British Columbia Hansard — Thursday, February 27, 2003 (37th Parliament, 4th Session) (H0227pm-02) (H0227pm 02)

H0227pm-02

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

4th Session, 37th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) Thursday, February 27, 2003 Afternoon Sitting Volume 12, Number 2 THE HONOURABLE CLAUDE RICHMOND, SPEAKER ISSN 0709-1281

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Honourable Iona Campagnolo 4TH SESSION, 37TH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Claude Richmond EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council................................................................................. .........................Hon. Gordon Campbell Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations.............................................................................. ..................... Hon.

Greg Halsey-Brandt Deputy Premier and Minister of Education ....................................................................................... ..................................Hon. Christy Clark Minister of Advanced Education................................................................................................. ...........................................Hon. Shirley Bond Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Treaty Negotiations.............................................................. .................... Hon.

Geoff Plant Minister of Children and Family Development.................................................................................... ..............................Hon. Gordon Hogg Minister of State for Early Childhood Development.............................................................................. .................................Hon. Linda Reid Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services......................................................................... .................. Hon.

George Abbott Minister of State for Community Charter........................................................................................ .................................. Hon. Ted Nebbeling Minister of State for Women's Equality ......................................................................................... .................................... Hon. Lynn Stephens Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise ................................................................................ ..................................Hon.

Rick Thorpe Minister of State for Deregulation ............................................................................................. ............................................ Hon. Kevin Falcon Minister of Energy and Mines................................................................................................... ....................................... Hon. Richard Neufeld Minister of Finance ............................................................................................................ ....................................................... Hon.

Gary Collins Minister of Forests ............................................................................................................ .................................................. Hon. Michael de Jong Minister of Health Planning .................................................................................................... ............................................ Hon. Sindi Hawkins Minister of Health Services.................................................................................................... ................................................ Hon.

Colin Hansen Minister of State for Mental Health ............................................................................................ ...................................Hon. Gulzar S. Cheema Minister of State for Intermediate, Long Term and Home Care ............................................................................. Hon. Katherine Whittred Minister of Human Resources.................................................................................................... ............................................Hon.

Murray Coell Minister of Management Services................................................................................................ .........................................Hon. Sandy Santori Minister of Provincial Revenue................................................................................................. ................................................Hon. Bill Barisoff Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General ................................................................................ ..................................Hon.

Rich Coleman Minister of Skills Development and Labour...................................................................................... .............................Hon. Graham P. Bruce Minister of Sustainable Resource Management and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries ..................................Hon. Stan Hagen Minister of Transportation..................................................................................................... .................................................... Hon.

Judith Reid Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection..................................................................................... ....................................Hon. Joyce Murray LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Deputy Speaker................................................................................................................. ..............................................................

John Weisbeck Leader of the Opposition ....................................................................................................... ...........................................................Joy MacPhail Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole ........................................................................................... .............................................. Harold Long Clerk of the Legislative Assembly .............................................................................................. .........................................E.

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

James Clerk Assistant/Committee Clerk................................................................................................ ............................................ Kate Ryan-Lloyd Sergeant-at-Arms ............................................................................................................... .........................................................A.A. Humphreys Director, Hansard Services ..................................................................................................... ........................................

Anthony Dambrauskas Legislative Librarian.......................................................................................................... ............................................................. Joan A. Barton Legislative Comptroller ........................................................................................................ .................................................................Peter Bray Published by British Columbia Hansard Services, and printed under the authority of the Speaker by the Queen's Printer, Victoria.

Rates: single issue, $2.85; per calendar year, mailed daily, $298. GST extra. Agent: Crown Publications Inc., 521 Fort St., Victoria, B.C. V8W 1E7. Telephone: (250) 386-4636. Fax: 386-0221. www.leg.bc.ca/hansard In addition to printed transcripts, Hansard Services publishes transcripts on the Internet and broadcasts Chamber debates on television.

Party Standings: Liberal 75; New Democratic 2; Independent Liberal 2. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Abbott, Hon. George (L) ....................................................................... Shuswap Anderson, Val J. (L) .............................................................Vancouver-Langara Barisoff, Hon. Bill (L)............................................. Penticton–Okanagan Valley Bell, Pat (L).........................................................................Prince George North Belsey, Bill (L).................................................................................

North Coast Bennett, Bill (L) ........................................................................... East Kootenay Bhullar, Tony (Ind. L) ................................................................. Surrey-Newton Bloy, Harry (L).................................................................................. Burquitlam Bond, Hon. Shirley (L).........................................Prince George–Mount Robson Bray, Jeff (L)......................................................................Victoria–Beacon H ill Brenzinger, Elayne (L) ...............................................................

Surrey-Whalley Brice, Susan (L) ............................................................................Saanich South Bruce, Hon. Graham P. (L)................................................ Cowichan-Ladysmith Campbell, Hon. Gordon (L)............................................. Vancouver–Point Grey Cheema, Hon. Gulzar S. (L) ..........................................Surrey–Panorama Ridge Chong, Ida (L)................................................................ Oak Bay–Gordon Head Christensen, Tom (L) .............................................................

Okanagan-Vernon Chutter, Dave (L) ........................................................................... Yale-L illooet Clark, Hon. Christy (L) ..................................................Port Moody–Westwood Cobb, Walt (L) ............................................................................. Cariboo South Coell, Hon. Murray (L) ........................................ Saanich North and the Islands Coleman, Hon. Rich (L) .............................................. Fort Langley–Aldergrove Collins, Hon.

Gary (L).........................................................Vancouver-Fairview de Jong, Hon. Michael (L)....................................... Abbotsford–Mount Lehman Falcon, Hon. Kevin (L) .......................................................... Surrey-Cloverdale Hagen, Hon. Stan (L) ................................................................... Comox Valley Halsey-Brandt, Hon. Greg (L) ..................................................Richmond Centre Hamilton, Arnie (L)............................................................Esquimalt-Metchosin Hansen, Hon.

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

Surrey–White Rock Hunter, Mike (L) ...................................................................................Nanaimo Jarvis, Daniel (L)...................................................... North Vancouver–Seymour Johnston, Ken (L)............................................................ Vancouver-Fraserview Kerr, Brian J. (L).............................................................. Malahat–Juan de Fuca Krueger, Kevin (L).................................................

Kamloops–North Thompson Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching (NDP) ...............................Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Lee, Richard T. (L).......................................................................Burnaby North Lekstrom, Blair (L)................................................................. Peace River South Les, John (L) .......................................................................... Ch illiwack-Sumas Locke, Brenda (L) ...........................................................

Surrey–Green Timbers Long, Harold (L) ...................................................Powell River–Sunshine Coast MacKay, Dennis (L)....................................................... Bulkley Valley–Stikine McMahon, Wendy (L).............................................Columbia River–Revelstoke MacPhail, Joy (NDP) ..........................................................

Vancouver-Hastings Manhas, Karn (L) .............................................Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Masi, Reni (L) ...................................................................................Delta North Mayencourt, Lorne (L) ..........................................................Vancouver-Burrard Murray, Hon. Joyce (L) ........................................................... New Westminster Nebbeling, Hon. Ted (L) .......................................... West Vancouver–Garibaldi Nettleton, Paul (Ind. L)..................................................Prince George–Omineca Neufeld, Hon.

Richard (L)...................................................... Peace River North Nijjar, Rob (L)...................................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Nuraney, John (L) ...............................................................Burnaby-W illingdon Orr, Sheila (L) ...........................................................................Victoria-Hillside Penner, Barry (L)....................................................................... Ch illiwack-Kent Plant, Hon. Geoff (L) ......................................................... Richmond-Steveston Reid, Hon.

Judith (L)............................................................Nanaimo-Parksv ille Reid, Hon. Linda (L) ................................................................... Richmond East Richmond, Hon. Claude (L) ................................................................ Kamloops Roddick, Valerie (L)..........................................................................Delta South Sahota, Patty (L).....................................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Santori, Hon. Sandy (L)..............................................West Kootenay–Boundary Stephens, Hon.

Lynn (L) ........................................................................ Langley Stewart, Ken (L)...................................................... Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Stewart, Richard (L) ...................................................... Coquitlam-Maillardville Suffredine, Blair F. (L) ................................................................Nelson-Creston Sultan, Ralph (L)....................................................... West Vancouver–Capilano Thorpe, Hon.

Rick (L) ..........................................................Okanagan-Westside Trumper, Gillian (L)................................................................Alberni-Qualicum van Dongen, John (L).........................................................Abbotsford-Clayburn Visser, Rod (L).................................................................................North Island Weisbeck, John (L).........................................................Kelowna–Lake Country Whittred, Hon.

Katherine (L) ...................................North Vancouver–Lonsdale Wilson, John (L)........................................................................... Cariboo North Wong, Patrick (L)............................................................Vancouver-Kensington LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Clayburn................................................................John van Dongen Abbotsford–Mount Lehman ..............................................Hon.

Michael de Jong Alberni-Qualicum.......................................................................G illian Trumper Bulkley Valley–Stikine ..............................................................Dennis MacKay Burnaby North..............................................................................Richard T. Lee Burnaby-Edmonds............................................................................Patty Sahota Burnaby-Willingdon......................................................................

John Nuraney Burquitlam ........................................................................................ Harry Bloy Cariboo North ..................................................................................John Wilson Cariboo South .................................................................................... Walt Cobb Chilliwack-Kent ............................................................................. Barry Penner Chilliwack-Sumas .................................................................................

John Les Columbia River–Revelstoke....................................................Wendy McMahon Comox Valley .......................................................................... Hon. Stan Hagen Coquitlam-Maillardville .............................................................Richard Stewart Cowichan-Ladysmith .......................................................Hon. Graham P. Bruce Delta North.......................................................................................... Reni Masi Delta South................................................................................

Valerie Roddick East Kootenay .................................................................................. Bill Bennett Esquimalt-Metchosin...................................................................Arnie Hamilton Fort Langley–Aldergrove ..................................................... Hon. Rich Coleman Kamloops ....................................................................... Hon. Claude Richmond Kamloops–North Thompson ........................................................Kevin Krueger Kelowna–Lake Country...............................................................

John Weisbeck Kelowna-Mission ................................................................ Hon. Sindi Hawkins Langley ............................................................................... Hon. Lynn Stephens Malahat–Juan de Fuca .....................................................................Brian J. Kerr Maple Ridge–Mission ................................................................... Randy Hawes Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows .............................................................Ken Stewart Nanaimo..........................................................................................

Mike Hunter Nanaimo-Parksville ...................................................................Hon. Judith Reid Nelson-Creston.......................................................................Blair F. Suffredine New Westminster ..................................................................Hon. Joyce Murray North Coast ........................................................................................Bill Belsey North Island........................................................................................Rod Visser North Vancouver–Lonsdale.......................................... Hon.

Katherine Wh ittred North Vancouver–Seymour .............................................................Daniel Jarvis Oak Bay–Gordon Head .......................................................................Ida Chong Okanagan-Vernon .................................................................... Tom Christensen Okanagan-Westside.................................................................Hon. Rick Thorpe Peace River North .............................................................Hon. Richard Neufeld Peace River South .......................................................................

Blair Lekstrom Penticton–Okanagan Valley ....................................................Hon. Bill Barisoff Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain.................................................... Karn Manhas Port Moody–Westwood......................................................... Hon. Christy Clark Powell River–Sunshine Coast.......................................................... Harold Long Prince George North................................................................................Pat Bell Prince George–Mount Robson................................................Hon.

Shirley Bond Prince George–Omineca................................................................Paul Nettleton Richmond Centre......................................................... Hon. Greg Halsey-Brandt Richmond East .......................................................................... Hon. Linda Reid Richmond-Steveston ................................................................ Hon. Geoff Plant Saanich North and the Islands ............................................... Hon. Murray Coell Saanich South...................................................................................

Susan Brice Shuswap .............................................................................. Hon. George Abbott Skeena.............................................................................................Roger Harris Surrey-Cloverdale ................................................................. Hon. Kevin Falcon Surrey–Green Timbers .................................................................. Brenda Locke Surrey-Newton ............................................................................... Tony Bhullar Surrey–Panorama Ridge................................................. Hon.

Gulzar S. Cheema Surrey-Tynehead .......................................................................... Dave S. Hayer Surrey-Whalley ...................................................................... Elayne Brenzinger Surrey–White Rock ...............................................................Hon. Gordon Hogg Vancouver-Burrard................................................................. Lorne Mayencourt Vancouver-Fairview............................................................... Hon.

Gary Co llins Vancouver-Fraserview ...................................................................Ken Johnston Vancouver-Hastings .......................................................................Joy MacPhail Vancouver-Kensington...................................................................Patrick Wong Vancouver-Kingsway..........................................................................Rob Nijjar Vancouver-Langara....................................................................Val J.

Anderson Vancouver–Mount Pleasant............................................Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Vancouver–Point Grey ................................................... Hon. Gordon Campbell Vancouver-Quilchena............................................................ Hon. Colin Hansen Victoria–Beacon Hill.............................................................................Jeff Bray Victoria-Hillside.................................................................................. Sheila Orr West Kootenay–Boundary.................................................... Hon.

Sandy Santori West Vancouver–Capilano ..............................................................Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Garibaldi ................................................. Hon. Ted Nebbeling Yale-Lillooet .................................................................................. Dave Chutter

CONTENTS Thursday, February 27, 2003 Afternoon Sitting Routine Proceedings Page Introductions by Members....................................................................................................... ............................................... 5101 Introduction and First Reading of Bills ........................................................................................ ......................................... 5101 Police Amendment Act, 2003 (Bill 12) Hon. R.

Coleman Statements (Standing Order 25B).............................................................................................................................. .............. 5102 Federal government support for hepatitis C victims R. Hawes Juvenile diabetes awareness I. Chong Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows tourism K. Stewart Oral Questions................................................................................................................. ......................................................... 5103 Qualification for disability benefits J. Kwan Hon. M. Coell J.

MacPhail National sex offender registry I. Chong Hon. R. Coleman Future of liquor stores G. Trumper Hon. R. Thorpe Skeleem Recovery Centre J. Kwan Hon. G. Cheema Tabling Documents .............................................................................................................. .................................................... 5105 Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre expansion, project plan Throne Speech Debate (continued)............................................................................................................................... ........... 5105 R. Sultan J. Les J.

Kwan Budget Debate (continued) ............................................................................................................................... ........................ 5115 P. Bell D. Jarvis T. Christensen R. Hawes Royal Assent to Bills .......................................................................................................... ...................................................... 5128 Energy and Mines Statutes Amendment Act, 2003 (Bill 10)

5101 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 The House met at 2:04 p.m. Introductions by Members K. Stewart: Today in the press gallery we have a member of my community, the publisher-reporter of the local Neighbourhood Bugle . His name is Robert Prince, and seeing him in a suit here today, it was hard to distinguish him from the crowd. Usually he has the haberdashery of the Crocodile Hunter, and it's unusual to see him without his taupe shorts on. I would like the House to make him welcome here today. [1405] Hon. R.

Coleman: In British Columbia we are gifted with some of the brightest and best leaders in policing in the world.

Today in the gallery I'd like to introduce a number of those people who are here as we move forward to revolutionize policing in British Co- lumbia: Chief Constable Derek Egan of the Saanich police department; Superintendent Steve Ayliffe of E Division, RCMP; Chief Constable Paul Hames, Central Saanich police department; Chief Constable Paul Bat- tershill of the Victoria police department; Deputy Chief Pat Fitzgerald, Port Moody police department; Kevin Begg, director of police services; Chief Constable Ian MacKenzie of the Abbotsford police department; Act- ing Deputy Chief John Schouten from the Vancouver police department; Wayne Plamondon, manager of the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia; Chief Ben Anderson of the Oak Bay police department; As- sistant Commissioner Gary Forbes from the Surrey RCMP; Superintendent Rick Betker of the Courtenay RCMP; Chief Superintendent Rob Morrison of the RCMP; Superintendent Ward Clapham of the Rich- m o n d R C M P ; C h i e f P a u l S h r i v e o f t h e P o r t M o o d y police department; Chief Jim Cessford from the Delta police department; Mike Ryan from the Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia; Debbie Harris from the Ministry of Attorney General; Gary Briggs from E Division, RCMP; Sergeant Bob Gehl from the Victoria police department; Frank Potter, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General; Kathy Vidalis from Minis- try of Public Safety and Solicitor General; Daryl Wiebe from the Vancouver police department.

Would the House please make them all welcome. J. Kwan: I'd like to introduce Karen Branscombe and some 20 other family members of the residents at the Skeleem recovery house and staff from that centre as well. As members of the House know, the recovery cen- tre is set to close its doors at the end of February. I'd like the House to please make these visitors welcome. Hon. R. Thorpe : I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome some guests to British Columbia from the sunshine state of Florida. Will the House please wel- come Dr. Elaine Lifton, Dr. John Hansen and Dr. Mary Ellen Bafumo.

They are meeting with the principals of Etraffic Solutions, located in the riding of Saanich South. Of course Etraffic is an international provider of on-line content and applications for K-to-12 and adult learning. Welcome to Super, Natural British Columbia. R. Hawes: Today in the House there are two con- stituents of the member for Delta North who also have some investments in my riding, and they're here to meet with the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protec- tion. Could the House please make Pat Roche and Barry Lasko welcome. Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, I have the pleasure of introducing two longtime friends from Kamloops. It might interest some of the members here to know that he was a grocer for many, many years, and he's known me since I was this high. Interjection. Mr. Speaker: About that. Al Perry and his wife Megan, and they are accom- p a n i e d b y H e r b a n d M a r j o r i e H e n r i f r o m K a m l o o p s . Please make them welcome. Introduction and First Reading of Bills POLICE AMENDMENT ACT, 2003 Hon. R. Coleman presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Police Amendment Act, 2003. Hon.

R. Coleman: I move that Bill 12 be read a first time now. Motion approved. Hon. R. Coleman: Today we revolutionize policing in British Columbia. In the throne speech, the govern- ment made a commitment to expand the police records and information management environment, or PRIME- BC, across the province. PRIME-BC is a crime-fighting computer system that will enhance public safety and improve law enforce- ment in British Columbia.

It is an on-line shared com- munication system that links every municipal police department and RCMP detachment in the province in real time, within two years. [1410] W e k n o w t h a t P R I M E - B C w o r k s . F o r t h e l a s t t w o years we have run pilot projects in three B.C. locations: Vancouver, Port Moody and Richmond. The real power of the tool will come as it goes into operation across the province. With PRIME, complex cases will be much easier to investigate. Serial killers, gang crimes and sophisticated thieves who move from one

5102 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 community to the next will be a lot easier to detect, track and capture. Right now police departments and detachments use a variety of computer systems and databases. The amendments I'm introducing to the Police Act today will provide for the implementation, use, maintenance and good governance of PRIME and will make it the only information management system in British Co- lumbia — no borders, no silos, only success in policing.

These amendments mark the first time any jurisdic- tion in Canada has taken steps to implement a provincewide, on-line police information management system. Our police lead the world in modernizing po- licing. I don't think I can emphasize enough how sig- nificantly PRIME will improve our ability to enforce the law in B.C. and make our communities safer. The only unhappy people today are the criminals in British Columbia. This is what law enforcement asked for. It is what they wanted. We are giving it to them. We are giving it to them across the province of British Colum- bia.

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 12 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 25

B) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR HEPATITIS C VICTIMS R. Hawes: Diane Duperon is a registered nurse who lives in my constituency. A few years ago she be- gan to feel ill. By early last year she was too sick to con- tinue working. Diane has hepatitis C. She contracted the disease through a blood transfusion she had in the early 1970s. Unfortunately, her tainted-blood transfu- sion predates the date selected by the federal govern- ment to compensate innocent victims such as Diane. The medical program authorized for those with Diane's type of hepatitis C is a six-month course of an interferon-centred drug cocktail.

Diane is intolerant to this heavy dose and can only take half a dose. Thank- fully, Pharmacare has agreed, under appeal, to extend her treatment by a further six months. Private benevo- lence has provided a drug not now covered by Phar- macare to help with the severe anemia brought on by her disease, but she's had no consideration or support from the government of Canada. There are numerous innocent victims of tainted blood across British Columbia and throughout Canada.

In selecting a date before which no compensation will b e p a i d b y t h e f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t , t h e y h a v e e f f e c - tively turned their backs on many of these people. I'd ask today that all of us in this House urge the federal government to recognize all innocent victims like Diane Duperon, regardless of the date of their blood transfusion. JUVENILE DIABETES AWARENESS I. Chong: This morning I had the opportunity to attend the 2003 corporate breakfast launch to kick off the fundraising efforts on behalf of juvenile diabetes.

Every year the Walk to Cure Diabetes is held, with the proceeds raised going to the Juvenile Diabetes Re- search Foundation, or JDRF as it is often referred to. Juvenile diabetes, or type 1 diabetes, is a chronic auto- immune destruction of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. It primarily affects children and young adults in the prime of their lives, without warning, and leaves them insulin-dependent for life.

Taking insulin does not cure any type of diabetes, nor does it prevent the possibility of its eventual and devastating effects: kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, amputation, heart attack and stroke. This morning I heard how this debilitating disease has changed the lives of three young people and their fami- lies here in Victoria. I was touched by their personal struggles, and I am amazed at their courage. Their zest for life is clear, and their determination to find a cure, infectious. That is where JDRF becomes so important to their future.

Founded in 1974 by parents with children diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, they realized the only way to find a cure for this disease was through the support of research. With over 200,000 Canadians af- flicted with juvenile diabetes, this health charity is dedicated to finding a cure. [1415] The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the world's leading non-profit, non-governmental funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research. As they state: "We are in business to put ourselves out of business." This year the walk is being held at 31 sites in Canada, four of which are here in British Columbia.

While I acknowledge there are many worthwhile events that all hon. members participate in during the year, I hope many of them will offer their support to help raise awareness of this disease and of the research needed to continue until a cure is found. MAPLE RIDGE–PITT MEADOWS TOURISM K. Stewart: My riding of Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows has to be one of the most beautiful places in British Co- lumbia. I know this, and so does a newly formed, non- profit tourism organization in our community that aims to get the message out to everyone else.

Tourism Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows is looking to develop and support our tourism potential. They will work closely with our local organizations to produce a com- prehensive strategy to attract tourists to our area. I am more than confident they will succeed. Let's face it. They have a lot to work with in our area. Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows is one the most scenic areas. These two communities offer an array of outdoor experiences second to none. We are home to nine golf

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 5103 courses, six of them world-class. There are 55 munici- pally owned parks with eight major trail systems within them. There are two spectacular regional parks, one ad- joining the tidal Pitt Lake, which is one of only two tidal lakes in the world. Then there's the famous Golden Ears Park, where you can rock-climb, hike and camp within miles of the trails, including specialized bike and horse trails. Alouette Lake is also part of the Golden Ears, a beautiful lake where you can swim, water-ski, fish, sail, canoe and kayak.

In and around my own neighbour- hood there are miles of dikes used for walking and hik- ing along watercourses and conservation lands that are ideal for the most popular outdoor recreational activity in North America: bird watching. Tourism is the fastest-growing sector in British Co- lumbia. Last year we hosted 22.4 million visitors; plus, these people spent $9.2 billion. I'm pleased to see that people in my community are working to position our communities so we can tap into our fair share of that market not only for the next two years but in 2010, when we host the Winter Olympics.

Oral Questions QUALIFICATION FOR DISABILITY BENEFITS J. Kwan: Thousands of British Columbians living with disabilities are being put through an incredibly stressful process, tied up in a mountain of red tape, just to prove that they are disabled. Can the minister please tell this House what criteria were used to determine which British Columbians on DB-2 were asked to reap- ply for benefits? Does there have to be some evidence that upon review, they may no longer fit under the new criteria? Or were those people just sent the forms randomly? Hon. M. Coell: Thank you for the question.

As of today, we have about 10,000 review forms in process. We've also received about 6,000 new review forms from people who want to have the designation of persons with a disability. As the member remembers, last year this government modernized — I would say — income assistance in British Columbia and changed the defini- tion of "persons with a disability." We went through a process by looking at our records of all the people on disability assistance, and the people we needed in- creased information on — about 19,000 in the beginning and then 14,000 later — were sent review forms.

Those review forms are coming in now. As I say, we've re- ceived about 10,000, and they are in process. We have about 4,000 more to come. Our staff are meeting with them individually, phoning them and doing house vis- its, so we can make sure all 4,000 of those people have a chance to have their designation reviewed. But I'm very pleased to see 6,000 new forms come in — 6,000 new people having the assistance that they need. Mr. Speaker: Member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has a supplementary question. J. Kwan: I guess that's the new spin for the gov- ernment.

Cutting people off of income assistance is called "modernizing." [1420] This week the B.C. coroner's office released a report into the tragic suicide of a Burnaby man. He's one of thousands of British Columbians who received a letter and a 23-page reapplication form. That letter told him that his file needed updating to confirm his eligibility for disability benefits. According to the new reports, he became very depressed, and as a result of that, he took his own life. The coroner's service contacted the Minis- try of Human Resources, which said he was never in danger of losing his benefits.

My question to the minis- ter is this: why was he sent the letter and form in the first place if his benefits were already secured? Hon. M. Coell: I'm sorry to hear of that untimely death. The ministry has done everything possible to look after people, to make sure that individuals…. There are tens of thousands of individuals on in- come assistance and people with disabilities who re- ceive support from us every month. During this review process, our staff have looked at contracts with Cana- dian Mental Health and others. We are going to do home visits.

As I say, 6,000 new people have taken the opportunity to ask for the assistance they need, and we'll be providing that assistance. I think you'll find there will be more people on income assistance and more people receiving disability assistance after this review is done than there are now and were before. Mr. Speaker: Member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has a further supplementary. J.

Kwan: There had to be some basis to send this man a 23-page form asking him to reapply for his bene- fits — some suspicion that he may not be eligible, per- haps — but following his suicide, the ministry said his benefits were secured all along. In other words, he was being forced to reapply for no reason whatsoever. The deadline for returning these forms is March 15, only two weeks away, and there are some 4,000 or 5,000 people left who have not yet filed.

Can the minis- ter tell these people why they should file, if the minis- try has already decided who's going to get the benefits and who's going to get cut off? Why bother with the process? Why bother to make people go through the stress that perhaps they don't need to go through? Hon. M. Coell: The reason for the review was that the files showed that we needed information on people who had been on DB-2. With the change of the desig- nation, the change of the criteria, staff went through the entire caseload and decided that more information was needed on about 14,000 people.

At the same time, new applications were opened up for people to apply for the designation. As I said, I feel that between now and March 15, most if not all of those applications will be in process and, I suspect, well over 6,000 or 7,000 new ones.

5104 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 I stood in the House last spring and said to the member that we intended that there would be a broad- ening of the definition to include mental illness. That's exactly what has happened with the thousands of new people applying. As I believe I said further to the member at that time, we fully expected there would be more people on disability assistance in this province because of the changes we made. J. MacPhail: There is nothing in the statistics from his own ministry to back up what he's saying.

There are fewer people on DB-2 now than there were before this government took over. I'm not sure the minister gets the seriousness of this. We now know from a coroner's report released this week that there's at least the case of one man who was asked to go through this gruelling process for absolutely no reason. We also know that doctors are being paid to take time away from patients to fill out these forms. This minister is paying millions of dollars to doctors to fill out these forms.

Again, to the minister: what is the purpose of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, up to $2 million, to pay doctors to fill out these forms for their patients if the ministry has already decided their fate? Hon. M. Coell: Actually, the member is wrong. There are 3,200 more people receiving disability assis- tance than there were when we took office. The actual budget has been increased by 7 percent, or $80 million, for people with disabilities in this government's man- date. [1425] Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a supplementary question. J.

MacPhail: I wonder if the minister actually heard the question. One man, we now know through a coro- ner's report, didn't have to fill out the forms that he was sent, didn't have to do what the directive directed him to do, because when the coroner contacted the Ministry of Human Resources after the man's suicide, this minister's staff said his benefits were never at risk. That's what they told not the man having to fill out the 23-page form but the coroner. One thing has become clear.

The decision to force people to fill out these forms has been implemented in a haphazard and mean-spirited way, perhaps the most mean-spirited way possible, and I think it's safe to say that there are thousands out there who would say that it's typical of the government and of the way they treat the province's most vulnerable citizens. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. J.

MacPhail: Rather than putting thousands of Brit- ish Columbians — the 4,000 or perhaps 5,000 left — through this kind of pain and anxiety, why doesn't the minister just admit that the implementation of the pro- gram is unnecessary and is a mess and scrap it before he causes more damage to people's lives? Hon. M. Coell: As I said to the member, over 16,000 people have taken the time to pick up or have been sent a review form, and they have filled it out. Six thousand new people have applied for this designa- tion. The budget in this ministry is up $80 million, or 7 percent, since the member was in government.

As I said during the legislative session last year, we fully expect there'll be a continued increase in people with disabilities, but we want to make sure that the money that is spent on people with disabilities is spent on those who are eligible. NATIONAL SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY I. Chong: Sex offenders are released into our com- munities, some of whom have refused any rehabilita- tion or treatment during their period of incarceration. Many of my constituents believe there should be stricter conditions placed on sex offenders before they are released into the community.

Can the Solicitor General tell my constituents who decides what condi- tions will be placed on sex offenders before they are released? Hon. R. Coleman: In some cases it can be as a con- dition of their parole. In other cases it can be that where they have done their full sentence and not taken treatment, they can actually be monitored under the direction of the court. We actually assess those risks in the communities. We track these offenders when they come out of jail. We also make public notifications where appropriate to protect public safety. Mr.

Speaker: The member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head has a supplementary question. I. Chong: Last fall the Solicitor General attended a federal-provincial-territorial meeting in Calgary, where the federal government agreed to implement a national sex offender registry. Since then, we have not heard much about what progress has been made in imple- menting the national registry. My question to the So- licitor General is: can he provide my constituents with an update on the status of the federal government's sex offender registry and how it will protect our citizens? Hon. R.

Coleman: During the enhancements being done to CPIC right now, we are working on a national sex offender registry. There are a number of issues in and around that registry, which we brought to the ta- ble in Calgary — basically to tell the federal justice ministers and other ministers across the country that failure to meet our needs as British Columbians and other jurisdictions that had it…. We were prepared to go it alone. We want a number of things. First of all, we want all sex offenders on the registry. We want this thing

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 5105 retroactive so we can track all sex offenders that have committed these crimes in our country. There is some discussion with regard to that, and some legislation may be required. We also would like to have some GPS map- ping, so that we can know overall where these people are in communities at any given time and so we can track it relative to future offences.

We want photo- graphic evidence within there, so that we're able to iden- tify them not just by photograph but also by location. [1430] We have made it clear to the federal government that it must be a national integrated system, just like we're integrating information and management in po- licing in British Columbia. They should step up to the table and be modern like the rest of us are in this prov- ince, lead the way and get it done so we're globally moving forward in the same direction on a sex of- fender registry. FUTURE OF LIQUOR STORES G.

Trumper: My question is to the Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise. Many people are saying that the province is only partially getting itself out of the retail liquor sales business. Specifically, it is being said that the biggest, most attractive specialty stores will remain while smaller stores will be replaced by expanded beer and wine licence holders, who will presumably be able to carry more spirits. Therefore, m a n y p e o p l e i n m y c o n s t i t u e n c y f e e l t h a t s m a l l e r communities are being treated unfairly.

Can the Minis- ter of Competition, Science and Enterprise provide some clarity for my constituents in terms of the future of liquor stores in all British Columbia communities? Hon. R. Thorpe: Our government took our liquor policy and the future of retailing, warehousing and distribution to an open cabinet meeting on July 24 of last year, where we declared that it would be a very thoughtful and deliberate process. That is how we are proceeding. We have chosen not to do what they did in Alberta and blow the system up overnight. We have decided to go through in a thoughtful, deliberate man- ner.

What we are going to do as new licences come on stream — new private sector investment in British Co- lumbia, creating new private sector jobs in British Co- lumbia — is review, on a community-by-community basis, to ensure that choice is there for consumers, that service is there for consumers and that competition is there for consumers. SKELEEM RECOVERY CENTRE J. Kwan: On January 27 the Skeleem Recovery Cen- tre gave notice to shut down operations by the end of February.

The families of these brain-injured residents, and not mentally ill residents, were consulted about this change and now face losing the only program that has been available to them to give their loved ones re- habilitative services to assist them in gaining any kind of independence and improved quality of life. Why is the Minister of Health Services allowing the Skeleem Recovery Centre to close when there is a clear need for their services, the clients with funds attached and a waiting list that people are still trying to get in? Hon. G. Cheema: Let's be very clear.

The Cedar Lodge Society, not the government, made the decision to close this private facility. The provincial health ser- vices authority provided a substantial funding con- tract, which was more than sufficient to provide the services needed. The provincial health services author- ity has found good placement services for all patients. In fact, we will not be losing capacity. We are in the process of taking care of patients, but not taking care of private facilities that have failed. [End of question period.] Tabling Documents Hon. R. Thorpe: I rise to table a major capital pro- ject plan as required by

section 14 of the Budget Trans- parency and Accountability Act. As another demon- stration of this government's ongoing commitment to openness, transparency and reporting, this plan clearly sets out the objectives, costs, benefits and associated risks of the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Cen- tre expansion program. I have said before in this House that an expanded convention centre is good news for all regions of British Columbia. Over 100 organizations in the lower mainland, Victoria and the heartlands of our province support this project. Orders of the Day Hon. G.

Collins: I call continued debate on Ad- dress in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. [1435] Throne Speech Debate (continued) R. Sultan: I rise to respond to that important moment in the Speech from the Throne when the Lieutenant- Governor said: "Coalbed methane has huge potential for the Kootenays, the central interior and Vancouver Island. Opportunities for job creation in that new en- terprise will be pursued with new vigour, supported by new legislation." Those of us with a background in mining and en- ergy applauded.

Her message signalled the govern- ment's thrust into a new energy and mining sector with great potential. Here's what it's all about. In North America we just love to burn oil and gas. It's relatively abundant, relatively transportable and relatively clean. Until the 1970s, until something called OPEC came along, it was relatively cheap and relatively secure. For years, as desert sheiks grew rich on nature's bounty, we in the West were comfortably cynical about our in- creasing reliance on Middle East petroleum.

5106 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 A dozen years prior to OPEC, one of my professors offered the opinion that it was rather convenient to pay for America's oil in kind with advanced fighter aircraft for the Saudi air force, since they became obsolete and crashed so frequently. In the 1970s near panic replaced that sort of cynicism. For example, the former chair of the Alberta Energy Conservation Board, in a study which I was guilty of commissioning, predicted that oil would soon hit the range of $90 a barrel, and that's U.S. dollars. That certainly got financial institutions' atten- tion.

To resurrect a memorable phrase from this place, the banks began shovelling money off the back of a truck into oil and gas deals. In those wild times I was a senior officer in our largest financial institution, and I had one hand on the shovel. At the end of the day, oil-patch entrepreneurs taught financial institutions a lesson or two, and unfor- tunately for many of the deals, the energy price spike went away. Nevertheless, while wild times lasted, much money also slopped over into energy alternatives: solar, hy- drogen, wind, conservation and coalbed methane.

The foundations of the alternative energy industries, and in particular coalbed methane, were put into place. History could repeat. We're once again disturbed by the reality that much of our continent's energy comes from far-off desert lands that are increasingly unstable. We're mobilizing for war. Special forces gather in the Gulf. Prices at the gas pump have climbed about 25 percent. Home heating bills have climbed to a point where Canadians wonder whether global warm- ing would be such a bad thing.

Under these circum- stances, it's clearly in our interest to enhance both the quantity and security of Canadian energy supply. Enter coalbed methane. Methane is adsorbed as a molecule on the surface of coal molecules and is re- leased as a gas when high underground pressures are relaxed. Too much methane carelessly managed can cause lethal explosions in an underground coalmine, and I have my personal nightmares to live with on that front.

But when energy prices climb and when security of supply becomes a higher priority, coalbed methane is transformed from a potentially lethal nuisance to an abundant energy source. British Columbia is richly endowed. Across large areas of this province, stick a borehole in the ground and you'll hit coal seams — some tiny, some immense. The unique Hat Creek coal deposit, located between Lillooet and Cache Creek, is hundreds of metres thick.

Compare that to the Welsh coalmines of yesteryear, when brave and grimy coalminers lay on their sides with a pickaxe, hacking their way into an 18-inch coal seam. [1440] As a rule, when you have coal, you've got coalbed methane, although geological circumstances are highly variable. It's just a question of how much methane and whether or not it can be economically extracted. Our British Columbia geologists, highly skilled world-beaters in their profession, estimate we have 90 trillion cubic feet of coalbed methane gas. That's the estimate of the resource, not all of which may be eco- nomically extracted.

In fact, if we ultimately and com- mercially got our hands on even 10 percent of it, that would be extraordinary. But if we did, that nine trillion cubic feet of coalbed methane could supply all of Brit- ish Columbia's natural gas demand at the current rate of consumption for about 20 years. It would approxi- mately equal our current reserves of conventional natural gas. Coalbed methane is simply another form of natural gas — not identical, but a close approxima- tion. [J.

Weisbeck in the chair.] One hypothetical field on Crown land in British Columbia might involve a $150 million investment, might generate $600 million worth of natural gas over ten years and might generate close to $100 million of royalty payments to the government. A hundred mil- lion dollars will pay for a lot of health care and educa- tion. The resource is scattered around all over the heart- lands. Much of coalbed methane is most easily accessi- ble in the Kootenays, where we find most of British Columbia's producing coalmines today.

Some of it is found on Vancouver Island, where we have a long his- tory of coalmining up through the Quinsam. We also find coalbed methane in Peace country, where such names as Bullmoose and Tumbler Ridge remind us of the vast treasure this province invested in coal. We find coalbed methane in the ridings represented by the able and hard-working member for Skeena, the able and hard-working member for Bulkley Valley– Stikine and the able and hard-working member for East Kootenay. I could go on.

My goodness, I suspect we could even measure microscopic quantities of this stuff seeping up from the ground underneath our chairs. Capturing it, selling it and consuming it sounds easy, but in practice it isn't. Step one…. Interjection. R. Sultan: Lots of gas. Step one: drill into a coal seam, not too shallow and not too deep. Step two: pump out the water for maybe a couple of years. Step three: capture low-pressure, s l o w l y f l o w i n g g a s f o r w h a t w e h o p e m i g h t b e 3 0 years.

To make a gathering system worthwhile, one might possibly drill dozens of wells into a field 15 kilometres by 15 kilometres square. This is a young industry. Technically, our grasp of reservoir technology and recovery still has a ways to go. Environmentally, there are often wastewater issues. Economically, we are hard-pressed to estimate costs and revenues with any certainty. All of this will take time, patience and production experience to sort out, so let's not get carried away with the royalty arithmetic. We have a lot to learn on the fiscal side as well.

Furthermore, unlike conventional natural gas, coal- bed methane fields start slow and, hopefully, stay that

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 5107 way for a long time. Conventional natural gas fields usually start big and then decline, sometimes surpris- ingly fast. Look at our own hugely productive Lady- fern field in Peace country, already suffering from sharp decline after only a few years. This production profile means coalbed methane money must be patient money. The producer gets his or her investment back slowly. Slow means risk; slow means caution. Slow means government should try to create certainty at the front end. What has British Columbia done to create greater certainty?

Well, I did my own research. I travelled to Calgary to talk to old friends in the oil patch, as well as newcomers to the business. I've been briefed by our o f f i c i al s . I t 's re as s u ri ng t o r e p o rt t hat t hi s g o v e r nm e nt has done a lot of things right. [1445] Here's my report card. Our technical support gets a 10 from industry. Our environmental support, and this may surprise some people, also gets a 10. Our royalty structure gets a 10, and our vision gets a 10. So far so good — in fact, excellent. One would expect energy companies to be storming in here.

To a certain extent they are, but not totally. There was still the little matter of title; in other words, who owns it? Of our estimated 90 trillion cubic feet of coalbed methane resource, an estimated 14 trillion cubic feet, or about 15 percent of the coalbed methane, is tied up in coal deposits which are owned freehold. The balance of estimated coalbed methane, the other 85 percent in British Columbia, is tied up in coal deposits which are owned by the Crown — 15 percent freehold and 85 percent Crown. Those are important ratios.

Now, we're so used to the Crown owning all the land in British Columbia — all of anything beneath the surface and, for that matter, all of the stuff growing on the top — that the many socialists among us, when informed that 15 percent of any resource is privately owned, are inclined to ask: how the heck did that happen? Private ownership got its start when the railroads punched through the Rockies and also when a private rail line was built to run up and down Vancouver Is- land. Railroads were rewarded with freehold title land and minerals, particularly coal which, of course, was fuel for the locomotives.

Private railroad land in the Kootenays and on the Island was later carved up and sold in thousands of individual transactions and then resold again and again. Over 125 years the land and the coal underneath it developed a very complicated real estate history. There's no serious dispute about who owns the coal on that original freehold railroad land. The freehold landowners are also invariably the freehold coal own- ers. It's their private property. The big question has been: who owns the coalbed methane?

That's a ques- tion which has the potential to tie up dozens and doz- ens of well-paid lawyers, geological experts and land title specialists, not to mention judges and courthouse staff, for several decades. Litigators from both sides could toil their way up well-trodden paths to the Su- preme Court of Canada, cite precedents running from V i r g i n i a t o V i c t o r i a , f r o m P o w d e r R i v e r t o P i n c h e r Creek, from the C molecule to the CH4 molecule, and never, ever run short of material. Which side would win? It seems to be a 50-50 game.

To the lawyers this means committed clients and long-run, hard-fought battles — great for the law firms, not so great for the rest. Since early railroads ran through the coalfields of southeastern British and the coalfields of Nanaimo and Comox, that's where we find approximately 15 percent of coalbed methane, which is freehold — or at least freehold as the property owners would view it. The Crown tends to have a different point of view.

The Crown is inclined to say: "It's ours." I think it was my friend and former Forests minister David Zirnhelt, a good and true British Columbian, who became famous when he said, "Governments can do any- thing," and so they can. Whether the world will applaud when governments do anything is another matter. Certainly, the infamous government preceding the one we have now demonstrated that it would do any- thing, and much of the smart money and many of the smart people fled the province.

That's, in part, why Calgary looked stunningly prosperous and busy when I went over there a few weeks ago to check out the coalbed methane scene. A lot of hum is generated by former British Columbians. While the hon. Zirnhelt can say, "Governments can do anything," Calgary viewed the world differently when he said that. One important difference concerned private prop- erty.

The rest of the world is not always so sure private property gets the respect it deserves in British Colum- bia in view of the fact that government owns 95 percent of the land, that the communal first nations, not to be outdone, have overlapping claims on 120 percent — or is it 150 percent? — o f i t , a n d , f u r t h e r m o r e , t h a t g o v - ernment seems to have a lot to say with respect to how private landowners sell their logs. Even today we pon- der legislation to clean up land titles reached through private agreements which officials believe are untidy. We've grown used to all this.

Others find it un- usual, if not alarming. Economic historians have shown how critical the institution of private ownership is for the development of the economy. Hernando de Soto has demonstrated how the absence of property rights in the Third World inhibits credit growth and, conse- quently, economic development. British Columbia still has its citizens who regard private property with suspicion. Perhaps the economy would benefit from a clear assertion of our commit- ment to private property. [1450] Now the good news.

Even if some among us don't always appreciate these economic basics, our Minister of Energy and Mines understands them full well. I be- lieve our minister has demonstrated that he has little time for policies that cast doubt on the legitimacy of pri- vate property. Furthermore, I'm told that the freehold- versus-Crown coalbed methane controversy that had been building — and which had legions of lawyers beginning to dream how they could better finance col-

5108 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 lege for their kids and put a new wing on that house — is now in the process of being resolved. Thank good- ness for that. Thanks to the minister and to the others in leadership who ensured that result. It's something that everybody in British Columbia should celebrate. Where do we stand today? It's early days in the coalbed methane industry. Encana, a major player in the Kootenays, is well into its first development pro- gram, and others are leasing up their lands, but there's still much to learn. Resource money is mobile money.

It can be switched from British Columbia to Colorado to Kazakhstan in the blink of an eye. Under the previous government, lots of eyes blinked. The window of opportunity may be limited. Look ahead ten or 15 years, and perhaps LNG from Indone- sia or elsewhere may become the most competitive alternative, not necessarily coalbed methane. We are encouraged when the ministry and the minister say: "Let's get on with it." The previous government generated a lot of one- way traffic out of here on WestJet.

I believe the current government's coalbed methane program, and its newly confirmed respect for private property, will help re- verse that flow. British Columbia's energy security and energy supply will be the big winners. It will help us travel faster along the road to a new era of hope and prosperity. J. Les: It's indeed a pleasure to follow my distin- guished colleague from West Vancouver–Capilano. His always insightful remarks are perhaps a difficult act to follow, but I will do my best in replying to the throne speech that was delivered just a few weeks ago by Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor.

The throne speech, as always, is a seminal event in the legislative year, and this year was certainly no different. The throne speech that Her Honour read was full of hope and anticipation of a bright future for British Columbians. The government's vision, as set out in the throne speech, was to open up every region and every community to new horizons of hope. I want to underline that particular statement because that, I think, summarizes the aspirations of many of us in this place. It indeed probably defines why we're here.

We're here to unlock and unleash the potential that we believe exists not only around the province but also within each of the residents of this great province. If indeed there is no hope, there is not too much of anything else. Indeed, if you look back at the last dec- ade, throughout the nineties you saw hope being ex- tinguished almost at every turn. But happily, as a result of the policies of this government, we've seen renewed hope and renewed opportunity, and that, I think, is something we ought to celebrate.

We now see British Columbians looking forward and realizing that the potential they have seen for many years is now within their grasp. In the forest in- dustry, for example…. We have said in the throne speech that this is going to be the year of the forest in British Columbia. I know that for men and women everywhere throughout British Columbia who are fa- miliar with this industry, who have worked in this industry for many years and would like to work in this industry in the future, the statements we have made in the throne speech resonate with them.

They are very much anticipating the changes that we are about to bring forward with respect to the forest industry in British Columbia.

There is not an industry that has been more important in the past in this great province, and it has indeed a large role to play in the future economy of this province as well. [1455] I know the Minister of Forests has been working extremely hard in the past months to chart the course for the future in a responsible way, so that the forest industry we know in British Columbia, which is pro- ductive like almost nowhere else on earth, is organized in such a way that the economic forces within the in- dustry are properly harnessed.

The incentives will be there for entrepreneurs and workers not only to look after that resource in an environmentally sustainable manner but also to extract from that resource as much economic potential as possible. I'm certainly looking forward very much to the legislative initiatives to come from the Minister of Forests to once again realize the full potential of this industry in British Columbia's economic life. Similarly for the mining industry, another industry that has a proud history in the province. Unfortunately, in the years gone by, it has been neglected and worse by the governments of the day.

Today it is, sadly, a mere shadow of what it once was in this great prov- ince. That is not to say that there is no future left for the mining industry in British Columbia. No one convinces me that all the minerals that were to be discovered in British Columbia have been discovered and that there is nowhere else to go. I believe, rather, that we have only scratched the surface, and that there is indeed a vast mineral re- source waiting to be discovered by British Columbians who, in fact, are very good at this. Sadly, many British Columbians today live and work abroad in the mining industry.

I believe we can repatriate these people, bring them back home, bring their expertise back here to British Columbia, where they can prospect and learn of new locations for minerals, where British Columbians can go to work and create wealth for many of their fellow British Columbians. This is an exciting industry that has, as I said ear- lier, a long and proud tradition in British Columbia, starting with the gold rush of the mid-to-late 1800s and carrying on through to this very day. It is an in- dustry that has provided many, many well-paying jobs for British Columbians through many years.

I'm certainly hopeful that we can again rekindle that once-proud industry in our economic mosaic within this province. I certainly would be remiss if I didn't mention the oil and gas industry, although it has been referred to by several of my colleagues in the throne speech debate thus far. This is an industry that has enormous poten-

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 5109 tial. It is providing today a huge amount of revenue to the provincial treasury, which is absolutely critical in support of the important social programs such as health care, education and social services, which are critical to British Columbians. As much as that industry has grown to a considerable magnitude today, almost on a daily basis new resources are being found.

If you just take the mid-range of the potential resources that are still there, we have years and years and years' worth of resources left in the oil and gas industry in British Columbia, to say nothing of the huge potential that exists in the offshore oil and gas fields and, as my colleague from West Vancouver–Capilano referred to earlier, those resources that exist within the coalbed methane resource.

We are indeed well endowed in British Columbia with resources that not only support our own lifestyles and our own industries but also provide for a tremen- dous amount of export opportunities on which the treasury of the province of British Columbia will be able to earn significant revenues and royalties to sup- port those important social programs that I talked about earlier. [1500] Departing from that theme of hope for the future of this province, there is a tremendous amount of hope that can be delivered in the area of tourism.

We have a province that when others visit here, they always comment on the sheer, rugged beauty of this province. We have it all. We have deserts; we have a marine cli- mate; we have mountains; we have plains; we have steppe climates. We literally have it all here in British Columbia — to say nothing, of course, of the very im- portant resorts that we have developed such as Whis- tler and many others around the province, where peo- ple can enjoy an experience that is unparalleled any- where in the world. Of course, the major opportunity before us in the tourism-related industry is, in fact, the 2010 Olympics.

The 2010 Olympics is more than a 17-day event. It represents, in many aspects, a huge opportunity to take the tourism industry in British Columbia many steps forward, and I look forward to working with my col- leagues and all British Columbians in the days, weeks and months ahead to ensure that come July 2, 2003, in Prague in the Czech Republic we will be awarded the 2010 Olympics. In my mind, there is nothing that can do more to enhance the long-term prospects of the tourism industry in British Columbia. There are many other emerging endeavours on the economic landscape of British Columbia.

I would like to mention just a few at this point. It wasn't that many years ago that the winemaking industry in British Co- lumbia was considered to be in some difficulty. In fact, it was not a very imaginative industry and was losing market share to the extent it had gained market share. There was a lot of speculation that British Columbia really couldn't compete in the winemaking industry. Well, that situation has certainly turned around in the years that have gone by.

Growers in the Okanagan in particular but in other parts of the province as well, including the Fraser Valley, have replanted the differ- ent varieties of grapes. Today the winemaking industry in British Colum- bia is fast becoming a world-class industry, I'm happy to say. It supports many farm families throughout the Okanagan Valley in particular, but also in the Fraser Valley and even in some of the Gulf Islands and here on Vancouver Island. The resulting wines being pro- duced here in British Columbia are amongst the finest anywhere.

Particularly in the Okanagan just this past week, the growers were delighted to see the tempera- ture finally dip below minus 8, which allowed them to harvest the grapes for the icewine industry. The one or two nights of cold weather indeed was extremely im- portant economically in the Okanagan, as I'm sure you recognize, Mr. Speaker, being from that area as you are. Other areas that have become increasingly impor- tant in the last number of years are the high-tech indus- try and the biotech industry in British Columbia.

I will mention just two examples of outstanding companies that are doing world-leading research in each of their separate areas. Ballard Power is the acknowledged frontrunner in research in fuel cells around the world. Although the technology is not yet at a point where it is commer- cially viable, it is certainly coming closer to that day where fuel cells will take their place in a commercially viable way. I expect the world is going to be referring to Ballard in years to come as the General Motors of the fuel cell industry, at least.

Right here in Vancouver and more recently in Burnaby is where this company is located, and British Columbians particularly ought to b e v e r y p r o u d o f t h i s w o r l d l e a d e r i n t h i s e m e r g i n g technology. [1505] Similarly, QLT Phototherapeutics is another one of those companies that is a world leader — in the biotech industry, in this case. QLT has pioneered a number of leading-edge drugs. Probably the best known at this time is Visudyne, which deals with macular degenera- tion.

I know that QLT will be heard from again many times in the future, as they have a number of other drugs in the pipeline. As they continue to lead in that field of endeavour, I know they will continue to em- ploy many highly educated British Columbians in car- rying out their research and their marketing. The value-added wood industry is another one that holds great promise, particularly as we reform the for- est industry. As we restructure the forest industry in British Columbia, we're going to be able to ensure that more wood actually flows to those areas where the wood will create the greatest amount of value.

I know we have a lot of creative British Columbians who would like to participate. We have as never before in British Columbia, for example, many companies that are creating and building log homes and exporting those all over the world. I have several of these in my riding, and they provide not only a lot of jobs in my riding but a great amount of export value that is very valuable for our economy.

5110 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 Another area I want to comment on for just a few minutes, in terms of hope for the future, is enhanced prospects in terms of our democratic institutions. Typi- cally in this country and in many other parliamentary democracies, the opportunity for all members of a gov- ernment to participate in developing the agenda of a government is very limited. Due to the leadership of our Premier, there is a greatly enhanced opportunity for all members of government to participate in the policy-making process.

I think we have perhaps been remiss in not referring often enough to how our processes here in Victoria have changed from what was before. We have, for example, established the government caucus committees, which allow all members of caucus into the policy-making process, providing direct input to cabinet in the legislation- making process and providing input in areas of expertise that each member of this House brings with them to this place.

I think that has been an extremely healthy evolution in terms of our democratic processes, and it has been an extremely beneficial innovation in terms of allowing all members of the House to make important contributions to the future of this province. Similarly, we have other commitments we have yet to fulfil within this particular term. One will be to de- velop a system of workable recall.

The second will be to form a citizens' assembly that will fundamentally look at how we are all elected to this place and whether there are perhaps better mechanisms that could be employed to ensure that the wishes of the voters are reflected as accurately as possible in the results of the elections. That work will be commencing very soon, I am sure, and I look forward to the results of the process. Indeed, it is something that has not been attempted in exactly this way before in our history in this province.

Another area I was pleased to hear of in the throne speech was the hope that is held out for the future of first nations people in British Columbia. I was pleased to hear, for example, that this government has finally done what, frankly, should have been done many, many years ago. It has openly stated that many mistakes have been made previously in the relationship between first na- tions and others who now live within the province. [1510] Indeed, we went further than that. We have openly said we regret many of the features that have described the relationship between first nations people and oth- ers.

There have been many unfortunate interactions between first nations and other people, and our gov- ernment is perhaps the first government in Canada that has openly acknowledged those painful truths and expressed our regret in an open and sincere fashion. I think this was an important statement on behalf of our government, and hopefully it will play some small role in enabling us all to move forward together having recognized the past and learned from it, and enabling us to move on constructively. The Attorney General and his ministry have, I know, been hard at work with a number of the first nations leaders.

This House previously has established funding for economic measures in relation to treaty negotiations and other initiatives, and I am very hope- ful that that will produce the kind of results we need, which give hope to first nations people that they can finally take their place in a real way in the economy of t h i s p r o v i n c e a n d c a n b e c o m e p a r t o f t h e f u t u r e i n a way that they have not been able to do before. It is not necessarily the case that treaty-making is the only vehicle that will deliver that hope to first na- tions people.

I want to draw attention once again, as I think I may have done before, to the Osoyoos first na- tion, which is one first nation that is not in the treaty- making process and yet on the other hand is achieving tremendously well on the economic front. The Osoyoos first nation is a medium-sized band in the southern Okanagan of British Columbia. It has ten or 12 very significant businesses that are very viable, are doing very well and are employing all of the people in the Osoyoos first nation, including a winemaking industry — in conjunction with others — that very soon will be western Canada's largest winemaker.

I think it's important to recognize a success like that, and I believe it, too, can provide hope and en- couragement to others to take advantage of opportuni- ties that exist now rather than waiting for the some- times very long-term arrangements such as treaty- making, which can take a long time. In the meantime I think it's important to take advantage of opportunities that are there now and can produce a lot of employ- ment, a lot of investment and a lot of integration of first nations people in our economy today.

I think that more so than perhaps has been the case for some time now, there is hope for a sustainable health care system in British Columbia. We have, in fact, a world-class health care system in British Colum- bia in many aspects, certainly in terms of the level of expertise and care that is available in the various spe- cialties. I refer, for example, to oncology, the treatment of cancer, which in British Columbia is almost unparal- leled anywhere else in the world.

British Columbians today can be confident that if they were to be so unfor- tunate as to contract this disease, they're better off in British Columbia than almost anywhere else in the world — i f n o t , i n f a c t , a n y w h e r e e l s e i n t h e w o r l d . That is very comforting to people. W h a t w e n e e d t o e n s u r e h e r e i n t h i s H o u s e a n d he re i n t hi s g o v e rnm e nt i s t hat we are ab l e t o s u s t ai n that level of expertise and that level of leading-edge technology.

I can't help but think that it is, therefore, very important that we ensure that our economy con- tinues to perform and perhaps even, certainly in the short term, outperform the national economy, so that we can rebuild the economic foundations that are im- portant to an endeavour such as health care — which is, granted, extremely expensive but is very important to enable us all to reassure British Columbians that health care will be there for them when they need that important service.

It is all well and good to say we have a great health care system, but for each of us, the day we get sick or the day we need the health care system is when the rubber really hits the road. That is when we really want

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 5111 to experience in a personal way that, yes, the health care system is there and those health care practitioners are there and will be able to provide that service to us. [1515] I want to talk about education just for a moment almost in the same context. Again, education is a very expensive endeavour. It consumes nearly $5 billion of our resources in British Columbia, and yet it is funda- mentally and vitally important to the future of our young people in particular.

Here again, a strong econ- omy is critically important to help us deliver this very important service many years into the future. In the Fraser Valley, in the past we have been some- what unfortunate in that our post-secondary education participation rates were lower than they were elsewhere in the province. But through the years we have seen an evolution to what is today the University College of the Fraser Valley. That has become a remarkable institution available to all residents of the Fraser Valley.

It has en- abled literally thousands of people to earn diplomas and degrees which they might otherwise not have been able to achieve, given that education at the University Col- lege of the Fraser Valley is available at a much cheaper rate than it is, for example, at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University or some other insti- tution outside of our borders. I will be working wher- ever I can to enhance the prospects of the University College of the Fraser Valley. It is a wonderful institution. Today it offers bachelor's degrees in a range of subject areas.

Frankly, I think its potential in the Fraser Valley is literally limitless. To summarize, the throne speech that we heard a couple of weeks ago gives us all lots of scope for hop- ing for a sustained future in British Columbia, a future that is going to allow British Columbians everywhere to develop their potential to the maximum and in a w a y t h a t i s s u p p o r t e d b y g o v e r n m e n t — but where government doesn't get in the way and where govern- ment doesn't suppress the potential that is within, I believe, all British Columbians. With that, Mr.

Speaker, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to make a small contribution to the debate around the throne speech. I want to thank my colleagues in the House this afternoon for being so kind as to listen to me. J. Kwan: I rise to respond to the Speech from the Throne.

This throne speech is about the desperation of this government — a government that's desperate to re-earn trust after many months of scandal and drift, a government that's desperate to ward off the threat of recall in constituencies all over the province, a gov- ernment that's desperate to appease angry citizens who feel betrayed by countless broken promises, a govern- ment that's desperate to put a positive spin on a prom- ised economic recovery that never seems to material- ize, a government that is desperate to find new sources of revenue to pay for the cost of political redemption. [1520] That effort to find a way to pay for high-income tax cuts that never did pay for themselves….

That is the underlying theme of the throne speech, the budget and virtually everything this government will do this ses- sion. Remember that promise? At every stop on the campaign trail, at every interview, every time the Leader of the Opposition then — the now Premier — had the opportunity, he said as loudly as he could: "Tax cuts will pay for themselves." It didn't matter that it didn't add up. It didn't matter that respected econo- mists like David Bond said it wasn't true. It didn't mat- ter that finance officials said it was pie in the sky.

The Premier believed it with all the fervour of a true be- liever, and he gambled his credibility and his entire agenda on that simple prescription. As we know, after only a few hours on the job, the Premier gave the biggest tax giveaway to high-income earners and big corporations in its history. Now, al- most two years later, the results are in: personal income tax revenue down by over $1.2 billion; corporate tax revenue down by $299 million; revenue from the cor- poration capital tax down by $358 million.

All told, those tax cuts that were supposed to pay for them- selves have resulted in revenue loss of over $1.8 billion. I'm sure that perhaps many in this House will say: "Hey, that's fine. Tax is just another form of theft any- way, so what's the problem if government loses the money from that revenue source?" That argument would hold water from a consistent, ideological posi- tion, I suppose, if indeed taxes had gone down in Brit- ish Columbia. It might even be defensible if the result was a roaring economic boom. On both counts that's not been the result.

The economy is staggering, lagging far behind the rest of the country, and British Columbians are paying more in taxes and fees than ever before because this government hasn't cut taxes. All they have done is shift the tax burden onto the backs of the middle class and the poor. The numbers are clear. While revenues have de- clined from personal and corporate taxes, they have gone through the roof for regressive taxes.

Revenues from the sales tax that the Liberals hiked last year are up by $370 million; from the fuel tax, up $151 million — and that doesn't include the new 3½-cent-a-litre gas tax that takes effect on this coming weekend, which would amount to approximately an additional $200 million a year; and from MSP premiums, revenues are up $516 million. Of course, there have been a huge number of other fees and licences and cost increases that are too many to detail. Taken together, the picture is clear. Govern- ment is counting on big increases in regressive taxes to meet its balanced-budget target.

That means middle- and low-income British Columbians pay a bigger share than ever before. In fact, I have a document here which illustrates the percentage of that shift. Progressive taxes include per- sonal income, corporation income and corporation capital taxes. The Liberal government has shifted that tax burden from 26.8 percent of total revenue in the year 2000-01 to 21.5 percent for this year, '03-04. Then, if you look at the regressive taxes, which include things

5112 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 like MSP premiums, fuel taxes, the PST and the like, that shift went from 22.5 percent in the year 2000-01 to 29.4 percent in this year's budget. The shift is clear; that has gone to the people who are middle income and lower income. They're the ones who get hit the hardest. [1525] That's not accounting, by the way, for all the fee in- creases that this government has foisted onto British Columbians. It doesn't account, for example, for the driver's licence fee — another $75 increase.

It doesn't account for the Pharmacare increase that is going to take place very, very shortly for many people. It doesn't ac- count for ICBC premiums that are going to go up. It doesn't account for the hydro rates that are going to go up. There are many, many other fees and licences and costs that we have not accounted for in the regressive tax, and already the shift in the tax burden is over- whelming for the middle income and low income. Let's be clear about what the Liberals have accom- plished. They have cut taxes. They have not cut taxes, I would argue.

They have simply shifted the burden of the taxes onto the people who have the least ability to pay. They have done so at the expense of hope, security and economic opportunity for the vast majority of Brit- ish Columbians. From those just starting out to those who are in their senior years, most British Columbians have less money in their pocket and less to look for- ward to. Just think of what a young student must now face with tuition fees going up every year by 30 percent. They went up last year on average by about 30 percent, and this year the same thing.

Or a man who has worked all his life and hopes to save a little money when he turns 65, who must now spend more of his savings on drugs he needs to stay healthy…. Or a sin- gle mother who's trying to balance home and work, who must now choose between the two…. She is no longer eligible for the child care subsidy because the child care program, as we know from the budget, is being reduced by some $10 million. These are the stories of the new-era agenda of the Liberal government. This is the reality of the Liberals' failing adventure. People are frustrated all over British Columbia. People feel a sense of betrayal.

People feel that they're not being listened to, that their concerns are not being represented in this Legislature. As my colleague the Leader of the Opposition and I travel across the province, we hear countless stories not from our constituents alone but from constituents of gov- ernment MLAs, Liberal MLAs. They cannot even ac- cess their MLA to raise their concerns. In fact, I received something interesting from a community, the community of Powell River–Sunshine Coast, who sent me these two letters attached to a pink slip.

It is addressed to me, and it reads: "My name is…." I'm actually not going to use her name. I wasn't sure if she actually…. Deputy Speaker: Excuse me, member. I think you're aware that this sort of thing is not allowed in the House. J. Kwan: Pardon me? Deputy Speaker: I think you are aware that what you have there is considered a prop. J. Kwan: My apologies. It's a document that was sent to me from this individual. Deputy Speaker: Yes, but what you have attached to the document is not allowed in the House. It's out of or- der. I would appreciate it if you would remove it, please. J. Kwan: Okay.

I will think of how I can detach the pieces and put this away so I can actually read the at- tached document that she has requested me to present to the House. I will do that. The letter attached to the two pink slips, which I've been asked to put away, reads as follows. I think I can actually use the name because the individual wanted me specifically to present this in the House. "My name is Susan Robertson, and I'm a retired resident of Powell River, B.C., the Powell River–Sunshine Coast MLA's riding. Many people here do not support the actions of our current Liberal government.

"In February, some of us began an accountability vigil where we protested in front of our MLA's office from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. six days a week. The purpose of this vigil is twofold. First, it is to remind the population of Powell River of the betrayal of this government. Second, it is to remind the MLA from Powell River– Sunshine Coast that we hold him accountable for representing our views in Victoria. "For six weeks in the spring, my protest sign was made up of two pink slips.

One slip represented our desire to fire the Premier, and one was for the member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast." [1530] The letter actually uses the individuals' names, and I'm modifying that. "The signatures appearing on the slips were obtained from citizens walking past the member for Powell River– Sunshine Coast's office during that short period of time. As the member is seldom in his office and will not attend town meetings or any meetings where he may be confronted by the people he represents, I'm asking you to be my voice and present these symbols of our contempt.

"Thank you for your time and understanding. "Susan Robertson" There are cartoons, amongst other things, attached to this documentation as well. People are looking for different ways to express their displeasure, perhaps most importantly to express their sense of betrayal and their inability to have a voice in this Legislature. To that end, my colleague the Leader of the Opposition and I receive lots of information — let- ters and innovative things like the document that I just read out attached to the pink slips — to illustrate the point.

This is the reason why B.C. today is a more polar- ized, less confident and less prosperous society than when the Liberals were handed the reins of power. This throne speech, like the ones that preceded it, is long on rhetoric and short on specifics. But this throne speech is unique in its detachment from the daily real-

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 5113 ity of most British Columbians and for the fundamental dishonesty of a central claim that the new era of hope and opportunity is upon us, when many people can see, and what they see are darkening clouds. The throne speech goes on to talk about the impor- tance of reconciliation with the aboriginal people, the first people of this land, the people who have allowed us to be here today to stand on their land as we engage in debate.

It is important to note that while the gov- ernment MLAs are praising their government's action on reconciliation, the leaders of the aboriginal commu- nity have other thoughts. I thought it would be worthwhile to actually read onto the record a press release that was sent out by the UBCIC, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, and what they think.

I think it is essential that the people who are im- p a c t e d b y t h i s g o v e r n m e n t ' s a c t i o n a n d a l s o p r e v i o u s governments' actions — what they think and what they have to say — ensure their voice is heard in this Legisla- ture and not just by the government bench Liberal MLAs, who say everything is grand and things couldn't be ros- ier. O nce ag ai n, whe n y ou talk to real pe opl e outs id e of the chamber, they really do have a different point of view, and I want to make sure that view is reflected here. This press release was sent out by the UBCIC, dated February 12, 2003.

It headlines: "Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs' Response to the Throne Speech." "Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C.

Indian Chiefs stated: 'Although we appreciate the government of British Columbia's admission of historical wrongdoing, generally speaking, the UBCIC is not overly impressed with yesterday's Speech from the Throne.' "Chief Phillip continued: 'Yesterday's so-called statement of regret is obviously part of a public relations strategy designed to convince the general public that the government is committed to reconciling aboriginal title interests and Crown interests. [1535] "'Further, the government is attempting to pacify native people in order to buy peace in the forests, peace on the water and peace in the oil patch.

Most significantly, the government is desperately attempting to convince investors that B.C., by virtue of its progressive aboriginal policy, is in a position to offer a safe and stable investment climate. In reality, the government continues to pursue a policy of offering marginal economic opportunities to first nations communities. In short, all the government is really offering are bigger table scraps,' said Chief Phillip.

"'In terms of the government's so-called economic measures fund, a first nation has to agree not to assert the aboriginal rights 'on the ground' or 'in the courts' during the term of these funding agreements. We ask you, is that economic opportunity or economic coercion?' observed Chief Phillip. "Chief Phillip remarked: 'The throne speech refers to equitable economic opportunity. The gas and oil industry in northeastern B.C. generates an annual amount of $5 billion of investment opportunity while, in total contrast, local first nations communities tolerate deplorable conditions of poverty.

In one particular case a local native leader reported that 19 people were forced to live in one house. "'We do not need public posturing. We do not need public statements of regret. We do not need public promises and expressions of good intent. We need the government of British Columbia to recognize that they have a legal and moral duty to accommodate our aboriginal title interests in all of the land and resources that comprise the province of British Columbia.' "Chief Phillip concluded: 'The courts have spoken.

Delgamuukw clearly states that we enjoy a 'proprietary' or ownership interest in all the lands and resources within B.C. We have every right and reason to expect a significant and substantive involvement in the economy of the province of B.C. We are sick and tired of the poverty that is a direct result of our ongoing economic exclusion and economic marginalization. We need much more than hollow public promises and bigger table scraps. We need and demand economic justice.'" This is on the website of the UBCIC, from an abo- riginal community leader representing UBCIC, who has strong views about the throne speech.

For all the rhetoric that's written within it, I think Chief Phillip had actually raised some very important issues that I hope the Liberal MLAs will take note of. As he calls it, the table scraps that are being thrown out come with conditions. Those, of course, would be the funds — the economic measures fund, the first nations fund — where the aboriginal community would have to relinquish their rights on the ground or in the courts. If there is a disagreement, they have no other recourse in order to get those table scraps.

Those conditions are important items for the Liberal MLAs to note when they pound their desks and say how wonderful their government is.

These are the same Liberal MLAs who last year pounded their desks when the Attorney General brought forward a referendum to question aboriginal people's rights — to put a minority rights issue to the majority for a vote on basic, fundamental issues that the courts have already established, including aborigi- nal titles and recognition as one example, and issues of resource distribution and access to those resources, which is basically economic recovery not just for the aboriginal community, but economic recovery, stability and certainty for all British Columbians. [1540] Those questions were put out to a referendum even though the aboriginal community spoke against it, even though the opposition spoke against it, even though it was a clear discriminatory approach in terms of subjecting minority rights to the majority for a vote.

Words don't count when your actions speak other- wise, because action speaks louder than words. To date, I would argue that there's been very little goodwill, if any, by way of action by this government to show the aboriginal community they are indeed sincere in their words and in their rhetoric around reconciliation. Now, I hope I'm wrong. I hope this government will indeed move forward and reconcile the historical wrongs, because for too long we have seen too much devastation that has taken place in the aboriginal community. The time has long come where it must s t o p .

I t ' s u p t o t h i s g o v e r n m e n t t o m o v e f o r w a r d i n - stead of backwards. I'm sad to say that so far, I've seen very little action, if any, of this government moving

5114 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 forward. Words are cheap; action counts. I hope the Liberal government will move forward for the aborigi- nal community. I want to just touch on the issue around education for one moment, because the throne speech also had some nice words to say about education and how this government's doing all these fantastic things. But the reality is this. The reality check is, it seems to me, what we've always got to do now.

When the government says one thing, you've got to actually do a reality check because what happens in these chambers and what words are spoken by the government MLAs don't ac- tually reflect what is really going on. In the area around education we know that the Liberal government, the Minister of Education, has frozen the education budget. In reality, what does that mean? It means that education services, services in the classroom, have been cut — make no mistake about it. Why is that, Mr. Speaker? It's because costs have gone up, and these are fixed costs. Fixed costs have gone up.

T h i s g o v e r n m e n t l e g i s l a t e d t h e t e a c h e r s b a c k t o work. You know what? This government never paid the school boards the money for the increase in salaries for the teachers. This government this year is increasing gas prices by 3½ cents per litre. Those costs will increase costs for the schools in their heating bills and anything where they would require gas in order to keep the build- ing running and operating and warm. Those costs are not covered by this government in their budget. Those increased pressures will be there for the school trustees. Inflation is going to go up.

Those costs are not paid for by the government and not accounted for in the class- rooms. The Minister of Education can wax eloquent about how she is protecting education. The truth, in real- i t y , i s f a r f r o m i t . T h e r e a l i t y i s t h a t w e s e e c u t s i n t h e education system directly in the classroom. We see school closures happening across British Columbia.

We see chil- dren being bused from British Columbia into Alberta — the first time ever in the history of B.C. where children have to go to another province to get an education. [1545] Then the minister and the Premier, in his infomer- cial, went on and on about how he's increasing the education budget by some $100 million. Reality check. There is nothing in the budget line to show a $100 mil- lion increase. It's worse than that. If you look at next year's budget, you will see that the only base increase in education is $50 million, and that's been counted twice over two years to say that there's $100 million.

Even then, that supposedly good news does not reflect the truth and the reality. Don't take my word for it. Check with the BCSTA, and they'll tell you that is ex- actly what has happened with the education funding. While the throne speech can wax eloquent about how great everything is and that education and health care are being protected, the reality is completely dif- ferent. Just today we had families of residents of Skel- eem who came down because the recovery centre there for brain-injured residents is closing at the end of the month. You know what, Mr. Speaker?

The families of these residents weren't even consulted on it. Then the Minister of State for Mental Health, who got up to respond to the question even though it's not part of his portfolio, said: "Don't worry. Everything is fine." Well, tell that to the families of the residents who have not been consulted. They don't feel very fine about it. That's why they're down here raising the is- sue, protesting. There were only about 20 people who were allowed into the visitors' gallery today. There were another 20 who weren't allowed in the visitors' gallery and who were outside, hugely concerned about this issue.

Once again, when you use the litmus test of reality versus what the Liberal government says and versus what the MLA of the government says, you see a com- pletely different picture. What is the responsibility of MLAs — of all MLAs? It's to use that litmus test and bring reality into this House and be a voice for their con- stituents. That is their job, first and foremost. Backbench MLAs for the government should not just be sitting here echoing what the Premier's office told them they have to say. They should be held accountable and be responsible to their constituents and voice their concern in this House.

I hope to God they will start to do that, because democracy depends on it, and it is, after all, their job. [1550] Deputy Speaker: That completes the Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. Hon. members, I'll repeat the motion: [We, Her Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, in session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present session.] [1555] Motion approved on the following division: YEAS — 42 Whittred Cheema Hansen J.

Reid Bruce Santori van Dongen Barisoff Thorpe Hagen Plant Collins Nebbeling Stephens Abbott Coleman Chong Penner Jarvis Orr Harris Belsey Bell Chutter Mayencourt Trumper Johnston R. Stewart Christensen Krueger Bray Les Locke MacKay K. Stewart Brice Sultan Hamilton Hawes Kerr Manhas Hunter NAYS — 2 MacPhail Kwan

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 5115 Hon. G. Collins: I call budget debate. Budget Debate (continued) P. Bell: It's a real honour for me to think that, in what appears to be a short period of time in my life, this my third response to three budgets. It really demonstrates that the new era is moving forward in British Columbia. Finally, we're starting to see some of that growth and opportunity that we did not see through the 1990s. I'm excited to speak to the budget speech for 2003. [Mr.

Speaker in the chair.] Before I get into the actual budget, I'd just like to congratulate a few individuals from my riding who recently won the Queen's fiftieth anniversary medal — five very deserving individuals from Prince George North, including a good friend of mine, someone who has worked tirelessly in the Prince George community over the last 25 or 30 years, Mr. Ron East.

Also, an in- dividual who has worked incredibly hard in Prince George, who was largely responsible for the University of Northern B.C. and I believe was one of the first chairs of the board for the University of Northern Brit- ish Columbia, an individual who ran Northwood Pulp and Timber Ltd. for many years, Mr. Horst Sander. Another individual, very deserving again, a tremen- dous contributor to the community and someone I refer to as the Miss Hart Highway, is Shirley Gratton, who has put in an incredible amount of work in youth sport, in community council, and has really been a huge contribu- tor.

Two other individuals are Murray Sadler, a lawyer in Prince George — again, very, very involved with the early development of the University of Northern British Columbia; and a very good friend of mine from Mackenzie, Mr. Tom Michael, who actually flew Spit- fires in World War II and continues to be a councillor in the community of Mackenzie. I believe this is around his third or fourth term, at the ripe old age of 81, I think. I'm hoping he hangs on for the next provincial election. He certainly did a great job getting me elected this time.

Those five individuals are very deserving of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. [1600] Moving back to the budget, you know, this is truly an exciting time in the province of British Columbia. For the first time ever that we can tell — certainly since 1951; that's as far back as we could check — in 2002-03 every single ministry came in on or under budget. That's just exceptional , in my view — to have a prov- ince with the size of budget that we have, to have a ministry like the Ministry of Health Services, as an ex- ample, that has a budget in excess of $10 billion and is able to manage that budget effectively.

Historically, the Ministry of Health has been unable to keep itself within target, especially for the last five, six or seven years. Certainly, I congratulate all of the ministers on the other side of the floor for their efforts in ensuring that their budget was brought in on or under their targets. You know, the great thing…. I'm really talking there about last year's budget. You know, there are some detractors who will say that no, it wasn't under budget, that there were a few items that were taken out of contingency. That's what contingency is there for.

When you have a missing women's investigation that costs literally tens of millions of dollars, which could not possibly be anticipated, that's an appropriate use of a contingency fund. When you have the provincial emergency program and you have large-scale flooding in different areas, as I did in part of my riding…. I had a number of roads washed out, and my riding was one of the beneficiaries of the provincial emergency pro- gram. To spend money on the provincial emergency program makes a great deal of sense. That's an appro- priate use of contingency funds.

Some people say that the $10 million that was spent at the University of British Columbia in the library was not an appropriate use of funds, but I say that any time you can get $10 million from the feds for contributing $10 million from the province, that's a great use of money. I think that was a sound financial decision. I might add that if my father were still alive here today, I'm sure he would support that decision, since he was the associate librarian at UBC for many, many years. I'm glad part of his vision has been carried forward in the expansion of the library at UBC.

To the detractors that say we went into contingency funds, I say: that's what contingency funds are there for. It's a prudent use of those funds, and I believe the Finance minister made the right decisions in terms of making appropriate use of that money and leveraging that money for those uses. You know, when you come in on or under budget, it actually gives you some choices for a change. It's choices we didn't always have in this province. Certainly for the last ten years, we were making those choices and those decisions before we could afford to make those choices and decisions.

Like any family, there comes a point in time when the credit cards are maxed out. You can't lever the debt up anymore, and you're forced into taking tough measures. This government, through the leader- ship of the Premier, has made those difficult decisions that we've had to make over the last year and a half. The fact that we made those difficult decisions has given us some choices that we haven't had. I can tell you, government is not about making easy decisions. Any government, anyone, can make easy decisions.

Oftentimes you hear people in different communities saying: "Why are we having to make these difficult decisions? Why are we actually having to tighten our belts somewhat to ensure that we can afford to have a bright future for our children?" Well, you know, it's pretty simple math in my view. It's sim- ply a question of "pay me now or pay me later," and we've been using the philosophy of "pay me later" for the last ten years in this province. [1605] I really admire our Premier for following up with the types of decisions that he's had to make. Really, it demonstrates to me that he is a m an of courage whe n

5116 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T HURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 he's prepared to make those decisions and take the type of heat that he's had to take in the public for mak- ing those decisions. But 30 years from now, just as W.A.C. Bennett is viewed now as a visionary — by our very critics, I might add…. Our very critics today oftentimes say that if we didn't have a man like W.A.C. Bennett make the types of decisions around B.C. Hydro and the infra- structure of the province when he did, we wouldn't be where we are today as a province. Well, they didn't do anything to help us for the last ten years; that's for sure.

Certainly, I think that 30 years from now our Premier will be viewed very fondly throughout British Colum- bia as well, because he made those tough decisions. I certainly was fairly young, as were many of my colleagues, although I do know the odd colleague has better memory than me of the W.A.C. Bennett era.… An Hon. Member: I wasn't born. P. Bell: And there are several that weren't born, actually. But my recollection of those W.A.C. Bennett years is that there was a whole bunch of upset people. There were people saying that we shouldn't build the dams, that we shouldn't invest in our future.

In fact, the people and the rhetoric that carried on during that period of time are very similar to the rhetoric that we hear today. The fearmongering that's going on…. In fact, I recall that at the time, W.A.C. Bennett was ac- cused of selling our future to the Americans. I believe that was the statement of the day — and I see that my friend from North Vancouver is nodding; he would be the one that would perhaps know the best — that we were selling our future. Mr. Speaker, I'm sure you would recall that as well, possibly. He would recall it better than you.

But I'm sure that was the quotation — that W.A.C. was selling away our future. You look today at the people that hold him as an icon, and they're the critics that are accusing our Premier and our cabinet today of making the tough decisions. I congratulate our Premier and all of our cabinet for making those difficult deci- sions, and I think they've done that with a tremendous amount of courage and vision. When we came to office, it became absolutely clear to us that we had to get business back in British Co- lumbia. There's no question that we drove business away.

We drove the mining industry away from the province. We drove the forest industry out of the prov- ince. We drove technology out of the province during the 1990s. We have had to reverse that trend, and it hasn't been easy. I come from the business world, and I can tell you that money is very portable. I can invest anywhere I choose to invest, whether it be in British Columbia, in Canada, in North America or in the world. There's nothing that prevents my money from flowing across boundaries.

When you ask people how they make their investment decisions, generally they want to get the best return on investment that they can. I want to share a little story with you, if I may. I had a couple of folks come into my office, and they happened to be from the teaching profession, actually. We were discussing the changes to the education sys- tem, and they were concerned that we were not putting more funds into education, even though we had put a tremendous amount in. I asked them if they had any RRSPs or investments, and sure enough, they were planning for their future. They were planning for their retirement.

They had some money tied up in RRSPs. I asked them the ques- tion: "How did you make the decision in terms of mak- ing your investments?" They said: "We went to an in- vestment counsellor, and we told them what level of risk we were prepared to accept. Then we said to them t h a t w e ' d j u s t l i k e t h e m t o m a k e a s m u c h m o n e y a s they can, given that level of risk." I thought: well, that's interesting. I said to them: "Do you know where your investments are?" They said: "We've got a little in Stan- dard Life, and we've got a little bit of gold." I said: "No, no, no.

Do you know where the companies that you've invested in are doing business?" They said: "Actually, no, we don't." I said to them: "Do you care where they're doing business?" They said: "Actually, no, we don't." That's the point. People don't care where they do business. What they do care about is the best rate of return they can get. If we don't provide that return for them in British Columbia, they won't invest here.

If they don't invest here, we won't create the wealth and the employment that we need to create to provide the social services that people are looking for us to pro- vide. [1610] This government really has focused on two areas so far and will continue to focus on those two areas. The first one is the level of taxation that we have in this province. I must say that the Premier and cabinet have been bold in their steps towards improving the taxa- tion environment in our province. Not only do we have the lowest rate of income tax for the first two brackets of income — for those mak

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0227pm-02
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0227pm 02
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	2685acce1b230cfb9a5a4ac564d9d9f59477e72f

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