British Columbia Hansard — Monday, March 4, 2013

H0304pm-04

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Fift h Session, 39th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) THE HONOURABLE BILL BARISOFF , SPEAKER ISSN 0709- 1281 (Print) ISSN 1499-2175 (Online) Monday, March 4, 2013 Aft ernoon Sitting Volume 43, Number 4

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC Fifth Session, 39th Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Bill Barisoff EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council .............................................................................................................. Hon. Christy Clark Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Minister Responsible for Housing .............Hon.

Rich Coleman Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation ............................................................................................................ Hon. Ida Chong Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism and Minister of State for Seniors ........................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Ralph Sultan Minister of Agriculture ........................................................................................................................................................ Hon. Norm Letnick Minister of Children and Family Development ....................................................................................................... Hon. Stephanie Cadieux Minister of Citizens' Services and Open Government ........................................................................................................Hon.

Ben Stewart Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development ................................................................................................Hon. Bill Bennett Minister of Education ............................................................................................................................................................. Hon. Don McRae Minister of Environment .................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Dr.

Terry Lake Minister of Finance .................................................................................................................................................. Hon. Michael de Jong, QC Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations......................................................................................Hon. Steve Th omson Minister of Health .......................................................................................................................................... Hon. Dr.

Margaret MacDiarmid Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour ............................................................ Hon. Pat Bell Minister of State for Small Business ............................................................................................................................Hon. Naomi Y amamoto Minister of Justice ...................................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Shirley Bond Minister of Social Development ...................................................................................................................................Hon. Dr. Moira Stilwell Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure ......................................................................................................................Hon.

Mary Polak LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Offi cial Opposition ......................................................................................................................................................Adrian Dix Deputy Speaker ....................................................................................................................................................................................

Linda Reid Assistant Deputy Speaker ..................................................................................................................................................................Dawn Black Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole .......................................................................................................................................... Harry Bloy Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ...................................................................................................................................................

Craig James Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees ................................................................................................................................. Kate Ryan-Lloyd Sessional Law Clerk ...................................................................................................................................................Roderick MacArthur, QC Clerk Consultant ..............................................................................................................................................E.

George MacMinn, OBC, QC Sergeant-at-Arms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary Lenz

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Abbott, George (BC Liberal) ................................................................. Shuswap Austin, Robin (NDP) ................................................................................ Skeena Bains, Harry (NDP) ....................................................................Surrey-Newton Barisoff , Hon. Bill (BC Liberal) ...........................................................Penticton Barnett, Donna (BC Liberal) ............................................... Cariboo-Chilcotin Bell, Hon. Pat (BC Liberal) ....................................

Prince George–Mackenzie Bennett, Hon. Bill (BC Liberal) ...................................................Kootenay East Black, Dawn (NDP) ................................................................New Westminster Bloy, Harry (BC Liberal) .....................................................Burnaby-Lougheed Bond, Hon. Shirley (BC Liberal) ........................... Prince George–Valemount Brar, Jagrup (NDP) ................................................................ Surrey-Fleetwood Cadieux, Hon.

Stephanie (BC Liberal) .................................Surrey-Panorama Cantelon, Ron (BC Liberal) ............................................. Parksville-Qualicum Chandra Herbert, Spencer (NDP) .................................Vancouver–West End Chong, Hon. Ida (BC Liberal) .................................... Oak Bay–Gordon Head Chouhan, Raj (NDP) ........................................................... Burnaby-Edmonds Clark, Hon. Christy (BC Liberal) .................................Vancouver–Point Grey Coell, Murray (BC Liberal) ..............................Saanich North and the Islands Coleman, Hon.

Rich (BC Liberal) .......................... Fort Langley–Aldergrove Conroy, Katrine (NDP) .............................................................. Kootenay West Coons, Gary (NDP) .........................................................................North Coast Corrigan, Kathy (NDP) ..................................................... Burnaby–Deer Lake Dalton, Marc (BC Liberal) ............................................. Maple Ridge–Mission de Jong, Hon. Michael, QC (BC Liberal) ..............................

Abbotsford West Dix, Adrian (NDP) ............................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Donaldson, Doug (NDP) ......................................................................... Stikine Elmore, Mable (NDP) ................................................... Vancouver-Kensington Falcon, Kevin (BC Liberal) ...................................................Surrey-Cloverdale Farnworth, Mike (NDP) ............................................................ Port Coquitlam Fleming, Rob (NDP) ..........................................................

Victoria–Swan Lake Foster, Eric (BC Liberal) .......................................................Vernon-Monashee Fraser, Scott (NDP) ............................................................Alberni–Pacifi c Rim Gentner, Guy (NDP) .........................................................................Delta North Hammell, Sue (NDP) .................................................... Surrey–Green Timbers Hansen, Colin (BC Liberal) ........................................... Vancouver-Quilchena Hawes, Randy (BC Liberal) ..............................................

Abbotsford-Mission Hayer, Dave S. (BC Liberal) ................................................... Surrey-Tynehead Heed, Kash (BC Liberal) ............................................... Vancouver-Fraserview Hogg, Gordon (BC Liberal) ............................................... Surrey–White Rock Horgan, John (NDP) ....................................................................... Juan de Fuca Horne, Douglas (BC Liberal) ..............................Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Howard, Rob (BC Liberal) ....................................................

Richmond Centre Huntington, Vicki (Ind.) ..................................................................Delta South James, Carole (NDP) .........................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Karagianis, Maurine (NDP) ........................................Esquimalt–Royal Roads Krog, Leonard (NDP) ........................................................................... Nanaimo Krueger, Kevin (BC Liberal) .............................. Kamloops–South Th ompson Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching (NDP) ........................... Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Lake, Hon. Dr.

Terry (BC Liberal) ....................Kamloops–North Th ompson Lali, Harry (NDP) ..........................................................................Fraser-Nicola Lee, Richard T. (BC Liberal) ......................................................Burnaby North Lekstrom, Blair (BC Liberal) ................................................ Peace River South Les, John (BC Liberal) ........................................................................Chilliwack Letnick, Hon. Norm (BC Liberal) ..............................Kelowna–Lake Country MacDiarmid, Hon. Dr. Margaret (BC Liberal) ..............

Vancouver-Fairview Macdonald, Norm (NDP) ....................................Columbia River–Revelstoke McIntyre, Joan (BC Liberal) .................................West Vancouver–Sea to Sky McNeil, Mary (BC Liberal) ..........................................Vancouver–False Creek McRae, Hon. Don (BC Liberal) ..................................................

Comox Valley Mungall, Michelle (NDP) ..........................................................Nelson-Creston O'Mahony, Gwen (NDP) .........................................................Chilliwack-Hope Pimm, Pat (BC Liberal) .........................................................Peace River North Polak, Hon. Mary (BC Liberal) .............................................................. Langley Popham, Lana (NDP) ...................................................................Saanich South Ralston, Bruce (NDP) ................................................................

Surrey-Whalley Reid, Linda (BC Liberal) ............................................................Richmond East Routley, Bill (NDP) .................................................................. Cowichan Valley Routley, Doug (NDP) ............................................Nanaimo–North Cowichan Rustad, John (BC Liberal) .......................................................... Nechako Lakes Sather, Michael (NDP) ......................................... Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Simons, Nicholas (NDP) ...................................

Powell River–Sunshine Coast Simpson, Bob (Ind.) .....................................................................Cariboo North Simpson, Shane (NDP) ..................................................... Vancouver-Hastings Slater, John (Ind.) .........................................................Boundary-Similkameen Stewart, Hon. Ben (BC Liberal) .......................................... Westside-Kelowna Stilwell, Hon. Dr. Moira (BC Liberal) .............................. Vancouver-Langara Sultan, Hon. Ralph (BC Liberal) ........................... West Vancouver–Capilano Th omson, Hon.

Steve (BC Liberal) .......................................Kelowna-Mission Th orne, Diane (NDP) .................................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Th ornthwaite, Jane (BC Liberal) .......................... North Vancouver–Seymour Trasolini, Joe (NDP).................................................... Port Moody–Coquitlam Trevena, Claire (NDP) .................................................................... North Island van Dongen, John (Ind.).........................................................Abbotsford South Y amamoto, Hon. Naomi (BC Liberal) ................

North Vancouver–Lonsdale Y ap, John (BC Liberal) ......................................................Richmond-Steveston LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission .......................................................................Randy Hawes Abbotsford South .....................................................................John van Dongen Abbotsford West ...................................................... Hon. Michael de Jong, QC Alberni–Pacifi c Rim ..........................................................................

Scott Fraser Boundary-Similkameen .....................................................................John Slater Burnaby–Deer Lake ................................................................... Kathy Corrigan Burnaby-Edmonds ......................................................................... Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed ............................................................................ Harry Bloy Burnaby North .............................................................................. Richard T.

Lee Cariboo-Chilcotin ........................................................................Donna Barnett Cariboo North ................................................................................ Bob Simpson Chilliwack ............................................................................................... John Les Chilliwack-Hope ......................................................................Gwen O'Mahony Columbia River–Revelstoke .................................................. Norm Macdonald Comox Valley...........................................................................Hon.

Don McRae Coquitlam–Burke Mountain .....................................................Douglas Horne Coquitlam-Maillardville............................................................... Diane Th orne Cowichan Valley ................................................................................

Bill Routley Delta North ......................................................................................Guy Gentner Delta South ...............................................................................Vicki Huntington Esquimalt–Royal Roads .....................................................Maurine Karagianis Fort Langley–Aldergrove ...................................................Hon. Rich Coleman Fraser-Nicola........................................................................................

Harry Lali Juan de Fuca .....................................................................................John Horgan Kamloops–North Th ompson ............................................ Hon. Dr. Terry Lake Kamloops–South Th ompson ...................................................... Kevin Krueger Kelowna–Lake Country ..................................................... Hon. Norm Letnick Kelowna-Mission .............................................................. Hon. Steve Th omson Kootenay East .......................................................................... Hon.

Bill Bennett Kootenay West ............................................................................ Katrine Conroy Langley.......................................................................................Hon. Mary Polak Maple Ridge–Mission ..................................................................... Marc Dalton Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows ........................................................Michael Sather Nanaimo ......................................................................................... Leonard Krog Nanaimo–North Cowichan .........................................................

Doug Routley Nechako Lakes .................................................................................. John Rustad Nelson-Creston ........................................................................Michelle Mungall New Westminster ..............................................................................Dawn Black North Coast....................................................................................... Gary Coons North Island ..................................................................................

Claire Trevena North Vancouver–Lonsdale ........................................Hon. Naomi Y amamoto North Vancouver–Seymour ................................................. Jane Th ornthwaite Oak Bay–Gordon Head ............................................................ Hon. Ida Chong Parksville-Qualicum ..................................................................... Ron Cantelon Peace River North ................................................................................

Pat Pimm Peace River South .........................................................................Blair Lekstrom Penticton................................................................................... Hon. Bill Barisoff Port Coquitlam ..........................................................................Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Coquitlam ..................................................................Joe Trasolini Powell River–Sunshine Coast ................................................. Nicholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie .............................................................Hon.

Pat Bell Prince George–Valemount ................................................... Hon. Shirley Bond Richmond Centre ............................................................................ Rob Howard Richmond East ................................................................................... Linda Reid Richmond-Steveston ..............................................................................John Y ap Saanich North and the Islands ..................................................... Murray Coell Saanich South ................................................................................

Lana Popham Shuswap .........................................................................................George Abbott Skeena .............................................................................................. Robin Austin Stikine .......................................................................................

Doug Donaldson Surrey-Cloverdale ...........................................................................Kevin Falcon Surrey-Fleetwood ...............................................................................Jagrup Brar Surrey–Green Timbers .................................................................. Sue Hammell Surrey-Newton ................................................................................. Harry Bains Surrey-Panorama ........................................................ Hon.

Stephanie Cadieux Surrey-Tynehead ........................................................................... Dave S. Hayer Surrey-Whalley.............................................................................. Bruce Ralston Surrey–White Rock ....................................................................... Gordon Hogg Vancouver-Fairview .......................................Hon. Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid Vancouver–False Creek ..................................................................

Mary McNeil Vancouver-Fraserview ........................................................................Kash Heed Vancouver-Hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-Kensington .................................................................Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway..........................................................................Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara .......................................................Hon. Dr. Moira Stilwell Vancouver–Mount Pleasant .........................................

Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Vancouver–Point Grey ......................................................... Hon. Christy Clark Vancouver-Quilchena ................................................................... Colin Hansen Vancouver–West End ...............................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................Eric Foster Victoria–Beacon Hill .......................................................................Carole James Victoria–Swan Lake.........................................................................Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano ................................................... Hon. Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ........................................................ Joan McIntyre Westside-Kelowna ...................................................................Hon.

Ben Stewart Party Standings: BC Liberal 45; New Democratic 36; Independent 4

CONTENTS Monday, March 4, 2013 Aft ernoon Sitting Page Routine Business Introductions by Members ................................................................................................................................................... 13239 Introduction and First Reading of Bills .............................................................................................................................. 13239 Bill Pr402 — Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act R. Hawes Bill Pr401 — Th e Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013 J.

McIntyre Ministerial Statements .......................................................................................................................................................... 13240 Apology for multicultural outreach strategy and partisan activities Hon. C. Clark A. Dix Introduction and First Reading of Bills .............................................................................................................................. 13240 Bill 18 — Health Authorities Amendment Act, 2013 Hon. M.

MacDiarmid Statements (Standing Order 25B) ....................................................................................................................................... 13241 Social workers G. Hogg C. Trevena Dining Out for Life and work of A Loving Spoonful M. McNeil Colliery Dam Park D. Routley Dining Out for Life and work of A Loving Spoonful (continued) M. McNeil Alfred Scow D. Horne Marine communications and traffi c services centres on west coast S.

Fraser Oral Questions ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13243 Role of Premier's offi ce in multicultural outreach strategy A. Dix Hon. C. Clark C. James M. Farnworth Implementation of multicultural outreach strategy M. Farnworth Hon. C. Clark J. Kwan Possible release of personal information to B.C. Liberal Party by government M. Elmore Hon. C. Clark Investigation into partisan activities relating to multicultural outreach strategy J. Horgan Hon. C. Clark L. Krog

Petitions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 13248 K. Krueger J. Horgan Orders of the Day Budget Debate (continued) .................................................................................................................................................. 13248 Hon. M. MacDiarmid J. Trasolini J. Les S. Hammell D. Horne B. Routley R. Cantelon J. Kwan H. Bloy L. Popham

MONDAY , MARCH 4, 2013 Th e House met at 1:37 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Introductions by Members Hon. S. Bond: We're delighted to have on the fl oor of the House this aft ernoon a visitor. We have the Hon. Mike Nixon, who is the MLA for Porter Creek South in the Yukon. He is the Minister of Justice and also the Minister of Tourism and Culture. I'm very delighted to have been working with Minister Nixon on a number of fi les. We're delighted that Mike is able to join us. He was sworn into cabinet on November 5, 2011. I should share this with the House.

Inspired by his son Jack, who has autism, Mr. Nixon co-founded Autism Yukon and has worked with the government to develop a system to off er specialized services for children and adults. He's done some phenomenal work, both as the Minister of Justice and also as Jack's dad — a real advo- cate for autism support. We're very delighted. I hope that everyone in the House would welcome Minister Nixon here today. G. Abbott: In the gallery today is a friend, a fi nancial adviser and a constituent from the Shuswap area, from Salmon Arm, Mr. Steve Hammer.

He is here along with others over the next couple of days from the organiza- tion Advocis to talk about some of the issues of concern to them. I'd like all of the members of the House to please make Mr. Hammer welcome. D. Black: In the gallery today is my friend Lynn Hunter. Lynn was a Member of Parliament in Ottawa from 1988 to 1993. She's recently been a councillor for the city of Victoria and an all round good person who works on many community issues, has been an advo- cate for the environment for some 20 or 30 years — for a sustainable environment. With her today is her partner, Don Armstrong.

I ask everyone in the House to please make them welcome. Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL Pr402 — MENNONITE BRETHREN BIBLICAL SEMINARY ACT R. Hawes presented a bill intituled Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act. R. Hawes: I move that a bill intituled Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act, of which notice has been given on the order paper, be introduced and read a fi rst time now. Motion approved. R. Hawes: It's with pleasure that I sponsor this bill, which will provide degree-granting status for the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary.

They provide graduate-level theological training in support of the 250 churches and 55,000 members that make up the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. Since 1999 the seminary has been part of the innovative and fully accredited Associated Canadian Th eological Seminaries, called ACTS — the acronym.

It's a consortium of fi ve seminaries located at Trinity Western University. [1340] Th is bill is needed because there has been a decision made by the Mennonite Brethren to organize their sem- inary independent from that in the United States and to create a separate degree-granting institution in British Columbia. Th ey have been granting university graduate degrees in British Columbia for many, many years under the California charter. Mr. Speaker, the only way that we can bring degree- granting status to the graduate students in the Mennonite Seminary is through a private bill, which is before us to- day.

I move that the bill be referred to the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills. Bill Pr402, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary Act, introduced, read a fi rst time and referred to the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills. BILL Pr401 — THE HOOPER FAMILY FOUNDATION (CORPORATE RESTORATION) ACT, 2013 J. McIntyre presented a bill intituled The Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013. J.

McIntyre: I move that a bill intituled Th e Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013, of which notice has been given on the order paper, be introduced and now read a fi rst time. Motion approved. J. McIntyre: Th is bill is being introduced in order to restore the Hooper Family Foundation to the British Columbia register of companies. The society was re- moved from the register of companies in 2002 for un- 13239

British Columbia Debates13240 Monday, March 4, 2013 intentionally failing to fi le annual reports. Th e society did not become aware of this until recently and now proposes to apply for restoration. Due to the number of years since the society was removed from the register of companies, the only avenue for restoration is by way of a private bill. I move that the bill be referred to the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills.

Bill Pr401, Th e Hooper Family Foundation (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2013, introduced, read a first time and referred to the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills. Ministerial Statements APOLOGY FOR MULTICULTURAL OUTREACH STRATEGY AND PARTISAN ACTIVITIES Hon. C. Clark: Mr. Speaker, I rise to make a minister- ial statement to this House. Mr. Speaker: Proceed. Hon. C.

Clark: Let me start by saying there is no value more important to me than respect for the taxpayer and ensuring that rules are properly followed so that we can ensure we are respecting the hard-earned money that taxpayers send us. Last week this House was presented with a docu- ment, a draft outreach document. I want to reiterate to this House what the Deputy Premier said on my behalf on Th ursday, which is that that document was wrong. It was wrong. It's right that we reach out to all of the communities in British Columbia.

It's right that we make sure that they are full participants in our province in every way, but the document should never have been created. I want to, now that I'm here personally, off er a very sin- cere apology for the fact that that document was created by staff on the government side of the House. I want to apologize for the ideas in it, and I want to apologize for the language in it as well. When mistakes occur — and they do — we must con- front them and take responsibility for them. We must also deal with them.

I've talked to the member for Richmond- Steveston, and he has agreed that he is going to step aside from cabinet pending the John Dyble review of the draft document on multicultural outreach. While that review is being conducted, the Minister of State for Seniors will take on the role of Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology. A. Dix: Obviously, these are very serious times and very serious matters, and I appreciate the circumstances and the action taken by the member for Richmond- Steveston. I have always respected him, and I respect the action he's taken.

I would say that this issue is one that's a critical one in our democracy. Th e issues, when we talk about how events in the past are characterized…. Th at's essential, because much of who we are as a province and some of our worst moments as a province are involved here. How we deal with those and how we characterize them as a people says a lot about us and who we are. Th ere's always talk about responsibility, and there's al- ways talk about political fallout in these things. But the pain that people suff er is real, and the disrespect intend- ed towards people and felt by people is real.

I know that members of the government side, just as members of the opposition side, will have heard those concerns this weekend throughout the province. [1345] I would say that it's not, of course, just the document. It's the actions that fl ow from the document. Over this period, obviously, we will be interested in the report by Mr. Dyble and perhaps other reports that are produced.

I want to say that the issues involved, the way we con- duct ourselves, the links between the public service and political activities, the way we characterize "historical wrongs" — these are signifi cant issues for our province, and we have to do better than this. I think we can all agree we have to do better than this and, hopefully, in future we will. Introduction and First Reading of Bills BILL 18 — HEALTH AUTHORITIES AMENDMENT ACT, 2013 Hon. M. MacDiarmid presented a message from His Honour the Administrator: a bill intituled Health Authorities Amendment Act, 2013. Hon. M.

MacDiarmid: I move that the bill be intro- duced and read a fi rst time now. Motion approved. Hon. M. MacDiarmid: Th is bill amends the defi n- ition of "nurse" in the Health Authorities Act to include licensed practical nurses. Th is change will permit the inclusion of all LPNs within the nurses' bargaining unit under the act. As a housekeeping matter, the defi nition of nurse will also be amended to refl ect the fact that all three nursing groups are regulated under the Health Professions Act.

I move that the Health Authorities Amendment Act, 2013, be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House aft er today.

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13241 Bill 18, Health Authorities Amendment Act, 2013, introduced, read a fi rst time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House aft er today. Statements (Standing Order 25B) SOCIAL WORKERS G. Hogg: Social workers have driven through snow- storms in northern British Columbia to save abandoned children. Th ey've helped to guide and console families with end-of-life care, and they have provided support to people at all stages of life.

Th ose in the fi eld of social work are oft en faced with extremely tough decisions — decisions that have last- ing impact on the lives of individuals they are serving. But they're also guided by purpose, driven by a calling to improve the health and well-being of those they work with and those around them. We respect and honour their judgment in making these life-changing and dif- fi cult decisions. Social workers and clinicians are dedicated advo- cates for human rights and for social justice. Every day they fi ght discrimination, open doors of access and cre- ate opportunities for those in need.

Social workers and clinicians strengthen communities, build relationships and enrich lives. Th ey believe in the dignity and worth of the person, nurture diversity and build brighter fu- tures by educating society to the benefi ts of looking aft er each other. Social work enhances the worth, self-determination and well-being of individuals, families and communities through the promotion of social and economic justice and respect for diversity. March 3 through 9 is Social Work Week in British Columbia.

Please join me in thanking the thousands of social workers and clinicians for their dedication and ser- vice to improving the lives of British Columbians. C. Trevena: As my colleague from Surrey–White Rock mentioned, this week is offi cially an opportunity to cele- brate social workers, those hard-working people on the front lines who try to pick up the pieces of other people's lives, who deal daily with the problems of others and try to give stability to individuals and families in crisis.

Th e theme this year is "Celebrating the past, present and future." Unfortunately, many social workers do not feel much like celebrating the present and are extremely concerned about the future. Child and youth mental health teams, short-staff ed and dealing with heavy caseloads of kids in crisis, are fearful that one will fall through the cracks, and they do. Suicides happen, and they're not in isolation, with the devastation to the families, to the community and to the workers themselves, who fear they might have been able to do something more if they'd had the time.

Child protection social workers are trying to keep on top of all their many fi les and trying to work when they're still navigating the cumbersome and inadequate data management system, ICM, as well as working with new reporting requirements. [1350] Kids helpline, the phone line that's promoted as round- the-clock help for kids facing abuse, is going unanswered. Th at's because staff numbers have dropped by about a third, down to 40 people on the 24-hour service. Some of them are working three back-to-back shift s to provide cover, and still they can't answer every call. Th ose calls are not picked up elsewhere.

Th ey ring until they stop. Th e loss of a shift of the aft er-hours service, which covers the province during the hours the ministry of- fi ces are closed, could mean more problems. Th ere are times, as there were last month when there was a stab- bing in Tsawwassen, when two overnight social workers are tied up, leaving just one to deal with dozens of other calls from everywhere else in B.C. Th ere's a freeze on hiring or replacing staff . Staffi ng levels are being kept at 92 percent, and that's hurting the workers and the work. When the worst happens, it's those front-line workers who are in the spotlight.

Th e back story is rarely known. So take a moment this week to thank social workers for their dedication, for their commitment and for pick- ing up the pieces when no one else is there. DINING OUT FOR LIFE AND WORK OF A LOVING SPOONFUL M. McNeil: If you've been thinking about heading out on a date night sometime this week, the night to go is this Th ursday. Th ursday, March 7, is the night of Dining Out for Life, B.C.'s largest restaurant fundraiser and an annual fundraising event benefi tting A Loving Spoonful and Friends for Life, two Lower Mainland charities sup- porting local people living with AIDS.

Dining Out for Life happens because of the generous participation of volunteers, corporate sponsors and res- taurants. Over 200 restaurants, from Whistler to White Rock and into the valley, have joined the fi ght against AIDS by donating 25 percent of their food sales during this important event. A Loving Spoonful is a volunteer-driven, non-partisan society that provides free, nutritious meals and nutrition- al counselling to men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS. Mr. Speaker: Th ank you, Member. M. McNeil: Oh. Th ank you.

British Columbia Debates13242 Monday, March 4, 2013 COLLIERY DAM PARK D. Routley: I'd like to share with the members a story about Colliery Dam Park in Nanaimo. Before I can paint a picture of the park, you have to understand that it's in south Nanaimo. South Nanaimo is a community of work- ing families who struggle every day to put food on the table, pay the rent and generally get by. Paid recreation is not an option for many of these families, so they've become very attached to the recrea- tion that's provided by the Colliery Dam Park.

Th ese are two lakes that were created by two dams that were put in place over 100 years ago in order to wash coal for the coal industry. Th e lakes provide walking trails, fi shing and swimming for the residents of Nanaimo. Recently the dam safety branch has instructed Nanaimo that there is a one-in-10,000-years' chance that these dams might fail in an earthquake. Schools are built to a one-in-2,475-years' chance, hospitals to a one- in-3,000-years' chance. Th e dams must be built to one- in-10,000-years' chance of failure. Th e people of Nanaimo are very upset about the po- tential loss of the dams.

Th e city has responded by quite rightfully taking the immediate steps of potentially re- moving the dams at a cost of $7 million. Th is would take away from the community this vital asset, and the community has responded by forming a society to save these dams. Th e community wants to siphon off the water, reduce the risk — to fi nd an alternative other than removing these dams and losing their precious park. Th e city of Nanaimo is open to this kind of an approach. Th e dam safety branch is open to a mitigation of the risks and a study of what might be done to save this park.

I hope that the government and this House will be will- ing to partner with the city of Nanaimo and the people of Nanaimo, my constituents, to save this valuable city asset. It has great educational, historic and recreational value, and the people of Nanaimo hold this park very precious to their hearts. Mr. Speaker: My apology to the member for Vancouver–False Creek. Somehow they only gave you a minute, so you can continue and fi nish up. Now you've got two minutes again. DINING OUT FOR LIFE AND WORK OF A LOVING SPOONFUL (continued) M. McNeil: I thought you were just too upset, Mr.

Speaker, because I was talking about a date night. [1355] A Loving Spoonful is a volunteer-driven, non-partisan society that provides free, nutritious meals and nutrition- al counselling to men, women and children living with HIV and AIDS in Metro Vancouver. Over 100,000 free meals are provided each year to some of those most vul- nerable in our community. Meals are delivered by volun- teer drivers who use their own car, gas and time to ensure that those in need are fed.

Th is past Christmas Day, aft er 23 years of service, A Loving Spoonful offi cially served their two-millionth meal — a huge milestone for them and for the commun- ity. Every week their volunteers deliver approximately 1,200 frozen meals and over 250 snack packs to men, women and children who are primarily homebound with AIDS. To fi nd out more about this wonderful organization, please go on line to alovingspoonful.org, and don't forget that this Th ursday, March 7, is a great date night. ALFRED SCOW D.

Horne: It is with great sadness that I inform the House of the passing of a distinguished and important fi gure in the history of British Columbia. Last week I re- ceived word of the passing of the hon. Alfred Scow, a true maverick who spent his life breaking down barriers and inspiring others to reach new heights. At a time when B.C. prohibited aboriginals from pursuing a career in the legal profession, Scow chose to enrol in the UBC Faculty of Law, becoming the fi rst aboriginal to graduate from the program and the fi rst aboriginal lawyer in B.C.'s his- tory to be called to the bar.

In 1971 he was appointed a B.C. Provincial Court judge, serving in this capacity for more than two decades. Th roughout his career he showed a deep commitment to social justice, volunteering his time and leadership to many community organizations and First Nations in- itiatives. His generosity extended to a variety of causes, from helping law students overcome their fi nancial bar- riers to aiding in the establishment of First Nations stud- ies at UBC. In 2001 he founded the Scow Institute, which works to- wards creating a greater understanding between aborig- inal and non-aboriginal peoples.

In recognition of all of his contributions, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia in 2004 and the Order of Canada in 2010. His legacy remains B.C.'s altered landscape, a province where First Nations voices are integral to the decisions that shape our society. He will be remembered not just for his wisdom behind the bench but for his kindness and ability to inspire others to become leaders and give back to their community. MARINE COMMUNICATIONS AND TRAFFIC SERVICES CENTRES ON WEST COAST S.

Fraser: Most people have heard of the dangerous and unsupportable decision made by the federal govern- ment to close the Kitsilano Coast Guard station. British

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13243 Columbians are about to face another major hit to mar- ine safety. Th e marine communication and traffi c ser- vices, strategically located in Comox and Ucluelet, are slated for closure next week. Anyone who has been out on the water in B.C. knows that this is a very bad idea. Th ese centres monitor for dis- tress signals from vessels, everything from pleasure craft to tour boats to fully laden tankers and freighters. Th ey are like a marine 911 service and air traffi c control ser- vice on the water.

Th ey provide vital safety and weather information, and the operators know their regions in- timately. Th e Coast Guard's marine communication and traffi c services are the eyes and ears of the coast. Th e Ucluelet centre in my constituency is wisely lo- cated at Amphitrite Point, overlooking what is known fi ttingly as the Graveyard of the Pacifi c because it has claimed so many lives. Th e highly trained personnel live in the region, and they know the waters like the backs of their hands. Closing this centre will put mariners' lives at risk and be a big hit to the local economies.

At a time when the Port Alberni mayor and council are working to diversify their economy by expanding their deep-water port capability, closing the Ucluelet marine communications and traffi c centre looks even more ludicrous. One half of all emergency calls and marine traffi c in Canada are here on the west coast. With these closures and Kitsilano's closure, B.C. will have only two centres for the entire west coast. Back east, with the other half of Canada's emergency and traffi c calls, they'll have ten. Maybe it is time that we in this House plan a non-partisan trip to Ottawa.

I know a few B.C. mayors who would be more than happy to go. Let's put politics aside and pro- tect our coast. [1400] Oral Questions ROLE OF PREMIER'S OFFICE IN MULTICULTURAL OUTREACH STRATEGY A. Dix: Last Th ursday the Premier said of the involve- ment of her offi ce, the Premier's offi ce, in the multicul- tural outreach plan: "It was distributed by someone in my offi ce, but it wasn't craft ed by them. Th ere has been no suggestion that anyone in my offi ce had any hand in craft ing it at all." Does the Premier still stand by that statement? Hon. C.

Clark: Let me start by again off ering an apol- ogy, and not just an apology to this House — more par- ticularly, an apology to anyone in British Columbia who read that document, heard about the language in it and was off ended. Th ey had a right to be off ended by the lan- guage in that document. It was wrong, and I'm very, very sorry that it was ever created. I want to start by off ering that personal and very sincere apology. Second, I want to make very clear that this was a very serious mistake and that I am taking responsibility for this mistake.

When mistakes are made, small and large — and this one was large — we have a responsibility to confront the mistake, accept responsibility and do every- thing that we can to try and address it. Let me fi nish by answering the member's question. Over the last few days John Dyble, the chief of the public service, has begun his review of exactly what happened. Th e most important element of that review is determin- ing that no taxpayer money was expended for the wrong purposes. I don't know what else will result from that review. Th ere may be new details that emerge, things that we don't know now.

Certainly, when that review is delivered, I will act on the recommendations that he off ers, because British Columbians deserve to know that not only am I sorry but that I am prepared to accept responsibility and make sure I do whatever is necessary to address the mis- takes that were made. Mr. Speaker: Th e Leader of the Opposition has a sup- plemental. A. Dix: I agree with the Premier that the language in the document to which she is referring is wrong. It is wrong. But we're not just talking about language here. Th is was part of a plan that was implemented over time. Mr.

Dyble has, from the opposition, a copy of a similar document produced on December 8, 2011. It was pro- duced as a result of a me eting involving a very signifi - cant number of the Premier's senior staff , including her deputy chief of staff at the time, her director of outreach, her senior outreach coordinator and her current minis- terial assistant. One of the items, just to point this out, under the "Quick wins" category, "Research community- focused wins, e.g., historical wrongs" was directly under the lead of the Premier's offi ce.

Th e Premier has asserted: "Th ere was no suggestion that anyone in my offi ce had any hand in craft ing it at all." I want to ask if that is still the view of the Premier today. Hon. C. Clark: As I said, Mr. Dyble is conducting a review. I have no new information to add to what I said on Th ursday. It may be that new information emerges. I do not know the answer to that. Th e review is entirely in- dependent, being conducted by a group of senior deputy ministers in the government. With respect to the issue of historical wrongs, let me say this. Historical wrongs should be righted.

When the government, no matter how many years ago, wronged people, we have an obligation to do what we can to make that right. And historical wrongs are not something that can be righted or should be righted for political purposes. [1405]

British Columbia Debates13244 Monday, March 4, 2013 When we address historical wrongs, it is something for all of us to do together. I cannot say how deeply I believe that the language used to describe that in the document was absolutely wrong. It doesn't in any way refl ect my view of what needs to happen. As I said, righting histor- ical wrongs is an obligation that belongs to all of us, and it's something that we can only do together. Mr. Speaker: Th e Leader of the Opposition has a fur- ther supplemental. A.

Dix: Well, that is undoubtedly true, and I think it's particularly important when some of those historic- al wrongs occurred at a time when politicians, some of whom have sat in this Legislature, sought to take polit- ical advantage of views that we would view as completely unacceptable today and were unacceptable then. Th ere weren't very many heroes on some of these issues at that time. We all have to acknowledge that. I think, though, the question is just very simple for the Premier today. It's very simple for the Premier today.

We have documents here that show her staff taking the lead with respect to better coordination between party, government and caucus at meetings that included staff of party, government and caucus — the Premier's staff . The Premier has made a categorical assertion not weeks ago but days ago that this was not the case. Now, I appreciate that new information may come forward and that the Premier may feel she was incorrect a number of days ago. But that information clearly was wrong.

What we need from the Premier today, I think, is at least an acceptance, an understanding that what was said, that the assertion that was made by the Premier that this did not involve her staff — it involved somebody else, but not the Premier's offi ce — was incorrect. Will the Premier confi rm that today? Hon. C. Clark: Th is is indeed a very, very serious issue. What happened was wrong. Characterizing historical wrongs as anything other than something deeply felt and deeply serious is wrong.

I would ask the member to be careful to characterize what I said, which was that there is no evidence that I'm aware of that my staff was involved in this. As far as I know, my staff were only involved in creating it. Th at is what I said, and that remains true. As I said though, Deputy Minister John Dyble is col- lecting information and conducting a very thorough re- view. It may be that new information, which we do not possess at the moment, can emerge that suggests that. If the member has evidence or has documents that confi rm otherwise, he should please make sure he gives them to Deputy Minister Dyble.

Th at should absolutely form part of his review so that we can make sure that we get abso- lutely to the bottom of this. British Columbians want to know because they know that a very serious mistake was made. Th ey want to know that the government will take responsibility for it, which we are, but much more importantly, that we'll address it. We will only be able to do that when we are in possession of all of the information that we can gather. C. James: I'd like to inform the Premier that those documents have gone to Mr. Dyble. All of those docu- ments were there.

But these are documents directly from the Premier's offi ce. Th ese are documents that show a list of staff from the Premier's offi ce that were directly involved in a planning meeting on this outreach strategy. Just to review again the list of staff at this meeting: former deputy chief of staff , Offi ce of the Premier; dir- ector of outreach, Offi ce of the Premier; senior outreach coordinator, Offi ce of the Premier. It stretches anyone's belief for the Premier to state that she had no involve- ment and that her offi ce had no involvement in craft ing the document. My question is again to the Premier.

Given that your senior staff were a direct part of putting this document together in the planning meeting on this document, how can your claim of no involvement stand? [1410] Hon. C. Clark: We will know the answer to that mem- ber's question more precisely when Deputy Minister Dyble reports. He will have the full range of informa- tion. He will have a chance to have spoken to many of the people that were involved in the creation of the docu- ment. I'd ask for the member's patience on that, because we will be able to get a full answer to her question when that report is released.

I think it is important that we make sure we have the right information, that that report is done in a non- partisan way, that it takes the time it needs to take to do it absolutely properly so that we can get to the bottom of this. I would also, though, remind the member that my deputy chief of staff has resigned with no severance and accepted responsibility for it. If there are further actions required, they will be taken once we have the full report from Deputy Minister Dyble. Mr. Speaker: Th e member has a supplemental. C.

James: With all due respect to the Premier and the actions that have occurred, I think the public expects the Premier to be accountable. Th e public expects the Premier to be accountable for this. I want to review a few of the topics that happened at that meeting where the Premier's staff were attending. Under the to-do list it includes "better coordination be- tween party, government and caucus"; "build lists"; "se- cure funding — caucus or party"; "political asks, as the election nears." Th is to-do list shows public dollars being used for par- tisan purposes. Remember that this meeting included

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13245 the former deputy chief of staff , the current ministerial assistant in the Offi ce of the Premier and the director of outreach. I want to read back to the Premier again her quote from simply a few days ago. "It was distributed by some- one in my offi ce, but it wasn't craft ed by them." So while I respect that there is a review going on, while I respect there is an investigation, I believe that the public ex- pects the Premier to be answerable for the use of their tax dollars. Again my question is to the Premier. How can she con- tinue to claim no involvement?

Hon. C. Clark: I said on Th ursday what I knew to be true at the time, and I have no reason to believe that it was not true. As I said, though, when Mr. Dyble reports, we will have full information. Th e deputy is gathering informa- tion, which I think is probably not available to the op- position or to the government, and is reviewing that. He will issue a full report and will have a very complete an- swer to her question. As I said, when the member talks about accountability, she's right about that. Th e public wants to know that the government is going to be accountable for this.

People in this province want to know that staff who were respon- sible are going to be held accountable for it. People want to know that we are going to take action to address it, and we are. It began with the resignation without severance of my deputy chief of staff , the indi- vidual who was most clearly responsible for overseeing the distribution of the document. Th e second step in that is the creation of the review team, led by Deputy Minister John Dyble, with access to all documents and all individuals involved.

Th e third element is a commitment on my part to take further ac- tion when all of the information is known. Th ose are the steps that we are taking to ensure that we are fully accountable for this. Th e public expects that the government will be accountable. I agree with that. Serious mistakes were made. We need to confront those mistakes, accept responsibility and do everything that we can to address them. Th at's what I'm doing. M. Farnworth: Th e Premier has stood in this House and said she had no involvement.

Th e documents show considerable involvement by very senior members of her offi ce and within the B.C. Liberal Party. At the meeting that took place on the eighth of December…. It was referred to as a coordinated-eff ort meeting.

I'd just like to read out for the Premier, because she said that this was prepared by somebody way down the chain on Friday: "…in attendance way down the chain crossed the line…." [1415] Anyway, in attendance at this meeting were the deputy chief of staff , operations, Offi ce of the Premier; director of outreach, Offi ce of the Premier; senior outreach co- ordinator, Offi ce of the Premier; outreach director at B.C. Liberal caucus; executive director at B.C. Liberal caucus; communications offi cer, B.C.

Liberal caucus; MA to the Premier's offi ce; executive assistant to a former cabinet minister; an executive assistant to another cabinet minis- ter; outreach manager, Liberal caucus. Th at's some chain, hon. Speaker. My question to the Premier is this. She claims that she had no involvement. Did she have knowledge that these meetings were taking place? Did she have knowledge that this strategy was in fact being developed? Hon. C.

Clark: It is the responsibility of government to make sure that we are reaching out to every member of our community, including members who may not consume English language media or who may be from a multicultural community. Th at is part of government's job — to make sure that we're doing that in a way that speaks to individuals and includes them in our demo- cratic process as fully as possible. Th at is the right thing to do. Th is document, and the direction it took to try and execute on that idea, was wrong. Had I known that this document existed, I would have put a stop to it immedi- ately.

Th e individual in my offi ce who did know that it existed…. Clearly, Kim Haakstad was that person, and she has resigned without severance. Th at was the right thing to do, because that document should have been stopped in its tracks. Let me say that fi rst. Second, let me add this, because the member…. Again, another member in this question period has misquoted me — I'm sure without intending to. But the member should be careful about how he characterizes what I have said, because this is a very serious issue. It deserves…. It is serious enough that a team of deputies is reviewing it thoroughly.

Th at is the right thing to do so that we can ensure that we get to the bottom of it. I'm sure that that member and other members across the House would not want me to prejudge the outcome of that review, given the importance we all attach to its conclusions. Mr. Speaker: Th e member has a supplemental. IMPLEMENTATION OF MULTICULTURAL OUTREACH STRATEGY M. Farnworth: Well, we know the deputy chief of staff is gone. We know the minister responsible is gone. We know there's a very serious investigation underway, hon. Speaker. Th e Premier has denied any involvement.

Given the fact that all these people have gone and that the Premier has denied any involvement, does the Premier stand by her statement from last Th ursday that no public money was spent in this appalling strategy?

British Columbia Debates13246 Monday, March 4, 2013 Hon. C. Clark: As I said on Th ursday, that is an issue about which we need to be concerned. Th ere is no evi- dence that public money was spent, but it is possible. And if it was spent, John Dyble is going to fi nd out. Th at is one of the critical issues that he is considering in the course of this review: was the Public Service Act violated? Was any public money spent for partisan purposes? And a range of other issues. But that is one of the central issues that we need an answer to.

It seems apparent at the moment that most of that document — particularly the things that most of us, in- cluding me, fi nd most off ensive — was not acted on. But as I said, we are going to wait and not prejudge the out- come and see what Deputy Minister Dyble concludes. When we have all of the information, we will act on it, because the creation of that document was wrong. Many of the ideas in it were wrong. Th e language in that docu- ment was wrong. We need to get to the bottom of it, and we need to do that so that we can address it. [1420] J.

Kwan: The Premier refers to the Liberal govern- ment's leaked multicultural outreach strategy as a draft . Y et according to leaked documents, signing off on the hiring of partisan outreach staff from the Premier's of- fi ce, from the former Minister for Multiculturalism and the Liberal caucus was completed as of December 8, 2011. So it appears that the leaked documents show that all the internal hurdles have been checked off . Can the Premier advise who, on behalf of the Liberal caucus, signed off on this abuse of power and abuse of taxpayers' money? Hon. C.

Clark: I appreciate that the member is will- ing to prejudge the outcome of the review. I am not pre- pared to do that. It is a very serious issue, so it is going to require real answers, not prejudgments, not suppos- itions. So I'm going to await the outcome of that review. I'm sure that the review will answer that question as well as many others. Mr. Speaker: Th e member has a supplemental. J. Kwan: I'm referring to leaked documents. Based on the leaked documents, the plan has moved along to the point that at least two of the partisan outreach staff had already been hired by December 8, 2011.

So will the Premier please tell this House just when her cabinet was fi rst briefed on the hiring of the staff , and when her caucus was briefed on this. Was it before December 8, 2011, or was it aft er the hiring had already been initiated? Hon. C. Clark: I can say that I never saw the docu- ment and I was never part of the creation of the strategy, although I will say it is certainly a legitimate role for gov- ernment to coordinate outreach to multicultural com- munities. I think that's the responsible and right thing for government to do.

In terms of the document itself, the ideas in it that are off ensive and the language in it that is off ensive — I never saw that information. As I said, the member is going to have — we will all have — a real fact base to work from when Deputy Minister Dyble releases his report. Th e member may not be, but I am very cautious, given the seriousness of the situation, about wanting to prejudge that outcome. POSSIBLE RELEASE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION TO B.C. LIBERAL PARTY BY GOVERNMENT M. Elmore: According to leaked documents, the plans called for collecting lists and names that would feed into the B.C.

Liberal voter contact database. Th e director of communications for the ministry for Multiculturalism, Brian Bonney, was put in charge of creating partisan staff positions to support this. It is not legitimate to harvest information for political purposes. Will the Premier confi rm that names were collected for the B.C. Liberal Win 2013 campaign database using the public service? Hon. C. Clark: Th ere are absolutely crystal-clear rules around the sharing of that information. Sharing of that information outside of government is not permitted, nor should it be permitted.

Deputy Minister Dyble is looking at whether or not any of that information was shared. It is my understand- ing that none of it was, that that recommendation was never acted on. But again, we will await the results of Mr. Dyble's report, and then we will have more information and more facts from which to work. Mr. Speaker: Th e member has a supplemental. M. Elmore: Th is plan is very upfront about using the ministry for Multiculturalism, government communi- cations and intergovernmental relations to help the B.C. Liberal Party build its contact database.

Will the Premier inform this Legislature if she has asked the B.C. Liberal Party if they have received names from the public service arising out of this plan? Hon. C. Clark: I have. They have not. There is no evidence that that recommendation was ever acted on. Again, Mr. Dyble will report back. We will get more in- formation as a result of that report. Again, there are clear rules about that. Anyone who shared that information would have been violating those rules of the public service. It would have been absolutely

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13247 wrong for that to happen. I don't believe that it did. [1425] When Mr. Dyble reports, we will fi nd out the full facts on this. As I have said, when we confront the full facts, we will take further action, in addition to having instigated the review and accepted the resignation without sever- ance of my deputy chief of staff . INVESTIGATION INTO PARTISAN ACTIVITIES RELATING TO MULTICULTURAL OUTREACH STRATEGY J. Horgan: I think the Premier has hit on the big chal- lenge for John Dyble. He doesn't have access to the B.C. Liberal Party.

He doesn't have access to the B.C. Liberal caucus. He doesn't now have access to Kim Haakstad. I imagine that he will have access to the Premier. My question is to the Premier. Has she been inter- viewed, and if she hasn't been interviewed, when she is interviewed, will she have counsel? Hon. C. Clark: I haven't been asked to do that. Certainly, I would if I was. And the member is wrong. Deputy Minister Dyble has been talking to Ms. Haakstad. Mr. Speaker: Th e member has a supplemental. J. Horgan: Again, it speaks to the reach of Mr.

Dyble as the head of the public service when we're not just talk- ing here about the public service. It's bad enough that the deputy to the Premier and three other senior deputies are taken away from the pub- lic's business to see if they can clean up the mess that's been created by operatives in the Premier's offi ce, but the challenge we have is that Mr. Dyble is a public servant. He has no access to the Liberal caucus across the way. He has no access to the B.C. Liberal Party. If Ms. Haakstad chooses to not participate in an investigation, he has no access to her as well. I would further add that Mr.

Dyble has no access to private e-mails. Mr. Dyble has no access to information that's being stored in the east annex. Again, my question to the Premier: does she not realize that although Mr. Dyble is a very capable public servant, this job is beyond him, and it's time now to fi nd someone independent to get to the bottom of this? Hon. C. Clark: I do agree that Mr. Dyble is a very competent public servant. I'm glad that the member is fi nally coming around to that view, because he is a very competent, independent public servant.

He has spent 20 years in the public service in various roles and served the province of British Columbia well. He is undertaking this review with other deputies across government and will be reporting back. I'm con- fi dent that he is going to have the information that he needs to make that review. If he does not have the infor- mation that he needs, I can assure you that he will say that in his report. He does certainly have access to Ms. Haakstad. She's been talking to him extensively.

As has anyone else that he or any of his fellow deputies have sought to interview with respect to this, because this is an extremely serious issue. Th e language in that document was wrong. Many of the ideas that were contained in that document were wrong. We have an obligation as a government to make sure that we respond not just to the concerns that people have but to make sure that we are doing the right thing — to make sure that we are addressing the very real needs of multicultural communities out there, and doing it in a responsible and ethical way. We take full responsibility for what happened.

We are addressing it. Ms. Haakstad has taken responsibility for her role in overseeing it. Mr. Dyble is reviewing it, and when that review is complete, there may be more action necessary. I would urge members of this House to ensure that they do not prejudge the outcome and that they do not decide, on an issue that is incredibly serious, to start sug- gesting there will be conclusions that may not be there. We will see what he reports at the end of the day. When he does report, I will be accountable for that, and I will act on the recommendations that he delivers. [1430] L.

Krog: Well, I'm rather surprised that the Premier doesn't seem to get the point here. Mr. Dyble has no law- ful authority to conduct an investigation. He is not statu- torily charged to conduct an investigation. He is not a police offi cer. He doesn't even have the status of a lawyer in a civil lawsuit who could demand that the other side produce documents and examine under oath the other party to the proceeding. Mr. Dyble is in the diffi cult position, having been a ca- reer and much-admired public servant, of having to ask questions of people he has worked with. He has no law- ful access to B.C.

Liberal Party records. He has no way of compelling anyone to give him the evidence that is neces- sary. Th at is clear to everyone in British Columbia who understands this issue. My question to the Premier is very simple. Given his complete lack of legal authority other than the request made of him by the Premier herself, will the Premier not agree…?

In order to ensure that the public interest is protected in this matter, that we get to the bottom of this matter and that all the evidence that should be made available is in fact made available, will she not agree it is time to appoint an independent investigator and relieve Mr. Dyble of the obligation she's placed on him which he simply is unable to perform appropriately because he lacks that statutory and legal authority?

British Columbia Debates13248 Monday, March 4, 2013 Hon. C. Clark: I want to be really clear. John Dyble has served the public for over two decades. He is an ab- solutely independent, incredibly capable man who will do this free of any political infl uence. He has his own reputation as an independent public servant to preserve. Despite the words of the critics and some certain members of this House, I believe that he is going to be able to conduct this investigation, this review, absolute- ly thoroughly.

If, at the end of the review, he feels — as a non-partisan, independent, thorough reviewer of the facts — that further review is required, he will most cer- tainly say that in his report. But there is no reason to think that this review will be anything less than thorough, anything less than independent. I promise you this. We will act on the facts and the recommendations when he provides them. [End of question period.] Petitions K. Krueger: I rise to table a petition signed by many hundreds of people.

I haven't counted the signatures, but the constituents who gathered it say that it refl ects the view, they believe, of 98 percent of the people who live along Highway 5A near Kamloops. J. Horgan: I seek leave to present a petition. Mr. Speaker: Proceed. J. Horgan: I have a petition signed by 2,500 residents of the Westbank First Nation calling on the govern- ment to immediately repay homeowners residing on the Westbank First Nation lands the carbon tax rebate for 2011 and 2012 as well as any future years in which the carbon tax rebate is provided. C. Hansen: I ask leave to make an introduction. Mr.

Speaker: Proceed. Introductions by Members C. Hansen: Th ere's a group that couldn't join us for the normal time for introductions today, but they have since come into the House. I'd ask the House to welcome 38 grade 11 students from Prince of Wales Mini School, the two parent volunteers with them, and their teacher, Mr. Andrew Humphries. J. Horgan: I seek leave to make an introduction. Mr. Speaker: Proceed. J. Horgan: Joining us in the gallery today is Coun. Mike De Guevara from the Westbank First Nation.

Mike is down and has been down for the past number of days meeting with the Tsawout First Nation and other First Nations leadership in the south Island to share notes and compare how we can move forward on land claims and treaty rights settlements across British Columbia. Would the House please make him very, very welcome. S. Chandra Herbert: I, too, would like to seek leave to make an introduction. Mr. Speaker: We're just doing introductions over. Proceed. S. Chandra Herbert: I would like to join with the member for Vancouver-Quilchena to welcome the stu- dents from Prince of Wales.

I'm an alumni — alumnus, I guess it would be — and I'm really glad that they have joined us in the House today. [1435] Th e member for Surrey-Whalley also wanted me to mention that he was from that school as well. Orders of the Day Hon. M. de Jong: Mr. Speaker, I call continued debate on the budget. Budget Debate (continued) [L. Reid in the chair.] Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I am pleased to continue speaking about Budget 2013. I had the opportunity to start speaking at the last sitting of the House and to speak a bit about my riding.

I want to continue on to talk about the budget and what it means to the Ministry of Health. We are a government that understands that every tax dollar is important. In health care there are some things that that means. It means minimizing duplication and overlap, keeping administrative costs low and slowing the rate of growth to ensure sustainability. We are doing all of those things. When we took offi ce, there were 52 health authorities in British Columbia. Th at meant 52 separate entities, each with their own board and senior administration.

One of our fi rst acts as government was to reduce the number of health authorities down to six. We have also, over the last few years, dramatically re- duced the rate of growth in health expenditures, reducing it by more than half. Before the worldwide economic crisis health funding was growing by about 7 percent per year. In our last budget growth was down to around 3 percent. Health authority administrators and health profession-

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13249 als are certainly doing their part, using lean techniques to maximize existing resources. Th ey're fi nding savings through consolidation, shared services and bulk purchas- ing that will save the system more than $200 million by the end of 2014. Our efforts are leading the country. A Canadian Institute for Health Information study in 2009 found that administration costs right here in British Columbia in our health authorities were the second lowest in Canada at 3.8 percent. Th at was down from nearly 5 percent just two years earlier.

We're doing this all without dimin- ishing our services for patients. CIHI also shows that our per-capita health spending is the second lowest in Canada but that our health outcomes are among the best. I'll talk a little more about that later. With respect to this budget, health spending growth will increase by $374 million in 2013 to $16.6 billion. In this budget we are protecting and maintaining health authority budgets while also ensuring that the health services that British Columbians rely on are maintained.

Over the next three years health authorities and regional services, which is the front-line care for patients, will still see an average annual growth of 3.2 percent. We are using strategies to hold the line on PharmaCare and MSP expenses, and their growth will be a more modest 1.1 percent annual growth.

In Budget 2013 we are maintaining the health services that British Columbians rely upon, but we're fi nding sav- ings and effi ciencies by reducing what the ministry pays for some services, including PharmaCare cost savings through the use of generic medications; savings through the reform of laboratory services, something that's been very successful in this province already and across Canada; setting a clear mandate for further discussions with the B.C.

Medical Association on holding the line on overall expenditure on physician services; and also increasing the use of pay-for-performance or patient- focused funding. Health spending was growing at an average of 7 per- cent per year between 2005-06 and 2008-09 before being reduced to an average of 4.4 percent annually during the subsequent four years. [1440] First and foremost in this budget, as I've said be- fore, we are protecting and maintaining health author- ity budgets, while ensuring that the health services that British Columbians rely upon are maintained.

I'm going to speak more about our operations budget, but I want to take a moment to talk about capital projects around the province, which are extremely important to people wherever they are. As noted in the budget speech, we are continuing to move forward with the following capital health projects: the redevelopment of B.C. Women's and Children's hos- pitals in Vancouver; a new Surrey Memorial Hospital emergency department, which should open later this year, and a critical care tower.

Work is underway for a new Interior heart and sur- gical centre in Kelowna, the replacement and expan- sion of north Island hospitals, the redevelopment at East Kootenay Hospital in Cranbrook, the replacement of Lakes District Hospital in Burns Lake and the replace- ment of Queen Charlotte–Haida Gwaii hospital. Th ere is also work underway to redevelop the Royal Columbian Hospital, the Vernon Jubilee Hospital in Vernon and the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.

Part of the way that the Ministry of Health and our government have been able to bend the cost curve in health expenditures is using lean techniques, by doing things diff erently. Th ere is a substantial innovation and change agenda throughout the ministry and throughout the health authorities which is providing true patient- centred care but being very respectful and careful with the resources that we have in terms of tax dollars. Our use of lean techniques across the health care system is sig- nifi cantly reducing patient wait times and is maximizing effi ciencies that can then be redirected into patient care.

I want to give a couple of examples. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the Vancouver General Hospital and the UBC Hospital, where they told me about actions that they've taken with respect to total sur- gical wait-lists. Over the last year, through simple and creative techniques, they have been able to reduce their total surgical wait-lists by nearly 25 percent. Every single surgeon who has patients on wait-lists in those two hos- pitals has seen their wait-list decrease.

Th ey have been able to shift surgical procedures between hospitals to take advantage of operating room effi ciencies, they have made better use of their operating room capacity by coordinat- ing patients better, and they have made a concerted eff ort to regularly monitor and analyze wait-lists. With these diff erent techniques and with everyone participating, it was truly inspiring to see what had been accomplished in a relatively short time. Th ese kinds of innovative changes are things that can be transferred to other health authorities as well.

Another example of amazing innovation and change is at the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre in Surrey in the Fraser Health Authority, another place I had the opportunity to visit. I spoke with members of the team, which included physicians, pathologists, surgeons, plastic surgeons and radiologists.

It also included other members of the team: nurses, booking clerks and tech- nologists — all of them working together so that during a single visit a woman who has an abnormality, whether it's a mass in her breast or an abnormal screening mam- mogram, can have imaging, cytology and physical exam- ination, all on a one-stop-shopping basis. Women are informed of their appointment, and they are informed that it's not clear how long that appoint- ment will take. It may be an hour that day, or it may be much longer. But during that time the collaborative care

British Columbia Debates13250 Monday, March 4, 2013 and working together as a team allows for very thor- ough provision of services to those women patients. Procedures that were taking many, many weeks, some- times months, are now taking two to three weeks on aver- age. Amazingly better care for the women patients and, of course, benefi ting their families as well.

In the Northern Health Authority the amount of time that it takes for patients to be referred through the Prince George home and community care offi ce, until they ac- tually receive long-term care support, has been reduced from an average of 68 days down to 14 days. And there are many other examples of lean techniques that are real- ly making a diff erence around the province. I mentioned the fact that although we are the second- lowest in terms of per-capita expenditures in our health care system, we have some amazing achievements, some outstanding achievements in this province.

I want to out- line a few of those. [1445] We have the best overall cancer survival rates in Canada. According to the 2012 estimates in the Canadian Cancer Society's Canadian Cancer Statistics report, mor- tality rates for all cancers combined are lowest in British Columbia. We have the longest life expectancy in Canada. We have the lowest heart attack rate in Canada. We have been able to accomplish, working across all health authorities, thousands more surgeries.

Since 2001 we have increased the annual number of knee replace- ments from about 3,000 to over 7,000; hip replacements, from about 2,800 to 5,100; cataract surgeries, from 31,000 to 51,000. Th ere are a number of other surgeries where there have been substantial increases in the number of cases done. Overall, the total number of surgeries received by British Columbians last year was 531,000. Over half of those patients, Madam Speaker, were never on a waiting list. Th is is an increase of 26 percent from the 420,000 surgeries that were performed in 2000-2001. We have the best HIV/AIDS care in the country.

We are the only province in Canada that is actually showing a consistent decline in HIV diagnosis. HIV/AIDS-related deaths have decreased in British Columbia by more than 90 percent since 1996, and I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the Centre of Excellence at St. Paul's Hospital under the leadership of Dr. Julio Montaner. With his extraordinary team, the dedication that they have shown has led to these extraordinary outcomes. But this is also spreading beyond British Columbia's borders, across Canada, throughout North America and around the world. Dr.

Montaner and his team have travelled to every continent, and the techniques and the things that they have developed, the research that we have all gained from, is now being exported worldwide. We should be very proud of that. Another accomplishment is that we have thousands more doctors and nurses in the province today than we did in 2001. We have more than doubled the number of medical students that are being trained. Two years from now we will have 288 students graduating each and every year.

We have increased the number of practising nurses to more than 50,000, which is an increase of over 13,000 practising nurses since 2001, and we are training more than twice as many as we did back in 2001. I have also talked about the capital investments, but let me say that we have better patient care, through excel- lent infrastructure, having invested more than $8 billion in health capital over the last ten years. Our PharmaCare expenditures are another import- ant area that British Columbians really count on.

We are maintaining the health services that British Columbians rely upon in Budget 2013, but we're fi nding savings and effi ciencies by reducing what the ministry pays for these services. One of the important things that we are doing is the new generic pricing regulation that was introduced in the spring of 2012. Our PharmaCare program has been evaluated and has been found to be one of the most com- prehensive drug programs in Canada. Where else are we investing, Madam Speaker?

Well, we are investing in smoking cessation — tobacco use be- ing one of the single most preventable causes of disease and death in British Columbia. We are proud that we have made great progress in reducing tobacco use preva- lence in the province. We have the lowest smoking rates in Canada at approximately 14.2 percent. We are com- mitted to reducing that further and protecting British Columbians from the danger of second-hand smoke.

As part of this commitment and our commitment to healthy families, we are investing between $15 million and $25 million annually in British Columbia's smoking cessation program, which off ers smokers the choice of coverage of nicotine replacement therapies or prescrip- tion drugs. By doing this, we are making the healthy choice the easy choice for people who are smokers. By reducing the number of people who smoke, not only will we prevent or delay the onset of diseases like heart attacks and cancer but also avoid the millions of dollars of cost on our health care system.

Th e innovation and change agenda is something that is not new, but some extraordinary new programs have been rolled out in the last little while. Last week I met with a group of family doctors and health providers. Th ere was one patient representative present for the an- nouncement we made about integrated primary and community care. Th ese are not just words on a page.

Th is is an approach that is being embraced by family doctors, by people who work in health authorities and by the ministry. [1450] What we talked about was a program which includes something called Home is Best, where people who are in hospital for acute care are able to return home instead of going into residential care. Th ere was a young woman

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13251 called Vivian, who attended the event on Friday and talked about what it meant for her grandparents who had been married for over 65 years and were facing separa- tion. Th ey were facing the fact that Vivian's grandfather was thought to be too frail to live at home and that he would need to go into residential care. Th e proposal was made that the Home is Best program would be tried. Services were brought into the home, and this couple is able to be together in the home of their choice. Th at is really what this program is all about.

It's also about keeping people out of the emergency department, where that is possible, and keeping people out of the acute care hospital setting. Quite frequently patients are leaving hospital earlier than they otherwise would have because of the coordination of care between their family physician, home and community care nurses and other important providers, so that they can be home where they would prefer to be. It's been demonstrated very clearly that the healing process is better, that they're stronger and that this program has been extraordinar- ily successful.

Another program that we recently talked about is A GP for Me, which is a program that supports our gov- ernment's promise that by 2015 everyone in British Columbia who would like to have a family doctor will have one. Th is work is something that we have been do- ing in partnership with the B.C. Medical Association, rolling out a comprehensive suite of supports and in- centives to improve primary care in B.C. Th e work is supported by $132 million in funding, and a signifi cant proportion of that is from the existing physician master agreement, which was negotiated between government and the BCMA in 2012.

There have been some successful pilot programs around the province in White Rock, South Surrey, Prince George and the Cowichan Valley. I'm happy to say that this program started in June of 2010. Th ere are over 9,000 patients that did not have a family doctor at that point who have a family doctor today. New family physicians have been recruited, and other health providers are also included in these communities.

We are rolling this out to the entire province, including divisions of family practice, so that the family doctors in a community can look at the unmet needs of their com- munity and then decide how best to meet them. In diff erent neighbourhoods of the province, it may be increased access to a registered nurse or a nurse prac- titioner or perhaps a pharmacist. In other cases, special clinics have been developed for maternity patients, for patients who don't have physicians. Who knows where the innovation will lead us with this excellent new pro- gram.

It certainly has made a diff erence for patients so far in this province, as I said, with over 9,000 of them that didn't have a family doctor in 2010 having a doctor today. At the event where we talked about this, a family came, and they spoke about what a diff erence it had made for them to have a family physician in their community.

Again, a young woman came to speak, and she talked about the fact that not only could she and her husband and their children have access to a family doctor, but that family doctor actually said: "Do you have any other family members in White Rock–South Surrey?" Her par- ents are now receiving care from that same family phys- ician — so three generations of the same family. In White Rock–South Surrey today if you want a family doctor, there is no wait at all. We are also investing in health research.

Over the last 12 years our government has invested more than $900 million in health research around the province, including places like the Vancouver Prostate Centre, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, six leading-edge endowment fund chairs, Genome B.C. and the Centre for Drug Research and Development. Th at's just to name a few. I want to just take a moment to talk about why we in- vest in health research. Research can defi nitely help to keep our health care system sustainable.

Using the valu- able data we have here in British Columbia, we can fi nd ways to improve care and reduce spending, allowing re- sources to be redirected to direct patient care. Th e research sector, importantly, also provides eco- nomic benefi ts and great jobs, and attracts research dol- lars from many sources. Th e research funding that we provide to institutions like the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and Genome B.C. is levered some- times fi ve, ten or even more times by the private sector in some cases and by other research funders across Canada and around the world.

I wanted to speak briefl y about other ways that we are doing things diff erently here in British Columbia. First I'd like to talk about our very successful nurse practi- tioner program. [1455] In 2005 nurse practitioners were established as an im- portant part of health care teams in B.C. In fact, we were the fi rst in B.C. history to establish a nurse practitioner training program. We currently have 252 nurse practi- tioners who are registered with the College of Registered Nurses of B.C. and the ability to train up to 45 nurse prac- titioners annually.

Last year we announced that we would be funding 190 nurse practitioner new positions over the next three years. Th is is a $22.2 million initiative, and it is net new funding over and above the current $17 million provid- ed annually to health authorities for nurse practitioners. We heard a number of announcements recently about the communities who are going to receive nurse practi- tioners. In fact, in some cases those nurse practitioners are already providing care. Th ey help to meet the grow- ing need for primary health care, including management of chronic diseases.

Th ey perform the full range of nurs- ing functions as well as some functions that are similar

British Columbia Debates13252 Monday, March 4, 2013 to what physicians do, such as diagnosing and managing common, acute and chronic illnesses; prescribing; or- dering diagnostic tests; and referring to specialists. In my home community of Trail, when I left the com- munity, my partners were not able to recruit a family physician, and a nurse practitioner joined the team. She has been an extraordinary addition to the team. Other nurse practitioners have come through for training in our clinic — my old clinic. Th e nurse practitioner in the clinic provides very important care. She does offi ce visits.

She does chronic disease management. But she's also part of the palliative care team and chronic disease manage- ment, and she provides valuable support for her patients and the clinic's patients by doing house calls. It has been demonstrated that this kind of care very frequently can help us to avoid unnecessary hospitaliza- tions and emergency visits, and again, it feeds into the whole idea that home is best for people. I also wanted to talk about our midwifery program. Canada was the last developed country to legally recog- nize the practice and profession of midwifery.

A few months ago I joined in the celebration of the ten-year anniversary of the establishment of UBC's midwifery program. Midwives were fi rst registered to practise on January 1, 1998. Today in this province midwives are providing about 11 percent of all deliveries. In some cases they're doing these deliveries of babies in hospitals. In other cases they are home deliveries for selected low- risk pregnancies. High-quality maternity care is vital to our health care system, and the midwives provide maternity care from early pregnancy through labour and birth until six weeks postpartum.

Th ey are now a fi rmly established part of B.C.'s health care system. Th ey're practising evidence- based, women-centred maternity and newborn care, and they do give healthy, low-risk women the opportunity to give birth at home or in hospital. In 2006 there were 2,376 midwife-assisted births, but in 2010 that number grew to 4,393. Th e option of using the services of a midwife is growing amongst British Columbia families, and midwives are in high demand. I can tell you, Madam Speaker, that at that celebration it was clearly demonstrated that midwives also know how to have a good time. It wasn't a raucous party.

It wasn't a wild party, but they certainly were celebrating thorough- ly the success they've had over the last ten years. It was really a fantastic opportunity to be there to celebrate the anniversary with them. Th ese are just some of the ways that we are successful with our innovation and change agenda, demonstrat- ing very clearly that it is possible to provide choice.

It's possible to provide service and care for people in their homes, and it's possible to support primary care and spe- cialty care and to be excellent, as is clearly demonstrated by the number of health measures where we are the best in Canada — something to be very proud of. So I am strongly in support of this budget, Budget 2013, and it's been a privilege to have an opportunity to speak in support of the budget. J. Trasolini: It is an honour for me to rise to respond to the government's budget and fi scal plan.

But fi rst, I would like to thank the citizens of the Port Moody–Coquitlam riding, which includes the villages of Anmore and Belcarra, for trusting me to be here representing them. [1500] I also want to thank my wife, Cecilia; my stepdaugh- ter, Helena; my two sons, Phil and Darren; and my four grandchildren. I think we can all agree that it is a sacri- fi ce to be here and missing your family. Now I want to go back to the 2009 budget, because there are similarities with today's budget in both con- tent and process.

In 2009 the Finance Minister tabled a pre-election budget stating that there would be a defi cit of $495 million. Aft er the election the defi cit exploded to almost $12 billion. Th is led directly to the Liberal gov- ernment HST fi asco that has affl icted the business com- munity and British Columbians for the past four years. Now let's look at the 2013-14 budget. For the past year the B.C. Liberals have been talking about a balanced budget for 2013-14, even though in the past four years they have produced four consecutive deficit budgets and quarterly reports showing defi cits in the past year.

However, the government has continued to talk up a bal- anced budget. Guess what. February 19 comes and — poof! — as pre- ordained, like pure magic, a so-called balanced budget is tabled. It has been called a fantasy, incredible, unrealistic. I call it a bogus budget. [H. Bloy in the chair.] Th e 2013-14 budget is a defi cit budget. I do realize that it's easy for anyone to simply claim that this budget is a defi cit budget. However, I will, within the time that I have, clearly point out the specifi c areas in this budget that point to an unmistakable conclusion of a defi cit budget.

Th e Liberal government budget includes unrealistic shortsighted, ill-conceived real estate sales from sales that have not been realized, yet the revenues are on the books. It also includes annual B.C. Hydro dividends, which gives the mistaken message that B.C. Hydro has made a profi t where none exists. Th ey also include unrealistic cuts to the health budget and B.C. housing, cuts in forestry and cuts in post-secondary education and skills training, to name a few. Th ere is no mention of the fi lm industry, mining, cli- mate change and the environment. Th e HST — incred- ibly, not mentioned.

Not a word about money from the prosperity fund, the central theme of the throne speech. First, let us take a look at the real estate sales compon- ent of the government asset liquidation. Th e plan in-

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13253 cludes the sale of land worth $475 million in the 2013-14 fi scal year and up to a total of $625 million for the two years. Let me say that there may be sound reasons for government to, at times, sell surplus real estate properties. Th at has happened. However, the systematic wholesale li- quidation of Crown-owned real estate of this magnitude is not a normal occurrence, nor is it a sound decision. Th ese actions by the B.C. Liberals are a one-time fi re sale designed to bolster their political fortunes in the May election. Th e sales have not been completed.

How can the government be sure of the sale or the proceeds of such transactions? As respected economist Don Drummond stated…. He advised the Ontario government that if assets have not been sold, never incorporate the revenues from such planned sales into the budget prior to the sales. Y et this is what the Finance Minister has done, and in a big way. [1505] Why sell? What is the hurry? Where's the compelling reason? It is my opinion that this is a shortsighted politic- al gimmick. In a growing Lower Mainland and through- out this province useful real estate needs to be managed properly.

Government land holdings need to be reserved for all British Columbians. Once sold, these assets will be gone forever, and if needed in the future, government would be forced to pay much higher prices to get them back. Serious eco- nomic decisions require this forward-looking perspec- tive, but this government is acting in a shortsighted way, and they're only motivated by politics. Th ere seems to be a B.C. Liberal fi xation on appearing to have a balanced budget prior to the May election. Th at is not good reasoning.

Th ere are better choices to make sure that the fi nancial future of British Columbia is as- sured. If the Liberals really had the best interest of British Columbians in mind, they would explore better, more economically sound options for these so-called surplus lands — options that would ensure land ownership re- mains in government hands and, as well, options that would secure sustainable, yearly, long-term income for the government. Selling real estate assets for one-time revenues to at- tempt to balance an operating budget is not sustainable for government, nor is it sustainable for business.

One- time revenues should only be used for one-time expenses. Nobody would argue with that. A better and more fi nancially sound option would be to utilize surplus real estate by fi rst upzoning land for highest and best use and making lands available for lease opportunities that would be presented by investors like pension funds and business investors to capture sustain- able, long-term rental income. Th is fi scally prudent ac- tion would have resulted in sustainable yearly revenues that could and would be used as operating funds in the budget.

I'll give you some examples of where this plan would be very useful. Take a look at the Little Mountain lands — a large acreage in a growing area; close to transit; suit- able for mixed-use development, diff erent housing forms, including aff ordable housing; as well as retail space and commercial space. Take a look at another site, the 25-acre Pearson hospi- tal, Dogwood health care on 52nd and Cambie — again, in an area where it is served by public transit. Where growth is needed, similar opportunities would exist.

Th ere are 14 other sites ID'd in the 2013-14 budget and then another 65 unknown sites that have been identifi ed as surplus lands in the following years. I wouldn't be standing up here speaking about some- thing that I don't have any experience on. I will give you some ideas. I'm not speaking about opportunities that are groundbreaking, Mr. Speaker. I am talking about what is commonplace. [1510] In my experience as mayor for the city of Port Moody for 12 years, we faced a fi nancially uncertain future over the 12-year span.

I and my council did exactly what I'm suggesting the Liberal government ought to do here as a sustainable fi nancial alternative to selling real estate. We negotiated deals on city-owned lands to secure long- term sustainable revenues. I'll give you some examples. For a small city of 33,000 people, these are some of the examples. We leased land at Rocky Point Park to a restaurant, which brings in $240,000 per year. Th at is happening to- day, and it will happen into the future. Th ere was an af- fordable housing site. Again, we leased the land, and we are receiving $150,000 per year.

We rented offi ce space on a parcel of land that we built, and we are receiving $100,000 per year from some tenants. Th ese are three perhaps minor opportunities, but the point is that there are ways to invest in those lands so that future generations would take advantage of it, and future taxpayers would be able to have their taxes defrayed be- cause of the income. Th ose were done years ago. Th e city is currently enjoy- ing these benefi ts right now. Th e income, because it is sustainable, can be used for the operating budget. Th at is what sound business decisions look like.

For a govern- ment that claims to have business knowledge, it is sure making poor business decisions. Or is there in fact an- other motive — that is, a selfi sh, shortsighted plan to sell as many real estate assets as possible in the attempt to give the illusion of a balanced budget to bolster the pol- itical fortunes in the upcoming May election? Regardless, either motive points to a government that is not doing its job, not looking aft er the interests of British Columbians.

Counting on $475 million of one- time land sales in the 2013-2014 fi scal year — sales that have not taken place — is neither looking aft er the in- terests of British Columbians, nor does it point to a bal-

British Columbia Debates13254 Monday, March 4, 2013 anced operating budget. Th is huge item alone demonstrates that the 2013-14 Liberal budget is truly a defi cit budget. Th ere is more, much more, like the item about the Finance Minister is counting on dividends from B.C. Hydro, giving the mis- taken message that B.C. Hydro is profi table. Th e taking of $245 million from B.C. Hydro as a dividend is not real- istic, as B.C. Hydro borrows large sums of money and then pays dividends to the tune of $245 million so that, I guess, the Liberal government can give the illusion of a balanced budget.

Th e Liberal government is employing the deferral ac- count method, which was denounced by the Auditor General a year or so ago, and taking the $245 million from B.C. Hydro's profi t, where there is none. Th is is not a prudent action, nor, may I suggest, is it sustainable for the government. Th ere will be a day of reckoning. Th is action is taking from future generations, and it's taking away from our youth. [1515] Now I want to talk about some unrealistic cuts in this budget, and I want to look at housing, my critic area. Th e service plan for B.C.

Housing does not include a single change in the ministry's goals, priorities or strategies relative to housing. Th e ministry service plan does not refl ect the situation that too many B.C. families face, particularly the work- ing poor, seniors, homeless, First Nations and vulnerable people suff ering from mental health issues, addictions and other challenges.

I want to make a point that without adequate housing help, these people will continue to suff er and put more pressure on emergency shel ters, hospital emergency wards, public safety services and volunteer organizations, to name a few, and will, in the end, result in more budget- ary pressures on the government. Recent reports are showing that there are 200,000 households in B.C. living in core housing need — that is, spending more than 30 percent of income on housing. Overall, homelessness is in creasing across B.C.

Recent homeless counts have shown that even though street homelessness has been reduced with the increase of homeless shelters, overall homelessness numbers are still up over the previous year and increasing. Th is is likely to continue over the next few years, due to the recent reces- sion and the expectations in the economy. Th ere is a serious shortage of housing for people living on low incomes, and there are three- to fi ve-year wait- ing lists for B.C. Housing. Th e government is way behind

schedule on its single-room-occupancy projects, which it fi rst promised in 2007. Over the last fi ve years the Liberal government has only created a net increase of 280 social housing units. Y et the government has put little focus on the importance of housing for low-income families who have the hardest time fi nding aff ordable housing options in B.C. I know this fi rsthand. I have been around the prov- ince for the past six months, and let me tell you, the story is not pretty.

I have visited cities in the Okanagan, the east and west Kootenays, the Cariboo area, all over Vancouver Island and throughout the Lower Mainland. Th e stories make me feel that there are forgotten people out there — seniors, young people, women at risk, low- income, marginalized people. Th ey exist, and they are waiting for housing throughout this province, and not much is being done. Recent budgets have illustrated that housing is not a priority for this government. For example, the overall budget for B.C. Housing in 2012 was cut by $139.4 mil- lion, or 18 percent, year over year.

Housing subsidies were cut by 26.9 percent. Th e 2013-14 budget off ers more of the same. Despite the number of homeless and persons requiring assistance being 5 percent and 7 percent respectively, the operating budget has been reduced by $2.4 million. B.C. Housing plans to spend $30 million less in the 2013-14 budget. B.C. Housing capital funds are reduced by $11 million, in spite of aff ordable housing needs prov- incewide. Th e number of new beds proposed, including priority areas, has been reduced by 250. [1520] B.C.

Housing, by reducing its target for the number of homeless who will remain housed aft er six months from 85 percent down to 75 percent, is predicting that home- lessness will worsen. Y et this government is doing less and, with this budget, is planning to do even less. Now let's look at the Health budget. Th e 2012-2013 Health budget that was forecast from last year called for a 3.7 percent increase for the 2013-14 budget, yet the budget just tabled has lowered that increase down to 2.6 percent. Th is is a decrease of $236 million.

Within the 2.6 increase we need to account for 1.5 per- cent infl ation, population growth, aging demographics and funding for hiring nurses, which is a government contractual obligation. Well, the most junior accountant would spot some- thing wrong with this lack of accountability. Th is begs the question: what does the Liberal government plan to cut within the health services to match this cut in fund- ing growth? Waiting lists will go up. Emergency wards will overfl ow. Mental health service care will deteriorate even further.

If the government doesn't agree with this list showing the impacts on health services delivery, then the government needs to give British Columbians the list that they have. What do they anticipate? They need to tell British Columbians what impact this budget will have on health care provincewide. Is the Liberal government willing to accept the overall deterior- ation of health service? Th at is what this budget plans for. A couple of words about forestry. Th e $35 million cut in the forestry budget further negatively impacts forest

British Columbia DebatesMonday, March 4, 2013 13255 re-inventory, replacing and managing the forest resource. Forestry is an important resource industry in this prov- ince. Th is Liberal government's forestry policies have contributed to the loss of thousands of jobs in this prov- ince. Now it seems the government has given up entirely. Th e fi lm industry. No help for the fi lm industry. B.C. lost 3,500 direct and spinoff fi lm and television produc- tion jobs during the year ending March 31, 2012, while Ontario gained 8,000 jobs, according to the Vancouver Sun report last week.

In dollar value, that is a loss of $134 million to the B.C. economy. B.C.'s share of Canadian fi lm and television produc- tion fell by 8 percent, to $1.58 billion. Th e future of this vital B.C. industry is deteriorating rapidly. Th is Liberal government is happy to pay $11 million to host the Times of India Film Awards — prior to the May election, may I add — while our TV and fi lm industry is struggling to survive. A bit about post-secondary education and skills train- ing.

Without exception, business leaders that I have met throughout this province ask with a common voice that the province fund post-secondary and skills-training programs. And 80 percent of jobs in the near future, if not presently, will need some sort of post-secondary edu- cation, yet the Liberal government is cutting operating funds for post-secondary education. Th ere is a $46 million cut to the Ministry of Advanced Education over the next three years, adding to the $50 million in cuts in the last budget.

Educators in a united voice are condemning these cuts. [1525] Again, Don Drummond, the noted economist I men- tioned earlier, has stated that if you are looking for places to cut the budget, advanced education is not the place to cut. Th is Liberal government thinks that it can gamble the future of our youth and with it the future prosperity of British Columbia. Now, there's an obscure item which calls for selling of fi nancial instruments. Th e government plan to sell pub- lic assets also includes the disposal of millions of dollars worth of some mysterious fi nancial instruments.

Th e Minister of Finance alluded to this action in the budget presentation last week but only in a brief, cryptic refer- ence. A report in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, following an interview with the minister, has the minister confi rming that the Liberal government plans to sell such mysteri- ous fi nancial assets to realize income of $125 million in the coming year.

Th e minister is quoted as saying: "Th ese fi nancial instruments are things the ministry of the gov- ernment from time to time sell." He would not elaborate, he said, because "they are very, very market-sensitive and more disclosure could compromise the selling price on the open market." Further information released — later, I assume — spoke about these assets as bonds, derivatives or prom- issory notes. Th e $125 million profi t resulting from these fi nancial asset sales means that hundreds of millions of dollars worth of these instruments would have to be sold. I ask: how realistic is that?

I believe that I have carefully outlined some of the key areas that point to the undeniable truth that the B.C. Liberal 2013-2014 budget is a defi cit budget. It is the fi ft h consecutive defi cit budget for this government. The only question remaining is: what would the amount of the defi cit be if this budget was to be adopt- ed? Well, we may never know the answer to that question. Th ank you for the opportunity, Mr. Speaker. J. Les: It's an honour for me to be able to rise this aft er- noon to respond to the budget. Th is will be my last op- portunity to do so.

Given that, I am particularly pleased that I am able to respond to a budget that's balanced. Listening to the comments from members opposite, one thing that strikes me right off the top is that the same writer has written all of their speeches and didn't have an original thought from beginning to end. It is simply the same thing regurgitated over and over again, regardless of how wrong it might be. This budget is truly balanced, and numerous com- mentaries from people who study these things bear that out. We've taken a very cautious and a very prudent ap- proach to the budget.

We've even gone so far as bringing in outside experts to verify the revenue projections and adjusting those accordingly. I think we can certainly say to British Columbians that not only is this budget bal- anced, but it was carefully balanced, and it was done in a way that withstands scrutiny. Now, it is actually very important to me personally as a legislator, as a father and as a grandfather to be able to say that the budget is balanced. I am tired, frankly, of governments almost everywhere taking such a casual ap- proach to defi cit budgeting.

Defi cit budgeting is nothing more than robbing the fu- ture to pay today's needs, taking from our children and grandchildren so that we can have things today. Th at's what defi cit budgeting is, and it's been engaged in far too oft en by governments everywhere. [1530] I am pleased that British Columbia is now the second province, post-recession, to be able to say that we have a balanced budget. We see governments right across Canada, provincial governments to be sure…. Alberta, for example — bil- lions and billions in defi cit. Manitoba, an NDP govern- ment — billions in defi cit.

Ontario, frankly, has billions upon billions in defi cit, with no idea how they're ever going to get back to a balanced situation. Th e Quebec government — I'm not sure if they even remember when they last had a balanced budget. And on it goes. All of those bills, though, are either going to come due, or subsequent generations are going to have to continue

British Columbia Debates13256 Monday, March 4, 2013 to pay the interest on those ever-accumulating defi cits, further restricting the policy options that governments of the future are going to have at their disposal. Th at is the tragedy of ongoing defi cits. Look at the United States. Th ey're currently adding about $1.4 trillion a year to their defi cits, to their ac- cumulating debt. Frankly, there is no plan as to how to get out of that vicious cycle. Th eir policy options at the city, state and federal levels in the United States are very quickly narrowing.

As I said, they really don't seem to have too much of a plan as to how they're going to get out of it, short of bankruptcy. Balancing budgets is extremely important. Over the last decade we have balanced a number of times. Of course, the members of the offi cial opposition take no end of delight in pointing out that the 2009 budget went deeper into defi cit than was originally anticipated. Interjection. J. Les: Y es, it did. Now, British Columbians, I think, are fair-minded people.

Th ey will also readily understand that we were then in the midst of the greatest recession since probably the 1930s, and our budget indeed went from a defi cit of $495 million to a defi cit of $1.8 billion. For sure, it did. When you compare that to the extreme worsening of fi scal conditions that happened in other jurisdictions, I think you'll easily come to the conclusion that it wasn't nearly as bad as it might have been. It was the careful fi - nancial management that had preceded those years that allowed us to not go as deeply into defi cit as we other- wise might have done. So here we are.

We're dealing with the budget of 2013- 2014. Happily, it's back in a balanced situation, and it also anticipates the two subsequent budgets beyond this fi scal year being balanced as well. Now, I see members opposite making light of the fact and thinking this is all very humorous. We know that their leader has already dismissed the importance of bal- anced budgets. Th eir Finance critic has said: "Oh, maybe we would balance, if we were government, in four or fi ve years. Whatever.

It's not important." Th e Leader of the Opposition has said one of the fi rst things that he'd be interested in would be to repeal the balanced-budget legislation. It's not important to balance the budget, to mem- bers of the NDP . We saw that in the '90s. Most of their budgets were in defi cit. Th ey had six credit-rating down- grades — six credit-rating downgrades while the NDP were in offi ce. We had to work awfully hard since 2001 to undo all of those credit-rating downgrades to where we today enjoy — and we continue to enjoy — a triple-A credit rating here in the province of British Columbia.

Th e members opposite can heckle all they like, but those are the facts — credit-rating downgrades under the NDP and a triple-A credit rating under a B.C. Liberal government. So how do you achieve a balanced budget? Well, I can tell you it's not easy. It involves saying no a lot more times than you would say yes to diff erent spending ideas. Basically, what we have said is that we're going to con- strain spending. Spending in this budget is up by 1.5 percent, which might sound familiar. It's roughly equal to the cur- rent rate of infl ation — a pretty responsible thing to do.

Actually, it's 1.5 percent and then your revenue growth, which we have in this budget, of about 3 percent, so rev- enues continue to improve. Although somewhat mod- estly, they are improving. [1535] We have a 3 percent increase in revenue, a 1.5 percent increase in spending. In a few broad strokes, that pro- duces for the province a balanced budget. B

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0304pm-04
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0304pm 04
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	03a179f201517f54d20ca138a07d134de3cb7675

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