2007 Legislative Session: Third Session, 38th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes

only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 14, Number 8

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Statements (Standing Order 25 B )

Scouts Canada

H. Bloy

Little Mountain Residential Care and

Housing Society

D. Chudnovsky

Stanley Park restoration

L. Mayencourt

Coalition of Child Care Advocates

C. Trevena

Kelowna athletes

A. Horning

Victoria homeless-needs survey

C. James

Oral Questions

Government action on private

post-secondary institutions

R. Fleming

Hon. M. Coell

M. Farnworth

Funding for child care resource and

referral centres

C. Trevena

Hon. L. Reid

Child care funding

G. Coons

Hon. L. Reid

Funding for child care resource and

referral centres

M. Sather

Hon. L. Reid

C. Puchmayr

Child care funding

S. Fraser

Hon. L. Reid

D. Thorne

D. Chudnovsky

N. Macdonald

Government plan for child care

N. Macdonald

Hon. G.

Campbell

Budget Debate

Hon. C. Taylor

B. Ralston

Introduction and First Reading of

Bills

Budget Measures Implementation Act,

2007 (Bill 2)

Income Tax Amendment Act, 2007 (Bill 3)

Hon. C. Taylor

Tabling Documents

5426`

Budget and Fiscal Plan 2007/08-2009/10

Government's service plans and

strategic plan

Hon. C. Taylor

[ Page 5413 ]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2007

The House met at 2:03 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Mr. Speaker: Members, being that it's budget day and

noticing the amount of people that are guests here today, rather than having

individual members introduce everybody and be here until three o'clock just

waiting for that to happen, on behalf of both sides of the House, I'd like to

welcome everybody here to budget day.

Statements

(Standing Order 25

B) SCOUTS CANADA

H. Bloy: On August 1, 1907, Robert Baden-Powell held an

experimental camp on Brownsea Island in England. This historic event marked the

beginning of a worldwide movement known as scouting.

For 100 years, over half a billion boys and girls representing

Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Rovers have participated in hundreds of

thousands of activities. They come from virtually every country and culture,

forever linked with their enjoyment of scouting. Through their pledge to live by

the Scouts' promise and law, they have helped change the world for good.

Today there are 28 million Scouts worldwide in 216 countries and

territories. Scouts Canada's 78,000 boys and girls together with its 24,000

dedicated volunteers are excited to be part of this global centennial

celebration. This is a unique milestone for Scouts Canada members and

volunteers.

[1405]

I pay tribute to the 17 million youth who have participated in

scouting in Canada during the past century. I ask the House to recognize

scouting efforts in developing Canada's youth over the past 100 years. I ask the

House to recognize scouting's significant contribution to Canada's heritage,

values and culture and to thank them for their valuable service to the

community.

LITTLE MOUNTAIN RESIDENTIAL

CARE AND HOUSING SOCIETY

D. Chudnovsky: I want to talk today about the extraordinary

work of Little Mountain Residential Care and Housing Society. Little Mountain is

a not-for-profit caregiving organization and has adopted a philosophy called

gentle care that supports choice, dignity, respect and recognition of cultural

diversity. They also offer a specialized program of training to meet the needs

of residents with dementia.

The society owns and operates three facilities. Adanac Park Lodge

has four self-contained areas and a special care unit, each with 16 private

rooms, provision for nursing care, social and recreational programming,

therapeutic dietary services and consultative medical supervision. Little

Mountain Place is a licensed intermediate care facility with 117 resident care

beds and a 26-bed special care unit. It provides services to the visually

impaired, the frail elderly and those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and

other related dementias. Little Mountain Court offers 96 self-contained

independent living suites.

These are model programs for my neighbours, my constituents and

our elders. I have had the privilege and pleasure of seeing gentle care at work.

It's a joy and an inspiration. The wonderful and dedicated staff, the

volunteers, the families and the residents are to be congratulated for their

commitment to dignity and to respect. I want to pay special tribute to executive

director Dan Levitt, whose humane leadership and caring for every member of the

Little Mountain community is outstanding.

On Saturday night in Vancouver, the society will hold its Silver

Plate Gala fundraising dinner and auction. I want to invite every member of this

assembly, and particularly the Premier, to join me at this terrific event and to

support the wonderful work of the Little Mountain Residential Care and Housing

Society.

STANLEY PARK RESTORATION

L. Mayencourt: It's a pleasure to rise today and also, as

other members have already, to support some of the great community initiatives

that happen in our neighbourhood.

Vancouver-Burrard is home to British Columbia's largest urban

park. It's a thousand acres, and it is a really remarkable place. For anybody

that missed it, in December we had a heck of a windstorm. What happened in

Stanley Park was quite devastating. We lost about 20 percent of the trees that

are in the park. Over 3,000 really old-growth trees were taken down.

It was something that really ripped the heart out of my community,

and it brought out some of the very, very best in our city. I want to pay

tribute, of course, to some people who are actually in the Legislature today,

but most particularly to Jim Pattison. Jim Pattison, who is Canada's great

billionaire, is also a great community person. He thought that it would be

really great to match dollar for dollar all donations forwarded by the city —

raised through the telethon and what have you. He would match that just to make

sure that we got enough money to fix up the park.

I had the opportunity to visit the park on the very first day that

it was opened with the Environment Minister, John Baird, and I was pleased to

recognized that this is not just British Columbia's jewel but also all of

Canada's.

I was very delighted when the Premier was able to come to the park

on his return and was able to see the devastation and see the emotional support

that people in Vancouver were putting forward and that he put forward the

LocalMotion fund to provide up to $4 million in funding.

[ Page 5414 ]

All told, we've done a remarkable job, but the really neat part

about this is that over a million and a half dollars was raised, five bucks at a

time, from ordinary citizens across B.C. and across Canada.

I want to especially acknowledge the member for West

Vancouver–Garibaldi for her efforts while I was on vacation to make sure we were

right there when we needed to be there for Stanley Park. Thank you.

[1410]

COALITION OF CHILD CARE ADVOCATES

C. Trevena: Friday night I attended a dinner where balloons

were flying and kids chasing around. People were full of energy and full of

hope. It was the 25th anniversary of the Coalition of Child Care Advocates, a

group of people who for a quarter of a century have been fighting for quality,

affordable, accessible child care — a child care system. I applaud them, most of

them women, who started on the quest when their own children needed child care

and have continued to try to strive for this.

Awards were announced at Friday's dinner — the crowning of young

activists who are taking on the fight, the young daughters of some of those

who've been campaigning for years. Maybe it's because they're women that the

humour lasts, or maybe it's because they have the joy of children around them.

Last week they held a rally at the Legislature, and that was

echoed around the province. Today they'll be watching the budget for some sign

that our children are important. But they know the fight has been a long one — a

quarter of a century and many governments and still no child care system, a

quarter of a century and still no realization that this isn't a partisan

political issue. It's economic, and it's social. Child care makes sense. Access

to child care means families, usually women, can re-enter the workforce.

The dinner was an opportunity to acknowledge the commitment of

those advocates. It was also a chance to honour those people who work so hard

for our children and working families, providing care, nurturing, education and

support. I, too, would like to acknowledge and thank them and hope the House

joins me in recognizing the very important role they play in our society.

KELOWNA ATHLETES

A. Horning: I would like to take this opportunity to shine

the spotlight on several talented young individuals from Kelowna. Beginning this

Saturday, the Canada Winter Games will host over 36,000 athletes, coaches and

managers from across the nation during its two-week run in Whitehorse, Yukon.

I am proud to tell you that 13 of our finest dedicated athletes

from Kelowna will be competing in one of Canada's biggest amateur sporting

events. For many of these athletes these games are an important stepping stone

to qualify for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is only fitting that

I share with you the names of these individual athletes who will represent

Kelowna and British Columbia: Mary Peacock, cross-country skiing; Dave Habib,

coach for boxing; Jason Mongrain, coach for figure skating; Kyle Beach, men's

hockey; Brandon McMillan, men's hockey; Kailee Ryan, women's hockey; Jenna

Milsap, ringette; Sydney Hertz, ringette; Sylvia Incrocci, shooting; Kelsey

Serwa, alpine skiing; Annie Page, snowboarding; Colton Stiles, snowboarding; and

Keara Maguire, long-track speed skating.

These 13 athletes and coaches are part of Team B.C., comprised of

269 athletes, 33 coaches and managers and 21 mission staff from British

Columbia. I would like to emphasize a tremendous amount of support for these

athletes, who have committed themselves to their passion. They should be

commended for their tenacious determination to set a high bar for themselves to

conquer these fears, to remain humble during moments of triumph and to never

settle for less. What we have here are leaders of tomorrow.

I ask the House to join me in a round of applause in support and

congratulations to these wonderful ambassadors. You have made us proud.

[Applause.]

VICTORIA HOMELESS-NEEDS SURVEY

C. James: On January 15, 2005, Victoria's Cool Aid Society,

together with other service agencies and 200 community volunteers and leaders,

conducted the first homeless count in B.C.'s capital city. Two years later those

same groups were out again for this important work. Between February 5 and 9

Victoria saw its second homeless-needs survey, and this year the efforts

expanded to include communities from Sooke to Sidney and Saltspring Island.

Once again, this significant undertaking was led by the Victoria

Cool Aid Society and over 60 social service agencies. Over 250 volunteers across

the capital region worked together to complete this important census. Research

data from the homeless-needs survey will be used by local, provincial and

federal levels of government, as well as by service providers to better meet the

needs of some of the most vulnerable people among us. Communities will be better

equipped to plan for and help the growing numbers of people in our community who

are without housing.

I'd like to thank and commend all the agencies, the partners, the

volunteers and the donors who gave of their time and support to this research

project and to bring this vital information to light. With their work, we

collectively can work to better the lives of those around us.

[1415]

Homelessness is an issue that all governments must make a

priority. Not only does it impact the health and quality of life for those

living on our streets, it also impacts small businesses in our community and

draws on our health care system. It's a complex issue, but it's one we can and

must tackle with compassion and support. We must continue to support and salute

the many groups here in Victoria and across this province who are working to

make a difference.

[ Page 5415 ]

Oral Questions

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON

PRIVATE POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS

R. Fleming: Lansbridge University, owned by B.C. Liberal

insider and party donor Michael Lo, has been found to have advertised programs

illegally, repeatedly misled government officials, exposed students to financial

risks and kept atrocious, insecure records, including transcripts printed on the

back of recycled e-mails.

Michael Lo had an ongoing record and trouble with the ministry for

serious violations at Kingston College, yet incredibly, the B.C. Liberal

government rewarded Mr. Lo by giving Lansbridge permission to call itself a

university and issue degrees only in June 2005.

Mr. Speaker, the minister can issue fines against Michael Lo under

the Degree Authorization Act. Right now, the world needs to know that illegally

ripping off students in B.C. does not go unpunished. Will the minister act and

impose fines for each and every offence at Lansbridge and Kingston College?

Hon. M. Coell: The member should know that the NDP were not

shy of taking donations from Kingston as well. He might want to check his

records.

When we initiated the Private Career Training Institution Agency

and the Degree Quality Assessment Board, we set very high standards. We expect

people to meet those standards. If the member is suggesting that we don't audit,

we don't investigate and we don't close people down, he should say that, because

I can tell you that this government will audit and investigate. If people are

breaking the law and not keeping up to their obligations, they will be closed.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

R. Fleming: Yes, I do, Mr. Speaker. What I'm suggesting,

and so far it's proven to be true, is that so far, ripping off students in

British Columbia remains a lucrative and unpunished offence. The minister has

two reports from investigations at Kingston and Lansbridge in his possession.

Both contain very disturbing findings. An example needs to be set.

Another question for the minister: has the ministry contacted New

Brunswick and Ontario to share these findings and see if Mr. Lo's company

violated laws there as well?

Hon. M. Coell: It's sad and sorry. There are over 500

private career-training institutions in this province. There are 60,000 students

getting good educations in our private sector. I can tell the member that if

someone proposes to be a university in British Columbia, they will act like a

university. They will keep the records properly. They will be a university. If

they aren't, they will close.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

The member has a further supplemental.

R. Fleming: Fake degrees are being issued from B.C., and

not enough is being done. China, India and Korea have all expressed their

concerns to this government. They continue to warn students away from private

career-training here in British Columbia. The minister says that he takes the

issue of protecting B.C.'s reputation abroad very seriously.

Is the minister aware that today there are websites and

on-the-ground recruiters in Malaysia peddling bogus degrees at Rutherford

University, at a Richmond, B.C., campus?

[1420]

Hon. M. Coell: Our government expects high standards from

colleges and universities in the private sector. There are over 500 delivering

very good programs to students.

But I can tell you…. And it sounds very much like the member

doesn't want us to investigate, doesn't want us to get in there and audit, and

doesn't want us to close them down if they're making false….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. M. Coell: This government will act and will act

decisively on those institutions that do not keep up to the standards that we

should have in this province.

M. Farnworth: Well, government officials from China, from

Korea, from India have all been complaining. The reputation of this province is

at stake when it comes to overseas education, which this government wants to

promote. The minister says he will take action — that we will close things down.

Well, when, Minister? When? How many more students have to be

ripped off before you will take action?

Hon. M. Coell: I don't know where the member has been.

Kingston was closed a month ago, and Lansbridge was closed two weeks ago.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

FUNDING FOR CHILD CARE

RESOURCE AND REFERRAL CENTRES

C. Trevena: The minister of state responsible for child

care has put out a purported fact sheet for the record. She talks about engaging

child care resource and referral centres in a dialogue to "reframe the service

in the province."

It's interesting to note that the dialogue has been with just two

centres. The other 43, which expanded thanks to her government's encouragement

over the last year, haven't heard from the minister, except that they have to

close their doors. They have been told by phone by ministry staff.

[ Page 5416 ]

They've been told to do an inventory of everything worth more than

$1,000, which will be taken over by the ministry, and they've been told by

ministry staff that leases and severance pay will be brought out. The lease in

Kamloops, alone, is more than a quarter of a million dollars.

I'd like to ask the minister of state responsible for child care

how much she is planning to spend to close down the centres that just last year

she was encouraging to open.

Hon. L. Reid: I would ask that the member listen closely.

We've canvassed this many times in this Legislature.

We certainly have been in dialogue with every single child care

resource and referral centre in British Columbia, so perhaps the member opposite

can do some homework. We deliver information today on subsidy, we deliver

information today on referral, and those services will continue in the province

of British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

C. Trevena: I do, Mr. Speaker.

I'm very concerned that those will continue. But the centres

themselves, which millions of dollars have been invested in across this

province, are being closed down, and the minister clearly has no idea how much

it's going to cost to close those centres down. This is after making a

commitment to the centres that this is where they're going to go.

The minister has known for a year that there's going to be no

federal funding, and yet she has done nothing to ensure that these centres,

which she wanted to see open, are going to stay.

Child care is in crisis in this province, and I would like to know

from the minister when we are actually going to see a plan in place for the

future of child care in B.C.

Hon. L. Reid: I am incredibly proud of the decisions this

administration has taken in terms of protecting vulnerable families in British

Columbia.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. L. Reid: And let me give…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

[1425]

Hon. L. Reid: …the member opposite an example: a single

mother with two children under your government — $7,000 in subsidy; a single

mother with two children — $14,000 in subsidy. [Applause.]

Mr. Speaker, to continue, I will make a reference. When your

government was taking the advice of your current leader under child care —

ill-conceived, unfunded child care programs which did not deliver a single space

to British Columbia…. I would put the record of this administration — 80,000

licensed, funded child care spaces in British Columbia…. We will fund what we

build, unlike the members opposite.

CHILD CARE FUNDING

G. Coons: The minister might not remember coming to our

community in July, but the community remembers. The community remembers how this

minister stood up and praised the child care programs that were in place. In

fact, Emily Mlieczko, a child care educator from Prince Rupert, wrote to the

minister to remind her of how she came to our community "praising the programs

in place and promising good things to come."

To the minister responsible for child care cuts: why is she

abandoning the programs that she so strongly praised only a few months ago?

Hon. L. Reid: I continue to marvel at the members opposite,

who seem not to have wondered about a federal election. There happens to be $455

million less in British Columbia for child care. The fact that they wonder about

that….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. L. Reid: That was not a provincial decision.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Minister.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. L. Reid: The federal government has eliminated the early

learning and child care agreement in British Columbia, and despite that fact,

this government has placed incredible priority on vulnerable families. The

income threshold for subsidy was $21,000. It is now $38,000.

Mr. Speaker: Thank you, Minister.

Hon. L. Reid: That has captured thousands more British

Columbian families. If the member opposite wishes those families to be

disenfranchised, get to your feet and say so.

FUNDING FOR CHILD CARE

RESOURCE AND REFERRAL CENTRES

M. Sather: This minister obviously is taking no

responsibility whatsoever for the mess that she's

[ Page 5417 ]

created in child care in this province. The member for Maple Ridge–Mission

says that the child care resource and referral system is a Cadillac model, and

the parents and families in my community that need child care can do without it.

Does the minister agree with the statement from the member for

Maple Ridge–Mission?

Hon. L. Reid: The emphasis we have placed in supporting

vulnerable families continues. The emphasis we've placed on special needs

children in British Columbia…. Any member opposite can get to their feet and

tell me that it's not important to support children with autism, children with

cerebral palsy, children with Down syndrome, so they can be welcomed into a

child care centre in British Columbia. Absolutely there's more need for child

care in this province. More British Columbians are at work. Pay attention.

[1430]

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

M. Sather: The minister can run, but she can't hide from

what she's done. The child care resource and referral centres are a valuable

service to the parents and the day care providers. They provide criminal-record

checks, and they check the characters of the "licence not required" day cares.

This is an essential service that protects the children and the families in our

province. How can the minister turn her back like she's done on these people?

Hon. L. Reid: The child care discussion in British Columbia

is a discussion of priority. We have squarely placed our priority on vulnerable

families, on children, earning under $38,000 a year.

Hon. Members, the issue is spaces in British Columbia. There are

80,000 funded, licensed child care spaces. There were probably 1,500 to 1,800

brought on the year before last. In the ridings in British Columbia this year

you will see 1,500 new child care spaces come on line, a $14 million investment

that will come to life in your ridings.

C. Puchmayr: My community, too, is faced with the impacts

of this government's heartless cuts to child care operating funds. Since 1992

the YMCA Childcare Resource and Referral Centre has filled a vital need,

promoting child care support in my region. I'll give you some facts. Last year

alone it assisted 4,000 families in search of subsidy and assistance. It

assisted 1,800 child care providers with training. It supplied 2,000 parents and

providers with toys and library resources. It engaged in over 24,000

consultations with child care providers and government bodies, and 6,000 parents

and caregivers attended family resource programs.

Can the minister responsible for child care tell the people in my

community why she is cutting those services.

Hon. L. Reid: Perhaps more slowly this time. A single

mother with two children in British Columbia….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Take your seat.

Okay, Minister. Go ahead.

Hon. L. Reid: To repeat to the hon. member opposite: a

single mother with two children under your government — $7,000 in subsidy. A

single mother with the same two children today — $14,000 in subsidy.

CHILD CARE FUNDING

S. Fraser: I think it would have been wise for the minister

to go out back when the rally was held last week here. That's what's happening

to real British Columbians with this government and this minister's cuts. The

minister refers to the federal cuts. Well, what's legendary is this government's

weak-kneed defence of those cuts.

In my constituency there are already long waiting lists for

quality child care. This government's proposed cuts, this minister's proposed

cuts to child care will result in, in one facility, a $42,000 loss. That's the

Alberni Valley Child Care Centre — a slap in the face of $42,000 to the children

and the families of the region — and that's just one such facility. To the

Minister of State for Childcare cuts: how do you expect the Alberni child care

centre in the real world to weather your imposed $42,000 cuts?

[1435]

Hon. L. Reid: I am pleased to respond to this member, and I

would hope that he does his homework in future. There are the following dollar

values going into Port Alberni–Qualicum: $197,000 to create 12 new spaces; Port

Alberni, $357,000 to create 22 new spaces; the Alberni Valley Child Care

Society, $208,000 for an additional 18 spaces; the Morning Glory Educational

Society, additional 32 spaces, 250,000 additional dollars.

D. Thorne: Child care for school-age children in my

community is in jeopardy. This is because of the government's decision to cut

services to children of all ages. Shock follows shock as eight more elementary

schools in my community that provide before- and after-school care are on the

chopping block.

Three hundred working parents in my community stand to lose their

neighbourhood child care services. This will force them to choose between work

and home. I wonder if the minister would please tell those parents what, if

anything, her government has specifically planned for these potential latchkey

children.

Hon. L. Reid: Again, I would encourage my former critic to

do her homework. She will know that the status quo is in place for…

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

[ Page 5418 ]

Hon. L. Reid: …out-of-school care, because there are no

changes made to out-of-school care — of which she is more than aware.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

D. Thorne: This minister continues to miss the point. My

question, specifically, is what these 300 parents are supposed to do when the

child care centres close. There are no openings in any other child care centres.

Subsidies and the fact that no plans to change before- and after-school care are

in the works doesn't mean anything if there aren't spaces to put children in.

I know of a woman who had to send her child to the United States

for care because there are no spaces and she would not quit her job. These are

disastrous times for working parents. These are disastrous times for employers

whose workers are considering….

Mr. Speaker: Can the member pose her question?

D. Thorne: Yes, Mr. Speaker. Actually, the question I'd

like to pose is the same question, back to the minister. Could she please just

answer my question.

Hon. L. Reid: There are more families working in British

Columbia today — something we should all be extraordinarily proud of. Our

response to that is a five-page list of new child care spaces coming on line

this year, and I'm happy to work through the list: Bowen Island, Bridge Valley,

Lillooet, Colwood, Langley, Vancouver — pages and pages and pages that equal

more than 1,500 new child care spaces.

D. Chudnovsky: The executive director and the president of

the board of Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society in my community wrote

the following to the Minister of State for Early Childhood Development: "The

major funding reductions to the provincial child care program will impact

greatly on both service delivery and affordability of our existing and future

child care endeavours. The reductions will most seriously impact the

lower-income members of our community."

[1440]

They went on to say: "With the available surplus, communities like

Little Mountain or Riley Park should not be asked to take on the burden of day

care funding reductions." What advice does this minister have for these

dedicated service providers and the lower-income members of my community who

they work so hard to serve, or does she think she understands what's going on in

my community better than the people who work and live there?

Hon. L. Reid: Certainly, the member opposite needs to hear

this clearly. This government has placed a priority on those most vulnerable. If

you earn under $38,000 today in British Columbia, you are eligible for the best

subsidy this province has ever seen.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

D. Chudnovsky: Once again from this minister a less than

mediocre response to a question that wasn't asked. When is she going to answer

the questions that people are asking? Why does the minister discount the advice,

the wisdom and the commitment of those people who work so hard to improve the

lives of the children in my community?

Hon. L. Reid: I am happy to tell you that we continue to

put the vulnerable families of British Columbia at the forefront of this

discussion and will continue to do so. Let's do a little comparison.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. L. Reid: Let's do a little comparison, hon. Speaker.

When the members opposite were leading this file, you were eligible for subsidy

if you earned under $21,000 annually. We lifted that to $38,000 a year. Pay

attention.

N. Macdonald: We've sat for half an hour and listened to

these sorts of answers. The idea that this government is most concerned about

vulnerable children defies belief. This is a government that has created the

conditions that gave us the highest poverty rate for children in all of the

country. This is a government that cut and reorganized the Ministry of Children

and Family Development, and we all in this House saw the impact of that, and it

was shameful. Now this is a government that is dismantling child care in this

province.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

N. Macdonald: Child care workers are calling for this

minister's resignation.

An Hon. Member: Research.

N. Macdonald: Do you want me to give you the letter?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Member. Members of both….

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

N. Macdonald: This minister came here in 1991 to improve

child care. Six years she's been responsible for it. She has dismantled it

consistently. Will the minister stand up and take responsibility for the mess

she has made in this province?

Hon. L. Reid: Vulnerable families in British Columbia…. The

work that has gone forward on behalf of this government speaks for itself. We

have by tenfold increased the

[ Page 5419 ]

funding for children with autism — a tenfold increase. Roots of Empathy in

British Columbia — every kindergarten classroom in the province. Aboriginal

infant child development — the first government ever to appoint someone to be

concerned about aboriginal infant development.

[1445]

The Success By 6 initiatives in this province, supported by many

of the members opposite, many of your colleagues….

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

Hon. L. Reid: An $18 million investment on behalf of early

learning in British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental?

GOVERNMENT PLAN FOR CHILD CARE

N. Macdonald: I do, thank you. Mayors, chambers of

commerce, school districts, parents — 125 have contacted my office, cc'ing me on

messages that went to this minister — say consistently that the minister's cuts

made no sense at all. The very people who care for children are calling for her

resignation.

She said she has a plan. She cannot outline it for us. There is no

plan. What's the record to date? She tells child care resource and referral

centres: "Get bigger; go storefront; get more expensive locations; lease more

equipment, and hire new staff." Months later she tells them: "Oh no, no. Break

all those contracts." Then what? What is the plan? Are you shutting them down?

What is your plan? You should be able to stand up and specifically tell us. What

is the plan?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. G. Campbell: Our plan was quite simple. We wanted to

replace a government that misled British Columbians. It misled parents, misled

families and misled people that needed to have child care. This government said:

"We have a plan. We're going to support people who need subsidies. We're going

to increase it from $21,000 to $38,000."

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Premier.

Hon. G. Campbell: This government had a plan to increase by

34,000 spaces the number of child care spaces that were available to B.C.'s

families. This government had a plan to get families jobs in British Columbia so

that they could support themselves.

This government had a plan for early childhood learning. This

government had a plan to support parents. This government had a plan to bring

kids into schools ready to learn so that they could build the kind of future

they want. That's the plan, and that's what we're going to do.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

[End of question period.]

Orders of the Day

Hon. C. Taylor: That's a hard act to follow.

Mr. Speaker, I move that this House at its next sitting resolve

itself for this session into a committee to consider the supply to be granted to

Her Majesty.

Motion approved.

ESTIMATES OF SUMS REQUIRED

FOR THE SERVICE OF THE PROVINCE

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

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

for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, and a supplement to the estimates for

the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, recommending the same to the Legislative

Assembly.

[1450]

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

accompanying the same be referred to the Committee of Supply.

Motion approved.

Hon. C. Taylor: I move, seconded by the hon. Premier of

British Columbia, that the Speaker do now leave the chair for the House to go

into Committee of Supply.

Budget Debate

Hon. C. Taylor: Hon. Speaker, today I present Budget 2007.

It's the third of five budgets this government will table in its current

mandate. It is also our fourth consecutive balanced budget.

As you recall, in our first mandate, budgets focused squarely on

the hard work needed to balance the budget and to turn our economy around,

reducing taxes, cutting red tape and encouraging businesses and our people to

come back home to British Columbia. That work has paid off.

We have now, without a doubt, one of the leading economies in

Canada. We are backed by a triple-A credit rating, our first in over 20 years.

Our unemployment rate, at 4.3 percent in January, is at its lowest level in over

30 years.

Business and industry are strong in almost every sector and every

region of the province. We are looking

[ Page 5420 ]

to the future with confidence, but we must never take this success for

granted. Building and maintaining a growing economy demands attention. It

demands loyalty to those policies that brought us this far. It demands prudence.

The result of these policies and the commitment to stay the course is a strong

economy, and that allows us to focus attention and dollars on the priorities of

the people of British Columbia.

In the first budget of this mandate, we extended new supports to

our seniors. In the second, we invested in the future of our children, and today

we take one more step forward. This year we focus on meeting a challenge that

touches every one of us. It's a challenge that comes in part as a result of our

strong economy, as a result of the success of our province. It's the challenge

of housing.

Budget 2007 presents the most comprehensive, aggressive housing

initiative this province has ever seen. A home is, of course, much more than

four walls and a roof. It's where we're most comfortable, where we belong. Home

is the centre; it is the foundation of our lives. It is a fundamental starting

point for building a future. It is also, for most of us, the single largest

factor in our cost of living and in our quality of life.

How do we ensure that those most in need have shelter? How do we

help the single working mom or dad who is having trouble making the rent? How do

we help that young couple afford their first home? Or after they've contributed

for so many years, how do we help our seniors stay in the homes where they

raised their families?

These aren't easy questions, but the solutions are vital to our

quality of life. That is why Budget 2007 is dedicated to housing. It builds on

the comprehensive Housing Matters strategy that the province released this fall.

But it goes beyond breaking new ground with new support for everyone, from the

homeless to the homeowner.

Let's begin with the needs of the homeless, which are at the same

time fairly straightforward but also very complex. The straightforward

part is

that they need a place to live. The complex

part is working to address the

broader issues that contribute to people being homeless in the first place.

Those issues may include mental illness and may include addiction. They may

include a difficult past, or sometimes it's simply a run of bad luck that leads

people onto our streets.

Whatever the cause, the effect is intolerable. We must do more,

both in the short term and in the long term, building on the progress made

through the Premier's Task Force on Homelessness, Mental Illness and Addictions.

We now have approximately 1,000 year-round shelter beds for those in need. When

inclement weather hits, additional beds can be opened in a matter of hours. This

works well as an interim measure, as we've seen this winter, but we need more.

[1455]

Budget 2007 will immediately increase the number of beds available

full-time, all year round, by almost 30 percent. This budget provides $27

million over three years to convert nearly 300 of our cold-wet weather beds to

year-round shelter beds and provide related support services, and that will help

ensure that more of our neediest British Columbians have a safe, warm place to

sleep.

However, these beds are, by definition, short-term accommodation.

To get back on their feet, people need longer-term, more stable housing, and in

many cases they need ongoing support. Today we're announcing up to $38 million

in new funding for housing initiatives around the province for those who are

currently homeless or at risk of being homeless.

In cooperation with non-profit societies, these projects will

provide housing and support services to people suffering from mental illnesses

or addictions or who are vulnerable in some way. These new dollars will help

support projects such as the first residential addiction treatment centre for

male youth on Vancouver Island, a group home in Kelowna to help the homeless

become independent, housing units designed for women with both mental health and

addiction issues in the downtown east side of Vancouver.

Budget 2007 will also invest more in transition houses for women

and children escaping domestic violence. It provides $6 million to help ensure

that transition houses can provide the safe, secure base for these families

where they need to heal and start rebuilding their lives. This money will ensure

24-7 access whenever it is needed.

These are all good steps towards creating a better quality of life

for those in the greatest need, those who are homeless or forced to flee their

homes. We also have a number of other people in this province who may be at risk

— people who, with income assistance, are just getting by from month to month.

But in a tight rental market, they are vulnerable. These individuals, too, need

the sense of security that comes with a stable home, and Budget 2007 responds to

them as well.

As the Premier announced in the fall, we are raising shelter rates

for people on income assistance. Effective March 28 the shelter rate will

increase by $50 a month. This means that a family of four will receive up to

$700 a month for housing, and it also means British Columbia will have the

highest shelter assistance rates in Canada for employable singles, couples and

single-parent families.

In addition, we're harmonizing benefits for children so that

parents on income assistance will all receive the same support regardless of

their circumstances. This primarily will benefit parents with disabilities and

those who face persistent multiple barriers to work. They will now receive up to

$97 a month in additional support. As well, we are raising the support allowance

for employable singles, including single parents, by $50 a month over and above

these improvements to their shelter rates.

These increased income assistance benefits, worth $188 million,

will make a real difference for thousands of families and individuals. But

again, they are not the only answer. We also need supportive housing. We must

ensure that there is enough, and enough diversity to meet the needs of the

people of B.C.

For example, we obviously have an aging population, and as we age,

our needs change. Sometimes it means

[ Page 5421 ]

that we need a home with built-in railings or, as our movement becomes

unsteady, wider doors and hallways to accommodate wheelchairs. Sometimes we need

someone on site who will simply help with our meals or our housekeeping.

Sometimes we need emergency response monitoring or other assistance. As needs

change, so too must the kinds of social housing we provide. Budget 2007 will

provide $45 million over four years to upgrade up to 750 of our social housing

units to help people age in place and to provide the kinds of housing our

communities need.

[1500]

As we announced in the throne speech, we will also work with

municipal governments to help ensure that sites and zoning for new supportive

housing are built right into community plans so that projects can move ahead

quickly and smoothly. These measures will make a significant difference, but

there are other pressing issues in a fast-growing province where housing and

rental prices are amongst the highest in Canada.

Subsidized housing meets many people's needs, but we cannot build

it fast enough to bridge the gap between supply and demand. So what's the best

way to help lower-income working families, people who find it tough just to pay

the rent at the end of the month? How can we help them be secure in their homes

so that they have a strong base from which to plan their futures?

We already have a model that works well for our lower-income

seniors. The SAFER program provides monthly cash payments to subsidize rent for

over 15,000 British Columbians who are 60 years or older. In 2005 we doubled

funding, as everyone remembers, for SAFER. We made it more accessible, because

it had proven to be so effective.

Now we are using that SAFER model to provide new assistance to

working families. British Columbia's new rental assistance program introduced

four months ago supports families with annual incomes below $20,000.

But we must do more. With this budget, we are moving to

immediately expand that program, raising the income threshold to $28,000. That

means 5,800 additional families — so that's more than 20,000 families in total —

will be eligible to receive extra money to help with their housing costs.

This benefit is portable, so families can use it to offset their

existing rent or to move to other, more suitable homes for their children. This

rental supplement will help take some of the weight off of working parents'

shoulders and give them a stronger sense of stability and security.

For many people, however, the most secure and stable housing

option is ownership, which can also be a challenge in this growing economy.

Prices are high, and they keep going up. In 2006 alone, total residential

property values increased by 24 percent provincewide. Now, that says a lot about

the strength of our economy and the confidence our people have in the future.

But what about young people, just starting out, wondering how on

earth they are ever going to afford their first home? Imagine. You've planned,

you've saved your money, you budget carefully, and then you think you might just

have enough for a down payment and prices jump another 10 percent to 20 percent.

We do have a first-time-homebuyers program to help people get a foot in the door

by exempting them from the property transfer tax, but it's time to adjust this

program to better reflect what's happening in the market.

Today we are announcing two key changes which together will make

the dream of owning a home a lot more accessible for many young people. First,

we are raising the threshold for the first-time-homebuyers program. Effective

immediately, first-time buyers can receive the full benefit when they buy a home

valued at up to $375,000. Now, that's an increase of $50,000 in the lower

mainland and Greater Victoria, but in addition, and for the very first time, the

threshold will be uniform right across B.C., meaning an increase of $110,000 for

first-time homebuyers in other parts of the province.

Property values are soaring in every part of the province, with

some of the biggest increases, in fact, in places like the Okanagan, the

Kootenays and the north. In fact, statistics released this fall showed that

average selling prices were higher in Kelowna than in places like Toronto and

Calgary — second only to the city of Vancouver.

[1505]

That's the new reality, and these changes — raising the threshold,

making it uniform across B.C. — will help more of our young people buy their

first home, saving them as much as $5,500.

With this budget we're also providing new support for first-time

buyers whose homes are built by volunteers with Habitat for Humanity. These are

lower-income working families who contribute sweat equity in return for

affordable interest-free mortgages. As a government we want to encourage and

support those people and organizations that help make affordable housing a

reality for so many B.C. families.

All of these changes to the first-time-homebuyers program will now

help more people get into the market. But what about those who already own homes

and, as their assessments rise, are worried about losing their homeowner grant?

We must never be dismissive of those genuine concerns of B.C.

homeowners. Losing the grant can make the difference between independence and

dependence, between staying in your home versus being forced to move. As a

result, we are making improvements to our homeowner grant.

As the government announced in January, the full grant will now be

available for homes worth up to $950,000. This new higher threshold means 95

percent of B.C. homeowners will continue to be eligible for the full grant of

$570 — or $845 for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities — saving

homeowners $14 million a year.

However, even this adjustment does not take into account the

low-income senior whose home — perhaps bought just after the war, bought some

decades ago — is now valued at more than our stated limit for the homeowner

grant. In the breadth of one assessment, that

[ Page 5422 ]

senior can go from receiving over $800 to nothing, and that is a big hit for

someone who's on a fixed income.

I've personally talked to people in this situation. I've received

correspondence on this issue, and I have also received a letter from a member of

the opposition on this matter. I've seen the distress that these high

assessments have caused some of our seniors who are really worried about losing

their homes.

This is not something that our seniors, who have given so much,

should have to endure, so we're going to change it. Starting now, low-income

seniors, veterans and people with disabilities will be eligible for our

homeowner grant regardless of their home's assessment. Eligibility will be based

on the same thresholds that we have for premium assistance under the Medical

Services Plan.

Seniors, of course, will also continue to have the option of

deferring their property taxes until their home is sold. This option is

currently available to homeowners 60 and older, but uptake has recently really

increased. It has risen fivefold just since 2001.

However, we believe this program could benefit even more people.

Since many British Columbians are choosing to retire earlier, we will now

introduce legislation this session to lower the age for property tax deferral

from 60 to 55.

Housing is the cornerstone of strong social policy, and increasing

affordable housing is a key element of the government's specific leadership

agenda. The measures I've outlined so far will make a real difference for a long

list of people who face specific housing challenges. But what about all those

other families and other individuals who also work hard? They pay their taxes.

They care for their children. They support our communities. They keep our

province and economy going. What about them?

Despite our thriving economy, too many families are still feeling

pressed, feeling as though they personally are not sharing in the benefits of

these good times. Too many families are feeling the pressure of high housing

costs and still finding it hard to make ends meet. So what can we do as a

province?

[1510]

Well, we can start by leaving more money in their pockets. Today

we are announcing a 10-percent cut to personal income taxes for individuals

earning up to $100,000. This 10-percent cut is in addition to the 25-percent tax

cut introduced in 2001 and the B.C. tax reduction introduced in 2005.

Together, these changes make a real difference, and 250,000

British Columbians will now pay no provincial income tax as a result of all of

these changes. Others have seen reductions of up to 70 percent, and most have

seen reductions of between 30 and 35 percent since 2001.

These are real, tangible, significant improvements. For example, a

young person working part-time, earning $20,000 a year, will see their

provincial income taxes reduced by almost 70 percent. A family of four with both

parents working, earning a combined total of $70,000, will now save more than

$1,800 a year. That's money they can put towards their own personal priorities,

dollars that can help each and every family cope with the high cost of housing

in British Columbia.

We mustn't forget — and with two former Finance Ministers close by

to remind me — that we have come from a time in the '90s when high taxes were

driving people and businesses out of British Columbia. But with hard work,

persistence and a commitment to lowering taxes whenever possible, we will now

have the lowest personal income taxes of any province in Canada for individuals

earning up to $108,000.

This tax relief will help each and every taxpayer in our province

with their housing costs, so Budget 2007 has been crafted to help the people of

B.C. with their personal housing challenges, whatever they may be. It takes a

comprehensive approach, with initiatives for the homeless, those on income

assistance, people living in social housing, families renting market housing,

first-time homebuyers, long-time homeowners, seniors, veterans and those with

disabilities.

But that's not all. At the end of the day, a strong economy and a

balanced budget with a strong surplus allow us to do one more thing. They allow

us to leave a housing legacy for our children. As part of Budget 2007 we are

introducing a $250 million housing endowment fund that will exist in perpetuity

to stimulate and encourage new ideas and innovation in housing.

We must find new ways to meet the diverse needs of those

individuals and families who aren't being served through older, more established

programs. We need new ideas for a new age. We need housing choices for the aging

parents of disabled children who want to partner with government in finding

solutions. We need different housing options for those with addictions and

mental illness. We need to rethink what "aging in place" means, considering that

a quarter of our population will be over 65 in the near future.

This new housing endowment fund will set aside $250 million from

this year's surplus in a special account. This money will be invested to

generate an estimated $10 million each and every year. That's an additional $10

million that will be available year after year to support new and innovative

housing solutions over and above our existing programs.

[1515]

A strong economy has made this possible, and it's incumbent upon

government, in good times, to make provisions for the future. This $250 million

housing endowment fund is a legacy we leave for our children — not just today

but for tomorrow as well. These housing initiatives and supports for B.C.

families represent an investment of more than $2 billion over four years.

This budget does go beyond housing. It commits, over four years,

an additional $468 million to enhance programs and services for children and

youth at risk and for people who have special needs. That includes,

specifically, $48 million in new support for adults with developmental

disabilities; another $10 million for their care providers; and $93 million for

children and youth with special needs, including those at risk.

There is $178 million for policing, corrections and the justice

system, to help protect communities and our

[ Page 5423 ]

citizens; $189 million to strengthen communities through local infrastructure

and transportation costs; $315 million for economic development, including

support for reconciliation of aboriginal rights and title and enhanced

post-secondary education and training opportunities; as well as $103 million for

environmental leadership.

Now, this government does not come new to the issue of protecting

our environment. It has always been our priority. It has been one of our great

goals since 2004, when they were first introduced. Each budget builds on the

previous one with support for new ideas and new initiatives, and Budget 2007 is

no different. This new funding to protect the environment will allow us to

extend our support for hybrid vehicles, buy 20 new hydrogen buses, exempt wind

power from the school property tax, extend tax relief to all biodiesel fuels,

create an environmental secretariat to support the climate change team and

establish the new green city awards.

In addition to these funds, the budget provides $38 million over

four years for LocalMotion grants to encourage and reward green initiatives.

Next year's budget will build on these improvements and directly support the

climate change plans that will be developed in the coming year, led by our

climate change team chaired by the Premier of this province.

Of course, this budget is not just about new initiatives. It

supports and sustains over $35 billion worth of programs and services in the

coming year alone.

In education, even with declining enrolment this school year, B.C.

school districts received their single largest funding increase ever. Budget

2007 builds on this achievement. Total funding will rise to an estimated $7,900

per student in 2007-08, and that's an increase of 4.1 percent over the current

fiscal year.

We do want every child and every family to think of their

educational future. That is why we are investing approximately $40 million per

year to implement the children's education fund. As the Premier announced last

fall, the fund will invest $1,000 for every child born in British Columbia in

2007 and beyond, money that will grow with them and that they can use to offset

the cost of attending a B.C. post-secondary institution in the future.

Budget 2007 fully funds the compensation packages and service

improvements achieved at the bargaining table in 2006, and these agreements

provide the stability we need going forward so that we and our public sector

employees can work together as partners for the good of British Columbia.

But as I've said before, we cannot be complacent. We can never

take this success for granted. There's always more work to do and always another

challenge just around the corner.

Health care is a perfect example. As we announced in January, we

are committing $885 million to health care — new money just for the year

2007-08. That includes a $100 million health innovation fund to encourage and

assist our health authorities to move forward immediately with new ideas to

improve patient care.

[1520]

The budget for health care is now $13.1 billion. It's up more than

7 percent from the year just ending, and as the throne speech says, total health

spending is up over 50 percent since the year 2000. That rate of increase is not

sustainable over the long term, so as we all participate in the Premier's

Conversation on Health, we will be looking for new ways to provide better care

for our patients, new ways to ensure the sustainability of our health care

system.

Similarly, as we proceed this year to determine the requirements

of our dramatic new climate change policy, additional funding will be required

in Budget 2008 to support our environmental initiatives.

In addition to these spending pressures, we face economic risk to

our three-year fiscal plan. While we saw strong growth in 2006, forecasters are

cautious about 2007 and beyond. Labour shortages, a slowdown in the U.S. housing

market and volatile commodity prices are all key risks that we face going

forward.

This past year natural gas prices fell well below forecast,

driving natural gas revenues down by nearly $900 million. So we must continue to

manage carefully. That's why we must set significant forecast allowances in our

three-year plan — to accommodate these spending pressures and economic risks.

We have also increased our contingency for infrastructure spending

to reflect concerns over rising construction costs and the expected addition of

new health care projects. A balanced budget demands that we do stay loyal, and

we are staying loyal, to the policies that since 2001 have helped to turn our

economy and finances around.

Besides lowering taxes, we also promised to reduce the red tape

that businesses often found to be complicated, contradictory and, in some cases,

overlapping. We have done that by reducing our regulatory burden by 41 percent.

In light of that success, I am pleased that British Columbia has

help shape new regulatory reforms that will benefit all Canadians.

I want to thank our Minister of Small Business and Revenue for not

only his work on deregulation but also his work on the provincial sales tax

review. As a result of consultations around this province with small businesses,

this budget implements 13 measures that are worth $120 million in this fiscal

plan to improve the clarity, the consistency and the administration of the PST,

measures that will help small businesses everywhere in British Columbia.

While I'm saying thank you, I would also like to thank…. Because

this is important to all of British Columbia, I want to thank the entire Finance

and Treasury Board staff for their work under the exceptional leadership of

Tamara Vrooman. We are blessed as a province to have such talented, dedicated

individuals who work on behalf of the people of B.C. with such integrity.

As government, it's part of our job to meet challenges through our

leadership but also through our willingness to listen and respond to the needs

of those we serve,

[ Page 5424 ]

and we are doing precisely that. Look at what we've achieved through our

negotiating framework — four-year agreements across the public service, which

have brought not just stability and certainty but real improvements in services.

Look at what we're doing with employers and training institutions

to meet the shortage of skilled labour. Look at how we're bringing people and

communities together right across B.C. to have a meaningful dialogue about the

needs and priorities of health care. And look at what we're doing in this new

budget to respond to the housing challenges that result from this strong,

growing economy.

For those most in need we're adding more shelter beds, raising the

shelter allowance for people on income assistance. For those who need supportive

housing, we're upgrading subsidized units to make them more accessible for

seniors and others with special needs. For low-income working families we're

providing more rental supplements, direct cash payments they can apply to the

housing options that best meet their needs. For those moving into the real

estate market, we're enhancing the first-time-homebuyers program.

[1525]

We've also raised the threshold for the homeowner grant, and we're

now extending the eligibility to lower-income seniors regardless of their home's

assessed value. For those who want more flexibility in budgeting as they plan

for retirement, we will introduce legislation to allow property tax deferral

beginning at age 55.

To make it more affordable for families to call this province

home, we're cutting personal income taxes by another 10 percent for the first

$100,000 of earnings. Everyone who pays tax in this province will benefit.

As well, and finally, perhaps most importantly, we are creating a

legacy for our children, for future generations — a $250 million housing

endowment fund. This fund will help foster innovation and ensure that new

solutions continue to emerge as our population and our province continue to grow

and change.

As the saying goes, the only thing constant in life is change. We

do have a dynamic province with a dynamic population, and we will always face

new challenges. For example, in the year ahead British Columbia will take bold

action to combat climate change. Now, that is a critical, long-term commitment,

one that will take time and effort and great determination to meet. But it's

only one of the challenges that lie ahead.

I am confident that we can meet these challenges together as a

province. As the throne speech pointed out, British Columbians accomplish what

our minds set out to do. However, we will never be able to do everything we want

all at the same time. But with careful planning and continued prudence in our

fiscal management, we can continue to make steady progress in priority areas,

step by step.

The first budget of this mandate focused on seniors. The second

budget concentrated on the needs of our children. This budget, step 3 of five,

focuses on housing, which affects us all. Not long ago British Columbians were

leaving here in search of opportunity. They couldn't see their futures here.

They didn't feel at home anymore, and they left by the thousands. Today that

trend has completely turned around.

Last year more than 40,000 people chose to move to our magnificent

province. People from all over Canada, from all over the world, chose B.C. More

than 4.3 million people now call British Columbia home, and with this budget,

we're helping to ensure that it's a home in the truest sense, a place where

every one of us can share in the province's success, where we work and raise our

families and plan for the future with a real sense of confidence, and where we

build opportunity and prosperity together.

B. Ralston: Today's budget is the third tabled by this

Finance Minister, and if previous budgets are any indication, her government

will have difficulty delivering on the promises she has outlined today.

I want to remind this House that today's budget, which the

minister calls a housing budget, follows, as she reminded us, last year's

children's budget and the seniors budget the year before. Both of those budgets

were met with strong criticism because they didn't deliver on their promises.

Seniors didn't get the long-term care beds they were promised.

There were cuts to home care. We saw continued chaos at the Ministry of Children

and Family Development, and the Premier stood silent while the federal

government cancelled almost half a billion dollars in child care funding,

passing those cuts along to B.C. families.

More importantly, this budget, like previous budgets, represents a

missed opportunity. At a time when global markets and high prices mean our prime

industries are doing well, government should be investing in programs for

ordinary people, but today's budget misses the mark. It raises questions about

the Premier's ability to govern in the interests of working families.

[1530]

This year's throne speech unveiled a rhetorically ambitious plan

to tackle climate change. In the words of the Premier, the science is clear. It

leaves no room for procrastination. But despite the sense of urgency in those

words, the government has chosen not to make climate change a priority in this

budget.

The three-year rolling budget projects a total of $4 million in

spending over the next three years to tackle climate change — $4 million this

fiscal year with zero dollars in the next two years. There is a substantial cut

in the alternative energy programs in the Ministry of Energy and Mines, and

there's no mention at all of the government's hastily announced $25 million

innovative clean energy fund.

Halting climate change is a long-term project that requires

careful planning. The opposition was hoping to see some preliminary investments

to get the ball rolling, because if we want to facilitate change, we must first

create the capacity to do so.

This government could have started by restoring some of the cuts

they made to climate change programs

[ Page 5425 ]

on the books in the previous government. They could have started by adding

staff to their climate change action team. This government chose not to do that.

British Columbians are frustrated with the state of our health

care system. The Premier promised patient care where and when you need it. Under

this government's watch we have seen ER gridlocks, code purples and the growth

of private care — prompting the Premier's own hand-picked appointees to resign

in protest.

The minister asserts that this funding is adequate to meet needs,

but it does nothing to address ER gridlock at hospitals like Royal Columbian. It

does nothing to address hallway medicine at centres like Kelowna, and it does

nothing for seniors who need home care.

Child care is a cornerstone of early childhood development, and we

all want our children to get the best possible start in life. Families today are

scrambling to find quality child care spaces, because the government won't

provide adequate funding. Not a single word about child care in the minister's

speech.

This government can find more than a million dollars to boost the

budget for ministers' offices, but they can't scrape together $5 million to keep

the child care resource and referral centres open. Child care is fundamental to

our economy. The government has chosen not to invest in those critical supports,

and working families will pay the price.

We are still waiting for a homelessness strategy from this

government that would address one of the root causes of homelessness: a lack of

affordable housing. Rather than making a long-term investment in the housing for

the homeless, this government's solution is to create more shelter beds —

temporary beds that do not provide the homeless with a place to call their own.

By converting existing social housing to supportive housing units,

as proposed by the minister, this government threatens to cut the number of

existing affordable housing units for low-income families even further. The

minister's plan to convert affordable housing units to supportive housing for

seniors is just another shell game to try and hide her government's broken

promise to build long-term care beds.

Today's budget provides a marginal increase to shelter rates for

income assistance recipients — dollars that should have started flowing when the

Premier first made the announcement last fall. This increase is long overdue,

and we encourage the government to index future increases to ensure that the

recipients keep up with the growing cost of living in B.C. communities.

There's nothing in this budget to help today's families pay for

the growing cost of a university education. Families will have to wait until

2025 to benefit from the government's new baby bonus, even if they're eligible.

The government continues to ignore skyrocketing tuition fees

facing B.C. students, who are reeling from the elimination of student grant

programs. There's nothing in this budget for adult basic education and ESL

programs.

In closing, I want to say that this budget represents a missed

opportunity. Government has a responsibility to ensure that all British

Columbians share in our province's prosperity, and British Columbians deserve a

government that recognises the challenges they face and takes action to assist

them. I wonder when this government will wake up to that reality and begin

governing for all British Columbians. I will have more to say about the budget

in the days to come.

In the meantime, I move adjournment of the debate.

[1535]

B. Ralston moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

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

Lieutenant-Governor: bills intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2007,

and Income Tax Amendment Act, 2007.

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

measures announced in this 2007 budget. Bill 2, Budget Measures Implementation

Act, 2007, includes amendments to increase the affordability of housing in

British Columbia. Changes to the homeowner grant, first-time-homebuyers program,

and property tax deferment program will all help offset the costs of home

ownership for those who need it most.

The homeowner grant will now be available for low-income seniors

and certain veterans and disabled individuals regardless of the value of their

homes. This will ensure that seniors and others who own and reside in properties

that have increased in value beyond the threshold will have access to the

homeowner grant. To reflect increasing property values across the province, the

threshold for the first-time-homebuyers program is increased to $375,000 across

the province. The age of eligibility for the property tax deferment program is

reduced from 60 years to age 55 to allow more individuals the option of

deferring their property taxes.

Bill 2 also includes the measures resulting from review of the

provincial sales tax undertaken by the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue.

It includes several other measures to reduce taxes, improve fairness and clarify

the application of British Columbia's tax statutes.

In addition to these tax measures, Bill 2 amends the Financial

Institutions Act and the public service benefit plan so that the credit union

deposit insurance fund and the long-term disability fund are considered trust

funds for accounting purposes. The Transportation Act is also amended to remove

the cap on borrowings by the B.C. Transportation Financing Authority.

Mr. Speaker, amendments to the Special Accounts Appropriation and

Control Act create two special accounts: the housing endowment fund special

account and the children's education fund special account. The housing endowment

fund special account will provide funding for innovation and affordable, social

or supportive housing and in housing development and

[ Page 5426 ]

management. The children's education fund will provide benefits for eligible

students born on or after January 1, 2007, who enrol in eligible British

Columbia-based education programs.

Bill 3, Income Tax Amendment Act, 2007, includes amendments to

reduce taxes for individuals and businesses. Provincial personal income taxes

are reduced by 10 percent in this bill, up to $100,000, giving British Columbia

the lowest tax burden in the country for individuals earning $108,000 or less in

income.

Bill 3 also implements a number of other measures to reduce taxes

for individuals and businesses, including providing an adoption expense tax

credit, providing an enhanced mining tax credit in areas affected by the

mountain pine beetle, extending the book publishing tax credit and scientific

research and experimental tax credit for five more years, implementing the

previously announced package of training tax credits, the enhanced dividend tax

credit, and the elimination of the royalty and deemed income rebate, as well as

making improvements to other credits.

I move first reading of Bill 2, Budget Measures Implementation

Act, 2007, and Bill 3, Income Tax Amendment Act, 2007.

Motion approved.

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

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

today.

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

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

after today.

Tabling Documents

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

Budget and Fiscal Plan 2007/08-2009/10 , which fulfils the requirements of

section 7 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act.

[1540]

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

overall strategic plan and service plans required under the Budget Transparency

and Accountability Act.

These are two packages that I am giving to the Clerk. The first

package contains service plans for the Office of the Premier, 20 ministries and

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

Crown agencies.

The second package also includes a list of organizations that have

been exempted from

section 13, on service plans, of the Budget Transparency and

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

organizations does not meet the materiality threshold for the Budget

Transparency and Accountability Act reporting. Another is in the midst of a

reorganization and cannot provide a meaningful service plan at this time.

Also in the second package is the addition of one Crown agency to

those government organizations excluded from the government reporting entity,

where the comptroller general and the Auditor General have agreed that

disclosure in the notes to government's financial statements is more appropriate

than preparing separate plans and reports.

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

Motion approved.

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

tomorrow afternoon.

The House adjourned at 3.41 p.m.

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