue making thoughtful investments that reflect

and will help sustain the strength of our economy. Since day one this government

has worked to encourage growth with a series of measures to keep British

Columbia competitive, from income tax cuts across the board to targeted

investments in key economic sectors.

The February budget built on those initiatives with nearly half a

billion dollars over three years in income tax and MSP reductions for the

province's lowest-income earners. B.C. now has the lowest personal income tax

rates in all of Canada for the bottom two tax brackets, and most people earning

less than $16,000 a year pay no provincial income tax at all.

The February budget also allowed more business income to qualify

for the lower 4½ percent small business tax rate, recognizing that small

business drives our economy and, further, that high taxes damage our province by

driving people and businesses away. With that in mind, today we are taking tax

relief one step further. We are lowering the general corporate income tax rate

from 13.5 percent to 12 percent. So in this budget update we are taking it down

1½ percent, but I will remind you that is 4½ points lower than when we formed

government in 2001.

This will keep B.C.'s rate among the lowest in the country. It

benefits businesses in all economic sectors in all regions of the country, as a

really large number of them are smaller operations as well. We are encouraging

them to come here, stay here, grow here and — most importantly — to create jobs

for British Columbians.

We're also taking steps today to make B.C. an even more attractive

centre for research and development. Our biotechnology sector is one of the

largest in North America and the fastest-growing in the country. It's a major

generator of not just jobs and revenues but real, groundbreaking, life-altering

innovations.

We are at the forefront of genome research, a science that could

radically affect how we treat diseases. Companies here are working on advances

with the potential to do such amazing things as regrow spinal cord cells after

injuries.

[1515]

So we've done a good job of attracting and nurturing these

companies with our competitive taxes, world-class universities and unparalleled

quality of life. Today we're moving forward to encourage more of them to keep

their intellectual property here, especially as they move from research and

development into the commercial market.

Effective January 1, 2006, we are expanding the international

financial activity program. It refunds the corporate income tax that B.C.

companies pay on eligible earnings from international financial activities.

Starting next year it will also allow B.C. companies to get partial refunds of

corporate income tax paid on earnings from international commercialization of

life science patents.

Life science patents are typically developed in sectors such as

biomedicine, forestry, mining and agriculture, all of which are vital to our

economy and society. Combined, these tax changes will save businesses almost

$400 million over three years, supporting our goal once again to create more

jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

We have seen remarkable job growth in B.C. — more than 230,000

jobs since December 2001 — and last year we also led the country in economic

growth. With continued careful fiscal management, we have more revenues and

therefore more choices about the kind of province we all want for our future. It

is great to have choices, but it is also a challenge, because as every single

person in this House knows, we can never do all of the things we want to all at

the same time. We have to set priorities, we have to make trade-offs, and in

everything we do, we have to seek balance.

For example, as a fast-growing province, we have to continually

invest in infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, highways, transit. These

are an essential part of delivering public services, and even with a healthy

surplus, we often have to borrow to finance their construction. The challenge is

to do that and to do it at a pace that meets people's needs in the communities

throughout B.C. without burdening future generations — our kids — with a debt

load that we cannot afford.

Likewise, there is a long list of public sector contracts that are

up for renewal in 2006. Public sector workers are the people we count on to

deliver services that British Columbians use every single day. They've also

played a key role in getting our fiscal house in order. We respect and

appreciate the work they do on our behalf, and we want to make sure that they're

compensated appropriately. But we also have a duty to the public to ensure that

wages are affordable, that they are sustainable and that we still have room left

in our budget for all of those other priorities that people have told us are

critical, such as addressing hospital wait times; supporting children's

initiatives; upgrading roads, schools, hospitals; adding and expanding needed

public programs; keeping taxes competitive; managing our debt. These are all

important priorities, we've been told by British Columbians.

But none of these important needs, not even wages, can be looked

at in isolation. A spending decision in one area affects what is available in

other areas. So we are seeking balance in every part of government, consistent

with our budget plan. That is why we continually seek advice from British

Columbians in forums such as the Premier's council on aging and seniors issues,

the First Citizens Forum, and our prebudget consultations.

This government works for the people of British Columbia. It is

their ideas, their priorities, their recommendations that will guide us in

developing our next budget, 2006, and that will be another step towards the

government's great goals for a golden decade. The people of this province have

made incredible progress in the last four years.

[1520]

Today we're able to build on that progress and invest some of the

dividends of sound fiscal management

[ Page 73 ]

and strong economic growth in: more support for seniors — this package of

assistance will dramatically improve the quality of life for tens of thousands

of our senior citizens; important new support for our first nations communities

to participate more fully in our economy and society; and tax measures aimed at

keeping B.C. competitive, drawing new businesses and new jobs to our province.

On a personal note, I want to thank the hard-working, talented

people in the Finance Ministry. We are so fortunate — all of us — as British

Columbians to have people of such integrity and commitment working in the public

service.

Frankly, this budget update is a good example of why I got into

government. I welcome this opportunity to take part directly in strengthening

British Columbia, changing it for the better and making a truly positive

difference in people's lives. We can't have everything at once, of course. We

must make choices. We must make the right choices. When I say "we," I mean all

of British Columbia.

This budget update is step one. It's the first of five budgets the

government will present in this mandate. In four years the full story of our

priorities as a government will be told. I am confident in our citizens'

strengths, talents, vision, imagination and determination.

In just four years the people of British Columbia turned this

province around. I can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in the next

four years.

J. Kwan: I'm very pleased to stand here today as the

official opposition's Finance critic and put forward a first response to the

minister's budget update. We on this side of the House have come a long way in

four years.

First, let me congratulate the minister and all the members

opposite, as well as my new colleagues on this side, on winning their elections.

It is very exciting to have so much company. It is very exciting to engage, in

opposition, in a dialogue with the government so that we can work towards

building a better British Columbia for all British Columbians.

Four months ago the voters of British Columbia sent the Premier

and his government a strong message. They gave the government a second mandate

that made some very clear demands. They wanted a different approach from

government. They wanted their government to move away from this one-sided and

confrontational style to one that respects due process and supports the

priorities of middle-income families — priorities that leave no one behind.

With this budget the new Minister of Finance had the first

opportunity to reach out to British Columbians and show how her government will

respond to the electorate's message. There were some new commitments and some

new promises but also a lot of self-congratulatory praise. There's not much news

in this budget when you hold it up to the one that was delivered in February.

I'm not sure that the government actually heard the message from

the election. British Columbians will not forget the last four years and all the

promises made and broken. It is going to take a lot more than this budget and a

few new promises to make up for the short-sighted policies of the last four

years.

[1525]

After listening to the minister's speech, I'm not convinced that

the government is ready to take responsibility for the damage it caused to so

many of our social and environmental systems — health care, child protection,

education and the relationship with working people, just to name a few.

There have been cuts, reductions of services, strange

reclassifications, confusion and broken promises. The government wants to move

B.C. forward, but to do that, they need to look back and take ownership of the

damage that they caused and begin to make repairs.

The minister said she repaired some old shoes for today's budget,

which she's wearing today. I hope that she's as committed to repairing the

damage her government has caused since 2001. That's what British Columbians

expect. British Columbians expect that commitments that were made — and we in

the opposition are here to ensure that government makes those commitments — do

not become broken promises once again, as they were, starting in 2001.

There are now 33 opposition MLAs ready to dig into the budget

books and ensure that the government's commitments are honoured and the public's

voice is heard. We hold this budget up to a level of scrutiny that was never

possible before.

In February the government introduced a budget but refused to

debate the details of that budget. Instead, they closed the books and shut down

the Legislature. But that was then, and this is now.

In February there were only three opposition MLAs. We did the very

best we could, but I'll admit debate could have been better. Our caucus was

small. We did not have official opposition status, and there were many times

when entire ministries would pass without scrutiny. Now there are 33 opposition

MLAs, and every single one of us is going to pore over those books and take

every minister to task through their spending, line by line. Every ministry will

be debated, every minister will face questions, and every move of this

government will be scrutinized.

That scrutiny begins today. From everything the minister says,

British Columbians have never seen better days, but this is far from the whole

story. If the province is doing so well, why are so many people and communities

struggling to make ends meet? The government talks about a record surplus, but

seniors are still waiting for long-term care beds. They are waiting for a

promise that this government made in 2001, and it has yet to materialize.

The minister just promised new measures to help seniors — promises

she has made that say that now, because everything is better…. But you know

what? This Minister of Finance and this government have to remember how badly

seniors were treated in the last four years.

[ Page 74 ]

I will remind this House that it was this same Premier that

actually eliminated the seniors supplement four years ago. I will remind this

House that while the SAFER program is always important and is a component to the

entire housing continuum in terms of housing options for British Columbians, it

does not replace long-term care beds. Nor does it replace housing programs for

many people that are in need across British Columbia.

In the throne speech there was talk about homelessness and the

need to address homelessness. Yet in this budget there's very little that

addresses the issue of homelessness.

[1530]

The government says regional economies are growing, but the

government does not have a long-term strategy to cope with the effects of the

pine beetle epidemic. To date, the government has not said how it will answer

key questions. What happens when the annual allowable cut goes back down, Mr.

Speaker? What will the government do to support economic diversification in

Quesnel, in Prince George, in Williams Lake? The answers in today's budget are

not sufficient.

It is great that the federal government finally came through with

some dollars, but the province's commitment is lacking. B.C.'s funding for pine

beetle response next year is budgeted today at $7 million.

The government champions its commitments to education, but there

is no commitment to making education more affordable. Too many parents are

paying basic school fees in the K-to-12 system. That issue was raised today in

question period, to which we heard no answers from this minister and this

government. Too many British Columbians have lost access to higher education

because they cannot afford tuition. The government has refused to honour its

commitment to legislate a tuition cap.

The minister's budget boosts unprecedented health care funding,

but it does not address the growing concerns of overcrowded emergency rooms in

places like Surrey, Victoria and Kamloops. This budget is too thin on health

care. Another winter is just months away, and our ERs will once again face the

winter surge of patients that crippled so many of them last year. This

government needs to act now on overcrowded emergency rooms and bed shortages,

not next year. What is the government waiting for? People and patients don't

wait. They need the beds now.

We also see some new funding for some environmental and

conservation programs. But let me just say this: that funding does not even

begin to give back or make up for all the cuts and closures over the last four

years. That's why Golden still doesn't have the conservation officers that they

need.

There was focus on addressing challenges in the aboriginal

community. Let me just say this: I am glad to see that finally here after four

years. But I should also say that that should have been here four years ago.

Instead of making positive steps in the healing process with the aboriginal

community, this government and this Premier chose to divide communities. They

chose to bring forward a divisive, confrontational referendum process that

pitted communities against communities. That was not necessary.

Having said that, I am glad it is the new election cycle. We have

new faces around the table, a new Minister of Finance. I'm glad that the

government has learned a lesson that building communities is always, always

better than dividing them. And it begins. Let us use that in the measurement of

the steps this government will take in the years ahead, in the next four years.

I'd like to put this government on notice. One-time funding for

the aboriginal community with respect to the New Relationship fund is not good

enough. Ongoing progress must be made. Sincere efforts must be made. Actions

must follow words.

With that, Mr. Speaker, in the coming weeks the opposition will

study the books presented to the House today, and finally, a budget that was

first delivered seven months ago will get a full and open debate in this

Legislature. I look forward to that debate. I look forward to all of the help

with my 32 colleagues around this table to engage in a constructive debate, to

engage in a process that will matter and that will make democracy whole once

again in this Legislature.

I'll have more to say around this budget tomorrow. With that, I

move adjournment of the debate.

[1535]

J. Kwan moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Hon. C. Taylor presented a message from Her Honour the

Lieutenant-Governor: bills entitled Revenue Statutes Amendment Act, 2005; Budget

Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2005.

Hon. C. Taylor: These two bills implement some of the

measures that were announced in the September budget update. Bill 2, Revenue

Statutes Amendment Act, 2005, implements two measures to enhance the

competitiveness of the province as a choice location for business to invest and

create jobs. The bill amends the Income Tax Act to reduce the general corporate

income tax rate to 12 percent from 13.5 percent. It also amends the

International Financial Activity Act to provide a partial corporate income tax

refund for the commercialization of certain patent-based intellectual property

in British Columbia.

Bill 3, Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2005, amends

the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act to extend the term of the term of

the Accounting Policy Advisory Committee for three years. In addition, the

Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters Act is amended to add manufactured homesites to

the definition of residence.

The Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2005, also

includes transitional provisions that clarify

[ Page 75 ]

how requirements under the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act and the

Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act apply in relation to the

2005-2006 fiscal year.

I move first reading of Bill 2, Revenue Statutes Amendment Act,

2005; and Bill 3, Budget Measures Implementation Act (No. 2), 2005.

Motion approved.

Hon. C. Taylor: I move that the said bills be placed on

orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after

today.

Bills 2 and 3 introduced, read a first time and ordered to be

placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House

after today.

Tabling Documents

Hon. C. Taylor: I have the pleasure to rise to table the

September update budget and fiscal plan, which fulfils the requirements of

section 7 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

I also rise to table the budget consultation paper, as required by

section 2 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

I table, on behalf of the ministers responsible, the government's

2005-2006, 2007-2008 overall strategic plan and service plans, required under

the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

I have two packages that I will give to the Clerk. The first

package contains service plans for the Office of the Premier, 19 ministries and

three related organizations. The second package contains service plans for 27

Crown agencies. The second package also includes a list of organizations that

have been exempted from

section 13, service plans, of the Budget Transparency

and Accountability Act and for which service plans are not being filed.

Two government organizations have been added to the exemption list

for this budget update. Land and Water British Columbia Inc. and British

Columbia Buildings Corporation are both being wound up. Their functions will be

delivered through ministries and reported in future service plans and annual

reports of those ministries.

Hon. M. de Jong moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until ten o'clock

tomorrow morning.

The House adjourned at 3:40 p.m.

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