2010 Legislative Session: Second Session, 39th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Monday, March 29, 2010

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 12, Number 7

CONTENTS

Page

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Statements

Cranbrook and Hockeyville competition

Hon. B. Bennett

Introductions by Members

Tributes

Powell River Kings

N. Simons

George Hawksworth

V. Huntington

G. Gentner

Introductions by Members

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Bill 7 — Forests and Range Statutes Amendment Act, 2010

Hon. M. De Jong

Bill 8 — Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Statutes Amendment Act, 2010

Hon. B. Lekstrom

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Earth Hour and environmental initiatives in Surrey

S. Cadieux

Girl Guides of Canada

L. Popham

Kwikwetlem First Nation canoe project

D. Horne

Angel Magnussen and cookbook for children's charities

S. Fraser

B.C. Community Achievement Award recipients in Cariboo-Chilcotin

D. Barnett

Theatre community in B.C.

S. Herbert

Oral Questions

Vancouver school district costs and funding

C. James

Hon. M. MacDiarmid

R. Austin

S. Simpson

Child care spaces in Maple Ridge schools

M. Sather

Hon. M. Polak

M. Elmore

Taxpayer costs for sale of homes near Tsawwassen power line

V. Huntington

Hon. B. Lekstrom

Liability insurance funding for search and rescue organizations

M. Farnworth

Hon. K. Heed

Olympic events attendance by Small Business Minister

J. Kwan

Hon. I. Black

J. Horgan

Petitions

C. James

D. Barnett

Orders of the Day

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 6 — Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2010

Hon. C. Hansen

B. Ralston

Throne Speech Debate (continued)

R. Chouhan

Hon. S. Thomson

M. Farnworth

Hon. M. McNeil

J. Horgan

Hon. S. Bond

R. Austin

Hon. N. Yamamoto

S. Hammell

Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room

Committee of Supply

Estimates: Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development (continued)

Hon. I. Black

J. Kwan

D. Routley

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MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

The House met at 1:34 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

L. Popham: I have the pleasure of introducing eight very special guests today. The Girl Guides are visiting us.

We have Joanne Stregger, deputy provincial commissioner for the B.C. Girl Guides for her fifth year; Marsha Richie, the area co-commissioner for southern Vancouver Island area Girl Guides; Wendy Smylitopoulos, the area co-commissioner for southern Vancouver Island Girl Guides; Lynda Ireland, the public relations adviser for southern Vancouver Island area Girl Guides.

Tanya Wyllie is a young adult member, brave and district guider, a member of 2010 events committee and PR committee, and she has been a guiding member since she was five; Danita Duguay, a youth member with Trex and Rangers, a junior leader with Guides and a guiding member since she was five; Chloe Faught, a youth adult member. She is a Pathfinder and Trex leader, newly appointed caretaker of Kingswood campsite, and she has been a guiding member since five.

We also have Holly Reist, a youth member with Portage Inlet Pathfinders, an active Girl Guide since five, and she has been awarded the Lady Baden-Powell Award. I'd like you to make them welcome in the House.

[1335]

Hon. B. Bennett: It's my pleasure to introduce to the House today my constituency assistant, Jennifer Osmar. She's up there somewhere in the balcony. Could you please help me make Jennifer welcome here today.

Statements

CRANBROOK AND

HOCKEYVILLE COMPETITION

Hon. B. Bennett: The city of Cranbrook just made the final five in the Kraft Hockeyville contest here in this great country. We are the only community west of Ontario to still be in the competition, and we would definitely like to follow in the footsteps of that other great B.C. community that won last year — great city of Terrace. It's a high standard. Maybe the powers that be will think that it ought to go to the east, but we think it should stay in the west, where it belongs.

Cranbrook, of course, is the hometown of Scott Niedermayer, the captain of the gold medal–winning Olympic men's hockey team. There's actually way too much to say here, but Steve Yzerman was born in Cranbrook. The Murdoch brothers. Donny Murdoch scored five goals in his first rookie game playing for the New York Rangers. He sells cars in Cranbrook today. There's the Dupont family. There are the Murdochs. There's Jon Klemm.

There was a point just a couple of years ago where there were seven players in the NHL who hailed from Cranbrook. I mean, Don Cherry himself said that if you didn't have a player from Cranbrook on your NHL team, the chances of you winning the Stanley Cup were greatly diminished. It truly is Hockeyville.

Please vote. Go to the website for Kraft Hockeyville before midnight Wednesday, and make sure that B.C. wins this again.

Introductions by Members

M. Mungall: It is my great pleasure today to introduce nine fine people from the Cariboo-Chilcotin who have made a long trek here to have their voices heard on the HST. We have Charlie Wyse, Eric Freeston, Jackie Turner, Gerd Braune, Connie Braune, Larry Day, Bob McNair, Stacey Comeau and Rick Gulbransen. Will the House please make them very welcome.

Hon. J. Yap: We have two visitors from Richmond who join us today. I met them for lunch at the dining room with my colleague the member for Richmond Centre: Aileen Cormack and Alison Cormack, a dynamic mother-daughter team, both active in the Richmond community. Aileen is a longstanding member of the Richmond Seniors Advisory Council and a longtime proponent of seniors issues in our community. They're here to take in the Legislature and question period, and I ask all members of the House to give them a warm welcome.

Tributes

POWELL RIVER KINGS

N. Simons: I rise today to draw attention to the victory of the Powell River Kings over the mighty Alberni Bulldogs over this weekend to win the coastal conference. I'd like to just congratulate Kent Lewis and his excellent team on their come-from-behind. They were down 3-1 in the series, and they persevered in enemy territory in game 7. Congratulations, and keep going, Powell River Kings.

Introductions by Members

M. Elmore: It's my pleasure to introduce and welcome a constituent from Vancouver-Kensington. Edward

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Almoite is here. He's a recent graduate from the UBC teaching program. He's very active in the community. He's a leader with the youth, and I'm very fortunate to work with him in my office. He's one of the coordinators with the Youth in Action group. I ask you to please make him very welcome.

Tributes

GEORGE HAWKSWORTH

V. Huntington: The people of Delta, both north and south, were shocked last week to learn of the sudden and so very sad death of Coun. George Hawksworth. George served on Delta council for close to 20 years, earning the respect and fondness of everyone who crossed his path. Councillor Hawksworth was first and foremost an educator who could be relied upon to demystify the complexities of a discussion or a budget or a report. His great skill at finding compromise saved the day and the debate many a time.

The loss of this gentle and principled man will be felt throughout Delta for a very long time, and I ask members to join me in extending the condolences of this House to his wife and family.

[1340]

Introductions by Members

M. Sather: I would also like to introduce my good friend Charlie Wyse, who is a former member of this House and is here with us today with a group of citizens from his community that came here to talk to the government and all concerned about their concerns with the HST.

Tributes

GEORGE HAWKSWORTH

G. Gentner: I'd like to concur and share the grieving that the member for Delta South has expressed here today. I knew George Hawksworth when I sat on council for many years in Delta. He was a New Democrat, and he was a consensus builder. He was referred to in Delta as the Teddy Bear. He was the most lovable politician you'd ever want to meet, and he certainly was a man who would do everything he could to bring us together.

Our hearts go to his wife, Noreen, and of course his children. I believe his funeral is this Thursday.

Introductions by Members

B. Routley: I have with me today four guests that came for lunch. Helen Nation and her husband, Bob, are here. Helen is having a birthday and chose this place to come and visit. I'm not quite sure why, but good for her.

Helen and Bob Nation are two amazing constituents in the Cowichan Valley who not only interface with Cowichan Tribes and participate in things like their spirit drummers and work with Cowichan First Nations on salmon enhancement in the Cowichan River…. When they're not doing that, they're preparing to go to Tanzania to help the folks there in a community with good, clean drinking water.

I'm delighted to have them as guests today, along with Doug Morgan and Debra Toporowski, who are both constituency assistants in my office. I'm very thankful for the work they do. Would the House please join me in welcoming these fine guests.

S. Herbert: I'd like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge my partner, Romi Chandra Herbert, my new husband, after ten years of being together. I'd like to assure the House that this is not our honeymoon. That will come soon enough.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Bill 7 — FORESTS AND RANGE STATUtES

AMENDMENT ACT, 2010

Hon. M. de Jong presented a message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Forests and Range Statutes Amendment Act, 2010.

Hon. M. de Jong: I move that Bill 7 be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion approved.

Hon. M. de Jong: Bill 7 proposes various amendments to the Forest Act, the Wildfire Act and consequential amendments to other legislation. Amendments to the Forest Act encourage utilization of low-quality timber for bioenergy purposes, providing flexibility and scaling requirements — which is also part of this bill — and allows harvested fibre to travel more directly from the harvest site to places in the marketplace.

Other amendments to the Forest Act include extending the timelines for innovative forest practices agreements, allowing government and licensees to further explore these agreements' potential for increasing the timber supply; clarifying rules for redetermining stumpage rates, ensuring that those rules operate as intended; and clarifying the mechanism to be used for partitioning allowable annual cuts.

Today's bill also amends the Wildfire Act to improve fire protection by extending the timeline for fire investigations and improving provisions against those who may cause fires.

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I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for consideration at the next sitting after today.

Bill 7, Forests and Range Statutes Amendment Act, 2010, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 8 — ENERGY, MINES AND

PETROLEUM RESOURCES STATUTES

AMENDMENT ACT, 2010

Hon. B. Lekstrom presented a message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Statutes Amendment Act, 2010.

Hon. B. Lekstrom: I move that Bill 8, Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Statutes Amendment Act, be introduced and read time a first time now.

[1345]

Motion approved.

Hon. B. Lekstrom: Hon. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce into the House today amendments to two acts of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources — the Oil and Gas Activities Act and Petroleum and Natural Gas Act.

The Oil and Gas Activities Act received royal assent in the spring of 2008. Through this act, significant enhancements were made to the regulation of the oil and gas sector by creating new compliance and enforcement tools for the regulator, the Oil and Gas Commission, and new authorities in government to manage and protect the environment from impacts of oil and gas development.

The changes proposed in this bill reflect a considerable amount of dialogue with local stakeholders, and this is a positive step forward toward a more balanced approach between industry and the affected landowners in the region.

Through this work, some gaps in the regulatory powers and areas in which the regulatory language could be improved were identified. The amendments being introduced to the act will ensure that there is a robust and comprehensive regulatory structure applicable to the oil and gas sector when the Oil and Gas Activities Act is brought into force this year.

The second act being amended under this bill is the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act. The Mediation and Arbitration Board is an administrative tribunal created under the act to assist industry and landowners in resolving access to private land. Under this bill, the mandate and authorities of that board are expanded to improve access to the board processes for landowners.

The board is also being renamed to become the surface rights board. The proposed amendments to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act were developed following consultations with the Northeast Energy and Mines Advisory Committee, an advisory committee of landowners, industry and other stakeholder groups which looks at the impacts of subsurface development on landowners, other interest groups and communities in northeast B.C.

The improvements to the mandate and authorities of the board under this bill include giving landowners the right to request mediation for surface access, giving the board the authority to deal with issues related to compliance by either party with obligations under a surface lease, extending the board's authority over compensation claims for damage arising from an oil and gas activity to include claims made by a neighbour and tenants, and empowering the board to include the time and real costs incurred by the landowner in award of costs at the end of the process.

With these amendments, the dispute resolution process before the board will be balanced and more effective for both landowners and industry.

I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 8, Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Statutes Amendment Act, 2010, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

EARTH HOUR AND ENVIRONMENTAL

INITIATIVES IN SURREY

S. Cadieux: This past Saturday evening at 8:30 you may have noticed the lights in your city went out. It wasn't a massive power failure, but it was a very powerful statement. It was Earth Hour, and all across the globe over a billion people from more than 100 countries participated in this initiative to increase awareness on environmental issues and the growing need for sustainability.

Starting as a small grassroots movement in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, Earth Hour quickly spread to become the largest environmental action in human history. In the city of Surrey, we demonstrated our commitment and participation — both individuals and large companies — by reducing our electricity consumption by 2 percent.

One Surrey temple led by example. The Guru Nanak Sikh gurdwara not only participated by shutting off its lights and praying for guidance from the Guru to help preserve the environment, but they also declared

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the month of April Environment Month. During this month, the temple will highlight ways individuals in the community can help reduce their environmental impact. This is just one of the many ways this forward-thinking organization continues to improve the well-being of our community.

Environmental awareness is nothing new to my riding of Surrey-Panorama. Jeff Vaughan is an exceptional teacher from Sullivan Heights Secondary School, who was this year one of the recipients of the B.C. Community Achievement Awards. He was recognized for inspiring students, his fellow teachers and the community of Sullivan Heights to live healthy lives and be responsible stewards of the environment.

It's the initiative of individuals like Jeff and organizations like the Guru Nanak Sikh gurdwara that show us the way to a healthier, greener way of life.

[1350]

GIRL GUIDES OF CANADA

L. Popham: I rise today to pay tribute to one of the most recognizable and, I dare say, most beloved organization in our country, and it's not just for the cookies. But you should still know that this group sells 9.006 million cookies in B.C. per year, and it's the tenth-best-selling cookie in Canada.

So 2010 marks the 100-year anniversary of the Girl Guides of Canada. Since 1910 the Girl Guides of Canada have been among the best of community organizations. From coast to coast, generation after generation, thousands of young girls have entered Girl Guides, only to leave years later as strong young women. Through a diverse range of activities, Girl Guides provides a caring, inclusive environment for young women with a host of different interests.

Beyond the three C's — crafts, camping and cookies — Girl Guides are a proving ground for future community leaders, who over time earn badges for a wide range of skills. Examples of these milestone badges are environmental stewardship; career awareness; streetwise; saving water; fashion; cultural awareness; inventing; money talk; business communications; and my personal favourite, which I'm hoping they'll give me an opportunity to earn, a badge in eating locally.

The Girl Guides are so much more than cookies. For a century they have been a bastion of good community values and stewards of young women, engaged citizens and future leaders.

KWIKWETLEM FIRST NATION

CANOE PROJECT

The canoe builders, Mark Point and his son Keith Point of the Skowkale First Nation near Chilliwack, worked on the canoe and taught the members the theory and art of canoe-building. The work was a truly impressive feat, and a video of the entire process was produced. This video was also highlighted at the Four Host First Nations pavilion for the Olympics held recently.

Finally, on Friday, March 19, Chief Ron Giesbrecht, Couns. Fred Hulbert and Ed Hall and many others of the Kwikwetlem First Nation — the local officials — held a ceremony for the canoe. This was truly a special occasion, and I am sad that I was unable to attend, as it marked the first time in a hundred years that a dugout 60-foot war canoe was completed by the nation. I look forward to the opportunity to see it next week.

ANGEL MAGNUSSEN AND

COOKBOOK FOR CHILDREN'S CHARITIES

S. Fraser: Angel Magnussen is a constituent of mine. She and her family live in Port Alberni, and I would like to recognize this 14-year-old as a hero in the true sense of the word. There are few of us who have had to overcome the challenges the likes of which Angel faces every day.

Angel has numerous problems, including Down syndrome, thyroid disorder, autism, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux, back problems and more. She needs one-on-one supervision and assistance for the basics of daily life and in case of medical emergency, as Angel is prone to life-threatening choking episodes.

Despite these significant problems, she is working to make life better for other children. In the last four years she has raised over $65,000. If that were not enough, available just this year and hot off the press is Angel's Celebrity Charity Cookbook . This is to raise money benefiting Variety, the children's charity, and pediatric care at West Coast General, Nanaimo Regional General and Victoria General hospitals.

The book is a who's who of celebrity recipes. People like Olympic wrestler Travis Cross, Man in Motion Rick Hansen, acclaimed family entertainer Fred Penner, famous wildlife artist Robert Bateman, columnist and national TV host Catherine Clark, and news anchors Steve Darling and Anne Drewa are but a few of the many supporters of Angel, providing their personal recipes in her cookbook.

Even the Premier is represented. Page 116 and page 117 have his contributions for his favourite peanut butter cookie recipe.

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The books are available at various locations, including Pharmasave outlets provincewide. I ask everyone who can afford $35 to grab one. It's for the kids.

I think Fred Penner put it best in Angel's cookbook. He said: "Never underestimate your ability to make a difference in the life of a child."

[1355]

B.C. COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

RECIPIENTS IN CARIBOO-CHILCOTIN

D. Barnett: On March 16 the seventh annual B.C. Community Achievement Awards were announced by our Premier. Of the 45 remarkable recipients of these awards, two of them hail from the Cariboo-Chilcotin. Alan Boyd and Audrey MacLise are prominent and involved members of their communities. I am proud of their impressive accomplishments and unwavering commitment to the causes in which they believe.

Alan Boyd of Lone Butte has a long career of making the world around him a better place. He received his award dedicated to health care. He served on the 100 Mile District Hospital Society and the South Cariboo Health Council. As chair of Cariboo health, he was instrumental in the construction of the South Cariboo health centre.

Alan also has been a champion of volunteer firefighters in the region. His work is seen in the Lone Butte, Watch Lake and north Green Lake fire halls. His love for heritage led him to become part of the Lone Butte historical society, and he was a leader in refurbishing the local water tower.

Audrey MacLise was acknowledged for her commitment to the elderly in and around Williams Lake. She has championed the cause of making Williams Lake more accessible for those who need walkers and wheelchairs to get around. She is the chair of the seniors advisory council for the Cariboo-Chilcotin. In 1990 Audrey also pioneered the region's first Alzheimer's support and resource centre.

These fine individuals and their co-recipients were selected by this year's independent advisory council for B.C. Achievement Foundation. Awards will be formally presented to the winners at Government House on April 28.

Congratulations to Audrey, Alan and all of the 2010 British Columbia Community Achievement Award recipients.

THEATRE COMMUNITY IN B.C.

S. Herbert:

Empty spaces. What are we living for?

Abandoned places. I guess we know the score.

On and on.

Does anybody know what we are looking for?

Another hero, another mindless crime

Behind the curtain, in the pantomime.

Hold the line.

Does anybody want to take it anymore?

The show must go on.

As Freddie Mercury so memorably sang, so it goes. And on it went this Saturday with World Theatre Day, a celebration of theatre in all its many forms. B.C.'s theatre scene is vital, creative and provides answers for so many of the difficult issues we face in our province today.

But there has been a rumble in B.C.'s theatre community lately. There is the challenge of a recession, reduced donations, large budget cuts to gaming funds in the Arts Council, amongst other challenges, all making it more difficult for that show to go on.

Few have argued it's a tempest in a teacup. Most wonder if what's going on is a theatre scam dreamed up far off-Broadway, worried the hive of activity we've seen with the Cultural Olympiad will be hit down with an anti-arts club. It has been a bumpy carousel ride for many, but the theatre community isn't playing house. The show will go on.

From those in the community theatre worlds to Shameless Hussies to Screaming Weenies to theatres like Green Thumb, supporting artistic growth with our youth, every one of them give their pound of flesh, making headlines and bringing our communities together. Whether it's in an old fire hall, a caravan, in the community hall or even further out on the fringe, theatre lives in our community, and our lives are better for it.

However, many companies are struggling, as a recent survey by the Vancouver Foundation has shown. But as the saying goes, the show isn't over until the fat lady sings. As the Minister of Culture has decided to call me Little Guy, I guess he knows it won't be me singing that song to end the show in our theatres. And I hope he won't be singing either, because although this House has its share of bad actors, drama, farce and whodunits, I'd say that it would be a very poor theatre replacement.

The theatre community will continue to say that the show must go on, and they hope this House will do so as well.

Oral Questions

VANCOUVER SCHOOL DISTRICT

COSTS AND FUNDING

C. James: While the B.C. Liberal government continues to ignore the crisis in our education system, school boards are forced to make cuts that will have a direct impact on children and classrooms. Just this week the Vancouver school board announced it's looking at shutting schools for ten days a year. That's just to find a million dollars of their $18 million deficit.

[1400]

My question is to the Minister of Education. How can she possibly claim to support education in this province when she's forcing school districts to make these cuts?

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Hon. M. MacDiarmid: It's springtime in Victoria, and as usual, we have beautiful blossoms on trees, azaleas bursting into bloom. We have a budget with record increases in education funding, and we have the members opposite saying that we're reducing spending. This year we will be increasing spending to a record level. We have 112 million new dollars for programs. In particular, we have $58 million for full-day kindergarten, which is coming to school districts next fall.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a supplemental.

C. James: The minister can play all the numbers games she wants, but the reality is this government is downloading costs onto school boards, and children will be paying the price of this government's neglect of education.

The chair of the Vancouver school board has been clear. This ten-day closure isn't being looked at because it's good for education. It's being looked at simply as a cost-saving measure. This is about cutting costs.

Again, my question is to the minister. When will she admit that her government's chronic underfunding of education is leading to cuts to the classroom?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: The Leader of the Opposition is incorrect. We have record funding for education in this province. The Vancouver school board faces what many of the school districts face. Fifty-two of our 60 school districts will have declining enrolment coming into their schools this fall. If it were not for full-day kindergarten, the majority of school districts have declining enrolment.

We've increased funding. In fact, the per-pupil funding in Vancouver is up 33 percent coming this fall. The funding that we're including this year for schools across this province includes $110 million for annual facilities grants, $54 million for teachers' raises and $58 million for full-day kindergarten.

We've heard what school districts have to say, and they will not be incurring any additional costs from the HST. We've listened to what they've had to say, and they are receiving additional funding this year.

Education is a priority for us. It remains a priority for us, and it's very clear from our ongoing investments in education.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a further supplemental.

C. James: This school district is looking at shutting schools for ten days — ten days — and this minister says that everything's fine in education? This government is ignoring the crisis in education. Our students deserve better than they're getting from this government.

This government has constantly downloaded costs onto school boards. MSP premiums, carbon offsets, pension issues — those are costs the boards are expected to pick up because this government has pushed the costs onto them.

So my question is again to the minister. When will she drop the numbers game and acknowledge that her government has downloaded costs, which means cuts to the classrooms for kids?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: The Vancouver school board, we heard two years ago from their former chair, has about 10,000 empty spaces in classrooms around that school board. We've heard from the Vancouver school board year after year that they are going to have massive deficits. Last year was no different. They predicted an $8 million to $12 million deficit, but this school board finished with a $16.7 million surplus.

In Vancouver we're investing in new schools, in seismic upgrading, in StrongStart B.C. centres. We're committed to working with this district and with all the districts as we continue to invest in education for the students who are the future of our province.

[1405]

R. Austin: The options facing school boards across B.C. are clear. They can close schools, lay off staff, cut classroom supports for students. Those are the options. Perhaps the Minister of Education can help the Vancouver school board. Tell them which cuts they should make in order to cover their $18 million deficit this year.

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: In our current system school boards have a tremendous amount of autonomy and decision-making ability. The Vancouver school board is able to make decisions, and I expect them to make decisions, as all the school boards will, which are in the best interests of the students in their district.

Across the province school boards have made such decisions. They have reconfigured schools, they've changed their school calendar, and they've done these kinds of things looking always at what is in the best interests of the students in that district. But the facts remain. This is a school district that will be receiving 33 percent more per student this year than they did ten years ago.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

R. Austin: It's true that the school districts do have enough autonomy. They don't have enough funding, though, to fulfil their mandate. That's the problem, and it's this government that created this funding crisis.

They clawed back funding, downloaded costs and announced new programs without fully funding them. But then when deficits arise, the minister won't lift a finger

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to help school boards. Again to the minister: what cuts should the Vancouver school board make?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I really must challenge the member opposite. We have provided substantial increased funding and in particular, this year, for full-day kindergarten. School districts around the province are receiving an additional $58 million. Over the next three years we have identified $250 million for this important program.

I'll tell you what we're not going to do. We're not going to continue with the status quo in this province. The reality is that by this fall we'll have 60,000 fewer students in classrooms around this province than we did ten years ago, and we need to do things differently.

We've said to school districts that we must find administrative savings, and we must reinvest them in the classroom. But we are bound that we will invest in full-day kindergarten. Beginning this fall, half the students in this province will be attending this funded program around the province.

S. Simpson: The rhetoric in the minister's message box is doing nothing to help address these critical issues in Vancouver schools and elsewhere. Will the minister step out of the message box long enough to deal with these questions?

The board chair in Vancouver has been very clear. The scheduling changes that are being made are not about improving the educational experience and opportunity for our children. They are about Vancouver surviving Liberal underfunding.

So what is the minister prepared to do to support our children by helping boards like Vancouver to deal with these provincially driven cost pressures?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: What we are doing this year is providing a record level of funding in British Columbia schools. As we committed to do, we've provided $54 million in this budget for the teachers' salary increase, $58 million for full-day kindergarten and an additional $110 million for annual facilities grants.

We are investing, this year, $43 million in StrongStart B.C. centres around this province. Our investments in early education in particular are going to make a difference for the children in this province, and we'll continue to make those investments.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

S. Simpson: The Vancouver board and the Vancouver board chair have told us that they are facing over $18 million in shortfalls. This isn't going to be dealt with by tweaking the school day.

Either the minister doesn't believe those numbers…. Let her stand up and say that, or let her accept the fact that that $18 million means real cuts to programs for children, fewer teachers, fewer staff, less opportunity for our children, and it will mean that our inner-city schools will have less capacity to support the challenges of our most vulnerable kids.

[1410]

The minister has an obligation to get out of the message box and help these districts like Vancouver to find solutions that work for kids. Will she stand up for education and start doing that today?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I think that our government's record is very clear. We are committed….

Interjections.

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I do appreciate the acknowledgment….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Just take your seat, Minister.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I do appreciate the acknowledgment of our investment in education — $1.3 billion in the system. There is a challenge that faces Vancouver, that faces many of the school districts, which is a significant decline in enrolment. In Vancouver this year they'll have approximately 10 percent fewer students than they did ten years ago, and this does pose a challenge.

Declining enrolment is difficult. It's difficult in all of the 52 jurisdictions of the school districts around the province where that is happening, but we have continued to increase funding. This is about the pupils who are in our system today and their needs — the students that remain. The per-pupil funding is up this year 33 percent from the previous year.

CHILD CARE SPACES IN

MAPLE RIDGE SCHOOLS

M. Sather: Four day cares in schools in Maple Ridge are closing. A hundred kids and their parents are going to be left without day care. Two of those schools are closing. The other two are kicking the day cares out to make room for all-day kindergarten. Can the minister responsible for child care explain to this House why her government is forcing families to lose their day care?

Hon. M. Polak: The member has answered part of the question. We have school buildings that are closing, and therefore, the day cares will not be there. We continue to

[ Page 3792 ]

invest in child care in record amounts. We are investing this year. We have now more licensed spaces than we have ever had in this province — 90,000.

We are spending this year upwards of $300 million to support child care in British Columbia. I'm not going to make any apologies for the fact that, with an investment of $35 million, we've increased the number of spaces by 6,500 since 2001.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

M. Sather: I'm glad the minister acknowledged the problem. Schools are closing.

Paul Marsden's three-year-old daughter goes to day care at Riverside Elementary. That school is closing. She's losing her day care. The day care provider says: "The future is bleak."

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

M. Sather: "We may not have a business. There's no place for these kids to go to."

I want to know what the minister is going to do to assist Paul and the other parents who are losing their day care under the watch of this government.

Hon. M. Polak: Unlike the member opposite, we choose to invest in children, not in empty classrooms. With an investment of $35 million….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Minister, just take your seat for a second.

Continue, Minister.

[1415]

Hon. M. Polak: With an investment of $35 million, we have increased the number of child care spaces in British Columbia by 6,500 since 2001, and 500 of those were created in the 2008-2009 year alone.

Now we're expanding to have StrongStart centres in 300 different schools across the province. StrongStart centres didn't even exist when that government was in power, but we've brought them in to invest in children, and $58 million in full-day kindergarten.

Across government we're going to spend a billion dollars this year on early childhood development, child care and services for children and youth with special needs, an investment that is unprecedented in the history of the province.

M. Elmore: The story here is that 100 spaces are being lost in Maple Ridge. That's the story and the record of this government in day care.

Two of the affected day cares are being evicted because of this government's mismanagement of the expansion to all-day kindergarten. School districts have been left wondering for too long and are having to make decisions too late in the game. If the day cares are even able to find a new space to operate, these evictions will put a great deal of stress on the care providers and certainly on the children and their parents.

Again to the minister: what is she doing to make sure these centres don't have to shut their doors on parents?

Hon. M. Polak: We continue to expand our investment in child care. This budget year our budget has announced another $26 million to expand the amount in our budget for child care subsidies across this province to help low- and middle-income families be able to afford child care.

In addition to that, over the years we've also increased the amount of funding we provide to support special needs children in child care. Our supported child development funding has gone up from $37 million in '04-05 to $58 million this year.

We are investing record amounts in the support of early childhood development and child care, and the fact of the matter is that that side votes against every initiative that we've got underway.

TAXPAYER COSTS FOR SALE OF HOMES

NEAR TSAWWASSEN POWER LINE

V. Huntington: I know the Minister of Energy and Mines must have anticipated this question today, so I know he'll have the answers right at his fingertips.

The good people of Tsawwassen woke up to two jarring news items yesterday. Their community is now labelled a ghost town, and the minister is "quite happy with the results so far." The Vancouver Island transmission line is a hideous scar through Delta South. Now the 104 houses that B.C. Hydro purchased under the power lines have cost an additional $23 million to carry, upgrade and resell, over and above the purchase price.

Can the minister defend his proclaimed happiness about this government's catastrophic mishandling of the entire power line issue, and in particular, can he provide us with the total anticipated carrying costs by the time all 104 homes are sold?

Hon. B. Lekstrom: Certainly, I enjoy the opportunity to address this issue, and no less, I thought you may raise it. We should actually put into context what I was happy about — the 28 homes that had already been sold. In no way, Member — and I know that you would accept this, unlike the opposition — was I referring that I would be happy about any town experiencing difficulty.

We have 28 homes that have been sold. We have another two that have been sold as well, which are closing, I believe, this week. There are four with conditions set

[ Page 3793 ]

on them. So what I said I was happy about is that yes, it's progressing, and it's moving forward.

These challenges that many would have you believe…. Am I happy? I'm actually satisfied with the progress that's been made. I'm happy for the individuals that have purchased these homes and have decided to call this their home. The real estate market — in the spring, hopefully — will pick up again, and more of these homes will move. But a decision was made to follow through with this process. I'm quite happy with the point we're at in the selling of these homes, in the movement of them, and I look forward to the future, where more homes will sell.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

[1420]

V. Huntington: I'd remind the minister that only four homes have sold since December, so it was a grand gold rush before December, but things have slowed down since. Here's the math. B.C. Hydro — in other words, the taxpayers in every member's riding — has already paid almost $23 million in carrying cost on the homes, on top of the $58 million purchase price, a total of $81 million so far.

This whole debacle is appalling. Just think. If the government had buried the lines and left the people in their homes, it would have cost a total of $24 million and would even have prevented the loss of a safe government seat.

Could the minister tell us when he expects Hydro to recoup that loss from the ratepayers, as they're authorized to do? Will that rate increase be over and above the one already about to hit the taxpayers?

Hon. B. Lekstrom: Carrying on with a very similar question, certainly I can't speak to which street and how many houses on each street. I can speak to the global situation, where 28 homes have been sold to date. As I said, we have two others with pending sales this week, four others with conditions on them.

We expect to recoup that as quickly as we can. We would like to think that we could do it over about a two-year period from start to finish. There's no guarantee in that, but we're optimistic. We made a commitment that we would take these homes and that we would put them back onto the market in numbers that would not flood the market and jeopardize the housing situation.

I do want to talk briefly about the underground lines that the member refers to. That issue was put before the B.C. Utilities Commission. The B.C. Utilities Commission turned it down, and there was opposition to the burying of those lines from your very constituents as well.

LIABILITY INSURANCE FUNDING FOR

SEARCH AND RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS

M. Farnworth: As we've seen this past winter in the Kootenays, search and rescue organizations have saved numerous lives in British Columbia this past winter, saving taxpayers tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars in costs. Yet many search and rescue organizations may well pull back their services because of lack of long-term, stable funding to deal with the liability issues that they face.

Will the Solicitor General commit to putting in place long-term, stable liability funding so search and rescue organizations can continue to do the valuable work they do?

Hon. K. Heed: Certainly, these members do an incredible amount of work, as demonstrated in the recent avalanche circumstances that we've been in, in this province over this past season. They continue to do good work. As a matter of fact, they've just had a meeting with respect to how they could even serve a lot better than they have.

These are volunteer organizations. We are committed to ensuring that they have funding in place in order for them to carry on with their good work. We're certainly working towards that, and we're committed to ensure that they are viable and operating in the province of British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

M. Farnworth: Well, I can tell you, hon. Speaker, what will ensure their long-term viability to continue doing the work that they're doing. That's long-term, stable funding to deal with their liability insurance issues. What they don't need is a months-long or years-long gabfest when nothing happens.

Alberta has solved the problem. Yesterday they passed legislation that pays for the liability funding for search and rescue organizations in that province. Will the minister commit to following Alberta's lead and institute long-term, stable funding for search and rescue organizations in the province of B.C.?

Hon. K. Heed: We've addressed this issue. We have committed funding to ensure that their liability is covered in the province of British Columbia. We will continue to work in that direction, to work with search and rescue teams so that they can continue on with the great work that they do in British Columbia.

[1425]

OLYMPIC EVENTS ATTENDANCE BY

SMALL BUSINESS MINISTER

J. Kwan: During estimates debate last Thursday the Minister of Small Business dodged every question on which sporting events he attended during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Surely the minister is not suffering from self-induced amnesia. He must remember which

[ Page 3794 ]

sporting event he went to. Did he attend a hockey game, a curling game, figure skating?

Will the minister tell British Columbians today: which sporting event did he go to during the Olympic and Paralympic Games?

Hon. I. Black: I think it is astonishing that on the heels of the biggest, successful, most spectacular event that British Columbia is likely to see this century, the NDP has already shown once again which side of the Olympics they are truly on. It has been said in this House many times by my hon. colleague that there is a report coming out on the ticketing around the Olympic Games, which will be released in the spring. Within that document will be a full accounting of tickets used by members of this House.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

J. Kwan: Taxpayers of British Columbia paid for those tickets, and the minister didn't. Taxpayers have every right to know now which sporting event they paid for, for the minister to attend. They don't want to get a sanitized report a year from now. What's astonishing is what the minister is not telling British Columbians today.

The Minister of Labour didn't have any trouble whatsoever telling the public which event he went to and which event he didn't go to, so surely the Minister of Small Business can come clean and tell British Columbians today. Will he end this embarrassing display of arrogance and tell British Columbians which Olympic and Paralympic sporting event he went to on the taxpayers' dime?

Hon. I. Black: In the days leading up to the Olympics, we made it very clear that on this side of the House we were very proud to host the Olympic Games. We spoke of the incredible amount of work….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Take your seat.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. I. Black: During the lead-up to the Olympic Games we spoke about the work that lay ahead, as we ended up hosting 11,000 participants in our integrated-hosting program. We spoke about the focused public servants who were going to assist us in hosting over a hundred different events during the Olympics on the integrated-hosting program.

We said at that point in time and we continue to say now that we will report out on the use of tickets around the Olympic Games in the spring. That is the commitment made by this government. It is a commitment we will keep.

J. Horgan: If only dodge ball was an Olympic event, the minister would be on the podium. He'd own the podium — absolutely.

My question is a very simple one. The minister has multiple office staff that manage his schedule. There are half a dozen ministers that don't have much to do other than manage a schedule. Perhaps they can come and give him some help. Will he stand up and be proud of the events that he went to for nothing? Stand here today, and tell the people of B.C.: where did you go, and why did you do it?

[1430]

Hon. I. Black: I appreciate the fact that the on-again, off-again love affair that the opposition has with the Olympics has to continue after the Olympic cauldron has gone out. But the fact of the matter is that events there that were run during the Olympic Games, involving all those countries from around the world who came to British Columbia and who saw us at our best, are just over.

We made a commitment to report out on them. We will fulfil that commitment as we said we would with respect to use of tickets around Olympic and Paralympic Games.

[End of question period.]

C. James: I rise to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

C. James: I am presenting a petition with over 3,000…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

C. James: …signatures from the Cariboo-Chilcotin area, asking for the government — including their own MLA — to say no to the HST.

D. Barnett: I have a petition here delivered on March 19, 2010 — two petitions — from the past member for the Cariboo-Chilcotin, asking that we vote against the HST legislation.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Continue, Member.

D. Barnett: Could I finish, please? I have two petitions from two HST rallies in the amount of 95 signatures.

[ Page 3795 ]

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: In Committee A, Committee of Supply — for the information of members, the continuing estimates of the Minister of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development — and, in this chamber, second reading debate on Bill 6, Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2010.

Second Reading of Bills

Bill 6 — finance statutes

amendment act, 2010

Hon. C. Hansen: I move that Bill 6, the Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2010, be read a second time.

The bill proposes a number of amendments to statutes administered by the Ministry of Finance. The amendments in this bill reflect our commitment to support the province's financial and corporate sector, streamline and simplify legislation and promote fair and efficient financial administration for British Columbians.

The Financial Administration Act amendments will enable the issuance of electronic securities, which is consistent with the direction of current domestic market practice. The CDS, Clearing and Depository Services, has initiated a move towards uncertificated securities and has requested all issuers in Canada to contribute to a more efficient Canadian securities market by eliminating certificated securities.

After the proposed amendment, the province will be in a position to issue uncertificated securities. Currently the Financial Administration Act requires a physical security to be signed. The amendment will eliminate this requirement while maintaining the current authorization process. As an incentive for issuers to switch to uncertificated securities, CDS will implement a new fee

schedule starting in July, which will increase the cost to issuers of physical securities. The administrative cost associated with the storage of a physical certificate is far greater than for an electronic certificate. Therefore, CDS has tailored their fees accordingly.

Although highly unlikely, the potential loss, theft or fraud associated with physical certificates also poses an inherent liability to the province. Replacement of a lost or stolen security can be expensive and carries a degree of risk that the certificate could be presented for payment in a fraudulent manner.

[1435]

Amendments to the Financial Institutions Act will provide enhanced regulatory tools and framework for the financial services sector. The amendments include new enforcement tools to expressly permit the sharing of information between financial service sector regulators, to permit the B.C. regulator to order the production of information on request of another regulator and to permit FICOM to order remedial action if a financial institution has been convicted of an offence in another jurisdiction.

The amendments also adopt modern legal frameworks governing actuaries and actuarial requirements for provincial insurers which are benchmarked on federal and Alberta rules.

Amendments to the Home Owner Grant Act will replace the requirement for forms under the act to be prescribed in regulation with the requirement that they be approved by the Minister of Finance. In the 1950s, when the Home Owner Grant Act first came into force, it was the norm to prescribe forms, but today most forms require the approval of a minister rather than cabinet.

The amendment will provide more flexibility in upgrading forms when the homeowner grant provisions change and when the technologies involved in applying for and processing homeowner grants change. For example, the on-line forms have been updated over the years to allow for electronic filing. Multiple changes are required on almost all of the prescribed forms to accommodate the changes required for electronic filing. Increasing the flexibility to update existing forms will also make it easier to incorporate changes when they are suggested by municipalities and administrators.

Amendments to the Personal Property Security Act will increase harmonization in personal property security law across Canada and between Canada and the United States. British Columbia will adopt the rule from the U.S. commercial code that governs which jurisdiction's law applies to certain determinations involving security interest in intangible and mobile goods.

Parties applying the new rule will be able to determine that a single jurisdiction's law applies after confirming the debtor's location of incorporation according to a public record. Their costs will be reduced because the multiple registry searches and accompanying legal opinions necessary under the indeterminate chief executive office rule will no longer be needed.

This change is a national uniform law initiative intended to become law only once all provinces adopt it. To date the amendment has been enacted in Ontario and has been introduced in the Legislature in Saskatchewan.

Secondly, the process for removing false or inaccurate registrations from the personal property registry will be shortened to the same as Alberta's and be more similar to other provinces' processes. The current two-step, 75-day process will change to a single-step process and will take no longer than 50 days. British Columbia is the only province to require a two-step process.

To balance the interests of persons applying to discharge a registration with the interests of secured parties who wish to claim that the debt is unpaid, the number of days was not reduced beyond 50 days. The secured party will have sufficient time to obtain a court order to maintain the registration if necessary.

[ Page 3796 ]

Amendments to the Securities Act will enable the B.C. Securities Commission to regulate, oversee and take enforcement action against credit-rating agencies and adapt disclosure requirements to allow for regulations requiring simple, comparable point-of-sale disclosure for mutual funds. Changes will facilitate Canada's move to international financial reporting standards.

In addition, the Securities Act amendments will clarify the commission's power to prohibit disclosure of information about an investigation and to exempt persons from takeover bid and issuer bid requirements.

Finally, amendments to the Tobacco Tax Act will define the term "cigar" under the act, clarifying which tobacco products to be taxed as cigars support government's enforcement of tax assessments. The new definition is consistent with the federal legislation that regulates duties on tobacco products, resulting in more consistency and greater ease of compliance between jurisdictions.

B. Ralston: As one might readily gather from the recitation that the Minister of Finance has given, these are technical amendments and are best scrutinized in the committee stage of the bill, which we will do. In terms of general remarks, I don't have a great deal to add to what the minister has said.

[1440]

Certainly, by looking at the amendments themselves, the focus on the Financial Institutions Act seems to preoccupy much of the bill. We will be scrutinizing those particular provisions, particularly where they relate to increased disclosure and the requirement of actuarial evidence in the operation of certain financial companies in the province.

I suppose the issue that might be of most concern or broad relevance to the public would be the regulation of credit-rating agencies. These days most people have credit cards and seek, through that process, a credit rating in order to qualify for credit, whether for a mortgage or for a credit card. Certainly, members will be familiar in their constituency work with complaints that do sometimes arise from the carrying of inaccurate information and the process that's required to go through correcting inaccurate information.

In an era when identity theft is becoming increasingly a problem, the information that credit-rating agencies hold is information that requires safe care and consumer protection. So certainly, that

section will be of interest.

The concern about the Personal Property Security Act — again, a technical amendment — and the homeowner grant, changes in forms…. I don't expect we will delay long in those matters.

We look forward to the committee stage debate of this bill in which the work of the Legislature will be apparent.

Mr. Speaker: Seeing no further speakers, the Minister of Finance closes debate.

Hon. C. Hansen: I move second reading of Bill 6.

Motion approved.

Hon. C. Hansen: I move that the bill be referred to a Committee of the Whole House for consideration at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 6, Finance Statutes Amendment Act, 2010, read a second time and referred to a Committee of the Whole House for consideration at the next sitting of the House after today.

Hon. B. Penner: I'd like to now call continued debate on the Speech from the Throne.

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

R. Chouhan: When I started my speech last Monday, just before we adjourned, I think I was talking about the HST. I'm going to spend a few more minutes on the issue of HST today before I talk about a few other issues.

[L. Reid in the chair.]

Before the last election the B.C. Liberals were asked very clearly by the restaurant industry and by others: "Will the HST be introduced? Is government going to do anything about HST?" They said: "No, clearly, it wasn't on the radar." They promised British Columbians that they would not bring the HST, and they put that in writing. A few weeks after the election the B.C. Liberals betrayed British Columbians and broke that promise. Now we have to look at the implications of that.

The HST transfers $1.9 billion in taxes paid by big business to the consumer. That's the direct implication of the HST — the betrayal the B.C. Liberals bestowed upon British Columbians. That means that big business pays less and that people pay more. How could that be fair?

Then we heard that they were saying now after the election: "It's really good for the economy." If that was so good for the economy, then why was it not discussed and implemented or at least introduced before the election? It's simple. It's very clear. The B.C. Liberals were afraid. They knew people were not going to like the HST. People were not going to like the transfer of $1.9 billion, the tax shift, onto the consumer. That's what they were afraid of. Now, it's going to hurt the small business. It's also going to cost jobs. That's the reality of this HST that we are now looking at.

When I heard the throne speech, I was hoping that the Liberals would say: "HST, yes, we said that we were

[ Page 3797 ]

going to do it, but now we have realized it's a mistake, because it's going to hurt small business and it's going to cost jobs. Therefore, we are going to back off."

[1445]

Instead, what we saw in the throne speech was nothing but huge praise of the HST. Now, everybody knows that 82 percent of British Columbians are opposed to the HST. Many small businesses will have to charge 7 percent more for a range of goods and services which they never did before. The restaurant industry itself is forecasting that the HST will cost them up to 12,000 jobs, and the tourism industry predicts that it will cost them up to 10,000 jobs.

Now, it doesn't matter from which angle you look at it, it doesn't make any sense to have the HST in British Columbia when everybody's saying it's going to cost jobs, it's going to hurt the economy, and it's going to drive up the prices of the housing market. So I don't know why they're doing it.

When we look at it, the 7 percent tax to many consumers is going to cost average British Columbians up to $430 per year extra just for that. Many services previously PST-exempt, such as restaurant meals, energy-efficient appliances, gym memberships, personal care services, accountants, contractors, taxi rides, parking outside Metro Vancouver, and more — all of these on which people did not pay any taxes before in British Columbia…. Now they would be subject to paying 7 percent extra every time they use those services. The services will face the biggest impact, since they were generally exempt from the PST.

Since the B.C. Liberals have said that the HST was a good thing, we have been going around British Columbia to different towns and communities. We were holding town hall meetings, community meetings. All kinds of people came there and participated in the debate.

I'm pleased to say that it wasn't just NDP supporters or just the working people who came to those meetings. There were Liberals — actually, card-carrying Liberals — that came to those meetings. They stood up and spoke against that decision of the B.C. government.

We have had many of the small businesses…. For example, in Burnaby-Edmonds I can tell you that there's a bike shop. They're against it. They're asking their customers to do whatever they could, and they signed petitions or called their Members of the Legislative Assembly.

We have a roofing company in the Burnaby–New Westminster area. They're now actually putting ads in the paper saying: "No HST. Get your roofs done before the HST comes into effect." Those are the kinds of people who are now talking about it, because they know it's going to hurt people. It's going to hurt their business.

Again, just to talk a few more minutes about the Liberals' justification of bringing in the HST after the election. They're saying it wasn't on the radar. Let's look at the record. Let's look at the facts — what happened then.

The Finance Minister claims that he did not read the Ontario budget that brought in the HST. How could that be possible? That cannot be. That is just not credible, and the Premier's own Progress Board recommended the HST before the election.

All of these things, if you look at them carefully, one would make the assumption that they knew. They were contemplating it. They knew that they were going to do it, but they deliberately were not being truthful with the B.C. electors.

Now, again, the B.C. Liberals are saying that if you look at the experience in other provinces, the HST brought down the prices. Is that true? Let's see. Let's find out.

[1450]

The evidence shows…. Even if you look at the statement made by TD Bank of Canada, they estimated that 20.4 percent of the goods and services that British Columbians buy will be newly subject to the HST and that, on average, consumer prices will rise by 1.5 percent. That's the TD Bank forecasting.

Even if businesses reduce prices, as the B.C. Liberals are saying —"Oh, when you have this, B.C. businesses are going to make sure that consumers are not charged too much" — according to TD Bank, as they are saying, prices will rise by 1.5 percent. Then the statement continues. It says that B.C.'s PST applies to a smaller base of goods and services than the sales tax of other provinces, so the effect on consumers will be larger here. The businesses themselves are analyzing and sharing with the public that it's no good.

If you look at the other parts of the throne speech…. I was hoping that it would have some good, positive story for my constituents in Burnaby-Edmonds. Burnaby-Edmonds, as I have described many times before, is a very diverse community. It ranges from some very rich people to the extreme, very poor people. That's the kind of community it is. I have close to 100 different languages spoken in Burnaby-Edmonds area. It's a very diverse community.

Now, many of the new immigrants who come, like in other parts of British Columbia, also choose to live in Burnaby-Edmonds area. One-third of the government-sponsored refugees who come to British Columbia also live in and come to Burnaby-Edmonds area. They're experiencing a huge amount of challenge.

Housing is a huge problem for them. The families who are now coming under that classification to Canada, when they come here, are not the typical family that, Madam Speaker, you and I and others are familiar with. It's not husband, wife and two children. I'm talking about a single mother with six kids. That's the kind of situation. We are the ones who are sponsoring them. They come to Canada. We invite them, but when they come here, we don't take care of their situation.

Now, the housing units that we have are typically two bedrooms, three bedrooms. I'm sure the other MLAs

[ Page 3798 ]

probably have the same problem as I have. I was hoping that in the throne speech we would talk about, at least indicate, something — that we are going to address that situation, the housing situation that these people face. Nothing. I have seen and heard nothing in the throne speech, and the B.C. Liberal government is not talking about addressing that situation at all.

As a result of all these policies, it has become more difficult for ordinary people, especially the new immigrants who come to B.C. to live here. Then, I thought at least we would have something in the budget that would address that situation. Again, I was very much disappointed that I did not see and find anything in the budget that would help these poor immigrants who have made their homes in Burnaby-Edmonds.

A few weeks ago I met with this wonderful woman. Her first name is Beata — a fabulous human being. She assists about 70 families, and they're all government-assisted refugees. They're all very unfamiliar with how the Canadian system works, and she helps guide them through it. She told the story to me — when she came and we sat down and talked about it — of one of the women whose child needed to go to the dentist.

[1455]

Another woman told Beata that she knows how to survive in a jungle, but finding help from a government in British Columbia or any agency of the B.C. government is an impossible task for her.

Those are the kinds of stories that we hear in our community. These people, when they come here, need help. Somebody needs to have some sort of program so they can get assistance and can get familiar with the system here. In fact, they're left out. There's no help for them.

Lack of medical services for a growing immigrant community is another huge issue. We don't have enough doctors to fulfil the needs of diverse ethnic communities, yet we have heard so many stories of doctors trained in the other countries. We don't recognize the foreign credentials — that's a huge issue.

We have heard the stories that many people, when they take a taxi, meet a doctor. Some people say that if you really want to see a doctor, it's best to take a taxi in British Columbia, because many of them are now driving taxis. They can't work in the medical field. Their credentials are not recognized.

On one hand, we have this immigrant population which is really asking for help. On the other, we have immigrant doctors who are willing to participate and contribute to the society, but they are not recognized. Something is fundamentally wrong here, and we need to really pay attention to this whole mess that we have.

When we're talking about poverty, these poor immigrant people, they're not the only ones who are poor and who are suffering and who need help. I have many other people in Burnaby-Edmonds and Burnaby in general — those who have lived all their lives there. Now they're hurting. They're hurting because they lost jobs. Their mill was shut down, and they moved to Burnaby. They came here. They thought that in the Lower Mainland, they probably would have a better chance to get a job. In fact, they did not. They did not have a better chance here.

Many of those people are now working on minimum wage, if they're lucky to get a job. You know, to make a living for a husband and wife with two kids…. Even if they both work at minimum wage, they will still be under the poverty line set by our society, our government in B.C.

It's $8 an hour for the last ten years. That's the minimum wage that we have. Nobody can make a living on that if that's all they have. In fact, when the B.C. Liberals came to power, they decreased the minimum wage from $8 to $6, saying: "Well, you know, those who are just starting, this is their training wage." We know that for the first 500 hours, when somebody starts a job, they will have be paid just $6 an hour. That's shameful. That's very shameful. Nobody can survive on that.

The story that I have heard and many have also heard — my colleagues, I'm sure, on both sides — is that when somebody works 499 hours, they are let go. They lose that job. Then they go somewhere else, and even though they say, "Look, I have already spent that much time in a previous job, so I should at least be getting $8 an hour," many of them did not get that. They're still not getting it.

Now, the minimum wage in British Columbia is the lowest in Canada. That, again, is a very shameful record we have here. More than 183,000 people in B.C. earn less than $10 an hour. A single person working 40 hours a week for 52 weeks would have to earn $10.80 per hour to reach the estimated poverty line in Vancouver. That was in 2009.

[1500]

Other calculations also show that a two-earner family of four with two adults would require a living wage of around $17 per hour if they lived in Metro Vancouver or the greater Victoria area. That's the reality people are faced with.

According to this organization, First Call B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, the real value of the B.C. minimum wage since 1976 has dropped nearly 19 percent, the largest drop of all provinces. Despite all the campaigns, despite all the pleas, despite all the petitions, despite all the convincing arguments made by many people across B.C. over the years, the B.C. Liberal government is still adamant that they're not going to change the minimum wage.

[ Page 3799 ]

You know, they stand here in the House. They go outside and claim that they have done everything to assist and help these people, but the record shows otherwise. Totally they have failed. The B.C. Liberals have failed these people everywhere in British Columbia. They have not assisted a single person who is in that situation.

When they are working in a situation with minimum wage, that's not the only difficulty they face. These working couples, when they have children, also experience a lack of child care and an increasing rate of MSP. Hydro rates are going up. Their transit is going up. You know, it's just pushing them into poverty deeper and deeper. I don't know when the B.C. Liberal government will wake up and do something about it. It's so disappointing. It's so frustrating.

Now, when we're talking about lack of child care, when we're talking about the training wage, when we're talking about poverty, child poverty comes to mind again. Six years in a row child poverty in B.C. is the highest in Canada — the highest in Canada, the child poverty we talk about. Was there anything in the throne speech to address that? No. Was there anything in the budget speech to address that? No. So what were you doing?

I was really hoping that the throne speech would admit or at least recognize that child poverty is the highest, that it's a problem and that the government is working on some kind of strategy or plan which will address it in the near future. But like many other people, I was very disappointed.

In Burnaby 32.2 percent of kindergarten students are vulnerable on at least one measure of development. That report, which came out a couple of weeks ago actually, was the study done by the University of British Columbia. It has found out that almost one out of every three children entering kindergarten in the province is developmentally unprepared and considered vulnerable in terms of child development, a situation which is both avoidable and preventable. That's what the study says.

When they made the comparison, when you look at the charts, the two schools that came up at the top of the vulnerability chart are in Burnaby-Edmonds — Edmonds Community School and Twelfth Avenue. That really concerns me. It really concerns all those people in Burnaby. They really are asking a question of this government: is there anything — any plan, any strategy — in the near future that would help or address this situation? No.

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The highest proportion of vulnerable five-year-old children was in Burnaby-Edmonds, with 53.2 percent. A Middlegate school had more than 49 percent of kindergarten children vulnerable on at least one scale of development.

When I was listening to the throne speech, I thought the government would at least do something about job creation. Again, I was disappointed. There was nothing. When the Liberals talk about jobs, they conveniently skip the facts. You know, according to B.C. Stats, since July 2008, B.C. has lost 41,000 jobs. There was a decrease of 5.5 percent in full-time jobs in that time. That's the B.C. Liberal record.

The unemployment rate has increased from 4.5 percent to 8.1 percent. Nobody should be proud of that. In January this year all of the new jobs created were part-time, and we lost over 4,000 full-time jobs in January. That's the Liberal record here in B.C. What will the B.C. Liberal throne speech or budget do? Nothing.

When they talk about labour and labour issues, we also cannot forget about the farmworkers. We know the situation that they are in. Farmworkers — we have seen people dying on the road. We have seen people being injured in the fields. We have seen that people are poisoned by those pesticides. Again, we were hoping that something would be done to protect those. Nothing.

Three mushroom farm workers were killed in that accident almost two years ago. We are still waiting to get a final report from WorkSafe B.C. Three farmworkers were killed in a roadside accident in March 2007, and 33 criminal charges were recommended by the police. None of those charges were accepted by the Crown.

The new harvesting season is around the corner. I hope the government will wake up and do something about it, because we have to not leave these workers in a very difficult, unsafe situation. We must do something to protect these workers.

With that, I'll take my seat.

Hon. S. Thomson: It's a real pleasure for me to be able to rise and provide a response to the Speech from the Throne and provide some perspective on the benefits and the direction of the throne speech to the residents and the constituents of Kelowna-Mission.

Before I do start, I would again like to take this opportunity to thank my family for all their support. I think we need to take every opportunity we have to be able to do that as we spend our time here in Victoria working for the people of British Columbia. It's your families that take part of the sacrifice in the work that we do here, and we should never miss that opportunity to recognize them and thank our loved ones for all their support. I'd like to again thank my wife and family for all their continued support.

Also, I need to again recognize the tremendous work that our constituency assistants do in our offices. The more time I spend here in Victoria, the greater appreciation I have for the great work that they do.

So to Nan and Rebecca in the office in Kelowna-Mission, thank you very much for your tremendous work on behalf of all the residents of Kelowna-Mission.

The throne speech clearly stated our government's focus and shows British Columbians that we're dedicated to creating jobs, economic development activity,

[ Page 3800 ]

improving the environment and supporting families with children. This support is verified by the action we are taking in Budget 2010.

We're fortunate in Kelowna-Mission to see the direct results of the government's commitment to jobs, education and health care, particularly with the continued expansion of Kelowna General Hospital. Since 2001 this government has increased health care spending by over 70 percent from $9.8 billion to $15.9 billion this year. We continue to increase our spending on health care, and British Columbians are better for it.

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We have increased the number of training spaces for doctors and nurses in our province, and we will commit to increased access to residencies for Canadians who have received their medical training outside of Canada. Through these measures we will continue to increase the number of medical professionals practising in our province, and that's happening right here in Kelowna.

Kelowna General Hospital is growing, with a new approximately 360,000-square-foot patient care tower, including modernizing and quadrupling the size of our emergency department. The capital cost of this project, combined with the Vernon Jubilee Hospital expansion and improvements in Vernon, is over $432 million.

As well, a new University of British Columbia medical school clinical academic campus will be also be built on the KGH site, giving students access to the latest technology while they study. The success of the expanded cardiac care unit has already surpassed expectations with numerous angioplasties performed here in my community, and the further investment to the resources at KGH will only further benefit Okanagan residents.

I was pleased to join the Premier and my colleagues from Kelowna–Lake Country and Westside-Kelowna earlier this year to confirm the commitment of over $440 million in capital investment for the new cardiac care centre at Kelowna General Hospital, providing a level of service and benefit not just for the Okanagan but for the entire province.

When you combine the early investment in our emergency centre and the expansion of KGH and Vernon general hospital along with this investment, that's nearly $1 billion in investment in our community in health care for the region, for the Okanagan and for the entire province. This is only possible with the solid economic foundation that this throne speech and the 2010 budget are providing for this province.

The UBC medical school academic campus is only part of the investment in education we are seeing in Kelowna. This past September marked the beginning of the fifth academic year at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. The Okanagan campus of UBC has expanded continually since its doors opened and is anticipating the arrival of the faculty of medicine in 2011.

Last June more than 750 students graduated, including UBC Okanagan's first doctoral candidate. This academic year more than 6,000 students have enrolled in the various programs, including a record 375 graduate students. The vision and the foresight of this government to establish UBCO allow us to educate our students closer to home and, in many cases, will result in those students staying and working in the Okanagan.

I know, as parents, how much of a benefit it was to have that option. My son has completed first-year university at UBC Okanagan, and I know, as a parent, the great benefit in having him at home while he did that first year at university. He's off taking a bit of an adventure and a gap year, this year, with some travels, but I know he anticipates coming back. I'm hoping that he will continue his education at UBC Okanagan, closer to home.

Hon. K. Krueger: No pressure.

Hon. S. Thomson: No, but I would support him in whatever decision and wherever he decides he wants to take his further education. I do know, as parents — and I've talked to many parents in the riding — the great benefit of having that facility, an expanded facility, in the Okanagan.

As well, we've seen the Kelowna campus of Okanagan College continue to grow. It's now home to a variety of university studies, trades, technology, business, vocational health and adult education programs. The campus is proud to offer a comprehensive array of first- and second-year university transfer courses as well as two bachelor degree programs in business and computer information systems.

Okanagan College has grown dramatically since 2005, more than 62 percent over five years in terms of the number of students educated and trained. It's estimated over 8,300 full-time-equivalents in 2009 and 2010, up from 5,162 in '05-06. This is tremendous growth of educational opportunities right here in the Okanagan. Over the past year alone the student population has grown almost 10 percent, and applications for next year are up approximately 11 percent from last year's record levels.

One of the most important areas of growth in Okanagan College has been providing services for aboriginal students. In the last academic year alone over 1,000 aboriginal students attended Okanagan College, an increase of 18 percent over the previous year. Aboriginal students now account for approximately 5 percent of the student body at Okanagan College. In real terms, the college was a learning destination last year for more than 19,000 people.

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Also, in the past year the college opened its five-storey Centre for Learning on the KLO campus, a LEED gold building which continues to impress those who need

[ Page 3801 ]

real examples of how the idea of being green can come to life in exciting and dynamic learning spaces. This space has over 700 instructional seats and 20 state-of-the-art learning classrooms.

The college growth has had such great growth that it's meant it has had to lease another trades-training space in Kelowna. It's the second new off-campus space that has had to open in Kelowna and joins new off-campus facilities that have opened in Vernon, Salmon Arm and two locations in Penticton over the past five years. Not only is the college providing more spaces in trades training, it is providing access to training closer to home in a host of communities throughout the Okanagan.

The continuing studies department offers a wide variety of training programs such as first aid and safety training, along with specialized certificate programs designed to meet the needs of industry in our community.

The Kelowna campus is also pleased to have a growing and diverse international program that welcomes students from 15 different countries each year to the Okanagan Valley, as well as an extensive summer school program each year for students who want to upgrade or get a head start on their programs for the fall.

We're working to ensure a thriving economy so that our students will have the jobs in our community when they're ready to enter the workforce.

In my riding agriculture is also a very vital part of the riding, especially in Kelowna-Mission. We have tree fruits, cherries, cherry-packing plants, wineries, grape production, vegetables, market gardens, cideries and an artisan cheesemaker. I'm aware of the significant challenges facing the sector both in our riding and throughout the province, but with the throne speech direction to build our economic foundation and jobs, our local industries will benefit.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the B.C. Association of Farmers Markets annual meeting in Penticton to celebrate the tremendous growth of farmers' markets in British Columbia. This will be the 15th year for the Kelowna Farmers and Crafters Market, growing from the humble beginnings to be now one of British Columbia's largest farmers' markets, which is quite an accomplishment.

I can remember supporting my wife when she was first a vendor at the Kelowna farmers' market many years ago, when there were only ten or 12 vendors, and it was on the sidewalk in front of the Safeway parking lot on the main street in Kelowna. Now they've grown to a full facility near the Orchard Park Shopping Centre with hundreds of vendors and thousands of people attending the farmers' market. They've expanded to three days a week now, where they have a Wednesday market, a Saturday market and a Thursday evening market.

Part of the success of the farmers' markets can be attributed to the ongoing concerns over our food sources, our environment and increased awareness of local food production and systems. Each year attendance is increasing with more and more people willing to support and encourage our local farmers and artisans. I would like to thank both the vendors and the visitors who are making this market in Kelowna one of Kelowna's most exciting ongoing community events.

The concern about the environment and ensuring that future development occurs in a responsible and sustainable manner is also a priority for this government, and to help achieve that, we are working to become a leader in clean energy. Through programs like our innovative clean energy fund, we're actively supporting developments in bioenergy, run of the river, wind, geothermal, tidal and solar energy.

To help facilitate new projects, I strongly support the direction that's outlined in the throne speech to work for one project, one process for environmental assessment, which is so important to help expedite approximately $3 billion in provincially approved projects that are tied up in that federal assessment review process.

We need to work strongly together and collectively to move to that one-project, one-process system so that we can help move these projects forward, create the jobs and investment in all parts of our province and in all parts of the economy.

The initiative for Open Skies that's referenced in the throne speech will enable international carriers to bring new businesses to the Okanagan. The Kelowna International Airport is one of the fastest-growing airports in Canada, and enhanced direct international services will create economic and tourism opportunities in our region.

I'm also pleased that the city of Kelowna has signed on to B.C.'s climate action charter to join many local governments from around the province who are finding ways to tackle the challenges posed by climate change and pledging to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.

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The Okanagan has a growing technology sector with a significant focus on green technology. Recently a new business magazine that highlights the economic outlook of British Columbia and the investment opportunities it offers gives considerable profile to several central Okanagan companies. Invest in B.C. , an official magazine of the Economic Development Association of British Columbia, the leading provincial association of economic development practitioners in communities throughout our province, was the magazine that profiled those companies.

The magazine is intended to assist in investment decisions by providing economic snapshots of the province's regions and communities while showcasing our key economic drivers. Kelowna's Element Four Technologies and VeriCorder Technology Inc. are among the local companies profiled in an

article on some of B.C.'s best technologies.

[ Page 3802 ]

In addition, Vineyard Networks, Disney Online Studios — formerly Club Penguin — and RackForce Networks Inc. are noted as examples of growing companies in the Thompson-Okanagan's technology hub.

One of the other key issues that we need to continue to address and look forward to, which is referenced in the throne speech, is the importance of water and working towards water conservation in the province. This is a critical issue for the Okanagan, critical in terms of making sure that we focus on conservation, critical in ensuring that we address infrastructure requirements for water, and of critical importance for the agriculture sector in our region as we look to the irrigation needs of the industry.

I'm looking very much forward to the continuing work in the process of modernizing the Water Act and the key directions in the throne speech that support that initiative.

We've also got a strong focus on healthy living. Last summer I was honoured to participate in the official opening of the H 2 O Adventure and Fitness Centre, the largest publicly owned water park in Canada and funded in part by the province. Now residents in Kelowna have a great new facility to help stay fit, and athletes can develop their sport, thanks to the Olympic-length 50-metre pool, wave pool, river run, three water slides, children's water area and an ocean wave surf simulator.

In addition to this new facility, people can also enjoy the outdoor ActNow B.C. seniors park at the Parkinson Rec Centre. This park was developed as a result of a Healthy Living and Sport initiative to help keep seniors active and engaged in our community. The free-access fitness equipment will help our elders spend more time outside to build and maintain good health for life. As the weather keeps improving, I'm sure many seniors will be enjoying this facility.

We are working to keep our province competitive internationally and interprovincially, and to help make our processes more efficient, we are shifting from the old-fashioned provincial sales tax to the harmonized sales tax. Shifting to a value-added tax will help level the playing field in our province as we join Ontario and more than 130 countries that have shifted or are shifting to the value-added tax.

The harmonized sales tax will cut the effective tax on new business investment by 40 percent. This will help create jobs in our communities and support new investment. The harmonized sales tax will also remove $2 billion in costs that are restricting growth in sectors like forestry, construction, mining, oil and gas, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture and small business. That means it will save British Columbia taxpayers $150 million in annual compliance costs. It will also remove some $30 million a year in administrative costs to further streamline the tax process.

I want to again reiterate that this will provide significant benefit to the agriculture and food processing sector, something the opposition continues to be silent on. In a recent local commentary, a supporter of the opposition party said: "The Kelowna-Mission MLA and Minister of Agriculture should recognize that agriculture is going to be really hard hit — hit right from production to goods in stores."

I know that this just continues to show the lack of understanding of the economic benefit of this important measure if they can't recognize the real benefit that this will have for the agriculture sector. I'm sure they haven't been out to talk to cherry growers in my riding who are investing in new packing equipment to meet international market requirements and new food safety equipment to meet international markets and food safety requirements for consumers.

[1525]

I'm sure they haven't talked to small-scale food processors who are investing in additional packing equipment and packing lines to provide value-added opportunities for agriculture and value-added production. I'm sure they haven't talked to greenhouse growers, who also are investing in packing lines to meet new market requirements in international export markets. All of these producers and small-scale processors and food processors will benefit from the introduction of the harmonized sales tax.

The estimate is that it's between $15 million and $16 million in direct benefit to the primary sector. When you add the small-scale and the food-processing sector to that, that direct benefit to the bottom line is somewhere in the neighbourhood of $24 million to $26 million to producers. This will mean that our agriculture industry will be more competitive nationally, interprovincially and internationally.

As I said, the fact that the opposition continues to remain silent on the benefits of this harmonized sales tax, particularly to the agriculture sector, just shows their continued lack of understanding of the economic benefit of this important measure. As stated by the leading economist Jack Mintz, B.C.'s sales tax harmonization will be a game changer promoting capital investment in the province and providing the opportunity for the private sector to create jobs.

When combined with the most competitive personal income tax rates and our commitment to move the small business tax rate to zero by 2012, B.C. will have one of the most competitive economies in the world, creating over 140,000 net new jobs by 2020.

The throne speech also provides for continued investment in transportation infrastructure. We are continuing to invest in improvements in the Okanagan: the four-laning of Highway 33, the passing lane on Walker Hill, the Gordon Drive improvements and the new bridge at Mission Creek — $15.6 million; trails, bike lanes, the active transportation network — $11.5 million of investment. All of these investments help improve the flow of goods and services in our riding and in our region.

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Our region is also going to benefit from the unparalleled success of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Okanagan figured prominently, from athletes, training, tourism, our agriculture and wine industry, and our business development opportunities that were provided to us as the eyes of the world were on British Columbia. I know that our local tourism associations and businesses look forward to working with the province as we build on the momentum of this great opportunity and experience.

This event provided great economic opportunity, but it also provided great engagement and motivation for our young people as they got to witness and participate in this tremendous experience. In my riding 25 students from Okanagan Mission Secondary led by their teacher, Michael Ross, were one of the 16 schools chosen to participate in the torch run. They were supported by over 200 students and many more families and friends as they led off the relay from the southern event centre in Penticton.

As Mr. Ross said: "In terms of the effects on the school community at our Olympic torch celebration assembly, the audience heard firsthand about Olympic trials and triumphs from a Canadian aerial team freestyle skier. The ripple effects are hard to see at this point, but the impact of the experience on the school community will be vast."

I don't think Mr. Ross ever contemplated at that point just how prophetic his words would be as he said: "The torch will stand in the school as a constant reminder of excellence for future generations of Huskies." I had the opportunity to meet with those students, and I can tell you that the excitement, the impact of the experience that they had in carrying the torch and being part of the Olympics is something that will live with them forever and will guide their development, particularly as they move forward in their sporting careers.

Building on the legacy of sport and community achievement, next winter Kelowna is going to have the opportunity to host the 2011 International Children's winter games. This event will attract about a thousand athletes from ages 12 to 15 in sports including skiing, skating, curling, hockey and speed skating.

This will be the first time that the games will be held outside of Europe and the first time that they include hockey and speed skating. We are really looking forward, as a community, to being able to host those International Children's Games, and it continues to build on the legacy of sport, healthy living and activity in our community.

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We're also one of the three communities bidding for the 2015 Canada Winter Games, along with Prince George and Kamloops. I know that whichever community gets the opportunity to host those 2015 Winter Games — and we hope it's going to be Kelowna — this will be another event that will continue to build on that legacy of sport and healthy living in our communities.

Also, while the Paralympic Games were on in Vancouver and Whistler, we had the opportunity, or the honour, in Kelowna of hosting the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships. In an exciting final, host team B.C. beat the B.C. provincial champions in a great week that we had with the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships in Kelowna. Great focus was on that event because of the great interest that curling had both during the Olympics and the Paralympic Games.

It's interesting that I was talking to the manager of our local curling club. He said that right now they can't keep up with the interest and the inquiries about learn-to-curl programs, open houses. Everybody seems to be interested in it. It just shows the benefit that having that focus on sport and sport activity contributes to people's goals and desires for healthy living and physical activity.

Our government is stepping up to ensure citizens have quality of life in our region, and so are volunteer organizations supported by the private sector. I was pleased to be invited to participate recently in a Habitat for Humanity official opening and in handing over keys to new residents for a new eightplex just off Highway 33 in Rutland. This project helps more people to have a home and was a result of tremendous community effort and support.

Our government has also invested in improved access to housing with the Willowbridge project, a LEED gold sustainable, supportive housing project providing 40 studio suites for people on limited incomes and who are experiencing barriers to finding housing. We also have a 39-unit supportive housing project on Tutt Street, with the New Opportunities for Women, providing additional supportive housing for meeting that critical need within our community.

Our government, through the throne speech, is also doing all it can to support early learning in our communities and recognizes that this time in child development is essential for success later in life. We have committed to introducing full-day kindergarten for five-year-olds and to increasing the number of StrongStart programs throughout the province.

We are working to support families with a new family-with-children property tax deferral option for all B.C. families with children under the age of 18. Under this program, these families will be able to defer their property taxes, similar to the program already available to seniors and those facing financial hardships.

The throne speech sets out a positive plan and direction for the future of the province, creating jobs, creating the most competitive foundation for economic growth, and I will be pleased to support it. It will provide a positive long-term future for the residents of Kelowna-Mission and for the province.

M. Farnworth: It's a pleasure to rise and make some comments on the throne speech, which was delivered

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back in February, and to outline, I think, some of the differences between this side of the House and that side of the House when it comes to the throne speech.

Interjection.

M. Farnworth: My colleague from Surrey-Tynehead says yes, and I'm glad that he said yes, because quite frankly, I do think it's important to acknowledge the differences on the throne speech. Particularly, I see that despite his years here, he still hasn't learned the rules — that if he wants to heckle, he should do so from his own seat. But that may explain a few things.

Anyway, back to the throne speech. You know, throne speeches, historically, are about laying out a vision of where the government is going to go, what the government wants to do. Sometimes they're long; sometimes they're short. They're often accused of being short on specifics, but that doesn't matter. A good throne speech can overcome those if it lays out a vision.

Unfortunately, this throne speech fails to do that. It doesn't lay out a vision. It in fact just re-announces some programs that were announced in previous throne speeches, which were never acted upon, so just a lot of it is recycled.

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What the vision does is repudiate some things in other throne speeches which at the time were applauded by people as being a positive step forward for British Columbia and the people of British Columbia. Instead, this throne speech does away with those things. I'll talk about that in a minute.

It failed to capture an imagination on: where do we go? How do we build on the success after the Olympics? We are seeing that with this government. Here we are now, three weeks into a session, and we're getting legislation that…. "We're going to do something in 2015" and "We're passing a bill that is basically just regulatory — regulations to be determined by cabinet." That's not a vision.

That says to me that we've got a third-term government that's running out of gas and running out of ideas and that really doesn't know what to bring to the future.

Interjection.

M. Farnworth: I can always count on my colleague from Kamloops.

I have to touch…. The Minister of Agriculture made some statements, and I just want to address those for a minute, because I know he'd be very interested. He said: "A big part of this government's vision is about HST." He said that the opposition doesn't understand the importance of the HST, this value-added tax, to the economy, that once again the opposition has demonstrated it doesn't understand how important this is to the economy.

Well, you know what? We do understand the importance of what business expects. I can tell you that they expected from this government that if they were going to introduce something like an HST….

The restaurant and hospitality industry would have expected that it would have been upfront with them before the election so that they could make business decisions on what they know and what they expect a government to do, not on a government saying one thing and then doing something else. They would have expected that the Agriculture Minister would have done an analysis within his ministry on the impact of an HST. That was not done.

They would have expected the Minister of Tourism to have done an analysis on what the HST means to the tourism sector, to the sector under his purview. The minister failed to do that.

They would have expected the Ministry of Small Business to have done an analysis on the impact of the HST on small businesses in this province, at a time when the minister himself told small business, "Well, if we're going to do an HST, we'll do some analysis," and then four days later in comes the HST. It's pretty clear that no analysis was done on the impact on small business.

That's what business would have expected this government to do, and instead, it failed every step of the way. It failed to be upfront with the voters. It failed to do analysis. That's what they would have expected.

That is a government that is doing things on the spur of the moment, without looking at proper public policy analysis, without doing work, and it's indicative of a government that has run out of ideas and is literally flying by the seat of its pants.

We understand all too well the failure of this government and the economy when it comes to implementing the HST and to its impact on business. One only has to look at what is happening in tourism, what is happening to the restaurant industry and how their concerns and their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. They have not seen any of their concerns addressed in either the throne speech or the budget — not a one. It is another indication of how this government has been here too long.

Now, I'd like to comment. I wanted to do that because I really did want the Minister of Agriculture to hear those comments. I do know that my friend from Kamloops is also here, and I know how much he is a fan of the HST. He has trumpeted in this House and outside this House how important he thinks it is.

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To me, the government's approach to the HST shows a lack of understanding of the pressures that everyday families in this province face. It shows a lack of understanding of the impact of the downloading from this government onto everyday families in this province, whether it is an increase in MSP premiums, which have just gone up; whether it's an increase in their hydro rates,

[ Page 3805 ]

which will be taking place; whether it is an increase because of the carbon tax coming into effect on July 1.

All of those things have added up directly on families, and when you start to add to that the downloaded costs to schools and the resulting cuts in services that happen, the day-to-day costs to everyday families in this province go up and up and up — in no small part from the actions of this government. It shows a complete lack of understanding of their decision-making process and the impact of their decisions on everyday families.

They may think that $10 here, $20 there, $50 there every month is small change, but it's not. It adds up. And that's not even talking about the HST. That's just things like fee increases and rate increases. So when you add all those things up over the course of a year, that starts to become burdensome.

Then on top of that you throw in place the HST, the largest tax shift in the history of British Columbia — $1.9 billion — onto the backs of British Columbia families. You can see why people are upset. You can see why people don't believe that this government has a vision, and you can see why they feel that this government has a lack of understanding of the realities that everyday families in this province face.

Let's just look at some of those for a minute. As I said a few moments ago, the government said in their throne speech that the HST is the cornerstone. Well, a few throne speeches before that they talked about their green budget. They talked about green tax breaks. Under the HST those tax breaks disappear, including some that have been in place since 1983 on bicycles.

The speaker before me made a big deal about how much the people in his constituency, in the Okanagan, for example, are really into curling, that they've seen community centres filled up with people going and wanting to take up curling — an interest in curling — and people interested in other sporting activities and how it's great that they've got this facility now in Kelowna.

It is good to see people get inspired by the Olympics to go and to become more physically active, to get involved in sports and athletic competition at whatever level. Trouble is, this government's making it more expensive all the time for them to do that.

If you want to take up cycling…. There didn't used to be a tax on a bike. Now, thanks to the vision of this government, there will be. So if you as a family of four decide that you want to engage in healthy, wholesome family activities together and, you know, "We're going to have bikes," well, you just added 12 percent to the cost of each one of those bicycles — 12 percent.

Now, of course, it may not sound much to the members across the way, but to everyday British Columbians that's a cost. That's money out of their pocket that they could have used to take the family out for a meal at one of B.C.'s many fine restaurants and eating establishments.

Trouble is, if a family wants to do that, let's say to go to…. In my constituency White Spot is very popular, or the Bombay if you want some really good Indian food. Trouble is, you've just jacked up the cost there by another 7 percent. That's got to come out of somebody's pocket. It comes out of a family's pocket.

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The impact on that is you've charged a family more if they want to engage in a healthy activity like bike-riding. They've got to come up with more money for that. Then, if they were going to go out for dinner, they have less money to spend in a more expensive restaurant, because they're having to pay to buy the bikes which they wanted to do some family activity with in the first place.

That's not vision. That's a government with blinkers on, a government that doesn't realize the impact its decisions have on ordinary families. It's a government that's blinded by ideology instead of looking at the impact of its actions on individuals and families and putting forward a vision that talks and speaks to the reality that people face every day in this province.

They announce cuts for the sake of cuts, without doing an analysis on the impact of those cuts, without looking at who is being impacted. How else could you explain the callous and cold-hearted decision to attempt to evict World War II veterans from their legion here in Victoria? How else could one explain that?

If something like that came to cabinet, saying, "Oh, we're going to cut $26,000," you'd think you might ask: "Okay, so who's going to be impacted by this?"

I mean, if someone said…. You know, average age of 87, World War II veterans — some of them survivors of the prisoner-of-war camps for Hong Kong, in the defence and fall of Hong Kong. "We're going to kick them out because they can't pay $26,000." You would expect that any reasonable person would go: "Are you nuts? Why are we doing this? What on earth are we hoping to gain?"

That's what you would think any reasonable person that was thinking about the impact of their expenditures would do. But oh no, not this government. They blindly, blinkered, went ahead and made that cut.

Many people may say: "That's not a true story. That can't be true." The truth is, hon. Speaker, it is true. Just to refresh the memories — or to remind people who may be watching at home, and I know that people do watch this station — there is a legion here, just out back of this building.

It's been there since 1934, at the height of the Great Depression when Duff Pattullo…. At that time the legion members corresponded with him, asking for some help in being able to stay there. The response from the government of the day at the height of the depression was: "Absolutely you can stay there, from now ever into the future."

That agreement had been honoured by every Premier and every government of every political stripe since

[ Page 3806 ]

1934 except this government — this government that's so in tune with people, that's so sensitive to the needs of British Columbian families and individuals and those who fought and sacrificed their lives so we can be here today. It's so sensitive and in tune to them that it sends an e-mail that says: "Pay up $26,000, or that's it. Hit the street — by summer."

As I said, veterans of POW camps in Hong Kong, veterans of D-Day and the liberation of Holland…. That's the respect you give people? Well, they may not have been in tune with the needs of those legion members, just as they're not in tune with the needs of families in British Columbia, but the public was certainly in tune with those legion members. The public was certainly in tune with what is right.

Even though it took press conferences, questions in here and a number of scrums, eventually the government caved. The public spoke loud and clear that what was taking place was unacceptable.

[1550]

That is what's wrong with this. That is one of the symbolic decisions that says to me everything that is wrong with this government. It was the wrong throne speech with the wrong choices. It's on the wrong track, because this is the wrong party and the wrong government with a wrong vision.

Hon. K. Krueger: That's not what the people said last May.

M. Farnworth: Ah. My colleague the member from Kamloops just said: "That's not what the people said last May." Well, that's true, but I guess you would expect that outcome if you misled the people prior to an election.

Hon. K. Krueger: Did you ever raise the HST?

M. Farnworth: The issue of HST has been raised. They were asked about it, and they said they wouldn't do it. They misled the public of British Columbia.

The member wants to talk about the election. I will tell you this. Had the government been upfront, had it had the courage of its convictions that they have now, now that an election is safely over, I guarantee you that we would have had a much more vigorous debate, and I would not be surprised — in fact, I know — that the results would've been quite different, and that member wouldn't even be sitting in this chamber.

Hon. K. Krueger: You're dreaming, big guy.

M. Farnworth: The member says that I'm dreaming. You know what? On this side of the House, we are dreaming. We're dreaming of being able to present a government — and will present a government — to British Columbia that is upfront with them and that will tell them the same thing before an election as after an election and will not mislead the public of British Columbia during an election campaign.

That's what we're dreaming about: getting rid of a government that says one thing before an election and another thing after an election. That's what we're dreaming of, and that's what the public of British Columbia are dreaming about, and we can't wait to do it.

Interjection.

M. Farnworth: The hon. member gives me an opportunity to talk about one of my favourite things, and this is what I want to talk about: vision — the vision of a government for a constituency like mine in Port Coquitlam. They said: "You know what? We've got some serious transportation issues that have got to be dealt with."

I remember a young MLA, along with a government, that had a vision of extending commuter rail service up the north side of the Fraser — something that had been ignored and neglected by previous governments, and nothing was done. And you know what? That vision came to fruition, and we built commuter rail, and it serves every community up the north side of the Fraser all the way out to Mission. That's vision. That's accomplishment, and that's what happens when you have a government that's upfront with the people and knows the direction it wants to go.

Contrast with this government. This is a government that has been in power now for nine long years, a decade of deception. What advances have been made on the Evergreen line to the north side of the Fraser? Nothing.

When they got in, it went from being the top priority to back-of-the-bus priority. They put up a fancy hut with a nice roof and a big shiny sign saying: "Evergreen line is coming." It's still there. No cement in the ground, nothing. Still no funding. Still no funding arrangements have been made in terms of how it's going to be operated. Instead we get fights with local government from the current Minister of Transportation.

J. Horgan: Nevergreen line.

M. Farnworth: As my colleague so eloquently put it, the Nevergreen line, or as people out my way are saying, the never-to-be-built line, as long as this government's in power.

Look at education. We have downloaded costs.

Interjection.

M. Farnworth: Ah. The member says….

An Hon. Member: Abracadabra.

[1555]

M. Farnworth: Exactly. Abracadabra.

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Schools facing downloaded costs. We have school boards asking to meet for public meetings or to meet with their MLAs.

Interjection.

M. Farnworth: Hang on. I'll deal with that comment in a minute, hon. Member.

[C. Trevena in the chair.]

You know what? The MLAs, the government ones, never really want to meet with them. They want to meet with them in private, and they accuse school boards of being in collusion with the opposition.

No. What they want is some straight answers. What they want is a government that takes their concerns seriously and recognizes that you can't continue to download costs without having an impact on the services that you can provide.

Now, my colleague made a comment a moment ago. It was so profound that I can't remember what it was. I'm quite sure it was truly enlightening, but it's like the throne speech. It was obviously extremely forgettable.

He said the highest per-capita funding in history. Well, it's called inflation. So every year you end up spending more than you spent last year. The question is: what do you get for the dollars that you're putting in? If the costs you're inputting are greater than the inflationary increase or decrease, you've got a problem, and that's what this government doesn't seem to understand.

They're stuck behind a mantra, a message box, a spin box, going: "Oh, we have the highest education funding ever in the history of the province."

J. Horgan: Well, we heard that just today.

M. Farnworth: Exactly. We heard it just today. In fact, we heard it just a few moments ago from the hon. member. Trouble is, hon. Member, you've been downloading cost after cost onto school boards, just like you've been doing to everyday families in my constituency and throughout this province, without taking that into account. The result, in the case of school boards, is that they have to make cuts to programs. They have to close schools.

In the case of families, they have to decide that they're not going to eat out this week. They can't afford it because of the increased costs being downloaded onto them because of the HST. They have to think twice about whether or not they should go to a campground in this province, because this government's jacked up the cost of that, made a basic family vacation more expensive. They have to think twice about whether or not they're going to buy a new bicycle or something like that, because before where it was tax-free, now they've increased the cost of that by 12 percent.

The list goes on and on, all of it taking place without one shred of analysis by a minister on that side of the House in any ministry that relates to how everyday people cope with their situation and the cost of living in the province of British Columbia. Not one shred of analysis.

No wonder this throne speech is devoid of vision. No wonder this throne speech deserves to be voted against, which is exactly what we will do. No wonder I look forward to the day where we can tell the public that they have the choice to get rid of a government that is lacking in vision, that is making the wrong choices, that is on the wrong track…

Hon. K. Krueger: They could have chosen you on May 12. They didn't want you.

M. Farnworth: As a matter of fact, hon. Member, they did choose me on May 12, with the largest majority out my way since 1979.

…or they can start to look at an alternative with a vision that isn't going to say one thing before an election and another thing after an election. People aren't stupid. People know that governments have to make tough decisions. People know that government is about making choices. They just want their representatives and their governments to be upfront with them — to be upfront, to answer the questions.

[1600]

We saw it today in this House in question period, you know. "What events did you go to during the Olympic Games that were paid for by the taxpayer?" It's a pretty straightforward question. If you'd answered that question the first time it was asked, no one would have said anything, because the public expects you to do things. They know you're a minister. They expect you to attend the games in your ministerial capacity. They don't have an issue with that. But when you stand and go, "Oh, I'm not answering that. I'm not going to. No, no, no, that's outside this budget estimates," that is just patent nonsense.

"I have no intentions of answering that. You're going to have to wait till a report comes out in late spring." We know what "late spring" means, hon. Speaker. Late spring means June 18 — two weeks after we're out of here. Instead, we have to painfully extract….

Hon. K. Krueger: That's the ear