British Columbia Hansard — Tuesday, May 31, 2011

H0531pm-02

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session, 39th Parliament official rePort of Debates of the Legis Lative a ssemb Ly (hansarD) the honourable bill bari Soff, SPeaker iSSn 0709-1281 Tuesday, May 31, 2011 Afternoon Sitting Volume 24, Number 2

Pro Vince of britiS h colu Mbia (entered c onfederation July 20, 1871) lieutenant -Go Vernor h is h onour the h onourable Steven l.

Point, obc Third Session, 39th Parliament SPeaker of the leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y h onourable bill barisoff eXecutiVe council Premier and President of the executive c ouncil .............................................................................................................. h on. c hristy c lark Deputy Premier and Minister of finance ............................................................................................................................h on. k evin f alcon Minister of a boriginal r elations and r econciliation ...........................................................................................................h on.

Mary Polak Minister of a dvanced e ducation .................................................................................................................................h on. n aomi Y amamoto Minister of a griculture ........................................................................................................................................................... h on.

Don Mcr ae a ttorney General ........................................................................................................................................................... h on. barry Penner, Qc Minister of c hildren and f amily Development ................................................................................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Minister of c ommunity, Sport and cultural Development .................................................................................................. h on. ida c hong Minister of e ducation .........................................................................................................................................................h on.

George a bbott Minister of energy and Mines and Minister r esponsible for h ousing.........................................................................h on. r ich c oleman Minister of environment ....................................................................................................................................................h on. Dr. t erry l ake Minister of f orests, l ands and n atural r esource o perations......................................................................................h on.

Steve Thomson Minister of h ealth .................................................................................................................................................... h on. Michael de Jong, Qc Minister of Jobs, t ourism and innovation ................................................................................................................................... h on. Pat bell Minister of l abour, citizens' Services and o pen Government .............................................................................. h on.

Stephanie c adieux Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General .................................................................................................................h on.

Shirley bond Minister of Social Development and Minister r esponsible for Multiculturalism ............................................................ h on. h arry bloy Minister of t ransportation and infrastructure ................................................................................................................h on. blair l ekstrom leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y l eader of the official o pposition ......................................................................................................................................................a drian Dix Deputy Speaker .................................................................................................................................................................................... l inda r eid a ssistant Deputy Speaker ..................................................................................................................................................................Dawn black Deputy c hair, c ommittee of the Whole ...................................................................................................................................Douglas h orne c lerk of the l egislative a ssembly...................................................................................................................e.

George MacMinn, obc, Q c c lerk a ssistant ..................................................................................................................................................................................r obert Vaive c lerk a ssistant and l aw c lerk................................................................................................................................................. ian D. izard, Qc c lerk a ssistant and c lerk of c ommittees ............................................................................................................... craig h.

James (on leave) c lerk a ssistant and a cting c lerk of c ommittees ................................................................................................................. k ate r yan-l loyd Sergeant-at-a rms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary l enz

alP habetical liS t of MeMberS a bbott, h on. George (l) ........................................................................ Shuswap a ustin, r obin (nDP) ................................................................................ Skeena bains, h arry (nDP) ....................................................................Surrey-n ewton barisoff, h on. bill (l) ............................................................................Penticton barnett, Donna (l) ................................................................ c ariboo-c hilcotin bell, h on.

Pat (l) ..................................................... Prince George–Mackenzie bennett, bill (l) .............................................................................k ootenay e ast black, Dawn (nDP) ................................................................n ew Westminster black, iain (l) .............................................................. Port Moody–c oquitlam bloy, h on. h arry (l) ............................................................burnaby-l ougheed bond, h on.

Shirley (l) ...........................................Prince George–Valemount brar, Jagrup (nDP) ................................................................ Surrey-fleetwood c adieux, h on. Stephanie (l) .................................................Surrey-Panorama c antelon, r on (l) ..............................................................

Parksville-Qualicum c handra h erbert, Spencer (nDP) ................................Vancouver–West end c hong, h on. ida (l) ..................................................... o ak bay–Gordon h ead c houhan, r aj (nDP) ........................................................... burnaby-e dmonds c lark, h on. c hristy (l) .................................................Vancouver–Point Grey c oell, Murray (l) ..............................................Saanich n orth and the islands c oleman, h on. r ich (l) ........................................... f ort l angley–a ldergrove c onroy, katrine (nDP) .............................................................. k ootenay West c oons, Gary (nDP) .........................................................................n orth c oast c orrigan, k athy (nDP) ..................................................... burnaby–Deer l ake Dalton, Marc (l) ..............................................................

Maple r idge–Mission de Jong, h on. Michael, Qc (l) .............................................. a bbotsford West Dix, a drian (nDP) ............................................................Vancouver-kingsway Donaldson, Doug (nDP) ......................................................................... Stikine e lmore, Mable (nDP) ................................................... Vancouver-kensington f alcon, h on. k evin (l) ..........................................................Surrey-c loverdale f arnworth, Mike (nDP) ............................................................

Port c oquitlam fleming, r ob (nDP) .......................................................... Victoria–Swan l ake f oster, eric (l) .......................................................................Vernon-Monashee f raser, Scott (nDP) ............................................................a lberni–Pacific r im Gentner, Guy (nDP) .........................................................................Delta n orth h ammell, Sue (nDP) .................................................... Surrey–Green t imbers h ansen, c olin (l) ............................................................

Vancouver-Quilchena h awes, r andy (l) ............................................................... a bbotsford-Mission h ayer, Dave S. (l) .................................................................... Surrey-t ynehead h eed, k ash (l) ................................................................ Vancouver-fraserview h ogg, Gordon (l) ............................................................... Surrey–White r ock h organ, John (nDP) .......................................................................

Juan de f uca h orne, Douglas (l) ..............................................c oquitlam–b urke Mountain h oward, r ob (l) .....................................................................r ichmond c entre h untington, Vicki (ind.) ..................................................................Delta South James, c arole (nDP) .........................................................Victoria–b eacon h ill k aragianis, Maurine (nDP) ........................................e squimalt–r oyal r oads k rog, l eonard (nDP) ........................................................................... n anaimo k rueger, kevin (l) ............................................... k amloops–South Thompson kwan, Jenny Wai ching (nDP) ...........................

Vancouver–Mount Pleasant l ake, h on. Dr. t erry (l) .....................................k amloops–n orth Thompson l ali, h arry (nDP) ..........................................................................f raser-n icola l ee, r ichard t . (l) .......................................................................burnaby n orth l ekstrom, h on. blair (l) .......................................................

Peace r iver South l es, John (l) .........................................................................................c hilliwack l etnick, n orm (l) ........................................................k elowna–l ake c ountry MacDiarmid, Dr. Margaret (l) ......................................... Vancouver-fairview Macdonald, n orm (nDP) ....................................c olumbia r iver–r evelstoke Mcintyre, Joan (l) ..................................................West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Mcn eil, h on. Mary (l) .................................................Vancouver–f alse creek Mcr ae, h on.

Don (l) ................................................................... c omox Valley Mungall, Michelle (nDP) ..........................................................n elson-creston Penner, hon. barry, Qc (l) ....................................................c hilliwack-h ope Pimm, Pat (l) ..........................................................................Peace r iver n orth Polak, h on.

Mary (l) ...............................................................................l angley Popham, l ana (nDP) ...................................................................Saanich South r alston, bruce (nDP) ................................................................

Surrey-Whalley r eid, l inda (l) .............................................................................r ichmond e ast r outley, bill (nDP) .................................................................. c owichan Valley r outley, Doug (nDP) ............................................n anaimo–n orth c owichan r ustad, John (l) ........................................................................... n echako l akes Sather, Michael (nDP) ......................................... Maple r idge–Pitt Meadows Simons, n icholas (nDP) ...................................

Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast Simpson, bob (ind.) .....................................................................c ariboo n orth Simpson, Shane (nDP) .....................................................Vancouver-hastings Slater, John (l) ..............................................................boundary-Similkameen Stewart, ben (l) ..................................................................... Westside-kelowna Stilwell, Dr. Moira (l) ......................................................... Vancouver-l angara Sultan, r alph (l) .....................................................

West Vancouver–capilano Thomson, hon.

Steve (l) ........................................................k elowna-Mission Thorne, Diane (nDP) .................................................c oquitlam-Maillardville Thornthwaite, Jane (l) .......................................... n orth Vancouver–Seymour t revena, c laire (nDP) .................................................................... n orth island van Dongen, John (l) .............................................................a bbotsford South Y amamoto, hon. n aomi (l) ................................. n orth Vancouver–l onsdale Y ap, John (l) .......................................................................r ichmond-Steveston liS t of MeMberS bY riD in G a bbotsford-Mission .......................................................................r andy h awes a bbotsford South .....................................................................John van Dongen a bbotsford West ......................................................h on.

Michael de Jong, Qc a lberni–Pacific r im ..........................................................................

Scott f raser boundary-Similkameen .....................................................................John Slater burnaby–Deer l ake ................................................................... k athy c orrigan burnaby-e dmonds ......................................................................... r aj c houhan burnaby-l ougheed ...................................................................h on. h arry bloy burnaby n orth .............................................................................. r ichard t . l ee c ariboo-c hilcotin ........................................................................Donna barnett c ariboo n orth ................................................................................ bob Simpson c hilliwack ...............................................................................................

John l es c hilliwack-h ope .......................................................... h on. barry Penner, Qc c olumbia r iver–r evelstoke .................................................. n orm Macdonald c omox Valley...........................................................................h on. Don Mcr ae c oquitlam–b urke Mountain .....................................................Douglas h orne c oquitlam-Maillardville...............................................................

Diane Thorne c owichan Valley ................................................................................ bill r outley Delta n orth ......................................................................................Guy Gentner Delta South ...............................................................................Vicki h untington e squimalt–r oyal r oads .....................................................Maurine k aragianis f ort l angley–a ldergrove ...................................................h on. r ich c oleman f raser-n icola........................................................................................ h arry l ali Juan de f uca .....................................................................................John h organ k amloops–n orth Thompson ............................................ h on.

Dr. t erry l ake k amloops–South Thompson ...................................................... k evin k rueger k elowna–l ake c ountry ...............................................................n orm l etnick k elowna-Mission .............................................................. h on.

Steve Thomson k ootenay e ast ....................................................................................bill bennett k ootenay West ............................................................................ k atrine c onroy l angley.......................................................................................h on. Mary Polak Maple r idge–Mission .....................................................................

Marc Dalton Maple r idge–Pitt Meadows ........................................................Michael Sather n anaimo ......................................................................................... l eonard k rog n anaimo–n orth c owichan ......................................................... Doug r outley n echako l akes ..................................................................................

John r ustad n elson-creston ........................................................................Michelle Mungall n ew Westminster ..............................................................................Dawn black n orth c oast....................................................................................... Gary c oons n orth island .................................................................................. c laire t revena n orth Vancouver–l onsdale ........................................h on. n aomi Y amamoto n orth Vancouver–Seymour .................................................

Jane Thornthwaite o ak bay–Gordon h ead ............................................................ h on. ida c hong Parksville-Qualicum ..................................................................... r on c antelon Peace r iver n orth ................................................................................Pat Pimm Peace r iver South ...............................................................h on. blair l ekstrom Penticton................................................................................... h on. bill barisoff Port c oquitlam ..........................................................................Mike f arnworth Port Moody–c oquitlam ...................................................................... iain black Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast ................................................. n icholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie .............................................................h on.

Pat bell Prince George–Valemount ...................................................h on. Shirley bond r ichmond c entre ............................................................................ r ob h oward r ichmond e ast ................................................................................... l inda r eid r ichmond-Steveston ..............................................................................John Y ap Saanich n orth and the islands .....................................................

Murray c oell Saanich South ................................................................................ l ana Popham Shuswap ...............................................................................h on.

George a bbott Skeena .............................................................................................. r obin a ustin Stikine ........................................................................................Doug Donaldson Surrey-c loverdale .................................................................h on. k evin f alcon Surrey-fleetwood ...............................................................................Jagrup brar Surrey–Green t imbers ..................................................................Sue h ammell Surrey-n ewton ................................................................................. h arry b ains Surrey-Panorama ........................................................ h on.

Stephanie c adieux Surrey-t ynehead ........................................................................... Dave S. h ayer Surrey-Whalley.............................................................................. bruce r alston Surrey–White r ock ....................................................................... Gordon h ogg Vancouver-fairview ................................................ Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid Vancouver–f alse creek ........................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Vancouver-fraserview ........................................................................k ash h eed Vancouver-hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-kensington .................................................................Mable e lmore Vancouver-kingsway..........................................................................a drian Dix Vancouver-l angara .................................................................Dr.

Moira Stilwell Vancouver–Mount Pleasant ..........................................Jenny Wai ching kwan Vancouver–Point Grey ......................................................... h on. c hristy c lark Vancouver-Quilchena ................................................................... c olin h ansen Vancouver–West end ...............................................Spencer c handra h erbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................eric f oster Victoria–b eacon h ill .......................................................................c arole James Victoria–Swan l ake.........................................................................r ob fleming West Vancouver–capilano ............................................................. r alph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ........................................................

Joan Mcintyre Westside-kelowna .............................................................................ben Stewart Party Standings: l iberal 49; n ew Democratic 34; independent 2

CONTENTS t uesday, May 31, 2011 a fternoon Sitting Page Routine Business introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 7651 t ributes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7651 Gord Piper r . c houhan introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 7651 introduction and first r eading of bills ................................................................................................................................ 7653 bill M210 — emergency i ntervention Disclosure a ct, 2011 n. l etnick Statements (Standing order 25b) ......................................................................................................................................... 7653 Morden coal mine history D. r outley Visit to l ower Mainland by students from Saskatchewan first n ation J.

Y ap city of b urnaby placement as finalist for environmental award k. c orrigan c olumbia r iver t reaty b. bennett Victoria international c ycling f estival r . flemin g Ju-jitsu project for youth r . c antelon oral Questions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7655 c ost of government information on harmonized sales tax a. Di x h on. c. c lark impact of harmonized sales tax on families c.

Jame s h on. k. f alcon b. r alston Government changes to harmonized sales tax b. r alston h on. k. f alcon impact of harmonized sales tax on small business h. l ali h on. k. f alcon c onditions at hospital facilities on haida Gwaii G. c oons h on.

M. de Jong M. f arnworth Petitions .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7660 J. h organ t abling Documents ................................................................................................................................................................. 7660 insurance c orporation of british c olumbia, annual report, 2010 f orest a ppeals c ommission, annual report, 2010

Petitions .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7660 S. h ammell k. h eed t abling Documents ................................................................................................................................................................. 7660 islands t rust, annual reports, 2008-09 and 2009-10 Orders of the Day Second r eading of bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 7661 bill 14 — c oastal f erry a mendment a ct, 2011 h on. b. l ekstrom G. c oons n.

Simon s c. t revena l. k rog b. r outley D. r outley c ommittee of the Whole h ouse ............................................................................................................................................ 7673 bill 12 — Police (i ndependent investigations office) a mendment a ct, 2011 k. c orrigan h on. S. bond n.

Simons r eport and Third r eading of bills ......................................................................................................................................... 7690 bill 12 — Police (i ndependent investigations office) a mendment a ct, 2011 Second r eading of bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 7691 bill 11 — Y ale first n ation final a greement a ct h on. M. Polak S. f raser h on. M. de Jong c. Jame s h on. G. a bbott b. Simpson on the amendment b.

Simpson h. l ali bill 2 — b udget Measures implementation a ct, 2011 h on. k. f alcon b. r alston Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room c ommittee of Supply .............................................................................................................................................................. 7706 e stimates: Ministry of finance (continued) b. r alston h on. k. f alcon b. Simpson e stimates: Management of public funds and debt e stimates: o ther appropriations e stimates: Ministry of energy and Mines J. h organ h on. r . c oleman D. Donaldson V . huntington r . a ustin n. Macdonal d M. Sather

7651 tueSD a Y , MaY 31, 2011 The h ouse met at 1:34 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Introductions by Members Hon. S. Cadieux: t oday in the gallery we have a delega- tion from the b.c . f ederation of l abour. The occupational health and safety standing committee is here this afternoon. i am looking forward to meeting with the group after ques- tion period, along with some of my colleagues.

Joining us today are Dusty k elly, l arry Stoffman, Paul Pelletreau, Jim l aliberte, Dave c larabut, r achel barbour, Steve Milne, Dan burroughs, r ob a shton, r on c orbeil, n ina h ansen, Jim Sayre and beverly Mck ean. Mr. Speaker, i hope i haven't slaughtered anyone's name this afternoon. Would everyone please make them welcome. M. Karagianis: t oday we have with us a number of guests on behalf of myself and the member for Juan de f uca. a n extraordinary group of students have joined us today.

They became so disenchanted with the way the adults were handling the replacement of belmont Secondary that they've taken up action on their own. i'd like to introduce r avi Parmar, who has led the charge, and Mack e dwards, l ogan h owes, c assandra h erbert, l aken t eele and k atie r owluk. i hope we'll all make them very welcome here in the h ouse today. [1335] J. Les: t oday in the members' gallery i'd like to ac - knowledge a very special guest from Seattle. That is Mr. Matt Morrison. h e's the executive director of the Pacific n orthW est e conomic r egion, sometimes known as PnWer .

PnWer was created in 1991. its members in- clude british c olumbia, a lberta, Saskatchewan, the Y ukon and the n orthwest t erritories as well as the a merican states of a laska, idaho, Montana, oregon and Washington State. PnWer remains an instrumental organization to promote collaboration, competitiveness and economic growth and brings concrete benefits to all citizens of the region. We're very pleased to acknowledge the hard work of Mr. Morrison and his staff in advancing the ob- jectives of our region. Would the h ouse please join me in making Matt feel very welcome. Tributes Gor D PiPer R.

Chouhan: i also would like to extend my welcome to all the members of the b.c. f ederation of l abour oc- cupational health and safety committee here. t o the names read by the Minister of l abour i want to add the name of one more who was supposed to be here today with us, Gord Piper.

Gord Piper passed away on f riday, a pril 22, at his home in Victoria. h e was to be here on this lobby tour with us, championing the rights of injured workers. h e has been a passionate occupational health and safety activist since 1989, both for prevention and compensa - tion. h is work representing injured workers and their rights is notable and touched many people, both union and non-union. h e was awarded the bud Jimmerfield a ward in 2008, the most prestigious award of occupa - tional health and safety for ca W . Introductions by Members V .

Huntington: t oday in the h ouse i am very pleased to have bernadette k udzin and Yvonne Parenteau, my incredibly hard-working constituency assistants who, i might add, had to learn the job without a caucus support system and who conquered it brilliantly. i'm also delighted to introduce Shawn c ourtney and brad Densmore, who is the newest member of my staff. They are my research officers, and i hope the house makes them welcome. K. Corrigan: i see that we have in the h ouse today my friend Mike h urley, who is the president of the b.c .

Professional f ire f ighters a ssociation. o n behalf of the h ouse, i want to thank Mike for his great leadership and for the work that all firefighters do in this province keeping us safe, as well as the wonderful community work that they all do. So i hope the house will make him feel welcome. Hon. D. McRae: i have two introductions. f irst of all, i'd like to introduce Julia Mcc oid, a teacher from e cole r obb r oad, who has come down to Victoria today with 55 grade 5 students and ten adults and toured the precincts and had a great time. They're sitting there behind me.

So i'd like the l egislature to please make them welcome. a mongst that group are three very special friends. We have a lyssa, Maya and Michelle erickson, who have been longtime family friends. Their dad couldn't be here today. h e is out coaching rugby, i think, at the b.c. high school championships. i'd like the h ouse to please make my family friends welcome. Mr. Speaker: The member for nanaimo. interjection. Mr. Speaker: n anaimo. The member for nanaimo. L. Krog: Thank you, hon.

Speaker. i may have had, how shall i say, a little posting ahead of time as to who might be running against me in the next election. i

british c olumbia Debates7652 t uesday, May 31, 2011 appreciate the words of the member who lives in my constituency as well. but all that aside…. i don't know if they've made it into the h ouse yet, but there is a group of students here from my constituency, e cole o céane school. Would the h ouse please make them welcome. R. Cantelon: i appreciate the kind words from the member opposite, my Mla opposite. We have several supporters in the gallery today of the childhood development centre in n anaimo. Please wel- come Janet Delgatty, Jeff h awker, Mary e vans and ben h awker.

Please make them feel welcome here. [1340] H. Bains: in the h ouse today is a second group of students from c ougar creek e lementary, 35 grade 5 stu- dents along with a few of their parents and teacher Jessie Sandhu. Please help me welcome them to Victoria. a lso in the h ouse with Mike h urley, my good friend, is l arry Thomas, my good old friend, who was the president of the Surrey fire fighters a ssociation, along with that delegation. So please help me welcome l arry here as well. Hon. S. Thomson: i have four very special guests in the gallery today.

Joining us is my wife, brenda, and i want to thank her for all her support. a long with my wife is my daughter, a lex, and two of my favourite grand - children, a strid and Simone, who are visiting us from creston — their first visit to the l egislature. They're studying government in their classes. i'd like the h ouse to make them very welcome. D. Routley: i have three very important guests in the gallery with us today. o ur ca s are so important to what we do. They serve our communities, and they make our presence known when we're not there.

Joining us are my ca s, Patty Mcnamara and betty Smits, and also k arlene bara, who sometimes fills in when either Patty or betty is on holiday. i planned to have one other guest, a very important person to all of us — all the people i just mentioned and myself — and that's r ose h enry. She couldn't make it to- day, but i'd like everyone in the h ouse to help me and Patty and betty wish r ose a very happy 75th birthday. N. Letnick: When we dial 911, we usually expect help. l ots of times we get the help when police, paramedics, ambulance, firefighters would show up to take care of our needs.

With that introduction, i'd like to introduce some guests that have already been introduced but are here today to witness something very important in their lives and in my life as well. That's the introduction of a private member's bill. in the h ouse we have bronwyn barter, president of a mbulance Paramedics of british c olumbia. We have Michael h urley, president of the b.c . Professional f ire fighters a ssociation.

We have l arry Thomas, secretary, british c olumbia Professional f ire f ighters a ssociation; l arry h ollier, president of the k elowna Professional f irefighters a ssociation; Mike h ill, treasurer, k elowna Professional f irefighters a ssociation; Sherman h illier, provincial recording secretary, a mbulance Paramedics of british c olumbia; and also my la , r yan Pineo, who was a great help in bringing this forward. Would you please help them be welcomed. M. MacDiarmid: With us in the h ouse today is one of my constituents from beautiful Vancouver-f airview. h e's an exceptional volunteer.

The diagnosis is not com- pletely certain, but we believe he is a lifelong political junkie. i ask the h ouse to make t im crowhurst warmly welcome. Hon. B. Penner: i'm advised that my 14-week-old daughter, fintry, so enjoyed question period yesterday and seeing her dad on t V that she was able to convince my wife, Daris, to bring her to Victoria today. a ccordingly, i have the privilege of making my first official introduc - tion with them being present here in the precincts of our daughter, fintry katherine Penner, and my wife, Daris. i notice they just had to step out for a moment. Y ou may have heard fintry.

She's not bashful about speak - ing up when she feels it's appropriate. i ask the h ouse to please make them welcome. D. Hayer: We have eight very special guests here today, our community leaders. The first one is Joginder "Joe" Singh Wahlla and his son t ony t ajinder Singh Wahlla; and c haranjeet c.J. Sidhu and c ol. k aram Singh Virk from india; Darshan Singh Shetta; and k irpal Singh Mangat. l arry Thomas is the past president of the Surrey fire fighters a ssociation and currently secretary of the b.c. Professional fire fighters a ssociation. a lso, i have another special guest, who was here yes - terday.

My wife, isabelle Martinez h ayer, is here. Would the h ouse please make them all welcome. Hon. P . Bell: Joining us in the precincts today is Dr. Mark Smith. Mark originally hailed from Port Mcn eill. h e has recently returned to british c olumbia after spending four years getting his doctorate of chiropractic from l ife u niversity in a tlanta, Georgia. [1345] i'm pleased to be able to tell the h ouse that he's chosen Gordon h ead as the area of Victoria to set up his practice. if people have a pain in the back sometime after July this year, they can go and see him at Progressive c hiropractic.

Would the h ouse please make Dr. Mark Smith very wel- come in the l egislature.

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7653 Mr. Speaker: it's one of those days. if you haven't been welcomed, welcome. Introduction and First Reading of Bills bill M210 — eMer GencY inter Vention DiScloS ure act , 2011 n. l etnick presented a bill intituled emergency inter- vention Disclosure a ct, 2011. N. Letnick: i move that the bill be now read for a first time. Motion approved. N.

Letnick: The bill allows individuals under cer - tain specified circumstances to apply for a testing order if they suspect that they have been exposed to a com - municable disease and a sample has not been obtained voluntarily from a source individual. c urrently emergency workers and victims of crime who suspect they have been exposed to serious illness cannot determine their exposure until many months later, often past the window of preventative treatments. because of this doubt, suspected exposed people usually ingest a concoction of prophylactic drugs, and they, with their families, carry the mental burden of uncertainty.

This bill allows those individuals to ask the authorities to compel source individuals to get a blood test in a timely manner and, if a communicable disease is determined, to have the source individual's doctor communicate the re- sults in confidence to the applicant's doctor. The bill was drafted after reviewing similar acts in n ova Scotia, Saskatchewan, o ntario and a lberta.

The bill is predominantly modelled after a law in Manitoba and re- spects models developed by the u niform l aw c onference of c anada on mandatory testing and disclosing legisla - tion that addresses charter rights and concerns. r especting personal privacy is important, and the provisions of this bill do that by ensuring all testing in - formation is communicated through physicians only. r esults are never made public and may not be used out- side of the scope of the intended bill. o ver the summer months i plan to visit ridings across british c olumbia, meeting with M la s on both sides of the h ouse and their communities, explaining the bill's intent, documenting stories and all concerns relative to the bill. i will also contact representatives from other provinces who have similar legislation to compile evidence of the effectiveness of their bills in achieving the desired outcomes. f ollowing this consul - tation process a final report will be presented to the l egislature in the fall, along with any proposed amend - ments to this draft bill.

Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege to be sponsoring this bill and by so doing enjoy a small role in improving the lives of men and women and their families who go about day in and day out bravely serving the people of british c olumbia.

The use of the provisions of this bill may not occur frequently, but just having them will provide families with the knowledge that british c olumbians care and the peace of mind that comes with knowing if they or someone they love has been exposed to a communic - able disease. on behalf of all paramedics, police officers, victims of crime and Good Samaritans, i wish to thank the b.c. firefighters for their leadership on this matter. it's my hope that all members of this h ouse will see fit to sup - port the bill when it comes before them. i move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. bill M210, emergency intervention Disclosure a ct, 2011, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today.

Statements (Standing Order 25B) Mor Den coal Mine hi Stor Y D. Routley: i rise today to speak of the Morden mine.

The Morden mine is a former coal-mining site south of n anaimo. in 1852 coal began the founding of our com - munities — n anaimo, l adysmith, South Wellington — in fact, all the communities of eastern Vancouver island. it was dangerous work infamous for its child labour. h undreds of people died; hundreds were injured. c hinese workers weren't remembered by name but by number, and still the people of our communities gather every year to remember those workers who fell and died, directly but also indirectly as a result of their exposure to the dangers of coal mining. in 1913-14 there was a strike, a very bitter strike, where our communities were divided. it was an effort by the workers to have the freedom to be represented by unions.

During that time the Morden mine, owned by the Pacific c oast c oal Mines company, decided rather than work - ing underground, which they couldn't do anymore, they would work above ground. They embarked on a project to create the first concrete mine head. [1350] it doesn't sound like much in today's terms, but in those days reinforced concrete technology was a very new thing, and this was a very revolutionary project. it's all that remains as a physical reminder of that great heritage that our communities enjoy.

british c olumbia Debates7654 t uesday, May 31, 2011 n ow the f riends of the Morden Mine are working to preserve that. The society is preserving this site with his- torical walks. They're the volunteer caretakers and the park builders. They maintain the trails, and they remind us of the economic value of diversifying our community, the importance of remembering our history. We don't have the Parthenon, but we have things like the k insol t restle.

We have the reminders of how indus- try affected the beginning of our communities. i ask all the members to visit the Morden mine site and to invest in the history of b.c. ViSit to lo Wer Mainlan D bY Stu Dent S fro M Sa Skatche Wan fir St nation J. Y ap: l ike all members, i always enjoy welcoming visitors to my home community. on May 23 my con - stituent k atarina Petakovic-Dekic introduced me to 16 grade 7 students visiting from the o pawikoscikan School in Pelican n arrows. They are members of the Peter ballantyne cree n ation, one of the largest first n ation bands in northern Saskatchewan.

They have occupied their traditional lands of 20,000 acres since time immemorial. o ver 60 percent of their population is 18 years old or younger. before this trip, none of these students had ever been out - side of Saskatchewan, and only one had ever been on an airplane. They've experienced poverty and difficult challenges over the years. u nder the guidance of their teacher, c heryl Morin, students selected the l ower Mainland as the destination for their graduation trip and fundraised diligently to this end. When i met with the students, they were heading off to go whale watching.

Their plans also included touring the international buddhist t emple in r ichmond and lunch at a c hinese restaurant, where they looked forward to learning how to use chopsticks. f ive of these students were able to attend game 5 of the c anucks-Sharks playoff series, something i'm sure they will never forget. Ms. Morin related to me how important home and family are to these students and to their people.

This is a good thing. it is also a good thing these students were able to experience the l ower Mainland's cultural mosaic and see that home and family are important to all cultures. it's a big world, and it's an honour that these stu - dents chose to come here to see more of it. My thanks to k atarina Petakovic-Dekic and c heryl Morin for taking the initiative in helping these youngsters see a slice of the big world in Steveston and this place we know and love called british c olumbia. cit Y of burnabY P laceMent a S finali St for en Viron Mental a War D K.

Corrigan: Well, i'm very pleased to take this op - portunity to congratulate burnaby's mayor, Derek c orrigan, for being a finalist for a prestigious national environmental award. n ow, we don't know who won it yet, but he has been encouraged to go to h alifax this Sunday to attend the f ederation of c anadian Municipalities a wards of e xcellence. it will be for the 2011 Green c hampion a ward, which was developed to promote and reward municipal champions, inspire mu- nicipal governments, and showcase and encourage the exchange of best practices among c anadian municipal- ities.

So i am very hopeful. h e's in the running because of a long list of environ - mental achievements and, of course, would be the first to say that if he does win this award, it is because of a highly dedicated staff and council colleagues who would have made that possible, if it happens.

The mayor and burnaby have championed, supported, developed and led dozens of exemplary, innovative pro- jects that demonstrate burnaby's ongoing commitment to sustainable development. k ey achievements include: 25 percent of the city's land is preserved for park and green space; $20.5 million burnaby l ake rejuvena - tion project to protect the lake and its plants, birds and fishes; lee D-standard or green-building standards for all civic buildings; first community to declare World r ivers Day; c anada's first blue c ommunity; the food scraps program; rain garden project. i could go on and on, but i won't. i want to wish the mayor the very best of luck and keep my fingers crossed and hope to be able to soon congratulate the city of burnaby and Derek c orrigan for being green champions. colu Mbia riVer treat Y B.

Bennett: The c olumbia r iver t reaty is an agree - ment between c anada and the u .S. signed in 1964 to manage flooding and to optimize the generation of electricity. a s a result of the dams and the reservoirs that were created after the treaty, much beautiful and valuable bottom land, farms, multigenerational homes and even communities were lost forever, submerged under the rising levels of one of c anada's greatest riv - ers, the c olumbia. [1355] The province receives $150 million to $300 million each year from the generation of power in the u .S. and hundreds of millions in benefits from energy generated right in the c olumbia basin in b.c. in fact, 40 percent of our electricity that we generate is generated every year in the c olumbia basin.

The c olumbia basin t rust was formed to receive some of those benefits and to distrib - ute and invest them in the c olumbia basin. n ow, an important milestone is coming up soon. The year 2024 is the earliest date either c anada or the u .S. could terminate the c olumbia r iver treaty, but only if one of the parties gives advance notice by 2014 — not

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7655 far off. The u .S. is working hard to determine their best interests in terms of flood control, power generation and the management of endangered fish species. b.c. is starting to do the same. The three k ootenay opposition members and i have embarked upon a non-partisan effort to ensure that the c olumbia r iver treaty continues to benefit the people of our region and continues to benefit all of the people of b.c. The work that government will do over the next year in preparation for 2014 will impact all british c olumbians. There's no question about that.

There are billions of dol- lars at stake. but it will also have a profound impact on the people that we four Mla s represent, and it is there- fore our duty to set aside politics and help b.c . to be fully informed and fully prepared for the decisions that lie ahead. Victoria international c Yclin G fe Sti Val R. Fleming: bike to Work Week is well underway in communities across british c olumbia and most notably here in greater Victoria, which, as everybody knows, is the cycling capital of c anada.

So with cycling on the minds of many this week, i'd like to bring the attention of the h ouse to the upcom - ing Victoria international c ycling f estival, which is a multi-event festival. it's the largest cycling venture on the province's calendar in all of british c olumbia. l ast weekend the festival kicked off with a t our de Victoria, with over 1,500 riders including t our de f rance hero r yder h esjedal. it was an inaugural event that is sure to become an an- nual feature in my community, and more big events are happening.

This Sunday, June 5, a massive all-day family bike festival, sponsored by Thrifty f oods, kicks off. t wo weeks later, on Sunday, June 19, the district of Saanich and community partners, including the u niversity of Victoria, will present the Saanich c ycling f estival. Victorians have always embraced cycling enthusiastic- ally. it is now part of our regional identity, and indeed, it is part of our regional economic development pitch to in- vestors and to new employers.

We have very well-utilized regional trailways and municipal cycling networks. but the point of this festival is that even more people can be drawn to cycling. by showcasing it as a fun and accessible thing, the festival aims to show that cycling is in fact for everyone, for fun, for health, as an easy way to get to work, school and shopping. The point the festival society is trying to make is that you don't have to dress from head to toe in spandex to get involved in cycling. in fact, they actively discourage that at the festival. i think i would just like to say this.

The festival has already started as a tremendous success. it will continue throughout the summer, and it's thanks to tireless cre - ative volunteers who are showcasing our region as a cycling leader, promoting healthy lifestyles and com - muting and recreation and racing patterns. i want the h ouse to make them all welcome and, indeed, to join them at this festival. Ju -Jit Su Pro Ject for Youth R. Cantelon: a s a young person emerges from their late teens into adulthood, it can be a very challenging time as they try to wrestle with the decision: what am i going to be when i grow up?

They see some of their friends going to university and technical colleges. They see some embark on careers and other jobs. Sometimes their youthful exuberance can express itself in ways that aren't viewed as positive by the rest of society. Sometimes, even so, they could end up on the streets, for example, in some difficulties. city councillor a l Greir took the initiative to reach out to these people to try to help them find direction in their lives, to try to help them build confidence. h e partnered with his friend Joe f riede, and together they established the Vancouver island German Jujutsu f oundation.

The role here is to use that discipline to help build mental and physical discipline with them and to help them de - velop confidence and self-respect. They've run two program initiatives. one is l ife Without f ear, which helps people to stand up and be confident about themselves in any circumstances, and the youth ambassador, which helps to develop these young people into role models for other young people facing the same challenges. [1400] it's a pilot program sponsored by the Solicitor General, and it's been very, very successful. They hope to continue.

There have been 19 enrolments, and i'd like to congratu- late r ory V an Vliet as the first graduate of the program. h e's an outstanding young man who aspires and in fact is already being very effective as a leader among his peers. h e's taken work with the fire department, with the search and rescue. h e's taken first-aid courses and now has secured permanent employment. h e's an outstanding ex- ample and becoming an outstanding citizen. i'd like the h ouse to join me and congratulate a l Greir and his friend Joe f riede and others, especially r ory Van Vliet, for their accomplishments in helping the youth come out the right way in our society.

Oral Questions co St of Go Vern Ment infor Mation on harM oniZeD SaleS taX A. Dix: e veryone in b.c. knows that the b.c. l iberals misled people in the last election about the hS t . in fact, according to the Premier herself…

british c olumbia Debates7656 t uesday, May 31, 2011 interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. A. Dix: …about all her colleagues, they were sneaky — well, perhaps with the exception of the member for burnaby-l ougheed. but what's the Premier's record? She said two months ago that she wouldn't change the rate of the hS t or even talk about it before the elec - tion because that would be "buying votes," and then she did the opposite. in her own words, she went out and bought votes.

She promised: "i'm not going to be out there cheerleading and trying to give people some kind of snow job." n ow she's spending $5 million in taxpay - ers' money on partisan ads. interjections. A. Dix: o h, i know. Sneaky. She promised equal funding for both sides in the debate. She broke that promise. She promised that the referendum will be conducted in the same manner as a provincial election, and she broke that promise. h ow can the people of b.c. believe anything the b.c. l iberals or the Premier have to say about the hS t? Hon. C.

Clark: i'd like to welcome the l eader of the o pposition. i'm glad he showed up today. it's nice to hear him with a question about the hS t . i'm delighted to have my opportunity and get up and speak to it. of course, the member for c owichan Valley was so eloquent today. h e talked a lot about going backward to the decade that we saw in the 1990s when 50,000 people fled the province. i think he reminded all of us about what the future could hold if we go back to a party where they're talking about having a 12 percent tax for british c olumbians versus a 10 percent tax. i think that when british c olumbians fill out their ballots on the 24th, they're certainly going to be making their own de - cision about it, and we will live by the verdict that they hand us. but i do think, though, when they're faced with that decision, when they're faced with the decision for the opposition's call for a 12 percent tax or the govern - ment's proposal for a 10 percent tax — which, after all, is a whole lot better for b.c. families, i think — i know which one they'll choose. interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. i want to remind members on both sides of the h ouse: we want to listen to the question, and we want to listen to the answer. The l eader of the o pposition has a supplemental. [1405] A. Dix: Y ou know, i have to say, hon. Speaker, for the Premier, that it's not every day you bring in closure on yourself. She wants a 7 percent tax on a sandwich in a coffee shop. i want a zero percent tax. She wants a 7 percent tax on children's sports programs. i want a zero percent tax.

She wants a 7 percent tax on bicycles. i want a zero percent tax. n ow, if the Premier had kept her word, there would be third-party spending limits in this referendum cam - paign. if the Premier had kept her word, there would be disclosure of who paid for the ads, and the Premier's taxpayer-funded stick men wouldn't be allowed. They're costing us $5 million — money that could be better spent keeping group homes open for people with de - velopmental disabilities. Partisan b.c. l iberal ads in a provincial election put out by the provincial govern - ment would be illegal.

The Premier has changed the rules, broken her word to stack the deck. So why doesn't she do the people of b.c . a favour and put a stop to those partisan ads today. Hon. C. Clark: Y ou know, for over a year now the members of the opposition have been saying that the government didn't do enough to talk to people, that the government didn't do enough to listen to people. What we've done is we've gone out and we've listened to british c olumbians. We've listened to about 300,000 british c olumbians. it's the biggest listening exercise in the history of the province. We are communicating with british c olumbians.

We are making sure that british c olumbians have all the information they need to be able to cast an in - formed ballot on this issue. a nd i think, while the member can come up with all kinds of excuses and all kinds of reasons in advance why he thinks people might not vote his way on it, the real reason that people will probably — i hope — decide not to sup - port the new Democrats' position on this is because they want to increase taxes by 40 percent on iPods, on furniture, on new cars.

When they're talking about a 12 percent tax versus a 10 percent tax, that's exactly what they'll be presenting british c olumbians with. a nd you know what? i think that when they go to the polls, british c olumbians are going to say: "Shelve the 12." interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. The l eader of the o pposition has a further supple - mental. A. Dix: i'd like the Premier to tell us one person in british c olumbia who thinks it's a good idea for them

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7657 to spend taxpayers' money on partisan ads in this refer - endum — one person that she talked to. The stick men, you know, don't really exist in time and space. They don't really exist. o ther than the advertising executives that she con - tracted to do the ads, can she name a single person in british c olumbia who thinks it's a good idea, when her government is closing group homes for adults with de - velopmental disabilities — closing group homes — to spend $5 million on partisan ads on the hS t? Hon. C.

Clark: i don't know why the member seems to have an issue with us engaging with british c olumbians and making sure that british c olumbians have the information they need to cast an informed vote. This could be the most important vote on a taxa - tion issue…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Premier, take your seat for a second. Members. c ontinue, Premier. [1410] Hon. C.

Clark: i don't know what the member has against the government listening and engaging with british c olumbians, making sure that british c olumbians have the information that they need to be able to cast an informed vote on what could be the most important referendum on taxation issues that any c anadian has ever been asked to decide. n ow, there have been a number of things that have happened since i became Premier. We got the independ- ent panel report which said that it's going to add a $350 burden under the old hS t for families. i didn't believe that was fair.

We also learned that british c olumbians, when we went out and we listened to them, wanted to find a way to rebalance the burden of taxes so that we could raise it on business and lower it on families. We've done that. We've also gone out, and we've listened to 300,000 people. t he opposition, if they spent a little bit of time listening, would probably have heard by now that ad - vocating for a 12 percent tax over a 10 percent tax is not what british c olumbians want. We engaged.

We listened. i could be rigid. i could be stubborn. i could be ideo - logical. i could be stuck in old-fashioned ideas. but if i was all those things, i'd probably be running as a n ew Democrat. interjections. Mr. Speaker: We're not going to continue. it's your time, Members. iMPact of harM oniZeD SaleS taX on faMilieS C.

James: i'd like to say to the Premier and the b.c. l iberals: if they'd been listening in the first place, they wouldn't have brought in the hS t in british c olumbia. british c olumbia families, under this Premier and the b.c. l iberals, are paying up to 7 percent more on count- less items in their day-to-day life. This Premier and the b.c. l iberals want families to keep paying more now and after the referendum.

The hS t touches families in every part of their life, from birth to grave. e ven prenatal classes, classes that have parents prepare a safe and healthy arrival for their new - borns, are now fully taxed under the hS t . My question is to the Premier. Why is she taxing young families under her family-first agenda? Hon. K. Falcon: i know that the math is difficult for the members opposite, but i'll try and walk them through this pretty straightforwardly.

The fact of the matter is that if you're paying 10 percent on all your retail purchases — all your furniture, all your cloth - ing, all of the purchases that people make every day in their lives — you're actually farther ahead than you are paying 12 percent under an inefficient PS t -plus-GSt system. That's actually how it works. Y ou know, i do think that there is something of in - terest i have noted.

We have listened to now two days' worth of arguments from the nDP about why they don't like the hS t . i heard all the different arguments, includ- ing from the l eader of the o pposition. o ne thing none of us did hear, one thing none of us did hear was the impassioned arguments about why the PSt makes sense, why they want to go against the tide of every other jurisdiction in c anada and around the world and go back to a retail sales tax. That's what we have yet to hear from the nDP opposite, Mr. Speaker. [1415] Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. C.

James: it's very clear that the minister isn't listen - ing at all. it's no surprise to anyone on this side of the h ouse or the public in british c olumbia, because the b.c. l iberals haven't been listening from the beginning on the hS t . The hS t is costing families more. Parents want op - portunities for their children to grow and to thrive. They want to provide them opportunities to learn, to discover their talents. We're coming up to summer, and summer camp now will be subjected to a tax. Parents will be paying 7 percent more so that their children can go to camp in July and a ugust.

They'll be paying 7 per - cent more for art courses, for sports camps, for tutoring, for hockey school.

british c olumbia Debates7658 t uesday, May 31, 2011 a gain, my question is to the Premier. Why is she trying to force families to choose 7 percent over zero percent? h ow is that putting families first? Hon. K. Falcon: i'm not sure what part of listening to almost 300,000 people in the largest listening exercise in government is not listening to the people. What we actually did was listen, and we responded with what we heard, which was to reduce the rate to 10 percent and provide transition payments for families with children — $175 for each and every child and $175 for seniors under $40,000. but you know, Mr.

Speaker, i'm afraid i'm going to have to come back to the second edition of uncomfort - able nDP facts, because clearly…. interjections. Hon. K. Falcon: Y es, i'm afraid i'm going to have to. i would like to point out that when the n DP first ran in 1991, they promised not to raise taxes at all. in the first two years after raising taxes by nearly $2 billion, one of the interesting taxes that they raised was the PSt rate from 6 to 7 percent. but they didn't just raise the PS t . That's consistent with what they always do.

They also expanded the coverage to include engine tune-ups, tire installation, appliance repairs, repairs to business equip- ment, alteration and repairs to clothing and shoes. if it moved, they wanted to tax it and tax it higher. We want to move it lower. Mr. Speaker, 10 percent hS t is far better any day than a 12 percent GS t plus PSt , which is the nDP's preferred approach. B.

Ralston: Y ou'd never know from listening to the Minister of finance that he's proposing a $2.6 billion tax increase to be paid by families and small business over the next two years. l et's turn to something else that touches b.c . families. a t this time of the year many parents are looking for - ward to the marriage of their children — the weddings of their children, yet these families are being forced to pay more under the b.c. l iberal hS t .

Does the Premier really think, based on what she said in the recent past, that british c olumbians are going to accept her h St gimmick and be bought with their own money? Hon. K. Falcon: Mr. Speaker, imagine. This is the same group that just voted against the motion that would reduce the tax burden on every family in british c olumbia and increase it on large corporations.

They just stood up, to a person, and voted against it. n ow, i know why they did that. i know why they did it, because they voted against every single one of the tax reductions for personal income taxes — almost 40 per - cent since we first got elected. They voted against every single reduction in the general corporate tax rate from 16½ percent down to 10. They voted against every reduc- tion in the small business tax rate.

They voted against the elimination of the corporate capital tax. n ot surprisingly, they vote against another reduction for families and indi- viduals across british c olumbia, which is marching the hS t rate down to 10 percent. [1420] in their world, i can't understand how their math works. h ow does their math work when we know from the independent panel report, which they were fond of quoting only a week and a half ago, using the same num- bers, every single family at every single income level is ahead to the tune of $120 on average as a result of a 10 percent hS t?

Those are incontrovertible facts. nDP math has never made sense to british c olum- bians, but they get that when you're paying 10 percent on everything, not 12 percent, you are better off. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. Go VernMent chan GeS to harM oniZeD SaleS taX B. Ralston: Well, let's hear some b.c. l iberal Premier math. The Premier explained not too long ago that a 2 percent cut in the rate would create a fiscal disaster.

She said: "We are going to have a $1.6-billion-bigger deficit, or we're going to have $1.6 billion fewer heart operations, special needs teachers, school facilities, hos - pital emergency rooms. i mean, that's where the money comes from, ultimately. So yes, government could cut it, but at what cost to the citizens?" indeed, to the Premier: at what cost to the citizens? Hon. K. Falcon: of course, this is often the case with the nDP . They selectively quote, so they missed the rest of what the Premier said, which was that we may have to raise other taxes to make up for the revenue.

She's abso- lutely correct about that. That's why we listened to british c olumbians, and we rebalanced the equation so that families and every british c olumbian at every income level will be net beneficiaries as a result of 10 percent hS t . We are tem- porarily increasing the general corporate tax rate for large companies by 2 percent to help do that. That's exactly what happened. i can tell you this.

The f inance critic across the way and the l eader of the o pposition want to go back to a 12 per- cent PSt plus GSt , which not only doesn't make sense by almost any independent analysis, but also hammers the fiscal plan to the tune of over $3 billion to the negative. Y et every day in this h ouse they say they want to spend more in health care and education, in parks — in every other ministry of government, spend more — and they want to do it with a budget decision that will cost them $3 billion to the negative. That makes no sense.

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7659 interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. iMPact of harM oniZeD SaleS taX on SMall buS ineSS H. Lali: b.c . families are being hit twice by the b.c . l iberals because many are also small businesses.

Small businesses can distinguish between fact and l iberal fic- tion, so they know that when the rate is zero percent, their customers, who are b.c. families, have more pur - chasing power, compared to the 7 percent l iberal tax increase. in k elowna the f riends n eighbourhood Pub, which is owned and operated by the Dhaliwal family, has wit - nessed a dramatic 15 percent decline in sales due to the hS t . Why does this Premier's version of the so-called families-first agenda include punishing family-run small businesses like the Dhaliwals'? Hon. K.

Falcon: i'm pleased that the nDP opposition has finally released some of the big guns to answer the questions here. i take this with some trepidation.

The two organizations that represent the vast major - ity of small business in the province — the c anadian f ederation of independent business and Shelfspace b.c., which represents all of the retail outlets — have said that at a 10 percent hS t rate, their members support it, to the tune of 83 percent for the c anadian f ederation of independent business and 93 percent for retailers right across the province. [1425] h aving said that, we certainly recognize — we've been clear, in fact — that the change we made to the .05 drinking law has had some impact on some res - taurateurs, particularly on liquor sales. but of course when you make a change like that, you also have to bal - ance that against some of the benefits. a s the a ttorney General has pointed out, there are 23 more people alive today as a result of not being involved in fatalities as a result of drinking and driving.

We will keep working with the restaurant association to make sure we can do everything we can to try and minimize that impact as much as we can. conD itionS at hoSP ital facilitieS on haiD a GWaii G. Coons: The b.c. l iberals promised health care when and where you need it, and that promise has been as good as their promise not to bring in the hS t . one wonders when they'll make the next promise they won't keep. The people on h aida Gwaii sure don't believe their promises. The northwest regional hospital district has practically been begging for support for Queen c harlotte General h ospital.

They're using half an atco trailer at the edge of a parking lot for a morgue. Will the h ealth Minister get up in this h ouse today and finally live up to their health care promises and give patients on h aida Gwaii the health services they deserve? Hon.

M. de Jong: Thanks to the member for the question. a ctually, i am proud of the record of a govern- ment that has invested, over the last decade, $7 billion in improving capital infrastructure for health care right around the province. i am proud of a government that has taken concrete steps in the aftermath of the 1990s to actually train twice as many physicians in british c olumbia as was formerly the case, train more nurses and health care professionals. i also understand that there are still places in british c olumbia that are confronted by challenge, as i indi - cated during the course of four days in estimates, and i am anxious to address those challenges in a constructive way and in concert with the member.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. G. Coons: They're mixing chemo drugs outside in a wooden shed because the hospital pharmacy lacks the space and adequate ventilation. The only reason they're not using the t im h ortons for a care model is because there isn't one on h aida Gwaii. The hospital district says: "Though staff do the best they can, there is a tremendous negative impact on families and human dignity. We are past the make-do phase." The situation at Queen c harlotte General h ospital is totally unacceptable.

Will the minister do the right thing for patients on h aida Gwaii and ensure that the redevelopment at Queen c harlotte General h ospital goes ahead? Hon. M. de Jong: in the last number of years the provision for cancer treatment in british c olumbia has expanded dramatically to where we now have five cen - tres right across british c olumbia where people can go to receive cancer treatment, and another facility just be- ing opened in Prince George was announced several days ago. So the provision for service has expanded dramatically. interjections. Mr. Speaker: c ontinue, Minister. Hon.

M. de Jong: if you look across the province at the provision of services that are now in place, it is an improvement, a dramatic improvement over what was in place ten years ago. in the last week i have had sub -

british c olumbia Debates7660 t uesday, May 31, 2011 missions from the member's colleagues that amount to over $3 billion in additional capital construction. We have spent $7 billion over the last ten years, and we have balanced in an appropriate way our desire to provide the very best to b.c. families with the capacity of the taxpay- ers to pay for the very best. [1430] M. Farnworth: We're not talking about the rest of the province.

We're talking about h aida Gwaii, one of the most remote, isolated parts of british c olumbia, where they're mixing chemo chemicals in an old smokehouse, where an atco trailer is functioning as a morgue, where an old greenhouse is the physiotherapy centre — the types of conditions that make t im h ortons care at rch look like c adillac service. That's not acceptable to the people of h aida Gwaii. They have used their own money to prepare a plan to change this situation, to actually put in place proper facilities. The question is really straightforward.

When are the people of h aida Gwaii going to get some atten - tion from this government and get some facilities that they can be proud of in the 21st century, instead of an atco trailer? Hon. M. de Jong: Thanks to the member for the question. in fact, progress is being made. Progress is being made on the development of a plan that will see the hospital campus renewed and improved in a dra - matic way. interjections. Hon. M. de Jong: i thought members were interested in hearing this.

Steps are being taken to employ and partner with the same talented agencies and individuals that have given us new facilities in places like a bbotsford, in places like Vernon, in places like the l ower Mainland, facilities… interjections. Mr. Speaker: c ontinue, Minister. Hon. M. de Jong: …and partnerships that members of the official nDP opposition spoke against time and time and time again. We are going to move ahead. We are going to move ahead in partnership with n orthern h ealth.

We are going to move ahead in partnership with the folks on h aida Gwaii, and we are going to ensure that the fam - ilies on h aida Gwaii have the very best provision for medical health services right in h aida Gwaii. [end of question period.] Petitions J. Horgan: i have a petition signed by 1,897 students, families, administrators, trustees and Mla s from the West Shore region in Victoria calling on the government to replace the aging, decrepit and obsolete belmont high school with two new high schools. i do this gleefully. The a ViD class, led by r avi Parmar, collected almost 2,000 signatures in seven days.

Tabling Documents Hon. S. Bond: t oday i present the annual report of the insurance c orporation of british c olumbia for 2010. Hon. B. Penner: in the same vein, i rise to present the annual report for the f orest a ppeals c ommission, 2010. S. Hammell: i would like leave to present a petition. Petitions S. Hammell: i would like to present petitions with over 4,200 signatures calling on the government to ful - fil its promise to open an additional three neonatal care beds at Surrey Memorial h ospital. K.

Heed: i rise to present a petition generated by the Southeast Vancouver Seniors Society, South Van n eighbourhood h ouse, k illarney c ommunity c entre, c hamplain c ommunity c entre and Sunset c ommunity c entre and signed by over 5,200 people who endorse and support the building of a seniors centre to serve the communities of southeast Vancouver. Tabling Documents Hon. I. Chong: i have the honour to present the an - nual reports of islands t rust for the fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10. [1435] Orders of the Day Hon. R.

Coleman: This afternoon in this h ouse we will be doing bill 14, intituled the c oastal f erry a mendment a ct, 2011, till 4 p.m. f rom 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. we'll be doing bill 12, intituled the Police (independent investigations o ffice) a mendment a ct, 2011. f rom 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. we will be doing b ill 11, intituled Y ale first n ation final a greement a ct, under second reading. a t 8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. we will be do - ing bill 2, intituled budget Measures implementation a ct, 2011.

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7661 in the committee room this afternoon we will be continuing with the Ministry of finance estimates till 4:30; and from 4:30 to close, the Ministry of energy and Mines. Second Reading of Bills bill 14 — coa Stal ferr Y aMenDMent act , 2011 Hon. B. Lekstrom: i would move that the bill now be read a second time. bill 14 amends the c oastal f erry a ct.

The amendments are required to enable the b.c. f erry c ommissioner to undertake a review of the act, as he has requested, in or- der to recommend to government potential changes that would better balance the interests of ferry users with the financial sustainability of the ferry operator. [l. r eid in the chair.] The commissioner currently does not have the authority to undertake this type of review. c urrently the commis- sioner is required to release the final price-cap decision that sets the maximum fares for the period a pril 1, 2012, to March 31, 2016, by September 30, 2011.

We are amend- ing the act to provide a one-year extension to that deadline to enable the commissioner to conduct his review of the act prior to setting the final price-cap decision. a n amendment is also being made to extend the dead- line for the province and b.c. f erries to file any changes to the coastal ferry services contract with the commis - sioner by one year, to June 30, 2012.

This will enable the commissioner to have the latest version of the contract prior to setting the final price caps. a s the final price-cap decision is being delayed by one year and the current price caps go until the end of March 31, 2012, the bill amends the act to provide a price cap for 2012-2013 of 4.15 percent for all route groups. This pro- vides a balance between the interests of the ferry users and the financial needs of the ferry operator for that year, until the review is completed and the final price-cap de- cision can be delivered by the commissioner.

The amendments will also provide the ferry commis - sioner with the financial resources from the province necessary to undertake his review. The act is also amended so that the ability of the ferry operator to request an extraordinary price-cap increase is withdrawn, and the ability to discontinue services is constrained until the commissioner releases the final price-cap decision on September 30, 2012.

These amendments are of a temporary nature and will only apply for setting the price caps for the upcom - ing four-year performance term, commencing a pril 12, 2012, and ending March 31, 2016. i look forward to the debate. G.

Coons: i rise to speak to bill 14, the c oastal f erry a mendment a ct, 2011. it's a great opportunity to look at where we've gone in the last eight years since 2003. i remember back in September 2005, i think it was, standing in the h ouse and talking about ferries and ac - knowledging that for close to 40 years, at that time, we'd had one of the best ferry systems in the world — one of the unique transportation networks, a marine highway that connected dozens and dozens of island and coastal communities and was a lifeline, a vital link and basically a marine highway that is vital to the economic and so - cial well-being of the province.

When i talked about the c oastal f erry a ct — and we're seeing some amendments coming down through bill 14 — i acknowledged that if it worked out the way that it was supposed to, where they were looking at pre - dictable and fair fare increases and running it in a way that was businesslike and looking at adopting a com - mercial approach, there may not be too much with this approach. [1440] a t the time, i started reading through it, and i ac - knowledged that there were some key issues, especially the one principle for the commissioner — and he's go - ing to be looking at this in his review, which this bill 14 gets down into — that the priority be placed on the financial sustainability of the ferry operators.

There's a bit of a problem there, because there was no defin - ition at all in the c oastal f erry a ct in 2003 for "public interest." in the last eight years we've just seen a corporation basically gone wild, with fares skyrocketing anywhere from 45 or 50 percent up to 120 or 125 percent, de - pending on the route.

The minister and i have had discussions about this, and sometimes we disagree, but we're trying to get closer with our numbers. but it's been devastating to coastal and island com - munities as far as businesses and b and bs and tourism and just day-to-day life of going from point a to point b with your family or to work or to school or to cultural events, sporting events. There's been a huge issue with that throughout the minor routes, specifically. When we've looked at the cross-subsidization from major routes to other routes being eliminated as also one of the mandates….

The commissioner is going to look at that in his review. That's a huge issue. The moneymaking routes, the major routes, used to support and help some of the minor routes, because it wasn't meant to make money. o ur b.c. f erries was not put there to be a money - maker. it wasn't meant to be a profit centre. it was meant to be the social and economic driver of the prov - ince, and in 2003, when this b.c. l iberal government rammed through the c oastal f erry a ct, we saw a com - plete change to a quasi-privatized model of our b.c. f erries. We've seen the result.

british c olumbia Debates7662 t uesday, May 31, 2011 Previously, in my final comments back in 2005 in this h ouse, i said: "We must restore public accountability to b.c . f erries to ensure that the public has oversight over this creation and fares and over- sight on how our fully integrated marine transportation network is being reduced to a flotilla of…floating profit and loss centres. We need a public inquiry. We need a special committee dealing with our marine transportation network.

We need to do some - thing to save our ferries." That was six years ago, and that was just two years of me and some colleagues trying to study the c oastal f erry a ct and acknowledging that, hmm, there are go - ing to be some difficulties. h ere we are, amending the c oastal f erry a ct for the second time. We're looking at putting amendments in here because of a failed model that was put in, in 2003. i put forward some motions about creating a special committee to strategize on what we need to do with our ferries, and this government failed to acknowledge that.

We put forward, on this side of the h ouse, a private member's bill that basically looked at restoring some accountability. We wanted to return b.c. f erries under freedom of information, because it was exempt from freedom of information. it was also exempt, is exempt, from the ombudsperson. it's exempt from the a uditor General going in and looking at the finances.

So the accountability and the transparency that we've seen under this act for the last eight years have been dismal, and we've seen the impacts of that. but what did happen was that the last time the Minister of t ransportation opened up the c oastal f erry a ct, they put it under freedom of information. So they did follow some of the suggestions from this side of the house. a lso, we had a concern during our private member's bill that the directors of b.c. f erries…. n ow, they cre- ated these two boards — you know, one ferry board and….

The directors of the board were getting outrageous compensation for what they were doing. We brought that forward in our bill, and lo and behold, the last time that we opened up the bill, the government listened to this side of the h ouse and they did something with the directors' fees and honorariums that they got to make it more in line with public sector and crown corporation honorariums. [1445] We have put forward other suggestions. We wanted to put in a definition of "public interest," and again, that was somewhat ignored. The last, but not really, to some degree….

When you looked at the last legislation they put in, they wanted to look at — and the minister is having a problem — the interest of the users and the fi - nancial sustainability of the corporation. h e's having a problem weighing that out. What we need is a definition of what public interest is. We tried to put that in, and hopefully, when we go through committee stage, there will be some amend - ments put in that will make the c oastal f erry a ct more conducive to working for the public. When we look at where we've gone in the last eight years and how we got here, we've seen a lot of issues.

When the c oastal f erry a ct was put in, it did not take in the interest of coastal communities. There used to be a committee, the coastal community committee, that was out there and worked on their behalf.

Then they created, through b.c. f erries, a ferry advis- ory committee in each of the minor routes. f or quite a few years the ferry advisory committee chairs of those 12 committees were strong advocates on behalf of their constituents, on behalf of the ferry service that we have, acknowledging and realizing the value and importance of our marine highway. i referred to marine highway on a couple of occa - sions, because when the c oastal f erry a ct was put into play, this government, through amendments and con - sequential amendments, actually took ferries out of the h ighway a ct.

So it was not part of our public transpor - tation network. i think that was a huge sign on behalf of this government that they had abandoned and washed their hands of our vital marine highway, especially those communities and those people who live in those communities, who saw fares skyrocket. They saw rider - ship go down. The minister and i have talked about price elasticity. i've talked about price elasticity with the commissioner and with b.c. f erries.

Price elasticity. a s fares go up, ridership goes down. a s we've seen, the commissioner, in his review, is going to be looking at all types of issues like that, including de - mand and elasticity. in some of the studies that i've seen, as fares go up 10 percent, ridership goes down 7 percent. That's significant when we've seen fares go up on the ma- jor routes anywhere from 45 to 50 percent and on the minor routes anywhere from 80 percent to over 125 per- cent, depending on the route we're talking about.

When we look at the impacts on island communities, when we look at what happened with the c oastal f erry a ct in 2003, there are many, many issues that we've got to deal with. There's been a real restriction and hindrance of economic growth on island and coastal communities. There has been a demand, through legislation, that b.c . f erries has to find alternate service providers.

They have to go out and find somebody else to try to take over the route. b.c . f erries, i guess in their wisdom, have decided not to even try to privatize the major routes that make lots of money, because they can probably privatize those. They go out and try to privatize the small routes, whether it's the northern routes or the Mill bay route or other routes where they think they can find some - body to come in. but that alternate service provider has

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7663 to come in with their own vessel and perhaps lease the terminals from b .c. f erries. [1450] So it's not a moneymaker, and b.c. f erries has never been a moneymaker. i've said that on many occasions. The comptroller general also indicated, when she did a report, that that's what b.c. f erries seems to do. it's try- ing to make a profit. We've had a real change in the social and economic contract that we've had with coastal com- munities and island communities for 50 years. This past year is the 50th anniversary of b.c. f erries.

We celebrate that — the workers, the people who are on the ships and at the terminals who ensure that we have the best service possible. but again, we've got a system that is in disarray, and it needs fixing. We've been try - ing to encourage the government to do this on many occasions. When we look at a lot of the concerns that we've had with management…. We've got a ceo making a million dollars for running a monopoly.

We've got a monopoly advertising at the c anucks games. i'm not quite too sure who their focus is on, but if you're at a c anucks game and you've got to get back to Victoria or n anaimo or somewhere on the island, i think you probably know that you're going to be taking a b.c . ferry after the hockey game. There are a lot of issues out there that we've got to deal with. The last time we put in our private member's bill, we didn't talk about executive compensation because we didn't know how much David h ahn and the boys at the top made.

We didn't know that David h ahn made over a million dollars and that the other three or four made up to $3.5 million a year, because they were exempt from freedom of information. a s soon as we found that out, oh, it hit the fan. The previous Minister of t ransportation threw up her arms and went: "o h my gosh. This is outrageous. We've got to do something about this." The million-dollar man at the helm of, it looks like, a sinking vessel. The debt to b.c. f erries is $1.4 billion.

Their finances are very questionable. i've brought this up for the min - ister and asked him about it, and he's referred to the review that's coming up before us. b ut i think when we look at where we need to go with b.c . f erries…. it's got no competition. it's a monopoly. it's a cruise ship transformation. They run a vacation centre. There's a bit of a drop- trailer situation going on, where they tried to develop a new business, and it was seen as inappropriate by the commissioner.

They've got the o perations and Security c entre and many issues that are not relating to a public service, to a marine highway being part of an essen - tial link to communities and people that live on islands. There's no long-term vision or strategy. both the comptroller general and the ferry commis - sioner have acknowledged that they've scratched their heads. They looked at what's going on, and they said: "We can't find a vision." What's the vision that the b.c . l iberals had for the coastal ferries? There isn't one.

The a uditor General, when they did a review of the governance model — not the finances but under the governance model…. i found it a bit unbelievable that the a uditor General of the day sort of scratched his head and said: "Well, i couldn't find out the mandate or a vision or a strategy. i had to look at the legislation. i had to look at Hansard. i had to look at press releases." That's what the a uditor General said — no long-term vision, no strategy. The ferry advisory committee chairs over the years have developed from: "o kay, let's try to make this work" to "This hasn't worked.

Damage has been done, and we need to stop." [1455] What they've asked for is something simple. They've asked that while this review is going on, fares be frozen so that people can take a deep breath and go: "o h, we just had a fare increase last a pril. n ext June and next week we're having another 2.5 and 5 percent fuel surcharge." l et's just take a break from the outrageous fares we've seen, and while this review is done, let's freeze the fares. Y ou know, it's time that we treat ferries as an integral part of our highway. h on.

Speaker, i've got another, say, ten minutes or five minutes i'd like to take before some of my colleagues have a chance to respond to this. When we look at the monster created — a huge im - pact, with fares and fuel surcharges and ridership and the impacts on island and coastal communities, the un - affordable fares, the management issues…. r ight now b.c. f erries is trying to exclude 155 or 157 of their management, their senior officers and chief en - gineer officers. They want them out of the union and into management, and 80 percent of these officers are refusing to go. it's going to create a huge dilemma.

We're going to have vessels tied up at shore. We're going to have a shortage of crew. i've brought this to the attention of the minister and the l abour Minister. i think there are issues out there. There are issues of safety. The ferry captains or officers are saying there's an issue of safety when this happens. a s we go along with this, i'm going to look at amend - ments to be made. We're going to be looking at trying to make bill 14, which is before us today, a better bill, which is going to work for the people. When we look at and listen to people in commun - ities…. i did a ferry tour.

The minister probably knows that about two years ago i visited 28 communities. i sat down, i listened, had public meetings, and i heard the stories. That was 2½ years ago. That was before, probably, another 10, 15, 20 percent fare increases or fuel surchar- ges — huge impacts on communities. it's devastating, most of the ferry advisory committee chairs say.

british c olumbia Debates7664 t uesday, May 31, 2011 They've written a report called Ominous Clouds. i've passed that to the minister. it's outlining what's hap - pened with the c oastal f erry a ct in the eight years. it's been one of disarray, a failed model. i just hope this gov- ernment says: "We attempted to do something, and we failed. l et's sit down, have a long-term vision, have a strategy, listen to people and move forward." on that note, i'm going to pass the floor to other col - leagues of mine from ferry-dependent communities that rely on ferries, and they will have a chance to say a few words. N.

Simons: it's my pleasure to speak on the bill be - fore the h ouse, bill 14, c oastal f erry a mendment a ct, 2011. i point out to those viewing at home that we have a very short amount of time in order to do this, due to some interesting arrangements around timing in this l egislature and a vote we took earlier today to say that no matter where we are in debate, we're stopping every- thing Thursday night. i would also like to start by acknowledging the Minister of t ransportation, the third since i became an elected member for Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast and, i would say, the first to actually take some action on the issue of ferry fares. i want to acknowledge him.

Despite the fact that he's a bruins fan, in fact, he may have a couple of proper judgments inside that noggin of his. i understand his need to support the bruins. it's something that…. Y ou see a logo when you're five and you can draw it, and that'll get you locked in for the rest of your life.

That aside, i do think that there are some import - ant aspects of this bill that need to be discussed. a little more time would have been helpful, but i will start by saying that the people of Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast are residents of the only entirely ferry-dependent con - stituency in the entire province. [1500] o ut of 85 seats in this l egislature, it is the only one that you can't get to without using a b.c . ferry, unless of course you take an airplane or you have your own boat or you're a very good swimmer or you find some driftwood. The impact of ferry fares on my constituents is significant.

They are daily, they are costly, and they certainly dominate the discussions when we're talking about issues of provincial importance when i'm in my constituency. i'd like to start by saying that since 2003, when the government proudly introduced the c oastal f erry a ct — proclaiming in a press release that the act would result in stable fares, more jobs and better service — what we've seen is an absolute skyrocketing of the daily cost of living for residents of Powell river–Sunshine c oast. The costs of ferries are built into the cost of food; they're built into the cost of building material.

They're built into costs of goods and services that we all consume on the Sunshine c oast, but they also are the cost of every export that we provide that isn't using barge service. i think when you consider the impact of a 125 percent increase in a ferry fare for a resident of t exada island, an island that is not only a wonderful place to visit and a tourist destination with wonderful historic and herit - age values, there are also industries on that island where workers and businesses suffer greatly when prices of fer- ries seem to rise exponentially. i'm pleased that there's a review. it's a review that's been asked for by successive members of the oppos - ition. i believe that in fact it's been called for by ferry advisory committees, by regional governments and by municipal governments from Gibsons to Powell r iver and Sechelt, and i think it's good that there's a review. i'll say it's good that there's a review. i worry, though, that we're going to see an almost 6 or 7 percent increase while it's being reviewed. it kind of reminds me of a joke that a police officer once told me about. o kay, i'll have to tell that story.

Y ou get to a stop sign. Y ou don't quite stop, and you continue. Y ou know, you think you've stopped. Y ou've done a stop. if you learned to drive in Quebec, you know what i'm talking about. The police officer pulls you over and says, "Y ou didn't stop at that stop sign," and you say: "Well, i really did. i mean, it was almost a stop. Y ou can't really tell the differ- ence." The police officer says: "There's quite a difference between slowing down and stopping, and you didn't stop." Y ou say, "Well, i slowed down to almost a stop. it was as good as a stop." The police officer says: "i'm sorry.

There's a significant difference between slowing down and stopping." "Y ou can't tell me," the irate driver says, "that there's a differ - ence between what you saw and me slowing down and stopping," at which point the police officer pulls out his truncheon and starts hitting him on the head and says: "Would you like me to stop, or would you like me to slow down?" in this particular instance, we have an increase that's coming while we're talking about maybe not increas - ing the fares. i'd like the minister to stop, not just slow down.

Don't allow these increases to happen pending the review. i think a review is called for. it's necessary. but pending this review, we see a 2½ percent…. interjections. N. Simons: i only have ten minutes. We have a 2½ percent fuel surcharge coming into effect in a couple of days. We also have next year's 4½ percent increase. if you look at l angdale-to-h orseshoe bay, h orseshoe- bay-to-l angdale, a ferry route that's used by hundreds of commuters every day, we've seen an increase since

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7665 2003 of over 75 percent. That's a significant daily cost for every single commuter going to Vancouver to work or to support their families on the Sunshine c oast. Powell r iver-to-c omox is the route taken by people who are going for hospital services, going to visit loved ones in seniors care facilities, going for shopping or going to the island.

They are being required to pay a significant increase as well, upwards of 70 percent in terms of in - creases in fares, and that is a significant impact on every family living in Powell river–Sunshine c oast. i would also point out that despite the fact that Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast is one of the most beautiful va - cation spots in british c olumbia and easily accessible from the l ower Mainland and from the island, we've seen tourism numbers significantly decrease, not due to weather or anything else but due in large part to the cost of bringing your family over on the ferry. [1505] The ferry rates. if you're pulling a tent trailer as my parents used to do with their Volkswagen bus and their little a pache and five or six kids in the bus….

We would probably never have come to the Sunshine c oast.

This is something that i think every sector of community on the Sunshine c oast is impacted by, and i would sincerely hope that the minister will ensure that the review is done in a fulsome way, also a whole - some way, that actually looks at the issues that are concerns to residents. one issue i think i did not see in the outline of the ferry commissioner's review is the importance of sur - veying public opinion. i don't know anyone who has had a survey on ferry service on the Sunshine c oast, and if they have, i'd like them to let me know. but i understand that surveys for public opinion should really attempt to reflect the true feelings of the com - munity and not simply be an attempt to put the best light on that particular service. if you're going to do a survey of an individual travel - ling on a b.c. ferry, i recommend that you do that survey on morning trips, afternoon trips and evening trips; perhaps in springtime, perhaps in winter and perhaps in summer. but if you do them all on a bucolic afternoon on a Saturday where there's no lineup and the food is piping hot and the coffee is better than usual, you might actually find people saying everything is fine. if you talk to residents who are the most dependent on these ferries, you need to know the truth in order to be able to actually create public process or public policy that is reflective of the needs of the public.

Powell r iver– Sunshine c oast, as i said, is a community of mixed economies, and none are left unimpacted.

That's a double negative. a ll are impacted by the price of ferry fares. i would just like to make sure that residents on the Sunshine c oast are aware that there is a review taking place and that they are aware of their opportunity to contribute to this review, and i would say that i certainly will be relaying my concerns and the issues that i have about b.c. f erries to the commissioner. i think that's something that every resident on the Sunshine c oast who has expressed concerns about ferries should do, i would recommend. a t one time, residents on the Sunshine c oast — i in - clude Powell r iver, obviously, the pearl of the Sunshine c oast — were able to have residents' cards.

That gave them priority, and that gave them assured loading. it gave them a lower price, as far as i know. i was not around at the time. Such ideas as those should be con - templated by the commissioner as well. i know that there are a number of residents who have contacted me about different issues around ferry services that have caused them consternation. one is to arrive at a ferry terminal when there are very few cars in the lot, yet to find out the deck space is already significantly taken up by reservations, and not everybody can afford reser - vations.

So i think that it's important to make sure that we limit the ability for b.c . f erries to get the most out of every passenger by limiting the percentage of deck space for reserved passengers. o ther issues around safety and health, around the at - tempt to, well, not decertify but weaken, i would say, the union by continually trying to exclude managers, cap - tains and engineers from the bargaining unit, i think, is not good in a ferry service, shall we say. There are a number of issues. i could go on.

The asbes- tos in these ferries is a concern for our health. on some of the minor routes we're not blessed with the ability to go to the spa as we travel across the Georgia Strait. We're hopeful that the washroom facilities are working.

We're hopeful that in fact the elevators will get our friends who maybe have mobility issues up to the top. o n too many occasions, unfortunately, we've seen porta-potties on the car deck for the disabled to use because the elevator is out of service or washroom fa - cilities are not working because of problems with salt water, etc. [1510] The review. u nfortunately, we're going to get hurt while the review is going on. it would have been nice if, as i said earlier, the minister could have allowed the prices to be maintained as they are.

We've seen a cost- of-living increase over the years. it's about 2 percent, but the ferry increases have gone up 8½ percent. That is unsustainable. it's unsustainable from any perspective, partisan or not. i think this is an important issue for the public or the transportation system of this province. The contribu - tions of Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast to the economy of this province are significant.

People do not want feel that they are being given no choice in their transporta - tion options. in fact, i've heard people use terms like that they're hostages to the ferries or that they're basically at the whim of f erry Services.

british c olumbia Debates7666 t uesday, May 31, 2011 i would like to point out, lest there be any attempt in the future to say that i have made critical comments about f erries, that i'm not making any disparaging re - marks whatsoever about any of the people that work on b.c. ferries. We know them.

We all know that they're hard-working and that they deserve our respect and thanks. i think what we really have here is a structural prob - lem created by the c oastal f erry a ct that disallows cross-subsidization. a n example of how this cross- subsidization problem impacts us. if a ferry from a major route happens to forget to stop and crashes into a ramp, causing that ramp to become unusable, then the little ferry from another place might come along and have to wait. if that little ferry has to wait too long, then eventually it will incur overtime costs.

Those overtime costs will be borne entirely by the small- ferry routes and not by the larger-ferry routes. in terms of equality, in terms of fairness…. i think that if this review could do something about fairness, wouldn't that be a lovely result? i'm going to be hope - ful that it will. i'm going to be hopeful that residents of Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast have the opportunity and take full advantage of the opportunity to express their concerns, as the minister suggested to me when i met with him recently. in fact, i like to point out to people that i met with him two days before the review was announced. i like to take credit for that, but i know i can't. i know that this was the result of a lot of work from ferry advisory committees, regional governments — all sorts of people advocating for safety and good service on the Sunshine c oast, Powell r iver and t exada island.

With that, i'm just pleased to have had the opportun - ity to say this is…. interjection. N. Simons: i'm not being negative. i'm being positive. i just say there are important…. interjections. N. Simons: i'll come back next week. i'm hearing members…. i'm pleased with the review of the c oastal f erry a ct. i hope it brings changes that bring fairness to residents of the Sunshine c oast and Powell r iver, and i thank you for this opportunity. C.

Trevena: i think that residents who live on the islands and who rely on the ferries would look at this review as well overdue. in fact, i think that if they could go back a few years, they'd like to turn back the clock and be in a position where the ferries were part of the highway system, where it was realized that b.c . f erries is an integral part of the way that we live and communi- cate on the coast.

Those of us who live on islands are contributing to the economy and have every right to live on the islands, as do people who live up in the remote parts of the north - east and who therefore have access to the roads. in fact, in the congenial spirit of this debate, i wrote to the min- ister about this and mentioned that the people in his constituency are driving on very nice roads. i've been through his constituency, and i've been on some very nice paved highways.

They are not paying every time that they get on them. h owever, i think that one of the real problems with b.c. f erries in its present iteration — and i hope it will be examined with close scrutiny by the ferry commis - sioner and taken on board by the minister — is the issue of fares. My colleagues have talked about the fact that we have the fuel surcharge coming up.

We have the 4½ percent increase coming next year, even though a review is on. [1515] There has been a call both for freezing the present fares and also for rolling back. o n this side of the h ouse we have a friendly debate about who represents the communities with the most ferries, who has the most ferries in the communities and which are the most ferry-dependent communities. i think we're still working this one out, as many of us live on Vancouver island, which is also ferry-dependent. h owever, when you are relying on ferries, you are very, very conscious of the cost, so the concept of freezing and potentially rolling back fares is very, very germane.

People are exceedingly frustrated about the fact that they are paying more and more.

They're going to be paying while the review is going on…. by this time next year they'll be paying at least 6 percent more, and this is sup- posed to be a good thing. on minor routes it was going to be 8 percent, but that was rolled back. i would just like to cite some examples of what this means. i think if people start to listen to real figures about what it means, they will start to understand why we who live and work and rely on the ferries are so angry about the fact that it's become a commercial proposition rather than part of our highway system, that we are ex - pected to pay when people who get on the roads don't have to pay at all. it costs to get from c ampbell r iver to Quadra island. i use that as an example. it's a very busy route. i confess i live on Quadra island.

My office is in c ampbell r iver. i'm doing that route a lot. i often take my bike along because it is easier to walk on than to take the car and because it is much, much cheaper. t o go from c ampbell r iver to Quadra island in a car with two people, it costs $37.95. i actually have my ferry tickets here; i will not use them as a prop. one car, two people, a ten-minute ferry ride: $37.95.

british c olumbia Debatest uesday, May 31, 2011 7667 it's no wonder that people are being forced to leave the islands. it is no wonder that people are worried about their business. it's no wonder that we have a tour- ism sector that is trying to build up and that is really frightened it cannot maintain itself.

This weekend on Quadra island we have the studio tour. it's a really nice event. a ll the artists on the island — the potters, the artists, the glass-blowers — all the people on the island will open up their studios and in - vite people in. but when you're talking about almost $38 just to get to the island…. That's before you pay for the gas, because it's quite a big island, before you buy a meal and before any items i hope you buy from the studios.

Y ou're talking, effectively, a hundred dollars at least for a day trip. if you're staying overnight, as we hope people are, it's that much more. i think it's this reality that is not understood by so many people when they say: "o h, it's just the ferries; it's not something we've really got to worry about." it has a serious impact. We also have these c oast c ards that are supposed to bring down the fares, but i'll use the same example. it's $37.95 for one car, two adults, a ten-minute ferry ride c ampbell r iver to Quadra island. So you get a prepaid card.

Y ou have to put at least $80 on this card before it can work, and there are many people who cannot af - ford $80.

There are many people who live on the islands who are struggling to get by. it is not a place for the elites. it is becoming a place for elites because of the ferry fares, but there are many people struggling to get by who find it a real difficulty to put that $80 on their card. but you have a card, and it still costs $23.15 for two people and one car. it is now cheaper when the water taxi is running in that route, which it does at peak hours, for a foot passen- ger to take a water taxi than it is to take the ferry.

There is something absurd in that situation, when the ferries are part of our highway system and should be integrated into the regular working life of the islands. [1520] Madam Speaker, as i say, we have this friendly debate on this side of the h ouse about who has the most ferry- dependent communities. i have a number. i have the c ampbell-r iver-to-Quadra run, the Quadra-to- c ortes run.

There are a number of areas that aren't ferry-linked. but also up- island, we've got the big route from Port h ardy to Prince r upert and to bella c oola and bella bella in the summer and so on, and also the a lert bay–Port Mcn eill–Sointula — the triangle ferry, as it is now. i'd like to raise a couple of points about that as well. i've been talking about the fares from c ampbell r iver to Quadra island.

Short run, extraordinarily expensive to take the ferry. f rom Port Mcn eill to a lert bay, ferry fares there have gone up 104 percent. a lert bay is not a wealthy community. f or those who don't know it, it's a small island. it used to be a very busy fishing community. it's now an island which has two communities. it's got the first n ations 'n amgis community — very active, very involved with the other community, the village of a lert bay. They work very well together, but these are not rich people. These are people who are struggling just to make ends meet. The fishing is gone. There is very little work there.

We have real difficulties for people to find a living, and yet there it costs $44.20 for the same situa - tion — two people and a car. So $44.20 to get over on the ferry — 104 percent increase. That isn't sustainable. When you talk about sustain - ability of ferry fares — and this is something that the commissioner will be looking at, the sustainability of it — you've got to look at the communities and how communities and how people in those communities can live. h ow families are expected to take the kids over to the hockey. These are their homes. The 'namgis first n ation is not going to go anywhere.

They are staying in a lert bay. it's their land, their territory. They don't want to leave. They want their kids to play hockey. Y ou've got to get on the ferry. Y ou've got to go to Mcn eill. Y ou've got to get from the ferry terminal to the arena, and that's just if you're playing in Mcn eill. if you're going anywhere else, you've got the added costs. These fares are really hurting small communities. That's why when we talk about freezing…. i really don't think freezing is enough. i think we have got to start looking at rolling them back. We're not looking for any c adillac. We're not looking for a cruise ship.

We're not looking for something that is going to give us a spa or the hot break- fast or anything like that. We just want, basically, a road that will take us there and back. My colleague was talking about asbestos. The Quadra Queen on the a lert bay run had problems with asbestos. it was fixed, and a few days later it broke down again. i have to say that the people in the communities, in Sointula and a lert bay…. There was a very quick re - sponse from the ferries. but still, they had a ferry that didn't work.

They didn't need a c adillac; they just wanted to be able to get from their community to go and do their business. l ikewise, i understand that the Powell River Queen on the Quadra–c ampbell r iver run is going to be having a makeover. a gain, it's not a c adillac that is wanted. it is a simple roadway. We live and work on islands because there is a com - munity there — because there are businesses there, there are families there.

People have lived there for many years. it is not, as has been so often said, a life - style. it is a community. i always come back to my puzzlement — i'm not ori - ginally from b.c. — of being on h ighway 1 and driving across c anada, and you get to the ferry, and you get off

british c olumbia Debates7668 t uesday, May 31, 2011 on Vancouver island, and you're still on h ighway 1. So what's the difference? Why are people having to pay for linking those two pieces of road? Why are people having to pay exorbitantly? i hope that in the ferry commissioner's analysis in the six months, he looks seriously at the way that our communities work, the way that our infrastructure as a whole province should work, a government's com - mitment to upholding that infrastructure. u nless a government commits to upholding an infrastructure, we can just basically walk away with it.

We have to get the government commitment to up - hold the infrastructure. a s the government will uphold its roads and as the government will uphold the bridges, the government has got to uphold the ferry system. [1525] i hope the commissioner looks at that. i hope the com- missioner goes further than the indications that we have seen, which is just saying that we're going to hold on with the increases. i hope the commissioner will look, at the very least, at a freeze, and i think that people in the coastal communities would want to see the fares rolled back. i know that's what i'm hearing from my constitu - ents.

They want to see the fares rolled back. i hope the commissioner realizes that b.c. f erries became the way it was, by W .a.c. bennett, because fer- ries were not seen to be a profitable proposition. ferries were seen as part of our highway system. They were not supposed to come in raking in a profit. They were not supposed to come in as cruise ships. They were there to support and sustain our coastal communities. Madam Speaker, that's what ferries are supposed to do. i hope this review will ensure that, once again, we can claim b.c. ferries as our b .c. ferries. L.

Krog: The great thing about being a l iberal, a b.c. l iberal in particular, is never having to say you're sorry. Y ou just bring in more legislation that recognizes the fact that you made a mistake a while ago and that it needs to be fixed. e ven a free-enterpriser of stern stuff like W .a.c. bennett understood that there were certain things that had to be accomplished through government, not through private enterprise. Y ou know, t .c. Douglas said it best. What government does for us is it does collect - ively what we cannot achieve individually.

W .a.c. bennett understood that if the economy of british c olumbia were to prosper, if the people who lived on Vancouver island and in ferry-dependent communities up and down the coast were to enjoy their share of british c olumbia's full prosperity, it required an effective ferry system that was affordable by british c olumbians. f or several decades it was operated that way, a

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0531pm-02
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0531pm 02
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	0e116ffa6340c157b38e5ecb18b138effb28529a

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