H0214pm 04

H0214pm 04

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Fourth Session, 38th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) Thursday, February 14, 2008 Afternoon Sitting Volume 26, Number 4 THE HONOURABLE BILL BARISOFF, SPEAKER ISSN 0709-1281

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR His Honour the Honourable Steven L. Point, OBC FOURTH SESSION, 38TH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Bill Barisoff EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................Hon. Gordon Campbell Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations .......................................................................................................... Hon.

John van Dongen Deputy Premier and Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for Early Learning and Literacy...................... Hon. Shirley Bond Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation ........................................................................................................ Hon. Michael de Jong Minister of Advanced Education and Minister Responsible for Research and Technology ........................................... Hon.

Murray Coell Minister of Agriculture and Lands.......................................................................................................................................................Hon. Pat Bell Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism............................................................................... Hon. Wally Oppal, QC Minister of Children and Family Development ................................................................................................................Hon.

Tom Christensen Minister of State for Childcare ........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Linda Reid Minister of Community Services and Minister Responsible for Seniors’ and Women’s Issues........................................... Hon. Ida Chong Minister of Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Asia-Pacific Initiative and the Olympics.................Hon.

Colin Hansen Minister of Employment and Income Assistance ...........................................................................................................Hon. Claude Richmond Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources .......................................................................................................Hon. Richard Neufeld Minister of State for Mining......................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Kevin Krueger Minister of Environment and Minister Responsible for Water Stewardship and Sustainable Communities ...............Hon. Barry Penner Minister of Finance.......................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Carole Taylor Minister of Forests and Range and Minister Responsible for Housing ............................................................................. Hon.

Rich Coleman Minister of Health ......................................................................................................................................................................Hon. George Abbott Minister of Labour and Citizens’ Services ......................................................................................................................................Hon. Olga Ilich Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General................................................................................................................................Hon.

John Les Minister of Small Business and Revenue and Minister Responsible for Regulatory Reform............................................ Hon. Rick Thorpe Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts ......................................................................................................................................Hon. Stan Hagen Minister of State for ActNow B.C. ............................................................................................................................................ Hon.

Gordon Hogg Minister of Transportation...........................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Kevin Falcon LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Official Opposition .........................................................................................................................................................Carole James Deputy Speaker ....................................................................................................................................................................................Sindi Hawkins Deputy Speaker ...........................................................................................................................................................................

Katherine Whittred Assistant Deputy Speaker.....................................................................................................................................................................Sue Hammell Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole................................................................................................................................................. Harry Bloy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly .........................................................................................................................E.

George MacMinn, OBC, QC Clerk Assistant.........................................................................................................................................................................................Robert Vaive Clerk Assistant and Law Clerk .......................................................................................................................................................Ian D. Izard, QC Clerk Assistant and Clerk of Committees ....................................................................................................................................... Craig H.

James Clerk Assistant and Committee Clerk ..........................................................................................................................................Kate Ryan-Lloyd Sergeant-at-Arms............................................................................................................................................................................. A.A.

Humphreys Director, Hansard Services ...................................................................................................................................................................Jo-Anne Kern Legislative Librarian ..................................................................................................................................................................................Jane Taylor Legislative Comptroller...............................................................................................................................................................................Dan Arbic

Party Standings: Liberal 46; New Democratic 33 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Abbott, Hon. George (L) .................................................................... Shuswap Austin, Robin (NDP)............................................................................. Skeena Bains, Harry (NDP).................................................................. Surrey-Newton Barisoff, Hon. Bill (L)..........................................Penticton–Okanagan Valley Bell, Hon.

Pat (L) .............................................................Prince George North Bennett, Bill (L) ........................................................................ East Kootenay Black, Iain (L) ............................................................ Port Moody–Westwood Bloy, Harry (L)................................................................................Burquitlam Bond, Hon. Shirley (L).....................................Prince George–Mount Robson Brar, Jagrup (NDP).....................................................Surrey–Panorama Ridge Campbell, Hon.

Gordon (L) .........................................Vancouver–Point Grey Cantelon, Ron (L)..............................................................Nanaimo-Parksville Chong, Hon. Ida (L) .................................................... Oak Bay–Gordon Head Chouhan, Raj (NDP) ...........................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Christensen, Hon. Tom (L) ................................................. Okanagan-Vernon Chudnovsky, David (NDP) ......................................... Vancouver-Kensington Coell, Hon.

Murray (L) .....................................Saanich North and the Islands Coleman, Hon. Rich (L)...........................................Fort Langley–Aldergrove Conroy, Katrine (NDP) .......................................... West Kootenay–Boundary Coons, Gary (NDP) ....................................................................... North Coast Cubberley, David (NDP)............................................................Saanich South de Jong, Hon.

Michael (L) ...................................Abbotsford–Mount Lehman Dix, Adrian (NDP) .........................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Evans, Corky (NDP).................................................................Nelson-Creston Falcon, Hon. Kevin (L) .......................................................

Surrey-Cloverdale Farnworth, Mike (NDP) ...............................Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Fleming, Rob (NDP) ..............................................................Victoria-Hillside Fraser, Scott (NDP) ..............................................................Alberni-Qualicum Gentner, Guy (NDP).......................................................................Delta North Hagen, Hon. Stan (L) ................................................................ Comox Valley Hammell, Sue (NDP) ................................................... Surrey–Green Timbers Hansen, Hon.

Colin (L) ..................................................Vancouver-Quilchena Hawes, Randy (L).......................................................... Maple Ridge–Mission Hawkins, Sindi (L) ............................................................... Kelowna-Mission Hayer, Dave S. (L) ................................................................ Surrey-Tynehead Hogg, Hon.

Gordon (L).....................................................Surrey–White Rock Horgan, John (NDP)......................................................Malahat–Juan de Fuca Horning, Al (L)........................................................... Kelowna–Lake Country Ilich, Hon. Olga (L)...............................................................Richmond Centre James, Carole (NDP).......................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Jarvis, Daniel (L)..................................................

North Vancouver–Seymour Karagianis, Maurine (NDP) ........................................... Esquimalt-Metchosin Krog, Leonard (NDP)......................................................................... Nanaimo Krueger, Hon. Kevin (L) .....................................Kamloops–North Thompson Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching (NDP)........................... Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Lali, Harry (NDP)........................................................................

Yale-Lillooet Lee, Richard T. (L)....................................................................Burnaby North Lekstrom, Blair (L).............................................................. Peace River South Les, Hon. John (L)............................................................... Chilliwack-Sumas Macdonald, Norm (NDP).................................... Columbia River–Revelstoke MacKay, Dennis (L)....................................................

Bulkley Valley–Stikine Mayencourt, Lorne (L).......................................................Vancouver-Burrard McIntyre, Joan (L).................................................West Vancouver–Garibaldi Neufeld, Hon. Richard (L) .................................................. Peace River North Nuraney, John (L).............................................................Burnaby-Willingdon Oppal, Hon. Wally, QC (L).......................................... Vancouver-Fraserview Penner, Hon. Barry (L)...........................................................

Chilliwack-Kent Polak, Mary (L) ....................................................................................Langley Puchmayr, Chuck (NDP)...................................................... New Westminster Ralston, Bruce (NDP) ............................................................. Surrey-Whalley Reid, Hon. Linda (L) ................................................................ Richmond East Richmond, Hon. Claude (L).............................................................

Kamloops Robertson, Gregor (NDP) ................................................Vancouver-Fairview Roddick, Valerie (L).......................................................................Delta South Routley, Doug (NDP)..................................................... Cowichan-Ladysmith Rustad, John (L) ........................................................

Prince George–Omineca Sather, Michael (NDP).........................................Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Simons, Nicholas (NDP) ...................................Powell River–Sunshine Coast Simpson, Bob (NDP)..................................................................Cariboo North Simpson, Shane (NDP) ....................................................Vancouver-Hastings Sultan, Ralph (L) ....................................................West Vancouver–Capilano Taylor, Hon.

Carole (L).....................................................Vancouver-Langara Thorne, Diane (NDP) .................................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Thorpe, Hon. Rick (L).......................................................Okanagan-Westside Trevena, Claire (NDP) ..................................................................North Island van Dongen, Hon. John (L)............................................ Abbotsford-Clayburn Whittred, Katherine (L)........................................

North Vancouver–Lonsdale Wyse, Charlie (NDP) .................................................................Cariboo South Yap, John (L)...................................................................Richmond-Steveston LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Clayburn....................................................Hon. John van Dongen Abbotsford–Mount Lehman .......................................... Hon. Michael de Jong Alberni-Qualicum..........................................................................

Scott Fraser Bulkley Valley–Stikine ...........................................................Dennis MacKay Burnaby North ...........................................................................Richard T. Lee Burnaby-Edmonds........................................................................Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Willingdon................................................................... John Nuraney Burquitlam.......................................................................................Harry Bloy Cariboo North..............................................................................

Bob Simpson Cariboo South..............................................................................Charlie Wyse Chilliwack-Kent ..................................................................Hon. Barry Penner Chilliwack-Sumas...................................................................... Hon. John Les Columbia River–Revelstoke................................................. Norm Macdonald Comox Valley........................................................................ Hon.

Stan Hagen Coquitlam-Maillardville..............................................................Diane Thorne Cowichan-Ladysmith ................................................................. Doug Routley Delta North ...................................................................................Guy Gentner Delta South ............................................................................. Valerie Roddick East Kootenay................................................................................

Bill Bennett Esquimalt-Metchosin.........................................................Maurine Karagianis Fort Langley–Aldergrove ..................................................Hon. Rich Coleman Kamloops.....................................................................Hon. Claude Richmond Kamloops–North Thompson ............................................Hon. Kevin Krueger Kelowna–Lake Country.................................................................. Al Horning Kelowna-Mission ......................................................................

Sindi Hawkins Langley ...........................................................................................Mary Polak Malahat–Juan de Fuca .................................................................. John Horgan Maple Ridge–Mission ................................................................ Randy Hawes Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows ..................................................... Michael Sather Nanaimo......................................................................................

Leonard Krog Nanaimo-Parksville .....................................................................Ron Cantelon Nelson-Creston .............................................................................Corky Evans New Westminster .................................................................. Chuck Puchmayr North Coast....................................................................................

Gary Coons North Island ...............................................................................Claire Trevena North Vancouver–Lonsdale................................................Katherine Whittred North Vancouver–Seymour..........................................................Daniel Jarvis Oak Bay–Gordon Head ........................................................... Hon. Ida Chong Okanagan-Vernon......................................................... Hon. Tom Christensen Okanagan-Westside..............................................................Hon.

Rick Thorpe Peace River North.......................................................... Hon. Richard Neufeld Peace River South..................................................................... Blair Lekstrom Penticton–Okanagan Valley .................................................Hon. Bill Barisoff Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain ............................................Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Westwood.................................................................... Iain Black Powell River–Sunshine Coast ...............................................

Nicholas Simons Prince George North.................................................................... Hon. Pat Bell Prince George–Mount Robson ............................................Hon. Shirley Bond Prince George–Omineca................................................................ John Rustad Richmond Centre......................................................................Hon. Olga Ilich Richmond East........................................................................Hon.

Linda Reid Richmond-Steveston...........................................................................John Yap Saanich North and the Islands ............................................ Hon. Murray Coell Saanich South ........................................................................ David Cubberley Shuswap............................................................................Hon. George Abbott Skeena.......................................................................................... Robin Austin Surrey-Cloverdale............................................................... Hon.

Kevin Falcon Surrey–Green Timbers ................................................................Sue Hammell Surrey-Newton............................................................................... Harry Bains Surrey–Panorama Ridge.................................................................Jagrup Brar Surrey-Tynehead ....................................................................... Dave S. Hayer Surrey-Whalley...........................................................................Bruce Ralston Surrey–White Rock ............................................................Hon.

Gordon Hogg Vancouver-Burrard..............................................................Lorne Mayencourt Vancouver-Fairview.............................................................Gregor Robertson Vancouver-Fraserview .................................................Hon.

Wally Oppal, QC Vancouver-Hastings .................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-Kensington.......................................................David Chudnovsky Vancouver-Kingsway ......................................................................Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara ........................................................... Hon. Carole Taylor Vancouver–Mount Pleasant........................................ Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Vancouver–Point Grey ................................................Hon.

Gordon Campbell Vancouver-Quilchena.........................................................Hon. Colin Hansen Victoria–Beacon Hill...................................................................

Carole James Victoria-Hillside ...........................................................................Rob Fleming West Kootenay–Boundary........................................................Katrine Conroy West Vancouver–Capilano...........................................................Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Garibaldi ........................................................Joan McIntyre Yale-Lillooet..................................................................................... Harry Lali

CONTENTS Thursday, February 14, 2008 Afternoon Sitting Routine Proceedings Page Introductions by Members ....................................................................................................... .............................................. 9681 Tabling Documents.............................................................................................................. .................................................... 9681 British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission, preliminary report amendments Statements (Standing Order 25B) .............................................................................................................................. ............. 9681 Spirit of B.C. in Richmond J.

Yap Scotties Tournament of Hearts K. Conroy Multiculturalism Week D. Hayer Community event in Gold River C. Trevena Electronic devices and youth J. Nuraney Women's Memorial March J. Kwan Oral Questions................................................................................................................. ......................................................... 9683 Government action on mental health beds D. Chudnovsky Hon. G. Abbott Report on decommissioning of Riverview Hospital D. Chudnovsky Hon. G. Abbott Proposed TransLink routes in Coquitlam D. Thorne Hon. K. Falcon M.

Farnworth TransLink board remuneration M. Karagianis Hon. K. Falcon Availability of beds at Royal Columbian Hospital C. Puchmayr Hon. G. Abbott Government action on forest worker safety C. Trevena Hon. O. Ilich Safety of Bamfield road S. Fraser Hon. K. Falcon Throne Speech Debate (continued) .............................................................................................................................. ........... 9688 D. Jarvis G. Gentner J. Nuraney C. Puchmayr Hon. J. van Dongen N. Macdonald Hon. R. Thorpe

9681 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 The House met at 2:02 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Introductions by Members Hon. G. Abbott: It's a pleasure to rise and introduce some guests here today, who hosted a wonderfully informative breakfast this morning. These are people from across the province who do just wonderful work in relation to the palliative care sector in the province. They are the B.C. Hospice Palliative Care Association.

I'd like to introduce to the House today Jody Smiling, who is the executive director; Nancy Kilpatrick, who is the president- elect; Wendy Pratt, who is president; and Terry Odeneal, who is a board member for the B.C. Hospice Palliative Care Association. While I'm on my feet, Mr. Speaker, I see in the gallery up here an old friend of mine. I use "old" in the kindest sense of that word. He's an old friend and former political science professor of mine — well, it's a few years ago now — at the University of Victoria, Dr. Patty Smith. Patty is now at Simon Fraser University.

Patty has also been doing a remarkable job for a few years now of leading that wonderful program that is such a benefit to both sides of the Legislature every year, the legislative internship program. Given that he is surrounded by young people, I sus- pect that we can at this moment celebrate the moment, thank Patty and welcome the class-of-2008 legislative interns to the Legislature here in British Columbia. R. Fleming: With us in the gallery today is a wonder- ful group of school children who are at the Legislature for their first time.

They're from Cloverdale Traditional School, grade 5 students with their teacher, Ms. Marijka Westbroek. This group of school children…. Last year around this time, their school was faced with closure. [1405] Students worked with parents, trustees and their teachers and learned a valuable lesson in local democracy, which is to make your case and to make it forcefully. The g o o d n e w s i s t h a t a y e a r l a t e r , t h a t s c h o o l i s n o t o n l y open, but enrolment has grow n by 15 percent, and it has a bright future ahead of it. They're now here to see democracy at the provincial level at work.

Will the House please make these students from Cloverdale Traditional School welcome. Mr. Speaker: Just to remind members, two-minute statements start in a while. S. Fraser: I'm going to be in trouble here. I'd like to recognize a benefit event being held at eight o'clock tonight at the lecture theatre in the Victo- ria Convention Centre, and this is an introduction also. Appropriate for Valentine's Day, a one-act play entitled The Return of Sex — the Return of Love , produced and directed by our own Mur Meadows from the legislative dining room downstairs. If I may, hon.

Speaker, the proceeds go to the Vancouver Island Sexual Health Society and Options for Sexual Health of B.C. Mur is joining us in the gallery today. I ask you to join me again in applause. These are very worthwhile causes. I thank Mur for his work and his creativity in bringing this forward. C. Puchmayr: Another success story. From the dining room to sociology student, Toni Steele is in the gallery. Please make her welcome. D. Routley: I would like the House to help me welcome Wade MacGregor.

Wade is here representing TimberWest's 16 dependent trucker owner-operators and pursuing the cause of operating profitably and safely at the same time. May the House help me welcome Wade McGregor. Tabling Documents Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to present the British Columbia Electoral Boundaries Commission's amendments to the preliminary report. Statements (Standing Order 25

B) SPIRIT OF B.C. IN RICHMOND J. Yap: An exciting provincewide celebration is underway. February 8 to 16 is Spirit of B.C. Week. Held each February, Spirit of B. C. Week showcases the vari- ous communities that make up our great province. It's an opportunity for British Columbians to highlight the local initiatives and successes in the arts, culture, volunteerism and sports in their diverse communities. An initiative of 2010 Legacies Now, Spirit of B.C. Week was initially created to involve all communities at a grass- roots level in the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Games. This celebration has grown significantly.

This year more than 100 B.C. communities are participating in the Spirit of B.C. Week, hosting over 350 events provincewide ranging from arts exhibitions to sporting activities, with th e creativity, energy and spirit of the people of our province. My own community, Richmond, had the honour of hosting one of this year's Spirit of B.C. signature events, the Spirit of B.C. Richmond Rocks celebration, which I was happy to attend this past weekend. Community leaders, athletes, volunteers and local citizens attended an afternoon of curling demonstrations, both able-bodied and wheelchair.

We were also treated to a fine musical performance by the band Bitterly Divine, a rock-and- roll band comprised of first nations musicians led by Tewanee Joseph, who also happens to be the executive director of the Four Host First Nations Secretariat. All present were invited to write a few personal words on whiteboards on what "spirit" means to them, the idea being to crea te a community spirit wall with hundreds, if not thousa nds, of individual spirit

9682 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 thoughts. This builds on th e "I've got the spirit" car stickers initiative, which was launched recently to promote the Spirit of B.C. in the Richmond community. I invite all members of this House to join me in congratulating the Richmond Spirit of B.C. Committee and chair Ed Gavsie for organizing a great celebration and demonstrating that Richmond has got the spirit. [1410] SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS K. Conroy: From January 22 to 27 the Trail Curling Club hosted the B.C. Women's Curling Championship in Trail.

Known as the provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts, this event determined who represents B.C. at this year's national Scotties Tournament of Hearts to be held in Regina starting this Saturday. Eight teams vied for that honour, including three teams from the Royal City Curling Club in New Westminster, one each from Richmond, Williams Lake, Vernon, Kamloops and Nelson — all representing their vari- ous geographical regions across B.C. The MacInnis rink from Kamloops won the right to be Team B.C., representing our province this weekend in Regina. An event of this magnitude is a daunting task to pull off.

The people from Trail once again rose to the occasion. Over 150 volunteers were required. I want to give special recognition to the hard-working group of volunteers who formed the host committee. These in- clude Sandra Stajduhar, Dana Haas, Eleanor and Frank Jorgensen, Eileen Gallamore, Marilyn Wiens, Janet Cameron, Jack Irvin, Dave Hogg, Shelley and Barry Frew, Brenda Moncrief, Rhonda Vilene, Lori Bagshaw, Maureen Klit, Lorna Perri, Flo Woodhouse, Donna Butler, Jacquie Swanson, Daphne and Cecil Hookey, Penny and Pat Fennell, and Georgina Jamieson.

I'd also like to point out that whenever these major events come to our area, they are televised for the country to see. What many of you don't realize is that we don't really have many main television big players in our region. It is the hard-working crew at Shaw Cable who do the fantastic job of bringing these important sports events to your living rooms. Kudos to all of them, but especially to our own local Shaw camera experts Kristina Krichowski, Jen Waldie and Bob Sutherland, who all worked the Trail bonspiel and continued to provide excellent service to our area.

Kudos to the city of Trail for once again hosting a first-class sporting event and to everyone who played, watched or worked and participated through volun- teering. Congratulations on being part of an exciting week of good curling. MULTICULTURALISM WEEK D. Hayer: Each year in February our province and residents take the opportunity to celebrate and share our heritage and culture. We call this celebration Multicultural Week, which the Attorney General and I declared officially in Vancouver on Monday.

It is time to acknowledge the vast diversity of our cultural heritage — a legacy that springs from the beginning of this province 150 years ago. The welcome we extend to newcomers is made possible through the commitment of non-profit organizations, community groups and volunteers. That is why this year, in part- nership with the multicultural advisory council, we have started the first annual Nesika Awards. These awards will recognize excellence by people, organizations and communiti es whose leadership is bringing B.C.'s diverse cult ures together.

The Nesika Awards mean "we, us, ours" in the In-SHUCK-ch lan- guage, and it is a fitting description of the welcoming attitude that we value so highly in our province. Diversity is one of British Columbia's greatest strengths, and it ensures we enjoy the dynamic cultural life that is the envy of many nations. It strengthens our economy through financial investment, trade opportu- nity and the immigration of many new immigrants.

In any one week we might be exposed to first nations culture through art and history, join in a Chinese new year celebration, participate in Vaisakhi and a celebra- tion of Oktoberfest, and attend Robbie Burns night. Multicultural Week is an opportunity to celebrate our own traditions and cult ures and to explore the tradition and cultures of other British Columbians. I encourage every member of this House to take a mo- ment to think about the importance of multiculturalism and to honour the culture of diversity that makes this province the best place on earth to live and work and play in.

COMMUNITY EVENT IN GOLD RIVER C. Trevena: I'd like to tell the House about an event in Gold River this weekend. It's a community celebra- tion aimed at bridging divides. The celebration, which is also part of Spirit of B.C. Week, will be tinged with sadness as many mourn the loss of a stalwart in the community, Frank Sinclair, a faller killed in the bush earlier this week. Organizers did want to make sure that the event went on. A lot of planning has gone into it, and it's a mark of both the village of Gold River and the first nations, the Mowachaht-Much alaht.

The relationship between those communities has at times been strained. The Mowachaht-Muchalaht, whose traditional territory covers Nootka Sound and whose ancestors greeted Capt. James Cook at Yoquot, no longer live on the ocean but on a reserve on the edge of town. The village of Gold River itself recently marked its 40th birthday. It's had its good times, a prosperous mill, and its bad times when that mill closed. It's now looking at a renaissance with a new power plant. [1415] Perhaps a sign for the future of the village and for the other communities was br ought by the Lieutenant- Governor.

He recently visited Gold River Secondary School and had a tour of and lunch at Tsaxana. His message was clearly celebrating diversity, working towards reconciliation and building bridges.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9683 Over the last several months a group including the mayor, school board representatives, people from the reserve and young people has been working through the Centre for Innovative and Entrepreneurial Leader- ship to find ways for their communities to improve their relationships. The results have been described as invaluable, and everyone wants to build on what they've learned.

The first step, though, wa s to celebrate what they had — hence Saturday's brid ging communities day, where food, music, dance and sport will bring together p e o p l e f r o m b o t h s i d e s o f t h e r i v e r . I ' m h a p p y t o b e going to that event and invite others to join me and to work in their own way to bridge communities. ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND YOUTH J. Nuraney: I rise today to express concern about the relationship between ou r children and electronic devices. At a recent B.C. parent congress held by our hon. Minister of Education, we learned of very disturbing statistics.

By graduation, an average teen would have spent more time watching screens — be it television or computer — than in the classroom, playing sports or talking to their parents. Forty-eight percent of Canadian kids between the ages of eight and 15 have their own televisions, and 26 percent of them have their own computers hooked up to Internet. The average ti me spent daily using media by eight-to-18-year-olds is six hours and 21 minutes. Sixty percent of Canadian boys in grades 3 to 6 play video games almost every day.

It may be of interest to this House to know that one of the top video games for boys in grades 3 to 6 is Grand Theft Auto. While it is admirable that our children of today adapt very quickly to this technology, it is also alarming that without proper guidance and supervision, they can fall victims to the unscrupulous predators. As passive users, children utilize tools with no understanding of the concepts represented on the screen.

It is, therefore, important that they be taught to utilize this very effective tool to help them understand the relationship between real ideas and what is being represented on the screen. I cannot emphasize enough the responsibility of the parents and caregivers to supervise and direct the use of electronics in the lives of our children, not by penalizing but by nurturing. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and Solicitor General, has developed three guides about safety and the Internet for parents.

I strongly advise parents to avail themselves of this very important information. WOMEN'S MEMORIAL MARCH J. Kwan: At noon today at the corner of Main and Hastings, outside the Carnegie library, the Women's Memorial March was held. Every year for 17 years people from our community have gathered together in support of each other as we honour the lives of women who suffer or die from violence. As aboriginal leaders lead the march, they often sing the women's warrior song. As they march, they lay single red roses for each woman that has gone missing in the downtown east side.

It is no coincidence that this march is held on February 14, Valentine's Day, for each of these women is loved by someone some- where in our community. The solemn march is organized and led by women because many women, especially aboriginal women, face physical, mental, emotional and spiritual violence every day. We know that this has a long history. The first official recording of a woman missing from the downtown east s i d e w a s m a d e i n 1 9 7 8 . T o d a y w e k n o w t h a t t h e r e h a v e been at least 64 women who have gone missing, and all were probably murdered.

This is an overwhelming sense of loss and grief in our community. It is felt by families, friends and everyone in the community. No matter what charges are laid or what the courts decide, there is a continuing need for communities to come together to express the feeling of loss and grief and to remember all those who still are unaccounted for, whether in our cities or towns or on the highway of tears. Each year we gather to amplify the voices at the margins of life in order to renew our commitment to end violence against women.

We as public officials have an obligation to acknowledge the trauma that has been inflicted upon those women, their families, friends and our community. [1420] I stand here today to thank the organizers for creating this tradition, all the participants for joining together in this public expression of sorrow. I invite all m em bers of this Hou se to jo i n m e in reflecting on the issues which the women in our community face and which the Women's Memorial March raises, and to support these women to seek closure in these tragedies. Oral Questions GOVERNMENT ACTION ON MENTAL HEALTH BEDS D.

Chudnovsky: When Riverview was decommis- sioned, this government promised to build between 400 and 500 replacement mental health beds for Metro Vancouver. Here's what they have built: nine beds in Vancouver Coastal, 115 beds in Fraser Health. Since 2002, $41 million has sat in th e bank rather than going towards the new mental health facility it was intended for — $41 million untouched, when people are suffer- ing across the region. How can the Minister of Health justify these six years of inaction? Hon. G.

Abbott: It's richly ironic to hear from this member, who was certainly a supporter and, I'm sure, a member of the New Democratic Party — the New Democratic Party government that in the 1990s continued the process of deinstitutionalization without supports at Riverview. It was that former government in the 1990s that concluded that the mentally ill could live without sup-

9684 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 ports on the streets of the downtown east side. It was that former government that announced a $125 million mental health plan, and moments later the Health Min- ister of the day, Penny Priddy, announced there wasn't one penny to support that $125 million health plan. Our government has taken action since 2001. Not only did we fund the $125 million mental health plan; we have put forward $138 million towards community mental health facilities in regions all across this province. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. The member has a supplemental.

REPORT ON DECOMMISSIONING OF RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL D. Chudnovsky: I invite the minister to make that speech and to tell that to Debbie, whose son now, today, can't get the mental health services he needs in Terrace. He's been in and out of the courts and jail instead. I invite him to tell Elizabeth, who had to leave a hospital at the end of January to go live in her van. I invite him to tell that to the Vancouver police department, who have chronicled the mess that this government's mental health services are in, in this province today.

The government is going ahead with extensive plans to redevelop Riverview, even though a consultant's report on Riverview decommissioning has been kept secret. Will the Minister of Health release the secret report on Riverview decommissioning? Hon. G. Abbott: This member doesn't know what he's talking about. The beds that he references at Riverview for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority continue to be funded. They've been funded through the period. They continue to be funded. Vancouver Coastal Health has had a heck of a time trying to find locations.

They've looked at a hundred properties in Vancouver Coastal for replacement facili- ties for the Riverview beds. They have struggled with that. But I can tell you it's been a great success across the province, whether we're talking about Prince George or Terrace, as the member mentioned, or Kamloops or Kelowna or Victoria or other locations. The mentally ill now have community mental health beds and supports closer to home, unlike what that government did not do in the 1990s. [1425] Mr. Speaker: The member has a further supple- mental. D.

Chudnovsky: The people of the province see the results of this government's policies. The people of the province know there's a crisis in mental health services in this province, and no am ount of excuses from this minister can change the evidence that people see on the streets every day. By the way, hon. Speaker, the minister seems to have ignored the question, so I'll ask it again. Will the Minister of Health release the secret report on River- view decommissioning? Hon. G.

Abbott: If I was going to ask advice on how t o d e a l w i t h m e n t a l h e a l t h i s s u e s i n t h i s p r o v i n c e , t h a t group over there is the last group that I would contact. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Minister, you can continue now. Continue. Hon. G. Abbott: This group across the way, this group that deinstitutionalized without support, this group that had a $125 million mental health plan without a single penny appended to it…. They did very little. I can tell you, Mr.

Speake r , t h a t w e h a v e i n c r e a s e d the number of mental health beds in this province by 44 percent since 2001. We now have well over 7,000 mental health beds, and we've more than doubled the number of addiction treatment beds in this province — again, unlike the sorry record of the group across the way. PROPOSED TRANSLINK ROUTES IN COQUITLAM D. Thorne: We'll try that again. Yesterday we learned that according to TransLink, the ridership numbers in the Evergreen line business case include future residents of the proposed massive market-condo development on the Riverview site.

But TransLink's information is being disputed by a spokespe rson from the Ministry of Transportation. My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Who's wrong — his ministry spokesperson or his TransLink? Hon. K. Falcon: I'm not exactly sure what the point of the question was, to be perfectly honest with you. The fact of the matter is that TransLink… Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. K. Falcon: …has been working with the communities of the Tri-Cities to bring an Evergreen line up to the Tri-Cities. They've selected a route that the member should know all about. We've met with the community leaders.

We've said to the community leaders: "You've got 45 days to take a look at what the technology means for your communities and to come back with any recommendations, if you want any changes to the route." My understanding is they don't. They've been pretty clear about that, at least thus far. But I'm not going to prejudge any of the consultations they have with their communities. We will do something that is very different from what that group did when they

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9685 were in power, and that is when we say we're going to build something, we will get it built. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. D. Thorne: Perhaps I'll rephrase my question so that the Minister of Transportation can understand it better. There are two proposed routes being recommended by the Minister of Transportation. City councils in the Tri-Cities have been asked to do a 45-day consultation to decide which route would be the preference of the communities.

The communities, including the city councils, were not told that the numbers of riders projected for the southern route, which has now been added back into the mix, included projected residents of a developed Riverview site. They were not told. The mayor of Coquitlam did not know. I did not know. City councils across the region did not know. TransLink says yes, thos e numbers are included in the projected ridership for that proposed southern route. The Ministry of Transportation spokesperson says this is not true.

Those projected residents are not included. [1430] All I want to know, all the residents of Coquitlam and the political people on councils want to know from the Minister of Transporta tion is: who is telling the truth — the Ministry of Transportation or TransLink, both of which the minister controls? Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. K. Falcon: Well, I'll tell you what this Minister of Transportation would like to know. This Minister of Transportation would like to k n o w : d o t h e y s u p p o r t actually getting this Evergreen line built, or do they not? Because I can tell you…. Interjections. Hon.

K. Falcon: The member can fiddle around with what she thinks popula tion growth numbers on a proposed southeast corridor may or may not be. I was very clear when I met with the leaders of those com- munities. TransLink has actually spent a lot of time in consultation, working on th e northern route. I have said to them that…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Minister, just take your seat. We're going to listen to the question. We're going to listen to the answer. Please. Minister, continue. Hon. K. Falcon: We have met with the leaders of those communities.

We had a very good meeting, and I explained to them th at TransLink has done an e n o r m o u s a m o u n t o f p u b l i c c o n s u l t a t i o n a n d , i n f a c t , environmental work on the ro ute that they are actually proposing. We have no intention of shifting that route, but we asked the community for their feedback within 45 days. Whether they're proposed numbers that the member talks about…. Those are projections. You can project whatever kinds of numbers you want, but you'll never know what they are until you know what kind of zoning a community wants to undertake. What would be nice….

My ultimate dream, as it a l w a y s h a s b e e n i n t h i s H o u s e , i s t h a t j u s t o n c e — maybe just once — we will finally get the opposition taking a position on a majo r project underway in the province of British Columbia. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. M. Farnworth: What's clear, hon. Member, is that you are genetically incapable of answering a question. Let's be clear. We want the Evergreen line. We want SkyTrain. But what we want… Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. M.

Farnworth: …is communities to be able to do what the minister asked, which was to come back in 45 days with an informed answer and informed recommenda- tions. Crucial to that is knowing what the ridership numbers for the two routes are based on, because the numbers that are put out th ere are put out there by TransLink, which the minist er controls, and the other by his own ministry, which he controls. The question we have is: whose figures are right? Is it TransLink's figures that ar e right, or are the Ministry of Transportation's figures right when they say that they're not included?

The reas on this is important is because the projections from his own government, in terms of the numbers being built that they would like to see on this massive development, have increased from 7,000 now to 25,000. That's faster than the increase in the overrun of the convention centre. My question is really clear. Minister, whose figures are right? Is it TransLink sayi ng the right thing, or is it the Ministry of Transportation saying the right thing? Hon. K. Falcon: I know how difficult this could be for members of the opposition, because one thing they're not used to seeing is any kind of population growth.

When they were in power, they just saw people mov- ing the heck out of British Columbia. They're not used to rapid growth in communities, and I understand that. All those members have to do is actually look at what the business case does. The business case talks about potential population growth on both the lines. It does not include numbers on Riverview. They are ac- tually TransLink numbers that w e r e p r o v i d e d a s p a r t of the business case. [1435]

9686 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 I will say this. I am really pleased to hear that they are actually, apparently…. Now, this is today. This could change. They were against the Port Mann Bridge, and then all their MLAs, as soon as the leader said they were against it, were on the radio saying: "No. Actually, she didn't mean th at. We really actually sup- port it." But today, at least, we've heard in this House that they support the Evergreen line — apparently, provi- sionally — but that's a good start for a group that never takes a stand on anything. Mr.

Speaker: The member has a supplemental. M. Farnworth: What we get from the minister is that these are TransLink's numbers, and he didn't dispute those numbers. In other words, the TransLink numbers are right. In other words, the southern route numbers take into account a massive development proposal on the Riverview site. Interjection. M. Farnworth: That's what you just said, Minister. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. Just sit down for a second. Members, let's listen to the question and listen to the answer. Continue, Member. M.

Farnworth: From the heckling we get, he wants to say: "No, they're not." Well, he's got an opportunity to stand up here right now and once again tell this House. Who is right? Is it the TransLink figures that are right, or is it the Minister of Transportation's denial of those figures that is right? One of them is right, and one of them is wrong, and we want to know which one it is. The other thing we want to know is that whatever happens on the Riverview site — whether they want a 7,000-unit development or whether they want a 25,000- unit development — when the city of Coquitlam makes a decision….

If they vote and say, "We reject this pro- posal," will this government respect the decision made by the city of Coquitlam and the people of Coquitlam? The minister can answer two questions. Is it the TransLink figures that are right or his own ministry's figures that are right? Will he respect the decision by the city of Coquitlam? Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. K. Falcon: This is a most fascinating discus- sion for me. Am I actually hearing the members of the opposition now calling for the line to be moved to the southern route? Is that what they're calling for?

They're saying that they're now push ing for…. In spite of this fascinating discussion on what potential growth fig- ures may be on the southern line, we're actually talking about a northern route. Member, if you are calling for a southern route, stand up and say that in this House. I think that would be helpful to this discussion. As I've said before, we use the figures that were put forward in the business case through TransLink. River- view was not a specific consideration when they did their modelling. TRANSLINK BOARD REMUNERATION M.

Karagianis: The minister seems unable to answer that question about TransLin k, but I've got one that maybe he can answer. Will the minister confirm for us that TransLink last week gave themselves a 500 percent increase in salary at the taxpayers' expense? Hon. K. Falcon: What I can confirm is that a screen- ing panel led by former New Democratic Premier Mike Harcourt made recommendations to the board. The board had no options to vary those recommendations. The recommendations were that they were to be paid…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. K.

Falcon: Well, Members, I would think that you would show the former Premier the respect that I think he deserves. The recommendations…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Just take your seat. We're just waiting so I can hear. Members. Continue, Minister. Hon. K. Falcon: The recommendation was that the board be compensated in an amount that's equivalent to other authorities, like the Vancouver Fraser port authority and the Vancouve r Airport Authority.

The issue really is: is it appropriate compensation for the task we're asking them to do? [1440] Let's remind ourselves what we're asking this board to do: to oversee and execute the implementation of a $14 billion transportati on plan, the largest trans- portation plan in the history of the province of British Columbia. When we asked for the screening panel to go out and seek the best an d the brightest, they did a very able job in doing that under Mike Harcourt, and they have made recommendations to make sure they are compensated appropriately. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9687 M. Karagianis: I j u s t w a n t t o b e v e r y c l e a r h e r e . We've just had transit fares go up in the Greater Van- couver area to being the hi ghest transit fares anywhere in this country. Meanwhile, the Minister of Transporta- tion's handpicked board and handpicked screening panel, except for one member, have now voted for — a group of board members who all hold very high- paying jobs elsewhere — a fee of $1,200 every single time they meet. Every single time this board meets…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. M.

Karagianis: Every time this board meets, they can bill the taxpayers $1,200. And you know what, hon. Speaker? They can actually do that every single d a y , a n d t h e y d o n ' t e v e n h a v e t o a p p e a r i n p e r s o n . They can phone in to the meeting, and they still get to bill the taxpayers $1,200 each, every single time they meet. I would like to ask the minister: is this prudent use of transit fares and taxpayers' dollars? Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Member. Hon. K.

Falcon: One quick point before I answer the question, and that is th at the member is totally wrong and factually incorrect to suggest they're the highest fares in Canada. That is demonstrably a false statement, and I would hope that the member would stop repeating that information, because it's false. What I would like to point out is that I find it a little rich to get this lecture from the members oppo- site. One thing I do have is a recollection that there was a time…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Listen. Continue, Minister. Hon. K.

Falcon: I'm thinking fondly back to a time when there was, in fact, a current NDP mayor named Derek Corrigan who, when they were in government, they appointed as a part-time — n o w , a p a r t - t i m e , I give you — chair of B.C. Transit and paid him $120,000 a year. Yup. It gets worse, I'm sorry to say. What does he do? He also, as he's telling everyone to go green, leases himself a Saab 900 Turbo automobile. The NDP — even the NDP — had to get rid of this individual. But they, unfort unately, then paid $56,000 in severance to the same individual.

That's not the kind of leadership we're going to put on a board that's re- sponsible for billions of taxpayer dollars. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. AVAILABILITY OF BEDS AT ROYAL COLUMBIAN HOSPITAL C. Puchmayr: The crisis at Royal Columbian Hospi- tal has reached such a propor tion that the fire marshal has had to intervene due to overcrowding in the hall- ways. Cots and patients lined the hallways and were blocking the emergency exit. It is a deplorable situation. What will the minister do to ensure that this deplorable situation is resolved immediately? Hon. G. Abbott: The member's question….

I should begin by saying this. Royal Columbian Hospital has a very, very busy emergency department — in fact, the second busiest in the entire province of British Columbia. There are a lot of people who make their way through there. I do want to say to the nurses, the doctors, the residential care aides — all of those who are working tirelessly in Royal Columbian Hospital — thank you for what you've been doing. I want to thank them and salute them. During the past few…. Interjections. Hon. G. Abbott: You don't want to hear the an- swer? Mr. Speaker: Continue, Minister. [1445] Hon. G.

Abbott: During the past few days the very dedicated staff at Royal Columbian has not only been dealing with the regular flow of emergency patients. They have also been dealing with the outbreak of Norwalk virus in the Queen's Park Care Centre, which is adjacent to the emergenc y department and is often a referral agency for the department. They've been dealing with Norwalk at Ridge Meadows Hospital, and they've been dealing with Norwalk at residential care facilities around Royal Columbian Hospital.

This is an unfortunate situation, and I hope the member can recognize that the incidence of Norwalk virus has had a profound e ffect upon the ability to refer patients out of Royal Columbian emergency department. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. C. Puchmayr: The minister needs to get out to New Westminster and see that the Queen's Park Care facility isn't near Royal Columbian Hospital. It's a separate facility that is situated a few kilometres away. The situation at Royal Columbian Hospital is a situation that began after 2005 when this government tore down St.

Mary's Hospital, which used to be the overflow for this type of crisis. It's not only the firefigh ters that are sounding the alarm. It's the paramedics a s w e l l . A m b u l a n c e s a r e parked in the parking lot taking up the space. Patients

9688 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 are waiting inside the ambulance. The ambulances are not able to be redispatched into the field because of it. Will the Minister of Health take leadership and resolve this crisis now, before more lives are put at risk? Hon. G. Abbott: Well, I'll begin by advising the members that St. Mary's never had an emergency department. They were doing no emergency work at St. Mary's at the time of closure or before the closure.

I should also note for the member's benefit that the Fraser Health Authority has been working tirelessly to ensure that they have the resources to deal with a growing population in the Fr aser Health Authority. In fact, after the decade of the 1990s when we saw over 3,300 hospital beds cut in the province of British Columbia, today we have 8 percent more acute care beds in Fraser Health Authority than we did in 2001 w h e n w e t o o k o f f i c e .

W e h a v e a t h o u s a n d m o r e r e s i - dential care and assisted-living beds today in Fraser Health than we did in 2001, and we have hundreds more mental health and addiction beds in Fraser Health than we had when we took office. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. GOVERNMENT ACTION ON FOREST WORKER SAFETY C. Trevena: Mr. Speaker, the village of Gold River is in mourning because another forest worker lost his life on the job. On Tuesday Frank Sinclair, who was an experienced faller, went to work in the bush and didn't return home.

The Auditor General and the Premier's own forest safety ombudsman have both called on the govern- ment to invest in safety fo r our forest workers. But the Minister of Forests says it's too expensive. My question is to the Minister of Labour and Citizens' Services. Since the Minister of Forests has refused to show any leadership, will she commit to have her ministry take the lead role in addressing forest worker safety? Hon. O. Ilich: First of all, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Sinclair. We are always concerned with the death of any worker.

What I can tell the House is that WorkSafe is on site. They have sent an investigator to Gold River, and we're working with local authorities to determine the cause of this tragic accident. WorkSafe will continue to do what it can to make sure that any reports and help are given to the family. SAFETY OF BAMFIELD ROAD S. Fraser: My question is about accidents that may be about to happen. I've raised the issue of the safety of the Bamfield road a number of times with the Minister of Transportation, and rece ntly the B.C. safety om- budsman report affirms what I have been demanding. Fix the road. Make it safe.

The Minister of Forests rejected the ombudsman's report. Does the Minister of Transportation agree with the Minister of Forests that it is unnecessary for us to address road safety issues in the forest? [1450] Hon. K. Falcon: I can certainly speak with some knowledge on the Bamfield road, which is the core of the member opposite's question. The member knows that this is a logging road and that we have an agreement with the forest companies.

In fact, we provide $200,000 a year as a contribution towards the upkeep of the road, to provide some level of mainte- nance for the small amount of public that utilizes the road. I think there was an issue of the deterioration of the road during the strike. There wasn't the usual work that was going on. My understanding is that they're finalizing some plans now to get that road back into condition and back into shape for the folks that use it. [End of question period.] Orders of the Day Hon. M. de Jong: I call continued debate on the throne speech. Throne Speech Debate (continued) D.

Jarvis: When I left off this morning, I was dis- cussing how this government was listening to my constituents and their concer ns with regards to…. We had discussed community safety, greenhouse gases, the greening of North Vancouver in the schools and literacy in schools and in Cap College. [H. Bloy in the chair.] With respect to seniors, th is throne speech addresses several innovative programs that benefit our seniors. In the past year this government has definitely shown its commitment to senior citizens and to their future.

As of January 1, 2008, changes to the human rights legislation will allow employees to choose when they want to retire. This will not only have huge implications for senior citi- zens who wish to continuing their working careers, but it will also contribute to B.C.'s growing economy. Last year we celebrated the opening of phase 1 of the remodelled Lynn Valley Care Centre, which is a campus of care for the seniors on the North Shore. In the first phase a total of 14 units — being four one- bedroom couples units, eight single one-bedroom units and two studios — were built.

Once the second phase is completed this year, we'll have a total of 29 subsi- dized assisted-living units and 139 complex care beds. These kinds of initiatives will keep our seniors that are aging within our own community, with the kind of

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9689 support that they require to lead the most productive and healthy lives possible. Lynn Valley Care is an example of the kind of success that we can achieve when government, the private sector and different governments and agencies partner together to solve our collective problems. With respect to children and youth in North Vancou- ver and the shores, we marked yet another success earlier in January with the North Shore safe house, which was reopened. This government made a commitment for two long-term transition beds fo r the homeless youth.

This was also made possible with the help of the federal government, who originally closed the unit and who originally funded the project, plus a large donation by a West Vancouver family. The North Shore Youth Safe House was able to reopen after its closure in 2006, as I said, partially due to the $125,000 commitment of this provincial government.

The home will provide a four-bed emergency shelter and two transitional beds, a supportive housing unit for youth that will greatly benefit homeless youth in the district of North Vancouver and North Vancouver– Seymour and more — in fact, all the way up the Sunshine Coast and up the Sea to Sky corridor to Whistler. I thank the Minister of Children and Families and his staff for the support and help. [1455] It's imperative that I also address the issue of child- hood obesity.

A current study revealed that childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate, turning the problem into almost a crisis, as was noted in the throne speech. I believe that through continued encouragement of healthy living, we can come together and solve this problem. Initiatives such as encouraging children to walk to school rather than riding the bus, more exercise and team sports in the schools — which is really needed, other than the way they've had it in previous years — and increased access to gym time will move us in the right direction.

I also sat on the Health Committee for child obesity, and the walking train mentioned in the throne speech was certainly paramount in the committee's findings. This government has listened to us again. I live near an elementary school, and it's actually quite amazing to watch the parents drive their children to school nowadays. The school is at an end of a cul-de- sac in my area, and this cul-de-sac is approximately 120 feet long. The parents will sit in their cars and wait five to ten minutes so that they can inch their way up through the cul-de-sac, and there's such a traffic jam.

It just blows my mind, the fact that they just don't let their children get out and wa lk when it's safe. The walking trains and the bicycle routes situation will probably solve that purpose. At least they should be giving it a try. With respect to transportation, on January 14 the province of B.C. unveiled a 12-year, $14 million public transit plan to be completed by 2020. I'm pleased to say that this much-needed inve stment in transportation will address many of the tr ansportation issues. There are always issues out there that would bring that to my specific attention.

Transportation for the entire North Shore is always way up there on my radar. You can ask any Minister of Transportation who has heard my speeches and requests for this matter. I continue to ask the government to help us with our complex transportation needs. We are a hilly com- munity divided by ravines. Any of you who have had the pleasure of visiting North Vancouver–Seymour can attest that we are also at the mercy of two extremely busy provincial bridges. Ask any North Shore resident what happens when there's an accident on either bridge or their approaches, as it happens more often than not.

Residents will be very happy to tell you how long they sat going nowhere. It has almost become a rite of passage to say: "That was nothing. Let me tell you how long I was stuck and missed my flight or missed my meeting or missed my next birthday." They may be humour-filled stories in retrospect, but no one wants to hear su ch stories during 2010. No one wants to hear "I missed the downhill" or "I missed the closing ceremonies." Anyway, we are also happy to hear and see that we will be getting some new buses over on the North Shore. It's tough on buses, because they're going up and down hills.

You people that live in the flatlands don't appreciate how much wear and tear the buses go through. I hope we can look forward to more, and we certainly deserve schedules that will be of assistance to my constituency, which is spread out across the riding from Lonsdale right up into Deep Cove and up Indian Arm. One other transportation issue is our aging SeaBus fleet. We need to know that if one breaks down, we are not going to be in commuter gridlock. Currently two exist that were built in 1975, but they're getting old and very dicey. They've had a few breakdowns in the last little while.

The minister has suggested that one will be ready by 2009, so I would encourage him to push that up even further, if possible. [1500] An offshoot of suffering from gridlock on a regular basis is that the Seymour area of my community can be isolated for emergency servic es. I hope to have this problem solved, possibly with the help of some of our private sectors, which have come forward and offered land to help the issue. The private sector businesses also understand this issue. That's why they're there and hope to resolve the problem.

In conclusion, I want to say that I am honoured to have been presented with the opportunity to respond to this throne speech today, in the 38th parliamentary ses- sion. I know that this government hears and understands the needs of people in North Vancouver–Seymour, and I look forward to another year of working in partnership with them. To paraphrase the Rolling Stones: "You can't always get what you want. Sometimes you find out you get what you need." I will be supporting this throne speech of 2008. G. Gentner: I rise on this important day relative to addressing the throne speech. Above all, because it's St.

9690 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 Valentine's Day, I wish everybody all the love in the world. Hopefully, it can permeate these walls, throughout the hallways today. Make sure you say, "All the best," to your loved ones. In my community of North Delta…. What is of major concern to me relative to the Speech from the Throne is that there doesn't seem to be any direction relative to the economy. I have to relate to you what my community is about. My community is working people.

Basically, we are known as the most average community in British Columbia — the average salary that's brought in and the av erage amount of time that stays in a community, 19 years. The issues I hear on my doorstep are pocketbook issues. People come in ta lking about hydro rates; increases to utility fees, doctor fees, dentist fees; higher ferry fees. We're hearing about TransLink and the increased fees there to go to work every day. For me, these are the issues that I don't see any major address on in the Speech from the Throne.

Maybe we'll hear more about it in the budget, but it seems to me that when it comes down to working people every day, they seem to be getting gouged day by day. They're getting hit by more and more user fees. For me and my community, this is probably the most important issue that the government, I feel, has failed to address. I also have to talk briefly about the most important issue. That's the transportati on issue that's hitting my community. That is the South Fraser perimeter road. It has been talked about many times in previous throne speeches, and it's alluded to in this one.

We hear about what the government is planning to do with transit, perhaps adding a SkyTrain expansion — for example, the UBC line. The minister admitted that there would be an attempt, not to do a cut-and- cover, as we saw along the Cambie line…. In fact, there will be a use of tunnelling — the use of the machine, the great mole. Yet in my community the South Fraser perimeter road is being proposed. My community, my neighbourhood, that of the Sunbury residents association, has made it very clear. Why couldn't we do the same in my neighbourhood, in my community?

Because this $2 billion road is going to have a major impact — not only on the environment, the riparian habitat along the rivers, Burns Bog and the farmland but on the neighbourhood itself. Reading the throne speech, I don't see that commitment, and I have to get it on the record that it's a major concern within my community. This throne speech has been referred to by many as the kitchen sink. It's a catch-all basin of every- thing, regurgitated, I think, either from previous throne speeches or unfulfill ed or old borrowed ideas from neoconservative platforms from elsewhere.

Two aspects of the throne speech that I take issue with are the government's two major issues, here called "Smart Starts with the Environment" and "Smart Means…Sustainable Health Delivery." [1505] Early in the speech…. "This session all members will be asked to build on the record of stewardship with new conservancies an d parks envisioned in approved land use plans." Oh, to build on the record of stewardship, of conservancies and land use plans.

So much hope has been captured before, and the word is "sustainability." We are waiting for a plan regarding greenhouse gas emissions, air quality improvements, reduction of carbon intensity caused by motor vehicles. But what about sus- tainable growth, the mechanism that can deter sprawling growth? What about the retention of ecosystems that sequester carbon, a fundamental part of the climate change plan equation itself? That has not been elaborated in detail in the throne speech. When you look at the tran sportation policy, it is clear what this government's real agenda is.

There's no better place to study it than right in my own commu- nity of North Delta itself — the imposed growth created by this government on our farmland, on our ecosystems and on our economy. All the rhetoric regarding curbing carbon really, to this government, is a hill of coal if the government has a policy of building freeways that expand the carbon footprint. The Liberal government's South Fraser perimeter road comes to mind. It will destroy farmland.

It will destroy 240 acres of some of the prime, best farm- land this province has to offer — a gateway project that will not reduce carbon but will increase it. Air emission controls will hit the little guy, going to work every day, with more taxes. But what will the government do about all the ships out in the harbours, all the bunker fuel that's being spewed, all the indus- trial pollution? I guess we're going to have to wait for the Minister of Environment' s bill to fully understand how serious they are regarding curbing carbon. The South Fraser perimeter road is so green that Environment Canada condemned it.

Clearly, the Lib- eral government's climate change bill is a farce. The Transportation Minister's insistence on plowing the South Fraser perimeter road right through Burns Bog flies in the face of reducing the lower mainland's carbon footprint. Burns Bog sequesters carbon, and this gov- ernment doesn't really care. I remember well the day fo ur levels of government converged in order to sign a memorandum of agreement on the purchase of Burns Bog and a conservation cove- nant that would commit all partners to the maintenance of the ecosystem's viability. We were all buoyed.

The community had worked so hard, and finally, Burns Bog was protected. I remember it well because I was part of the negotiating team, but today is a black day for the bog and the trust of a provincial government that has lost its way. It seems that the carb on-spewing zealots will stop at nothing on that side of the Legislature. In a recent publicly released letter from Environ- ment Canada, the federal government environment agency came down hard on the Transportation Minis- ter's plan for pushing South Fraser perimeter road through Burns Bog.

The letter stated that the province should consider scrapping its proposal and find an alternate route. What is of great concern is that, regard- less of these warnings of environment degradation, the

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9691 provincial Ministry of Tran sportation, assisted by the Ministry of Environment, plans to go ahead. There's no stopping this government and its design to destroy the Fraser Estuary. Last month the Minister of Transportation requested an extension to review, in order that it can rationalize its further destruction of the bog. The Environment Canada letter is clear, and the technical review is overwhelming, but the Liberal government has already committed to acquiring land for its fixed route before the science has been con- cluded.

Smog is a Liberal touch in this case. In the early years of its first mandate the Liberal government compromised the provincial environ- mental assessment office, but that compromise should not taint a partnership that includes environmental stewardship shared by Canada, B.C., Metro Vancouver and the community of Delta. Thank heavens the fed- eral environment regulator still has some sense and integrity. Environment Canada did not mince words. "If the highway is built…there are very serious risks of nega- tive impacts on bog hydrology." The message is clear.

South Fraser perimeter road will compromise hydrol- ogy and will adversely affect natural unique bog amenities such as plants, wildlife and habitat. [1510] We all know that bogs are a huge contributor as a scrubber of carbon. It has been referred to by the experts as the lungs of the lower mainland. In its technical re- view Environment Canada st ated that Burns Bog can only exist with a sustainable, non-compromised transi- tion zone, often referred to as the lagg. It is in this area where the province is proposing the freeway.

In its technical appendix, "Environmental Assessment of South Fraser Perimeter Road," Environment Canada stated, "In

summary, Environment Canada believes that the value of the bog is seriously compromised…. There is presently no evidence that the multiple functions…of a natural lagg, including its unique ecological characteris- tics, can be replaced by an engineered structure" such as South Fraser perimeter road — page 7. The province's proposal is deficient, and clearly, Environment Canada does not accept the Liberal carbon- enhancing project. Long-term viability of Burns Bog is put at considerable risk by the project.

Environment Canada went on to say that should the South Fraser perimeter road proceed as currently proposed, it is con- cerned that the project will "compromise the ability" of Metro Vancouver and its partners to meet their commit- ments under that covenant, which his government signed, "including restoring the bog in accordance with the recently approved Burns Bog ecological conservancy area management plan." The B.C. Liberals have a tradition of disregarding contractual obligations and ac tions on this project.

It will show not only its contempt for the environment but disdain for local and regional governments who have bought into the plan for protection of the bog. Gateway's executive director, Mike Proudfoot, has been assigned as Assistant Deputy Minister of Transportation, a clear indica tion that the Minister of Transportation will contin ue with his concerns and his bully-like tactics in destroying Burns Bog. Hon. K. Falcon: You were going to pave the thingy. G. Gentner: You will pave it. Deputy Speaker: Member. Interjections. Deputy Speaker: Members, please allow the speaker to respond to the throne speech.

All members will have an opportunity to respond and express their own opinions. Thank you. Please continue, Member. G. Gentner: The Liberals' currently designed South Fraser perimeter road will not only result in the release of more carbon but will destroy hundreds of acres of farmland, compromise valuable ecosystems, impact residential areas and destroy valuable riparian habitats along the world's most productive salmon-bearing river, the Fraser River itself. The Liberal climate change agenda is clearly smoke and mirrors — mirrors and smoke.

We on this side are going to pick the Liberal climate change promise apart bit by bit. The carbon prom ise will burn, fume, and it will smoulder. I want to turn my attention to health, specifically those aspects within the throne speech that deal with seniors' health. Older Brit ish Columbians are not a burden. They have worked hard to build this province into a modern and compassionate society. They've sur- vived the Depression.

Many more wore our country's uniform during war, while many more worked in factories and industry for the war effort, scraping by so that today we can have a decent, caring world in British Columbia. They paid their fair share of taxes, and they continue to do so today. They are a continuing source of wisdom, experience and talent. In British Columbia we cherish our universal public health care system. In repeated surveys and opinion polls, support for medicare is reaffirmed as a funda- mental value.

Our system, fo r the most part, provides universal access to quality care for all regardless of wealth, social status or ot her barriers. Sadly, this universality and equality of acute care beds ends for seniors at the doors of long-term care facilities. Too often long-term care is not available for seniors who need it most. Unfortunately, long-term care is not included in the Canada Health Act. [1515] The Premier boasts about his relationship with the federal government. The Premier brags about his rela- tionship with the Prime Mi nister.

He brags about his new program for seniors, but where has he been dur- ing Premiers' conferences? Where has he been when it comes to demanding from the federal government the insurance of universal health care for all seniors? Where has he been with the need for facilities and

9692 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 places for seniors that will, in the end, bring down the costs of hospital care? I raise this because it's not in the throne speech. Ironically, if a frail and elderly person receives medically necessary services in a hospital, those are provided from the public purse. Yet the same person receiving essen- tially the same service in a long-term care facility must pay for it out of pocket. Our system is failing to provide thousands of older British Columbians with the affordable care they deserve.

The government brags about the so-called increase in for-profit long-term care facilities. We also have a growing elderly immigrant population. Many suffer from language and culture barriers. Providing appro- priate care for these seniors sometimes is a challenge. Many worked in low-wage industries and are now doubly disadvantaged by a long-term care system that favours the wealthy. I have to commend the progressive intercultural community which works in my community and demon- strated what it can do for the elderly. It's located on Scott Road. I have to commend Mr .

Charan Gill and Inderjit Gill for the wonderful work they have done to be able to provide long-term care service for their community. Interjection. G. Gentner: It's our money — our money, Mr. Speaker. It's the province of British Columbia's money, and we need more money in this province to deal with the burgeoning problem of provision of long-term health care for the seniors that need it most. In Canada 19 percent of unattached female seniors fall below the low-income cut-off level, now known as the poverty line.

When you consider the higher standards of living in British Columbia, low-income senior women are extremely vulnerable. Ab out another 20 percent of seniors are hovering just below the poverty line. Close to 40 percent of seniors in the province are trying to get by with as little means as possible, and we have a government that doesn't care. There was promise when this government was elected in 2001. The Liberals promised 5,000 new long-term care beds. But boy, four years later how that definition of beds has changed.

In the 2005 throne speech the gov- ernment was committed to the goal of 5,000 new beds for seniors across the spectrum of assisted living, residential care and independent housing. That's a new shot, a new change. The Liberal government originally pledged to build 5,000 long-term beds by 2006, but they came short. Suddenly the government says it will be accomplished by the end of 2008, five months before the election. Oh, but they are a sneaky bunch — a conniving group who are fabricating numbers in order to cover themselves. The throne speech has abandoned that promise.

Lo and behold, the Liberals are not talking about long- term beds anymore. They're talking about units. The new head count, in order to make its posturing, is the meshing of long-term beds with units. It's tricky stuff, this mathematics. The addition table would turn Stephen Hawking's quantum gravity upside down. Let's see. How does this arithmetic work? One plus one equals ten? No, that's not enough by 2009. Let's say ten plus ten equals 300. Yes, we'll put a new door handle over here and call it a new unit. We'll paint an old suite for the home- less and call it seniors supportive housing.

You know how it works, Mr. Speaker — the melding of the minds. We have a debate, perhaps in cabinet with the Minister of Health and the Minister Responsible for Housing. They'll get together and try and figure out a way to deal with this problem. They'll say such things as, "We'll count the suites," though they are intended for the homeless, but there's a chance that that occupant can be a senior. So they'll call that a senior long-term care bed.

You see, it all comes down to the word "potential." Perhaps the Minister of Health will reason that because a unit might be occupied by a senior in ten years, it therefore should count, as well, as one of those magical 5,000 beds the government has promised. Perhaps the Minister fo r Housing on the other side…. He's a shrewd bookkeeper indeed. He's a little smarter. After all, he has a calculator, something that the minister responsible for the Vancouver convention cen- tre wished he'd had. Well, this clever fellow has figured it out. He knows his Liberal algebra.

He reasons that it's not a question of whether every unit or bed, old or new, might be occupied by a senior, but that most occupants have the potential of reaching 65 years. [1520] His clipboard colleague from Health concedes that this is clever math, but he suggests one additional adden- dum.

He not only knows his math, but he knows his Health portfolio and says: "T he way our health care is going, let's make the age for eligibility for seniors 55, and then we can pretty much say that all occupants are poten- tial senior units." They agree, and now we know how the Liberals got their 1,500 long-term beds to 5,000 units. Now, I'm not m ak ing this up. C learly , the goal was 5,000 long-term beds. But the government, in its previ- ous throne speech, has chan ged its political language and has committed to create 5,000 beds and units. It's funny what happens when you change the language.

Assisted-living units are now part of the Liberal formula to build 5,000 long-term care beds. And what's more, when you read the government advertisement, it counts both upgraded units and seniors independently living in their own houses as part of the total of more than 3,600 new units. In a recent eight-page insert in The Vancouver Sun this is what the government is peddling. So new units are living in your own home. You live in your own home and Meals on Wheels delivers once a week. That, in the government's mind, with its own math, counts most likely as a long-term bed/unit.

I'm sorry to say that it's all a bunch of bunk. But we'll wait for the figures before we get to the election. I'm sure it will be beefed up. Part of the government's 5,000-bed commitment includes language that surrounds revitalization of facilities. So-called revitalized facilities or units are counted as new. The government, in its devious means,

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9693 is counting old as new. An upgrade with a little upkeep or paint — something that years ago was marked on the ledger as general maintenance — now, surprisingly, under Liberal bookkeeping means any improvement is counted as a new capital project. A long-term bed now is not just a bed in a care facility. It's counted with the independent unit as well. It's so dreamlike that you can see how the Liberal cabinet members came up with the numbers. Maybe they turn off the lights, and they sit around with a can- dle flickering, maybe a Ouija board.

On one side you've got a celestial struggle erupting between the chief clairvoyant…. He's probably the member from Point Grey. Then you've got the member for Shuswap. He's maybe the genie and just came out of the bottle. They create something called political numerology, a divine relationship between numbers and objects. In this case, the number 5,000 and beds. This is what was in the previous throne speech. But why from the promise years ago of 5,000 beds to today's units? This throne speech has a message. It's truly tele- pathic, or perhaps, maybe, it's just pathetic.

It's pathetic because the government has abandoned its commit- ment. Only a Liberal government would twist the facts that beds, units and even homes are lumped together as 5,000 long-term care bed commitments. Let's look at the record. The government promised to privatize B.C. Rail. They tried hard, but they couldn't. They couldn't sell the land out by Delta. I think there's a little problem with that one. Something got in the way. The 2007 throne speech took up 14 pages on climate change. "The science is real," it said. "It leaves no room for procrastination.

Global warming is real." Did we get a budget to assist it? Nada. Nothing. Speaking of vows, after al l, isn't that what this throne speech is supposed to be — a set of goals? But where is the commitment? Where is the execution? Where are the results? The Premier four years ago vowed to make B.C. the most literate place on the conti- nent, but according to the Auditor General, the Premier has failed the province. Originally, the Premier committed to making B.C. the most literate location in North America by 2010. But they co uldn't make that number, so they're now changing it to 2015.

It's similar to that shaman science practice, similar to that of putting numbers together with long-term beds. It's the same thing with the promise of reducing injury and death in the forestry sector. It hasn't happened. Same thing with the tree-planting, the promise to fight climate change by replanting forested landscapes. Grossly under budget. Gross lack of reforestation in a planting structure. No mention of the government's commitment of 5,000 long-term beds in the throne speech. Why is that?

The high price inserts still peddle the notion, but not in this throne speech. [1525] But there is something in the throne speech regard- ing seniors, so let's look at that. What's suddenly changing here? Could it be that the spin doctors, the mathematicians realize the numbers don't add up after all, and they could get caught? No. What they've done, knowing they can't fulfil the bed count…. It's no longer a health issue or a housing issue. It's a Minister of Finance issue, who's going to now give us some hope — not more public financing but a scheme for personal saving accounts. That's right.

You pay taxes all your life, but what the Liberals are proposing is that that's not enough. We'll give tax breaks to the corporations, but you're now going to be forced…. If you want any type of long-term care home or care at all, you are now going to have to invest in what the government's calling an independent living savings account program — a tax shelter for the rich. The Liberal government's personal health savings account scheme plays on th e fears that all British Columbians face when they age: retaining your inde- pendence for as long as you can. Independence is the key to self-esteem.

They want self-respect and the ability to maintain their dignity and autonomy. Crafting a health savings account under the guise of independent living implies dignity for the elderly can only be obtained if you are rich enough to pay into a tax-sheltered account. Personal health saving accounts are not for the poor, and it's unlikely they're affordable for the working peo- ple. With this escalating cost of living expenses from user fees, utility fees, hydro fees, etc., there is less and less that British Columbians have in the ability to save to address their day-to-day needs.

For most middle-class British Columbians, the largest and most prosperous investment is in their own homes, although mortgage payments account for close to 40 percent of many British Columbians' monthly costs. Many homeowners envision a luxury of mortgage-free senior years and bank on a high real estate return as insurance to defray higher care costs due to aging. For many mortgage holders, funding additional plans such as RRSPs and mutual funds is already difficult to manage. For the non-indebted homeowner or renter, RRSPs can offer savings and opportunities for senior years.

However, to expect an additional burden…. British Columbians must now find the additional money for personal health savings accounts. That will be a tenuous undertaking for most people. Now, the details surrounding this wealthy Liberal tax shelter are sketchy, and we will have to wait and see what the act will look like. We know what the per- sonal health accounts look like in the United States. They're set up because there is no public medical system. These accounts are a precur sor to higher deductible premiums. That is the history of medical tax shelters.

The introduction of heal th savings accounts will challenge the belief that health care costs are a shared responsibility rather than a burden to be borne by an unwell individual. You know, it's really going to be too bad if you're ill when you get old, because if you haven't had the fortune to invest in this tax shelter, you're going to be left out in the cold. Withdrawals from the personal health savings accounts will be tax-free if used to pay for qualified medical expenses. Will those who can afford to pay

9694 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 into the accounts have better access to drugs than those who cannot afford to pay into them? Will account funds cover expenses related to most forms of medi- care, disability, dental care, vision care, long-term care? Will non-account participants be afforded the same vision care or long-term care as those who paid and received a tax receipt under the personal savings account? This is a major change for our medical system. Like an RRSP, will the government guarantee it from bad investments?

If the middle class became reliant on personal health accounts as the catch basin for senior health care, there is a risk that an account holder may find that their medical expenses out- stripped the contributions they could afford to make, and what then? The throne speech talks ab out individual choice. Indi- vidual choice means private medicine, and heaven help us what it will mean when we reach our twilight years. [1530] In closing, let's talk very briefly about what the experts say about medical savings accounts.

I have a report here from the prestigious Canadian Medical Association, a report put forward by the department of community health sciences, faculty of medicine, Uni- versity of Manitoba; and, of course, the department of health policy, management and evaluation of the faculty of medicine, University of Toronto.

"Medical savings accounts will not save money but will instead, under most formulations, lead to an increase in spending on the healthiest members of the population." It goes on to suggest in its conclusion: "Our results suggest th at MSAs will not save money but will instead, under most formulations, lead to an increase in spending on the healthiest members of the population. MSAs may indeed be able to increase access and choice , but they will do so by driving up costs, with little attention to the appropri- ateness or health benefits of this increased spending.

When one adds to the mix concerns about equity and im- plications for preventive care, medical savings accounts have very little to recommend. It is past time that they were buried." The example of the United States has made it very clear why we should not be moving in this direction, and I know that it's a major election plank there. The Conservatives in Alberta are going to privatize medicine, and how they're going to do it is to force seniors to pay through their pocketbooks. It's been a pleasure to speak here. J.

Nuraney: I have, once again, the honour to respond to the throne speech, as I have done in the past several years. Before I start with my remarks, I would like to address some of the things that the member for Delta North was talking about. He took quite a bit of time talking about Burns Bog but forgot to mention that when his government was in power, they wanted to pave that place and put the PNE on top of it. Isn't it strange that today that member has the audacity to stand in this House and talk about Burns Bog and how we, this government, protected Burns Bog in the interests of the environment?

The member also spoke about how Canadians sur- vived the Depression. Canadians are very resilient. They also survived the doom and gloom of the '90s, when that government was in power. He also talked about and took a lot of time talking about the long-term care facilities. Let me remind the member that when we became government in 2001, I visited quite a lot of those long-term care homes, which were in a totally deplorable condition. The seniors who were living in those homes had no access by wheelchair. Their bathrooms were of an old style. They could not use the tubs.

The conditions that we found the seniors living in, in those homes were absolutely deplorable. The member from North Delta has forgotten all of that. However, since we got elected in 2001, we have continuously shown vision and leadership in our commitments in the throne speeches. What we have seen in this speech is a continuous process, a consistency, a flow of commitments that are built one over the other. In 2001, when we formed government, there was an air of despondency, and people were leaving our prov- ince to seek opportunities outside.

Families were bro- ken up, unemployment was very high, and one out of ten British Columbians was on welfare. [1535] Today I'm proud to say that we, this government, have turned this province around. Today we enjoy the highest level of investments. Today we enjoy the lowest rate of unemployment. Today we see increased immi- gration into the province. Today we see our children get more and better opportunities in education. Today we see British Columbia becoming a hub of the high-tech industries, and today we see hope and renewed aspirations among our citizens. All this has not happened by chance.

Our government set the course and constructed a plan to bring about this change. We have been consistent in our approach and commitment. This resulted in bringing back the confi- dence needed to develop economic growth. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that we can only spend what we have. As our economy im- proved, so did our revenues. We now have the ability to invest in matters we consider important. We have now invested the most dollars ever in health care. We have also invested the most dollars ever in education. We have now also invested more in transportation than ever before.

Our investments in social programs have never been better. This throne speech builds further as we move for- ward. We will be hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010, and this has created enormous excitement in my com- munity in Burnaby. Young athletes are now dreaming about participating in events. For the first time, our government came up with the idea of leaving legacies for the benefit of the communities, a concept that is becoming a model to emulate for other nations and by other nations who will be holding Olympic events in the future. The economic benefits this event will bring to our province are enormous.

Many of my Burnaby business

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9695 people and entrepreneurs ar e actively working to be part of this great opportunity. The celebration of the 150th anniversary will also mark a milestone. It will be an occasion to celebrate the accomplishments of our province and showcase the diversity of our citizens, including the first nations people. Our history, unfortunately, is studded with injustices meted out to aboriginal people in the past. This government has taken the courageous step of trying to remedy that situation.

The building of the new relationship with first nations has been very successful and has resulted in concluding half a dozen treaties. This exercise will continue to allow the people of first nations to take charge of their own destiny. Creative and innovative methods are being found to address some pressing problems with the children and families of this community. A healing and wellness village will be established as a place of healing for those suffering from trauma, addiction and mental illness. It is time that we look at these problems through the lenses of the aboriginal people.

As the world moves to the age of technology and globalization, we must also adapt ourselves to a life- style in keeping with the changes. Climate change has become the top of mind issue among one and all. Our government has taken leadership and has taken deci- sive action.

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act now requires us to reduce greenhouse emissions by 33 percent from the 2007 levels by 2020 and by 80 percent by the year 2050. [1540] Whilst the government is putting legislation in place and encouraging business and industry to come to the table in finding solutions, we as individual citizens must also play our role. Individual and community engage- ment in this process is essential. To encourage individu- als to become smarter in conservation, government will offer tools to monitor consumption by installing things like Power Smart meters.

We are also in the process of developing building codes which will establish and construct very efficient buildings. The innovative clean energy fund will help create 100,000 solar roofs in British Columbia and build on the expertise in solar technology. BCIT, an institute of great pride in my riding, is well ahead in the devel- opment of this technology. Changing temperatures an d precipitation patterns are already affecting our weather, water, water cycle and ecology. This impacts our forests, ecosystems, water levels, infrastructure, agriculture industry and recreational opportunities.

Our government is moving forward to plan for such impending disasters. The government in the past never had any foresight to develop any plan in anticipation of future needs. The classic example we have is in our health care. The pre- vious government had ten years and were warned about the upcoming aging population that will be there with us after the year 2000, but the previous govern- ment never, ever exercised any caution or implemented any plan to meet the crisis that we are now burdened with.

Our government is thinking well beyond the coming decade and will be launching the Forests for Tomorrow program, which will help plant 60 million seedlings over the next four years. Sustainability of health care continues to offer chal- lenges. Our government will implement new initiatives which will allow citizens to gain access to their health records and medical information so that they can play a n i n f o r m e d r o l e i n m a k i n g b o t h p r e v e n t a t i v e a n d therapeutic care choices. More investments will be made in research on dis- eases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and strokes.

Our universities are world leaders in such research centres. In British Columbia we have attracted more scientists in the past five years in different fields of research, as government invests more dollars in this sector. Hip replacements have become a major need in our aging population, and new investments in the centre for hip health research will be undertaken. The Fall Prevention Society of Burnaby is doing an excellent job in this regard in educating our seniors to avoid falls and to protect themselves against such incidents.

The establishment of seniors community parks will be of great help in making our seniors active. The health of our children is a major concern. In this regard ActNow has unde rtaken various initiatives to encourage our youth to be active. Schools have undertaken many programs in this regard, and the elimination of junk food and the changing of eating habits have contributed greatly towards achieving our goal of a healthy society. Accreditation of foreign-tr ained doctors has been an issue plaguing our new immigrants.

This government will now seek authority to ensure that health professionals also are certified to practise in this province. If they're already approved and certified in other Canadian jurisdic- tions, they will automatically be able to practise their profession in British Columbia. A new restricted licence will also allow internationally trained physicians to prac- tise in their specific area of qualification.

A shorter period for bachelor of nursing science degrees will greatly enhance the number of medical professionals who will enter the work force sooner, as we need more and more of these health care workers to join forces. [1545] The United Kingdom, a couple of years ago, imple- mented the practice of allowing qualified nurses to triage patients, and this helped considerably to reduce wait times at emergencies. The expanded scope of practice for nurses will be very beneficial.

The other aspect that our government is very keen on and has been addressing for the past few years is our challenges in dealing with homelessness and peo- ple with mental illness. This has continued as a priority with this government, which has developed a very comprehensive strategy. We have increased housing stock for lower income, and I'm happy to say that a housing complex has been acquired in Burnaby for this purpose. A large number of people living on the str eets are those suffering from

9696 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 mental illness. This has been the direct result of the policy adopted by the previous NDP government when they closed the Riverview facility, letting out about 4,000 patients into co mmunities without proper support. Money was promised to help with the rehabilitation. That money never came. Many were left without any support and found themselves on the streets. The re- opening of the facility on Willingdon and at Riverview is welcome news. Burnaby will now be able to deal with this problem in a more humane way.

On the education front I can say with confidence that our government has made very positive changes. Funding levels are highest ever, class sizes are more manageable, and support services for children of refugees and new immigrants have been enhanced. I am proud to mention that in Burnaby we have a large population of refugee immigrants. Concerns were raised to me by the families that their children, who have had no educational background, were feeling frustrated and leaving schools to end up on the streets.

This problem will now be addressed as more funding has been made available to our school districts by the Minister of Education and by the minister of immigration. StrongStart centres have been a great success in my area of Burnaby. Some of the schools that have adopted this program are continually telling me how good these programs are and how much they are benefiting the community around. I had the opportunity to visit some of these centres. What I witnessed was not only the excitement on the faces of the children but how involved the parents and grandparents were in the program.

It is not only helping the children learn early, but it is also helping the parents and the grandparents, many of them immigrants, to learn English at the same time and interact with their children. A new centre for autism education and research t h a t t h e t h r o n e s p e e c h m e n t i o n s w i l l a l s o b e o f g r e a t help. There is a growing preponderance of this condi- tion, and this centre will no doubt be very welcome. The access for students to our institutes of higher learning with a grade B average is also good news that was announced in the throne speech.

This will offer more opportunities for our children to be a part of our institutes of excellence in learning that we are now so very proud to have around the province. The throne speech continue s to build upon the vision that this government has got. It continues to build upon what this government considers to be essential to make British Columbia the best place on earth, and it will continue to work hard to make sure that every British Columbian has the opportunity to look to the future with confidence. [1550] Mr.

Speaker, I'm very pr oud to say that I will be supporting this throne speech when it comes to the vote. Deputy Speaker: Member for New Westminster. C. Puchmayr: Mr. Speaker, I guess my lecture when you were in my community the other day helped you to pronounce the name prop erly, and thank you very much for that. Deputy Speaker: Member, you refer to the Chair and the Speaker. Please proceed with your comments to the throne. C. Puchmayr: I j u s t w a n t e d t o s a y t h a t i n N e w Westminster that's how we find out who comes into New Westminster that really doesn't live there.

It's usually how they pronounce the name. It's a historic name. It comes from Westminster. It was named by Queen Victoria when there was a dispute over the name. I'm very proud of New Westminster. It is a commu- nity that also has its challenges, as many communities have today. And certainly as many communities have, it has come to deal with some of the issues that have been brought forward by the policies of the government that is in power today. I will be speaking against the throne speech, as I have the previous throne speeches.

I'll tell you that the first throne speech that I heard in this House sounded very…. It had some promising ideas in it, but again, it failed to deliver on those ideas. The second throne speech, again, made a lot of announcements. At first blush, you would think that the government was prepared to head in a positive direction, yet the end results…. After the budget speech was introduced, we saw that they were nothing but hollow and broken promises once again. This throne speech was a very long throne speech. I believe it was around 50 minutes.

I know we had the sympathy of the Lieutenant-Governor when he asked us to please bear with him as he went through the speech. Some of the things that came out in the throne speech are issues that I'm going to wait to see what the budget brings forward, to see how the budget addresses them. Certainly, this side is going to look at ensuring that this government commits to some of the initiatives they are saying they will commit to. We will certainly make some proposals, if not, to make sure that we go forward in a direction that all British Columbians can benefit from and not just a select few.

We talk about the prosperity. The other side always talks about, you know, the greatest place on earth to live. When I walk around in my community or when I w a l k a r o u n d i n t h e d o w n t o w n e a s t s i d e a n d I l o o k a t the people that are living in the streets, I know very clearly that to them, this is not "The best place on earth" to live.

It may be warmer than other parts of the coun- try, but again, we have seen the horrors of homeless people that pass away in the streets trying to keep warm and those that are mugged or victims of violence while living in the streets after they've been turned away from shelters. To me, it 's absolutely unacceptable in this day and age. As we talk and we hear the other side boast about how great this province is now and how poorly this province was in the past, we have to remember that there was a real global crisis going on in the '90s, and it brought stock markets down all over the world.

Even if you read some of the pundits in some of the journals

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2008 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 9697 and the financial journals, you see that what happened in the crash in those days was significant and that a lot of countries and a lot of cities were brought into poverty. This province here, s eeing what was happening globally around the world, actually did quite well. There were way fewer people that were homeless in the streets. We had better services in place. Our children could go to university full-time, and they had some of the lowest tuitions, if not the lowest tuition rates, in Canada.

We were graduating people at Red Seals with trade certificates that were coming out of those trade industries. They were coming out, and they were able to work and get jobs in their new fields. [1555] We had forest companies that, understanding the cyclical nature of that in dustry, under the old forest practices would…. This goes back, and you can do the research on it, a hundred years. Forestry and lumber has always been a cyclical industry. Natural resources has always been a cyclical industry. What prudent companies did in those days….

Government regulation ensured that they stayed behind, ensured that they invested in here, ensured th at if they wanted to cut trees in British Columbia, they also had to manufacture in British Columbia. That's now gone. Now we have an industry that is totally market- driven. It's market-driven to such a degree that companies look at their balance sheet and say, "Well, you know, we can mill this wood cheaper across the border in the United States, or we can send it to China. We're going to shut down the mills and just continue to export the logs" — and at record volumes, I might add.

In 1996, I think, there was an export of 275,000 cubic metres. A cubic metre is about the equivalent of a telephone pole. Now we're at five million cubic metres of logs, with absolutely thousands of British Columbia workers losing their jobs. The throne speech does talk about retraining forest workers that are losing thei r jobs. It talks about that, but think about this.

Think about living in a community that is a forest-dependent community, that has an ample supply of trees, that has a mill — a pulp mill or a sawmill — in that region, and suddenly the mill decides: "I would rather be a real estate developer than a wood manufac- turer. I can still cut down trees, and I can export them and have my mill in another country manufacture that." What do you do with that worker now in a com- munity that has one industry ? What is retraining of that worker going to produce for that community? Absolutely nothing. Businesses are hurting in those communities. Businesses are suffering.

People are losing their jobs. Businesses are leaving. Jobs are leaving British Columbia and going south of the border at record rates, and going to China — manufacturing jobs. We're talking about the higher-scale-of-pay jobs that are leaving British Columbia under the watch of this government. That's shameful because — you know what? — those are our resources. Those are our trees. That's our oil. That's our natural gas. That's our coal. We should benefit from it. Our children should benefit from it, and their children should benefit from it. Instead, we're not benefiting from it.

Very few people are benefiting from it. We talk about how great this province is. Well, I'll tell you that back in the '90s there was a gap between the rich and the poor. The bi ggest gap between the rich and the poor was in Newfoundland. That was the biggest gap, and the narrowest gap was here in British Columbia. The most balance was here in British Columbia, and now it's completely the opposite. The other statistic that is really alarming, when you look about how great it is to live in the greatest place on earth….

And I believe this can be the greatest place on e a r t h , b u t w h en y o u h a v e c hi l d p o v e r t y , w h e n o n e in four children are living in poverty, that's shameful. That is absolutely shameful. At one time, back in this terrible era of the '90s, back at that time we were the best here. The best place in the country to raise children was in British Columbia, and now it's the worst. Now it's the costliest to raise children in British Columbia. That's where we're headed. I mean, we need to start to look at things in a balanced way.

We need to ensure that we have viability, that we have sustainable indus- tries and that we have sustainable communities so that we can continue on. One of the things that sort of struck me in this throne speech was the Walking School Bus idea. I spoke to a woman who told me that they travel for an hour a day to drive their children to the bus stop so that their child can take a bus to school, and travel another three hours a day to and from school. [1600] What kind of a Walking School Bus is going to deal with that issue? What? Instead of going to bed Sunday night, you start walking to school?

The Walking School Bus is another one of those nice-sounding, fluffy things. That's another nice-sounding thing — the Walking School Bus. But you know what…? Interjection. C. Puchmayr: Even the Transportation Minister doesn't understand that there are children in this prov- ince spending hours and hours a day on buses because they are clo

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0214pm 04
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0214pm 04
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	02a4f7a06db76cd0c12d83b9b3a08b95d4999893

Source file is stored in the law ingest library (pdf).