British Columbia Hansard — Monday, September 14, 2009 (39th Parliament, 1st Session) (H0914pm-02) (H0914pm 02)

H0914pm-02

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

First Session, 39th Parliament o FFicial rePort o F Debates of the Legis Lative a ssemb Ly (hansarD) the honourable bill bari So FF, SPeaker iSSn 0709-1281 Monday, September 14, 2009 Afternoon Sitting Volume 2, Number 2

Pro Vince o F britiS h colu Mbia (entered c onfederation July 20, 1871) lieutenant -Go Vernor h is h onour the h onourable Steven l. Point, obc First Session, 39th Parliament SPeaker o F the leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y h onourable bill barisoff eXecutiVe council Premier and President of the executive c ouncil ......................................................................................................h on.

Gordon c ampbell Minister of State for intergovernmental r elations ....................................................................................................h on. n aomi Y amamoto Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance .......................................................................................................................... h on. c olin h ansen Minister of State for the o lympics and a ctn ow b.c. ....................................................................................................... h on.

Mary Mcn eil Minister of a boriginal r elations and r econciliation .....................................................................................................h on. George a bbott Minister of a dvanced e ducation and l abour Market Development ............................................................................ h on. Moira Stilwell Minister of a griculture and l ands ...................................................................................................................................h on.

Steve Thomson a ttorney General ...................................................................................................................................................... h on. Michael de Jong, Qc Minister of c hildren and Family Development and Minister r esponsible for c hild c are ............................................h on.

Mary Polak Minister of citizens' Services and Minister r esponsible for Multiculturalism and the Public a ffairs bureau ...........h on. ben Stewart Minister of c ommunity and r ural Development ................................................................................................................h on. bill bennett Minister of e ducation and Minister r esponsible for early l earning and l iteracy ......................................h on.

Margaret MacDiarmid Minister of energy, Mines and Petroleum r esources .....................................................................................................h on. blair l ekstrom Minister of State for Mining ................................................................................................................................................h on. r andy h awes Minister of environment .......................................................................................................................................................h on. barry Penner Minister of State for c limate a ction ...........................................................................................................................................h on.

John Y ap Minister of Forests and r ange and Minister r esponsible for the integrated l and Management bureau ........................... h on.

Pat bell Minister of h ealth Services ...................................................................................................................................................h on. k evin Falcon Minister of h ealthy l iving and Sport ...................................................................................................................................... h on. ida c hong Minister of h ousing and Social Development .................................................................................................................h on. r ich c oleman Minister of l abour ................................................................................................................................................................ h on.

Murray c oell Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General .....................................................................................................................h on. k ash h eed Minister of Small business, t echnology and e conomic Development ................................................................................ h on. iain black Minister of t ourism, c ulture and the a rts ...................................................................................................................... h on. k evin k rueger Minister of t ransportation and infrastructure ...................................................................................................................h on.

Shirley bond leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y l eader of the official o pposition ...................................................................................................................................................c arole James Deputy Speaker .................................................................................................................................................................................... l inda r eid a ssistant Deputy Speaker .............................................................................................................................................................c laire t revena Deputy c hair, c ommittee of the Whole .......................................................................................................................................... h arry bloy c lerk of the l egislative a ssembly...................................................................................................................e.

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

James c lerk a ssistant and c ommittee c lerk .................................................................................................................................... k ate r yan-l loyd Sergeant-at-a rms .................................................................................................................................................................................

Gary l enz Director, h ansard Services ............................................................................................................................................................Jo-a nne k ern a cting l egislative l ibrarian .......................................................................................................................................................... Peter Gourlay l egislative c omptroller ....................................................................................................................................................................... Dan a rbic

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

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

Shirley (l) ...........................................Prince George–Valemount brar, Jagrup (nDP) ................................................................ Surrey-Fleetwood c adieux, Stephanie (l) ...........................................................Surrey-Panorama c ampbell, h on. Gordon (l) .........................................Vancouver–Point Grey c antelon, r on (l) ..............................................................

Parksville-Qualicum c hong, h on. ida (l) ..................................................... o ak bay–Gordon h ead c houhan, r aj (nDP) ........................................................... burnaby-e dmonds c oell, h on. Murray (l) ....................................Saanich n orth and the islands c oleman, h on. r ich (l) ...........................................

Fort l angley–a ldergrove c onroy, katrine (nDP) .............................................................. k ootenay West c oons, Gary (nDP) .........................................................................n orth c oast c orrigan, k athy (nDP) ..................................................... burnaby–Deer l ake Dalton, Marc (l) .............................................................. Maple r idge–Mission de Jong, h on.

Michael, Qc (l) .............................................. a bbotsford West Dix, a drian (nDP) ............................................................Vancouver-kingsway Donaldson, Doug (nDP) ......................................................................... Stikine e lmore, Mable (nDP) ................................................... Vancouver-kensington Falcon, h on. k evin (l) ..........................................................Surrey-c loverdale Farnworth, Mike (nDP) ............................................................

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

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

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

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

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

Mary (l) .................................................Vancouver–False creek Mcr ae, Don (l) ............................................................................. c omox Valley Mungall, Michelle (nDP) ..........................................................n elson-creston Penner, hon. barry (l) ............................................................c hilliwack-h ope Pimm, Pat (l) ..........................................................................Peace r iver n orth Polak, h on.

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

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

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

West Vancouver–capilano Thomson, hon. Steve (l) ........................................................k elowna-Mission Thorne, Diane (nDP) .................................................c oquitlam-Maillardville Thornthwaite, Jane (l) .......................................... n orth Vancouver–Seymour t revena, c laire (nDP) .................................................................... n orth island van Dongen, John (l) .............................................................a bbotsford South Y amamoto, hon. n aomi (l) ................................. n orth Vancouver–l onsdale Y ap, hon.

John (l) .............................................................r ichmond-Steveston liS t o F MeMberS bY riD in G a bbotsford-Mission .............................................................h on. r andy h awes a bbotsford South .....................................................................John van Dongen a bbotsford West ...................................................... h on. Michael de Jong, Qc a lberni–Pacific r im ..........................................................................

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

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

Diane Thorne c owichan Valley ................................................................................ bill r outley Delta n orth ......................................................................................Guy Gentner Delta South ...............................................................................Vicki h untington e squimalt–r oyal r oads .....................................................Maurine k aragianis Fort l angley–a ldergrove ...................................................h on. r ich c oleman Fraser-n icola........................................................................................ h arry l ali Juan de Fuca .....................................................................................John h organ k amloops–n orth Thompson .............................................................t erry l ake k amloops–South Thompson ............................................ h on. k evin k rueger k elowna–l ake c ountry ...............................................................n orm l etnick k elowna-Mission .............................................................. h on.

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

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

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

Jane Thornthwaite o ak bay–Gordon h ead ............................................................ h on. ida c hong Parksville-Qualicum ..................................................................... r on c antelon Peace r iver n orth ................................................................................

Pat Pimm Peace r iver South ...............................................................h on. blair l ekstrom Penticton................................................................................... h on. bill barisoff Port c oquitlam ..........................................................................Mike Farnworth Port Moody–c oquitlam .............................................................h on. iain black Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast ................................................. n icholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie .............................................................h on.

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

Murray c oell Saanich South ................................................................................ l ana Popham Shuswap ...............................................................................h on. George a bbott Skeena .............................................................................................. r obin a ustin Stikine .......................................................................................

Doug Donaldson Surrey-c loverdale .................................................................h on. k evin Falcon Surrey-Fleetwood ...............................................................................Jagrup brar Surrey–Green t imbers ..................................................................Sue h ammell Surrey-n ewton ................................................................................. h arry b ains Surrey-Panorama ..................................................................Stephanie c adieux Surrey-t ynehead ...........................................................................

Dave S. h ayer Surrey-Whalley.............................................................................. bruce r alston Surrey–White r ock ....................................................................... Gordon h ogg Vancouver-Fairview ............................................. h on. Margaret MacDiarmid Vancouver–False creek ........................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Vancouver-Fraserview ..............................................................h on. k ash h eed Vancouver-hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-kensington .................................................................Mable e lmore Vancouver-kingsway..........................................................................a drian Dix Vancouver-l angara ............................................................. h on. Moira Stilwell Vancouver–Mount Pleasant .........................................

Jenny Wai ching kwan Vancouver–Point Grey .................................................h on.

Gordon c ampbell Vancouver-Quilchena ..........................................................h on. c olin h ansen Vancouver–West end ................................................................Spencer h erbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................eric Foster Victoria–b eacon h ill .......................................................................c arole James Victoria–Swan l ake.........................................................................r ob Fleming West Vancouver–capilano ............................................................. r alph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ........................................................

Joan Mcintyre Westside-kelowna ...................................................................h on. ben Stewart Party Standings: l iberal 49; n ew Democratic 35; independent 1

CONTENTS Monday, September 14, 2009 a fternoon Sitting Page Routine Business introductions by Members ....................................................................................................................................................... 325 t abling Documents ................................................................................................................................................................... 325 Elections B.C.

Annual Report 2008/09 introduction and First r eading of bills .................................................................................................................................. 325 bill 4 — Wills, e states and Succession a ct h on. M. de Jong Statements (Standing order 25b) ........................................................................................................................................... 326 Monument to Surrey firefighters S. c adieux Fleetwood Festival in Surrey J. brar n orth Shore Disability r esource c entre J. Thornthwaite c reston Valley agriculture and fall fair M.

Mungall Sandra Williams and family health support society D. Mcr ae c owichan r iver cleanup b. r outley oral Questions ........................................................................................................................................................................... 328 Funding for athletes and school sports c. Jame s h on. M. MacDiarmid D. Donaldson h on. i. c hong k. c orrigan S. Simpson M. Farnworth h on. M. Mcn eil Funding for parent advisory councils D. Thorne h on. M.

MacDiarmid Petitions ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 332 n. l etnick Orders of the Day budget Debate (continued) ....................................................................................................................................................... 332 h on. S.

Thomson D. r outley D. barnett D. black r . c antelon h. l ali r eports from c ommittees ........................................................................................................................................................ 349 Special c ommittee of Selection, first report h on. M. de Jong

Motions Without notice ........................................................................................................................................................... 349 Powers and role of Finance and Government Services c ommittee a ppointment of Select Standing c ommittee on l egislative initiatives h on. M. de Jong budget Debate (continued) ....................................................................................................................................................... 350 h. l ali J. Slater r . c houhan h on. r . c oleman b. Simpson

325 MonD a Y , SePteMber 14, 2009 The h ouse met at 1:34 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Introductions by Members Hon. I. Chong: i have the privilege today of introducing some of the t eam b.c. athletes, coaches and mission staff who have returned from the 2009 c anada Summer Games in Prince edward island. i'd like the h ouse to welcome the following athletes. Sarah a ylard, who is a rower who won two gold medals and a silver medal. a leisha c obb, who won a bronze medal in long jump and a silver medal in relay. craig Dagnall, swim- mer with two silver medals.

Shalie Dheensaw, a silver medal in women's basketball. l iam Fisher, another rower who won a gold medal and a silver. Maggie hanlon, a silver in relay. [1335] a ndrea h arvey, who is another rower, also won a silver medal. c ourtney h attie, a diver, won bronze in syn - chronized diving. n ick l apointe, a swimmer, also won a bronze medal. Jeff Phillips, a triathlete, two gold medals. christine r idenour, a triathalon athlete who won a gold medal. Shea Wakefield, in rugby, a silver medal.

Jody Jackson, coach of the b.c . golf team, won two gold medals. a nd our mission staff members becky edwards, c hris Graham, Judy Joseph-black and irene Shell. i hope the h ouse will please welcome them all here and thank them for their amazing success. M. Karagianis: t oday in the h ouse we have a constituent of mine, Mr. brad Slade, who also happens to be the Victoria organizer for the September 19 Fight the hS t rally. Those rallies are taking place right across british c olumbia on this day, and i'd like the h ouse to please give him a cordial welcome. Hon.

M. de Jong: We're fortunate today to have in the h ouse four representatives of the british c olumbia l aw institute. in the over ten years since its founding, this institute has played a very positive and proactive role in the cause of law reform. in particular, today i want to draw the h ouse's attention to the contribution that these members and over 30 others have made towards reforming b.c.'s succession and estate law. They are here today in anticipation of the reintroduction of a bill that members of the h ouse saw earlier this spring.

Their work has been exemplary and is reflected in the quality of the product that i believe the h ouse will see shortly. i would like to introduce to the h ouse Mr. Peter r amsay, Qc, vice-chair of the b.c. l aw institute and a law professor at the u niversity of british c olumbia and also a partner with the law firm r amsay l ampman r hodes in n anaimo. Fiona h unter is a partner with h orne c oupar in Victoria. t ino Di bella is a partner with Jawl and bundon in Victoria. Margaret Sasges, a partner with the firm of c lay and c o. in Victoria, and Ms.

Sasges also serves on the board of the l aw Foundation of british c olumbia. i hope all members of the h ouse will make these british c olumbians welcome here. Hon. B. Lekstrom: it is my pleasure today to introduce two people to the h ouse: a longtime friend and a gentleman i've known, Mr. bill Vanderland, who is president of enerGreen Power. a ccompanying bill is a friend of his, Marina r ogenveen. Please make them welcome to the house. Tabling Documents Mr. Speaker: h on. Members, i have the honour to present the Elections B.C. Annual Report 2008/09.

Introduction and First Reading of Bills bill 4 — Will S, e State S an D SucceSS ion act h on. M. de Jong presented a message from h is h onour the a dministrator: a bill intituled Wills, e states and Succession a ct. Hon. M. de Jong: i move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now. Motion approved. Hon. M. de Jong: i am pleased to introduce the Wills, e states and Succession a ct — in fact, reintroduce this bill, which many members saw this past spring.

The act was prepared with considerable assistance from, as i just mentioned, the b.c . l aw institute. i want to acknowledge the aid of over 30 volunteers and contributors from the legal, academic and notary communities. This act will modernize the law of wills, estates and succession and replace four existing pieces of legislation. it contains a number of important changes that will simplify the administration of estates and make it more likely that the wishes of a deceased will be upheld. Mr.

Speaker, i move that the bill be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. bill 4, Wills, e states and Succession a ct, 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.

british c olumbia Debates326 Monday, September 14, 2009 Statements (Standing Order 25B) Monu Ment to Surre Y FireFi GhterS S. Cadieux: When firefighters get asked to be models, it's usually for a calendar. but this year 18-year veteran Jim blom was asked to be the model for a statue com - memorating 50 years of valiant service provided by the men and women of the Surrey fire service. [1340] This past Friday i had the honour of attending, along with other members, the unveiling of this unique statue entitled Protecting the Future — Serving the Present .

This monu- ment commemorates the selfless dedication with which the Surrey firefighters have served and continue to serve our community. These important members of our society not only save lives but contribute invaluably to Surrey through charitable work and public education programs. This statue was commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Surrey Fire Fighters a ssociation and has been placed in h olland Park as a contribution to the Surrey public art program. it is the work of a group of four artists led by bill Johnson, the owner of a rt Form Sculpture Studio.

Deputy c hief John c aviglia chose k orean-c anadian blom to be the model for the statue in order to reflect the multicultural nature of Surrey and the Surrey fire service. The event was held following a ceremony to honour the fallen firefighters of 9/11 as well as those in Surrey who have lost their lives in the service of saving ours. The statue is a great addition to our community and a constant reminder of the heroism of the Surrey fire ser - vice and fire service around b.c. Fleet Woo D Fe Sti Val in Surre Y J. Brar: Mr.

Speaker, i rise to share with you and the members of this h ouse a source of pride we have in the city of Surrey and in my riding of Surrey-Fleetwood. This past weekend the Fleetwood c ommunity a ssociation put on, for the 11th year in a row, the Fleetwood Festival. it was a wonderful volunteer-led, family-focused party. it was an excellent event full of fun and useful information provided by community organizations and municipal interaction among people from our culturally diverse community.

The Fleetwood Festival brought together over 2,000 people to celebrate their community. it was so successful because of the great staff in the city of Surrey, dozens of local businesses in Surrey-Fleetwood and the dedicated team of the Fleetwood c ommunity a ssociation — especially r ick h art, Jane-a nne a derson, Johanne Poirier, Joy h art, c arrol a dams and Deb h ughes. our community is strong and better as a direct result of the work and commitment of the Fleetwood c ommunity a ssociation toward the local community. it was in 1930 that the Fleetwood c ommunity h all was first built.

That heritage building is just around the corner from my office, and it now hosts the very popular Greek festival each year. i was pleased to see the member for Surrey-t ynehead taking

part in this festival as well. i urge you and the other members of this h ouse to join me in congratulating them for setting a great example of how to build a strong community. n orth Shore DiSabilit Y r e Source c entre J. Thornthwaite: on Saturday evening i was proud to attend a fundraising benefit concert performed by the n ylons, held by the n orth Shore Disability r esource centre to help enhance the lives of people with disabilities and the various programs and services this valuable community centre has to offer. i'm told that they raised approximately $15,000 in that one evening.

Since 1975 the n orth Shore Disability r esource c entre has strived towards helping people with disabilities live comfortably in their communities by creating and pro - viding services that they continue to expand upon. The centre was started by a group of parents, professionals and advocates that have worked hard to help people with disabilities actively participate in and contribute to society, and they offer a variety of programs that work towards this goal.

With generous funding from b.c . h ousing Management c ommission, c ommunity l iving b.c., ministry of human resources, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, V ancouver c oastal h ealth and fundraisers like the one i attended on Saturday evening, these services continue to help people with disabilities remain involved in the n orth Shore community. Their vision is: "communities that value inclusion are committed to creating opportunities for all." They list the following as their values: "We recognize the value of each person. We believe we all have the same rights.

We believe family and friends are important. We believe in the value of people working together, and we believe diversity enriches the community." a ll of these statements work towards the goal of a community that is free of physical, financial and attitudinal barriers. [1345] i would like to congratulate the n orth Shore Disability r esource c entre on a successful fundraiser and extend a thank-you to them for all they do for the n orth Shore community. cre Ston Valle Y a Griculture anD F all Fair M.

Mungall: W ell, it's that time of year again when the gardeners and farmers start to harvest, process and preserve

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 327 their year's work. in celebration of this, many rural communities host fall fairs.

This past weekend i had the privilege of taking in creston Valley's 91st annual fall fair held at the creston and District c ommunity c omplex, right in the heart of beautiful creston. n ow, i know that there are about 85 of us contenders in this h ouse for the best b.c. community, but i do think that we'd all agree that creston's beautiful farmland, right in between the Selkirk Mountains on one side and the beautiful Purcells on the other, of course has a very truly unique character that takes your breath away. h ere in this valley farmers not only produce fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, dairy, beef, poultry and pork — pretty much anything you can find on a table — but farmers and entrepreneurs also produce some of the best products and preserves from the food grown in this area. e ssentially, we produce a well-rounded local diet for any 100-mile connoisseur. a long with the local agricultural economy, the fall fair celebrates 100-mile crafts and artisans. l ocals display quilts and tuques for those long, cold winter nights, while children contribute their art as displays of essential skill development that enhances our local economy. a s locals entertain each other, showing off their musical talents, the whole community comes to celebrate their contributions to this beautiful place.

With this, let me take a moment to celebrate and honour creston Valley on an excellent and wonderful fall fair, and may our way of life continue to see another 91. SanD ra WilliaMS anD FaMil Y health SuPPort Societ Y D. McRae: My statement is about a person and an organization that have touched literally thousands of people in my community. in the early 1980s Sandra Williams and her family were living in the c omox Valley when their four-year-old daughter became ill. Their daughter was air-lifted to c hildren's h ospital in Vancouver and diagnosed with congenital heart failure.

We are indeed fortunate to have a facility like c hildren's h ospital that can provide specialized training in pediatric health care, which has attracted internationally renowned researchers who are working hard to achieve better health for children and youth. We are truly fortunate to have a world-leading hospital like this in british c olumbia. l ike many families who have been in similar situations, the Williams family had to make some challenging sacrifices. both during and after this ordeal, Sandra met many others who were in the same position as her family.

She realized that something had to be done, and she wanted to find a solution that would work for the c omox Valley. Sandra started Yana , Y ou a re n ot a lone, in 1986. it was first based out of her house, and Yana was committed to assisting the families of school district 71 with children between the ages of zero and 19 years old who were receiving medical treatment in another city. This unique charity has funded thousands of trips for medical treatment in Vancouver, Victoria, t oronto, the u .S. and england. The small-town charity made a huge difference to many people.

Sandra was described as a tireless worker motivated beyond all others, a tremendous fundraiser and a great public speaker. For 18 years she served on the board of Yana, long after her family had grown up and left home. When the phone rang in the middle of the night, Sandra Williams and Yana were there to provide sup - port, resources and, when available, keys to one of the four apartments they run near c hildren's h ospital in Vancouver.

Sandra was awarded the c itizen of the Y ear award by the chamber of commerce, and she did not slow down. on July 25, 2009, Sandra passed away after suffering from a long-term illness. The measure of a person's life is not how much money you have made or what job you have had. The true measure is the number of people you have touched, and Sandra Williams literally touched thousands. While she has left us, her legacy will live on. i want to say thank you to Sandra Williams. co Wichan riVer cleanuP B.

Routley: if the salmon and other creatures that depend upon our heritage c owichan r iver in the c owichan Valley could say thank you, they would want to join with me today to thank the c owichan Stewardship c ommittee and the 60 to 100 volunteers who last Saturday went to work to clean up the upper reaches of the c owichan r iver.

During the summer between 300 and 1,500 tubers and other water craft enjoyed drifting down the c owichan r iver. u nfortunately, not everyone took home with them everything that they came with. a s a result, the river was filling with bottles and other trash. [1350] That's when the c owichan Stewardship c ommittee was formed, and they stepped up to the plate to help clean up the c owichan r iver. i want to acknowledge and thank Mike Waller, belinda Waller and all those who organized the event. i want to thank the many volun - teers and business sponsors and my friends Joe Saysell and Diana Gunderson, who showed us that community spirit is very alive and well in the c owichan Valley.

They discovered many unusual things — for example, an artificial christmas tree with some of the decorations still on it. a toy glass fire engine found amongst a whole bunch of other glass won the $100 prize for most unique. There were thousands of bottles and cans, even a wooden wheel, and the kitchen sink was even found and extracted. a lot of junk taken from the river. i would like to thank all of the sponsors: c ountry Grocer, h ome h ardware, the Gazette, the Cowichan

british c olumbia Debates328 Monday, September 14, 2009 Valley Citizen, Sun FM radio, the town of l ake c owichan, cVrD, the bargain Shop, irly bird, the fire department, c owichan Fly t ackle, c hain Saw Sally's c hop Shop, the c ow c afé, Y oubou bar and Grill, Dermod and Dudley's irish Pub, l ake c owichan a dventure c ompany and the n anaimo Dive o utfitters. Oral Questions FunD in G For athleteS anD School SPort S C.

James: e very british c olumbian felt great pride when c arol h uynh took home gold in beijing. it was an extraordinary achievement by a young woman from the small community of h azelton. a thletes like c arol rely on athletic competitions being funded through b.c. School Sports. So my question is to the minister responsible. With billions being spent on showcasing our athletes at the o lympics, how can the b.c . l iberals justify taking away money to support current and future o lympic athletes? Hon. M.

MacDiarmid: i share the member opposite's pride in the accomplishments of our o lympians, without doubt. i'd like to start by saying that we are supporting, this year, school sport and various youth sports with $38 million of funding. our support for these important programs could not be clearer. The financial support is there. We also have a number of outstanding programs within our education system — things like a ction Schools b.c ., which has been funded to the tune of $14.5 million over the last five years. These programs are important. They're important to british c olumbians.

They're important to our students, and we, without doubt, will continue to support them in the same way we have in the past. o ur support is clear. The o lympics are important, and our athletes' achieve - ments are important. Mr. Speaker: The l eader of the o pposition has a supplemental. C. James: it's very clear. The minister left out one very important program: b.c. School Sports, which this government is cutting the funding from. We've spoken to c arol's coach. Joe Sullivan told the opposition that without b.c . School Sports funding, c arol's beijing victory would not happen.

That funding was used to give the opportunity to travel to competitions and for c arol to hone her skills. My question, again, is to the minister responsible. With the o lympics just a few months away, how on earth can this government justify cutting support for b.c.'s athletes? Hon. M. MacDiarmid: in addition to the $38 million which is being provided to youth sports programs, which will allow youth sport programs to continue in schools, programs that are without doubt important… interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. [1355] Hon. M.

MacDiarmid: …we continue to provide funding for other vitally important programs within schools — things like a ction Schools, things like daily physical activity. We know how critically important this is. That's why our government has been able, in spite of the economic challenges we're currently facing, to increase core funding for education to a record high level. in spite of the fact that we have declining enrolment in this province, we are providing this year $84 million in additional funding, and part of that funding does go to important programs that support our students in their physical activity. Mr.

Speaker: The l eader of the o pposition has a further supplemental. C. James: i'd suggest the minister spend some time talking to the coaches, who can remind her about the importance of the funding for b.c. School Sports for athletes in british c olumbia. c oach Sullivan said that the support of b.c. School Sports was absolutely essential to c arol's development, and she's not the only athlete. There are many other c arol h uynhs in british c olumbia — athletes who are doing their best, who are trying their hardest, who are working to make sure that they excel. but they need gov- ernment to stand with them.

They need help to be able to fulfil their dreams. So again, my question is to the minister. Will the b.c. l iberals do the right thing and put the funding back for b.c. School Sports to support our athletes in british c olumbia? Hon. M. MacDiarmid: i would like to remind the l eader of the o pposition of the opposition to the o lympics, which we have experienced throughout…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. Just take your seat, Minister. Minister, just take your seat for a second. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. M. MacDiarmid: h ere is an opportunity for our province, which is not only a wonderful economic

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 329 opportunity but also an outstanding learning opportunity, which we will fully take advantage of. Students across this province are clear on the importance of physical activity because of programs we have around in the schools. i'd again like to draw the member opposite's attention to the fact that we have had to make difficult decisions about grants within every ministry. There's no question. but still, $38 million being provided to sporting associations and to sport throughout this province is a significant investment.

This is something that we value and that we will continue to fund. D. Donaldson: i've never heard such patronizing answers and lip service to our athletes in this province. a thletes in the small communities i represent have big dreams too. They work hard day in and day out to be their best. i know c arol h uynh, and she is just the tip of the iceberg. but you can't improve unless you get the chance to compete.

That's what the b.c. l iberals are taking away — the chance to compete. t o the Minister of education: will the b.c . l iberals listen to wrestling coach Sullivan and every athlete in this province who is giving it their all and restore the $130,000 it has taken away from school athletic competitions? interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. I.

Chong: i'm grateful for the opportunity to talk about healthy living and sports here in british c olumbia, and i'm glad the member raised the issue of competition, because that $38 million that this government will be spending this year on sports is providing for a number of things. [1400] l et me just share that with the member — $38 million. These dollars help to support programs that introduce young athletes to new sports such as curling and skating. They help to support grants for children and youth to participate in sport, helping them to overcome financial barriers.

They help to train and develop students and young athletes to move from provincial programs on to national development programs and on to national teams. What's really obvious about this is that the opposition, each and every time when they had a chance to support these programs, voted against them. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. The member has a supplemental. D.

Donaldson: Well, that was quite an answer. it seems like instead of answering, the Minister of e ducation is being pinned to the mat by her cabinet colleagues. i know the government thinks that c oach Sullivan should just tell students to dance and play in parks, as the minister was quoted as saying last week. but c arol h uynh would never have won gold with that attitude. She won gold because she worked as hard as she could, and the government provided just a little support. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. Member, take your seat. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. c ontinue, Member. D.

Donaldson: c arol h uynh won gold because she worked as hard as she could, and the government provided just a little support. n ow that support is gone. a gain to the Minister of e ducation. l et's hear her defend young athletes, parents and volunteers. h ow can the b.c. l iberals justify spending half a million dollars promoting o lympics in schools while, at the same time, they're cutting $130,000 from School Sports for b.c.'s future o lympic athletes? Hon. I. Chong: Well, c arol h uynh won gold because she had the determination, the passion, the commitment to be the best that she could as an athlete.

She also won gold because she had the opportunity to participate in the b.c. Summer Games. [a pplause.] i'm glad you're happy with that. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Just take your seat. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. I. Chong: o ur b.c . family of games, summer and winter games, provide opportunities for young athletes to compete, who then go on to other championships, national and international levels. i'm happy to say that she is, in fact, an alumni of the b.c.

Games Society, the family of games that are provided. but in addition to providing these examples that i've given to the members opposite, they need places to compete. They need infrastructure, and our government, i'm happy to say, has invested in over $600 million of infrastructure. K. Corrigan: This is a question of priorities. The b.c. l iberals have three — count them, three — ministers with responsibility for sport. The Minister of h ealthy l iving and Sport — we've heard from her. The minister responsible for the o lympics and a ctn ow — maybe we'll hear from her. a nd the Minister of e ducation who

british c olumbia Debates330 Monday, September 14, 2009 has responsibility for kids' sports — we've heard from her. Will the minister responsible for h ealthy l iving and Sport explain why we're paying her a minister's salary when the b.c. l iberals are cutting support for young b.c. athletes? [1405] Hon. I.

Chong: Well, i'm glad that the nDP have finally woken up to the fact that there is an initiative called a ctn ow b.c. o ur a ctn ow b.c. is all about healthy lifestyles. it is all about making choices easier, to live a healthy lifestyle. o ur a ctn ow b.c. allows people to look at more physical activity, at eating well. it's about reducing things like obesity rates. it's looking at things like reducing tobacco use. Y ou know, Mr. Speaker, it's a health and wellness initiative provincewide that has received not only national attention but international attention. i hope that the nDP will finally support it. Mr.

Speaker: The member has a supplemental. K. Corrigan: a pparently, it takes three ministers to cut a program for kids' sports. h undreds of millions of dollars for the o lympic Games, hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote the o lympics in schools, three ministers with responsibility for sport costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands more, and now the b.c. l iberals are taking away $130,000 to help young b.c. athletes compete. i t's shameful. a gain to the minister. Will she do the right thing and give back this money to young b.c. athletes? Hon. I.

Chong: Well, it seems it takes all of the nDP to oppose an a ctn ow initiative that supports health and wellness. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Just sit down for a second. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. I. Chong: i'll reiterate for the members opposite: $38 million in support this year for sports participation, $600 million worth of infrastructure that we've invested over the years to provide venues for the youth to par - ticipate in and 151 days until the o lympics. i wonder whether they're going to support it then. S.

Simpson: Maybe that minister should go and talk to the Minister of h ousing and Social Development, who just announced today that gaming grants for sports will be cut from $29 million to $19 million, a $10 million cut in sports money. That's something for the government to be proud of. We have cuts there. We have a Minister of e ducation who thinks infrastructure for sports is public parks instead of schools. it's five months until the o lympics. We talk about legacies. Where are the youth legacies for sports and for fitness? it's clearly not here.

The Minister of e ducation is giving away half a million dollars for o lympic promotion and cutting $130,000 for essential sports. Where does the minister think those programs should get their money? Where should b.c. school sports go to get that money? Hon. I. Chong: Well, i'm glad the member raised the issue of infrastructure, because it's $600 million in infra- structure that we've spent. l et me share with him where some of those dollars have been spent. We've spent… interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. I.

Chong: …in k imberley — i think there's a member that represents a riding in k imberley — at the Paralympics training and development centre, for the construction of a 9,840-square-foot n ordic and alpine Paralympics training and development centre. We've spent $20 million on the charles Jago northern sport development centre in Prince George. h ere in greater Victoria, where there are five nDP opposition members who would probably like to boast, $25 million for the Pacific institute for Sport excellence. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. S.

Simpson: Maybe that starts to shine a light on where this government ripped off the boards of education for $110 million for school facility upgrades, because they don't care about that infrastructure. [1410] interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. S. Simpson: Well, the prattle from the other side…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. Just take your seat for a second. Members on both sides of the h ouse. c ontinue, Member. S. Simpson: i'll come back to the question again. The Minister of h ousing and Social Development just cut $10 million of gaming funding for sports.

This Minister of e ducation cut $130,000 out of b.c. School Sports.

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 331 c learly those organizations…. b.c. School Sports pre - sumably can't go to the Minister of h ousing and Social Development to find that money. Will the minister tell us: where does she suggest that that organization go to find the money that pays for programs that create o lympians like c arol h uynh? Hon. I. Chong: a s i've indicated, this government is going to be spending $38 million for sport in this province. That will be throughout the province in every region, throughout the ridings.

These dollars do in fact support grants for children and youth to participate in sport. They do in fact provide for training and development, what members opposite con- tinually talk about in terms of producing very high-per - formance and elite athletes. it's about providing teaching resources as well as equipment. These are being provided through our $38 million in our sport investment. a t the end of the day they need a venue in which they can compete. The b.c.

Games Society, the family of games, provides that opportunity as well as the sports infrastructure — the $600 million worth of sports infra - structure that we have invested in through all parts of this province, which members opposite have taken pride in when they've opened in their areas. i hope they've taken pride. M. Farnworth: Well, we've heard from the Minister of e ducation, one of the sports ministers. She's unable to answer the question or make a commitment. We've heard from the second minister for sports in the province of british c olumbia.

She's unable to answer the question, other than to do a great side shuffle. So let's go to the third minister responsible for sports in this province, the Minister for a ctn ow, which is supposed to keep people active and healthy now. Will the Minister for a ctn ow stand up and commit to those athletes in this province that her ministry will do what the other two can't do and restore the funding for b.c. School Sports in the province of british c olumbia? Hon. M.

McNeil: What is it about the o lympics that the members opposite don't like? is it the $4 billion that will be funnelled back into our province to fund…? interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. M.

McNeil: a gain, what is it about the o lympics that the members of the opposition don't like? is it the $4 billion that will be funnelled back into our province's economy from the games? is it that we will have 250,000 visitors coming here with over three billion viewers watching worldwide? it's about time the members of the other side of the h ouse join our side and the rest of british c olumbia and c anada and get ready to cheer our athletes in 151 days. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. [1415] M.

Farnworth: The real question is: what is it about school sports that this government doesn't like? t o the Minister for a ctn ow — that's the other part of your ministry from the o lympics. Will you restore the $137,000 to b.c. School Sports and show that you really do care about school sports in british c olumbia? interjection. Mr. Speaker: Just wait. Wait, Minister. Minister. Hon. M.

McNeil: a ctn ow b.c. has reached more than 255,000 british columbians through our r oad to h ealth community t our and provided more than $1.3 million to support school fruit and vegetable nutritional programs, provided grants to 2010 l egacies n ow for more than $1 million. i just wonder what the members opposite are talking about now, when they have been opposed to actn ow. FunD in G For Parent a DViSor Y council S D.

Thorne: Just as parents were taking their children back to school the first day of classes, the e ducation Minister let slip in the middle of a media scrum that the government would be slashing grants to parent advisory councils in half. if parent advisory councils had been told to expect cuts, they could have planned accordingly. instead, this government chose to hide the true state of the province's books until after the election. n ow parents, students and school districts are paying the price.

My question is to the e ducation Minister. h ow can the minister justify making massive cuts to parent groups, especially on the first day of school, with absolutely no warning? Hon. M. MacDiarmid: We greatly value the contribution that parents make, not only in the parent advisory committees but also in the other roles that we've carved out for them. For example, they are part of the l earning r oundtable. There is now legislation in place that allows parents to volunteer. We realize what important…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. c ontinue, Minister.

british c olumbia Debates332 Monday, September 14, 2009 Hon. M. MacDiarmid: We recognize what important and invaluable partners they are. There is no one who can be more concerned than a parent for their child in the school system. but i'd like us to think back to the contri- bution that was made for parent advisory councils back when the opposition was in power. in fact, if we look back at that amount, it was zero, nothing, no contribution. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. We're going to run out of time at this rate. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. M.

MacDiarmid: a gain, to emphasize how important these partners are, in my ministry, when it came to making decisions about grants, we did set prior- ities. o ur priorities were our most vulnerable students, our aboriginal students and early learning. Those are the areas. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. D. Thorne: i'm sure that the parent advisory groups across this province are delighted that they have legislation in place that allows them to volunteer. [1420] Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. c ontinue, Member. D.

Thorne: n ow, if only this government would provide enough funding that the volunteers could buy supplies and actually do some work in the schools, that would be wonderful. This minister says she wants to protect students in the classroom, and then she springs an announcement of cuts… interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. c ontinue. D.

Thorne: …to funding for parents groups on the first day of school — a cut that will actually mean that students will lose access to much-needed classroom supplies and supports, new library books and safer play- grounds. it's beyond me how this minister thinks that this cut will not impact students in the classroom. Mr. Speaker: c an you put the question forward. D. Thorne: i'm asking the minister once again to explain how slashing grants to parents groups in british c olumbia fulfils this government's promise to protect education. Hon. M.

MacDiarmid: i'd like to draw the member opposite's attention to the fact that we have record fund- ing for education this year in british c olumbia. in spite of the economic challenges that we're currently operating under, we are providing $4.5 billion. in spite of the fact that enrolment is down again this year, by 7,000 students, we're providing an additional $84 million to student fund- ing. Difficult choices have been made when it has come to grants, but we value the role of parents, and we'll continue to work closely with them this year, as we always have. [end of question period.] Petitions N.

Letnick: i rise to present a petition from 400 con - stituents in the k elowna area regarding the hS t . interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Orders of the Day Hon. M. de Jong: t wo things: a reminder to members of the c ommittee of Selection that we'll reconvene in the Douglas Fir r oom immediately after proceedings have commenced, and i call continued debate on the budget. Budget Debate (continued) Hon. S.

Thomson: it's a pleasure to rise again and continue my comments on the budget debate. [1425] l ast week when i got the process started, i talked about the journey and the honour to be here and recog - nized and thanked some of the people that helped me get here. i want to finish by thanking a couple more people in that process and then move on to some other remarks.

There are certainly many people that need to be thanked for the journey and for the success in being able to stand today and make my first presentation in the house. i want to thank, particularly, my campaign team, chaired by Paul Mitchell, a great, strong leader who had a great supporting cast with friends David t aylor, Doug Manning, Steve c outts and the tremendous dedication of a group of friends, family and a host of volunteers who committed countless hours to the campaign, many who i met for the first time.

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 333 [l. r eid in the chair.] it was a team effort. They worked very, very hard, but despite all the pressures of the campaign, they made it a lot of fun. Part of the great joy in working with them was how much we enjoyed it, how much they made it fun through the process. i really want to thank them for all of their efforts.

Just while i'm recognizing Paul's leadership on the campaign team, i want to extend my congratulations to him on his recognition by ubc a lumni a ssociation, o kanagan, as community builder of the year. h e has made a great contribution to the community, particularly as a champion for the establishment of ubc o kanagan. h e was instrumental in leading the work to bring ubc o kanagan to fruition in k elowna. i also want to thank n an Pellatt and Susan t urner for the great work and the support that they do in my constituency office.

They work diligently for all the constituents in our riding. i've already received many e-mails and phone calls thanking them for the work they are doing. n an Pellatt is a very experienced constituency assistant. She served for a number of years as constituency assistant to Sindi h awkins. h er experience has been invaluable in ensuring that we got to work right away representing all the constituents of kelowna-Mission.

Y ou know, most of us could never achieve the things we do without the support of family and friends and colleagues. i am pleased to be able today, and earlier in my comments, to recognize some of those most significant people who have helped me along the way. i was pleased to be elected as part of our k elowna team, along with the member for k elowna–l ake c ountry and the member for Westside-k elowna. i'm proud to be part of the team from the o kanagan, with l iberal Mla s from the southern border in boundary- Similkameen and to the north in the n orth o kanagan and Shuswap.

We will work collectively and together to keep the o kanagan strong. i look forward to working with our local government representatives, Mayor Sharon Shepherd and her council at the city of k elowna; and r obert h obson, chair of the regional district of c entral o kanagan, and his directors.

They all have a vision to continue to have k elowna flourish and grow economically and socially, and we will work with them to do that. a ll of these people and another 42,000 have the pleasure of living in the riding of k elowna-Mission. it's a diverse mix of residential areas, business districts along South Pandosy and South r utland, and the business commun- ity of h ighway 97 and Springfield r oad. o ur riding has a solid agriculture community of tree fruit growers; vineyard and winery operators such as c edar creek, St. h ubertus and Summerhill — names that people know well here; horticultural operations; a cheese artisan; small livestock operations; and market gardens that are such an important part of the heritage and economic base of our riding. o ur riding and our region have benefited from the sound financial management of this government, and that's why this budget is so important to our future.

This sound management has led to important invest - ment in our community: a new recreation centre, the c apital n ews c entre, and our h2o aquatic facility; highway improvements on h ighway 97, h ighway 33 and Gordon Drive; very, very important investment in k elowna General h ospital — a new medical school in conjunction with ubc o kanagan, a new critical care tower, a new emergency room and planning for a new cardiac care unit; a $28 million new c entre for l earning at o kanagan c ollege delivered on time, on budget and at leeD gold standard; and investments in affordable housing.

This has created over 4,200 jobs in the Thompson-okanagan. That's a track record that we should all be proud of.

There are many success stories in k elowna-Mission, but one that warrants the attention of my fellow legislators is that of o kanagan c ollege, the largest part of the campus, which is in my riding. it's an institution that serves the citizens of eight ridings in the southern interior of the province. u nder the leadership of the chair, Janet Shaw, and the president, Jim h amilton, the college's enrolments have grown by 48 percent over the past four years, outstripping expectations, ahead of provincial targets in every year and, most importantly, providing much-needed access to education and training for the region. [1430] innovation and community connections have been hallmarks for the college since its transition from o kanagan u niversity c ollege. l ast week, for example, young children walked into a brand-new day care at the k elowna campus. it was built in part by the college's residential construction students and is being operated by the k elowna Family Y — an example of productive part- nerships that benefit students, staff and area residents.

Then there are the students, particularly the students in the Students in Free enterprise program — called the SiFe program — who have distinguished themselves locally, nationally and soon internationally. These students — who work with area business leaders and organizations, such as the k elowna c hamber of commerce and the economic development commission and k -to-12 students — bring the important messages and experience of entrepreneur- ialism and ethics to a younger audience and perform valuable services for the businesses in the region.

W e recently learned that the college's SiFe team, who distinguished themselves nationally in business competitions with third-place finishes against teams from much larger university business schools, have been chosen to go to berlin this fall to compete in international business com- petitions — a tremendous testament to the great work that the business program does at okanagan college.

british c olumbia Debates334 Monday, September 14, 2009 o ther business students from o kanagan c ollege boast a record of victories and medals in a host of provincial, national and international business-simulation competi- tions. My colleague from k elowna–l ake c ountry has coached and mentored many of those teams and has helped establish the stellar reputation of o kanagan c ollege's school of business.

There are more examples of the college's success. n ow the second-largest trades training institution in british c olumbia, o kanagan c ollege's apprentices consistently win medals provincially and nationally in the c anadian Skills c ompetition. o ne of the college's culinary arts students, David c olombe, recently learned that his recipe for fire-roasted tomato gumbo was judged the best of the best by the Florida tomato council in a competition open to apprentice chefs from across u .S. and c anada. a s Minister of a griculture, of course, i have every confidence that David's recipe will taste even better with b.c.'s homegrown tomatoes.

Speaking of agriculture, i was honoured to be named Minister of a griculture and l ands in Premier c ampbell's cabinet. i've spent my career working on behalf of b.c. farmers and ranchers and food processors, and now i'm looking forward to working on their behalf in this capacity and from this position.

We have a strong, diverse agriculture industry with challenges but great strengths and great opportunities. b.c.'s farmers and ranchers are stewards of our critical land and water resources, and we lead the country with our reputation of stewardship, food safety, innovation, productivity and quality of our product. in response to the member for Saanich South in her opening comments to this h ouse, i want to assure her that my definition of agriculture includes food. i intend to work collaboratively with all parts of the value chain to enhance the economic contribution of this industry to rural economies and b.c. communities in every region of the province. b.c .'s primary agricultural sector has sales of $2.8 billion, employing 33,000 people, and the agrifood sales and employment rise to $22 billion and 306,000 jobs when processing and food service are included.

Diversity is one of our greatest strengths — more than 225 commodities. This diversity, while it's one of our greatest strengths, is also one of our challenges as we deal with a complex set of programs and policies in the agriculture sector. Making sure that these programs have the flexibility to meet the needs of all producers will continue to be the focus of my efforts.

We need to build on the opportunities and the growing public support and awareness of the importance of local food production while continuing to capitalize on export opportunities that take advantage of our reputation for safety and quality and our proximity to major markets.

The b.c. agriculture industry can also be a solution provider — a solution provider for health outcomes through the provision of healthy, nutritious food and active lifestyle, and a solution provider for our climate action objectives through greenhouse gas reduction, focusing on alternative energy, conversion of waste to energy and many other options that are available for the industry to be a significant solution provider for our climate action initiatives. This will take strategies and actions aimed at achieving greater profitability and social licence for the industry.

Fiscal realities and the complexities of federal-provincial arrangements suggest a more strategic approach is needed. Most importantly, we need to ensure a profitable sector, and that is why key elements of this budget are important to the industry. [1435] The implementation of the harmonized sales tax provides a direct benefit to the bottom line of b.c.'s primary producers and food processors. That is why the b.c. a griculture c ouncil, representing over 12,000 producers, has supported this announcement, and that is why the b.c. Food Processors a ssociation has supported this announcement.

The industry estimates there will be over $16 million in direct benefits to the bottom line for producers, not to mention the reduced costs of farm inputs as embedded PSt comes out of the cost of farm inputs, and the reduced costs of compliance. b.c.'s farmers and ranchers and our food-processing industry will also benefit from the continued reductions in small business taxation rates.

We need to create a climate that will bring new people into the industry, attract investment and continue to grow our industry. t o this end, we have worked with farmers and processors to develop the Growing Forward agreement in partnership with the federal government. These agree- ments were signed in a pril, and $78 million annually will be invested in b.c. for a number of new programs designed to increase competitiveness and innovation in agriculture.

This budget protects our participation in those programs. t en million dollars has been provided for environmental farm planning and best management practices to ensure we remain leading environmental stewards. This is good for public confidence in the industry and good for markets. Three million dollars has been provided for food safety initiatives for small-scale food processors, continuing to contribute to our strong focus on food safety and supporting value-added activities in small agrifood enterprises.

This summer, during my agriculture tour, i was in Dawson c reek with the member for Peace r iver South, and we were pleased to be able to announce $1½ million over three years for the b.c . wild predator prevention mitigation pilot program. This is in addition to our continuing support for the $10 million mitigation and compensation program for wildlife damage to standing crops and forage. This will

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 335 help the livestock, grains and forage sectors to protect their investment and assist in success for the cattle industry. We know we have continued challenges in the livestock sector, and we have appointed a r anching t ask Force under the leadership of the Parliamentary Secretary for the r anching t ask Force, the member for k amloops– n orth Thompson, who co-chairs this task force along with the president of the b.c. c attlemen's a ssociation.

We will work collaboratively with this sector to identify ways to improve profitability and long-term sustainability of the industry. on my tour i also had the pleasure to join producers at their cranberry Field Day and to join the b.c . blueberry industry Development c ouncil to celebrate blueberry Month. b.c. remains one of n orth a merica's top cranberry producers, a growth industry based on market innovation and a healthy product. british c olumbia is c anada's number one producer of highbush blueberries and the world's second-largest producer.

These are just a couple of examples of the sectors in our industry that we can be very, very proud of. This budget protects our core programming in business risk management for the industry, providing over 40 years of providing that insurance for b.c . crops. it's a sound investment by government — over $300 million in annual coverage for b.c . producers — and we continue to work with the federal government to bring a griStability admin- istration back to british columbia, improving timeliness and service delivery of this program to the producers.

These are all important, key parts of this budget, and the work that we have done ensures and protects those core programming initiatives, despite the challenging fiscal realities that we are facing. The lands component of the ministry is also very important. in our brownfields renewal program i recently announced over $1 million to support environmental investigations of 12 more sites around the province. The b.c . brownfields renewal strategy helps local economic growth, encourages investment that benefits communities and brings idle sites back into productive use.

We are making programs work for our industry, we are working collaboratively with industry, and we look forward and i look forward to a sustainable and profitable future for the industry. We are really looking forward to the o lympic opportunities to market b.c. food and wine. We have a great story to tell, a great industry and great products to promote. This is a great opportunity for us and one that will be able to showcase this great industry to the world and to the province of b.c. [1440] When i decided to run for this position, my wife asked me three questions.

Firstly: "Do you want to do it?" a nd the answer was: "Y es, this is something that i've wanted to do for most of my life." Secondly, she asked: "Will you regret it if you don't take the chance?" " a bsolutely." Thirdly, she said: "a re you ready for the consequences?" i said: "What consequences?" She said: "Y ou might just win." So here i am, excited, honoured with the opportunity and looking forward to making a difference for the province, making a difference for k elowna-Mission, making a dif- ference for the o kanagan, making a difference for the agriculture industry.

W e are in very challenging times, but as the r olling Stones said: "Y ou can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need." o ur tough times mean that we can't get all the things we want in our constituency, all the things we want in our vital agricultural sector. h owever, if we really get what i think Mick Jagger was trying to tell us, we must work together on the funda - mental requirements to get quickly back on the road to economic recovery, knowing that what we need to thrive — jobs, investment, a competitive tax regime, economic activity — will set us on the road to afford the things we need.

That is what we will do. This budget sets out the foundation for that, and i will be proud to support it when the time comes for the vote on this budget. D.

Routley: it gives me pleasure to rise in the h ouse again to speak to this h ouse about the fortunes of british c olumbia. but it is very disappointing to rise again in response to a l iberal budget, shortly after the l iberal throne speech, which has amounted to a betrayal of what people consider to be the basic role of government. a s i prepared to address this budget, i was thinking about the numbers and about how they don't add up, how the promises before the election have been broken by this budget and that throne speech that we heard a few weeks ago. i was thinking about how a commitment to protect education has resulted in the cancellation of facilities grants, the cancellation of sports programs, and i asked myself: "i s it really about numbers?" indeed, it's not.

What's behind those numbers are meanings. What's behind those numbers are effects on the people of british c olumbia. This is a speech about principles. Why about princi - ples? because that's what british c olumbians care about. That, indeed, is what has been broken by this budget speech. Why is this a speech about integrity? it's a speech about integrity because that's what this place should stand for. it's a speech about integrity because that's what people expect of the people they send to this building.

This is a speech about values and a speech about priorities because that, in people's lives, is what the budget represents. The basic role of government, strong government, is to empower the people, to protect the people — protect them from want, protect them from loss. The b.c . l iberals have failed. They've created a weak government that fails to defend the people of british columbia, which fails to defend the resources of this province and direct them and their benefit to the people.

british c olumbia Debates336 Monday, September 14, 2009 integrity grows when people follow through on words. integrity grows when people fulfil promises. c ynicism and contempt grow in the space between words unfulfilled by actions. in that place rests the meaning of the b.c. l iberal budget and throne speech. This budget is a collection of orwellian phrases. We hear basically, just like George orwell taught us, that less is more. it's like the u .S.a. and their c lean a ir a ct, which resulted in dirtier skies.

We are told by this government about healthier schools at the same time that school sports programs are cut, at the same time that facilities grants are cut and schools are closed.

We hear about run of river, when every british c olumbian knows that it equates to ruin of river. e very british c olumbian knows that the projects put forward by this government without adequate assessment will ruin our rivers and give away the benefit to their friends. [1445] What we have is a set of principles. it's not by mistake that any of this is happening. it's happening because there's an effort in place, a plan in place to move the benefit of this province — shift it upward — to only a few from the many.

We hear about a ctn ow b.c., and then what do we see? a failure to act to protect the interests of children in schools, to protect school sports. a failure to act to protect british c olumbians. We hear about safe streets at a time when our streets are becoming more and more unsafe.

These are orwellian phrases that mean nothing. in fact, they mean the opposite of what they claim. o ur country and our province were built on caring for one another, respect for one another, responsibility for one another and our province. it was founded and built on the notion of the common wealth. it was built from a determination and a commitment to this province. The failure to take up the responsibility to protect that legacy leads us to weak government. People send us here with a much higher expectation. What they see is an erosion of the public capacity.

What they see is a failure to follow through on words, and a weak government. So how do we build integrity, Madam Speaker? W ell, first of all, we build it by keeping our promises, by following through on those things that we claim. That's what this government did during the election. They promised to protect health care, and what do we see? We see increased wait times, surgery cuts, Mri waits going through the roof so that people are waiting for necessary procedures much longer than they should, much longer than they did.

So how is that protecting health care? h ow is it pro- tecting education when we see the cuts that we've seen? This speech in reply to the budget has to be about prin- ciples and integrity, because it can't be about numbers when the numbers prove to be meaningless. in fact, the numbers that are offered up by the government are exactly the numbers that we can count on not coming through. We heard the Finance Minister in this h ouse dozens of times stand up and say: " it's $600 million and not a penny more." e very british c olumbian heard it over and over again, even in light of security costs of $895 million.

So it was clear to every british c olumbian that what they were being offered was not true — not true. c ynicism grows in that place between words unfulfilled by action. We were told that there was a $495 million deficit, maximum, in defiance of all the recommendations and in defiance of what the government, in fact, knew. This is not bungling; it's not by mistake.

This is part of a program to shift resources and benefits of this common wealth up into the hands of a very few, and any government that fails to protect the interests of british c olumbians and directs those benefits only to the few is a weak government. People know that circumstances change, that changing context demands a change of policy, but what they all expect is that principles clearly stated would never shift.

This orwellian language, this deceit laid bare before us now after the election leads to contempt, leads to cynicism. everyone has a right to hold these viewpoints, this ideology — Fraser institute–driven — that the govern - ment seems trapped in. everyone has a right to hold those views, and everyone and every party makes mistakes, but it is not okay to hide your intentions. it is not okay to hide what you're going to do, to not tell the truth to be elected. it is not okay to leave people in poverty. it is not okay to disconnect this province from the benefit of its resources.

This budget is destroying people's ability to act together. [1450] c hoices made are removing the resources they need — we need — to care, to protect. This deficit-fighting gov - ernment that holds the gold and silver for the largest two deficits in the history of this province — followed in third, the bronze, by a former Socred government — is failing this province.

They inherited the largest surplus ever in this province. o ver 12 years they will have doubled the debt. o ver the last eight years GDP growth has averaged 2.8 percent versus 2.9 percent in the '90s, despite the fact that the government then endured the withdrawal of fed- eral transfers, the asian flu and savings and loan disaster. This government has managed prosperity for the few. This government took a made-in-n orth-a merica housing boom and coupled that with a made-in-b .c. poverty boom.

So how do we address this with our core industries mismanaged into failure, a tax base vaporized by their policies of deregulation in our core industries? h ow do they expect our children and grandchildren to repay that enormous debt without the assets necessary to do so? b.c. r ail. The privatization of b.c. Ferries. People expect their common wealth to be used for the common good. Part of a greater plan is what we see here, destroying the public sphere. The disabling and destruction in the name of faith-based economics is leading us down a path of loss.

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 337 in good times we would have expected that this gov - ernment put away. Weak government is what we are left with.

The u nited States has moved on. europe has moved on. a sia has moved on, while b.c . is stuck with the b.c . l iberal privateers' approach — the sights of these privateers fixed firmly on the common wealth of this great province. a ll the vessels of opportunity that built this rich, equit- able and fair society are targeted by these opportunistic policies — public education, public health care, all of our children starting at the starting line together.

This has been e nron-style accounting with off-balance-sheet debt unreported. n ot only will we have a $60 billion debt in 2013, but we'll have at least $58 billion in off-balance-sheet debt accumulated through their public-private partnership experimentation. h idden debt, hidden taxation, the hS t — the ultimate hidden tax. a nd who pays? e veryone has a right to hold these ideologies. e veryone has a right to believe that that's the right thing to do, but this government didn't have the right to hide that from the people. every person who runs for this h ouse needs to be upfront about their intentions, particularly this government.

When people are elected on those o rwellian mistruths, we see terrible consequences. The people of british c olumbia…. n ow we lead the country in child poverty, with the highest child poverty rates for six years running. What kind of legacy is this? n ot taking up the respon- sibility entrusted to that government is their failure. c hild care, poverty, inequity. This is the new b.c., a b.c. of divided communities, a divided province. We've seen the dilution of the advantages of this prov- ince. This government is failing the twin responsibilities core to government: empowerment and protection.

This is a weak government. The values and principles of this government have led us to see the loss of our control over our resources. broken promises. e xploitation. Great goals. Meaningless phrases. The new relationship, every bit as abusive and unresponsive as the old relationship. [1455] Their commitment to the environment. We see this budget cut the environment Ministry, cut in half the climate secretariat, cut enforcement. That's the commitment to environment from the b.c. l iberal government. it's about the arts that have been cut. it's about the services to children and families that have been withdrawn.

We have seen the shifting of resources to their friends, and british c olumbians expect more. They know that the role of government is far deeper than simply managing the benefits of a province for their friends. The under - mining of democracy that we've seen in this h ouse, the removal of local autonomy from local governments, the hamstringing of the budget estimates process — so many individual pieces, individual attacks on democracy. This government has gotten rid of the watchdogs that protected our communities and protected our environment. This government has led us to casino capitalism.

Y ou have to buy your way into their game. People expect government to defend their communities in a balanced way. They expect the three legs of the stool to stand together. but this government has severed those links that the community had to its resources and the resources to care for one another. This government has set up the self-interest versus the collective interest. in the end, when people accept this, when there's an acceptance, when there's a resignation to these outcomes, it leads to despair and disengagement. it doesn't have to be that way. This province can be restored.

This province can be returned to the path of protecting its citizens from harm and want. u sing the resources of this province for the common good, we could return this province to the lowest child poverty rates in the country. Second lowest were the child poverty rates in this country in the '90s, and we could do better if we had the right policies that put the people of this province first. W e could restore our parks, the interpreters. W e could restore and deliver into the hands of british c olumbians the benefit of their resources. We can protect british c olumbia from want.

W e can return to those low poverty rates, but not as long as this government's single and soul focus is to hand the resources and the benefit of this province to their friends. t ommy Douglas used a phrase that's very well known. h e said: "h ave courage, my friends; it's not too late to build a better world." People focus on the second part of that phrase: "i t's not too late to build a better world." indeed, it's a hopeful message. but the important part of that message is the first part, "h ave courage, my friends" — have courage. The government should have the courage to speak to the people clearly.

The government should have the courage to tell the people what it's actually going to do. The government should have the courage to stand on its true agenda. it didn't have that courage. it is a weak government that needs to veil its intentions in order to gain support, and it is a government that has given away the benefits of this province. The basic role that people expect of us in coming here is to protect them, to protect their province, to protect its resources, to protect their stake in their province. The actions of this government have done exactly the opposite.

They have removed our stake in our province. They have removed our control over our public resources. They have removed the benefit of public systems. We see public school enrolment falling by a little over 10 percent. We see private school enrolment, all of that

british c olumbia Debates338 Monday, September 14, 2009 population shifting to private schools. Private schools had 1/10 the enrolment of the public system. So if the public system loses 10 percent, the private system gained 100 percent. [1500] it's part of a plan to disarm our province from pro - tecting itself.

Those institutions — public health care, public education — that created this great province, which gave to our children the ability to compete fairly and equitably, are the targets of this government. a s we enter a new school year, and as the parents stand outside in the cold morning air and watch the vapour of their breath disappear along with the benefits and the interests of their children, it's up to us on this side of the h ouse to defend them. it's up to us to remind this government about what its mandate truly should be. it did not run on withdrawing the supports from children in this province. it did not run on increasing wait times and cutting surgeries. in fact, it ran on the opposite. it ran on the opposite, and in a deceitful measure, they turned every promise on its head, just like they did with b.c. r ail, just like they did with the heu contracts, just like they did with the benefits of our resources.

We should expect more, and the people of british c olumbia are ready to do more. but they will not line up for the great task in front of them behind a discredited leadership, this b.c. l iberal government. The only way for us to build the credit and integrity it takes to govern is to measure up to the words we speak, and that has been the largest failure of this b.c. l iberal government. W e offer hope to the people of b.c . that their interests can be restored. Who could blame the people of british columbia for becoming cynical, faced with this many broken promises?

Who could blame them for not showing up at the polls when their vote seems to mean nothing to a government that quickly breaks every promise it makes? but they haven't. They haven't become cynical. They haven't given up. They still expect you to do better, Member. They still expect you to stand for something. They still expect that during the election, what you say is what you will do. What you say is what you will do. t o the members aside: cynicism grows in the spaces between words and deeds unfulfilled. h ope and integ - rity grow out of words and promises fulfilled.

When our first nations people stand at the shore waiting the long wait for the partner they've long waited for, and their hope is met with the disappointment and the unfulfilled words like "new relationship," who could blame them for becoming cynical? Who could? but they haven't. They still wait in good faith for that partner, just as every british c olumbian waits for a government that will honour that commitment to protect our children, to protect our environment and to protect our services. We've seen a loss of interest. We've seen a loss of equity.

We've seen growing gaps in our community between the rich and the poor. We see criminal organizations, ten times more than there were eight years ago. We see people living on our streets, more than 300 percent more of those people living on the streets in the l ower Mainland. in small resource-based communities, we see people living under bridges. What a failure in a province so rich. What a failure in a province that was built on such a dedication to one another. What a loss of the privilege it was to inherit that legacy. We are meant to build on the legacy, not dilute it.

We are meant to offer hope to people that their province can be more, that their prov - ince can grow, that their province and their interest in it can become more. but what we've seen is that dilution, a dilution of every british c olumbian's interest in their own province. [1505] So that three-legged stool between the economy and the public and the environment is not standing very steady these days. The one long leg that the l iberals have reinforced has been to hand over the resources of this province to their friends. e very british c olumbian supports entrepreneurs.

They would buy a car, but they don't expect to have to buy a road. This l iberal government has moved us from a province that was built on empathy and caring to one that is built on self-interest, greed and the inside track. if you are a large enough donor, if you offer a way to privatize a public interest — a river, a park, a school, a hospital — you're friends of this government. That's the ideology this government brought to this h ouse and that this budget reinforces. The advantage of the budget is that it offers numbers to that meaning. We can see the priorities of the b.c. l iberal government.

We can see them as they cut, as they withdraw the resources from our arts programs, as they withdraw resources from our schools, as they withdraw resources from environmental stewardship.

This is when the priorities are laid bare in front of us, and this time it shows. it shows the words that painted the Premier green. it shows the words "new relationship." it shows how empty they all have been. it has led us to this place of cynicism where the unfortunate in this province are left behind, where the very institutions that are required to grow us and lift us out of this situation are exactly the ones targeted by this government.

Madam Speaker, how can we rebuild our province when the very resources necessary to do so have been pulled out from under us? o ur small communities are waiting. o ur school boards are waiting. h ospital patients are waiting. They're waiting for the promises to be fulfilled that those members made during the election campaign. a nd instead what they're finding have been cuts, the with- drawal of the very services that were promised. So it wasn't a mismanagement of prosperity. it was a management of prosperity into the hands of the few,

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 339 and the outcome is a terrible consequence for british c olumbia and its future. i will be voting against this budget and in favour of a british c olumbia that, again, would be founded on empathy, determination and courage. D.

Barnett: it is with pride that i stand here today in british columbia's legislature to speak about budget 2009. i would like to start off by thanking all those that supported me in the c ariboo-c hilcotin and for electing me as your member of this l egislative a ssembly. it is a great honour to be representing this region that is so close to my heart. i would like to give special thanks to Walt c obb, Gillian Pledge, k aren r oberts, bill c arruthers and Dorothy h artshorne, just to mention a few.

There were so many, i could be here for days. it is a responsibility that i take very seriously, and i am excited to work very hard for the people in our com- munities, both in my role as Mla and as Parliamentary Secretary for Pine beetle c ommunity r ecovery. W e all recognize the significance of the global recession and the downturn in our resource industries.

These key industries of forestry, mining, manufacturing and agriculture are the backbone of our province's economy and are the creators of real jobs and revenue in both my constituency of the c ariboo-c hilcotin and throughout the province of british c olumbia.

We are dedicated to helping those in our communities who are in need, building on our social commitment to health care and education, as well as doing all we can to protect the health of our environment for the well-being of all british c olumbians. [1510] in order to build the society that british c olumbians have asked for, a place where everyone has the ability to live their dreams and fulfil their potential, our government must provide the dollars required for health care, education, recreation, child care and seniors care. t o accomplish this task, we must have a vibrant economy. a vibrant economy can only be created by jobs.

These come from our resource communities — forestry, mining, oil and gas, agriculture — and tourism. british c olumbia is a big province, and while much of our population is in the urban centres, the foundation of our economy lies in our rural communities, in regions like the c ariboo-c hilcotin.

We must do all we can to support and encourage new investment, assist existing business and industry, and continue to support unemployed forest workers through our Ministry of c ommunity and r ural Development working in partnership with our federal government. by working collaboratively with all levels of government, we have been able to help many get back to work providing for families, along with single young men and women, to keep our communities vibrant and thriving. o ur government's infrastructure program has put many workers on the job in 2009 in the c ariboo- c hilcotin.

From c ache creek to Prince George, the c ariboo connector has seen $1.5 million to improve our transportation corridor, improving safety and creating jobs. in addition to our transportation infrastructure, we have been investing in libraries, care facilities and schools. in 100 Mile h ouse a new library is being built, thanks to a partnership with local government, provincial and federal dollars.

With the partnership of the provincial government and the c ariboo regional hospital district, a new addition to Fischer Place, a long-term care facility, is also on stream. a new capital commitment from this government for a new n eighbourhoods of l earning school in Williams l ake is in the planning stages with the capital dollars, ready to put the shovel in the ground when the planning is done. The private sector has faith in this government, even in a time of global recession, that it is showing with new investment in our communities. a n 101,800-square-foot Wal-Mart is soon to open in Williams l ake.

There are new housing starts throughout the c ariboo-c hilcotin and a new state-of-the-art car dealership. c entral c hevrolet GMc Pontiac buick dealership just opened in 100 Mile h ouse in a time when we all know where the car industry is. This is confidence in our future. o ur future — that is what this budget is about. Some will disagree, and that is normal, but those on this side of the h ouse know the future can only be bright and prosperous with a good, solid financial plan and the ability to be adaptable.

We have to respond to the realities of the marketplace by creating effective policy that really addresses the needs of our communities and not be limited by dogma and ideology. t o stand up and do what is right is not always popular, but it is right for our future — yours, mine and our grand- children's. i have been in politics for a long time, and i know that it is wonderful to say yes, and it is unpopular to say no. i had the great privilege of working for over 16 years with local politicians, making decisions that for some did not go their way. h owever, we as a council made our decisions based on good, solid information and what was in the best interests of all. in my short time in provincial politics i have had the privilege of meeting and listening to politicians and citizens from all walks of life.

So far, it has been quite a learning experience, and most hard to believe are some of the comments from my colleagues across the floor. [1515] My experience in politics stems back to the days of the hon. a lex Fraser, one of the greatest politicians who stood in this h ouse. My mentor, a lex, always told me to be prepared when you hear from the opposition.

british c olumbia Debates340 Monday, September 14, 2009 They were born and raised on negativity and believe that industry and business have no place in this prov - ince and that dollars for jobs, health care and education are created by governments, somehow separate from investment. t remendous opportunities exist in our resource com- munities.

We have forestry, agriculture, tourism, mining in some and opportunities for greater mining in others, opportunities for biomass, green energy. in this province we have the highest environmental standards, the toughest, longest public processes in place before new industries can build on our landscape. i am surprised and saddened when i continually hear negativity from certain interests when a new mine or other resource industry has an application on our land base and believes in our province as a place to invest dollars, create jobs and contribute to our economy. i am glad this government has the open-door policy for investment in british c olumbia. in the 1990s it was not so. h ow quickly people forget. in times of a world economy that was strong, when our economy should have been strong…. but because there was no plan, our communities in the province faltered.

What was our credit rating then? What is it now? i will let you figure that out. The budget based on sound fiscal practice and its measures, including the hS t , is a plan to bring british c olumbia back to the front of the class, a plan that makes our business and industries more competitive on the world scene. This is what will create the real jobs needed to provide all the amenities we so enjoy in our society.

When i continually hear the negativity from the opposition, i know why many people who need the support and encouragement of their elected officials in a positive manner so they will feel good about themselves and their communities do not. The opposition wants jobs in their resource communities. Surely they must realize that to have good jobs in resource communities, you must support resource industries, not continually lead the charge of negativity and say: "n ot in my backyard." We have experts on the environment. We have the most stringent environmental processes, i believe, in the world.

We need to disregard the empty dogmatic rhetoric of the opposition and support our experts in land use, resource development and environmental stewardship. During the election we talked about independent power projects and heard the opposition's fearmonger - ing and mistruths that we were going to sell our rivers, sell b.c. h ydro and on and on.

The opposition was asked time and time again in my riding: "Where is your plan for providing community-based, environmentally sustainable power generation to meet our expanding demand?" but like here in the h ouse, they could only give fearmongering answers — no plans. l et's talk about the forest industry for a minute. in the long term, the industry and communities have pine beetle devastation ahead of them. but due to communities along with first nations leaderships working together and to support from this government, conservationists and industry, we will be strong as communities and industry in the future.

The hS t is part of the plan that will help this most valuable industry stay competitive, help the mining industry, agriculture and others. The h St will save business and industry money — money they can reinvest and, yes, pass on to their customers. i believe they will, because business is a competitive, consumer-driven marketplace. They don't want to lose customers. i am really pleased to tell you that there will be no h St on residential energy.

That means no h St on energy used in our homes. i have many first nations communities in my riding — Shuswap, c arrier, t silhqot'in. i have had the privilege over the past many years of working with many on unity rides, community forums, powwows, coalitions and day-to-day relationships. i am committed to continue to work collaboratively with these friends and now my constituents. [1520] in this budget we have protected health care, educa - tion and many core services.

Y es, we have had to make some changes, tough decisions for the short term. a s common sense hopefully will prevail and as my past mentor would say: "Short-term pain for long-term gain." D. Black: Madam Speaker, this is the first time i rise to speak in the h ouse, and i would like to take an opportunity to congratulate you on your appointment as Deputy Speaker. i'm honoured to address this h ouse for the first time, and i'm doubly honoured to speak as the elected repre - sentative of n ew Westminster, a city where i've lived and raised my family for many years.

We'll all miss c huck Puchmayr and the fine job that he did here for his constituents. i want to thank him for his help and his encouragement to me, and wish him and his family well as they face his recovery from what is a very serious illness. but he is doing well. i speak to c huck regularly, and he's progressing extremely well. i want to thank the voters of n ew W estminster and the many volunteers who spent countless hours working on my election. i want to thank my husband Peter, my sons Stuart, Matthew and David, and my daughters-in-law t akako, Joanna and Maya, and my grandchildren c hristopher, ian, Meagan, l auren, kate, Maggie and rebecca.

While my grandchildren were too young to stuff envel- opes or deliver flyers during the campaign, they are — like all of our children and then our grandchildren — hostages to the future. Their beautiful faces are a constant reminder

british c olumbia DebatesMonday, September 14, 2009 341 that the decisions that we make here today will determine the world that they will live in and the opportunities that they will enjoy. it's a daunting task, building the future for these young children and for young people. i'm eager to begin, and there's no place better than to do that from the historic city of n ew W estminster, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.

My city was named by Queen Victoria herself back in 1859, when it was selected as the first capital of the new colony of british c olumbia. because of its regal lineage, it was dubbed the r oyal city, a moniker it still holds today. i'm proud that n ew Westminster is the first city in western c anada and indeed was the first city west of the lakehead in c anada. in 1860 it became the first western city to have a locally elected municipal government.

Six years later the colonies of british c olumbia and Vancouver island were united, with n ew Westminster as its capital. t wo years later the capital was moved to Victoria, a political deci - sion designed to prove to the smaller Vancouver island that it would be an important part of the new province. i know i speak for all of n ew Westminster when i say: "Y ou're welcome to move the capital back to where it all started in n ew Westminster." Well, it's not a large city. its population is around 55,000, and it encompasses 15 square kilometres. n ew Westminster has always changed with the times, going from the boom and bust of the gold rush to an economy based on fishing and lumber, then on manufacturing.

Then the city became a major retail centre. t oday it's a centre for health care and education along with manufacturing and an emerging artistic community. o ur city has fielded championship teams in many sports, including the historic Salmonbellies lacrosse team, who were narrowly defeated on Saturday evening in game seven in overtime at Queen's Park arena.

The city is in mourning over their loss. n ew Westminster is home to the award-winning h yack football team, along with the h yack Swim c lub and the city's powerful high school teams. o ur city is home to the c anadian l acrosse h all of Fame, which draws visitors from all across c anada. While n ew W estminster has a naturally beautiful setting on a hillside overlooking the mighty Fraser, what i like best are its neighbourhoods. Queensborough is going through a metamorphosis from a working-class fishing community to a residential area with bright new homes along the banks of the river.

Sapperton is also changing, with the former b.c. Pen and the brewery now gone. n ew shops and families are moving into this historic neighbourhood that is home to the r oyal c olumbian h ospital.

Queen's Park grows more beautiful every day with its wide streets and beautiful heritage homes. [1525] The uptown and downtown shopping areas continue to grow along with neighbourhoods such as brunette, c onnaught h eights, k elvin, the West end and Glenbrook. t radition is a large part of what holds our city together, traditions like May Day, the h yack a nvil battery salute, the h yack Festival and FraserFest. t raditions from other countries have always taken root in n ew Westminster as we welcome new citizens from around the world. a ccording to the 2006 census, the highest number of citizens of visible minority in n ew Westminster are South a sian, followed by c hinese, Filipino, black and k orean. e very ethnic group contributes greatly to our community while supporting each other and celebrating the culture of their ancestral home. a n example of building these partnerships is the upcoming t aste of community Spirit at Queensborough c ommunity c entre, which will celebrate our diversity with food, local artists and very talented performers.

This year's annual multicultural festival held at the Westminster Quay was a huge success, with citizens enjoying and exploring each other's roots. i'll continue to work with all citizens, including our first nations, to support their aspirations for an inclusive community where we all achieve social and economic security. if you want to experience the vitality of n ew Westminster, there's no better place to go than to our farmers' market held each Thursday from June to o ctober in t ipperary Park beside city hall. it's a weekly habit for me and for many others to pick up a variety of fresh products, homemade goodies and handmade crafts from over 30 vendors. i want to congratulate a ndrew Murray and his volunteer team, who have created a lively and friendly gathering place at the farmers' market.

This community has a long tradition of choosing ccF and n ew Democrat representatives. n ew Westminster was the only riding in british c olumbia where a Social credit candidate was never elected. i follow in the footsteps of r ae e ddie, Dennis c ocke, a nita h agen, Graeme bowbrick and, of course, c huck Puchmayr. i will work hard and i hope wisely to fulfil the trust n ew Westminster residents have placed in me and to honour those who have gone before. n ew Westminster is one of the premiere health cen - tres for our province, thanks to the r oyal c olumbian h ospital and the many specialists who have their offices in our city.

We still miss St.

Mary's h ospital, and every time i go by that empty site, which is a big hole in the ground still, i ask myself: "What was the point of destroying a well-used and greatly needed facility that could have served our residents for many more years?" but as we have come to find out, this government does not think before it acts and certainly not before it speaks, especially when it comes to health care. r ecall along with me the Premier's promise to protect health care. h e said it, his candidates said it, and he said it again in the leaders' debate. i'd certainly like to know how he thinks under - funding the health authorities is protecting health care.

british c olumbia Debates342 Monday, September 14, 2009 The Fraser h ealth a uthority, which serves n ew W estminster, is facing a budget shortfall of $160 million in government funding. a s a result, we look forward to thousands of surgeries that will be delayed, emergency room services that will be downgraded, services slashed for mental health and addiction treatment.

Diagnostic care will be reduced, and services for seniors are being eliminated. [c. t revena in the chair.] is cutting transfers to the health authorities by $430 million over the next three years protecting health care? c ertainly not. i'm particularly upset that excellent smaller programs are going to be lost, including n ew Westminster's domestic violence response team that has served as a template for similar teams throughout the province.

For a modest annual cost of only $44,000, close to 100 families are assisted each year, mainly women and children. in partnership with the n ew Westminster police, a family services worker visits those at highest risk after a domestic violence complaint.

While the police work on criminal justice issues, the family services counsellor helps victims access community services and provides support as they deal with the trauma and family upheaval. e ssentially, this low-cost program — very low-cost program — ensures these women and children at high risk of serious injury or death are provided with resources that reduce in very real ways those horren - dous possibilities.

Slashing a program that has been so successful since 1996 makes no sense at all. [1530] Without support and assistance from the family sup - port services counsellor, it's likely that these families will experience continuing episodes of domestic violence and that the cost to the health and criminal justice systems will be increased. Such false economy.

Such a cavalier attitude towards the safety of women and children at the highest risk of injury or death. a nother excellent, cost-effective program whose funding has been eliminated is the senior peer counsel - ling program which operates out of c entury h ouse in n ew Westminster. This program has trained around a hundred counsellors who, in turn, volunteer their time to assist their fellow seniors. Since

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0914pm-02
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0914pm 02
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	478e7cd17a3819265f4e15c07262a8bd54995bed

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