2005 Legislative Session: 6th Session, 37th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes

only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2005

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 27, Number 18

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Introductions by Members

Statements (Standing Order 25 B )

Abused women in coastal communities

V. Roddick

Institute of Chartered Accountants of

B.C.

B. Kerr

The Jade Book

K. Stewart

Oral Questions

Capital funding for Surrey Memorial

Hospital

J. Kwan

Hon. C. Hansen

Services at Surrey Memorial Hospital

J. MacPhail

Hon. C. Hansen

Surrey Memorial Hospital services and

Health estimates debate

J. Brar

Hon. C. Hansen

Logging truck operators labour dispute

P. Nettleton

Hon. G. Bruce

Columbia Basin Trust lending practices

E. Brenzinger

Hon. R.

Neufeld

Health care travel assistance for

income assistance recipients

W. Cobb

Hon. S. Brice

Budget Debate (continued)

Hon. R. Neufeld

J. Brar

G. Hogg

R. Lee

K. Stewart

Hon. K. Falcon

J. Reid

Hon. S. Brice

Hon. I. Chong

[ Page 12117 ]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2005

The House met at 2:04 p.m.

Introductions by Members

L. Mayencourt: It is a pleasure to introduce several guests

I have in the gallery. The first is Joel Libin. Joel is a young man who has

survived a very tragic incident where he was beaten and left in a coma for quite

a while. He is joined by Asmi Jumbram. Asmi is a young man who came to speak to

us, along with Joel, about issues around bullying, harassment and intimidation

in the school system. Diane Galbraith has brought her daughter, Emily Galbraith,

to join us also on the same topic. Joel's parents, Judy and Len, have joined us

as well.

All of these people have come over to speak in support of the safe

schools act to ensure that this Legislature passes legislation that protects

children in our school system. Would the House please make them all very

welcome. Before you do that, it's also Emily's seventeenth birthday, so our best

wishes to her as well.

[1405]

Hon. L. Reid: Today in the precincts we have a number of

delegates who are attending the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Conference, the

international conference that is being hosted this year in Victoria. There are

over a thousand delegates. There are individuals from across the globe who have

come to British Columbia for this conference. Last night my colleagues were

instrumental in welcoming them to Victoria. I'd ask the House to please make

them very welcome today.

B. Lekstrom: It's my pleasure today to stand and introduce

a friend of mine, a gentleman who has worked endlessly on the production and

promotion of ethanol in our province, which will help us meet the One-Tonne

Challenge and certainly enhance our environment in British Columbia. Will the

House please join me in welcoming the president of EnerGreen Power, Mr. Bill

Vanderland.

V. Roddick: In the gallery today is someone who worked with

the House Leader when we were in opposition and made our side of the House tick.

Today she is the director of correspondence for the Premier, and we're still

ticking. Will the House please welcome Antoinette De Wit.

R. Masi: It is my pleasure today to introduce a very active

and energetic member of the Delta North executive. Mr. D'Arcy Warner is visiting

us today. Will the House please make him welcome.

V. Anderson: For the second time this week, I'm delighted

to welcome 85 different students from grades 4 to 6 at Jamieson school in

about parliamentary procedure and about the history of British Columbia. They're

accompanied by their teachers Miss Peggy Wu, Mr. Daniel Biela and Mrs. Nadine

Rodriguez, and 12 parents. Would the House please join me in welcoming these

children.

I might say that when I met the children last week, they wanted to

know who the young people were that were waiting on us and bringing us water in

the House. Please make them welcome.

J. Reid: Joining us in the House today is an exceptional

young woman from Parksville, now studying at the University of Victoria. Her

name is Breanna Roycroft, and I'd ask the House to join me in making her warmly

welcome.

E. Brenzinger: Today I would like to introduce to the House

Mr. Joseph Vollhoffer, who will be Democratic Reform B.C.'s candidate in the

forthcoming election in Surrey-Cloverdale. Joseph is employed by North America's

leading retailer of consumer electronics as a senior in their leadership

development program, is active in community affairs and is well known as a

sporting enthusiast and coach. Joseph has become a candidate who, with DRBC,

supports the yes vote in the forthcoming referendum on electoral reform. Fellow

members, please welcome to the House Mr. Joseph Vollhoffer.

Statements

(Standing Order 25

b) ABUSED WOMEN IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES

V. Roddick: Navigating Desolation Sound , by

Antoinette De Wit.

" Tugboat Tammy , battered and bruised from a

well-logged length of service, sitting alone along the shores of virtually

anywhere in British Columbia's coastal communities, purrs along the waters of

Desolation Sound today, silent and sturdy like a steady workhorse. The

unprotected waters have been violent and controlling, overwhelming to her hull

as she struggled to meet her immediate needs with limited visibility.

"Tomorrow is the beginning of her

freedom. No more pushing, pulling, dragging or lifting; no more

letting down. She will be safe — shielded from danger, frequent loneliness,

mortal fear, extreme anger, opposition, depression, suppression. She will be

an example of history for future generations to realize and use as a basis

upon which to set their goals, dreams and aspirations.

"Tammy has rediscovered her soul, her

raison d'être, her full potential. A unique tune-up has given her a

breath of fresh air, a resurgence of energy and new hope for an active and

appreciated future."

[1410]

Tugboat Tammy is a metaphor for abused women who live in

isolated communities along our coastal waters — up and down British Columbia's

islands and up and down the province's main coastline. This story draws a

parallel between the actual life of the quiet, mysterious and struggling tugboat

navigating troubled waters and the unknowns and struggles of women in isolated

coastal communities who have had to navigate troubled lives because other

options are either unknown or not available.

[ Page 12118 ]

INSTITUTE OF CHARTERED

ACCOUNTANTS OF B.C.

B. Kerr: Last week we recognized the Rotary Club and their

100th anniversary. It is a very well respected community organization. This week

it is a great pleasure to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Institute of

Chartered Accountants of British Columbia, an organization of which the hon.

Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services and I are proud

members.

Since being established by official charter in 1905, members of

the ICABC have played a pivotal role in shaping the province. One hundred years

later our members continue to contribute to the province's economic and

commercial growth.

Today the ICABC has over 8,900 members. Many hold key positions in

local large and small businesses, often as comptroller, chief financial officer

or chief executive officer. Many others advise businesses from within public

practice accounting firms. Whether they're working for or with businesses, these

men and women are following a 100-year tradition of B.C. CAs in helping business

grow.

The contributions of CAs are not limited to the boardroom. Over

the years our members have held positions in municipal and provincial

governments as mayors and MLAs. Ken Dye, BCFCA, served as Canada's auditor

general from 1981 until 1991. The position of B.C.'s auditor general has been

held by a CA since the position was first created.

CAs also extend their contribution to education. Instructors at

SFU, UBC and BCIT as well as the university colleges and colleges throughout the

province have taught the next generation of business pioneers, many of whom

have, in turn, become chartered accountants. Many of them, in turn, have devoted

their careers to ensuring that the next generation of B.C. students receives a

top business education.

In addition to growing businesses, serving voters and inspiring

tomorrow's business leaders, our members are generous, giving several hours of

their time to local non-profit organizations and agencies. Whether they are

serving as treasurers, directors or front-line volunteers, CAs around B.C. offer

their time to countless causes.

I'll finish up very quickly. This year, in recognition of the

100th anniversary and the organization's role in shaping the province, the

Institute of Chartered Accountants of B.C. has been inducted into the Business

Hall of Fame. I would like to offer my congratulations to the organization and

my fellow CAs, both past and present, and encourage our students in B.C. to

consider this profession as a worthwhile and rewarding career path.

THE JADE BOOK

K. Stewart: Last Saturday I had the opportunity to view a

book with only three sentences, but this book took 5,600 hours to complete. This

was the love and dream of one person, Cosimo Geracitano. There has only been one

other book like this ever made in history, and that was made for Chinese Emperor

Kang Xi in the seventeenth century.

What's so different about this book? Well, it weighs 150 pounds,

and unlike the earlier edition from the seventeenth century that had its pages

tied together with silk, this book has its hinges made contiguous to the single

block of B.C. jade from which it was made. In the theatre of your mind, you

might start getting a picture of what we are talking about — a book the size of

our desktops.

On the cover of this book is a carved dove. Within the pages,

accompanying the words of three of the world's greatest humanitarians, is a

carved portrait of each: Mother Teresa, with the words, "Works of love are works

of peace;" Martin Luther King, "Let freedom ring;" and Mahatma Gandhi, "You must

be the change you wish to see in the world."

As a person who's been around a bit, I have seen many jade

carvings in China, Taiwan and Thailand, and I have been to the Arctic Circle to

view the Inuit soapstone carvers at work. I can assure you that I have never

seen anything as impressive as this. It is not just the carving or that it's a

hinged book made out of a contiguous piece of jade — which is miraculous in

itself — but the message that comes through with the words and portraits of

these three great people. The combination of the two is a sight to behold.

[1415]

It wasn't till after the book was to the point of having the page

separate that the inspiration came to Cosimo of what actually to carve into

these pages. The inspiration came from his grandson with Down syndrome: to do a

book of peace and hope. This is definitely a piece of art that inspires. If you

wish to view this book or to get any information about where it can be seen, you

can view it at www.colossalcreations.com.

Mr. Speaker: That concludes members' statements.

Oral Questions

CAPITAL FUNDING FOR

SURREY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

J. Kwan: The cat is out of the bag. It turns out the B.C.

Liberals cancelled a plan to expand Surrey Memorial Hospital as soon as they

reorganized health care into chaos. The new capital investment at the hospital

was the new wing completed under the previous administration in 2001.

Following these revelations, will the government — anybody in

government — now admit that this government deliberately put the planned

expansion of Surrey Memorial on hold for four years, or are they content to

shoot the messenger and hope for the best?

Hon. C. Hansen: I assume the plan that the member is

referring to is one that is discussed in this morn-

[ Page 12119 ]

ing's Vancouver Sun . That particular plan was one that had been put

forward to the previous government in 1999 and was rejected by the previous

government. I gather it was updated late last year. It was a concept; it was

certainly not a capital plan.

J. Kwan: The last capital investment at the hospital was

the new wing completed under the previous administration in 2001. Here's what

Bob Smith said: "Surrey Memorial's emergency department was top of the list in

the former health regions. When the new region was formed, all those capital

plans went on the shelf because there was no new capital money."

The gun is smoking. Is this government saying Bob Smith is a liar,

or will they admit that Bob Smith is the one telling the truth about how B.C.

Liberals ignored Surrey Memorial for four years?

Hon. C. Hansen: What we did when we formed government was

actually integrated capital budgets with operating budgets so that we didn't

have the kind of things that happened when the NDP were in office, where we had

a tower at Vancouver General Hospital that sat almost totally empty for the

entire time that the NDP were in office.

We also saw new facilities being built around the province that

they couldn't open because they hadn't actually planned for operating dollars.

We also know, in terms of Surrey Memorial Hospital, that there were proposals

put forward to the previous government for expansion of an operating room.

Instead they decided to build a tower, probably because it was seen to be a

little more politically expedient.

J. Kwan: The capital dollars dried up after this government

took office. That's what Bob Smith said. It wasn't Bob Smith who was stalling on

the expansion of Surrey Memorial; it was this government. He brought forward the

plan for expansion back to this government as recently as November and was given

the brush-off again.

Can this government explain why the B.C. Liberals only asked for a

plan on Surrey Memorial when the election pressure was on and the red-hot lights

of the provincial media were shining on this government's dismal, dismal

performance on health care?

Hon. C. Hansen: The health authorities around the province

today have responsibility for setting their priorities to meet their capital

needs in their regions. We flowed increased dollars to every one of them. Fraser

health authority, over that period of time, received an increase of $200 million

per year, a 16 percent increase.

The concern that came to the attention of the health authority

board was that some of the challenges in these facilities were not being met by

the leadership that had been there. They've made a decision that they're going

to seek new leadership to take them forward to the years ahead.

SERVICES AT SURREY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

J. MacPhail: Here's the government's excuse today: they're

abdicating complete responsibility because they've reorganized health care.

Isn't that great for the patients?

[1420]

The fact is that the B.C. Liberals deliberately did nothing for

Surrey patients until they were forced to. The government was told last fall

that the emergency room at Surrey Memorial was "truly in a crisis situation."

Bob Smith says that it was not until last Friday that the Minister of Health's

deputy came back to ask for a briefing.

Can the government explain why it took until last Friday for the

minister to express any interest whatsoever in Surrey Memorial, when the

government was told that there was a crisis in the hospital as recently as last

November and almost every month previous to that?

Hon. C. Hansen: It is the health authority CEOs that have

responsibility for identifying the challenges….

J. MacPhail: Are they elected? Shall we elect them?

Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Let's hear the answer.

Hon. C. Hansen: They report to the boards and to the chairs

of the health authorities, who in turn report to the ministry.

We've given great latitude to the health authorities to meet the

challenges in the regions, to set their capital priorities, and we've provided

the funding to the health authorities in order to fund the capital needs within

their operating budgets.

The Fraser health authority board determined that those challenges

were not being adequately met, and they are seeking new leadership to move

forward on those challenges in the future.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a

supplementary question.

J. MacPhail: It's the government that fires its hand-picked

people. It'll be the British Columbians on voting day that will seek new

leadership. I can tell you that for sure in Surrey.

Not only did the B.C. Liberals fail to plan for a new emergency

ward, but they transferred the $28 million surplus that was intended to recruit

new staff. Then they got rid of any ability to recruit new staff so that they

could do a quick political fix.

Dr. Les Vertesi, well-known to this government — the government's

chief spokesperson on national health issues — said just yesterday that the

crisis at Surrey Memorial can only be fixed long term by staffing more beds to

clear up the backlogged emergency room. Now the government has done away with

any ability to hire more staff by ordering the health authority to use that $28

million on a quick political fix.

[ Page 12120 ]

Will the government admit that in a panic they made the crisis now

worse at Surrey Memorial by transferring staffing recruitment dollars to the

emergency room after doing nothing for four years?

Hon. C. Hansen: I have not heard so much hypocrisy in a

long time. What we saw during the decade of the 1990s was no addressing of the

challenges we had in human resources and the health sector. We did not see any

additional doctors being trained at UBC medical school. We did not see any

significant increase in the number of nurses that were trained.

When you look at the challenges we have today in terms of some of

the nursing shortages around the province, keep this in mind: in September of

2001 we had the opportunity for the first time to expand some of the nursing

seats in our colleges and universities, to get more registered nurses trained in

British Columbia. Those nurses have not yet graduated. They'll graduate this

spring. That's how long it takes to correct some of the problems that we

inherited from the previous government.

SURREY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL SERVICES

AND HEALTH ESTIMATES DEBATE

J. Brar: What we hear from the government is that it is the

health authority's responsibility to improve the situation in every health

region, including Surrey Memorial Hospital. Here's what Bob Smith recommended.

Bob Smith said that the plan he took forward in November required a $300 million

investment to expand Surrey Memorial Hospital as well as Royal Columbian

Hospital.

According to the Fraser health authority's own budget proposal in

November, they told government they needed $200 million over the next two years

to get started. By February of this year the Fraser health authority's capital

budget had been cut by about the same amount — clear evidence that they were

told that the funding was not coming, that they should shut down any plan for

the expansion.

Again to the government: why did the government turn down Bob

Smith's request for funding when the ministry knew very well that there was an

emergency crisis going on at Surrey Memorial?

Hon. C. Hansen: As I mentioned earlier, there was an

increase in funding to the Fraser health authority of $200 million a year.

That's a 16 percent increase. Four years ago the South Fraser health region,

where Surrey Memorial Hospital was at the time, was the most underfunded on a

per-capita basis of any of the health authorities in the province at the time.

[1425]

We've actually flowed the dollars to the health authorities so

that they can make their decisions around their necessary capital needs. The

board, in this case, has made a decision that some of the challenges were not

being met, and they're going to seek new leadership to enable those challenges

to be met as we go forward.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Surrey–Panorama Ridge has a

supplementary question.

J. Brar: The paper trail tells this story very clearly. I'm

not clear whether it's the government or the health authority that is

responsible for improving the health care situation or emergency room situation

at Surrey Memorial. Despite the pleading of the Fraser health authority,

patients and health professionals, this government did no planning for four

years to expand capacity at Surrey Memorial.

Now, three months before the election, the government is doing

damage control. Will the government agree that we need a full, line-by-line

debate on the health budget to get to the bottom of this issue?

Hon. C. Hansen: We had this morning, actually, committee

stage debate on two of the most important bills to implement the budget. It was

an opportunity for every member of the opposition to come in and to raise

questions about the implementation of the budget. Quite frankly, they did not

avail themselves of the opportunity to debate that. On day 4 of a six-day debate

on the budget they've got every opportunity to raise those, and I'm looking

forward to the remarks by the members of the official opposition.

LOGGING TRUCK OPERATORS

LABOUR DISPUTE

P. Nettleton: Has the junior Minister of State for Mining

also entered the realm of personally breaking promises or making promises that

the Premier will not support? I refer to the promise he made last week offering

his support to push for better pay and a new bargaining structure, even

suggesting strike action for the now striking independent log truckers, as

reported by the Prince George Citizen .

My question is: does the Minister of Labour stand by the promise

of his junior Minister of State for Mining to the independent log truckers? What

action does the Minister of Labour intend to take to keep the promise to the

truck loggers?

Hon. G. Bruce: The Minister of Forests has been dealing

with this issue with the truckers in the area with respect to the costs

associated. What we're more concerned about in the Ministry of Labour, of

course, is the safety aspect on the jobsite. We have instructed and asked the

Forest Safety Council, as they've done in a number of other initiatives, to look

at this particular sector to see how we can improve the safety record in that

area and eliminate the fatalities and injuries on the trucking side.

COLUMBIA BASIN TRUST

LENDING PRACTICES

E. Brenzinger: My question is to the Minister of Energy. My

question today concerns the conduct of the Columbia Basin Trust, which in

addition to fun-

[ Page 12121 ]

nelling millions of dollars to a subsidiary, CBTE, and ZE PowerGroup, has

made tens of millions of dollars in questionable loans. For example, the

Columbia Basin Trust wrote off almost its entire $8.3 million loan to the St.

Eugene's Mission Golf Resort in September 2004.

The bad loan portfolio of the Columbia Basin Trust has now grown

into the tens of millions of dollars. Can the Minister of Energy confirm whether

or not the office of the comptroller general is also investigating the Columbia

Basin Trust and its highly questionable lending practices?

Hon. R. Neufeld: I will restate what I've said, I think two

times now. This is the third time. The comptroller general is bringing forward a

report on some aspects of the Columbia Basin Trust. We hope that report comes

soon.

I'd suggest that the member go out in the hallway and talk to

those who were the previous government. They had an MLA on the Columbia Basin

Trust that authorized the loan to the resort. She can maybe get some explanation

from the Leader of the Opposition on that issue. The Columbia Basin Trust is

there to expend money on behalf the Columbia basin residents. I don't know how

they made that decision, but they made the decision while the NDP were in power.

HEALTH CARE TRAVEL ASSISTANCE

FOR INCOME ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS

W. Cobb: My question is to the Minister of Human Resources.

We've been working hard to provide health care as close to home as possible and

to assist with travel expenses. Often my constituency office has to deal with

issues and individuals on social assistance needing to travel to specialists for

follow-up treatment that is not available in our community, and they're being

told it's not available.

To the minister: have we changed the rules around travel funding

for people on assistance?

[1430]

Hon. S. Brice: I can assure the member that we have made no

changes that would impact negatively on the eligibility of income assistance

clients to access the travel assistance plan. In fact, we recognize that it does

impact on our clients, having to travel inside and outside of their area. We

have actually increased the rate from 12 cents to 20 cents a kilometre in order

to provide more compensation to individuals who need that service.

I can assure the member for Cariboo South that we are building the

best possible program for those most in need across Canada.

[End of question period.]

Point of Order

J. MacPhail: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Normally by this time in the session the opposition and the

government have exchanged written agreements on how to proceed with estimates.

That has been a practice that has flowed from the fixed calendar. This

Government House Leader, unlike the predecessor, has failed to clearly indicate

the government's intentions regarding estimates to the budget tabled last week.

He absolutely refuses to tell us if he will allow full debate, given the many

weeks remaining in this fixed, set legislative calendar that the Premier

promised in the last election.

It is a historical moment. We're establishing precedent for a

legislative

schedule that was set precisely for the purpose of improving

government accountability. Any wrong decision, of course, will reflect very

poorly on this government and the Premier.

Can the Government House Leader please clarify for members what

his intentions are, or is the government plan a new plan to simply shut down

this House and campaign for the next two months on the taxpayers' dime?

Lastly, if the plan has changed, it is incumbent upon this

government to stand up now and say why they're changing it.

Mr. Speaker: Hon. member, your point of order is noted.

However, I feel this is a matter that should be discussed between the two House

leaders.

J. MacPhail: We tried. We tried, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker: It is not up to the Chair to arrange such a

meeting.

Hon. G. Bruce: I'd like to say, Mr. Speaker, that on the

communication basis of what's been transpiring and what we're doing on a daily

basis, I think it has been unprecedented in that we've been giving you

information, lead time, supplemental estimates — trying to keep the agenda ahead

of the game so that you and your members know when we'll be sitting, where we'll

be sitting and what's on the agenda. I think you have acknowledged that.

J. MacPhail: That's nothing new. That's what you're

supposed to do.

Hon. G. Bruce: No, in fact I think it has….

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Order. Let's hear the answer, please.

Hon. G. Bruce: What I'm intending to do is work this

through.

We had a debate here this morning, and your particular interest….

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

[ Page 12122 ]

Hon. G. Bruce: You didn't wish to be in here, and I'm just

working our way through. We have business of this House to do, and you have an

opportunity to participate in that business. As things progress, I will be happy

to keep you posted, as I have been.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. G. Bruce: As I have been, I will be happy to keep you

informed as to what the business will be in this House, as I'm trying to do for

all of our members…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. G. Bruce: …so everybody can plan effectively.

Orders of the Day

Hon. G. Bruce: I call response to the budget.

Mr. Speaker: Debate continues on the budget with the

Minister of Energy and Mines.

Perhaps we could just pause a moment while members make their way

to their duties.

[1435]

Budget Debate

(continued)

Hon. R. Neufeld: I continue from my remarks this morning. I

want to touch on a few areas of my ministry in regards to what took place under

the NDP — the socialists — and what took place since we became government in

Mr. Speaker, you'll know that we introduced a mining plan in the

province to look to the decade ahead and how we can actually encourage mining in

the province — something that's never been done before, certainly not under the

last administration. It's a mining plan that lays out how we want to move

forward, so we can have this industry back in the province providing the great

jobs that it does.

We've also introduced Mineral Titles Online , bringing

British Columbia into this century, as far as staking claims goes, in accuracy

and the ability for everyone — regardless of what your age is — to be able to go

out to stake claims.

As some members talked about earlier, a $25 million fund put in

place for geoscience for the province — I think that's remarkable. When we

debated the $25 million fund for geoscience in British Columbia, the Leader of

the Opposition came into the House and berated everyone, and me, for actually

cutting the ministry and doing terrible things to it. I think it serves us well

to look back at what the socialists did when they were in government for those

ten years.

Let's look back at what they did to the geological survey branch.

When they came to office, there were 90 staff members that worked in the

geological survey branch of the Ministry of Energy and Mines. When they left

office, ten dismal years later, there were only 24 left — absolutely

unbelievable. Today we still have 21 and are intending on keeping them.

I think, when you look at those kinds of records, you see who

decimated mining in the province. Fully half of the miners — well-paying jobs in

the province, men and women — lost their jobs under the leadership of the

socialists in the province, with some of them still here. B.C.'s share of

national mineral exploration. Historically, British Columbia has received about

12 percent. When the NDP came to office, it was at 17 percent. In ten years it

went to 5 percent.

People talk about commodity prices. That was when we went through

a high commodity price cycle also — in minerals, globally. The NDP were still

able to actually destroy the industry. Under their leadership 21 mines were

closed. Think about how many jobs that was. Think about how much economic

activity that represents.

We've had the most mineral claims staked under our administration,

up from a dismal 18,000 under the socialists to 45,000 under our administration,

in four short years. That means we brought the industry back.

Expenditures on exploration in the province were at a dismal $25

million. You will know from being here before that they ranged to as high as

$200 million to $250 million dollars prior to the NDP coming in. In four short

years we've been able to bring that up — industry has, I should say — in the

province, because it is a good place to invest. We have great mineralization.

They brought it up to $130 million from a measly $25 million. I think that is

remarkable.

[1440]

I also came to this ministry and looked around for an energy plan,

a plan that would take us forward in energy. British Columbia has an abundance

of energy, and we rely on it every day in our lives. We also rely on it to

provide the services we need in health care and education. I looked around for

an energy plan and found none. Should that surprise me? I was here for those ten

years in opposition, and I could see them jumping from pillar to post. They

didn't really know a gas well from an oil well or where it was located — whether

it was in northeast B.C., southeast B.C. or off the west coast. No wonder the

socialists didn't have an energy plan in place.

We got to work, and we put in an energy plan that brings four

cornerstones to the energy plan that will take us forward, again, a long time

into the future, looking after the resources we have, trying to maintain them

the best way we can and using them to benefit all British Columbians. In fact,

since we came into office, in four short years investment in the oil and gas

industry is $4 billion a year. That's with relatively good prices.

But let me say this. Under the NDP, their best year in investment

in the oil and gas industry was, I think,

[ Page 12123 ]

$1.8 billion — just under $2 billion. But the price for natural gas during

that period of time was two to three times higher than what it is today. That

tells you that it's not all commodity prices; you actually have to have the

environment for people to come and invest, and folks just don't invest when

there's a socialist government around. In fact, this year we're looking at the

oil and gas industry bringing some $1.8 billion into the coffers of British

Columbia, which will go a long way to health care in British Columbia, which the

NDP stand up and talk about on a constant basis. We should be looking at

actually encouraging more growth in that area.

We've also had some successful P3s in British Columbia within the

oil and gas industry. We have one road in northeastern British Columbia that's a

P3, a full P3. The Ministry of Energy and Mines and Partnerships B.C. won the

gold award across Canada — not in B.C, across Canada — for that innovative

thinking and that moving forward, actually building a bridge across the river

and building a road so that men and women are safe daily when they go to work in

the oil and gas industry in that part of the province. They can travel back and

forth, and I think that's remarkable.

You know, we have a great offshore opportunity, a huge opportunity

— billions of dollars for British Columbians, billions of dollars in investment

that could happen and thousands of jobs that could happen over time in offshore.

We're working towards making that happen. Let me tell you what the leader of the

NDP says. I haven't seen her around lately, but I quote Carole James: "I say no

to offshore oil and gas — not now and not ever." Interesting. Isn't that

shameful? Billions of dollars could come in to pay for health care in this

province, and we have the socialists saying no to that.

What's really remarkable is that their parent company — the

socialists in Ottawa: the NDP, Jack Layton — stands up in the House in Ottawa

and actually votes in favour of and speaks in favour of offshore for the east

coast of Canada, for Newfoundland, and says it's good there, but we can't have

it here. It's typical. It's typical for a socialist to say that. They don't want

to see development and jobs and good, solid communities and those services that

people need and want.

We should look a little bit at hydro, because there is often a lot

of discussion about B.C. Hydro in the province, and I want to assure British

Columbians that it is a Crown-owned corporation as long as BCTC…. It was never

anticipated not to be. The only time it was anticipated not to be was when the

socialists were in power, when the NDP were there. They were the ones who talked

about selling B.C. Hydro lock, stock and barrel so that they could take that

money and spend it. Just like they did, as I spoke of earlier about $17 billion

and nothing to show for it — that's exactly what they would have done with it.

Also, the NDP often talk about privatizing B.C. Hydro and that

we're buying hydro from the private sector. Let me tell you that I went back in

the records. What did I find? The NDP bought all their new, incremental power

when they were in office or instructed B.C. Hydro to do it from — where? — the

private sector. They say that quietly, because I think they do know. Sometimes

they catch on. It's interesting. It's not often, but they do.

[1445]

When we look at issues around greenhouse gases, around clean air,

you will have Mr. Layton and Carole James stand up and say how terrible it is in

British Columbia that we have all this dirty air and that we're doing all these

things. Well, I want to read into the record just a few things.

The NDP — the socialists — when they were in power from 1991 to

2001, made calls for hydro totalling 2,140 gigawatt-hours. I went to find out

where that power came from. I found out that they didn't do it fairly. They

didn't do it through the BCUC. They directed it. They told B.C. Hydro where to

get it, and in fact, they bought 1,900 of those gigawatt-hours from a plant

up-Island that burns natural gas. Interesting, isn't it?

There's nothing wrong with burning natural gas, but if you're

going to do it and if you've been part of it, don't stand in this House and say

you haven't been. That's their record.

Then, of course, there's the Pakistan power plant that burned

natural gas also. That's the only plant they instructed B.C. Hydro to build. It

was to go to Pakistan and build a plant. We know that. It's fact. In fact, it

took about ten years after they built it to actually get it into operation. I

believe it is generating some electricity.

The total call under B.C. Liberals was for 5,400 gigawatt-hours.

As of February of 2005 there will be 3,100 gigawatt-hours producing and 2,400

coming on, and it's all green, clean power — every gigawatt-hour.

In fact, when the NDP were in power, they ran every plant they

possibly could to sell electricity to the United States. They even fired up

plants on the northern part of Vancouver Island that burned diesel fuel. They

had Burrard Thermal running full out.

Under our administration, we have reduced greenhouse gas from

electrical generation by 65 percent. Three units at Burrard Thermal are in

storage. The other three are there in case we need it if there's a power

shortage, contrary to the way the NDP did it. They ran it full out, as hard as

they could. So much for them being concerned about good air in British Columbia.

When I speak about generating all that electricity and selling it

to Americans, there's one thing that the socialists certainly don't ever want to

talk about. But I think my good friend from North Vancouver brought it to the

House's attention at the time. While they were generating all that electricity

with the diesel plants that they could find and the natural gas plants that they

could find and selling it to the U.S…. We're still trying to collect $300

million from the U.S. for that sale. They didn't even figure out how they'd get

the money. They just sold it.

They were selling power to the Americans, to a U.S. aluminum

plant, for 50 percent of what they were sell-

[ Page 12124 ]

ing the power to our own consumers for in British Columbia. That is socialist

policy. That's socialist economics: "What we want to do is build up the U.S. We

have so much electricity that we want to generate it with natural gas. We want

to send it to the U.S, and we want to send it there for 50 percent less than

what we would charge our competing companies in British Columbia." Is it any

wonder that we inherited a fiscal mess in this province? It's no wonder we did.

If we ever go back to those dark days under the socialists, I fear how many

people will again leave this province.

Also, under our administration, under the Premier's leadership, we

are moving forward with alternative energy. We've just invested $2 million in

hydrogen to kick off the hydrogen highway with seven hydrogen refuelling plants

between Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler for the 2010 Olympics. We are the

hydrogen centre for the world. We should recognize it. We should recognize this

as an alternative energy source in the future.

[1450]

We're putting money into it, along with the industry, so that we

can actually maximize for British Columbians and for British Columbia those

opportunities here in the province. I think that is remarkable. That shows the

leadership of our Premier. That shows a Premier who thinks into the future, who

thinks about the wealth generation in the province so that British Columbians

can actually work, have a job and have solid, family-supporting communities and

jobs here in the province.

I note my time has gone. I'd love to talk a little bit more about

all the things we've done for the environment — clean cars and those kinds of

things — but as we roll it out, I'm sure that the socialists will take notice. I

hope they learn.

J. Brar: I rise to respond to the budget speech. It's

Budget 2005, the last in this government's mandate but my first as a new MLA for

Surrey–Panorama Ridge.

I want to start by again thanking the residents of Surrey–Panorama

Ridge for the trust they have put in me to be their representative in this great

democratic institution, an institution to which I am new but upon which rest the

hopes and aspirations of a vibrant democracy and a strong, tolerant, peaceful

society.

British Columbia is a beautiful province. It is beautiful because

of its natural beauty. We have the ocean, beautiful mountains, green forests and

clean air. It is also beautiful because of its people, who come from every part

of the globe. I am certain that it has been said many times in this House, given

its tradition of cultural diversity, but as an immigrant to this province I want

to express my admiration and respect for our society that has given me this

opportunity to serve. In a divided and often dangerous world, I don't think any

of us should ever forget what a gift it is to live in a province and a country

where that is now not only possible but entirely routine.

I come to this Legislature with one purpose in mind: to work as

hard as I can to represent the constituents and contribute to the democratic

life of our province. In that spirit I respond to this budget, not as a partisan

politician seeking only to score political points but as a citizen concerned

about the direction of our province and the policies of this government.

When I decided to seek office, there was — and remains — a deep

frustration with the government. Many residents of Surrey felt that the

government's overwhelming majority was contributing to its obvious arrogance.

They voted for moderate change in 2001 but found themselves in the grip of an

extreme agenda, which only few had expected, that was revealed — an agenda of

tax cuts for the wealthy, paid for with an aggressive program of government

downsizing.

With a small opposition not even granted the right of official

status, it seemed that this government acted as though it could do whatever it

wanted. The checks and balances of our democracy had been compromised. The scale

tipped too far in one direction, so it did not come as a surprise to me that the

citizens of Surrey rejected the government's rather blatant attempt, by

promising more than it planned to deliver, to retain the seat I now hold.

The residents of Surrey had experienced longer wait-lists, higher

taxes and fees, larger classrooms and increased crime. They knew to be

suspicious of a last-minute political makeover. The citizens of my community

sent this government a strong message.

[1455]

Three months later that credibility gap is wider than ever. Like

the political promises made by this government to win the Surrey–Panorama Ridge

by-election, the promises made in this budget are also falling on very skeptical

ears. Cynicism is made worse by the fact that this government is not even

willing to put the budget to the test of full legislative debate.

I was sent here by the residents of Surrey to speak up on their

behalf. Now I have to go back to my community and say that I and every other MLA

here was not given that full opportunity, not given the opportunity to ask for

details about the emergency room crisis at Surrey Memorial Hospital — a

situation that affects every single one of my constituents and is the result of

this government's policies — nor to ask for details about the transportation

issue in Surrey or about rising crime, longer wait-lists or funding for

immigrant settlement programs.

I was not sent here to sit quietly and let the government off the

hook. My voice may be quieter than some in this House, but I am also a fighter.

I remember the words said to me by my basketball coach when I was entering the

basketball court, fighting the final match of the national championship. My

coach said to us: "Quitters never win, and winners never quit." Mr. Speaker, I

will continue working hard for the victory of my community in this House.

In the short time we have left in this House, I will continue to

ask the government how they can again promise 5,000 new beds for long-term care

without the proper funding, after watching the government break its promises and

close long-term care beds in my com-

[ Page 12125 ]

munity. I will ask the government — and do again today — why we are expected

to believe they will keep tuition affordable after putting it out of reach for

so many young students of average means.

I will ask the government about their broken promise on gambling,

about the expanding wait-lists — up to 30 percent since 2002 — about the broken

promise to children in need and about rising poverty and homelessness. I will

ask the government how we can trust them on taxes when they spent four years

shifting the tax burden onto the backs of middle-income earners and why they

waste millions of dollars on their failed privatization schemes.

In short, I come to this House as its newest MLA to hold the

government to account for its record. In the short time we are allowed to carry

out our duties, I will stand here every day and fight for my constituents. I

will carry forward the fight in my community with a message that B.C. can do

better; that fiscal responsibility, a dynamic economy and a caring and

compassionate society can go hand in hand; that the key of our future is a

quality, accessible and affordable post-secondary education system; that

innovation in public health care is the answer, not privatization; and that to

succeed we must go beyond conflict and confrontation, seeking to bring people

together from all walks of life and all parts of the province to move forward.

This budget is only seen in the context of one that preceded it.

It follows four years of broken promises and policies that hurt average

families. It is in every respect an election budget, designed to wipe away the

memory of the government record, but as my own experience shows, British

Columbians know what this government is doing.

They know it governs for the few at the expense of everyone else,

and they know that to show balanced responsibility and compassion in B.C. we

will have to make a change in the way government operates. I believe that Carole

James and the NDP offer that opportunity. I look forward to the debate — short

though it will be — and the coming election campaign.

[1500]

It is clear to everyone that we are in election mode, but that

does not mean that those of us here today can dispense with our responsibility

to British Columbians. It is our job to ensure that hard-earned tax dollars are

spent wisely, that the programs and services are meeting the needs of everyone

in the province and that innovation is behind the choice of government.

I fear that the budget put forward last week is nothing more than

a pre-election political ploy, and the understanding that this House will not be

engaging in full estimates debate is only fuelling this fear. I have many

questions about the priorities of this government, and rightly so. After four

years of drastic cuts to health care and education, the selling off of our

public assets and failed privatization schemes, I believe that my skepticism is

fitting. After all, it is only a reflection of this skepticism being expressed

in communities across the province, and certainly in Surrey.

British Columbians have a right to fully understand the plan for

the $236 million that has appeared in the Ministry of Small Business and

Economic Development. This is a lot of money with no strings attached to it. Who

is accountable for that spending? How is that money going to be allotted? Who

will scrutinize the projects? I have all those questions. Such questions are

even more pertinent as we head into an election campaign, where there is the

potential for government to spend tax dollars as part of its election campaign.

[J. Weisbeck in the chair.]

What about our health care system? For my constituents, Surrey

Memorial Hospital is the only hospital they have easy access to. Yet cuts to

long-term care beds and capital shortfalls have meant an increase in hallway

medicine, an emergency room backlog and overflowing wards. What plans has this

government made for my constituents, for the Fraser health authority and for

Surrey Memorial Hospital? Now that this government's action is in the spotlight,

they are directing the Fraser health authority to spend its surplus on the

emergency room expansion.

Why is the Fraser health authority spending operating dollars on

capital projects — dollars that could and should be going to recruit desperately

needed doctors, nurses and other health professionals? I will tell you, Mr.

Speaker, that it is because this government ignored the growing crisis in Surrey

— a crisis that they created — and cancelled capital projects in their

shortsighted approach to health care. We now know that the plans for the

expansion of Surrey Memorial were cancelled by this government. Despite the

continued insistence by former Fraser health CEO Bob Smith for action on the

needed expansion, it took a man's death and a political embarrassment for this

government to move.

What move did they take? They scapegoated the CEO that dared to

ring the alarm bells on the crisis in Surrey and then forced the Fraser health

authority to spend operating dollars on capital projects.

The Premier has been to Surrey on a number of occasions in recent

months, yet he has been more interested in speaking to partisan political

supporters than visiting Surrey Memorial Hospital. Maybe if he had visited the

hospital, he would really understand what my constituents face when ill health

falls upon them or their families.

[1505]

For the record, a new paint job and more signs in the ER, although

worthy contributions from a concerned community group, do not make waiting eight

hours to see a doctor any more comfortable. What I'm hearing from this

government is a lot of shiny promises with no detailed explanations and no

credibility. I have learned and my constituents have learned the hard way that

this government doesn't keep its promises.

I wanted the opportunity to explore the details of this budget.

It's my job to represent my constituents and their interests. This Premier is

denying the right of my constituents and all British Columbians to total

[ Page 12126 ]

scrutiny of this budget. British Columbians deserve better.

G. Hogg: I want to welcome and congratulate the member for

Surrey–Panorama Ridge on his inaugural address to the House and on bringing the

issues and concerns as he sees them from the residents of Surrey–Panorama Ridge.

Interjection.

G. Hogg: Unlike you, hon. member. We believe everything

that you say.

The challenges of the past three years should not be

underestimated. They have been large — the issues of being able to balance the

budget, encouraging growth in the economy. There have been hardships in doing

that, there have been sacrifices, and there have been challenges.

Ultimately, the balanced budget and a growing economy have been

the outcome, but they have not been our ultimate goal. Our goal has not been to

balance the budget or to grow the economy. Those have been the means to

achieving our goal. Our goal of a province which gives more freedom, more choice

and more options to the citizens is indeed the focus and the intent of the

challenges that we've gone through in order to get to the point we are now with

a balanced budget and a growing and burgeoning economy.

The options and the choices were more limited during the 1990s. We

were in the back of the pack in economic growth. Government spending was

exceeding government revenues. Communities were struggling. Indeed, many

families were struggling, and young people were leaving British Columbia at an

unprecedented rate. They were leaving to build their futures somewhere else.

Our challenge was to bring hope back to British Columbians, to get

our fiscal house in order while protecting funding for both health care and

education and to ensure that the economy started to grow. We have now tabled two

balanced budgets in a row and have increased spending for health care and

education by $1.8 billion. We are now leading the country in job creation, with

almost 200,000 jobs created since December of 2001.

Now, Budget 2005 provides the plan for the fiscal framework for

the next decade. It is our guide, and contained in that guide are five goals.

Those goals: firstly, to make B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction

on the continent; secondly, to lead the way in North America in healthy living

and physical fitness; thirdly, to build the best system of support in Canada for

persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and

seniors; and fourthly, to lead the world in sustainable environmental management

with the best air and water quality and the best fisheries management.

My colleague the Minister of Energy outlined a number of those

issues earlier today with respect to air quality and water quality. I know, as a

former mayor and a representative of the greater Vancouver regional district in

charge of strategic planning, that when we did Creating our Future , the

number one issue for people across the GVRD — and I believe across this province

— was that of quality air and quality water.

[1510]

The fifth goal is to create more jobs per capita in British

Columbia than anywhere else in Canada. We can now talk about these goals, this

vision, because all British Columbians have done the belt tightening necessary,

the things necessary — not easy things, but necessary things — to get us to this

point of opportunity.

British Columbians have, to a large extent, been the heroes in

this turnaround. These true heroes are heroes that are not found in our sports

arenas or boardrooms or on movie screens. These heroes are found in every

community across this province. They are found coaching our children, organizing

our celebrations and helping those in need. They are found in small businesses

and in ventures all over this province. Many are volunteers. Many are in the

helping professions. All are passionately committed, one way or another, to

making this portion of the world a more caring, better place — a place with more

opportunity.

They are working towards what Archbishop Desmond Tutu referred to,

in his visit here last year, as being a place where we have what it takes to be

human. In this culture, that comes through other people. It comes through

caring, compassion and giving and from growing the economy and the options that

come out of it.

This is how we can become more human and freer together, freer

from the debt which was laid down and which took away from the opportunities

that once existed and are now coming back again. Albert Schweitzer said that he

did not know what the next millennium might bring, but he did know that those

who were truly happy were those who searched for and found a way to serve, a way

to have opportunity.

Free and human together. Free means the opportunity to explore

one's potential and to explore that potential in all of its facets: physically,

emotionally, spiritually and fiscally. The philosophical underpinning of this

year's throne speech and budget is to provide a vision and the first steps of a

fiscal framework in which British Columbians can thrive.

As we move forward, 71 percent of our funding is directed to

health care and to education. As we reduce our need to borrow, we will be given

more choices, and more opportunities will be given to individuals, families and

communities to look at and realize their goals.

In health care, this budget provides: $465 million more for

Pharmacare; $200 million more for home care, residential, palliative and

critical care, such as cardiac and kidney care as well as hip and knee

replacements; $70 million for childhood screening for looking at hearing, vision

and dental needs in youth; and $100 million for health care promotion and

prevention programs.

I had the privilege of sitting on the Select Standing Committee on

Health, and we looked at and listened to

[ Page 12127 ]

and heard from experts from across Canada who had done research on health

care and looked at the issues of our acute care system. They were emphatically

stating that one of the most important directions that we needed to go in was

the promotion of health care and prevention, because we're spending too much

time at the acute care end looking at people as they get to the edge of the

waterfall, when they've been pushed into the river far above that. We need to

spend time, as they euphemistically said, building fences on the side of the

river, so that we spend more time preventing people from falling in instead of

spending time digging them out as they get close to the falls.

This budget responds to that focus, that direction and that

priority given by the Select Standing Committee on Health. In Surrey–White Rock

we have already seen a large increase in the number of hip and knee replacement

surgeries taking place and the start of the first publicly funded independent

living facility in South Surrey–White Rock. At Evergreen Heights, 84 beds are

being built, and it will soon be a full campus of care with the full range of

services right up to complex care.

That provides us with a direction and focus that allows for our

people to age in place with a full range of services, allowing couples to stay

together. It is those types of creative innovations that not only provide

quality health care but also respond to the social needs of people, ensuring

that couples and families are able to stay closer together rather than being

divided by a system that only has places for them at their home or an acute care

system.

[1515]

In education, per-pupil funding is up $860 since 2001-02. That

comes to a total now of $7,079 per student. The Surrey school board has assigned

a further $12.7 million for enhancements to go directly to the classrooms in

'04-05. The Surrey school board has more flexibility and more opportunity to

respond to the nuances and needs of the students and the classrooms of Surrey

than they've ever had before. They're able to respond by looking at those and

looking at the broad cultural nature of Surrey and responding effectively to the

needs as they exist in different neighbourhoods.

With Simon Fraser University's Surrey campus announced, along with

the Kwantlen campus being announced and being built in Cloverdale, those of us

in Surrey and in Surrey–White Rock have an important new tool and local focus

for our post-secondary students. These enhancements are part of the 25,000 new

seats being developed in British Columbia for post-secondary students by the

year 2010. In this budget we've announced that tuition fees will be tied to the

rate of inflation, while student loans and assistance programs have been

enhanced.

I've also had the privilege of chairing our Caucus Committee on

Seniors. We have met with over 20 seniors organizations from all over this

province, and they have told us that they want a focal point for their issues.

This government has listened. The Premier's council on aging and seniors issues

has been announced. The council will examine ways to improve the full spectrum

of services, housing and home care. It will also consider the issue of mandatory

retirement in this province and engage all of our citizens in a dialogue about

what changes should be made to improve services to allow seniors to become more

independent and to improve their quality of life.

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting with 24 seniors in the

Nanaimo area. They were seniors from the centre to the top of Vancouver Island

and represented a number of different jurisdictions and communities. They said

they felt that the biggest concern at this point in time was communication. They

felt that there was a great deal of miscommunication, that there was some

fearmongering taking place. They felt that some of the information being

conveyed to them didn't accurately portray the reality that they were

experiencing as they met with others in their communities and as they went to

professionals that were providing issues, particularly around services in health

care and, more broadly, services to seniors.

I was quite encouraged by their enthusiasm, their intent and their

expectation to step forward and say: "There is a great deal of misinformation

around these services across this island, and we want to make sure that we help

to clarify that." They are saying they're going to personally take on some of

the responsibility, as they experience it in their local communities, to reflect

— more effectively, more appropriately and, in their opinion, more honestly —

the issues and initiatives as they apply to themselves and to seniors.

I'm encouraged to see seniors with the energy, the vigour, the

intent and the resources to step forward and say that this is, in fact, not

what's happening. They are looking at the initiatives that are coming through

the newspapers in letters to the editor and at the misinformation that they feel

is coming from a number of sources which may be oppositional to the direction

and focus of government. They want to ensure that there is more reality

reflected in that.

One of the things they talked about is this budget, which provides

senior couples with a net income of $30,000 a year $930 less taxation than they

received in 2001. The threshold for premium assistance is up some $4,000. These

seniors saw these as very positive initiatives that reflect the sensitivity that

this budget has shown to a number of issues that have been brought forward by

seniors.

The budget provides more financial support for cities, arts,

sports, and cultural groups, as well as supporting environmental issues.

Certainly the arts groups have been, in some cases, effusive in their praise of

the direction and focus of money that's going to the arts council and of the way

that it's filtered to so many arts groups across this province. In so many

communities, arts are a part of their economic development — an integral part of

us understanding who our heart and what our soul is in communities. The

encouragement to the arts is certainly an important part of this budget.

[1520]

With the environmental issues, we have committed money to a

conservation corps and funding to the habi-

[ Page 12128 ]

tat conservation fund. That's along with the purchase that has occurred over

the past years of Burns Bog — and 37 new parks in this province and 34 expanded

parks along with four new ecological reserves across British Columbia. Indeed,

as a government we have responded, in my opinion, extremely well to the issues

of environment and the ways that we can look at ensuring that this wonderful

province is available to and will continue to be available to future generations

in so many ways.

Mr. Speaker, $37 million more has gone to programs preventing

violence against women and to a 38 percent increase in funding for social

housing. Those are important for the more vulnerable citizens of our community.

In Surrey–White Rock we have Ama House, which I believe is the only seniors

transition home that exists in North America — indeed, it may well be in the

world. We've been very proud of that facility and the services it provides. We

are delighted that those types of programs continue to be funded and that we

find options to help those people who are vulnerable get back into having the

opportunities and the options they want to have to have a more normalized and

positive life experience.

There is $91 million for the community living system to look at

and respond to the issues of respite. Some of the true heroes in this province….

I've made reference to heroes before, but I think closer to my heart in terms of

that notion of heroes are the parents of special needs children, parents of the

developmentally disabled, who put in enormous hours and give enormous

commitment, devotion, love and support to their children. The challenges can in

no way be minimized. These people, in my opinion, in many cases should be

sainted for the work they do and the options they give and create for their

children.

As a government, we must try and support them when they have

reached the limits. One of the things we've talked more recently to parents

about is the notion that we have a ceiling in terms of the financial

opportunities they can have. If they get money above that ceiling, then that

money can be clawed back. It may well be, as we look at trying to develop a

system that provides for and responds to those types of citizens — the citizens

with needs — that if we're going to have the best system in the province, we

have to look at creating a floor rather than a ceiling and have a floor in terms

of that type of funding model so that they can be encouraged to actually grow

and learn and earn more and do more, and rather than having that clawed back,

allow them to grow within that.

We have many instances where we're thwarting and preventing and

creating roadblocks to extended family members from participating and supporting

and allowing them to assist their nieces, nephews and in many cases their

children. When they put their own resources into it, it reduces what the state

does. In many cases, I think the state should be looking at a floor and allowing

further growth to that. We certainly need to have more discussions with the

federal government to ensure that we create this type of option and that people

— all people in this province — are allowed to see, to grow and to look at the

options available for them to realize their potential.

Budget 2005 builds on changes, and it builds on momentum of the

past three years. It does that with other moneys.

It does it with $198 million to keep communities safe and prevent

violence against women. I've referenced Ama House and some of the services that

are provided in the Surrey–White Rock area.

It does it with $777 million for economic development issues and

initiatives across this province — with the Spirit of 2010 and the Olympics and

Paralympics coming to our province, those initiatives seem to carry with them an

extra sense of urgency; with $150 million to enhance environmental protection

and land use certainty; with $240 million to enhance the capacity of families

and communities to care for and protect vulnerable children in our province. We

know that we have been receiving up to 100 phone calls on average a day with

allegations of abuse and neglect. I think that number is down slightly, but we

certainly have to continue to respond to and be available to assist those

children who are most vulnerable.

I think it was Albert Camus who said that we probably cannot

eliminate abuse and torture of children, but we certainly can reduce it. I trust

that with these initiatives and the structures we put in place, we will do

exactly what Camus was suggesting.

[1525]

Mr. Speaker, $618 million to improve supports for people in need

and support for B.C.'s communities; and $372 million in funding for

post-secondary education, including fully funding the province's share of costs

for 16,205 new seats, with a goal of creating 25,000 new seats by the year 2010.

Three billion dollars in annual capital investment, reflecting government's

priorities in the K-to-12, post-secondary and health sectors and Crown agencies

— the infrastructure we need to be able to flourish and grow, the roots we need

to have the wings we want to have and to be able to utilize them.

And, Mr. Speaker, $308 billion to help improve access to critical

care services, such as cancer care, cardiac care, joint replacement and sight

restoration. All these issues are very important and continue to be very

important in a demographic that is continuing to get older, as we see the

cohorts and aging in our province — and have to respond to, manage and look at

that.

The potential of individuals, families and communities will

continue to grow as opportunity is provided in a budget which reflects not just

goals but principles. I believe that one of the principles reflected in this

budget is that we want to have a society which recognizes people not just for

the deficits they have — and all of us have deficits — but also for the gifts

they bring and for their potential, indeed the potential of all British

Columbians. This budget provides us with that opportunity, with that sense of

hope, and the potential that we may be able to realize our potential as

individuals, families and communities.

[ Page 12129 ]

R. Lee: It's my great honour and privilege to respond to the

historical budget speech delivered on February 15, 2005. Forty-five months ago

the majority of British Columbians made a decision to choose a political party

to form a government to carry out a plan to restore hope and prosperity in this

province. We know the essential elements of this plan are getting our financial

house in order while protecting funding for health care and education, and

revitalizing the economy.

This plan is working, as our government has now delivered two

balanced budgets in a row. The funding for the health care and education budgets

has increased $1.8 billion over the last three years alone. Their share of the

total provincial budget has steadily increased by 2 percent each year, from 62

percent in 2001 to 68 percent in 2004. This growth of the B.C. economy has been

very notable over the last three years.

With almost 200,000 full-time jobs created since December 2001, we

are leading the country in job creation. We are leading the country in housing

starts. We are leading the country in the increase in value of building permits.

We are leading the country in small business optimism.

The B.C. unemployment rate has dropped to a 23-year low. It's

clear that the decade of decline is behind us and that we are stepping into a

golden decade of prosperity and opportunity. When this government pays down the

provincial debt by $1.7 billion this year, we know this government has kept its

promise to reduce the debt when it has the ability to do so. This government is

a responsible government. This government has the future of our children in

mind.

I'm excited to see that this government has established five new

goals in the throne speech. These goals are further stressed and expanded in the

budget speech. I am not surprised by these emerging goals, as over the last

three years many steps have been made towards these objectives by the efforts of

the government caucus members, the ministers and the Premier.

[1530]

Most importantly, these goals reflect the values of British

Columbians, and these goals are what British Columbians want the government to

reach and go beyond. I remember one of my high school teachers saying in our

annual: "When you're setting a goal, aim high — but not too high." Looking at

the track record of this government, I believe these goals are all achievable.

The first goal is to make B.C. the best educated, most literate

jurisdiction on the continent. Student achievements in this province are

improving steadily. The completion rate of high school education is higher than

ever. Many students are winners in science, in mathematics contests and national

scholarship competitions. In my riding of Burnaby North, 51 students from

Burnaby North Secondary achieved the designation of advanced placement scholars

in 2004, the most ever for one Canadian school.

The budget we are now discussing contains a large increase in the

total spending in education, which includes spending in K-to-12, advanced

education and skills training. Over the last four years, we saw the total

spending in these sectors increase from $7.8 billion in the year 2000 to $8.3

billion in 2001, then to $8.4 billion in 2002 and $8.6 billion in 2003. Last

year it was $9 billion. This budget has put the number up again to $9.8 billion

by 2007. This represents a $2 billion increase, or 26 percent in annual

spending, in seven years.

This budget allocates an additional $150 million for K-to-12

education, the largest funding in a decade. The financial supports for K-to-12

students have been increased over the last four years, while the enrolment

continues to drop. The fact is that since 2000, we have had a reduction of

29,000 students in the public school system, yet there has been an increase of

$863 to over $7,000 per student.

When the Minister of Education met with parents and teachers in

Gilmore Community School in North Burnaby last month, the parents, teachers and

students wished that more resources were available to fund school libraries,

literacy programs, music and arts programs, and supports to the students with

special needs.

With this budget, Burnaby school boards may now use the additional

funding to improve all these areas. Over the past few years, school boards in

British Columbia have had more flexibility to manage their finances as well as

more freedom to develop innovative revenue sources. Many school boards have

taken these advantages to generate more resources for their districts.

Our government has been a fiscally responsible government. When

there are savings in the Ministry of Education, these funds are flowing back to

the schools and the students. Last May, during a visit to Sperling Elementary

School, I found out that a 1971 science textbook was still used in the class. I

subsequently brought the issue of outdated textbooks to the attention of the

Minister of Education and the Premier. In September of last year, voila — $10

million was allocated to new textbooks for the students.

[1535]

In Burnaby, the number of K-to-12 students has not changed too

much over the last few years. There was no school closure. In fact, new schools

are being opened. This September a modern, brand-new secondary school will open

its doors in southeast Burnaby. I am looking forward to having a new elementary

school in the Brentwood Town Centre area. I believe it's now ranked second on

the priority list in Burnaby.

Burnaby is home to two distinguished advanced education

institutes, Simon Fraser University and BCIT. Since this government has

committed to opening up 25,000 new post-secondary spaces in this province by

2010, we have seen substantial growth opportunities in these institutes. Some

1,145 and 1,115 new seats will be added to BCIT and SFU respectively.

Other than taking in more students, more and more choices will be

available to the students as well. Yesterday, I was at the inauguration ceremony

of a very innovative and unique cooperative venture featuring

[ Page 12130 ]

Simon Fraser University and Capilano College. They have established a

master's program in international leadership. This new professional master's

degree will prepare Canadians to work internationally in leadership positions in

the private, non-profit or government sectors.

Indeed, education is the best mechanism that human beings have

ever invented to equip themselves with knowledge about the local environment and

the world. In the world today, the flow of financial capital and human capital

is very fluid. With advanced communication technology, we are truly living in a

global village.

In this intimate yet very competitive environment, there is a huge

demand for professionals who are knowledgable in the geopolitics, geo-economy

and geoculture of various regions of the world. British Columbia, as the gateway

to the Asia-Pacific, will see more and more activities in international trade,

tourism, education and cultural exchanges with Pacific Rim countries. Our

education system must be flexible enough to seize the opportunities and overcome

the challenges.

Our government is committed to helping students. It is great news

that in this budget, $450 million will be provided for students' financial

assistance, including loan reductions for students in need, debt relief, a loan

forgiveness program and grants for students with disabilities. It may take a few

years to nurture a tree, but it clearly and certainly takes much longer to

nurture a child. I believe that education is a lifelong learning experience.

When individuals participate in early childhood education, K-to-12, advanced

education, continuing education or research and development, society benefits

from their acquired knowledge.

Many children enjoy reading. Every year in September, the Burnaby

Public Library has held an awards ceremony for children who have completed the

summer reading program. The children and parents are so overwhelmingly

enthusiastic about this event that there is usually a long lineup outdoors, rain

or shine. When parents are reading to their children, not only do the children

learn, but the parents learn as well.

Adults, especially new immigrants from other parts of the world,

practice their professions in this land. Entrepreneur immigrants are eager to

establish their new businesses here. I am pleased to see that over $14 million

in this budget is allocated to a B.C. Skills Connect for Immigrants program to

help new British Columbians find work in their fields of expertise and to speed

up the process of foreign credential recognition. This will ultimately improve

the overall productivity of our economy.

[1540]

Over the past few years, I have tried to take some steps of my own

to help improve and promote our education and training systems. I organized

education seminars to help parents. I organized round-table discussions with

community leaders. I visited schools. I participated in the activities of

schools, colleges, institutes, universities and aboriginal education centres.

I advocated for foreign credential recognition. I arranged

meetings between professional organizations such as the Association of

Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C., the Vancouver Regional

Construction Association and SUCCESS. I've also had meetings with the Society of

Internationally Trained Engineers of B.C., and tomorrow I am meeting the

Canada-China Building Industry Society. I'll raise issues regarding seismic

upgrades of schools and promote academic exchanges between education entities.

I've also met with a variety of different groups, including the

B.C. Heritage Language Association, Northburn agency, the Burnaby Arts Council,

the Royal Life Saving Society and Literacy B.C. I could go on, but I would like

to talk about the second goal of the golden decade to come, which is to lead the

way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.

Let me start, first, by linking education to physical fitness.

Yesterday I watched a presentation showing there's a strong correlation between

physical activities and academic achievements, so achieving the second goal will

help our first. It's obvious that one can avoid getting sick by prevention, and

if we can do that, it will cost the health care system less overall.

I am glad to see that this budget allocates $100 million for

public health initiatives, including Act Now B.C., which is a new health

promotion and prevention program. It designates $50 million for regional sports

facilities and $60 million for major post-secondary sports training facilities.

It's also obvious that if one's disorder or disease can be cured earlier, it

will cost the health care system less overall. I am pleased to see that $76

million is allocated for infant and early childhood vision, dental and hearing

screening initiatives.

The biggest piece of the health care budget is for critical

services, when our bodies need to be fixed and cared for. Health care budgets

have been increased every year, although many British Columbians believe that

they were cut. Under generally accepted accounting principles, the health care

budgets have been increased from $9.5 billion in year 2000 to $11.8 billion in

2004. It is budgeted to be $12.6 billion this year, which is a 33 percent

increase in five years.

The projected revenues from all provincial personal income tax are

$5.2 billion; from PST, $4.1 billion; and from MSP premiums, $1.4 billion. These

will not be enough to cover this health care budget, but as our own population

is aging in larger proportion, the demand for health care services will continue

to be challenging.

This budget clearly recognizes the need to improve access for

critical services such as cancer care, cardiac care and joint replacements. I am

particularly excited about an additional $77 million for recruitment, training

and retention of nurses; the additional $200 million for better access to hip

and knee replacement; the additional $100 million for B.C. Ambulance Service;

and the additional $200 million to improve access to home care, residential

care, palliative care and mental health and addiction services.

[ Page 12131 ]

[1545]

I know that more and better services will be provided by Burnaby

Hospital. My constituents will benefit, as well, from the additional $465

million for Pharmacare and $100 million for health research in the long term,

but we must do more to promote healthy living and physical fitness as preventive

measures. That's why I joined the B.C. Table Tennis Association and the Greater

Vancouver Table Tennis Association. I encourage my children to swim and to play

sports, and I encourage students in Burnaby by attending events like the annual

Royal Canadian Legion 148 track and field meet.

I support the 2009 World Police and Fire Games, the 2010 Winter

Olympics and Paralympic Games and the Spirit of B.C. community sports. Last year

I co-chaired the first-ever volunteer fair in Burnaby, and I was pleased to see

that organizations like the B.C. Special Olympics Society, Burnaby Mountain

Mantas Summer Swim Club, Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, Race Event Volunteers

of Vancouver and Burnaby Coalition to Prevent Falls, etc., are promoting their

organizations and recruiting volunteers.

The third goal set for this golden decade is to build the best

system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special

needs, children at risk and seniors. This budget spells out the need for the

government to protect and improve the quality of life for British Columbians

most in need. Indeed, with the power of a strong economy, more resources can be

directed to social services.

I know that organizations in my region like the Burnaby

Association for Community Inclusion, the Down Syndrome Research Foundation and

the Neil Squire Foundation are particularly pleased with the addition of $194

million to increase income assistance for persons with disabilities by $70 per

month, the largest increase in B.C. history; the additional $91 million for

adult community living services; and the additional $134 million to enhance

services to children and youth with special needs.

The United Way, the Salvation Army, the Seniors Well Aware

Program, the North Burnaby Retired Society, Burnaby Hospice Society, Burnaby

Seniors Outreach Service Society and Burnaby Meals on Wheels must be happy with

the additional $36 million for social housing, etc.

I am sure the Burnaby Family Life Institute, Marguerite Dixon

Transition House, South Burnaby Neighbourhood House and the Charlford House

Society for Women are looking forward to seeing the additional $37 million for

transition homes, outreach programs and related services for women and children

fleeing domestic violence; the additional $15 million for family law initiatives

designed to balance the needs of citizens with the capacity of the legal system;

the additional $26 million to support prevention and out-of-care options to keep

children safe within their families and communities; and the additional $5

million to make more families eligible for child care subsidies. Over the past

three years, I've attended many functions and fundraising events organized by

these organizations, which are providing excellent services to their clients.

Many of the organizations in our society depend on volunteers to

operate. Associations like Volunteer Burnaby, the Burnaby Hospital auxiliary,

Scouts Canada, Royal Canadian Air Cadets, etc., are providing many valuable

services to our youth, seniors and patients. Our society is indeed indebted to

many volunteers.

[1550]

I would like to take a look at the fourth goal of the golden

decade for British Columbians, which is to lead the world in sustainable

environmental management with the best air and water quality and the best

fisheries management, bar none.

The air and water we take in every day are critical to a healthy

life. Our province is famous for its beauty, clean air and the water. We must

try our best to preserve the natural environment of British Columbia, and this

budget put forward an additional $150 million to preserve and protect our

environment. The creation of a new $80 million B.C. community water improvement

program will benefit us and our next generations with safe and reliable drinking

water and better wastewater management.

Additional resources in contaminated sites cleanup, increased

capacity in the environmental assessment office and establishment of the B.C.

conservation corps, with up to 150 members and the addition of up to 15 new park

rangers and conservation officers, will certainly improve environmental

protection. I am still thrilled by the availability of funding for the Capital

Hill sanitary sewer extension project in Burnaby North by the three levels of

government. This would certainly improve the environment in the Burnaby North

area.

Our fifth goal of the golden decade is to create more jobs per

capita than anywhere else in Canada. Our government has been successful in the

last three years in doing that, and if there's no interruption in government

policies, this goal is readily achievable — no question about it.

With more jobs available in British Columbia, more people are

working, and the average unemployment rate is dropping further. One consequence

of this is that people from other provinces and immigrants from other countries

are moving to this province. We saw eBay move into Burnaby two years ago, and

just last month HSBC established another branch of its technology centre in

Burnaby North, employing more than 240 people.

We can see that in this province, we are leading the country in

retail, in wholesale, in building permits issued, small business optimism and

employment growth. However, we must keep the momentum of the economy going by

investing in infrastructure. Otherwise, the inefficiency in the transportation

system will create a bottleneck of growth.

I support the addition of $777 million for economic development. I

am pleased to see that issues, including the small business corporate income tax

threshold, the mountain pine beetle and the forest fires, oil and gas

[ Page 12132 ]

and the mining sector, tourism and the Pacific gateway initiative are all

being addressed in this budget, and I am looking forward to entering the golden

decade with my fellow British Columbians.

K. Stewart: As we deliver our final throne speech and

budget for this thirty-seventh parliament, I believe it's a great opportunity to

look back and review what we've accomplished to date. Just how far have we come

in the past four years?

The feeling I get from most people in my riding is that things are

definitely moving ahead, and they have little desire to move backward. But as

history constantly teaches us, if we don't occasionally look back to where we

came from, we're bound to repeat our past sins. So where were we in 2001?

On strikes and in disputes — the nurses, the doctors, paramedics,

transit workers, teachers. Our hospitals were in chaos. Our education system was

faltering, and our transit was in gridlock. Crisis management was the order of

the day for the previous government. Finally, we were headed financially into a

steep dive when we took over.

[1555]

Where are we now? After a decade of transportation neglect and

deficits in the provision of health care and education, we are first today in

economic growth in Canada. We had the fewest days due to labour strikes than

they've had in the past two decades. We brought in our second balanced budget,

and we've met or exceeded all our financial targets to date since we formed

government. When it comes to nursing, even Debra McPherson thinks things are

improving.

We've presented a budget, so let's look at the review of the

budget. Let's see what some of the accountants supporting the NDP say about the

budget. They say it's five times better than theirs, beating ours 2 to 1. Well,

their budget's the same as their math skills — nonexistent.

How would they pay for some of these new increases they're talking

about for programs? I guess they could always go back to their old friend

Maureen Maloney, with her ideology that we should bring in a cumulative annual

wealth tax so that we can tax our parents for all the savings they've made over

the years, tax the seniors on the dollars they've put away for their old age. Or

we could just follow Jim Sinclair's lead and tax business — tax them to death,

push them out of the country again.

What do the real accountants out there say? The Certified General

Accountants Association of British Columbia has this to say about our budget:

"B.C.'s certified general accountants are pleased with the government's action

on debt reduction, tax cuts for the elderly and the less fortunate, and the

increases it made to health care and educational spending." Sounds like they can

read books, and they don't read "cut" into that anywhere. The association's

president, Rita Estock, said today: "A combination of the government's sound

fiscal management and a strong economy play key roles in funding these

initiatives."

As we move forward, with four years of fiscal responsibility and

budget transparency behind us, we're moving on with accounting practices that

are fully supportive of GAAP, the generally approved accounting principles.

What else have we done to ensure that British Columbia's system of

services we provide have the scrutiny of proper accountancy? We've enacted the

Budget Transparency and Accountability Act, which requires the government to

fully implement generally accepted accounting principles. These are the types of

accounting principles that do not allow you to hold off-book deficits, off-book

debts, nor hold funds off books for a future day when you might want to slide

them out. Every penny has to be accounted for.

They required the budget, under our legislation, to be balanced by

2004-05. As we did with all the rest of our financial planning, we held true to

that, and we balanced our budget. And we continue to balance our budget. The

legislation prohibits us from doing anything else into the future.

Let's move on to a few issues that are concerning us all.

Education. There's been a lot of talk about education, and we've had many

speakers before me here that have spoken eloquently about all the provincial

initiatives that are going on and the general budget applications that affect

all British Columbians.

I'd just like to look in at my school district, No. 42, and at

what they had to say this spring. This is long before we brought in some of the

extra targeted funding. At its regularly scheduled public meeting on April 14,

2004, the board of school trustees — Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows — passed motions

that will balance the 2004-05 budget, establish a fund to enhance student

achievement and add significant resources back into the classroom.

School board chair Cheryl Ashlie stated:

"It was our goal going into the 2004-05 fiscal year not

only to balance our budget but to create a fund aimed at enhancing student

achievement and putting additional resources into the classroom. In

establishing this fund, the board has directed staff to develop a process that

will require schools to prepare plans that will not only outline the proposals

for these funds but also include measurements and benchmarks to be used in

assessing the effectiveness of each distribution from the fund."

Now, there's a school district that's really working hard for the

people of Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows.

What have we done to help support that? Over the last few years

since 2001, our local school district has had an increase to its budget of over

$10 million. How much is that? It's over 11 percent, and the student population

has only increased by less than 1 percent. This doesn't even calculate in the

additional provincial $150 million that is targeted for the funding that was

just announced.

There are extreme challenges in education, and we're all aware of

that. The demographics are definitely changing. It was recently reported to me

that in the area of Chilliwack, there were 1,800 new homes. As a result of the

growing economy, in my area and in many other areas of the valley, the

home-building business is just booming.

[ Page 12133 ]

[1600]

When you think of 1,800 new homes…. What kind of impact is that

going to have on a school district? I bounced this one off a few of my friends

the other day. Someone said: "Oh, it will be at least 500 students." Someone

else said: "With 1,800 homes, that's got to be a thousand kids." Someone else a

little more realistic said: "Oh, I bet around 200." The reality was that with

1,800 new homes there were 11 new students in the school district. That's

showing how the demographic shift is swinging.

It's not the same everywhere. I know that my area of Maple

Ridge–Pitt Meadows has a higher rate of children in the family home than other

areas. The average is 1.2 and we're 1.4. The average for seniors in British

Columbia is 13 percent, and there are only 11 percent in my area. This shows you

some of the trends. Even in many of the areas where the housing starts are

booming, the number of grade 12 students is double the number of those entering

grade 1.

I'd just like to touch on some of the local health care issues. I

always hear about the health care cuts. How can you have a cut in funding when

you add $3 billion? There's NDP math again. You add $3 billion. That's got to be

a cut. It may have been a cut the way they used to spend their money, but we're

trying to get accountability and effectiveness put in with those dollars — those

dollars that are added through the accountability that we've put through the

system. We know where they're going.

We're starting to get a handle on what things cost in a hospital.

It's amazing. In 2001 we had no idea what things cost in a hospital. Today I'm

sure there are areas where we still don't have accurate numbers, but we're

moving towards a system where we can track. I can go to a private clinic

downtown, have a knee operation, and they will tell me it will be X dollars.

"Mr. Stewart, if you want that done, it will be $986.42." If I went to my local

hospital and had it done, they wouldn't have an idea whether it cost $1,500 or

$15,000. We're trying to bring that kind of accountability to health care, and

we need comparatives to do that.

We've had some local successes in health care in my region. We've

had our area designated as an area of need for the recruitment of doctors as a

result of the low per-capita relationship of doctors to people in the community.

As a result of that, we've had 15 new family doctors and seven specialists come

to our area. It's an accomplishment we're quite proud of. We actually have

doctors advertising for patients. How many communities in British Columbia can

say that?

We've also been very effective in assisting the Asante Centre for

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome by securing over $800,000 in grants to help support this

system and this centre, which has recently become a provincial resource as a

result of a $450,000 grant recently received.

With regards to the hospital, we're just undertaking an $11

million upgrade to the emergency ward. Initially, the provincial government was

going to add $6 million to this, with the local community coming up with $2

million. Since then, we've managed to get the province to up their portion to $8

million, and the community has come up with another $1 million. So we're going

to be looking at an $11 million uplift to our emergency ward, and that

construction is starting now.

Also at our hospital are 130 beds for senior care that are

definitely outdated. Immediately, within the next couple of weeks, we're going

to be starting construction on 130 new beds to replace those. Even though we're

not adding beds as quickly as we'd like to, we certainly are replacing those

that are antiquated and need to be replaced, so at least the people that are

there are living in a standard we would expect.

We've also added some other facilities in our community. We've

expanded the surgical capacity at the Ridge Meadows Hospital with the opening of

a fourth operating room, along with an additional weekend slate. That has

allowed them to add a full-time orthopedic specialist to help supervise that.

Things are happening in health care in my area.

There's one other area I'd like to touch on before I move off this

speech today. That is on the area of environmental protection. I was very

pleased when I looked on page 31 of our Budget and Fiscal Plan

2005/06-2007/08. I looked at the increase that we're going to put back into

the environment. I know there was a lot of criticism in my area when we added

parking to a provincial park. I was supportive of it only if we started

returning some of the dollars back to those parks.

[1605]

I've been a park user ever since I was a teen, and I've seen a

steady degradation of those trail systems. They need funding, they need support,

and we need to find that money somewhere. One of the ways was to charge users

for parking. Again, it wasn't very popular, but now we are starting to see the

funding go back into those parks.

I was so pleased to see in here that there is going to be a $16

million increase to the number of park rangers and conservation officers and

that there is $91 million more for the investigation and remediation of

contaminated sites on Crown lands — something that has been far too long

ignored. Also, we're adding $8 million to help improve our drinking water.

The other thing I was pleased with locally is that we've managed

to save a piece of wetland from being developed and allowed it to be preserved

for wetland enhancement for all future generations. That was certainly thanks to

the work of our ministers and cooperation with other agencies. We've managed to

preserve the Codd Island wetlands. That was with a $1.5 million contribution

from the provincial government, which I'm quite proud we managed to get.

What do other agencies that work in the wildlife area say about

us? Well, the B.C. Wildlife Federation recently applauded a $6.5 million cash

infusion that they've got. They recognize, as we recognize, how important

volunteers are into the conservation area. I'd just like to quote." The members

of the B.C. Wildlife Federation pour fees and volunteer energies into enhancing

habitats in our province, and it is welcome that

[ Page 12134 ]

government is stepping in to give a helping hand with so much additional

financial support," said BCFW President Dave White. It amounts to special

recognition by the Premier and the ministers that the volunteer work of the BCWF

and its members is a valuable asset to the community and deserves a boost when

our province can afford it. The B.C. Wildlife Federation has been a great

supporter of environmental issues for a very long time.

In closing, one thing I would like to talk about is the future. As

we look forward, we can now see that we've got the basis for a strong economy.

So many of my fellow members have so eloquently expressed what that economy is.

I don't feel I need to take 15 minutes of your time to go over that today, but I

will say that what it has done is given us opportunity. Having our books

balanced and having a strong economy allows us to put money in areas that it is

really needed. It's definitely false financial management to think you can spend

money you don't have. By first stabilizing our economy and stabilizing our

financial situation, we are now able to enhance those that are less fortunate

than those of us in the House here today.

I'm very pleased with the direction we're taking. I'm very pleased

to be part of this government, and I certainly look forward to the acceptance of

this budget by the House, allowing us to move forward in British Columbia to

make British Columbia the best place in the world to live.

Hon. K. Falcon: It is a day on which I rise with great

pride to talk about the budget, the record of this government, the progress

we've made — recognizing that we haven't yet reached our destination. But my

goodness, we are on a path towards a destination that I think looks exceedingly

promising in the short time we've been here.

[K. Stewart in the chair.]

I was attending a speech this morning for the tourism association

representing all of the tourism associations right across British Columbia. The

individual who was introducing the Premier pointed out that this economic

turnaround in British Columbia has been the greatest economic turnaround in the

shortest period of time that they've ever seen in all their years of working

here in British Columbia trying to build tourism.

Before I talk about some of those positive things, what I would

like to do is touch on a little bit of the record. It's a bit of a refresher

course, if you will, on why it is we undertook the changes we did, why we

undertook some of the difficult decisions that needed to be made to ensure that

we could turn the economy of British Columbia around and ensure that we've got

in place a plan, a workable plan, that is going to actually lay a foundation for

opportunity and growth once again in British Columbia.

[1610]

I think it's important and instructive to remember what the

previous government's economic record was in British Columbia. It was a

calamitous record by any yardstick. Anyone that wished to measure what happened

over the last decade will recall that with the NDP, when they got elected in

2001…. Boy, you know, I hear the same talk now from their current leader,

talking about how they've got a new, moderate…. They're going to be careful with

money. They're not going to spend any more than they're going to take in. We

heard all those same words back in 2001. In fact, I remember the ads they used

to run with the little piggy bank and Mike Harcourt saying: "We won't spend one

penny more than we take in." I think members of this House will recall that.

What happened? We had ten years…. Actually, in fairness to them,

we had eight years of successive deficits. From that point on, they doubled the

provincial debt from $17 billion to $34 billion. We saw two separate credit

downgrades by the international credit debt-rating agencies. We became, under

the NDP government, a have-not province for the first time in the history of

this proud province, a province in which I'm so proud to be born and raised. Yet

in 1999, here in this province, we became a have-not province for the first time

ever in British Columbia's history, meaning that we had to suffer the

humiliation of accepting equalization payments from other provinces, because

British Columbia wasn't pulling its weight.

The government of the day engaged in all sorts of ridiculous

investments. They poured a billion dollars into business subsidies. The

government of the day said that they didn't like business, etc. But they

couldn't resist trying to throw good taxpayer dollars into failing businesses. I

could go on and on about that.

I'll touch on a couple that always jump to my mind. There's the

$25 million they lent to Delta Fraser Properties so they could pave Burns Bog

and turn it into an entertainment complex — an absolutely unbelievably

shortsighted, irresponsible decision that would have essentially paved over the

environmental lungs of the lower mainland and put an amusement park there. They

gave the company $25 million so they could do that. It's absolutely

unbelievable, and I'm pleased to say that under the leadership of our Premier,

we actually came up with the dollars and got a federal contribution and saved

Burns Bog in British Columbia.

Believe me, I've just started. That wasn't the end of it, by any

stretch of the means. You'll recall that they gave about $30 million in an

interest-free loan to Daimler-Benz, one of the largest corporations on the

planet. That is a particularly interesting situation. They apparently hate big

corporations but apparently not enough not to loan them money interest-free on

behalf of taxpayers.

They poured money into Canadian Airlines, which of course

subsequently was taken over after unfortunately almost going out of business. It

was taken over by Air Canada. They put $60 million of equity into Western Star

Trucks and another $25 million for employee training for Western Star Trucks up

in Kelowna. Western Star ended up shutting its Kelowna operations and moving to

the U.S.

[ Page 12135 ]

On and on it goes. One of my favourite stories, of course, is

Skeena Cellulose, when they poured over $400 million of taxpayer dollars. I

remember the minister of the day, Dan Miller. He had a famous quote that Vaughn

Palmer included in one of his articles. The quote was: "I understand business

and these guys don't. They're very bad business people." That was Minister Dan

Miller talking about the bankers. I remember that at the time he made that

comment, I was laughing, because I thought: "I'll tell you. Here's an NDP

cabinet minister saying that he's got the better good on the bankers." Well,

what happened? The bankers walked out of that, and the taxpayers took a haircut

to the tune of $425 million — flushed right down the toilet.

Then of course, there were fast ferries. I could go on and on, but

I will spend a moment on ferries, because I do actually think…. Actually, I'm

going to come back to ferries, because….

Interjection.

Hon. K. Falcon: I know. I get that you want to hear about

that, but I have a few other things I want to touch on here.

That was the climate we had in British Columbia at the time, so

what we did under the leadership of the Premier is came forward with a plan, a

realistic plan that set out an agenda for the province — an agenda that would

actually try and get us back into a position where we could revitalize the

economy, restore confidence, restore investment and create opportunities for our

young people again.

We came forward with a platform that had 201 specific commitments

called a new era of hope and opportunity. I am pleased to stand in this House

today and say that 97 percent of those commitments have been kept for the

benefit of British Columbians. Every time I hear those members opposite talk

about broken promises, I shake my head, because I will tell you that 97 percent,

when I was in school, was one heck of a good mark. I think it's a great

testament to the leadership of this province and the direction we're moving in.

[1615]

Interjections.

Hon. K. Falcon: No, I didn't get 97 percent, I have to

confess to the members, but I am pleased that now that I'm a part of government,

we are achieving a 97 percent score.

What did we do? One thing we did was say we were going to commit….

One of those 201 commitments said that we would reduce the regulatory burden by

one-third in our first three years. We actually exceeded that, a 38 percent

reduction — 150,000 unnecessary regulations gone, again freeing up opportunity

for the small business community to grow and to prosper.

We said we would introduce a major reduction in personal income

taxes — tax relief for working families in this province. We did that on our

first day in this House, a 25 percent across-the-board tax cut.

We said we would review all Crown corporations and ministries of

government to ensure that the dollars we invest are actually achieving

measurable results. One thing government doesn't do well is measure what it

actually gets out of the dollars it invests. This Premier is fond of saying that

you cannot manage what you cannot measure, and he is right. You have to measure

what it is you are investing in, and you've got to determine whether you're

getting the right results. We've started doing at.

Let me just touch on a few areas that I think are important not

only to my riding in Cloverdale, which I'm very proud to serve, but also to the

province. Let me first of all talk about the school system, K-to-12. Under the

previous government, not surprisingly, we had chaotic education policies. That's

probably because we had eight ministers in the ten years they were in power —

eight Education ministers in ten years. You can't possibly have stability with

that kind of turnover of ministers.

In Surrey we had a problem where we had portables virtually

everywhere, all over the community of Surrey. The NDP government in 1992

eliminated education as an essential service — something that the previous

Social Credit government had introduced. But the NDP wiped that out. What

happened? Students lost more than four million student-days of education due to

strikes and lockouts.

The NDP government introduced back-to-work legislation three

times. Three different times they had to legislate teachers back to work under

their own chaotic system, which frankly just never worked. They made sure that

parents couldn't volunteer in the schools, because of course that would

interfere with CUPE union rights. So parents were banned from sorting books in

libraries or helping out with sports activities, or whatever the case may be.

We made sure, with our changes, that parents would once again have

a central role in the education of their children. The right to volunteer would

be enshrined in legislation, and the right to education would be enshrined in

legislation — again, more commitments that we kept. We moved to a per-pupil

funding formula so that growing communities like Surrey, one of the rare

districts that actually has a growing student population, would not be penalized

by the perennial shortfalls under the previous NDP funding formula that resulted

in portables everywhere in Surrey.

This government talks about school closures, and their allies in

the BCTF union talk about school closures. Well, they forget to mention that we

have 30,000 fewer students in the system today. There are districts that are

dealing with the challenge of a shrinking population. That was a result of the

fact that people were leaving British Columbia under the NDP government. When

there is no economic opportunity, people leave the province — 50,000 people

between 1997 and 2001 leaving British Columbia, 11,000 of them to Alberta alone.

So not surprisingly, our schools started

[ Page 12136 ]

emptying out of kids, particularly in resource British Columbia.

There have had to be some challenges of shutting down some of

those schools that have no students to fill them. Apparently the NDP, because

they haven't said any different, would reopen all these empty schools. It would

be interesting to see what they actually do on that, although I don't imagine

they will do that.

In communities like Surrey, in growing school districts, because

of per-pupil funding we have added new schools. In fact, we've added lots of new

schools. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that we've added over a dozen new schools

in Surrey in the last few years alone. I could read off an entire list here, but

for the sake of argument, I'll just say that in my riding alone in Cloverdale,

Morgan Elementary and A.J. McClelland are brand-new schools in my riding.

We've got Grandview Heights Elementary and our new schools that we

also have coming, and renovated schools — White Rock Elementary, Sands Junior,

Burnsview, Delview Junior Secondary. We've got new schools planned over the next

few years. In my riding alone, we've got four new schools coming and two more

site acquisitions. That's because we're a growing community.

[1620]

In the post-secondary field this is also exciting. Again, what we

had under the previous government was a tuition freeze. But the tuition they

froze they didn't make up with the dollars that needed to be put into the

system, because the post-secondary system was now starved by not being able to

have the revenues necessary so that they could grow.

It was interesting that Carole James was speaking at the Nanaimo

Chamber of Commerce breakfast recently, about a week before I was there. In

response to a question, one of the comments she made was:

"One of the problems with the previous tuition freeze

that was in place with the previous New Democratic government was that it

didn't include additional moneys for the colleges and universities. You can't

simply freeze tuition, not look at providing funding to colleges and

universities and then download the costs in some other way."

I was actually glad to hear her say that. You don't often

hear her speaking candidly about the fact that their tuition freeze made no

sense, but it's true. What we did was said that we're not going to tell the

universities what the rates should be. We released that. There were some

increases, but I will say this. Today in British Columbia undergraduate tuition

fees, if you compare them across the country, are number five out of ten

provinces. If you go back ten years and you make that same comparison, they were

number five out of ten.

As part of Budget 2005 what we did say was that there will be no

further increases, except for the inflationary increase. I think that was a bold

move of the Premier and the right move. The reason is that one of the concerns I

had as an MLA representing a riding with an active post-secondary student

population was wanting to ensure that the universities and the colleges also

reflect on their cost structure. We don't want to allow that to grow

unnecessarily. I think that was the right balance we achieved there.

I also want to talk for a moment about transportation. That is

such a huge issue throughout the province, and it is so important that we do

something. Our record on transportation is exciting. Right now in British

Columbia I have the honour of being Minister of Transportation at a time when we

are investing in the most ambitious, aggressive transportation infrastructure

program that we've seen since the great old days of W.A.C. Bennett and Flying

Phil Gaglardi. That's something I'm very proud to be part of.

I want to contrast that, because there was…. The previous

government had a decade to look at making those kinds of investments that needed

to be made in infrastructure. As usual, they didn't, because they were broke,

frankly. What with doubling the debt and running deficits every year, they

didn't invest in infrastructure, which is tied directly to the kind of economy

we are going to have. No one can better understand that, but….

I see the member here. The Minister of Energy and Mines is in this

House. He knows more than anyone else that while he was in opposition, the only

thing he saw happen was that a bridge got painted in his riding. A bridge got

painted.

Hon. R. Neufeld: In an ugly colour.

Hon. K. Falcon: It was an ugly colour, as the member

reminds me. That member represents the northeast sector of this province, an

area that is undergoing one of the greatest oil and gas investment booms that

we've seen in at least a generation. That's because we're investing in roads.

Let me just give you a couple of quotes from some previous

ministers under the NDP government. Art Charbonneau was a former NDP Minister of

Transportation. Here's what he said in 1993 about the Port Mann Bridge: "We need

to twin the Port Mann Bridge." That was in 1993. He said that we need "an

additional crossing of the Fraser — or perhaps even two — in the next ten

years." That was also in 1993.

Here's what he said about the Pitt River Bridge: "We need a bridge

across the Pitt River." That was Art Charbonneau again over ten years ago.

Okanagan Lake Bridge. I love this one. Here is what Art

Charbonneau said about the Okanagan Lake Bridge: "Maybe we have to go back to

considering ferries across Okanagan Lake — maybe fast ferries. I don't know."

That was the kind of lack of vision we had in the province. It's

appalling. Today I can tell you that we are building a new Okanagan Lake Bridge

— $120 million. We are twinning the Port Mann Bridge. We are going to get a new

Pitt River Bridge. We have invested, in Budget 2005, over $300 million to get

started on that gateway program. We are in the middle of a three-year, $1.5

billion rehabilitation program that will pave roads

[ Page 12137 ]

and highways and add new bridges and interchanges right across British

Columbia in the grand tradition of W.A.C. Bennett.

You know what? There are people who say that's going in the wrong

direction. I hear them every day. "Oh, don't build it. Oh, you can't do that.

It's going to cause this problem or that problem." But you know what? We're

builders again in British Columbia. We're proud to be builders in British

Columbia, because we are getting this economy moving. We're going to ensure that

in British Columbia we are moving forward, not backward. We're looking ahead,

not behind. That's something the previous government never understood, but

that's something we understand in this government.

[1625]

Finally, as I get close towards the end, I want to talk about my

own riding. I want to talk about what this budget means to real people in

Cloverdale and in Surrey. Actually, this applies across the province.

The former government was always fond of saying how they cared

about the working men and women of this province. They always talk about how

they care about the working folks. Well, let me tell you that the greatest

disaster to working folks — working men and women — in this province was ten

years of socialist NDP government. It was devastating. It was devastating for

the tens of thousands of workers that lost their jobs in the forestry sector, i