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)

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2005

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 27, Number 22

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Introductions by Members

Statements (Standing Order 25 B )

Benefits of physical activity

K. Whittred

Ridge Meadows Hospital services

K. Stewart

Transportation and Hydro infrastructure

in northwestern B.C.

D. MacKay

Oral Questions

Compensation for former Woodlands

School residents

J. Kwan

Hon. S. Hagen

B.C. Liberal Party election statements

and expansion of gambling

J. MacPhail

Hon. G. Bruce

Hon. R.

Coleman

B.C. Liberal Party election statements

and services for problem gamblers

J. Brar

Hon. G. Bruce

Hon. R.

Coleman

Crown counsel compensation agreement

P. Nettleton

Education funding and B.C. Teachers

Federation advertising

L. Mayencourt

Hon. T.

Christensen

Government action on impaired driving

E. Brenzinger

Hon. R.

Coleman

Tabling Documents

Public Service Benefit Plan Act, annual

report, 2004

Budget Debate (continued)

J. Kwan

Hon. B. Locke

Hon. M. Coell

Hon. S. Hagen

Hon. W. McMahon

K. Johnston

Hon. L. Reid

Second Reading of Bills

Crown Counsel Agreement Continuation

Act (Bill 21)

Hon. G. Bruce

J. MacPhail

P. Nettleton

Hon. G. Bruce

Budget Measures Implementation Act,

2005 (Bill 6)

Hon. C. Hansen

J. MacPhail

Hon. C. Hansen

Committee of Supply

Supplementary Estimates (No. 10): Ministry of

Small Business and Economic Development (continued)

J. Kwan

Hon. J. Les

[ Page 12205 ]

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2005

The House met at 2:03 p.m.

Introductions by Members

R. Masi: With leave from the member for Nanaimo, it's a

great pleasure for me today to introduce some very close family members from

Nanaimo: my uncle Fred Cormans and my cousin Terry Cormans, accompanied by his

wife, Kim Cormans. Would the House please make them all welcome today.

Hon. S. Bond: It is my pleasure today to welcome the B.C.

Ambulance Service's CEO, David Morhart, and his executive management team to the

precinct. As the members know, the service is undertaking a number of

groundbreaking initiatives designed to improve patient care across the province.

Thanks to the dedicated work of the service's executive and the

more than 3,200 paramedics across the province we are improving ambulance

response times in communities across British Columbia. We are investing in

training to ensure that our paramedics continue to be the most highly skilled

prehospital emergency care practitioners in North America, and we are also

looking at innovative ways of integrating the prehospital care paramedics

provide with the care delivered by emergency department staff to ensure the best

possible patient outcomes.

[1405]

In addition to welcoming them, we had the opportunity today to

actually see our critical care air ambulance team in action. It was absolutely

phenomenal. We are so proud of the work that our health care professionals do. I

wanted to recognize Keith Kozak and Scott Hay, who we actually met as part of

their line of work today. Please join me in welcoming David Morhart and his

executive to the precinct.

J. MacPhail: I have three separate introductions to make

today.

The first one is Brian Carter, whom I had lunch with today. He's a

dedicated coast guard professional here in Victoria. There are also two very

lively — I would say live wire, but let's just leave it at lively — seniors

joining us today from Nanaimo, Pat Portsmouth and Anne Thompson. Then finally

Margaret Scott, my sister-in-law, who is a nurse extraordinaire, arrived today.

Would the House please make them all welcome.

M. Hunter: Mr. Speaker, with your indulgence I rise not to

introduce a person today but a spirit — the spirit of St. David. Today is St.

David's Day. Many of my family are from Wales, and I wanted this House to

recognize St. David's Day and say to all the Welsh Canadians who live in British

Columbia: Wales forever.

J. Kwan: Visiting us today in the members' gallery are

approximately 20 people. They are and represent the abuse victims of the

Woodlands care home for children. They are Greg Schiller, Arlene Schouten, Bill

MacArthur, Gary Hill, Lenny Zimmer, Richard McDonald, Fay Sherlock, Dorothy

Murray, Ken Milne and Danny Vollans. Also in the east public gallery are Luanne

Bradshaw and Phil Traynor; and in wheelchairs are Ron Frank and his attendant,

Anton; Barb Westfield and her attendant, Alison; Paul Irwin and his attendant;

and finally, Deb Yaschuk and her attendant. Would the House please make welcome

these individuals.

Hon. C. Hansen: I would like the House to welcome a group

of grade 5 students from Lord Kitchener Elementary School in my riding. They are

accompanied by their teachers, Ms. Peterson, Ms. Gray and Mrs. Sidhu, and

parents that have come along with them. I look forward to talking to them a

little later in the afternoon. Would the House please make them welcome.

Statements

(Standing Order 25

b) BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

K. Whittred: Every day thousands of dollars are spent

looking for the fountain of youth, but it may be as close as our neighbourhood

park. Physical activity has been glowingly referred to as "the magic bullet"

because of its proven benefits in preventing disease, improving health and

promoting independence and quality of life in old age.

The United Kingdom minister for public health has called physical

exercise the best buy in public health. The beneficial effects of regular

exercise have been identified as the most effective way to achieve healthy

aging.

Today one of the biggest challenges in our health system is the

management of chronic disease. Studies show that a wide range of chronic

diseases could be avoided through increased physical activity. The U.S. Surgeon

General has issued a general national call to action to put increased physical

activity on the same level as the use of seatbelts and no-smoking campaigns

because of strong evidence that it will produce substantial health gains.

How do British Columbians stack up? How do we compare to other

provinces in being active? Good news: B.C. is first among provinces, according

to Statistics Canada. However, the data also shows that between 1994 and 2001

the proportion of the population across Canada exercising regularly increased.

B.C., however, although it has the highest rate in the country, remained

stagnant, so there is opportunity to improve.

[1410]

Another really interesting outcome of the study was on gender

differences. During that same time period women in B.C. increased their physical

activity by 5.8 percent, while men decreased theirs by 6.6 percent — overall, a

good prognosis for women's health but not so good for the men.

[ Page 12206 ]

A goal that all of us share on both sides of the House is to get

to be a senior — in fact, to get to be a super senior, that segment of society

over 85, who are the fastest-growing group in the population. Not only do we

aspire to be a super senior but one who is healthy, mobile and connected with

community. How does physical activity help us get there, Mr. Speaker? It is

estimated that 15 percent of heart disease, 19 percent of stroke and 18 percent

of osteoporosis are attributable to lack of physical activity.

RIDGE MEADOWS HOSPITAL SERVICES

K. Stewart: Early in our mandate we identified that we must

improve emergency care. At our Ridge Meadows Hospital we are undertaking an

emergency ambulatory care redevelopment. This $11 million project will double ER

space and bring together scattered out-patient programs as well as free up space

for in-patient use. Our partners, the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation and the

communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, are committed to raising $3 million

for this equipment.

Emergency access improvement has reduced average waiting times

from an emergency bed into a regular hospital bed from 23 hours to less than

eight. Contributing factors include the introduction of a 24-hour home support

system, a team focus for discharge planning and the addition of 15 hours of

specialized triage nursing each week. The addition of a full-time psychiatric

nursing position to the ER will assist with patients who have addictions and

mental health issues. Surgical services have opened up a fourth operating room

and a general surgeon position has also been added.

Many doctors have commented to me on how much more efficient their

new job is with the new equipment at the hospital. This new equipment includes a

CT scanner. Local placement has dramatically reduced patient wait-lists for this

important diagnostic technology.

Many community groups contributed to the initial purchase of this

vital piece of equipment, and the staff hours of support have been recently

increased. A digital storage unit operated with PACS technology has also been

added. This is North America's largest on-line system for sending diagnostic

images to doctors.

An echo machine was received in 2004. This will allow us to do

tests in a timely manner without having to send patients to Eagle Ridge

Hospital. A mini C-arm has been wanted for some time by the orthopedic surgeons.

This now will allow for easier imaging on a portable machine.

At the Ridge Meadows Hospital site, in a new facility, we are also

replacing the aging 130 beds at Creekside Manor and Alouette Manor and combining

two local health offices in-house. This partnership between Fraser health and

the private sector will also create space for future programs and services.

We still have many challenges in health care, but these additions

have greatly improved service to the people of Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows.

TRANSPORTATION AND HYDRO

INFRASTRUCTURE IN NORTHWESTERN B.C.

D. MacKay: Today I would like to spend a few minutes

talking about infrastructure and what happens when a government does the

necessary planning to make things happen — unlike the previous administration,

who must have known we were getting older but did nothing to plan for the

expected demand on health care of the citizens of this province.

I'm pleased to report that the Ministry of Transportation has

provided the funds and the planning needed to ensure that Highway 37 north will

be upgraded and capable of 100 percent legal axle loading over its entire length

from Kitwanga to the Yukon border. This has been done to ensure that the road

surface will stand up to the heavy truck traffic expected in the coming years

from the mining industry. If you are familiar with the northwest of our

province, you will know that Highway 37 is critical to the mining industry.

Another infrastructure issue I would like to speak about is the

absence of hydroelectric power along the Highway 37 corridor. Mines use huge

quantities of electricity, and in the absence of hydroelectric power they're

required to use diesel generation. We all know this is not good for the

environment.

A mine near Iskut, more specifically the Red Chris mine, is

expected to start preproduction in the first quarter of 2007. It is expected to

have a mine life of 25 years. With access to the B.C. power grid it is expected

the mine would spend $459 million on electricity, based on B.C. Hydro's

published

schedule of rates. There are other properties east and west of the

Highway 37 corridor that will also be looking for access to the power grid.

[1415]

With a return like the numbers I just quoted, it makes so much

sense to ensure that this piece of the puzzle be completed by B.C. Transmission

Corporation as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker: That concludes members' statements.

Oral Questions

COMPENSATION FOR FORMER

WOODLANDS SCHOOL RESIDENTS

J. Kwan: Joining us today in the Legislature are survivors

of Woodlands School, British Columbians who suffered horrific abuse. These

survivors are asking the government to sit down and negotiate an effective and

fair settlement process for those who suffered while they were in care of that

institution. They're here again today to make their plea to the government.

To the Premier: why is the government forcing these survivors to

go to the courts instead of engaging in a fair and transparent negotiation

process?

Hon. S. Hagen: As the member opposite knows full well,

these matters are before the courts and I can't

[ Page 12207 ]

comment on them specifically. What this government has done is…. In 2002 the

government created a $2 million trust fund to provide counselling and support

for former Woodlands residents and their family members. We worked with the

public guardian and trustee to create the Woodlands project team, and we thank

the team for their diligent work.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has a

supplementary question.

J. Kwan: Not a cent from that trust fund has gone to the

survivors, and the request by the survivors to have public representation in

that trust has been denied.

There is ample precedent for sitting down and negotiating fairly

and openly in a tragic situation like this. In a report to the government Dulcie

McCallum stated very clearly that Woodlands survivors should not be forced to

pursue reparations through the courts and that the government should further

investigate systemic abuse. The government ignored that advice.

Again to the Premier: why won't he call off his lawyers and engage

in a constructive, open and fair settlement process with the victims of

Woodlands, some of whom are here today? They don't want to go to the courts.

Hon. S. Hagen: To this House and to the people of the

province, I want to reiterate that because these matters are before the courts,

I can't comment specifically.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. S. Hagen: I want to reiterate that the government set

up a $2 million trust fund to pay for counselling and support services for the

Woodlands residents and their family members, and we did that in a cooperative

spirit. We worked with the public guardian and trustee to create the Woodlands

project team, and we want to thank the team for their diligent work.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has a

further supplementary.

J. Kwan: I remind the government that the former Minister

of Children and Family Development said that government has a moral

responsibility to treat these survivors fairly. They're asking for a process

outside of the court system to deal with their issue. Not a cent from the trust

fund has flowed to the survivors. There are some 1,500 survivors in the

Woodlands residential school situation. Many of them are aging, and their health

is failing them.

Will the Premier today at least commit to meeting with the

survivors to see if a negotiated settlement could be reached? Some of them are

here today, and they're asking for the government to meet with them.

Hon. S. Hagen: As I've said before, we've set up the $2

million trust fund, and we're consulting. The group that I mentioned, the public

guardian and trustee, is actually providing advice to the foundation that holds

the trust fund for the distribution of those funds.

B.C. LIBERAL PARTY

ELECTION STATEMENTS

AND EXPANSION OF GAMBLING

J. MacPhail: As British Columbians know, the B.C. Liberals

have broken election promise after election promise, but the B.C. Liberals only

admit to breaking six promises. Can the Premier tell us what those six promises

are that he admits to breaking?

[1420]

Hon. G. Bruce: Mr. Speaker, I think it's an opportunity for

us to look at what's taken place in the last four years. In fact, as a

government and as a party running for office in the last election, we put

forward the most comprehensive plan any party has ever put to the people so that

they would know what they were voting for. We all wait with bated breath for at

least one thing that the opposite side of this House would bring forward as part

of their platform, as part of what they think they might be able to do for the

people of British Columbia, so that they can put it up to the light and we can

decide whether or not we want to continue to go forward with a good, competent

B.C. Liberal government or to go backward like the former administration that

was in this province.

J. MacPhail: This from a minister who is introducing

legislation to break yet another contract. My, he's got a good record of

election promises. Let me help the Premier: six election promises they've

admitted to breaking. He won't tell us what they are, but let me quote a letter

he sent to a daily newspaper while he was in opposition: "We must fight to get

government out of charitable gaming."

What's the record today? We not only have expanded charitable

gaming, but the B.C. Liberals have seized control so that they directly operate

all charitable gaming themselves. To the Premier: is this one of the six

promises that he admits to?

Hon. R. Coleman: Mr. Speaker, what nonsense — you know? I

mean, what nonsense. What we did with bingo was put the conduct and management

of bingo in the hands of the Lottery Corporation, at arm's length from

government, something your government should have done before Bingogate in

Nanaimo. For the last four years the money to charities in this province through

charitable gaming…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

[ Page 12208 ]

Hon. R. Coleman: …has gone up year over year over year.

It's up by over $10 million in the last four years alone.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: To the member for Surrey–Panorama Ridge, your

leader is cutting into your time.

B.C. LIBERAL PARTY

ELECTION STATEMENTS AND

SERVICES FOR PROBLEM GAMBLERS

J. Brar: Mr. Speaker, if I may comment on that. The time

had been cut before, the very second day I was here.

The mystery continues, and it continues forever. What are those

secret six promises the Premier privately admits to having broken? Not only has

the Premier broken his promise on gambling, but he has also abandoned the

government attempt to monitor problem gambling. Can the Premier explain why?

Hon. G. Bruce: Let me tell you about broken promises. When

we came in as government, we had a broken province after ten years of the worst

government in the face of Canada, right here, by what you people had done — by

what the former administration had done.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. G. Bruce: We had a situation where more people were

leaving this great province under that ten-year administration. Mines were

closing. Forestry was disappearing. This whole province was in the tank.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. G. Bruce: Now, after four years…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Let us hear the answer.

[1425]

Hon. G. Bruce: …not only are we having more people move

back to British Columbia, we've got a surplus in this province, and we've got a

real brilliant, bright future for everybody in British Columbia.

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

supplementary question.

J. Brar: I have been through the service plans of last year

and this year issued by the Solicitor General's office. In the past the

government set targets to reduce problem gambling and, also, to monitor the

impact of its broken promise. This year those targets are gone. Those targets

are gone forever.

Can the Premier tell us why the government has stopped measuring

the impact of its broken promises? What is he afraid of?

Hon. R. Coleman: We've doubled the amount of money that

goes into problem gambling since we became government. We moved — not the

previous government; they didn't do anything with it — to point-of-purchase

material to have information out there for people with a problem. We set up the

1-800 line so that people could find out where the services are. We put the

counselling in place if they needed it. We doubled the amount of money we put

into problem gambling, and we will put more money into it if it's necessary.

That's been our commitment all the way along.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Order.

CROWN COUNSEL

COMPENSATION AGREEMENT

P. Nettleton: Crown counsel have been prosecuting criminal

matters in our court system without the benefit of a contract since April 2003.

In its latest assault on contractual rights this government has rejected the

Taylor arbitration of 2004 and, more recently, the Jones arbitration of 2005.

My question is to the Premier: how can the public have any

confidence in a government that continues to treat those men and women

responsible for the prosecution of the law with such contempt and in bad faith?

EDUCATION FUNDING AND

B.C. TEACHERS FEDERATION

ADVERTISING

L. Mayencourt: Over the past couple of days I've had many,

many calls and e-mails decrying the blatantly partisan ads run by the BCTF

during the Academy Awards. I understand that tomorrow a new set of ads will

begin. Carole James and the BCTF have weaselled their way into our school system

and are shamelessly exploiting nine-year-old children in their efforts to launch

an American-style negative campaign. They claim we've cut school funding. They

claim that's had a negative impact on kids.

My question is to the Minister for Education: what's happened to

school funding in British Columbia over the past three years, and what effect

has that had on student achievement in the province of B.C?

[ Page 12209 ]

Hon. T. Christensen: I must say that the teachers union in

this province actually deserves a Razzie for their continued negative campaign

against public education here in British Columbia. The teachers union has

launched an unabashed, political and shameful personal attack on the Premier. I

can tell you that I'm hearing, like the member for Vancouver-Burrard, from

teachers who as professionals are ashamed to see such bullying in the political

context.

The facts are these. Education funding in this province has been

maintained and increased year over year. School districts will receive an

additional $150 million next year, the highest single-year increase in over a

decade. The facts are these as well. Student achievement in this province has

never been higher.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. T. Christensen: Completion rates are higher than

they've ever been.

Mr. Speaker: Wrap it up.

Hon. T. Christensen: Our students compete among the top in

the world in reading, math and science, and it is our public education system

and our students who deserve….

Mr. Speaker: Wrap it up. Thank you, Mr. Minister.

GOVERNMENT ACTION

ON IMPAIRED DRIVING

E. Brenzinger: My question is for the Premier. In March

2003 deputy prosecutor Mark Simonds spoke to your sentencing for drunk driving

by the court in Maui County, Hawaii. He noted that you met with Mothers Against

Drunk Driving, that you had promised as Premier that you wanted to make it

harder for people to drink and drive, and that you wanted to see more effective

consequences for people who drink and drive.

[1430]

Why is it, Mr. Premier, that you have not fulfilled your promise,

given special consideration by the court? Why is it that, two years later,

Andrew Murie, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, describes this province's

drunk-driving laws as a mockery?

Hon. R. Coleman: Welcome to the Legislative Assembly to

that member who, obviously, has missed the entire debate, discussion and the

improvements to drunk-driving laws in British Columbia.

We put in place mandatory treatment. We put interlock in place.

We're moving towards a number of other aspects within it. There's a transition

plan that's taking place with regards to all of those things. In addition to

that, if you are a suspended driver in this province, we'll seize your car for

up to 90 days if you want to drive in this province. You can't find that in most

jurisdictions in this country.

In reality, we did a very comprehensive public consultation and

put together a package to push back on impaired driving. It was groundbreaking,

and it was thoughtful. It is actually something that I believe is making a huge

difference with regards to impaired driving in the province.

[End of question period.]

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Just a moment, please. Order, please. The

member for Surrey-Whalley seeks the floor.

Point of Order

E. Brenzinger: A point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker: State your point of order.

E. Brenzinger: Yesterday, as you will recall, I requested

time for a private member's statement from your office. I was called this

morning by the government Whip's office. They told me that making a statement is

not "an entitlement" for members and that no statement could be scheduled before

April 18.

With all due respect, since when does this government caucus Whip

control who speaks in this House?

Mr. Speaker: Your point of order is noted.

Tabling Documents

Hon. J. Murray: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to present the 2004

annual report of business done pursuant to the Public Service Benefit Plan Act.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Orders of the Day

Hon. G. Bruce: I call continuation of debate on the budget.

Budget Debate

(continued)

J. Kwan: I rise to respond to the 2005 budget. I can't

express enough disappointment in this government, a government that has made

British Columbians suffer for four years under its extreme agenda of downsizing,

drastic cuts and privatization, a government that has sold off our public assets

to the lowest bidder, wasted taxpayers' money on failed privatization schemes

and posted record deficits for three years straight.

In fact, this fiscal year the total provincial debt is forecast to

be $37 billion, an increase of $3.4 billion since this government took office in

[ Page 12210 ]

Interjection.

J. Kwan: Taxpayer-supported debt is forecast to be $29.5

billion for this fiscal year, an increase of $4.6 billion under the Liberals.

[1435]

The government asked about our record. Well, the debt was lower.

The tax-supported debt was actually lower when this government took office, and

the facts are there before you in the budget books.

This is a government that has allowed surgical wait-lists to soar

40 percent, tuition fees to skyrocket by more than 100 percent and taxes and

fees to increase for average families struggling to make ends meet. This is a

government that has created a crisis in our health care system by failing to

deliver on its promise to build 5,000 new long-term care beds for seniors and

the acutely ill.

This government's lack of commitment and foresight has been at the

root of hospital overflow, emergency room backlog and outrageous wait times at

hospitals across this province. What is the Premier's advice to those forced to

navigate an eroding health care system? To eat your fruits and vegetables.

That's what the Premier says. Maybe the Premier should have taken these words of

wisdom one step further and reminded British Columbians to pack some carrot

sticks and an apple to tide them over while they wait in emergency rooms for

eight hours to see a doctor.

This budget is clearly a political attempt to paper over the

damage this government has caused the people of this province. It is an attempt

to give the Premier and his party a drastic political facelift, but this budget

is nothing more than a slap in the face and an insult. To throw back a few

crumbs here and there to those in society most affected by this government's

policies three months before an election is outrageous.

It speaks to what the government's real commitment to the people

of the province is: nothing more than political opportunism and pre-election

games. To make matters worse, this government is throwing out crumbs without any

assurance that such goodies will ever come to fruition. It is obvious that this

Premier will not allow a full debate on the budget estimates in this House.

That means no debate on a budget that contains all the election

goodies the B.C. Liberals could muster, not to mention a political slush fund —

$236.762 million in an economic development fund with no strings attached to it.

Given the very specific budget number for this fund, it is hard to believe this

government has no specific plans in store. Or maybe — maybe — they will be using

this fund to bribe voters with their own tax dollars in those ridings where

Liberal MLAs are suffering.

The Minister of Finance cited municipal infrastructure projects as

a way this money may be spent. Throughout the different administrations, there

has been a well-established process of dealing with municipal infrastructure

projects. But now, on the eve of an election, the government has decided that

there is a new process to deal with municipal infrastructure funding. It is

called the slush fund.

It is called the slush fund that this government has installed

into the Ministry of Small Business and Economic Development. You know, it is

interesting to note in the budget book that funding for municipal infrastructure

has actually dropped significantly — from $92 million in the '04-05 budget to $5

million in the '05-06 budget and then to zero in the following two years. The

Minister of Finance himself said that the slush fund is meant to target the

municipal infrastructure.

The government favours a political prioritizing over community

consultation in how to spend that money. That's why the slush fund was created.

That's why the municipal infrastructure dollars have been shrunk down to $5

million and to zero in the '06-07 years. No politics there, with the exception

that those projects will all be political decisions behind closed doors from

this government.

[1440]

I can't help but be suspicious, and you know what? It makes

British Columbians skeptical and for good reason. After four years of broken

promises, this government is holding out another round of commitments but is

refusing to stand behind them. Without full debate on this document, how will

British Columbians really know if the budget is good for them, their families

and their communities? And without this House passing the budget, how can

British Columbians have confidence that the Liberals will actually fulfil these

commitments if they're returned to power after the election?

Actions speak louder than words. The actions of the Premier are

being heard loud and clear across the province. If this government is so very

proud of their budget, if they really want the confidence of British Columbians,

then they need to put their budget to the test. My job, the job of the

opposition, is to hold this government to account. The integrity of the British

parliamentary system depends on the ability of the opposition to hold the

government to account.

I have every intention of doing my job until April 18, when this

House officially closes for the election campaign. I owe this to my constituents

who have elected me to represent them in this House. In fact, every one of us

sitting in this chamber owes that to their constituents. I find it shameful that

the Premier does not take that responsibility seriously, that he finds it

reasonable to close this House down early — to send MLAs off on a

taxpayer-funded pre-election campaign instead of doing the work they were

elected to do.

I feel the need to remind the Premier that it was he who set the

predetermined calendar for this session. I foolishly assumed the timing of this

sitting was set as such so that we could actually debate the budget in full

before the election. There is lots of time but clearly not a lot of commitment

on the part of the government.

The lack of commitment is nothing new from this government. After

only four years the Premier has squandered his credibility and spent his

political capi-

[ Page 12211 ]

tal. Now he faces a frustrated and angry province, a province that is looking

for change and a different kind of government than we have seen for the last

four years — a government that truly cares and that will work to solve some of

the major challenges facing our province, a government that will keep its

promises and not make excuses and find scapegoats for the problems it has

created.

This government promised to provide health care when you need it

and where you need it. Well, the outcome of that promise needs no more

discussion. The Liberals' failure is understood by the people of this province

from Victoria to Penticton, to Nelson, to Surrey and everywhere in between.

Cuts to services, hospital closures, underfunded health

authorities, soaring wait-lists and unacceptable emergency wait times: this is

the legacy of the B.C. Liberal government. And now this Premier is standing up

and trying to take credit for an increase in federal dollars coming to our

province for health care. He and the Minister of Health are constantly pointing

to the increase in health care funding in this budget. I wonder if the federal

government is getting angry at the lack of recognition they're getting for

boosting the B.C. Liberal re-election campaign or, worse, that federal dollars

are going into the pockets of private clinics instead of expanding our public

system.

And what of education funding? It was this government that

committed to providing stable funding to the school districts. In reality, it is

more like stable underfunding, as this government cut core funding dollars and

then provided a series of one-time grants to districts. In case the minister was

unaware, inconsistent one-time grants do not meet the criteria of stable

funding. As a result, 113 schools were closed down across the province, and in

too many cases, students are now forced to travel long distances to get to

school.

[1445]

Now, I know the Minister of Education likes to highlight that

school enrolment has gone down and that the funding actually has gone up, but

let me outline the relationship between enrolment decreases and the cuts to

staffing and programs which school districts have had to make because of

unstable funding and neglect on the part of this government. The student

enrolment decline is about 2 percent overall. However, there has been a

reduction in teachers by 7.7 percent. Special education teachers have been

reduced by 17.5 percent; teacher-librarians to the tune of 23.4 percent;

counsellors, 9.5 percent; continuing education teachers, 34.5 percent; career

program teachers, 27.4 percent; ESL teachers, 20 percent; clerical support

staff, 10.2 percent; and administrators, 4.1 percent.

After four years of budget shortfalls and forced cutbacks that

affect our children's education, school districts are supposed to jump for joy

that this government has promised to put back some of what they have taken away.

It only took the Premier four years to realize that school librarians might be

worthy of funding and that maybe all kids in the class are better off with

special needs teachers and assistants on hand. Really, the Premier's new

literacy initiative seems pretty empty after he cut funding to school libraries.

The real issue for British Columbians is credibility. This

government has fostered a growing credibility gap, and this budget has done

little to mend this yawning problem. The Premier has angered many people on many

issues. Of course, I've only outlined a few. Health care and education are just

two of them.

What about the environment? With this budget the Premier is trying

to convince us that the environment is important to him, and to prove it, he

will put up funding for conservation officers and programs. Well, it's a worthy

cause but one that rings hollow after the very same Premier made deep cuts to

conservation services in 2002. The money that's being put back doesn't even

touch a fraction of what's been eroded and taken away from the Ministry of

Water, Land and Air Protection. A change of heart? Not likely. It was also this

government that allowed for an increase in the commercialization of our parks

and a reduction in environmental safeguards.

What is clear time and time again is that this government has no

idea how to balance fiscal responsibility with social responsibility. The

Premier has decided that it is okay to leave people behind in his zealous

attempt to balance the books — that providing huge tax cuts for those who least

need them, the wealthy and the big corporations, was the right thing to do.

Paying for those tax cuts by axing vital programs in health care and education

and increasing taxes and fees for those who could least afford them, low-income

British Columbians, was not going to go well for British Columbians. I hope this

weighs heavily, and it should, on the conscience of the Liberal government.

I stand in agreement on this issue: a strong economy is important

for a province. I agree with the Premier on that. But what is equally as

important...

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please.

J. Kwan: …is that all British Columbians have the

opportunity to benefit from a strong economy. The NDP understands that economic

growth and compassionate governance are not mutually exclusive. That cooperative

approach to economic stability is what is needed here in B.C. with a government

that governs for all and not just a select few, a government that does not leave

anyone behind. The sad fact is that the B.C. Liberal government has left many

behind.

[1450]

Let's just look for a minute at the approach this government has

taken to immigrant settlement services. Just months ago this government forced a

reorganization on agencies that provided transition ser-

[ Page 12212 ]

vices to immigrants and refugees, creating chaos and uncertainty in the

immigrant settlement services.

The Premier's actions have demonstrated an ignorance of the issues

facing new British Columbians and have put at risk some of the most successful

immigrant settlement programs in the country. Now he wants to be praised for

putting dollars back into ESL programs. He lacks the understanding, though, that

program dollars must go hand in hand with a real recognition of the broader

context of support services needed for people coming to B.C. from other

countries.

The community organizations providing immigrant settlement

services have developed a huge volunteer base, an enormous expertise in the

field, a huge capacity that they have worked to build in strengthening the

services they deliver to the community. This government has sacrificed that

expertise, that capacity and that experience, with no evidence that cost savings

or service improvements will result. In fact, much of the improvement that the

community themselves have worked so hard over the years to build up is now lost.

This budget is just another stab at the agencies that have worked hard for over

20 years to provide quality transition services that make life easier for new

Canadians and to ensure they participate in a way that would benefit all British

Columbians in the future.

Given this government's record of broken promises, the Premier has

had both an opportunity and a responsibility to substantively address the

concerns of average British Columbians with this budget. Instead, all we get is

a political makeover by a government desperate to give itself a new image.

Well, Mr. Speaker, British Columbians just aren't buying it. Let

me quote some average British Columbians. Let them speak for themselves on their

opinion of this budget and the state of the province. From a Vancouver freelance

writer, Surj Rattan, who is 43: "The good-news announcements were rolled out on

the eve of the provincial election. Will they be so kindhearted after? This is

nothing but a ploy to get re-elected. I'm probably less inclined to vote for the

Liberals."

Another quote, from a 22-year-old Vancouver bike courier, Matt

Calhoun: "They have let down a lot of people when they came into power. It's too

obvious it's a grab for votes."

Erin Walton, 19, sales associate: "It hurt a lot of people, so I

don't think it was worth it for the working-class people. One budget does not

make up for it."

There is another quote, from Thyrza Blaze, 66, retired: "No, I

believe what they are giving back is not as much as they took away."

Another comment, from a dental assistant, Chantalle Royer, 25:

"They are doing it for one day to make themselves look like heroes. But it does

not make the pain and suffering go away."

These are people responding to the question: after years of cuts

and restructuring, the Liberals say the province is ready to spend again; was it

worth the pain? The questions were put by the Times Colonist to people on

the street, to see what their response was after the budget, as well as from

people in the Vancouver Sun in the city of Vancouver. This is what the

public had to say about this budget and the tactics this government had

employed. These are people who are speaking for themselves because the Liberal

MLAs would not speak for them in this Legislature.

The government would not allow for line-by-line debate on the

budget. Why? Is it because they're afraid to really let British Columbians know

what is in this budget? Are they afraid to defend the budget that they claim

they're really proud of? If they're really proud of it, well then, let us debate

that in this House. Let us go through it line by line and let British Columbians

know what this government stands for and what this budget means for them.

[1455]

You know what, Mr. Speaker? After four years of silence from the

backbench MLAs, all of a sudden on the eve of the election they say everything

is just fine and we're doing just fantastic. You know what? British Columbians

know better. More importantly, British Columbians deserve better.

Let's have this debate in this House. Defend your budget, and

defend your record, if you're so proud of it. British Columbians deserve better,

and they deserve their voices to be heard in this chamber.

Hon. B. Locke: It is my privilege to rise in this House on

behalf of my constituents once more, to respond to the 2005-06 budget. Like all

of my colleagues in this assembly, I'm aware that this will be my last budget

speech during this parliament. It has truly been an honour for me to serve the

people of Surrey–Green Timbers in this place over almost four years, and it is

my hope, upon reflecting on my record and the record of our government, that

they will honour me with the privilege of four more.

Before I begin, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely

thank my constituency staff in Surrey. The work they do truly makes a difference

to so many people in our constituency that are sometimes having trouble

navigating government. We have many thank-you cards in our office that are a

tribute to their good work. So, many thanks to Patricia McLean and Marion

Thompson there before her, and a very special thanks to my right and left hand,

Donna Kenny. I also want to thank my ministry staff here, Bryan Cox and Lorraine

Macdonald. I know that all members of this House feel likewise about their

staff, but I truly feel very lucky to have such outstanding supports both at

home and here in Victoria.

Looking back to where our province was just under four years ago,

it's astonishing to see where we are today. Four years ago B.C. was dead last in

Canada in investment growth, dead last in economic growth, dead last in job

growth. The NDP had tabled yet another questionable budget to fool the public

into believing they had a surplus. But everybody knew what the nineties were all

about. They were about mismanagement and friends and insiders.

Their unfounded tuition freeze left students without access to the

higher education they needed to pur-

[ Page 12213 ]

sue their dreams and aspirations. This budget gives them the opportunity,

with our commitment to fund over 25,000 new seats by 2009, and now certainty,

with our commitment to raise tuition by only the rate of inflation.

Average aftertax take-home pay in B.C. had declined by $1,700 over

the previous nine years — a direct result of the ten years of the NDP

tax-and-squander government. While our economy was hitting rock bottom, they

were immersed in their usual preoccupation, the financial benefit of the same

special interests they answer to today. While an entire continent enjoyed a

decade of nearly unprecedented prosperity, our province receded into decay and

decline. Ten years was a very long time, and ten years was certainly long

enough.

I was born in this province, and I was blessed to grow up in this

province. I want more than anything to see my own children enjoy all the

opportunities that this province has offered me. I want their generation, like

ours, to grow up knowing that whatever hopes and dreams they had for their own

lives, they would be able to realize them here at home in British Columbia. I

sure didn't want them to pay for my generation's extravagances or mismanagement.

I wanted them to be able to live out the promise that is British

Columbia. Yet I knew, if things continued on the course they had — as long as

the NDP was allowed to run this province ever deeper into the ground — that all

of that hope and opportunity I and my generation had enjoyed would disappear and

that my children and actually all children across this province could be robbed

of their right as the heirs of British Columbia, the very best place on earth.

[1500]

I couldn't bring myself to stand by and watch the NDP ruin our

province any longer, so I decided that I was going to do what I could do to make

a difference. I came to know the Premier many years ago as a man of honour and

integrity. I believed — as I now know — that if anyone had the vision, the

courage and the fortitude to lead this province back from the brink, it was him.

What an honour to be on a team tasked with bringing back our province, giving

British Columbians choices, hopes and dreams once again.

After the 2001 election, we all knew there was a lot of work to be

done. The people of the province had entrusted us with the task of turning

British Columbia around and restoring it to its rightful place in Canada and in

the world. Holding all other things constant, that task would have been

monumental. Then came September 11, and we watched in horror as one of the worst

terrorist attacks in our history unfolded before our eyes. We felt the

aftershock ripple through our economy.

[J. Weisbeck in the chair.]

We faced the imposition of tariffs on our largest industry,

forestry, which is now and will be in the future our number one industry. Even

in urban ridings like Surrey, we recognize the importance of the forestry

industry. Then we had to wage war on the pine beetle infestation that was

literally eating away at our forests. Our tourist industry was hit with SARS,

our beef industry with BSE and our poultry industry with avian flu. We faced

floods and we faced fires.

Through it all, I am proud to say that this Premier and this

government persevered. Just three and a half years later, we are number one in

Canada in job growth and set to become number one in economic growth; 180,000

new jobs have been gained since 2001, and unemployment is the lowest it's been

in B.C. since 1981. We honoured our commitment to truth in budgeting and

generally accepted accounting principles, and our Finance minister has just

tabled the largest surplus in provincial history.

We launched the largest personal income tax cut in B.C.'s history,

putting money back where it belongs — back in the pockets of the same working

people the NDP purports to represent. The result was the largest increase in

average after-tax income in 20 years. For all the NDP rhetoric about working

people, I'm guessing they'd rather not acknowledge that a larger percentage of

workers are now earning over $16 an hour — more than anywhere else in Canada.

That's income to support a family.

We haven't governed on behalf of the special interests. We've had

the courage to say no when the good of the province as a whole required it. All

of us will acknowledge that we haven't been perfect, and all of us hope that the

next four years will be easier than the last three and a half. The road to

recovery has not been without its bumps and tough decisions, and it has

certainly not been without its sacrifices. But I can say with confidence and

with pride that recovery is upon us.

To paraphrase Bill Clinton: to those that say the progress of the

past three and a half years was just some sort of accident, let me be clear.

Success is not a matter of chance; it's a matter of choice. That is truly the

British Columbia story. Because of the policies we have pursued and because of

the choices we have made and because of the values that drive them, British

Columbia is back.

Now, rather than having to decide what must be sacrificed and what

ought to be spared, rather than having to look up from the bottom to what

appears to be an insurmountable summit, we stand on that summit looking out upon

the horizon to that golden decade that lies ahead for all of us. We now have the

means to pursue ambitious goals for ourselves and our province; to lead the

continent in literacy and ensure that young British Columbians and all British

Columbians have access to education that is second to none; and to lead the way

in the promotion of the greatest health care method of all — physical activity,

fitness and healthy living, a wonderful gift for all of our children.

[1505]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take just a moment here and sincerely thank

and acknowledge all of those people that dedicate countless hours in sport —

from coaches to team moms, from referees to scorekeepers. The con-

[ Page 12214 ]

tribution that you make to a child's life is simply immeasurable. As a

parent, I thank you. I see that gift in action every day in my own daughters, a

gift they will carry throughout their lives.

We have even more ambitious goals: to build the best system of

support for people in need in all of Canada and to ensure that when the rest of

the province marches forward, seniors, children at risk and people with

disabilities aren't left behind; to lead the world in the stewardship of our

environment and to pursue economic growth in a sustainable manner that will

leave resources intact for the generations to follow; to build on our economic

successes; to seize every opportunity before us; and to continue to lead the

country in job creation.

We've already seen great progress towards these goals in my home

community of Surrey. We've boosted local funding for literacy programs by

$460,000 with a special focus on making sure that kids with learning

difficulties, at-risk adolescents, aboriginal students and ESL students aren't

left behind. We've seen the arrival of a full-scale university campus in the

heart of the city in SFU–Surrey. This government is committed to adding 1,850

new spaces to that campus in the next few years.

We've invested nearly $40 million to build a new Kwantlen trades

training campus in Cloverdale, where 1,800 seats will be added by 2010. By that

time, capacity at Kwantlen's campuses in Surrey and Langley will be 20 percent

greater than it was before.

We will be adding four new schools, we will renovate or replace

three more, and we will expand three others. Per-pupil funding in Surrey will

have increased this year by nearly 6 percent over last year. Per-pupil funding

for Surrey's growing school district has had a significant impact on our K-to-12

education. I am proud to say that the graduation rate in Surrey has increased

steadily over the last five years.

We've worked to ensure that as Surrey grows, it has the resources

it needs to meet the social needs it faces. With 400,000 residents, Surrey is a

bona fide big city unto itself, and it is facing big-city problems. This

government funds 3,200 social housing units in Surrey alone, and with these new

government supports, six new developments equalling 385 units have been added

since 2001.

I just want to quote comments from the Canadian Centre for Policy

Alternatives, and this is a quote that came around housing: "The 1990s were a

difficult decade for British Columbians, particularly for the poorest in the

province. There was an increase in poverty in B.C., by any measure. The depth of

poverty was also higher and more visible on the street — in the rise of

homelessness, panhandling and food banks. Life for the poor is more difficult

and precarious than it has been in several decades." That's a quote by the CCPA,

the NDP's think tank, from B.C. Commentary — Falling Through the

Cracks: Poverty in British Columbia , winter 2000.

We've provided more support for Highland House, a new

multi-service housing development that combines emergency and transitional

housing, skills training and support services all in one facility. We worked

with the other two levels of government to form a Surrey Solutions project, a

concerted effort to meet Surrey's social and community needs. Surrey Solutions

project is a coordinated effort to ensure that all three levels of government —

the city, the province and the federal government — are working together to help

those in need in our community.

[1510]

We've added three new assisted-living developments to serve

Surrey's seniors and 60 new units in my riding alone. We are now moving Maple

Cottage Detox to Surrey so that it will best meet the clientele that it serves.

Further, we're providing funding to add a new withdrawal management centre at

Maple Cottage Detox to help combat the scourge of drug addiction in our

community. As well, Maple Cottage Detox will have six youth detox beds to

address the needs of youth in our community.

Shortly, this spring, the Phoenix Society will be breaking ground

on their new drug recovery house, which is a part of the Premier's Task Force on

Homelessness. This new centre will be a model for the rest of the country and

will provide service for both men and women.

As promised, we've returned 100 percent of the traffic fine

revenue to support local police and crime prevention. This is of particular

concern for crime in North Surrey. We are seeing the crime rate decrease

steadily in our city. Through the bait car program and those offered by ICBC,

we've seen a very dramatic 20 percent drop in car thefts in Surrey. I'm proud to

say that we are no longer the car theft capital of North America. In fact, we're

not even close. Surrey's auto theft has significantly dropped over those past

years.

We've given expanded authority to SkyTrain officers to enforce

drug laws, to execute outstanding warrants and to arrest criminals outside of

the SkyTrain stations. This is incredibly important to my riding, which is home

to two SkyTrain stations in Surrey. By adopting PRIME, a law enforcement

information-sharing program, we've given police the means to track criminals

provincewide and to protect Surrey residents in the process.

In Surrey, as elsewhere, we're working to ensure that citizens

have access to quality health care where they live and when they need it. While

I acknowledge the pressures on Surrey Memorial Hospital's ER, we are working to

address them — in the short term with the $28 million that was announced

recently. I do want to commend the extraordinarily good work of the men and

women who work in our hospital, and especially in our emergency department. The

Fraser health authority, working in tandem with the Surrey Memorial Hospital

Foundation, plans to expand the ER at Surrey Memorial and to expand the hospital

infrastructure.

The Fraser Valley Cancer Centre is already one of the finest and

busiest in the province.

[ Page 12215 ]

We are also home to one of the finest birthing facilities in the

province, with every mom and babe in a private room.

We have made significant improvements to our adult and youth

psychiatric units. In addition to a budget increase of $44.8 million, $60

million has been allocated for the Fraser health authority to purchase new

diagnostic and medical equipment.

We're able to make these kinds of investments in our community

specifically because our economy is moving again, and nowhere is the rebound in

our economy more evident than in Surrey. We've seen a local boom in housing

starts, and 2004 marked a record level of building activity in Surrey's history.

Just a week ago it was announced that a Korean developer, Jung Ventures Inc.,

will undertake the largest residential and retail project ever in Surrey.

That development is moving ahead very quickly. In fact, as the

announcement happened, the shovels were in the ground. The new $350 million

complex consists of five towers reaching as high as 36 storeys. They will be

built adjacent to the King George SkyTrain station in the centre of my riding.

The project will include retail stores, 1,400 residential units totalling 1.25

million square feet, a thirty-fourth-floor sky lounge and a 3,000 square foot

recreational facility, complete with swimming and fitness amenities. After

talking to Mr. Jung and his architect, they clearly said they picked B.C. and

Surrey because of our strong economy and because of our strong future.

[1515]

Just like the arrival of an 850-person J.P. Morgan call centre at

Central City tower, this is another example of how opening up our economy for

investment has paid and will continue to pay great dividends for Surrey. The

really great news is that Central City, the building that was not expected to be

fully leased until 2010, is now completely filled, just three and a half years

later.

One statistic that I am particularly proud of is that the share of

Surrey's working-aged population dependent on income assistance has fallen

steadily and dramatically since we took office, as more and more people were

trained to work. In 2001, 4.6 percent of Surrey's workforce was on welfare. By

2004 that number had dropped to 1.7 percent. As the Premier said: "We all know

that B.C. works best when British Columbians are working." So I just have to ask

the NDP: why don't you just admit it? You put people out of work. We're putting

people back to work, and now the whole province is working better for it. There

is no question that Surrey is working much, much better for it.

To keep Surrey's economy moving, we've invested in improving our

transportation infrastructure. We've committed to widening Highway 1 and 176th

Street. For all of Carole James's rhetoric about building bridges, I bet every

one of my constituents who's been stuck in the near-constant gridlock on the

Port Mann Bridge will wonder why she opposes our commitment to twin it. Working

with the federal government, we've invested over $30 million to enhance border

crossing infrastructure in the lower mainland and to improve the flow of trade

in and out of the province, and in and out of Surrey particularly.

As the throne speech also alluded to, not only do we stand at the

doorstep of the United States, we are blessed to stand at Canada's gateway to

the Asia Pacific. But we are connected across that vast ocean not just by trade

and commerce but by heritage, and nowhere is that more true than in Surrey. In

Surrey we have a vibrant South Asian community, and in my riding in particular,

it is reflected in the number of South Asian MLAs in our caucus. We recognize

and honour the contribution that the people of South Asian origin have made to

the social and economic fabric of Surrey and of British Columbia as a whole.

In economic terms, we recognize that our diversity is one of the

greatest comparative advantages with which our province and Surrey is

particularly blessed. As just one example, over 90 different languages are

spoken by kids in Surrey schools. We have a cultural connection to every corner

of the earth, and that gives us an unparalleled ability to forge commercial

links with markets all over the world. I am proud, as laid out in the throne

speech, that this government is committed to promoting diversity, to enhancing

this greatest of B.C.'s advantages and to seizing every opportunity it offers in

every part of the globe.

In my community and across this province I am proud of the record

and that of the government in which I serve. It will be my honour to stand for

re-election on it. In less than four years we have made extraordinary progress,

and we've endured through some of the most difficult challenges any government

has ever faced in our 134 years, since joining confederation, to climb to our

rightful place of leaders of our country.

In looking beyond, with 2010 on the horizon, we can see that

golden decade. On May 17 the people of Surrey–Green Timbers and the people of

British Columbia will reflect on that record. I am certain that when they do,

they will reject the fear and embrace the hope; they will reject the falsehoods

and embrace the truth; and they will reject the failed leaders and the failed

ways of the last decade and seize the golden decade that lies ahead for all of

us.

Hon. S. Hagen: I seek leave to make introductions.

[1520]

Leave granted.

Introductions by Members

Hon. S. Hagen: It's my great pleasure today to have as

guests in the House, 48 grade 11 students from Georges P. Vanier Secondary

explorer program from the Comox Valley. Together with the 48 students we have

three teachers: Dave Neil, Joan Longtin and John Carswell. Together with them

are three parents: Greta St. Pierre, Karen Falk and Jay Dzuba. Would the House

please join me in making them welcome.

[ Page 12216 ]

Debate Continued

Hon. M. Coell: It's my pleasure to rise in the House today

and respond to Balanced Budget 2005. As Minister of Community, Aboriginal and

Women's Services, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House today and

comment on this government's fiscal plan for the coming years. This government's

priority from the beginning has been to put our fiscal house in order so that we

can concentrate on building strong, safe and healthy communities.

Balanced Budget 2005 is about the future, the decade ahead. In our

government, we are making commitments. We have introduced new measures to

strengthen the economy. We are making long-term investments in our environment

and our communities. We are providing new supports for children, for children

with special needs and for people with disabilities. We are investing more than

ever in health care and in education. We have managed the largest annual

reduction ever in provincial debt: $1.7 billion. We will leave $480 million in

the pockets of those who need it most.

In 2001 we inherited an underperforming economy. B.C. was ninth in

this country of ten provinces in terms of job growth. People were leaving

British Columbia, and housing starts were down 15 percent per year. By every

measure we were underperforming, and by every measure we were in trouble as a

province.

Four years ago we were elected with a plan. It wasn't rocket

science. It was common sense. But it was a plan we knew would work — to restore

financial management, protect health care and education and revitalize the

economy of the province. This year we are seeing that common sense and hard work

have paid off, and now B.C. is an economic leader once again in Canada. We have

been the first in job creation since 2001 and the first in housing starts since

2004. People are moving back to British Columbia again. We have balanced the

budget, and we're putting $1.7 billion towards debt reduction — the biggest ever

in B.C.'s history.

The budget reflects the priorities of British Columbians — 71

percent of the new funding is directed to health care and education. Balanced

Budget 2005 provides $6.5 billion over the next three years for increases to the

ministries of health care, communities, children, education, public safety,

economic development and the environment.

Effective this year a new non-refundable personal tax credit, the

B.C. tax reduction, will reduce or eliminate provincial taxes for about 730,000

British Columbians. These are big numbers, but if we look at some typical

examples of what this tax saving means, it's easy to see the real day-to-day

effect of these decisions. A senior couple with an income of $30,000 will now

pay $930 less in provincial taxes than they did in 2001. A family of four

earning $30,000 a year will now pay almost $1,300 less in total provincial tax

than they did in 2001, the year we were elected.

[1525]

This budget reflects our commitment to communities. As Minister of

Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services, this is especially important to me.

We are providing over $40 million annually to local governments through the

traffic fine revenue sharing. That is an increase of about 300 percent from

previous years. That funding will be used by local governments, as they best

deem appropriate, to support safer communities, crime prevention, community

policing and other initiatives.

We are also providing $122 million to add 215 RCMP officers

throughout B.C. and to increase support for provincial courts and for

corrections.

If we look at the budget speech and the throne speech together,

it's clear that we have outlined the big picture and presented a detailed plan

of where we go from here. Balanced Budget 2005 supports the government's

overarching objective: to help British Columbians realize our full potential as

the best place on earth to live, to play, to work, to raise a family, to invest

and to get ahead.

We've presented our five goals for the next decade. To make B.C.

the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent…. We balanced the

budget in 2005, and we provided $12 million to public libraries across British

Columbia through my ministry. This funding will be used for new programs and

initiatives, including broadband access, a 24-hour virtual reference desk and a

one-card system to provide access to books in any library anywhere in B.C.

British Columbia will add 25,000 new post-secondary spaces by

2010. The province will provide $450 million for student financial assistance,

including loan reductions for students in need, debt relief, a loan forgiveness

program and grants for students with disabilities.

Balanced Budget 2005 provides an additional $622 million for the

Ministry of Education, which allows for a $150 million increase in funding in

2005-06 — the single largest increase in a decade.

We're well on our way to meeting our goal for creating more jobs

per capita than anywhere else in Canada. B.C. now has the second-strongest

economic growth rate among the provinces and is expected to continue to

outperform the Canadian average in the years ahead. Since December 2001 the

province has created 197,000 new jobs. Employment has grown by more than 10

percent, the fastest rate of any province.

There is $777 million for economic development initiatives across

the sectors and regions of this province. For example, over the next three years

the province's transportation plan will provide airport, port expansions,

highway rehabilitation, improvements to interior and rural side roads and work

on the Sea to Sky Highway, the Okanagan valley corridor, the Okanagan Lake

Bridge and the Kicking Horse Pass.

There will be more jobs in small business and improvements to the

small business corporate tax threshold to allow more business income to qualify

for the 4.5 percent small business tax rate. There will be more jobs in

agriculture and an additional $49 million for programs to enhance the province's

agriculture and aquaculture industries and to protect safe food.

[ Page 12217 ]

There will be more and better jobs for British Columbians and more

than $14 million for B.C. Skills Connect for Immigrants in my ministry, a

program to help new British Columbians find work in the fields of their

expertise. There will be more opportunities to reach markets. Supports the

government's Pacific gateway initiative to further develop the province's

potential to and from international markets….

Annual health care funding will increase by $1.5 billion, the

largest increase in any government function. Health care funding has increased

every year, resulting in a $3.8 billion annual funding since we were elected in

2000-01. To support physical fitness, Balanced Budget 2005 provides $50 million

for recreational sport facilities and $60 million for major sport secondary

training facilities.

[1530]

Our fourth goal is to build the best system of support in Canada

for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors. We

are committed to building the best system of support in Canada for persons with

disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors. In my ministry, that

means an increase of $37 million in investment for social housing. Next year we

will provide over $170 million for social housing for low-income British

Columbians. That's the highest level of funding in the history of British

Columbia. We're providing an additional $37 million over the next three years

for transition houses, outreach programs, related services for women and

children fleeing abuse and domestic violence — the largest increase in over a

decade.

Our fifth goal is to lead the world in sustainable environmental

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

management, bar none, in Canada. Balanced Budget 2005 provides an additional

$150 million to preserve and protect our stunning natural resource surroundings

and to help define our province to the world. I am pleased that British

Columbians will benefit from safe, reliable and accessible drinking water and

improved wastewater systems through the creation of a new $80 million B.C.

community water improvement program offered through my ministry.

[K. Stewart in the chair.]

In conclusion, I am very proud and honoured to be able to stand

here on behalf of the residents of Saanich North and the Islands and as minister

responsible. I believe we've turned the corner in this province. We are poised

on the edge of an exciting decade ahead. Some have called it a golden decade. I

think we look forward to a decade that is one of many decades ahead for British

Columbia — back in economic prominence in this province and back where people

can be proud and move back to this province. Thank you for the opportunity to

respond to the budget.

Hon. S. Hagen: I, too, echo the Finance minister's

assertions that Budget 2005 is balanced in every sense of the word, and I

believe that B.C. families see it that way as well. But far from being a

novelty, Budget 2005 is also consistent with our vision, our goals and the

balanced spirit of the new era.

Since day one this government has sought to restore fiscal

discipline and revitalize the economy to number-one status in Canada while at

the same time leveraging the renewed strength to sustain priority programs and

services. It's always been a balancing act, and while it hasn't always been

easy, we've protected the services of British Columbians and the services they

value most, and we've guaranteed the future of those services by making them

sustainable. We've done it year after year.

Look at child care. We already fund a range of quality child care

options to meet the needs of B.C. families and their communities. On January 1

we expanded eligibility and increased the child care subsidy. Today's rates meet

or exceed all previous levels in B.C. With Budget 2005 we have another $5

million to further enhance eligibility for the families who need it most.

The next dramatic improvement in child care is at hand: a new

federal agreement that will further the quality, flexibility and other strengths

of B.C.'s child care system. This will enable us to further B.C.'s vision for a

sustainable child care system in which parents can choose from a range of

affordable, safe, quality child care options that meet their diverse needs.

Child care aside, the budget shows that 2005 will be a milestone

year in many other important areas, with tough decisions made early in our term

paying off for vulnerable British Columbians. In the throne speech, the five

great goals included building the best system of support in Canada for persons

with disabilities, children at risk and children with special needs. Under

Budget 2005, my ministry will play a major role in bringing that great goal to

fruition.

[1535]

I am very pleased to note the $91 million increase for adult

community living services. Demand for these services is growing for two reasons:

(1) We have an aging population in B.C. Many families who

currently care for their developmentally disabled adult children at home are

becoming less able to do so. In turn, they're looking to us for help.

(2) The developmentally disabled population is aging and living

longer.

Budget 2005 responds with funding that will support additional

residential beds across British Columbia to meet those growing needs. We'll

create more spaces for day services and respite care, and we'll look at

developing new and alternative models of residential care, in partnership with

the new community living authority, to support more people in family-based

settings. In turn, we will support Community Living B.C.'s vision of inclusive,

flexible and person-centred service, provincewide, as we pass the torch to that

new authority this summer.

Our robust fiscal picture will also mean more for child and family

development. There are 15 percent fewer children in care today than when our

govern-

[ Page 12218 ]

ment was sworn in. This is thanks in part to increased adoptions, to

kith-and-kin agreements that allow children to stay with extended family and to

work with aboriginal leaders and organizations to safeguard children within

their communities. We want the best outcomes for all children, and research

tells us that means, wherever possible, ensuring that they're in a loving,

permanent home, aware of their roots and of who they are.

The budget provides another $26 million over three years toward

family supports and out-of-care options to keep children safe within families

and communities. Our overall goal is to keep improving supports and services

right across our delivery system, from family counselling to child care

placements. This will help keep even more kids safe in their homes and reduce

the disproportionate number of aboriginal children in ministry care.

Our commitment to B.C.'s kids extends to expanding our system of

support for children and youth with special needs, including the more than

50,000 who need major medical, health, educational and social supports. The

province currently spends about $500 million every year to deliver timely,

high-quality services to these children and their families. Over the next three

years that will grow by $134 million, with about one-third of it coming out of

my ministry. That extra funding will dramatically enhance services for many

children with special needs and their families.

A few examples. By fiscal year 2007, up to 1,000 children with

fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and other developmental behavioral conditions

will receive new intervention and support services, such as assistance to

develop their life skills. Also, 2,500 more children will benefit from

physiotherapy, speech language pathology and other needed interventions and

therapies. We'll also enhance specialized supports, ranging from mobility

orientation training for deaf-blind preschool children to services that help

blind youth transitioning into adulthood. We'll see respite care for up to 800

more hard-working families of children with special needs.

Over all, these new funds will enable children with special needs

to get the support they need for a better start in life. To that end, I'd like

to acknowledge the Health and Education ministries as partners in maximizing the

value of the extra $134 million for children and youth with special needs. By

improving diagnosis and assessment of conditions like FASD and by enhancing

support to children with special needs in our schools, we will round out my

ministry's efforts to help all children make the most out of their potential.

Prosperity is clearly back in B.C. This will be the golden decade.

Budget 2005 will help ensure for children, families and the most vulnerable

British Columbians that hope is back as well.

Hon. W. McMahon: It's a pleasure to rise in the House today

to respond to this year's budget speech. This is an ambitious speech, one that

builds on the considerable work this government has done already, and it also

lays out a clear plan for the future. As the Minister of State for Women's and

Seniors' Services, it's my responsibility to help deliver some of the promises

made in both the budget and the Speech from the Throne.

[1540]

One of our government's key commitments is to build the best

system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, women,

children at risk and seniors. Let me tell you how my ministry intends to help

meet that goal.

At the end of 2004 this government provided $600 million for

services for women or services used primarily by women. These services are

largely delivered through five ministries: Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and

Women's Services; Ministry of Health Services; Ministry of Children and Family

Development; Ministry of Human Resources; and the Solicitor General. Through all

the tough financial decisions this government had to make over the past four

years, we've held firm to our commitment to make sure women get the support they

need.

Women are doing well in British Columbia. Female labour force

participation is at an all-time high. Of the 197,000 new jobs created since

December 2001, a total of 37 percent are full-time jobs for women. B.C. has the

highest rate of small businesses run by women in the country. A total of 36

percent of small businesses in B.C. are owned by women. More than 57 percent of

university students are women. What's important in these numbers is the trend.

The trend lines clearly show that we're taking a larger role in the economy and

in leadership positions.

This government is a firm believer in the adage: "What's good for

business is good for the businesswoman." As a result, we've put a strong focus

on the economy.

B.C. is a leader in working to bridge the digital divide. With

each community that is connected, more women have access to and can enjoy the

benefits of high-speed Internet connectivity. This year we published a resource

guide for women in B.C. who want to start their own business. The Industry

Training Authority is increasing awareness and access for underrepresented

groups to consider industry trades or technology. Clearly, this group includes

women.

Looking ahead, my ministry will introduce a new mentoring program

for women. This will ensure that women who have never been in the workforce or

who are entering it after a long absence have the kind of support they need to

move towards independence.

For many women, the first issue around work is child care. We

recognize this, and we've responded to what women tell us. As a result, we have

increased the number of child care spaces eligible for provincial government

funding from 45,000 to 77,000. There are 32,000 more day care spaces eligible

for funding, and 10,000 more children are eligible for day care subsidies.

Funding for child care subsidies and capital improve-

[ Page 12219 ]

ments is now higher than ever. Over the next five years, in conjunction with

the federal government, an additional $650 million is planned to be made

available to young families all over the province to assist with child care.

Over the past four years one of this government's priorities has

been to get our fiscal house in order. We know that by getting our financial

standing on a solid foundation, we will be better able to ensure sustainable

supports are in place for women and children escaping violence and abuse. From

the start, we maintained the $33 million a year for transition houses and

counselling and outreach services for women and their children escaping

violence. We've been providing over one million hours of transition house

counselling and other support services per year.

Our new budget will see an increase of $37.5 million in funding

for programs for women and children over the next three years. This represents

the largest funding increase for these programs in more than ten years. With

this funding, transition house providers will be better able to meet the needs

This new funding will increase safe shelter by adding beds to

transition houses. It will fund new safe-home programs and provide reliable,

sustainable funding that will increase services to women and their children at

vulnerable times. Each transition house will have a staff person dedicated to

working with children to help them cope with their trauma. More counselling

services will be available for women and children.

[1545]

There will be an expansion of outreach services around the

province, bringing violence prevention initiatives to local communities.

Outreach workers will make sure women know that services are available to them.

Two million dollars will be directed to new initiatives to provide more support

for senior women, immigrant and visible minority women, aboriginal women and

women with disabilities to help them meet their special needs.

Providing supports for women escaping violence and abuse is a

multifaceted effort. The province provides a continuum of support. Ministry of

Human Resources bridging programs also serve women who have suffered from

violence and abuse, those who have additional barriers — such as language or

culture — and former sex trade workers. These programs focus on pre-employment

life skills to assist clients to overcome some of the barriers that prevent them

from making successful transitions to sustainable employment.

This government has made women's health issues a priority. B.C.'s

Women's Hospital and Health Centre is the only facility in Canada that is

devoted primarily to the health of women and their newborns and families. It's

Canada's busiest and largest maternity hospital. Health care providers at B.C.'s

Women's Hospital deliver 7,000 babies a year. With the University of British

Columbia, B.C. Women's also provides scientific expertise as the B.C. Research

Institute for Children's and Women's Health. B.C.'s Women's also houses the B.C.

Centre of Excellence for Women's Health.

We've recently unveiled a provincial women's health strategy to

improve the health of girls and women. We worked with the B.C. Medical

Association to help women in rural areas of our province deliver their babies

closer to home. The maternity care network initiative provides financial

incentives for physicians to work in group practices if they have maternity

patients, and the family physician obstetrical care incentive encourages doctors

who have small maternity practices to continue providing obstetrical care. It's

so important in rural British Columbia. That's an area I represent, and I know

that's been well received.

Midwives in small and large B.C. communities also have an

important role to play in providing maternity and infant care. This year the

first two classes of nurse practitioners will graduate.

We are also very focused on cancer prevention and diagnosis for

women. We were the first province to implement a provincial breast screening

program, and last year the screening mammography program of B.C. conducted more

than 225,000 mammograms in over 100 communities throughout B.C.

We also screen for cervical cancer, and it's working. The

incidence of cervical cancer has declined significantly in British Columbia

since physicians have been conducting regular tests for their patients.

Many of the benefits we enjoy in British Columbia today are a

direct result of the hard work and commitment of seniors. We live in a very

fortunate time. Many seniors are still very strong, fit, energetic and active,

able to enjoy a long and comfortable retirement in relatively good health. More

than one-third of seniors are physically active. The good news is that

succeeding generations are even healthier than their parents. Most of us can

continue to look forward to a good quality of life for many years yet.

However, as our overall population ages, society will have to

accommodate a new set of priorities and issues. British Columbia has one of the

most rapidly aging populations in Canada. Between 1991 and 2001 the median age

in B.C. increased 3.7 years, making us the oldest population in Canada. Between

1991 and 2001 the number of seniors 80 and over increased by half, from 87,000

to 134,000 people. By 2030 the senior population is expected to triple. That's

close to 1.35 million seniors in British Columbia.

This demographic shift is going to have a tremendous effect on our

social policies and on the way governments deliver programs. From health care to

urban planning, from mandatory retirement to lifetime learning, from technology

to social supports, the senior population will drive much of the agenda in

future governments.

In response to this, the Premier appointed a new council on aging

and seniors issues. The council will identify pressing needs and opportunities

to improve seniors services; examine how to improve the full spectrum of housing

options and home care; consider the issue of mandatory retirement; and engage

seniors and

[ Page 12220 ]

all citizens in a fruitful dialogue on what changes, if any, should be made

to improve seniors' independence and quality of living in the modern world. I

think I should actually qualify what I said, and that is that the council will

be appointed. It hasn't been at this time.

[1550]

We are working on several new initiatives specifically targeted to

seniors. As I mentioned earlier, this government recently approved a new set of

initiatives, including $2 million for new programs and projects to address

violence against women and to focus on seniors. Abuse of older women is a real

and serious threat and one that we are taking very seriously.

Government will work with community, school advocates and others

to examine new uses for those underutilized school spaces across B.C.,

including, possibly, seniors centres. We have influenza vaccination programs to

help seniors. We are working to develop individualized care plans between

seniors and their families, enhancing and improving both quality of life and

health care. We're committed to providing more surgeries, medical procedures and

services and to helping to reduce wait-lists — including more than 400 hip and

knee surgeries, more than 3,600 diagnostic procedures and more than 500 cataract

procedures. This government has allocated the largest subsidized housing budget

in B.C.'s history, $154.4 million.

In conclusion, being Minister of State for Women's and Seniors'

Services is an honour. I have the opportunity to work with British Columbians

who are the core of our communities and our families. I am proud of the work

we've done over the past four years. We've laid the groundwork that will show us

continuing to provide the support that many British Columbians need.

K. Johnston: I'm delighted to be able to have the privilege

to rise today and speak to Budget 2005. I must say it's a wonderful, great

feeling we have today in British Columbia. Everybody is extremely positive as we

move toward the future. All I get on the feedback on the streets is: "Things are

great," "Keep going," and "British Columbia is indeed back."

I want to respond a little bit, before I get into the budget. I

had an opportunity earlier this year, as part of the Public Accounts Committee,

to go to a conference in eastern Canada as the Deputy Chair. I went with the

Chair, the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant. I have to tell you that this was

a public accounts meeting of all of the public accounts committee chairs and

deputy chairs across every province in Canada, with the auditors general there

as well. I just wanted to talk a little bit about the positive nature of that

meeting.

British Columbia — actually, the Chair of the committee — pointed

out our transparent, open and accountable government through a presentation

about our performance principles. These are principles that guide how ministries

report out and guide really in-depth information about transparency and

openness. It was a whole-day presentation. Frankly, the room was awed at the

nature, progress and leadership that British Columbia has shown in little things

like using generally accepted accounting principles for reporting out,

balanced-budget legislation and, as I said, the performance principles. We have

eight guiding principles in British Columbia to guide the government in

reporting to the public on its performance.

I want to point this out. Everybody from across Canada was looking

to British Columbia for this innovation and leadership, because we are

transparent and have an open and accountable government. During the budget

debate I found it interesting — some of the stuff out there in the street and

the press saying: "Well, you know, this is just a budget for an election." Mr.

Speaker, this is a plan that's been in place for three years, a plan that's

open, transparent and totally accountable. I just wanted to pass on that story

of the public accounts committees, because the rest of Canada believes we're

open, accountable and transparent, and we are.

[1555]

The Budget Transparency and Accountability Act requires that all

ministries and government organizations make public their service plans and

their annual service plan reports. There are no surprises when it comes to a

very, very positive balanced budget. On November 16, 2004, the auditor general

released a report titled Leading the Way — Adopting Best Practices in

Government Financial Reporting, 2003-04 . In that report, the auditor general

stated, "I commend the government" for its resolve to build a strong financial

planning and reporting framework, and "We commend the government for its resolve

in ensuring that British Columbia's public accounts are the best in Canada."

It's truly clear that the days of NDP fudge-it budget shell games

are over. This government has raised the standards and integrity of accounting

and reporting practices of government.

A couple of years ago — actually, almost three years ago now — in

my budget speech of 2002, after only nine months in office, I personally, as MLA

for Vancouver-Fraserview, asked my constituents for their patience in giving

this government the opportunity to make things happen, to turn things around

after the horrible decade we had with the NDP. I said in that speech, and I will

repeat: I think we're doing the right thing today for the future of British

Columbia tomorrow. I know that by making these tough decisions and taking these

tough stances, there will be brighter days ahead.

Well, the days are brighter, and the sun is once again shining on

British Columbia. The plan laid out is indeed working. The New Era

document of 2001 laid out over 200 promises and commitments to the people of

British Columbia that were brought forward during the election in 2001. To date,

over 90 percent of those commitments have been delivered on or are in the

process of being delivered on.

Of course, the opposition, the critics, the world out there and

the negative naysayers will talk about the small percentage of commitments still

in progress or yet to be completed, but I believe the integrity of gov-

[ Page 12221 ]

ernment has been restored in British Columbia. In November 2004, Standard and

Poor's upgraded B.C.'s credit rating to a double-A. The reason for their

increased confidence in British Columbia, according to Standard and Poor's, is

B.C.'s record in the following: consistently meeting budget targets, solid

economic performance, enhanced fiscal transparency, and low debt-to-GDP ratios.

These are good things, but the plan is by no means fully achieved.

The Minister of Finance has tabled a budget that kicks off a golden decade in

which we have set five great goals: to make British Columbia the best educated,

most literate jurisdiction on the continent; to lead the way in North America in

healthy living and physical fitness; to build the best system of support in

Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk

and seniors; to lead the world in sustainable environmental management with the

best air quality, water quality and fisheries management; and to create more

jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

The feedback I've received from my constituents is extremely

clear. Whether going door to door, meeting community groups or just getting

input on the street, the message is clear: stick to the plan. Stick to sound

fiscal management, and maintain and increase the support to health care and

education. This budget assures that we will stick to the plan.

It's always easy to set goals and not follow through. What does

this budget do to validate the goals set for the golden decade? To make British

Columbia the most educated and most literate jurisdiction on the continent,

Balanced Budget 2005 supports the highest education budget and highest per-pupil

funding in British Columbia history. We have increased spending on education. We

will increase spending on education by $2 billion. More of our students than

ever before are now completing high school, and they are getting the best marks

ever. Public school enrolment is dropping, while funding is increasing.

[1600]

Balanced Budget 2005 supports the highest education budget and

highest per-pupil funding in British Columbia history. Per-pupil funding will

increase to $7,079 — up more than $860 per student from 2001-02. This funding

will improve access to school libraries, music and art programs, and resources

for special needs.

In the area of post-secondary education, Balanced Budget 2005

recognizes that we must address the issue of skill shortages that will impede

our economy and impede our growth. The government will continue to implement the

largest expansion of post-secondary training opportunities since the 1960s. Over

the next three years close to $6 billion will be allocated to the Ministry of

Advanced Education. British Columbia will add 25,000 new post-secondary spaces

by 2010.

I'm personally excited about our goal to lead the way in North

America in healthy living and physical fitness. It is well documented that our

physical activity standards in our youth are not up to par. They have lagged

behind from the heady days of the sixties and seventies, when there weren't so

many distractions for the youth.

I'm also very excited that the incentive as we drive towards 2010,

the Olympics, the kind of energy that's going to be put forth by so many people

in our province, the kind of excitement that's going to come forward…. I'd like

to put a plug in now for Vancouver-Fraserview. The Killarney ice rink is looking

to be the practice facility for the 2010 hockey teams here. I'm hopeful that the

parks board in Vancouver will make a very positive decision down the road

sometime in the near future that will look at Killarney ice rink very closely as

a practice facility for Olympics 2010.

Balanced Budget 2005 includes the second-largest funding increase

for health care in British Columbia history. Health care spending under this

government will increase to $13.3 billion — up almost $4 billion since we came

to office. I wish somebody could explain to me how an almost 40 percent increase

in spending on health care over a period of six years is considered a cutback.

How is an increase in spending on education to the tune of $2

billion considered a cutback? It's strange NDP math, and nobody should pay any

attention to it.

I would love to get an explanation from Carole James of this new

NDP math. But quite frankly, we can't really find her, and we haven't heard from

her, so I guess it's probably not going to happen. We are hopeful that she will

emerge and tell the people of British Columbia what exactly they plan to do or

not do, but we're not holding our breath. Frankly, we haven't quite figured out,

I believe, who the leader of the NDP is — whether it's Mr. Sinclair or Ms.

James. I'm sure that will come clear in the coming days.

Balanced Budget 2005 provides $465 million for Pharmacare and for

training more doctors and nurses. An extremely important issue in Vancouver is

the issue of seniors care. There is a commitment to direct over $200 million

more to improve access to home care, residential care and palliative care.

The need is great in South Vancouver, as it is in all of British

Columbia. I'm hopeful that projects like the Royal Arch Masonic Homes Society

extended care annex project will receive consideration. We'll see the kind of

support that the demographics demand. This addition of 100 extended care beds

would add to the campus-of-care concept in South Vancouver, and as I said, I

think it's extremely worthy of consideration.

All of us in British Columbia have a duty to improve our own

health. Building a support system for British Columbians is a major purpose of

this government. Balanced Budget 2005 improves the quality of life for British

Columbians most in need.

In 2003 we brought in the Fair Pharmacare program to shrink

prescription drug costs for about 281,000 low- and middle-income families and

seniors. Now we are dedicating $120 million over three years to reduce MSP

premiums for lower-income individuals, families and seniors. In total, the

change will reduce or eliminate MSP premiums for about 215,000 people.

[ Page 12222 ]

[1605]

A few months ago persons with disabilities saw their monthly

assistance increase by $70 a month, the largest one-time increase in British

Columbia history. Persons-with-disabilities monthly assistance rates are now the

second-highest in Canada. A commitment has been made of additional funding of

$91 million for adult community living services, $48 million for emergency

shelters and support services, $37 million for transition homes and outreach

programs, and also $134 million to enhance services to children and youth.

The goal to lead the world in sustainable environmental management

is often an overlooked and underrated goal for many people in this world. Many

people have not had the importance of sustainability register on their radar

screen. I think the recent federal budget acknowledged the importance of

sustainability in our communities.

Folks, we are all having a very negative impact on this Earth, so

we need to take better care of this Earth. We need to take better care of our

own back yards. The protection of drinking water, our land, the animals on it

and fish is extremely paramount. The addition of conservation officers will,

hopefully, assist in the area of stopping poaching, which I think is a

disgusting activity that seems to be increasing in frequency.

Automobiles have a devastating effect on emission levels and

creation of bad air, especially in the GVRD area of our province. The government

is taking action to address this problem by enhancing provincial sales tax

relief for alternative-fuel vehicles — hybrids — including an exemption from

provincial sales tax, at the point of sale, of up to a $2,000 maximum for hybrid

electric passenger vehicles. If you notice, these days almost all carmakers are

coming out with hybrid vehicles. They understand where the market is going. Good

for the government for getting in front of this issue; it is important.

The final pillar for the five great goals of the golden decade is

to create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada. B.C. now has the

second-strongest economic growth rate in Canada. Since 2001, 197,000 new jobs

have been created. We all know the way to job creation is through the small

business sector. Small business is 90 percent of all businesses in British

Columbia and the majority of private sector jobs. They, too, are working people.

Almost one million jobs in British Columbia are derived from small business.

Strengthening small business is critical. Balanced Budget 2005

will immediately increase the B.C. small business corporate income tax threshold

from $300,000 to $400,000. This means small business will pay lower taxes on

earnings up to $400,000 a year. This will generate reinvestment, expansion and

more jobs in the small business sector. Incentives for hard-working British

Columbians involved in small business are very important.

This government recognizes the contribution made to our economy by

lower- and modest-income British Columbians. That is why Balanced Budget 2005

introduced a new non-refundable personal income tax credit. The B.C. tax

reduction will reduce or eliminate provincial income taxes for about 730,000

British Columbians. Most individuals earning up to $16,000 a year will pay no

provincial income tax. Those earning up to $26,000 will pay lower tax. A senior

couple with a net annual income of $30,000 will now pay over $900 a year less in

provincial tax compared to four years ago.

A cornerstone of sound fiscal management is debt management. By

committing $1.7 billion to paying down the provincial debt, British Columbia is

showing leadership in that area. This is the single largest annual debt

reduction in B.C. history, and there will obviously be tremendous savings by

that debt paydown. Starting on the long road to being mortgage-free is an

important strategy, not just for families but for government. Instead of paying

interest to the bank, we have the opportunity to put more money into health care

and education. Keeping debt affordable for the future generations of British

Columbia is an important strategy — good news for our future.

[1610]

Community safety is on the top of all minds. Certainly in

Vancouver we have nightly stories of misadventure and major crime — everything

from petty crime to savage attacks and cowardly attacks on elderly women. This

government has provided an additional $122 million to add 215 officers

throughout B.C. and to increase support for the courts and corrections.

Initiatives such as AMBER alert, ISPOT and integrated homicide teamwork are all

important initiatives.

Traffic fine revenue is being turned back to municipalities, and

$7.8 million will go back to Vancouver for policing and crime prevention. I

think it's extremely important that hopefully some will be directed to community

policing as well. We also have coordinated police, PRIME-BC, tougher impaired

driving enforcement and penalties and legislation to stop citizens from being

harassed as they walk the streets.

Balanced Budget 2005 provides $6.5 billion over the next three

years for increased ministry funding for health care, communities, children,

public safety, economic development and the environment, reflecting the ongoing

service priorities of British Columbians. There is 71 percent of the new funding

directed to health care and education. The balanced budget sets a course of

continued sound fiscal management, it sets a course of vision, and it highlights

the leadership abilities of the government led by the Premier.

Leadership is not about hiding in the legislative gallery.

Leadership is not about some rope-a-dope strategy of ducking and hiding and

keeping away from your critics. Leadership is not about letting Jim Sinclair,

the real leader of the NDP, set policy — the same Jim Sinclair who said that he

would like to take B.C. back to the dark days of 2001, back to the dark days of

fudge-it budgets and NDP hacks at the trough, and back to the days when the most

profitable business in British Columbia was the household moving business

because so many people were leaving.

Leadership is putting your vision in front of the public, standing

on principle. To quote another: "Lead-

[ Page 12223 ]

ership is action, not position." Over the past four years our Premier has

shown the courage to take action, the courage to lead and the courage to stand

for what he believes in: to make this province the best place on Earth to live.

With the ongoing leadership of our Premier, British Columbia truly has a bright

future ahead.

Hon. L. Reid: Over the past four years, as Minister of

State for Early Childhood Development, it has been my honour to work with this

province's many communities and highly committed individuals to profile, enhance

and build innovative initiatives supporting British Columbia's early childhood

development. Much has been accomplished despite many challenges.

B.C. has a diverse population of well over 250,000 children, birth

to age 6, many of whom are situated in remote communities with limited access to

programs and services. This government has made considerable progress towards

returning this province to its full social and economic potential.

Evidence-based investments in early childhood development have helped bring to

fruition this government's vision of healthy people and responsible families

living in safe, caring and inclusive communities.

Our early childhood development successes are based on key

strategies that enable communities to develop and deliver services within a

consolidated, coherent, community-based delivery system, to build capacity

within our communities through empowerment, to recognize ability and potential,

and promote resiliency regardless of the challenges presented. We convert

evidence-based research into best practice and provide funding according to

programs. We create opportunities for preschoolers to receive services in public

school buildings.

Hon. Speaker, that's the base, and it gives me great pleasure to

rise and respond to the 2005 budget in the province. My hon. colleague noted —

and certainly we have heard it many times in this chamber — that Mr. Sinclair

would somehow like to return us to 2001. It's not possible that that would be

useful or helpful to the babies of this province. It's not possible that that

would be a wise decision on his part. It simply would be a fruitless endeavour

to ensure that the potential of these youngsters is not recognized as we go

forward. That is not the desire of this administration.

We have many first-dollar industries in British Columbia. I say

welcome home to the mining sector. I say welcome to forestry. Those are the

industries that produce dollars today that we can invest in the youngsters, in

the families of this province. The Premier is passionate about the notion that

if you want a stronger economy in British Columbia, it will be because and only

because you have stronger families. I accept that notion; I honour that notion.

That's vitally important.

[1615]

Just last evening at the B.C. Chamber of Commerce event we talked

about natural gas and about mining in British Columbia. I sat with the Energy

minister to advance the issues that are important to British Columbia. It is

about ensuring that there are sufficient dollars to flow to families in this

province. That is the purpose behind balancing the budget in British Columbia.

Balancing it for its own sake misses great opportunity. Balancing it to do

things that matter in the lives of British Columbia families — vitally

important.

I began my budget speech in the year 2000, the year my daughter

was born, by saying how much debt she in fact would carry forward if the

previous administration was allowed to continue their decade of despair, their

decade of darkness, when it came to fiscal matters, when it came to balancing a

budget. They made enormous mistakes, and today it's our responsibility — our

obligation, I believe — to bring down that debt load so that the children of

this province do not carry that forward for the next 30 or 40 years — vitally

important.

Budget 2005 invests growing provincial revenues to develop the

capacity of families and communities to care for and protect vulnerable

children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities. The Ministry of

Children and Family Development in British Columbia will spend an additional

$331 million by 2007-08 to enhance programs and services for children and their

families and adults with developmental disabilities.

This is a cumulative 9.2 percent budget lift on the 2004-05 base

budget of $1.497 billion over three years; $80 million, or 5.3 percent, in

'05-06; $113 million, or 7.5 percent, in '06-07; and $138 million, or 9.2

percent, in '07-08. In all, the province will spend an additional $241 million

by '07-08 to enhance programs and services for children and their families that

are delivered by various ministries.

What does it actually mean to children and families? Here's one

example: better, more comprehensive diagnostic services for hearing, vision and

dental health. We're investing $76 million in early childhood screening

initiatives. Children will be screened for dental, hearing and vision

impairments before grade 1, an enormously important announcement. Those who need

treatment or specialized assistance will receive it through a network of nurses,

dentists, doctors, audiologists, optometrists and other professional service

providers.

That will get children in this province off to a better start.

It's important. If you have a child with a hearing impairment or a speech

impediment, their self-esteem and their self-confidence is compromised. That is

not the way for them to begin a relationship with a public school in this

province that will last for 13 years.

Imagine starting grade 1 with an undiagnosed problem. Imagine the

stigma of that. Imagine the difficulty you would experience as a child in a

classroom: the painful frustration when you can't read; the frustration on

behalf of your teachers when they can't reach you — hugely unnecessary

frustrations for children and for families in British Columbia. That sort of

experience affects a child for a lifetime — no question.

Now imagine the difference it would make if that problem were

caught and treated early — how much more that child would thrive at school. With

better education and more self-confidence, that child would

[ Page 12224 ]

grow up a better prepared and more productive adult and, frankly, a happier

parent.

We're talking about the paths of people's lives beginning in early

childhood. Research from around the world illustrates that early assessment,

treatment and support can make a world of difference in children's lives and

families' lives and hence in our communities. Every one of us benefits when

children — all children — have the opportunities they need to reach their full

potential.

We know from countless studies, as well as from experience, that

early diagnosis and intervention gives kids a head start in life. When they

start school ready to learn, they're more likely to finish high school, more

likely to find good jobs and more likely to raise their own families

successfully. That builds stronger, healthier and happier communities that are

great places to grow up.

When we talk about the future, we're talking about our children.

The work we do today, the actions we take and the decisions we make will all

affect our children in the years ahead. I know that everyone here shares our

commitment to ensure that all our children get the best possible start. Of

course, it's parents and family members who make the most important

contributions to a child's healthy development. But government also has a role

in making sure that B.C. continues to be the best place to raise a family.

[1620]

Today we are moving forward with a series of initiatives for B.C.

children, starting from the day they're born. We're investing over $130 million

over three years to enhance services to children and youth with special needs

and to their families. This new investment will mean shorter waits for

everything from therapies to specialized equipment to respite care for families.

That means that moms and dads will get more support and days off to recharge

themselves.

Like the early screening program, this new strategy is

comprehensive and coordinated across government. It includes over $40 million to

the Ministry of Children and Family Development for direct intervention and key

family support services. We know that these are wise investments in our most

precious citizens.

The same philosophy underpins the government's commitment to early

learning and child care as part of a broader national plan that includes

substantial federal funding. We are committed to reinvesting that new funding to

provide more accessible, affordable, inclusive care that emphasizes early

learning, that emphasizes early childhood development. Parents will have more

choices. Funding will be targeted to those in need, and we will see the

dividends for years to come.

These are all incredible investments in the future of this

province. There have been a number of individuals within the ministry and the

early childhood development branch who have been instrumental in the provision

of this level of programming across British Columbia: Loreen O'Byrne, the

director; Dena Carroll, manager of early childhood development; Marie Watts,

policy analyst, supported child development program and infant development

program; Tara Richards, again, a policy analyst; Lisa Martin, early childhood

development consultant in the family resource programs; Candace Porter, early

childhood development consulting, Building Blocks and early intervention

programs; Anne Fuller, early childhood development consultant and our provincial

adviser for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; Savannah Murphy, policy analyst;

Andrea Westphal, administrative assistant; and Terre Poppe, administrative

assistant. I put their names on the record because I wanted to be sure we

recognize the individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of the goals of this

administration and on behalf of producing programming that matters in the lives

of children. I believe it's vitally important.

I had the absolute privilege last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

to be part of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Conference here at the

Victoria Conference Centre. One thousand delegates came to this conference

committed to working more comprehensively and cohesively to ensure that we can

indeed bring down the incidence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in British

Columbia. I'm delighted to tell you we are well on the road to having enormous

success in that area. Community circles and community partnerships across

British Columbia work each and every single day to ensure we do the best we can

in terms of preventing and reducing the incidence — vitally important.

This government has had great success, as well, with community

partnerships across British Columbia. Success by 6. Many of my colleagues will

have heard me speak about this unique partnership of United Ways of British

Columbia, the British Columbia government, savings and credit unions of British

Columbia and B.C. communities. It's an outstanding example of public, private

and voluntary sector partnership for the benefit of children — absolutely vital.

It is an initiative focused on community involvement and cross-sectoral

communication. It's an initiative dedicated to ensuring that children ages zero

to six have access to supports and programs that work on their healthy growth

and development.

Some examples: parenting programs, Mother Goose programs, early

literacy, family resource centres, nutritional programs, information and

referral to families to improve access to services, programs for pregnant moms

and families with infants, child development and toy-lending libraries.

Community capacity-building — that is the essence of my presentation today, as I

respond to this budget.

All of these investments matter in the lives of children that each

and every one of us in this chamber knows. Each and every person in British

Columbia knows they are somehow touched by a child somewhere in their lives. If

we truly want to honour the Premier's commitment that this is about a stronger

economy, we will honour stronger families in British Columbia. We will work

incredibly hard to ensure that every single opportunity is in place so that

these little souls have the best opportunities to go forward. At the end of the

day, that's what it's about.

[ Page 12225 ]

The largest single repayment on debt ever in this province has

garnered for this administration, for each and every year out, $125 million

dollars that they would not have had otherwise. It's an enormous sum of money.

Invested wisely, it will continue to support programs that my colleagues in this

chamber believe in heartily. That amount of money could easily support new

policing efforts, new family support programs and new health care programs. That

is a stream of dollars that will now flow to this province. Had this

administration not taken the decision to pay down the debt, we simply would not

have had those dollars at our disposal.

[1625]

There is great opportunity before us if we continue to make wise

investments as we go forward in British Columbia. The opportunity to ensure that

every little person in this province has the best possible start frankly warms

my heart. I thank you very much. It's been an honour to respond to the budget

for 2005.

Seeing no further speakers, I would move adjournment of the

debate.

Hon. L. Reid moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. I. Chong: I would call second reading of Bill 21.

Perhaps we can get a few minutes' recess to allow the members who

wish to debate this to come back in the chamber.

Deputy Speaker: We'll have a five-minute recess.

The House recessed from 4:26 p.m. to 4:29 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Hon. G. Bruce: I call second reading of Bill 21.

Second Reading of Bills

CROWN COUNSEL AGREEMENT

CONTINUATION ACT

Hon. G. Bruce: The Crown Counsel Agreement Continuation Act

extends the Crown counsel agreement until March 31, 2007. It rolls over the 2001

providing our Crown prosecutors with a 13 percent wage increase starting next

year. That means the salary range will rise to a starting wage of approximately

$56,000 and increase the top pay to almost $140,000.

This bill sets aside the arbitration award handed down by Mr.

Jones on February 18, and it's in keeping with the salary component of that

award. This is not a decision that government enters into lightly, but we wanted

to be consistent with the governmentwide wage mandate, a wage mandate that all

other public servants have been under.

[1630]

In fact, we've now