British Columbia Hansard — Wednesday, June 2, 2010

H0602pm-07

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Second Session, 39th Parliament official rePort of Debates of the Legis Lative a ssemb Ly (hansarD) the honourable bill bari Soff, SPeaker iSSn 0709-1281 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 Afternoon Sitting Volume 19, Number 7

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

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 and Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General............................................................. h on. Michael de Jong, Qc Minister of c hildren and f amily 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 f orests 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 f alcon 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.

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

Pat (l) ..................................................... Prince George–Mackenzie bennett, 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 handra h erbert, Spencer (nDP) ................................Vancouver–West end c hong, h on. ida (l) ..................................................... o ak bay–Gordon h ead c houhan, r aj (nDP) ........................................................... burnaby-e dmonds c oell, h on.

Murray (l) ....................................Saanich n orth and the islands c oleman, h on. r ich (l) ........................................... f ort l angley–a ldergrove c onroy, katrine (nDP) .............................................................. k ootenay West c oons, Gary (nDP) .........................................................................n orth c oast c orrigan, k athy (nDP) ..................................................... burnaby–Deer l ake Dalton, Marc (l) .............................................................. Maple r idge–Mission de Jong, h on.

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

Port c oquitlam fleming, r ob (nDP) .......................................................... Victoria–Swan l ake f oster, eric (l) .......................................................................Vernon-Monashee f raser, Scott (nDP) ............................................................a lberni–Pacific r im Gentner, Guy (nDP) .........................................................................Delta n orth h ammell, Sue (nDP) .................................................... Surrey–Green t imbers h ansen, 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, k ash (l) ................................................................ Vancouver-fraserview h ogg, Gordon (l) ............................................................... Surrey–White r ock h organ, John (nDP) .......................................................................

Juan de f uca h orne, Douglas (l) ..............................................c oquitlam–b urke Mountain h oward, r ob (l) .....................................................................r ichmond c entre h untington, Vicki (ind.) ..................................................................Delta South James, c arole (nDP) .........................................................Victoria–b eacon h ill k aragianis, Maurine (nDP) ........................................e squimalt–r oyal r oads k rog, l eonard (nDP) ........................................................................... n anaimo k rueger, 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) ..........................................................................f raser-n icola l ee, r ichard t . (l) .......................................................................burnaby n orth l ekstrom, h on. blair (l) .......................................................

Peace r iver South l es, John (l) .........................................................................................c hilliwack l etnick, n orm (l) ........................................................k elowna–l ake c ountry MacDiarmid, 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–f alse 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 of 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 f raser boundary-Similkameen .....................................................................John Slater burnaby–Deer l ake ................................................................... k athy c orrigan burnaby-e dmonds ......................................................................... r aj c houhan burnaby-l ougheed ............................................................................ h 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 f ort l angley–a ldergrove ...................................................h on. r ich c oleman f raser-n icola........................................................................................ h arry l ali Juan de f uca .....................................................................................John h organ k amloops–n orth Thompson .............................................................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 f arnworth 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 f alcon 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–f alse creek ........................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Vancouver-fraserview ........................................................................k ash h eed Vancouver-hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-kensington .................................................................Mable e lmore Vancouver-kingsway..........................................................................a drian Dix Vancouver-l angara ............................................................. 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 c handra h erbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................eric f oster Victoria–b eacon h ill .......................................................................c arole James Victoria–Swan l ake.........................................................................r ob fleming West Vancouver–capilano ............................................................. r alph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ........................................................

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

CONTENTS Wednesday, June 2, 2010 a fternoon Sitting Page Routine Business introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 6113 introduction and first r eading of bills ................................................................................................................................ 6114 bill M211 — o pen Government a ct, 2010 D. r outley Statements (Standing order 25b) ......................................................................................................................................... 6115 b.c. b eef Day and ranching industry t . l ake Strathcona Provincial Park centennial c. t revena Dorel industries expansion in burnaby h. b loy n ew Westminster Salmonbellies D. black c anada l ine r . h oward Vancouver island Water Watch coalition conference S. f raser oral Questions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6117 b.c. h ydro energy purchase agreement with f orrest k err project J. h organ h on. b. l ekstrom b. r alston impact of harmonized sales tax on used clothing costs S. c handra h erbert h on. c. h ansen Wedding costs and implementation of harmonized sales tax D. black h on. c. h ansen h. l ali a vailability of meat-processing licences J. brar h on. i. c hong a cute care beds at St.

Joseph's h ospital S. f raser h on. k. f alcon Petitions .................................................................................................................................................................................... 6121 D. Mcr ae Standing order 81.1 ................................................................................................................................................................ 6121

Schedule for debate on bill 17 h on. M. de Jong Orders of the Day Second r eading of bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 6122 bill Pr401 — h orizons u nbound r ehabilitation and t raining Society (c orporate r estoration) a ct, 2010 J. h organ

c ommittee of the Whole h ouse ............................................................................................................................................ 6122 bill Pr401 — h orizons u nbound r ehabilitation and t raining Society (c orporate r estoration) a ct, 2010 r eport and Third r eading of bills ......................................................................................................................................... 6122 bill Pr401 — h orizons u nbound r ehabilitation and t raining Society (c orporate r estoration) a ct, 2010 Second r eading of bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 6122 bill Pr402 — Vancouver f oundation a mendment a ct, 2010 G. h ogg c ommittee of the Whole h ouse ............................................................................................................................................ 6123 bill Pr402 — Vancouver f oundation a mendment a ct, 2010 r eport and Third r eading of bills ......................................................................................................................................... 6123 bill Pr402 — Vancouver f oundation a mendment a ct, 2010 c ommittee of the Whole h ouse ............................................................................................................................................ 6123 bill 20 — Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 3), 2010 (continued) G. c oons h on.

S. bond V . huntington h on.

M. de Jong h on. b. l ekstrom J. h organ r eporting of bills ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6131 bill 20 — Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 3), 2010 Third r eading of bills ............................................................................................................................................................. 6131 bill 20 — Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 3), 2010 Second r eading of bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 6131 bill 17 — c lean energy a ct (continued) b. r outley V . huntington P .

Pimm M. Mungall r . c antelon D. r outley h on. b. Penner Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room c ommittee of Supply .............................................................................................................................................................. 6158 e stimates: Ministry of a boriginal r elations and r econciliation (continued) b. Simpson S. f raser h on. G. a bbott S. Simpson M. k aragianis a ppendix .................................................................................................................................................................................. 6188

6113 WeD neSD a Y , June 2, 2010 The h ouse met at 1:34 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers. Introductions by Members L. Popham: it's family day at the l egislature for me today. My husband, Jon, is here; my mother-in-law, Joan; my mom, l orna; and my sister-in-law k ath are here. it's the first time for my husband to watch question period. So everyone be nice. [1335] R. Cantelon: in the gallery today are at least 40 grade 10 students from — well, if i seem a little biased — one of the best high schools in british c olumbia, the kwalikum Secondary School.

They're brought here by their teacher Mr. Jaret a bel. Please make them feel welcome as they observe the democratic processes in action. H. Bains: it is my great pleasure to introduce my good friend who is the president of the k halsa Diwan Society in Vancouver and also a long-term activist in the iWa and Steelworkers now. h e is here with his uncle and auntie from england, who are visiting him. Please help me wel- come them here to this great place of democracy. R. Howard: it's a great pleasure to introduce five vis- itors from my city of r ichmond.

We have four directors and the executive director of the r ichmond c hinese community services society. They do great work. They're celebrating their 21st anniversary this year. The city benefits greatly from all their volunteer efforts. Would the h ouse please make them welcome. D.

Routley: i would like the h ouse to help me make welcome, from the h ul'qumi'num t reaty Group, Mr. r obert Morales and his assistant r oseanne Daniels. r obert is a real leader in our communities, not just in the f irst n ations community but a leader for all of us in the newcomer communities of the mid- island as we consider the complicated issues that confront us all when it comes to reconciliation. D. Hayer: it is also my pleasure and the member for V ancouver-f raserview's l iberal riding president….

We had a lunch with three very special guests. o ne is Major Sanghera and Mr. baldish Sanghera, who are from l ondon, england, visiting here with their nephew, k ashmir Dhaliwal, who is a long-time community activist and president of the k halsa Diwan Society of V ancouver, which is also called r oss Street, one of the oldest Sikh temples in north a merica. This is the Sikh temple that fought for the rights for all the people from Southeast a sia to get them rights. a lso, anybody who ever needs any help, that's the temple that goes and helps them.

Would the h ouse make all three guests very welcome to this h ouse today. J. Horgan: Joining us from the aging, decrepit and nearly-falling-down belmont Secondary School in my constituency are three young grade 11 students who had sent some positive vibes to the Minister of e ducation in the hopes of a new school. They are Grant Mcl achlan, k elsea bendell and k ira c how. Would the h ouse please make these three students very, very welcome. D. McRae: i have four guests visiting me in the l egislature today. They are registered nurses from the c owichan Valley, Parksville and the c omox Valley.

Would the h ouse make brenda h ill, Genoa Daniel, betty fitzsimmons and Mary Wilton welcome. S. Fraser: i would like to join my colleague across the way from Parksville-Qualicum in recognizing Jaret a bel's class from kSS, kwalikum Secondary School. My daughter graduated from there two years ago. i just want to add one thing to the member for Parksville- Qualicum's welcoming, and that is that kSS rocks. M.

Dalton: Visiting us today in the gallery are three special and very important people in my life. first of all, my lovely wife and personal angel, Marlene. a lso for the first time is my father, Peter Dalton, and his bride of three years, c leo Jones Dalton. c leo is a wonderful and brave woman. When she married, she adopted six families, including 19 grand- children at last count. She helped run a family logging business for many years in the enderby area.

Dad is a man who i've always had tremendous respect for. h e was in the c anadian military for 36 years, going up through the ranks to become a captain. h is service included a stint with the u nited n ations peacekeeping force in egypt. Would the house please make them all feel welcome. D. Routley: i have another guest that i'd like the h ouse to make especially welcome.

Y oung t ali c ampbell, who is sitting up in the press gallery, is a student reporter. h e started the first student newspaper at John barsby secondary school in n anaimo. [1340] i'm very pleased to have a young person who is con- cerned with the affairs of the community and with what happens in this h ouse, because it's so important to us,

british c olumbia Debates6114 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 our future and to his life and those he will be reporting to. So welcome t ali c ampbell. Hon. S. Thomson: it's family day in the l egislature, but it's also beef Day in british c olumbia. in the gallery today we have many representatives of the ranching industry from british columbia, from across the province.

We're very pleased that they were able to join us today for an event at the l egislature celebrating b.c. b eef Day. in the gallery — and i'd like the h ouse to make them welcome — are r oland baumann, the past president of the b.c. c attlemen's a ssociation; Judy Guichon from Merritt, the newly elected president of the c attlemen's a ssociation — just elected on Saturday as the new president of the association; bill f reding, the president of the b.c. c attle f eeders a ssociation; k evin boon, the executive director of the association; k aren and John k ochel with the b.c. breeders association; c hief h arold a ljam from the c oldwater band, who is also the president of the first n ations a gricultural a ssociation; Mark Grafton from Prince George, a director of the as- sociation; t ed h aney from the c anada beef e xport f ederation; and Janet c anters from the beef information c entre.

They're all here today to help us celebrate beef Day in b.c., so i'd like the h ouse to make them welcome. Just to make it official, i'd like to read the proclamation proclaiming beef Day in british c olumbia. "t o all to whom these presents shall come: greeting. "Whereas b.c.'s grasslands produce some of the world's highest-quality cattle; and

whereas b.c. beef producers are renowned for the way in which their cattle are raised in a healthy environment and ecologically sustainable manner; and

whereas b.c. cattle are part of an integrated c anadian beef production system that is the third-largest exporter of beef worldwide and well respected for having a high-quality finished product; and

whereas ranching in b.c. has the advantage of proximity to markets and the drive to move ahead in a competitive world; and

whereas the ranching industry supports b.c.'s economy through more than $250 million in cattle sales and more than 8,700 jobs; and

whereas the r anching t ask f orce has a goal to increase the profile of ranching in british c olumbia to the public and the government; and

whereas our l ieutenant-Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the executive council, has been pleased to enact o rder-in-council 903 on o ctober 11, 2002. "k now ye that we do by these presents proclaim and declare that June 2, 2010, shall be known as beef Day in the province of british c olumbia." Hon. J. Y ap: f urther to the introduction by the member for r ichmond c entre, i'd also like to add my greetings to our visitors, great community leaders from the r ichmond c hinese c ommunity Society who are here with us.

They are c lara c how, president; n orman Sung, vice-president; e velyn l au, past president; t eresina l au, director; and their executive director, h enry beh. Would the h ouse please give them a warm welcome. B. Routley: i would like to join the member for c omox Valley in welcoming brenda h ill. She's a registered nurse and one of the many nurses that deals with difficult cir - cumstances on a daily basis and does so with a smile. Please join me in welcoming her to this precinct. D. Hayer: i have eight more special guests here.

Six are our six Global ink students from india's it school who are studying at uVic right now. These are top stu- dents from india who were offered to attend the graduate schools at o xford, h arvard, Stanford, Princeton and other universities. These special guests include c hinmay Misra; n ivedita Patnaik; a virishu Verma; Pranav Sakulkar; Saurabh Goyal; Vidhoon Viswanathan; Sean c unnin, from uVic; and Jason l esage, a stakeholder relationship coordinator from MitacS inc. at ubc.

Would this house please make them very welcome. [1345] Introduction and First Reading of Bills bill M211 — oP en Go VernMent a ct, 2010 D. r outley presented a bill intituled o pen Government a ct, 2010. D. Routley: it gives me pleasure to rise to introduce the private members' bill, o pen Government a ct, 2010, for first reading. Motion approved. D. Routley: a t a time when voter turnout and faith in government is at unseen lows, it is incumbent on us as leaders to move to restore that faith.

The fourth President of the u nited States, James Madison, said that a popular government without popular information or the means to acquire it is but a prelude to farce, tragedy or both. James Madison paints for us a picture timely in today's democracy. This act takes advantage of changes in electronic technology to promote routine disclosure and decrease overall government costs of disclosing information while expanding general public access to information.

This act also recognizes the role of reasonable data- sharing of personal information while safeguarding an individual's right to privacy by adding a requirement that the f reedom of information and Protection of Privacy a ct provide for privacy impact assessments, to be completed in a timely way so that they may guide all future electronic records projects.

These amendments restore government accountability by creating a duty to document decision-making, giving the commissioner power to oversee the Document Disposal a ct and increasing the scope of the act to include infor - mation from quasi-public bodies and alternative service providers, ensuring public access to information concerning

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6115 bodies that are paid public dollars for performing gov- ernment functions. finally, this act increases the transparency of govern- ment with regards to information available to the public. by expanding the scope of the f reedom of information a ct, enhancing the public interest paramount principle and limiting exceptions under

section 13, it restores a high standard for public access to information. c oupled with improvements in the time and cost involved, this act improves government accountability, transparency and openness. i move that this bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting after today. bill M211, o pen Government a ct, 2010, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. Statements (Standing Order 25B) b.c . beef Da Y an D ranchin G in Du Str Y T.

Lake: t oday is the first annual b.c. beef Day in british c olumbia, and today we celebrate the men and women who raise the high-quality beef that many of us enjoy on a regular basis. f or well over a hundred years british c olumbians have been ranching on the high-quality ranges that cover much of our province, particularly in the interior, where western ranching traditions are part of the fabric of most communities. o ver 4,000 ranches operate in the province, from small hobby operators to the 20,000- head Douglas l ake r anch. r anching is one of the few enterprises that uses a com- pletely renewable resource: grass, known in the c ariboo as green gold. c ows and their calves turn b.c. sunshine into protein, utilizing our high-quality grasslands, and help us feed us here at home and many around the world. n ot only does b.c. beef taste good; it's good for you. r esearch at Thompson r ivers u niversity in k amloops and the u niversity of a lberta in e dmonton indicates that a conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid found natur - ally in all dairy and beef products, may have considerable benefits for human health, including the prevention and reduction of several chronic diseases. b.c. ranchers are also among the best stewards of the environment, as they understand that the two critical inputs, grass and water, are precious resources that need to be protected for future generations of ranchers.

Many ranches have carried out environmental farm plans that guide their operations and have won national awards for their sustainable management. [1350] The ranching industry has faced tough times — drought, bSe, the high c anadian dollar — but we know that the men and women of the range are resilient.

Working with the r anching t ask f orce, the industry is committed to finding new markets both at home and abroad, conducting research into new management and marketing techniques and ensuring that ranching remains not just a historic b.c . industry but one with a very bright future. in closing, i want to remind the h ouse that wood is good, but beef is better. Strathcona Pro Vincial Park centennial C. Trevena: t ens of thousands of people hike, bike, canoe and camp through b.c.'s oldest provincial park every year. This year one camping trip in Strathcona Provincial Park is going to be a little bit different.

The Strathcona c entennial e xpedition is marking the 100th anniversary of b.c.'s first and, i'd argue, still per - haps b.c.'s foremost park by recreating the expedition which originally explored the area on central Vancouver island. The land had already been determined to be a park when the Minister of l ands, Price e llison, and a party of 23 left c ampbell r iver in July 1910 to assess the ter - ritory.

Setting off along the c ampbell r iver lake chain and then on foot, it took the group three weeks to reach the summit of crown Mountain and from there a view of the magnificent swath of countryside which was to become the park. it continued on via buttle lake, eventually reaching Port a lberni.

This July the Strathcona c entennial e xpedition will set off from c ampbell r iver to recreate e llison's route — canoeing the c ampbell lakes, buttle l ake and Great c entral l ake, hiking the mountains and the passes. r ecreating the trek was the dream of island mountain- eer and publisher Philip Stone from Quadra island. it has been years in the inception, and with the execution coming soon, the final details are being worked out, in- cluding where and when people can join in.

Philip isn't doing it just because he can. h e loves the area and wants to raise awareness of the beauty and the history of Strathcona Provincial Park. but it is also an effort, in times of receding government dollars, to start the Strathcona centennial legacy fund, which will enhance stewardship and rehabilitation within the prov- incial park. People hold Strathcona Provincial Park very dear to them. There were massive protests when a mine was approved at Myra f alls. People are concerned about horse trails being allowed in the bedwell Valley, and the f riends of Strathcona Park are working on trails and upkeep.

The centennial expedition will show the world what we already know: it is a jewel to be protected.

british c olumbia Debates6116 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 Dorel in Du Strie S e XPan Sion in burnabY H. Bloy: r ecently a business made a decision to expand into my riding of burnaby-l ougheed. This company is Dorel industries, a major world supplier of sporting goods and equipment. i was present to open Dorel's new 100,000-square-foot apparel and footwear complex, which will develop cycling and running gear. This company was started by three brothers from Montreal — a lan, Jeffrey and Martin Schwartz.

Dorel is commonly known for their production of high- performance bicycles. i'm sure you're all familiar with the Schwinn bicycles, just one of the many brands that Dorel produces. They will hire more than 225 people in the new facility, and that's excellent news for my riding. Y ou know, Dorel has been a special company. t hey have recreational facilities located on their premises to encourage employees to maintain physical activity.

They have recreational rooms with ping-pong, weight-training rooms and even a rock band room. a nother thing that Dorel does is rent lockers at the production Skytrain station, 12 lockers, complete with bicycles for their employees to ride back and forth from work and to help out on the carbon footprint. Y ou know, Dorel is one of the world leaders in produc- tion. They have over ten million square feet of production facilities around the world, and i believe it's nearly one million square feet in c anada now.

Dorel has situated their central call system worldwide in burnaby, hiring additional people and keeping this call centre open from five to ten each day. James bottoms is the heart and soul of the company and the person who has really worked with all the employees to make it the place to be. Dorel is a proud c anadian company, and i am proud that Dorel has chosen my community in which to locate their newest plant. ne W We St Min Ster Sal Monbellie S D.

Black: in a pril the member for Juan de f uca en- thusiastically promoted his hometown lacrosse team, the Victoria Shamrocks, and predicted that the n ew Westminster Salmonbellies would "get a kicking" in their first match of the season in Victoria. h ad the member looked at the record book, he would have known that the Salmonbellies have won 24 c anadian championship Mann c ups, compared to only eight for the Shamrocks. [1355] So the member should not have been surprised when n ew West defeated Victoria 8 to 4 that night before a de- jected crowd of 2,500 Shamrocks faithful. h e concluded his remarks by calling the Salmonbellies pathetic and sad sack.

There's more from the record book on the legendary Salmonbellies to educate my friend. The 'bellies represented c anada at the 1928 o lympic Games in a msterdam as a demonstration sport and were gold-medal winners. They certainly deserved this honour, because they worked their way across c anada playing exhibition games in order to pay for the voyage and then played numerous games in britain and e urope to pay their expenses and worked their way home across c anada to pay for the train.

This was a truly determined effort of amateur athletes, as opposed to the u .S. team that year, which was hand- picked by an a merican soldier, better known as General Douglas Maca rthur, u .S. o lympic president that year. in '54 the Shamrocks imported the famous Jack bionda from ontario. h e quickly tired of island life and moved to the Salmonbellies. c learly, in spite of the rhetorical flourish of the member, the luck of the irish is neither with him nor with the Shamrocks.

When n ew Westminster once again wins the league trophy, i challenge the member to wear this glorious team jersey at the opening game of the playoffs. Mr. Speaker: Did the member wish to continue with some more? [l aughter.] canaD a line R. Howard: There were those who said it couldn't be done, there were those who said it shouldn't be done, and there were those who said it must be done.

This was a project that i had the pleasure of being with from start to finish as a city councillor. i'm speaking, of course, about the c anada l ine. i'm congratulating all those people who believed in this project and brought it to such a successful conclusion. The c anada l ine links downtown Vancouver to r ichmond and the airport.

During the Winter o lympic and Paralympic Games the true value of the c anada l ine was demonstrated daily. h undreds of thousands of passengers, tourists, residents, volunteers and commut- ers shared the experience of riding this most amazing part of a great transit system. h earing spontaneous bouts of O Canada being sung by o lympic fans on the c anada l ine is a memory i will cherish.

The experience that we all had with the c anada l ine during the o lympics translated into increased ridership overall, and it's continuing to grow today. r ight now almost 100,000 passengers per day take the c anada l ine, which is three years ahead of

schedule of t ransl ink's target. The c anada l ine is taking cars off our roads and tak- ing carbon dioxide out of the air. The c anada l ine is keeping congestion off our highways and leaving more money in pockets of consumers. The c anada l ine is supporting the growth of r ichmond and is making the connection to YVr easier than ever. t o those who said it couldn't be done and shouldn't be done, i say enjoy your meal of crow. t o those who

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6117 got it done, on behalf of the people of r ichmond i say thank you. The c anada l ine is a legacy for the province of british c olumbia. Vancou Ver i Slan D Water Watch coalition conference S. Fraser: The member for n anaimo and i had the honour of attending a major conference last Sunday. We were in good company. Some 500 concerned citizens joined us in n anaimo at beban Park for Y our Water, Y our f uture. The theme of the V ancouver island W ater W atch c oalition's forum was an important one — in essence, our survival on this planet. Water is key.

The goal was to inform citizens of the dangers of privatization of water and watersheds that sustain our communities. The premise is that a well-informed public will make the right choices for themselves, for the communities they live in and for generations to follow. Vancouver island Water Watch is a non-partisan, multicommunity organization that has expanded to in- clude groups in every region of Vancouver island.

These regional groups are composed of individuals, ecumenical organizations, environmental organizations, businesses, social justice activists and organizations, anti-poverty organizations, unions, retired workers and others. [1400] They coordinate activities with independent local and regional coalitions who actively promote the protection of community water and watershed systems, commun- ity watersheds and the environment and the precious resource that water is in our communities. t alk about a great lineup of speakers.

Maude barlow is the national chairperson of the c ouncil of c anadians and senior adviser on water to the u nited n ations. i've seen Maude speak before, and she is brilliant. h er analysis of the dangers we all face from the commercialization, commodification and privatization of water is riveting, compelling and inspiring. f ollowing Maude barlow, we heard no less compelling presentations from a star-studded cast, including two former members of this h ouse, r afe Mair and c orky e vans. o ther very informative presenters included a rthur c aldicott, ingmar l ee, r obin Mathews, t revor Wicks and a ndrew Gage.

Oral Questions b.c. hYD ro ener GY Purcha Se a Gree Ment With forre St kerr Pro Ject J. Horgan: l ast week the government and b.c. h ydro quietly announced that they had signed an electricity purchase agreement with the a ltaGas income t rust for the f orrest k err run-of-river project in northwest- ern british c olumbia. The interesting thing about this announcement is that it is a 60-year term with the consumer price index indexed over the course of that period of time. u nfortunately, f orrest k err only has a 40-year water licence.

My question is to the Minister of e nergy. h ow is it that the government of british c olumbia will allow a 60-year contract on a 40-year licence? how do you do that? Hon. B. Lekstrom: a s the member stated, last f riday was a great day — a great day for the people of the north- west of this province, a great day for the t ahltan n ation, good news for the ratepayers of british c olumbia and something i'm very proud of. a s with all projects, the proponent must obtain all of the environmental and regulatory requirements to meet the needs of that. They will be looking at a 40-year water licence.

They will have to apply for a renewal of 20 years, and at that time the determination will be made. but Member, i do want to say…. i know you seem to think that f riday was somewhat to be hidden, in the implication of your question. i can tell you we're very proud of this and what's taken place, and let me tell you, the t ahltan are as well. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. J.

Horgan: Y ou can always tell how proud a govern- ment is by how late on a f riday afternoon they issue the press release. n ow, this one did come out before five o'clock, so i guess there is a modest amount of pride in that. but i have another question for the minister. if he doesn't want to talk about the term, let's talk about how much it's going to cost british c olumbians for this fixed- term, 60-year indexed contract. The minister has said he will not buy power that he can't sell on the open market.

Will the minister today tell us the megawatt cost of this project? h ow much is it going to cost for one megawatt hour of electricity from the f orrest k err run-of-river project? Hon. B. Lekstrom: With all due respect, it clearly shows with those comments that he doesn't understand how the markets work or how business works or how you actually have to make these. l et me tell you. l et me leave no…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Minister, just take your seat for a second. Members. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. B.

Lekstrom: if there's any question of how proud we are, i'll reiterate it. i'm extremely proud of a situation where we can actually benefit the people of

british c olumbia Debates6118 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 northwest british c olumbia, we can benefit the t ahltan first n ation, and we can actually have a company that's going to invest and create jobs. [1405] l et me tell you something, Mr. Speaker. What i find very interesting from the member is that until 2003, when our government made the change, there was no expiration date on the water licences issued by the nDP during the 1990s. i want to take the opportunity to read into the record the boston bar–Scuzzy creek generating station — no expiration date on the water licence.

Soo r iver plant — no expiration date on the water licence; they're in perpetuity. The list is long, Member. So to question a project of this magnitude, one that benefits not only the people of the northwest, not only the t ahltan n ation, but all british c olumbians, i have to question your business sense, Member. Mr. Speaker: The member has a further supplemental. J. Horgan: i could feel the pride when the minister said that he was going to be buying low and selling high. but he didn't get that out. l et me help the minister out a little bit.

The average price of the private power that the government has been signing up for is $88 to $120 a megawatt hour. n ow, the minister will know that the five-year average for electri- city on the commodity market is $54 a megawatt hour. So we're buying at $120 and selling at $54. i want all members of the h ouse to take some comfort. o ver the past 18 months, the government has had one day — one day in 18 months — where they were able to make some money off this private power.

So again to the minister: will he tell the people of british c olumbia what the cost is for this 60-year indexed agreement for an income trust from a lberta? Hon. B. Lekstrom: i think the member implied that i said we would buy high and sell low. i've said nothing of the sort. but the member seems to have a problem with invest- ment. What i will tell the member is that we're in favour of investment in british c olumbia. We're in favour of gen- erating clean, green, renewable electricity.

We're going to continue to do that, but if the member is implying that because there's a company from a lberta that actually is going to reap a benefit, i encourage the member to go back, to look at the numbers, to look at the contracts that you entered into, Member, when the opposition was in government — a lberta companies, ontario companies. Y ou know what? i'm proud that people want to invest in british c olumbia. i'll tell you another thing. W e're going to continue in the direction to create jobs in british c olumbia and create clean, green, renewable electricity, and we're going to do it on our terms. B.

Ralston: british c olumbians themselves have long been the main beneficiaries of british c olumbia's hydroelectric resources, but that's clearly changing. This is a very long-term energy purchase deal; 60 years is unheard of. r oberto l uongo's contract with the c anucks looks like an overnight fix compared to this. The company is bearing no risk at all because b.c. h ydro has guaranteed to buy all the power. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. B. Ralston: either the minister doesn't know the answer or he just won't share it with the public. h ow much is he paying f orrest k err for the power from this contract?

Hon. B. Lekstrom: i think the member knows — we've canvassed this numerous times — that due to confiden- tiality we don't put out specific prices, but if the member and the opposition want to listen, the range of prices that is paid for clean energy in british c olumbia will be made available. We do that. We've made that commitment. but the other one is…. i can tell you the big difference. We don't support being a net importer of electricity. We're committed to becoming electricity self-sufficient in british c olumbia again. We're going to continue to do that. interjections. [1410] Mr.

Speaker: Just take your seat for a second, Member. Members. The member has a supplemental. B. Ralston: Well, a direct award of the contract, no public oversight. is it any wonder the public is suspicious of these kinds of deals? Why doesn't the minister just answer the question: how much is the public paying for power from f orrest k err? Hon. B. Lekstrom: The member can ask the same question a hundred times. h e'll get the same answer. Member, i've actually done that. l et me tell you, what we are….

What the member is saying is that the opposition is in favour of importing dirty energy regardless of whether it's cheaper. We're in favour of generating clean, green renewable energy in british c olumbia that creates job, Member. There's also, i want to point out, a significant benefit. We committed to building the northwest transmission line. We have an agreement with the federal government. We now have a $180 million contribution towards this line that's going to help the people of the northwest. it's

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6119 going to help the t ahltan n ation, and it's going to help the ratepayers of british c olumbia. iMPact of harM oniZeD SaleS taX on u Se D clothin G co St S S. Chandra Herbert: f rom restaurant meals to the tourism sector, the hS t betrayal will hurt british c olumbians every step of the way. n ow we learn even used clothing is going to become more expensive under the h St .

Starting July 1, stores like V alue Village, stores like Salvation a rmy will be forced to charge their customers an additional 7 percent. t o the finance Minister: why are b.c. l iberals making it more difficult for b.c. families to purchase affordable reused clothes? Hon. C. Hansen: a s i outlined yesterday, b.c . families that are low- and modest-income families are going to receive the benefit of the hS t credit, a cheque in the mail every three months, to help offset some of those things that will cost a little bit more.

Y esterday i also shared with the h ouse some compari- sons as to what a family would pay in personal income tax today compared to what they would have paid on the same amount of income in 2001. it's interesting that one of the opposition members asked me where my…. Mr. Speaker: Members. Minister, just take your seat. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. C.

Hansen: one of the members asked where the facts came from and questioned the facts. a ctually, the facts for what that person would pay in 2001 came out of a budget document that has Joy MacPhail's picture on page 3. l et me just share for the h ouse another example that comes, again, out of that same budget document with Joy MacPhail's picture on it from 2001.

This is about the total taxes that a family of four would pay in british c olumbia — all the taxes — income tax, including the sales tax and the harmonized sales tax, as it will be. a two-income family of four earning $60,000 a year, according to Joy MacPhail in 2001, would pay a total of $14,478 in taxes to the provincial government. on budget 2010 it's got the apples and apples comparison. That exact same family today would pay only $11,031. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. S.

Chandra Herbert: Well, i asked about old clothes, not old lines, not used lines that the minister tries to apply to this issue. in my riding the West end Seniors n etwork runs a popular used clothing store and has a very loyal client base. They've told me they don't want to charge their customers more — many of whom are living on fixed incomes — and they also want to support reusing clothes because it's good for the environment. but starting July 1, the b.c. l iberals are forcing them to charge more. [1415] People of b.c. have been loud and clear about this government's hS t betrayal.

Will the minister stop de- fending the indefensible and scrap the hS t? Hon. C. Hansen: i'm glad the member brought up the example of seniors, because i can give you, again, some actual facts from Joy MacPhail's budget of 2001 and what a senior couple, with $30,000 of pension in- come, would have paid in their total provincial taxes under Joy MacPhail's budget. it would have been a total of $5,103. u nder a b.c. l iberal budget from 2010, including the harmonized sales tax and the benefit of the hS t credit that comes off, that same senior couple will be paying $2,500 less. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members.

We DDin G co St S an D iMPle Mentation of harM oniZeD SaleS taX D. Black: This government's flimsy defence of the hS t is simply infuriating the public. With the wedding season just around the corner, b.c.'s brides and grooms, who've been planning their big day for months, are now being forced to pay much more with the hS t .

Venue rentals, catering, wedding planners, air travel, tailoring — all of them will cost more under the hS t , and the list goes on and on. brides and grooms are just one group who will be hurt by this betrayal, but they are part of the hundreds of thousands of british c olumbians who've said no to the hS t . So my question is to the Premier. Will he finally do the right thing, just say, "i do," and scrap the hS t now? Hon. C. Hansen: What we saw in the 1990s, actually, was young married couples who had no job opportun- ities in british c olumbia.

That's why in the late 1990s we saw 50,000 young british c olumbians leave this prov- ince in search of job opportunities elsewhere. What we actually see today, because of the tax changes that this government has made, is more job opportun- ities for young families in british c olumbia so that they can actually have more money in their pockets and they can build a future in this province. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

british c olumbia Debates6120 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 D. Black: Well, clearly british c olumbians can see now what the l iberal election vows are worth — nothing.

The b.c. l iberal hS t was concocted in the middle of summer only days after the provincial election, when they promised not to implement the hS t . a s soon as the election was over, it was sprung on the people of british c olumbia without any warning or any consultation. n ow it's clear that the b.c. l iberal hS t betrayal will spare no one, not even the couples who are preparing for their weddings, not even their families who are sup- porting them in one of the most exciting but expensive undertakings of their lives. a gain to the Premier. a cross b.c. hundreds of thou- sands of people have rejected the hS t .

Will he finally do the right thing, stand up in the h ouse today and say: "n o, cancel the hS t"? [1420] Hon. C. Hansen: This is coming from a member of a political party that actually taxed young families out of this province in the 1990s. a s opposed to the nDP , which actually turned british c olumbia into a have-not province, we have made british columbia into a have province. W e have made sure that tax rates have come down for those young families. e very young married couple in british c olumbia today is paying thousands of dollars less in taxes than they would have in 2001 under the nDP . interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. H. Lali: Y ou've all seen…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Member, just take your seat for a second. i remind members that we want to listen to the question and listen to the answer. The member for f raser-n icola has the floor. H. Lali: Y ou've all seen the commercial on television with the bankers with their hands in your back pocket. They follow you around. We know that the Minister of finance is going to tax you from birth until death. Just imagine the shock of british c olumbians, obviously, when they found out that weddings were also on the list.

Maybe the Minister of h ealth cheated. h e avoided paying the h St . h e got married and had a kid just in the last year alone. Maybe it should be insider trading taking place here. Weddings are a special time for families, for friends, for food and music, song, love and romance. Y ou get the picture. Then all of a sudden, the Minister of finance, uninvited, shows up with his hands in the back pockets of the bride and groom just before they're about to say their "i do's." My question is this. The people of british c olumbia did not get a chance to vote on the l iberal double-cross that took place.

Will the Minister of finance please do the right thing today: scrap the hS t and leave wedding couples alone so that they can go off and enjoy their honeymoons without the minister's hands in their back pockets? Hon. C. Hansen: i think the only time that british c olumbia couples felt the government had their hand in their pocket taking out all their spare change was when the nDP were in power. i can tell you that if that young married couple each had an annual income of $50,000, they would each be paying 50 percent less in personal income tax than they would have under the nDP .

That would only be because what was happening in the 1990s was that most young couples, when they headed off on their honeymoon, were heading to a lberta on a one-way trip. That's where the jobs were. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. The member has a supplemental. H. Lali: The minister's answer is about as lame as his excuse that they weren't going to do the hS t in the mid- dle of the election. h on.

Speaker, there's a lot of diligent planning that wedding couples do before they're about to get married. [1425] There are a whole lot of items like photography; the cake; planning for the band; the deejay; dry cleaning; hairstyling — and the Minister of finance ought to know a thing about hair styles; catering; refreshments; decorations; and the list just goes on. n ow they find out their weddings are going to cost them 12 percent more because of the tax grab. l ast summer…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: t ake your seat. c ontinue, Member. H.

Lali: l ast summer the b.c. l iberals broke their promise about the hS t . This year couples find out they're actually going to be paying more for their weddings. So to the Minister of finance again: will he actually respect the will of the people of british c olumbia, aban- don his hated hS t plan that he's got right now, disinvite himself from people's weddings and keep his sticky fingers out of the back pockets of wedding couples who are about to go off on their honeymoons?

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6121 Hon. C. Hansen: i think what we just heard from the member for f raser-n icola is actually sad, because what he said was that weddings would cost 12 percent more. That is absolutely false. That is absolute nonsense, and it's an example of the kind of misrepresentation and misinformation that is being spread by members of the opposition and members of some of the campaigners on the anti-hS t campaign. i know that the nDP have had to go outside and get on the bandwagon with Mr.

Vander Zalm. i think it's a clas- sic example of how the nDP have become a net importer of political power. a Vailabilit Y of Meat -ProceSS in G licenceS J. Brar: The people of british c olumbia know very well that it was this minister and this Premier who mis- informed people of british c olumbia about the hS t .

This government recently introduced a new meat- processing licence called a class D licence, which will allow farmers to process their animals on site, sell their meat from the farm gate and directly sell to stores and restaurants. h owever, D licences are available in Powell r iver but not right across the water in c ampbell r iver. My question to the Minister of h ealthy l iving and Sport is very simple. Why is this government making D licences available to some communities in the province but not to others? Hon. I.

Chong: o ne of the reasons why we introduced our meat inspection regulations for the province was because we want to ensure the safety of food for the public. What we know is that when we introduced this in 2004, there would be some challenges, and we allowed for a number of transitions to take place. We provided $11.9 million to help those food processors put in those plans that would allow for the safe slaughter of meat so that the public would have that safety of their food. We also know that in some of our more rural-remote areas there were still some challenges.

That is one of the reasons we were pleased to work with the b.c. f ood Processors and farmers in these rural-remote areas to introduce two new classes of licences that will allow for further safety of food that we deliver to people who want to buy them at the farm gate. [1430] acute care beDS at St . Jo Se Ph 'S ho SPital S. Fraser: The member for c omox Valley will be presenting petitions today with over 8,000 signatures demanding a halt to the ministry's dangerous plan to cut acute care beds and staffing at St. Joseph's h ospital in c omox. The rubber hits the road today.

Will the minister agree today to halt cuts to St. Joseph's h ospital, provide adequate funding for residential care and stand up for the medical staff, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and the entire staff who make the hospital function? Hon. K. Falcon: We've canvassed this in the h ouse before. a s i pointed out at that time, and i would em- phasize again, i think it's important that the member not misrepresent what's actually happening. The fact of the matter is that the only cuts to acute care beds that ever took place at St. Joseph's took place in the 1990s — the 13 percent reduction.

What is happening now, and the member should know this…. i've actually worked very closely with the Mla for comox V alley.

What is happening in this hospital and other hospitals is that you have a number of patients in the hospital who are often seniors, though not exclu- sively, that have had their acute care needs looked after and are now waiting to transition to either residential care or back to the community. but until they are able to do so, it is entirely appropri- ate — in fact, a practice used increasingly around the world — that you congregate those beds into one part of the hospital and provide the appropriate level of care. That's exactly what's happening at St.

Joseph's. i can tell you this, as a final point. one thing i know for sure is that the Mla for c omox Valley is also work- ing on another important initiative, and that is to ensure a new hospital in the c omox Valley to build on the other investments we made in capital projects on Vancouver island. That's what we're doing on this side of the house. [end of question period.] Petitions D.

McRae: Well, believe or not, i have a petition from approximately 8,400 residents. i thought it was going to be a surprise, but you never know. i have a petition from approximately 8,400 residents from the c omox Valley and the north island who want to see the current level of service, professional care and acute care beds main- tained at St. Joseph's h ospital. Standing Order 81.1 Sche Dule for Debate on bill 17 Hon. M. de Jong: i rise to advise the h ouse that as we draw near to the conclusion of this session — whilst the vast majority of the work has been completed, and there is a

schedule in place for most of the remaining work — the government and the opposition have been unable to reach an agreement under the provisions of the standing orders with respect to bill 17.

british c olumbia Debates6122 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 Therefore, i move the following motion: [Pursuant to Standing order 81.1 (2), all remaining stages of bill (n o. 17) intituled Clean Energy Act shall be completed and disposed of on or before 5:30 p.m., Thursday, June 3rd. a t 5 p.m. on the date mentioned, the Speaker and the c hair of the c om- mittee of the Whole will forthwith put all necessary questions for the disposal of all remaining stages of the said bill without amendment or debate and divisions called on sections of bill (n o. 17) shall be taken in accordance with Practice r ecommen- dation n o. 1. a ny divisions called on the second or third reading of such bill may be taken in accordance with Standing order 16 and all other divisions will be covered by Practice r ecommen- dation n o. 1.

Proceedings under this motion shall not be subject to the provisions of Standing order 81, or the Standing or Sessional orders relating to times and days of the sittings of the h ouse.] Motion approved. Orders of the Day Hon. M. de Jong: in c ommittee a , i call c ommittee of Supply — for the information of members, the estimates of the Ministry of a boriginal r elations — and, in this chamber, i'll first call bill Pr401. [1435] Second Reading of Bills bill P r401 — h ori Zon S u nboun D rehabilitation anD trainin G Societ Y (c or Porate r e Storation) a ct, 2010 J.

Horgan: i move that the bill be read a second time now. bill Pr401 standing in my name, the h orizons u nbound r ehabilitation and t raining Society (c orporation r estoration) a ct, 2010, was brought to my attention by Dr. Philip n ey, a constituent of mine who has operated programs for youth at risk in and around the Sooke region for many, many years. o ver time the registration with the registrar of com- panies lapsed for this organization. Mr. n ey approached me. h e has attended a committee of this l egislature to put forward his case to have that corporate restoration restored.

With that, i move second reading. Motion approved. J. Horgan: by leave, i move that the bill be referred to a c ommittee of the Whole h ouse to be considered forthwith. l eave granted. bill Pr401, h orizons u nbound r ehabilitation and t raining Society (corporate r estoration) a ct, 2010, read a second time and ordered to proceed to a c ommittee of the Whole h ouse for consideration forthwith. Committee of the Whole House bill P r401 — h ori Zon S u nboun D rehabilitation anD trainin G Societ Y (c or Porate r e Storation) a ct, 2010 The h ouse in c ommittee of the Whole (Section

b) on bill Pr401; l. r eid in the chair. The committee met at 2:37 p.m. Sections 1 to 5 inclusive approved.

Preamble approved. t itle approved. J. Horgan: i move we report the bill complete without amendment. Motion approved. The committee rose at 2:38 p.m. The h ouse resumed; Mr. Speaker in the chair. Report and Third Reading of Bills bill P r401 — hori Zon S unboun D rehabilitation anD trainin G Societ Y (cor Porate re Storation) act, 2010 bill Pr401, h orizons u nbound r ehabilitation and t raining Society (c orporate r estoration) a ct, 2010, re- ported complete without amendment, read a third time and passed. Hon. M. de Jong: i call bill Pr402, V ancouver f oundation a mendment a ct, 2010.

Second Reading of Bills bill P r402 — V ancou Ver f oun Dation aMenDMent a ct, 2010 G. Hogg: This bill, the Vancouver f oundation a mendment a ct, 2010, modernizes the language and provides greater flexibility to the Vancouver f oundation, similar to

an act previously passed by this h ouse with respect to the Victoria f oundation. The bill modernizes the wording; adds greater flexibility to the Vancouver f oundation; allows donations that are given for specific purposes, which may be outside of the province of british c olumbia, to be so placed. it gives greater flexibility to the board to ensure that nominees

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6123 have the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to sit on the board. it allows greater flexibility in invest- ments as well as the placement and granting of funds. i move the bill now be read a second time. Motion approved. G. Hogg: by leave, i move the bill be referred to a c ommittee of the Whole h ouse to be considered forth- with. l eave granted. bill Pr402, Vancouver f oundation a mendment a ct, 2010, read a second time and ordered to proceed to a c ommittee of the Whole h ouse for consideration forth- with.

Committee of the Whole House bill P r402 — V a ncou Ver foun Dation aMenDMent act, 2010 The h ouse in c ommittee of the Whole (Section

b) on bill Pr402; l. r eid in the chair. The committee met at 2:40 p.m. Sections 1 to 19 inclusive approved.

Preamble approved. t itle approved. G. Hogg: i move the committee rise and report the bill complete without amendment. Motion approved. The committee rose at 2:41 p.m. The h ouse resumed; Mr. Speaker in the chair. Report and Third Reading of Bills bill P r402 — Vancou Ver foun Dation aMenDMent act, 2010 bill Pr402, Vancouver f oundation a mendment a ct, 2010, reported complete without amendment, read a third time and passed. Hon. M. de Jong: c ommittee stage debate on bill 20. Committee of the Whole House bi ll 20 — M iScellaneou S Statute S aMenDMent act (n o. 3), 2010 (continued) The h ouse in c ommittee of the Whole (Section

b) on bill 20; l. r eid in the chair. The committee met at 2:45 p.m. Hon. S. Bond: i seek leave to make an introduction. l eave granted. Introductions by Members Hon. S. Bond: i have the pleasure this afternoon of introducing a group of 24 grades 10 and 11 students, and they have come all the way from Prince George to- day, actually, to visit here. We're absolutely delighted to see them in the gallery today. They are from Westside a cademy in Prince George. They are accompanied by a number of adults, including r ob t ower.

This group is the first of two. i hope to be able to introduce the second group later in the afternoon, but they are touring the l egislature. They go to a wonderful school in Prince George. They do a great job of provid- ing a christian education in Prince George, and i want to ask my colleagues in the h ouse to make these students and the staff and parents that are accompanying them very welcome here in the precinct today. Debate Continued on

section 217. G. Coons: f or people that are joining us, here is a

section dealing with amendments to the c oastal f erry a ct. i have a few questions about this section. it deals with adding that information is going to be sent to the authority and to the Minister of t ransportation and infrastructure. it talks about reservation fees and some methodology and public comment. i'm just wondering, in

section 217(a), why the minister included this infor - mation being given to her. Hon. S. Bond: in fact, the reason we included it is that it is helpful to us. There is a potential for it to impact the ferry services contract. So it's important information, and we ask that it help inform our processes. G. Coons: i find this a fairly significant addition to the c oastal f erry a ct, where information is actually coming to the minister or to the minister's staff. What type of infor- mation is going to be coming to the minister and the staff?

british c olumbia Debates6124 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 Hon. S. Bond: i think it is important to clarify that we're not asking for anything that is exceptional. in fact, the information will also be published on the website. So we're asking for it to be given directly to us. The informa- tion would include the tariffs for the core ferry services. it would also include expenses that the ferry operator has incurred — very basic information but certainly not provided exclusively to the ministry. in fact, it will also be published on the website. G.

Coons: a nd with this information, will the minis- ter be getting information about fuel surcharges or information regarding the finances of the ferry oper - ator? Hon. S. Bond: Whatever the ferries commissioner requests in terms of information, the scope that he or she requests would be the same information that we would receive. G.

Coons: a gain, since this is one of the first times that information is directly going to the minister…. o ver the last seven years there's sort of been a "hands- off " or "keep your distance" from the workings and functionings of the ferry corporation or ferry operator. i'm just wondering. in the past, what information did the minister receive from the ferry operator? [1450] Hon. S. Bond: i do want, from the beginning, to make it very clear that the operating model for b.c. f erries is not changing. in fact, the comptroller general made it very clear that operationally, b.c. f erries is incredibly successful.

Previous to this, we would have received our information the same way the public would have, and that would have been by looking on the website. We're simply adding another step which would have that in- formation shared directly with the ministry as well as being posted on the website. G.

Coons: So this new information that the minister is finally getting, she is saying, has always been available on the website, but now you're just going to get it handed to you. i think, if i remember correctly, the a uditor General in 2006 had concerns about the amounts of information out there and no consolidation of it. one of the recom- mendations from the a uditor General was for the minister to do a comprehensive

summary report in the service plan on b.c. f erries. i'm just wondering if the minister will incorporate this new information that is now being legislated to come to the Minister of t ransportation and infrastructure and if she will use that information to do a comprehen- sive

summary report in the service plan. Hon. S.

Bond: i think we need to be clear that the f erry Services model is not changing dramatically as a result of the comptroller general's recommendations. r eally what is changing is that previous to this, we were able to access the information at the same time as the general public. a ll we're actually creating in this bill is the opportunity for us to receive the information per - haps a day or two before it's posted on a public website. r eally, it's a change in timing more than a change in content. a dditionally, we're not intending to change the way that we report on b.c. f erries.

We actually feel that the method we have in place now is appropriate. G. Coons: When i look in

section 217, i'd like to go to subsection (

c) where it talks about "the portion of the expenses applicable to the terminals serving the applic- able designated ferry route that the ferry operator has reasonably allocated to the designated ferry route, and the methodology by which those amounts have been al- located among its routes." i'm just wondering what the minister means by "the methodology." Hon. S.

Bond: in fact, this is a direct response to a recommendation by the comptroller general. it's simply asking for clarity — that the ferries commissioner have an explanation as to the methodology that's used in determin- ing costs. in fact, it's a very straightforward requirement, and it is in response to the comptroller general. [1455] G. Coons: Y es, and the minister talked about the kudos that the comptroller general gave to b.c. f erry Services, as it's currently operating, but obviously after seven years….

Y ou know, it was a scathing report, look- ing at the conflict of interest between the boards, the outrageous executive compensations and director com- pensations and down the list — concerns with freedom of information and alternate service providers, the res- ervations and dealing with public complaints. a lso dealing with this methodology — i'm under the assumption, and perhaps the minister could correct me….

She says this relates to one of the comptroller's concerns, where the comptroller says: "it is essential that key information received from b.c. f erries be reliable because it is the basis for fares, and in turn, fares directly affect b.c. f erries bottom line and the level of service fees. Therefore, the commission should apply an appro- priate level of verification." one of the recommendations, as the minister talked about…. a nd this is a recommendation from the comp- troller — applying increased verification procedures to the information provided the commissioner by b.c. f erries to ensure its validity.

When the minister gets hold of the information that's given to the commissioner, will the minister ensure that

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6125 it's valid information and reliable, so that when fares start to go up or fuel surcharges are put on to ferry-depend- ent communities, this government can stand up and say that they have been verified and they are reliable? Hon. S. Bond: The point of asking for the methodology is so that the independent ferries commissioner can do exactly what the member opposite is asking about. h e or she would have the opportunity to test, by looking at the methodology, the accuracy of the information.

That is absolutely essential that an independent ferries com- missioner do that job. G. Coons: in this legislation, is there a format or template for the ferries commissioner to use to ensure that the methodology is reliable and verifies the information that it is given? Hon. S. Bond: in fact, the whole point of having an in- dependent ferries commissioner, one that has professional stature, is that it would be his or her responsibility to actually test the methodology. So it's not about prescribing a methodology; it's about a professional, independent ferries commissioner testing the methodology. G. Coons: in

section (

d) just following that, it talks about: "e ach ferry operator must provide to the com- missioner, with the information submitted under subsection (1), (

a) a plan as to how the ferry operator intends to provide services more efficiently…." h as a plan ever been submitted to the commissioner previous to this legislation before us? [1500] Hon. S. Bond: Previous to this the commissioner would have set efficiency targets and the ferry services would have had to report back about how they were able to actually meet or attempt to meet those targets. What this legislation does is actually require that a plan be put in place and presented to the commissioner. G. Coons: i want to go down to (

f) where we're talk- ing about reviewing that "the information and plans provided to the commissioner under this section, (a.1) make public a request for public comment in relation to the following," and there's a list there. i'm just wondering: how is this

section different than what's in the current c oastal f erry a ct? Hon. S. Bond: in fact, previously the ferries commis- sioner would have responded to input. h e or she will actually now be required to solicit input. G. Coons: When the minister put together this part of bill 20 — which is close to 250 sections — as far as the ferry section, who did the minister consult as far as putting together the "public comment" and "request for public comment" and methodology and everything that's involved in this section? What was the consulta- tion process? Hon. S.

Bond: Well, in fact the member opposite would well know that the reason we're in the l egislature today is because i actually requested that the comptroller general review b.c. f erries. She did, i think, an excellent job of actually consulting, considering all of the issues. She provided government with a report and a series of recommendations. The vast majority of those recom- mendations have been responded to positively and are incorporated in bill 20. G. Coons: Did the minister personally meet and consult with the ferry advisory committee chairs? Hon. S.

Bond: o bviously, throughout the course of the work that i do, i've met with a number of individuals, but related to the recommendations and the legislation that's here today, the comptroller general actually did a significant degree of consultation and provided her report to government. o ur job was to review it, which we did, and it's her recommendations that we're acting upon in this bill.

Section 217 approved. on

section 218. G. Coons: Just a couple of questions about the reser - vation fees. Why did the minister include the reservation fees in the price cap? Hon. S. Bond: in fact, what's critical when the ferries commissioner is trying to determine the price cap…. We believed that it was important that every source of revenue be considered before the cap is set. We thought it was essential that this be included as well. [1505] G. Coons: if reservations are going to be included as part of the price cap, i'm just wondering if the minis- ter knows what the revenue is from reservations for b.c. f erries. Hon. S.

Bond: i don't have that information. G. Coons: Does the minister have any idea of what the impact will be on setting fare caps when reservations are included? Hon. S. Bond: i can't, and i am not going to, speculate about what impact it might have. i think the comptrol- ler general also believed that it was important that all

british c olumbia Debates6126 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 sources of revenue be considered before the price cap is set. i think the bill reflects that today. G. Coons: i know the minister understands that the commissioner, for four or five years, has expressed real concern with the reservations being part of ancillary services, not being regulated. basically, somewhere it was referred to as a cash cow. a nd the a uditor General had concerns. i guess there was no analysis done, but i think it's a good move to have this

section in.

Section 218 approved. on

section 219. Hon. S. Bond: i move the amendment to

section 219 standing in my name in the orders of the day. [SECTION 219, as it enacts

section 45.1 of the Coastal Ferry Act, S.B.C. 2003, c. 14, by deleting the text shown as struck out and adding the text shown as underlined: Regulation of unfair competitive advantage 45.1 (1) if a ferry operator is providing a competitive service, the commissioner must determine whether the ferry operator is pricing the service below the direct costs and an appropriate proportion of the indirect costs associated with providing that ferry transportation service, or has an unfair competi- tive advantage in providing that ferry transportation service , including, without limitation, an advantage as a result of re- sulting from the ferry operator having been provided with (

a) use of, access to or ownership of vessels or terminals that are or had been owned by the government or a government body within the meaning of the Financial Administration Act, (

b) any tax exemption, or (

c) any subsidy. (2) if the commissioner makes the determination referred to in subsection (1), the commissioner must regulate the ferry transportation service in one of the following ways: (

a) make an order under

section 69 (1) and, after an alternative service provider satisfactory to the com- missioner has been located through a competitive process established in a plan approved under sec- tion 69 (4) (

a) or created under

section 69 (4) (b) (i), order the ferry operator to arrange with that alterna- tive service provider, under contract, franchise agreement or otherwise, for the alternative service provider to provide the ferry transportation service; (

b) calculate the amount that the commissioner con- siders would be charged as a tariff for that ferry transportation service to recover the direct costs and an appropriate proportion of the indirect costs attributable to providing the service were none of the factors referred to in subsection (1) (a), (

b) or (

c) of this

section present, and order the ferry oper - ator to charge at least that tariff when providing that ferry transportation service.] a mendment approved. on

section 219 as amended. G. Coons: i do have a few questions here. When we look at the amendment the minister has put forward, what was the minister contemplating? Why was this amend- ment put forward? Hon. S. Bond: i'm going to ask the member opposite to clarify that because i think he referenced reservation fees, and i think this is about drop trailer. i'm not quite certain what the question was. G. Coons: Y es.

Going back to the definition of "com- petitive service," a key component of that is a drop-trailer service. i'm just wondering why this was brought to the minister's attention and whether or not the minister or their staff consulted with anybody on this particular issue and the concerns with unfair competitive advantage. Hon. S.

Bond: it was a recommendation from the comptroller general that, in fact, we consider addressing what might be perceived and, indeed, might be a real competitive advantage for b.c. f erry Services. once again, we agreed with the comptroller general that this was a prudent step to take in bill 20. G. Coons: in the

section that we're looking at, it talks about an "appropriate proportion of the indirect costs associated with providing that ferry…service." n ow, what would be an appropriate proportion? Hon. S. Bond: That's obviously one of the questions that the ferries commissioner will have to determine. That would be within the professional judgment of the ferries commissioner. [1510] G. Coons: i'm looking at

section 219, and they start talking about unfair competitive advantage as far as use of or ownership of vessels and terminals, any tax exemp- tions and any subsidy. What are the tax exemptions currently available to the current ferry operator? Hon. S. Bond: in fact, there could be implications in terms of property tax, in terms of income tax. There are a number of areas that might be considered. a gain, the ferries commissioner, in the determination, would have a look at those very elements. G.

Coons: a s far as tax implications, what do b.c. f erries currently get for tax exemptions as far as, say, not property but other tax exemptions? Hon. S. Bond: in fact, it's fairly complex, and i don't have an exhaustive list. What's important is that the ferries commissioner would consider this if it actually has an impact and creates an unfair advantage. So it's going to be important for the ferries commis- sioner to do that work, and as i said earlier, some of the areas that might be contemplated are property tax. a gain,

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6127 that's very complex. There are parts of it that the ferries commissioner may consider applicable and others that he or she may not. i don't have an exhaustive list. but again, it will be under the auspices of the ferries commis- sioner to consider that matter. G.

Coons: W ell, it's interesting that we have legislation here to regulate unfair competitive advantage, and people that have contacted members on this side wanted to get on record some of the answers besides: "it's fairly complex." When we start looking at some of the information that we're putting forward, it seems the minister is lacking quite a bit. She doesn't have the b.c . f erry articles.

She doesn't have information about some of the financial implications. a gain, some questioning about tax exemp- tions is fairly unclear. i'm just wondering: when we look at competitive services, are there any other competitive services that the minister foresees, other than drop trailer, that b.c. f erries has gotten into or possibly could get into? Hon. S. Bond: Well, first of all, to the member oppos- ite's first comments, we should be perfectly clear.

This legislation is before the h ouse today because the comp- troller general of british c olumbia looked at b.c . f erry Services and said that there needed to be or could well be some change considered. but i would remind the member opposite that, in fact, she said, generally speaking, b.c. f erry Services is well run. So this legislation is about principles. That's why we are not going to articulate a list here today. it is about the principle of ensuring that there is not a competitive advantage for b.c. f erries.

That will be part of the job of the b.c. ferries commis- sioner — to actually look at what might be considered a competitive advantage. We think that is an important principle, and we agree with the comptroller general that the ferries commissioner should undertake that work. H. Bains: i seek leave to make an introduction. l eave granted. [1515] Introductions by Members H. Bains: in the vicinity we have a school from my constituency, e cole Gabrielle-r oy. There are 45 students of grade 10 here with their parents and teacher Samantha Marshall. Please help me welcome them to this great place of democracy.

Debate Continued G. Coons: When i look at some of the competitive services that the minister specifically looked at or men- tioned, like drop-trailer…. There are other services that b.c. f erries has gotten into.

The new tourism centre, a 2,700-square-foot tourism centre, is high-rent space ad- jacent to the new convention centre. a few of the ferry advisory committee chairs have a problem with this, and the Gabriola island trustees have a concern that they're a monopoly. i'm wondering if the minister thinks that the subsidies going to b.c . f erries in an unfair-competitive-advantage scenario, where they get tax exemptions and they get close to $200 million in subsidies from taxpayers — that the tourism centre that they're running could possibly run in conflict with, say, tourism b.c. or t ourism Vancouver. Hon. S.

Bond: i actually am not going to speculate about that particular piece of the b.c . f erries organization. This is a broad principle that would allow the ferries commis- sioner to look at areas where there may be concern that there was a competitive advantage, but the primary focus of the legislation is transportation services. it is a principle that says — and we agree with the comptroller general — that b.c. f erries should operate on a level playing field, and that's really what this principle embraces. G.

Coons: i'm just wondering if the minister has concerns, because under tourism and business opportunities, in 2007, b.c. f erries established Pacific Marine Ventures inc., PMV , "as a wholly owned subsidiary to pursue strategic business opportunities related to commercial traffic, tourism and terminal management." i can see that the commercial traffic is the drop-trailer component of the concern that the comptroller general had.

Due to the unfair, i would say, competitive advantage as PMV , Pacific Marine Ventures, goes into tourism, terminal management or commercial traffic, i'm won- dering if the minister would agree that the PMV ventures would be an unfair competitive advantage, as b.c . f erries is getting the tax breaks and subsidies, and whether or not this is something that the minister should encourage the commissioner to investigate. [1520] Hon. S. Bond: i'm not in a position to make that de- termination because i'm not the ferries commissioner.

The ferries commissioner is an independent professional who will be given direction only through legislation. i don't intend to direct the ferries commissioner. What i do intend to do through bill 20 is provide the ferries commissioner with a principle that requires him or her to actually ensure that b.c . f erries is not operating with an unfair competitive advantage. That will be up to the ferries commissioner to take the legislation and move forward using that principle. G. Coons: i want to get into the drop-trailer situation and major concerns, as the minister probably heard

british c olumbia Debates6128 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 through the comptroller general. When we look at the commissioner ensuring there's fairness…. Washington Marine Group, Seaspan c oastal intermodal and Van isle barge Services l td. had concerns and alleged unfair competition and pricing due to the subsidies and tax exemptions. i'm just wondering.

The minister has, through this legislation i would say, downloaded the obligation onto the commissioner to ensure there's no unfair competition, to ensure at least the competitive rate is charged. i'm say- ing: what evidence will there be to ensure there will be a level playing field with those in the drop-trailer business who are trying to compete with b.c. f erries? Hon. S.

Bond: Well, i think that the member opposite should take a great deal of confidence in the fact that when the comptroller general made the recommendation that we contemplate the issue of a fair, competitive cir - cumstance in british c olumbia, we responded to that with this legislation. i have every confidence that an independent, profes- sional ferries commissioner will take very seriously the legislation that will be provided to him or her. in fact, we have every confidence that that professional, independent individual will ensure that we have a competitive en- vironment for those services in the province.

V .

Huntington: The minister will recall that during the fall estimates we had a rather extensive discussion on the issue of the drop-trailer competitive advantage that b.c. f erries, in my opinion, had. a t that time the minister was unable to provide for me the exact terms of reference that she had provided to the comptroller general. but i simply want to thank the minister and her staff for the thorough response that they have provided. i think the entire business community, with responding to what was in many of our minds a serious issue…. i think the speed and the thoroughness with which the comptroller general provided a report to the ministry and your department should be congratulated. i wanted to just put that on record.

G. Coons: i'm still trying to grasp and trying to under- stand how the commissioner will determine what is fair and what is unfair with no direction from the minister. When you look at the objectives of the commissioner, number one still is to look after the financial sustainability of the corporation. i'm just wondering: will such things as infrastructure, real estate, staff and vessel costs come into account?

This is because those concerned — as i said, Seaspan and Van isle barge Services — are looking to this legislation and some sort of commitment from the minister that there will be fairness or a definition or a determination from the minister on how it's going to be determined to be fair or unfair versus sloughing it off to the commissioner. Hon. S.

Bond: first of all, i want to just also respond to the member for Delta South. i really do appreciate and wanted to convey to her how much i appreciate occasionally a member standing up and recognizing that work has been done by staff and by the comptroller general which i think is in the best interests of british c olumbia. i think occasionally those good things happen in this place, and i think it should not go without notice. i appreciate that. [1525] The member brought us a series of concerns from her constituents, and we listened very carefully, and i think the comptroller general did as well.

So i want to say that i appreciate the recognition for staff and for the comp- troller general. t o the member opposite, i would like to suggest that we are hardly sloughing off this issue. We are bringing the most serious direction that one can provide, and that is through the law in british c olumbia.

This legislation will require the ferries commissioner to look at anything that might be perceived or, in fact, in reality have the ability to give b.c. f erry Services an unfair advantage. in fact, the amendment that we've already passed made sure that the scope was broad enough to cover whatever items might need to be considered in this. So i have every confidence that whoever is the ferries com- missioner of the day will take the most serious guidance, which is the law.

Section 219 as amended approved. Sections 220 to 223 inclusive approved. on

section 224. G. Coons: i want to look at

section 224 — a few ques- tions about alternate service providers. i do want to look at the changes and acknowledge that since day one we've said this is not workable — to try to find alternative service providers, as far as

section 69. The minister, in her consultation and listening to the comptroller general, and i'm sure talking with b.c. f erries…. i'm wondering what would be the cost per year of b.c. f erries, the current operator, trying to put in effect

section 69. Hon. S. Bond: This

section is really about looking at current practice. The comptroller general, at least, outlined that this particular practice has not been overly successful, and so the comptroller general actually recommended that we take away the mandatory requirement to look for alternate or additional service providers. i can only imagine that the ferries commissioner would look at requiring this if it were to be a cost advantage. i'm told, at least — and would find that very practical — that this

section actually might reduce costs. We don't

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6129 anticipate a large cost when we're removing a manda- tory requirement — retaining it as an option. i can't imagine that we would see additional costs as a result of this section. Sections 224 and 225 approved. on

section 226. G. Coons:

Section 226 is something…. The minister says it's not too often that a member stands up and says that this is a good amendment and that the government has listened.

Since day one, back in a pril 2003, there have been concerns about the exemption of b.c . f erries from freedom of information. [1530] The Privacy c ommissioner had major concerns and sent a letter to the minister of the day, saying that they should not be exempt and that he had problems with them. a gain, seven years of a lot of people trying to get information, whether it's people in the l egislature, Mla s, ferry users or the public. i just have one question, and kudos for putting this in there. We've called for it.

We've put forth our f air f erries bill on this side of the h ouse, which included freedom of information. i'm just wondering: approximately, what would be the date of commencement of

section 226 after this bill is passed? Hon. S. Bond: i do want to provide a bit of context for the freedom-of-information issue, because i know the member has been very public with his concerns about this. in fact, you cannot…. c ertainly, i think the comp- troller general also made the point. it is possible now for us to contemplate freedom of information for b.c. f erries because there is no longer, once this becomes law, a requirement to look for al- ternative service provision.

There was, and would have continued to be, an issue of commerciality. n ow that that no longer exists, we are able to move b.c. f erries under the freedom-of-information and protection-of- privacy process. t o that point, we have been clear that this will follow the normal course of procedure in terms of moving b.c. f erries, as other entities, under freedom of information. There are a number of processes that have to be put in place, but i can assure the member opposite that we will do it as expeditiously as possible. Sections 226 to 244 inclusive approved. on

section 245. G. Coons: There is an amendment that i've had on the order paper dealing with 245, so i would like to put forward the amendment. [In

Part 12 – Transportation and Infrastructure Amendments, adding the following section:

SECTION 245.1,

Section 75 of the Coastal Ferry Act, SBC 2003, c. 14, is deleted.] on the amendment. G. Coons: Just for the minister and staff and people following along, in 2003 when the c oastal f erry a ct came into effect,

section 75, under the ombudsperson a ct…. it says that the ombudsperson a ct does not apply to the authority or to b.c. f erry c orporation after its conversion. The amendment would make the ombudsperson a ct apply. t ravellers, communities, businesses and taxpayers are all affected by the decisions of the corporation, but at this point in time there's no requirement to consider their impacts.

There is a public input component in this legislation, but there are concerns that people — whether they are in the tourism sector, trucking, construction, commuters, seniors — need to be treated fairly in the provision of all public services. The ombudsperson, as people know, is the independ- ent voice for fairness so that every person in british c olumbia is treated fairly in the provision of pub- lic services.

There's quite a lot of information that the ombudsman does, and it promotes and fosters fairness in public administration. [1535] i believe that as we push forward to include b.c. f erries and the authority under freedom of information, it also should be included under the ombudsman a ct. a mendment negatived on division.

Section 245 approved. on

section 246. G. Coons: Just a few questions about

section 246. it talks about baseline remuneration of the directors of b.c. f erries. Just so i understand it and to make this clear, what concerns did the minister have with remuneration of directors at b.c. f erries? Hon. S.

Bond: c ertainly before we draw to the end of our sections, i want to be sure to put on the record my thanks to an incredible staff team that we have working not only on this but on dozens of other initiatives at the same time. t oday i have been supported incredibly well by Peter Milburn, f rank blasetti and n isha bathe, and i appreci- ate the incredibly good job they do on behalf of british c olumbians. They represent a team of hundreds of people in the t ransportation Ministry, and it is an excep- tional group of individuals. i just wanted to make sure

british c olumbia Debates6130 Wednesday, June 2, 2010 that they were given the appropriate thank-you for the work they do. i think it's clear to the member opposite that, in fact, we shared the belief and the recommendation that the comptroller general made. c onsidering the nature of this organization — and despite the extremely good work that the comptroller general agreed that they did very well, in her report as well — because of the nature of the work that is done, it was important to look at compensation and remuneration that was comparable to public sector organizations.

So this legislation will require that as we move forward, that principle will be applied to b.c. f erries. G. Coons: Y es, we had that debate over the last year or so about the directors and their retainer fees. i think this is a good move to compare them to public sector organizations. n ow, in

section 246(4)…. This is very interesting, and i'm scratching my head trying to figure this one out. it says: "a t the bcfS annual general meeting on September 30, 2010, the a uthority must replace the existing directors by electing or appointing directors in accordance with

section 21.1 of the c oastal f erry a ct." i'm assuming that's replacing the existing directors of b.c. f erry Services. Hon. S. Bond: it is the transition date where we will actually be separating the two entities, as recommended by the comptroller general and reflected in the changes in this bill. So that is the transition date where that separation will take place. G. Coons: c urrently there are 13 members on the b.c . f erries board of directors. So in the next four months there needs to be a process for gathering up the 13 directors of the board within four months. What is that process? [1540] Hon. S.

Bond: in fact, it will be a responsibility of the authority to identify and appoint those members, and it will need to be done within the act, which looks at skills. There are also restrictions as well. So it will be the respon- sibility of the authority within the act that we are debating. G. Coons: a s far as within the act, is there geographic representation? W ould there be geographic representation on the b.c. f erries board of directors? Hon. S. Bond: The authority will retain its geographic differentiation, so there will continue to be geographic representation on the authority.

The authority will appoint the directors according to

section 21.1, which means that they must select individuals in a way to ensure that they are qualified, who hold all of the skills and experience needed to oversee b.c. f erries in an efficient and cost- effective manner. i think, to sum it up, the assumption is and the expect- ation would be that the authority finds the best people for the job, certainly the most qualified. G.

Coons: Thank you, Minister. a s i understand it, the authority is chosen by geographic regions, but b.c. f erry Services, for the 13 members…. e ven though in the b.c. f erry Services articles there could be 20 that we don't have access to, and the minister hasn't seen, or they don't have a copy of b.c. f erry Services articles. There is still no geographic representation on the board of b.c. f erry Services. Just clarify that, please. Hon. S. Bond: a s i said in my earlier answer, in fact, there are no geographic expectations when the authority appoints the directors.

There is absolutely a requirement that they be skill-based, that it be a skilled-based ap- pointment, so that we're finding the best individuals possible to actually take on this role. That, of course, is written in

section 21.1, and those are the guidelines that would be utilized. i'd also like to offer the member opposite a copy of the articles of the british c olumbia f erry c orporation. i know that he has expressed concern about not being able to get them for five years. in fact, it's a matter of going to the corporate registry and asking for them. Y ou pay a very nominal fee. i'd be happy to share a copy of the articles with the member opposite. [1545] G. Coons: one last question.

When we started in sec- tion 206 and we looked at qualified b.c . f erry Services candidate, we talked about whether or not there would be union representation. it is mandated to have a union rep- resentation on the authority, so i'm wondering: will there be union representation on the b.c. f erry Services board? Hon. S. Bond: a s i mentioned to the member opposite, there are clearly expectations that there be qualified can- didates based on skill and experience. The authority is more than welcome to consider representation from any sector, and that's exactly what we would expect them to do.

There will not be a change in the provisions, as i indi- cated, in terms of appointments by geography and by sector. in fact, the authority will make the ultimate de - termination about the appointment of the directors based on skill and their ability to function in the oversight role. G.

Coons: a gain, i'm going to have to check what was said, but i thought the minister said yesterday that the representation would remain the same for b.c. f erry Services when i had a concern about the qualified b.c. f erry Services candidate. it sounds like there is a possi- bility that the b.c. f erry Services board of directors will not have union representation on it like it has had for the last seven years.

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 2, 2010 6131 Hon. S. Bond: i am certainly hoping that i didn't need to clarify my comments from yesterday. i thought the member opposite asked about the composition of the au- thority. The authority will retain the positions that it has today. The designation of those seats will not change. The reason that, in fact, there are members of…. The same composition today actually exists on both the board and the authority. That was the problem that the comptroller general identified.

So when the two en- tities are separated in transition this September, the authority will retain those designated positions that they have today. The change will be that the authority will now ap- point another group of individuals or a group of individuals that will serve on the board. There are not the same stipulations around the board because we're separating the two entities as the comptroller general recommended we do. Sections 246 and 247 approved. on

section 248. Hon. M. de Jong: i call the amendment standing in my name on the order paper to

section 248, item 15, al- tering the commencement provision. [SECTION 248, by deleting item 15 of the table and substi- tuting the following as indicated: item c olumn 1 Provisions of Act c olumn 2 Commencement 15 Sections 66 to 68 by regulation of the l ieutenant Governor in c ouncil] a mendment approved.

Section 248 as amended approved. Hon. B. Lekstrom: by agreement, i wish to revisit

section 52 of the act. Thank you. on

section 52. Hon. B. Lekstrom: i would move an amendment, which is in the hands of the c lerk, that is changing a word in 52. [See appendix.] on the amendment. Hon. B. Lekstrom: That change is under the for

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0602pm-07
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0602pm 07
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	483bd28db5b6637b28938687190db9f0b2f09aff

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