British Columbia Hansard — Wednesday, June 1, 2011

H0601pm-03

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session, 39th Parliament official rePort of Debates of the Legis Lative a ssemb Ly (hansarD) the honourable bill bari Soff, SPeaker iSSn 0709-1281 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 Afternoon Sitting Volume 24, Number 3

Pro Vince of britiS h colu Mbia (entered c onfederation July 20, 1871) lieutenant -Go Vernor h is h onour the h onourable Steven l.

Point, obc Third Session, 39th Parliament SPeaker of the leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y h onourable bill barisoff eXecutiVe council Premier and President of the executive c ouncil .............................................................................................................. h on. c hristy c lark Deputy Premier and Minister of finance ............................................................................................................................h on. k evin f alcon Minister of a boriginal r elations and r econciliation ...........................................................................................................h on.

Mary Polak Minister of a dvanced e ducation .................................................................................................................................h on. n aomi Y amamoto Minister of a griculture ........................................................................................................................................................... h on.

Don Mcr ae a ttorney General ........................................................................................................................................................... h on. barry Penner, Qc Minister of c hildren and f amily Development ................................................................................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Minister of c ommunity, Sport and cultural Development .................................................................................................. h on. ida c hong Minister of e ducation .........................................................................................................................................................h on.

George a bbott Minister of energy and Mines and Minister r esponsible for h ousing.........................................................................h on. r ich c oleman Minister of environment ....................................................................................................................................................h on. Dr. t erry l ake Minister of f orests, l ands and n atural r esource o perations......................................................................................h on.

Steve Thomson Minister of h ealth .................................................................................................................................................... h on. Michael de Jong, Qc Minister of Jobs, t ourism and innovation ................................................................................................................................... h on. Pat bell Minister of l abour, citizens' Services and o pen Government .............................................................................. h on.

Stephanie c adieux Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General .................................................................................................................h on.

Shirley bond Minister of Social Development and Minister r esponsible for Multiculturalism ............................................................ h on. h arry bloy Minister of t ransportation and infrastructure ................................................................................................................h on. blair l ekstrom leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y l eader of the official o pposition ......................................................................................................................................................a drian Dix Deputy Speaker .................................................................................................................................................................................... l inda r eid a ssistant Deputy Speaker ..................................................................................................................................................................Dawn black Deputy c hair, c ommittee of the Whole ...................................................................................................................................Douglas h orne c lerk of the l egislative a ssembly...................................................................................................................e.

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

James (on leave) c lerk a ssistant and a cting c lerk of c ommittees ................................................................................................................. k ate r yan-l loyd Sergeant-at-a rms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary l enz

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

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

Shirley (l) ...........................................Prince George–Valemount brar, Jagrup (nDP) ................................................................ Surrey-fleetwood c adieux, h on. Stephanie (l) .................................................Surrey-Panorama c antelon, r on (l) ..............................................................

Parksville-Qualicum c handra h erbert, Spencer (nDP) ................................Vancouver–West end c hong, h on. ida (l) ..................................................... o ak bay–Gordon h ead c houhan, r aj (nDP) ........................................................... burnaby-e dmonds c lark, h on. c hristy (l) .................................................Vancouver–Point Grey c oell, Murray (l) ..............................................Saanich n orth and the islands c oleman, h on. r ich (l) ........................................... f ort l angley–a ldergrove c onroy, katrine (nDP) .............................................................. k ootenay West c oons, Gary (nDP) .........................................................................n orth c oast c orrigan, k athy (nDP) ..................................................... burnaby–Deer l ake Dalton, Marc (l) ..............................................................

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don (l) ................................................................... c omox Valley Mungall, Michelle (nDP) ..........................................................n elson-creston Penner, hon. barry, Qc (l) ....................................................c hilliwack-h ope Pimm, Pat (l) ..........................................................................Peace r iver n orth Polak, h on.

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

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

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

West Vancouver–capilano Thomson, hon.

Steve (l) ........................................................k elowna-Mission Thorne, Diane (nDP) .................................................c oquitlam-Maillardville Thornthwaite, Jane (l) .......................................... n orth Vancouver–Seymour t revena, c laire (nDP) .................................................................... n orth island van Dongen, John (l) .............................................................a bbotsford South Y amamoto, hon. n aomi (l) ................................. n orth Vancouver–l onsdale Y ap, John (l) .......................................................................r ichmond-Steveston liS t of MeMberS bY riD in G a bbotsford-Mission .......................................................................r andy h awes a bbotsford South .....................................................................John van Dongen a bbotsford West ......................................................h on.

Michael de Jong, Qc a lberni–Pacific r im ..........................................................................

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

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

Diane Thorne c owichan Valley ................................................................................ bill r outley Delta n orth ......................................................................................Guy Gentner Delta South ...............................................................................Vicki h untington e squimalt–r oyal r oads .....................................................Maurine k aragianis f ort l angley–a ldergrove ...................................................h on. r ich c oleman f raser-n icola........................................................................................ h arry l ali Juan de f uca .....................................................................................John h organ k amloops–n orth Thompson ............................................ h on.

Dr. t erry l ake k amloops–South Thompson ...................................................... k evin k rueger k elowna–l ake c ountry ...............................................................n orm l etnick k elowna-Mission .............................................................. h on.

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

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

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

Jane Thornthwaite o ak bay–Gordon h ead ............................................................ h on. ida c hong Parksville-Qualicum ..................................................................... r on c antelon Peace r iver n orth ................................................................................Pat Pimm Peace r iver South ...............................................................h on. blair l ekstrom Penticton................................................................................... h on. bill barisoff Port c oquitlam ..........................................................................Mike f arnworth Port Moody–c oquitlam ...................................................................... iain black Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast ................................................. n icholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie .............................................................h on.

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

Murray c oell Saanich South ................................................................................ l ana Popham Shuswap ...............................................................................h on.

George a bbott Skeena .............................................................................................. r obin a ustin Stikine ........................................................................................Doug Donaldson Surrey-c loverdale .................................................................h on. k evin f alcon Surrey-fleetwood ...............................................................................Jagrup brar Surrey–Green t imbers ..................................................................Sue h ammell Surrey-n ewton ................................................................................. h arry b ains Surrey-Panorama ........................................................ h on.

Stephanie c adieux Surrey-t ynehead ........................................................................... Dave S. h ayer Surrey-Whalley.............................................................................. bruce r alston Surrey–White r ock ....................................................................... Gordon h ogg Vancouver-fairview ................................................ Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid Vancouver–f alse creek ........................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Vancouver-fraserview ........................................................................k ash h eed Vancouver-hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-kensington .................................................................Mable e lmore Vancouver-kingsway..........................................................................a drian Dix Vancouver-l angara .................................................................Dr.

Moira Stilwell Vancouver–Mount Pleasant ..........................................Jenny Wai ching kwan Vancouver–Point Grey ......................................................... h on. c hristy c lark Vancouver-Quilchena ................................................................... c olin h ansen Vancouver–West end ...............................................Spencer c handra h erbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................eric f oster Victoria–b eacon h ill .......................................................................c arole James Victoria–Swan l ake.........................................................................r ob fleming West Vancouver–capilano ............................................................. r alph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ........................................................

Joan Mcintyre Westside-kelowna .............................................................................ben Stewart Party Standings: l iberal 49; n ew Democratic 34; independent 2

CONTENTS Wednesday, June 1, 2011 a fternoon Sitting Page Routine Business t ributes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7743 Mel c ouvelier M. c oell h on. c. c lark a.

Di x introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 7743 t ributes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7744 r aminder Singh Thind D. h ayer introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 7745 Statements ................................................................................................................................................................................ 7745 a boriginal h istory Month J. r ustad t ributes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7745 r aminder Singh Thind h. b ains introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 7745 t ributes ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7745 chek-t V i. c hong introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 7745 introduction and first r eading of bills ................................................................................................................................ 7745 bill M211 — Species at r isk Protection a ct, 2011 r . flemin g bill M212 — a ccess to Prostate Screening a ct, 2011 S. h ammell Statements (Standing order 25b) ......................................................................................................................................... 7746 c ommunity of Silverdale M.

Dalton hiV/aiDS and Dr. Peter c entre S. c handra h erbert World Partnership Walk D. h orne bella bella community festival and environment G. c oons a rmy engineers r . Sultan Dan h amhuis and hockey in rural b.c . D. Donaldson

oral Questions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 7749 Services for developmentally disabled persons a. Di x h on. c. c lark M. k aragianis Wait times for residential care beds k. c onroy h on. M. de Jong Diversion of water from Williston reservoir b. Simpson h on. r . c oleman Public consultation on Williston reservoir water diversion b.

Simpson h on. r . c oleman o versight of oil and gas industry impact on water resources V . huntington h on. r . c oleman Government action on wildfire prevention n. Macdonal d h on. S. Thomson Staffing levels for sheriffs k. c orrigan h on. b.

Penner Petitions .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7754 G. h ogg t abling Documents ................................................................................................................................................................. 7754 Statement of 2009-2010 borrowings Proclamation ............................................................................................................................................................................ 7754 beef Day h on.

D. Mcr ae l. Popha m t abling Documents ................................................................................................................................................................. 7754 b.c. a ssessment a uthority, service plan, 2010 Orders of the Day Second r eading of bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 7755 bill 13 — Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 2), 2011 h on. b. Penner c. t revena n.

Macdonal d l. k rog c ommittee of the Whole h ouse ............................................................................................................................................ 7759 bill 2 — b udget Measures implementation a ct, 2011 b. r alston r eporting of bills ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7766 bill 2 — b udget Measures implementation a ct, 2011 Third r eading of bills ............................................................................................................................................................. 7767 bill 2 — b udget Measures implementation a ct, 2011 Second r eading of bills .......................................................................................................................................................... 7767 bill 15 — Municipalities enabling and Validating a ct (n o. 4) h on. i. c hong h. l ali

c ommittee of the Whole h ouse ............................................................................................................................................ 7768 bill 14 — c oastal f erry a mendment a ct, 2011 G. c oons h on. b. l ekstrom r eport and Third r eading of bills ......................................................................................................................................... 7779 bill 14 — c oastal f erry a mendment a ct, 2011 c ommittee of the Whole h ouse ............................................................................................................................................ 7779 bill 11 — Y ale first n ation final a greement a ct S. f raser h on.

M. Polak b. Simpson Proceedings in the Douglas Fir Room c ommittee of Supply .............................................................................................................................................................. 7790 e stimates: office of the Premier h on. c. c lark a. Di x J. h organ e stimates: Ministry of energy and Mines (continued) J. h organ h on. r . c oleman e stimates: Ministry of c hildren and f amily Development (continued) c. t revena h on. M.

Mcn eil e stimates: Ministry of Social Development (continued) e stimates: Ministry of t ransportation and infrastructure (continued) h. b ains h on. b. l ekstrom e stimates: Ministry of a ttorney General (continued) l. k rog h on. b. Penner e stimates: o ther a ppropriations

7743 WeD neSD a Y , June 1, 2011 The h ouse met at 1:34 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers. Tributes Mel cou Velier M. Coell: Mr. Speaker, i rise today with sadness to inform the h ouse of the passing of our colleague and friend Mel c ouvelier. Mel was Mla for Saanich n orth and the islands from 1986 to 1991 and was Minister of finance during those years. Mel had many successes in both private and elected life. h e was an alderman and mayor of Saanich. h e was the president of the u nion of b.c.

Municipalities, president of the a ssociation of Vancouver island Municipalities and president of the l iberal Party of b.c. [1335] h e was committed to community service his entire life and still sat on the board of the h orticultural c entre of the Pacific, which he helped found in the 1980s, at the time of his death. Mel leaves behind his much-loved wife, Millie; their sons, r od and r ick; daughter, Melissa; and their families. Mr. Speaker, i would ask that you, on behalf of all mem - bers of this h ouse, send condolences to Mel's family. Hon. C.

Clark: i also rise today to mark the passing of Mel c ouvelier. h e was a distinguished member of this l egislature and a distinguished citizen as well as a dis - tinguished finance Minister. Provincial politics was one stop in a lifetime, though, for Mel c ouvelier of political and public service. h e was on the municipality of Saanich. h e was a longtime mayor. h e did countless good works until his passing. Most importantly, all of his life he demonstrated the value of public engagement. h e demonstrated that you can bring people together in a noble way.

Mel c ouvelier was a gentleman. i had the privilege of meeting with Mr. c ouvelier a month after i became Premier. h e came to visit me in my office here. h e told me he was honoured to come meet with me when, in fact, it was me who was honoured to meet with him. h e generously spent that time with me a few weeks ago, offering me the three best pieces of advice i've gotten since i became Premier. i will miss his advice. i believe all british c olumbians will miss his contributions. h e was a great british c olumbian. h e cared deeply about this province, and he gave us all we could ever have asked of him. A.

Dix: i'd just like to join, on behalf of the official opposition, in the remarks made by the Premier. Mel c ouvelier was a remarkable guy. h e was a great spirit in our province. i think it reflects how much he meant, in the sort of partisan nature of b.c. politics, that he was appointed, in fact, by the nDP government to important posts after he left the provincial cabinet with the Social credit Party. h e was respected all over british c olumbia, and all of us will miss him. Introductions by Members J.

Y ap: i have one introduction to make. a dear friend and constituent is here visiting Victoria, first time in the l egislature of british c olumbia. We had lunch with him today in the legislative dining room. h e's an old crony of an officer of the l egislature, a former rc MP colleague of our Sergeant-at-a rms, so it was wonderful to sit in and listen. They were regaling me as an observer with some past stories of their time together in the rcMP . n ow he's here.

Peter boddy is here visiting us from r ichmond-Steveston. h e's a great friend, and profes - sionally, he's moved on from the rcMP and currently is employed by the c anadian Security intelligence Service, cS iS. Would the h ouse please give a warm welcome to Peter boddy. D. Routley: isn't the best part of our job to welcome school groups here? i know that it is the best part of my experience here. Y ou get to speak with these young people about what happens here, and i always tell them what Mr.

MacMinn told a high school student that i brought. h e said: "We teach you in school to work cooperatively and productively. This isn't that kind of place." a nd he says: "There's anger and passion in this chamber for a good reason, so that there isn't riot in our streets." So i remind them of that and then ask them to forgive what they're about to witness in question period. That being said, i'd like the h ouse to help me welcome the students from e cole Davis r oad in l adysmith, along with their teacher and some parents. i have one other introduction.

Y esterday i had the pleas- ure of introducing my ca s. our constituency assistants do their work most productively by building relation - ships. They do it within government and throughout the province. They even do it with tourists in the building. [1340] Y esterday my constituency assistant Patty Mcn amara met Diane and r icardo bimbela. They're visiting us from Santa barbara. Diane is a nurse, and r icardo is an ac - countant. They were impressed by the building and the difference in our systems. i'd like the h ouse to help us wel- come our visitors from Santa barbara, the bimbelas. Hon. I.

Chong: i am pleased to, first and foremost, wel- come a former colleague of ours back to the l egislature.

british c olumbia Debates7744 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 She's on the floor of the h ouse here. o lga ilich served as Mla for r ichmond c entre from 2005 to 2009. She served, as well, as the Minister of t ourism, c ulture and the a rts and Minister of l abour and citizens' Services. i know from time to time she does come back and visit. being that this is our last week here, i think she wanted to observe how question period has changed for the bet- ter since her departure.

During her time in retirement, though, she has continued to contribute to her community while still engaged in business life. i understand she has volun - teered on a number of boards, and those that she is most passionate about are in the arts and culture field. i would ask the h ouse to please make her very welcome. V . Huntington: it is a pleasure to introduce today a good, longtime friend of mine and one of Victoria's and indeed c anada's distinguished authors, poets and edu - cators. Will the h ouse please join me in welcoming Mr. Doug beardsley to this place. R.

Sultan: in the galleries today we have c olin Smith, professional engineer. r ecently c olin was awarded the meritorious service award among all the engineering or- ganizations in c anada — e ngineers c anada. o n a long and distinguished resumé he can note he was president of the a ssociation of Professional engineers and Geoscientists of b.c., president of engineers c anada, for- mer head of f orest r enewal b.c., former head of crown l ands, an aDM of forestry under c laude r ichmond, in- volved as an engineer on the Millennium l ine as well as the convention centre, currently serving on the Victoria a irport a uthority. h e's a distinguished engineer. h e's a distinguished former civil servant, and he's a distinguished british c olumbian.

Would the h ouse please welcome c olin Smith. S. Chandra Herbert: i would like the h ouse to wel - come k elly n ewhook and John c ooke from Victoria's t ogether a gainst Poverty Society. Please thank them for their work for our society's most vulnerable, and please make them very welcome to this h ouse. Hon. D. McRae: This morning i met with the b.c. c attlemen's a ssociation. They were ably represented by Judy Guichon, r on buchanan, Mark Grafton, John k ochel and k evin boon, and they are here joining us to- day. So let the h ouse please make them welcome. L.

Popham: i have two visitors in the h ouse today from Saanich South, Greta Wappett and Jean k apel. Please make them welcome. P . Pimm: i had the great opportunity this mor - ning of meeting with a delegation from the c anadian k ailuan Dehua Mines c o. l td. i would like the h ouse to help me welcome h ua Pei, n ie baozhong, Vincent Y ang and Judy Matkaluk. i apologize for the way i've pronounced those names. Would the h ouse please make them welcome. J.

Horgan: it's one of those rare opportunities to gaze up at the gallery and see a familiar face, someone who was in this place working for the former member for n elson-creston, the irrepressible c orky e vans. Joining us in the gallery is a nne f raser. Why in the world she came back is a mystery, but welcome. J. van Dongen: i am very pleased to introduce Miss Geneviève t ellier. She's a professor of political science at the u niversity of o ttawa, and she's here visiting, doing interviews on the functioning of one of our legislative committees. i ask the h ouse to please make her very welcome. [1345] B.

Simpson: i have the distinct pleasure of introdu - cing Walker Morrow, a 19-year-old political blogger and political columnist for the Vancouver e xaminer. h e hails from the c owichan Valley, and he's down here to- day to find out how the press gallery works — or doesn't. My hope is that they don't corrupt him too much. h e just tweeted thanks to my office, because he showed up in attire that wasn't befitting standing in a scrum, and he thanked my staff for making sure that he was suitably attired. Welcome, Walker, to the gallery. D.

Hayer: i have four special guests, and one sad announcement to make. first, the four special guests. Gurdev Singh Sidhu is the ia S officer and Deputy Minister of Punjab. h e's the Secretary of r ural Development and Panchayats in Punjab, india. h e is a past deputy commis- sioner of f erozepur. h e's with his wife h arbrinder k aur Sidhu. h e's also with his brother, our community leader, Dharam Sidhu, chief engineer at the Vancouver r enaissance h otel, who holds two professional engineering degrees and helps the community with many events. h e's also hosted with my wife isabelle h ayer.

Tributes raMinD er Sin Gh thinD D. Hayer: The sad news is that one of the Punjabi jour- nalists, r aminder Singh Thind, passed away on May 29, 2011, due to a heart attack. h e was editor of the Vancouver edition of the Parvasi newspaper, a Punjabi newspaper published from t oronto. r aminder had also worked as a host on b.c . radio programs, and he was a great singer and stage player and helped the community.

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7745 h is funeral service will be held on Sunday, June 5 at 12:30 at the five r ivers f uneral h ome in Delta. i would ask the h ouse to send a letter of condolences on behalf of all the Mla s. a lso, if any Mla s are able, please at - tend the funeral services. Introductions by Members M. Mungall: i also want to extend a warm welcome to k elly n ewhook. She is a dear friend of both my fiancé and me, and i look forward to celebrating our wedding with her this summer. Statements a bori Ginal h iStor Y Month J.

Rustad: June was declared a boriginal h istory Month by parliament in 2009, and n ational a boriginal Day is marked annually on June 21. The a ssembly of first n ations c hief Shawn a tleo today launched an initiative to make June 2011 a month of first n ations advocacy, awareness and action, with the goal being greater understanding between first n ations and all c anadians. i would ask all Mla s to join me in recogniz- ing this here today. Tributes raMinD er Sin Gh thinD H.

Bains: i would also like to join with my colleague from Surrey-t ynehead to offer our condolences and sympathy to the family of r aminder Thind. h e was a very respected journalist. h e was a great activist in the community, a good friend, and he will be missed. i would also ask all of the members of the h ouse to please join with me to offer our condolences and sympathy to the family of r aminder Singh Thind. Introductions by Members Hon. P .

Bell: it's not often i get to welcome people here from the beautiful riding of Prince George–Mackenzie, but i'm very pleased today to be able to welcome two friends, Mark and l aura Grafton, who are ranchers. They manage the bar k r anch just outside of Prince George, and l aura is a faithful Scrabble partner of my wife. Welcome to Mark and l aura. S. Hammell: i'd like the h ouse to welcome l arry Shaw. h e's a member from my constituency and an outstand - ing member of the Surrey prostate cancer support group that operates out of Surrey Memorial h ospital.

They do amazing work in supporting individuals with this cancer, and i'd like the h ouse to make him welcome. L. Reid: i'd like the h ouse to join me in welcoming t racy h arper. n ot only does she take wonderful care of us here in these buildings, but she's also a glorious pho - tographer — it's Y ou Photography. i know the member for n anaimo and i will both look wondrous once she has completed her photographs. [1350] Tributes chek-t V Hon. I.

Chong: i make the following introduction with some trepidation and caution because i don't want it to be perceived as a personal bias, but today i would like to acknowledge one of our local news stations, chek news, which celebrated the recognition and perseverance of the hard work of all the employees who managed to keep this station alive. today they celebrated at noon. i was joined by my colleagues the Mla s for Victoria– beacon h ill and e squimalt–r oyal r oads to say that their hard work has really paid off.

They've now purchased their building. it means they will be a viable operation here in greater Victoria. So i just wanted, on behalf of everyone here, to send out congratulations to all the employees who are also owners of their own news studio. Introductions by Members D. Donaldson: Visiting the precinct today as part of the beef Day celebrations that we just enjoyed is an old friend of mine, h arold a ljam, president of the first n ations a gricultural a ssociation. i'd ask the members to welcome him here today. Mr. Speaker: The member for n echako lakes — again. J. Rustad: i can't resist, Mr.

Speaker, with the great beef that we've had. a couple of people have come down from n echako l akes, as well, who haven't been introduced yet. a long with John k otchel, his good wife came down, k aren k otchel, as well as l arry Garnet. i'd like the h ouse to please make them welcome as well. Mr. Speaker: if by chance your Mla failed to intro - duce you, welcome. Introduction and First Reading of Bills bill M211 — S Pecie S at r iSk Protection a ct, 2011 r . fleming presented a bill intituled Species at r isk Protection a ct, 2011.

british c olumbia Debates7746 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 R. Fleming: i move that the act be read for a first time now. Motion approved. R. Fleming: introduction of this bill enables british c olumbia to join eight provinces in c anada that cur - rently have stand-alone legislation protecting the critical habitat for endangered species at risk of extinction. b.c. has far and away most of c anada's biodiversity. We are host to 76 percent of c anada's bird species, 70 percent of freshwater fish species and 60 percent of con- ifer species.

Y et currently our province lacks an explicit legislative framework that ensures b.c.'s unique and rich habitat is not lost forever from human impacts, in - cluding climate change, that can be better managed and adapted to. a ccording to the b.c. government's own data, some 1,600 species of plants and animals in our province are in decline and may be lost because so few have recovery strategies in place. only 4 percent of b.c.'s species at risk currently are protected by b.c . law and policy.

The provincial government is aware from recent reports that the level of endangerment for wildlife in - cludes orca whales. This bill will fill some of the huge gaps in the narrow jurisdictional protections offered by the federal Species at r isk a ct. it will enable independent scientists from re- spected bodies like the r oyal Society of c anada to identify species and recovery plans.

The legislation will promote voluntary stewardship activities, and in determining and implementing necessary actions, government will bene- fit from the best scientific knowledge available and be able to balance long-term protective measures with eco- nomic and social considerations. t o create a sustainable b.c., this legislation intends to strengthen the conservation agreements we already have in place, to help our ecosystems adapt to climate change, and to recover and restore the health of species from decline and extirpation. o ur province hosts some of the most varied and intact ecosystems remaining in the world.

We need legislative tools to guide our action. This bill offers our province a means to protect species at risk and the rich biodiversity of our province for future generations to come. i move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. bill M211, Species at r isk Protection a ct, 2011, intro- duced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. Mr.

Speaker: i remind members that when introdu - cing bills, it's two minutes. bill M212 — a cce SS to Pro State Screenin G a ct, 2011 S. h ammell presented a bill intituled a ccess to Pros- tate Screening a ct, 2011. S. Hammell: i move that the bill be read a first time now. Motion approved. S. Hammell: The effects of prostate cancer have a sig- nificant negative impact on british c olumbians. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men.

This year alone 3,100 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in british c olumbia, and 570 will die from it. [1355] in recognition that early detection is a primary element in the fight against prostate cancer, this act aims to promote prostate cancer screening in british c olumbia. With early detection and treatment, many lives can be saved. it is the consensus of medical experts that prescreening should be available for asymptomatic men of a particular age group, accompanied by active surveillance.

This act will ensure that the prescreening exams for asymptom - atic men in this age group will be covered by the Medical Services Plan of british c olumbia. The primary goal of this act is to implement preventative health care in an area that has been severely lacking. h on. Speaker, i move that the bill be placed on the or- ders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. bill M212, a ccess to Prostate Screening a ct, 2011 , introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sit - ting of the h ouse after today.

Statements (Standing Order 25B) co MMunit Y of Sil VerD ale M. Dalton: i'm pleased today to talk about a little- known jewel in british c olumbia, the community of Silverdale situated by the scenic Silvermere l ake. Silverdale is part of the district of Mission. it was largely settled by italian families in the 1870s, and some of the pioneering families still reside in the community to - day. f amilies like the Donatellis, Gaglardis, Manzers, h orans and c harlocks have seen Silverdale develop from a small fishing, farming and logging community to a growing suburb of the f raser Valley.

Perhaps one of Silverdale's biggest claims to fame is that it was the site of c anada's first train robbery.

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7747 o n September 10, 1904, 60-year-old bill Miner, the Gentleman bandit, led two accomplices in the holdup of c Pr n o. 1 train. They stole nearly $7,000 worth of gold dust, $914 in cash and a $50,000 bond. it was on this train that Miner is believed to have been the first to use the phrase "h ands up." a lso, in keeping with this Gentleman bandit persona, when leaving the scene of the crime, he was purported to have said: "Good night, boys.

Sorry to have troubled you." o ver the years the community has produced some people of note. e den Donatelli, o lympic and World c up medalist in speed skating, calls Silverdale home.

So, too, did flying Phil Gaglardi, the Minister of h ighways under W .a.c. bennett and recipient of more than a few speeding tickets. a few weeks ago Mike Scudder, Mission councillor and president of Silverdale c ommunity c entre, invited me to the 60th anniversary of the building. it was a pleasure talking with many of its longtime residents. i'd like to encourage everyone to come and visit and experi- ence firsthand the beauty of Silverdale. hiV/aiDS anD D r . Peter centre S. Chandra Herbert: This Sunday, June 5, marks 30 years after the first reported cases of what is now known as hiV/aiDS.

The early years of this horrible disease tested our province, tested our communities and tested british c olumbians. it was a time of leadership by example where citizens stepped forward where govern - ments would not. They put their lives on the line as the need was so great and the resources so few. in the 30 years since, british c olumbians have be - come leaders in the global fight to take on hiV/aiDS with cutting-edge research, treatment, care and support. i stand here to honour one of those leaders, Dr. Peter, and to note the tremendous work of the Dr.

Peter c entre in my constituency of Vancouver–West end. it's an or - ganization that leads by example in the fight against hiV/ aiDS and for the comfort of those afflicted with it. The centre is, of course, the legacy of Dr.

Peter Jepson- Y oung, a gay physician who was diagnosed with the disease in 1986. h e died in 1992, just four years before the advent of life-saving drug therapies, but his legacy lives on. one of the province's greatest challenges is, of course, getting hiV treatment to our most vulnerable cit - izens, whose hiV/aiDS is often on top of longstanding issues of mental illness, addiction, poverty and home - lessness. The Dr.

Peter c entre takes on this challenge head-on, providing care and support to over 350 british c olumbians and providing 24-hour nursing care to over 50 individuals annually. [1400] i particularly commend Dr. Peter c entre's work in getting a supervised injection site set up there in their centre 18 months, believe it or not, before insite even opened. They've shown that it saves lives. They've shown it's good health care. a s Dr.

Peter affirmed in his personal affirmation, and the centre demonstrates to this day: "f rom these ele - ments i have come and to these elements i shall return, but the energy that is me will not be lost." Dr. Peter, your energy has not been lost. Thank you very much. WorlD P artnerS hiP W alk D. Horne: This past Sunday i joined thousands of others for the 27th annual World Partnership Walk in Stanley Park.

The World Partnership Walk, which was founded in british c olumbia, has raised more than $60 million since its inception. n ow more than 40,000 people participate in walks in ten cities across c anada each year. The walk is in support of the a ga k han f oundation's support to eliminate global poverty.

Their global projects focus on improvements of core values that recognize and bring real tangible meaning to the saying: give a person a fish, and you feed them for a day; teach a person to fish, and you feed them for a lifetime. a nd 100 percent of the funds raised from the walk go directly to international projects that focus on infrastruc- ture, skill development, literacy and entrepreneurship.

Special attention is also given to women and girls to en - sure that they can succeed and the traditional barriers are lowered, and hopefully, eventually removed. it takes a huge team of volunteers to organize and deliver such a large annual event, so a special thank you for the tireless efforts of k arim Salemohamed, con- vener of the Vancouver walk, and Shellina l akhdir, the regional campaign manager for the british c olumbia a ga k han f oundation. i would also be remiss not to mention Dave Macfarlane, who is one of the walk's key organizers and someone who i've known since my time at Magee in high school. i invite the rest of the members of the h ouse to join me in applauding their great work. bella bella co MMunit Y fe Sti Val anD enVironMent G.

Coons: This past May long weekend i was invited to spend my holiday in bella bella, a beautiful and re - mote community in the constituency i represent. bella bella is situated on Denny island, which is in the Great bear rain forest. The primary reason for spending my time here was to attend a festival hosted by engaged youth in the area. During my visit i participated in the Gathering c oastal Voices f estival, an event hosted by the bella bella c ommunity School and many other partners. The

british c olumbia Debates7748 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 purpose of the festival was to celebrate the beauty and integrity of the region and to create a space where f irst n ations can discuss their values and perspectives around ocean resources. The weekend hosted a variety of creative events, such as a film festival, a prayer flag march and musical per - formances by Phillip and Matt Gallant.

Perhaps one of the most impressive performances was by ten-year-old t a'k aiya blaney from the Sliammon first n ation in the Vancouver area. t a'k aiya sang her song Shallow Waters, a song written to raise awareness about a proposed oil pipeline planned between the a lberta tar sands and k itimat. The screening of SPOIL, a film produced by e P f ilms and the international l eague of c onservation Photographers was another event that stirred up dis - cussion amongst attendees.

The film tells a story of threats facing the Great bear rain forest and the efforts of f irst n ation communities and conservation groups to preserve it. The Great bear rain forest remains the world's lar - gest remaining intact coastal temperate rain forest. The forest is not only home to the spirit bear and a host of other diverse creatures but also home to several first n ations communities. There are 27 first n ations whose traditional territory can be found within the Great bear.

Most of these communities are inaccessible by road, and their economy and way of life depends heavily on the region's resources. i was proud to spend a weekend with the people who live in this region and are generous enough to share their incredible home with myself and others in the province. arMY en GineerS R. Sultan: i recently attended the 100th anniversary of the 6 e ngineer Squadron, c anadian army, in n orth Vancouver. organized by J.P . f ell, these lads marched to war in 1914. o f over 3,600 engineers sent by this unit to f rance, 210 stayed there in their graves.

During World War ii , members also died on Juno beach. They've served in e gypt, israel, Germany, Syria, Jordan, l ebanon, c roatia, bosnia, a fghanistan and even against the Soviets in Siberia. a rmy engineers are called sappers. They built the r ideau c anal, thwarting a merican plans to seize c anada. They built the c ariboo t rail, extending our sovereign reach into territory overrun by a merican gold seekers. They operated from barracks in Sapperton in n ew Westminster. t wo weeks ago i watched about 100 of these army engineers march past, rifles ready, preceded by the J.P . f ell Pipe band.

They were smartly followed by army, air force and navy cadets, vintage bren-gun carriers and artillery tractors. [1405] a rmy engineers build bridges, clear away obstruc - tions and defuse dangers, man-made or natural. Sounds like what's needed in the aftermath of an earthquake or tsunami. Should their services be needed, this squad - ron stands ready, but our closest c anadian army base of regulars is in e dmonton.

The c anadian army doesn't have a permanent base in b.c. h ow did this happen? it seems a previous Premier did not much care for things military and acquiesced when the folks in o ttawa shut down c hilliwack. Should emergencies arise, let us hope that our new gov- ernment in o ttawa will understand british c olumbia's vulnerabilities and our need for permanent field- engineering units right here, both in war and in peace. We salute the 6 engineer Squadron for their 100th birthday. Dan haMhuiS anD hocke Y in rural b.c. D.

Donaldson: l ong drives in the dark in blowing snow, hoping you don't run into a moose, just to get your son or daughter to a game in a neighbouring town that, if you're lucky, is only an hour or two away. k ids playing hockey in some rinks where it's colder inside the building than outside — that'd be h azelton — and young players dreaming of starring in an nhl Stanley c up. That's not some stereotype from the t V ad on t im h ortons. That's real life in rural b.c . in the minor hockey world.

The bit about young players dreaming of starring in an nhl Stanley c up final — well, that's real life too, be - cause Dan h amhuis will be there when the puck drops tonight in game 1. h e's the only b.c.-born player star - ring for the Vancouver c anucks against the boston bruins, born in Smithers in my constituency of Stikine where his parents still live. Dan's father, Marty, says they were always on the road travelling to games. l ate in his Smithers Storm minor hockey days, h amhuis was injured. h is dad says it was a turning point because he missed the major jun - ior hockey draft event as he recovered.

Dan persevered. u ndrafted, he was listed by the Prince George c ougars of the Western h ockey l eague, made the team and began playing for them at 15 — so a true product of the b.c. hockey system from minor days through to his ma - jor junior career. o ur Stikine Mla offices ran an awareness contest for teens called Don't l et Gangs Score. Dan partnered with us so that his fame as an nhl star could be used to im - prove life for young people in rural communities. That speaks volumes about his character.

These are intangible future benefits of having ice arenas in small towns, and this is why people in Smithers and h azelton are working hard to see new facilities built in each of those communities.

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7749 t o the h ammer, as he was known in his younger days, who spent a bit of time on outdoor rinks in Smithers: good luck tonight. Y ou've made a difference. Go, c anucks, go! Mr. Speaker: i was just checking to see whether the Minister of t ransportation had said that. [l aughter.] D. Barnett: Mr. Speaker, i seek leave to make an introduction. Mr. Speaker: Proceed. Introductions by Members D.

Barnett: i am very privileged today to have a class from one of the great schools in the community of Williams l ake, kwaleen e lementary. i have 26 students; their teacher, Mr. Wilson, who has come for four years with students from this school; and eight chaperones. Will the h ouse please help me welcome these students and teachers here today. Oral Questions Ser ViceS for De Velo PMentall Y DiSableD P erSonS A. Dix: My question's to the Premier. Seven years ago, during her brief but eventful tenure as Minister of c hildren and f amily Development, she introduced legislation creating c ommunity l iving b.c .

She said it will give " british c olumbians with developmental disabilities and their families better options and more opportunities in their communities. They'll be able to look forward to a safer, healthier and better quality of life." h owever, the government has achieved the opposite and is now proposing $22 million in cuts to the services for people with developmental disabilities. So the ques - tion to the Premier is: those families — are they included in her families-first agenda? [1410] Hon. C.

Clark: first, i should note, although i had the privilege of introducing that legislation as Minister for c hildren and f amilies in 2004, it was the hard work with the community that represents families who have a member who may be living with a disability…. it was the member for Surrey–White r ock who spent hours and hours and hours bringing this legislation to life so that people who are living with a disability or who are living with a disability in their family network have support and are able to make many of those de - cisions themselves. i think he deserves the honour for having introduced clbc , which has been a dramatic and necessary change in how we deal with, how we con- nect with and engage with people who are struggling with a disability.

Y ou know, since then the budget for that area of the ministry has gone up every single year. The budget is now $701 million. it went up from last year almost $9 million. it's taken on more clients this year than last, and the budget has continued to increase. Mr. Speaker: The l eader of the o pposition has a supplemental. A. Dix: The Premier was talking to those families. She knows that they believe hope is fading away. This gov - ernment, since last fall, has closed 55 group homes in british c olumbia — 55. That has an impact on people, surely. Per-client funding has been cut by almost $6,000 since 2006.

My question to the Premier: is she going to do any - thing about that? is she going to address the issues that the groups involved and the families involved are ex - pressing every single day? Do they have any place in her families-first agenda? Hon. C.

Clark: i was talking to some folks outside today as we were all enjoying the gifts of the farm fam - ilies that were provided to us, and someone stopped me and said that he was delighted that for the first time in decades he hears people in government talking about families. it wasn't something that the n ew Democrats talked about all through the 1990s, because it wasn't something, apparently, that they valued. i recognize that it is an incredible challenge for any family to have a member that lives with a disability. it's an incredibly challenging place to be, and our govern - ment does our best to try and support them.

We don't always get it perfectly right, and we need to make sure that we are doing, always, the best that we can. We will continue to work with the families who face challenges. Part of that is making sure that we're con - tinuing to grow the budget for this area of the ministry. Those needs continue to grow as the client population continues to age and the numbers of people who need help are signed on to the programs. We need to make sure we're there for those families, and we will make sure we're there for those families. Mr. Speaker: The l eader of the o pposition has a fur- ther supplemental. A.

Dix: While the Premier talks about families, the actual families involved are seeing their services cut off. While the Premier talks about families, she and her government are closing 55 group homes in british c olumbia. While she talks about families, she's cutting per-family funding.

british c olumbia Debates7750 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 The question is — it's a very straightforward ques - tion: will she put a stop to the closing of group homes, and will she…? interjection. A. Dix: o h, i know the Minister of finance is very in - terested in this. Will she end, for example, the government's hS t ad - vertising and use some of that money to keep group homes open? Hon. C. Clark: We are continuing to add new clients… interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. C. Clark: …to the rolls of people who are helped at clbc.

We're continuing to add almost $9 million to the budget for that area of the ministry, and we're work- ing with those families. [1415] There is a substantial difference, though, in the way that our government approaches the provision of ser - vices and the way that their government approached it.

We believe that the only way you can continue to pro - vide services for the people who need them in british c olumbia — and we've continued to grow these budgets for services that families depend on — is if you grow the economy, if you make sure that there are jobs, that there is economic growth and that there is revenue growth. if the l eader of the o pposition had his way, we would go back to a province where 50,000 people had to leave because they couldn't find jobs — 50,000 people who didn't pay taxes and 50,000 people whose taxes weren't going to support the incredibly important services that people with disabilities depend on us to provide. i think that our recipe, on this side of the h ouse, for prosperity is the way that we can make sure that families are looked after in the long term.

M. Karagianis: c olleen Matthews has been trying to get orthotics for her adult daughter Melissa. i'm sure the Premier is familiar with this story. it's been in the press. Ministry staff, who are struggling without adequate resources, have told her that they cannot provide these for Melissa. in fact, a staff member called c olleen to say: "i'm at a loss.

The ministry cannot afford to pay un- less Melissa has open sores on her feet." Their advice to c olleen was to reapply and make sure that her physician stated on the form that there's a risk of amputation. n ow, c olleen is a very honest woman and is stunned by this message that she should be dishonest in filling out this form. So i'd like to ask the Premier, under fam - ilies first, if this is an appropriate way to treat a family with a need like this. Hon. C. Clark: We are putting families first in this government. We are putting families first.

We are focus- ing on job creation, and we are focusing on opening up government and listening to people. So if the member wants to know if we are interested in listening to people, absolutely we are. i think the thing that we all need to remember in chal- lenging economic times is that if we want to be able to continue the high levels of service and improved service that we provide for people who rely on government, as we should, then we need to make sure we're continuing to grow our economy.

We need to make sure that we are fulfilling both sides of our obligation, growing the economy, growing the amount of revenue to government and, therefore, being able to continue to grow budgets for ministries, as we have done for areas of ministries like clbc, which has grown by almost $9 million this year over last. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. M. Karagianis: Well, i'm sure c olleen Matthews will be really happy to hear you're listening. She'd actually like you to take action, though. c aroline Mavridis is another constituent of mine who has two boys, twins, who suffer from Down syndrome.

Their services have been cut to the point where she can no longer work outside the house to provide support for them. She knows that in two years when they graduate from school, they will receive a mere 12 hours a week in services. This does not allow her to go out and support her family, and in fact, her boys will be at risk. a gain, to the Premier: i'd like to know how, under her families-first agenda, she addresses the needs of either one of these two constituents of mine. Hon. C.

Clark: We have a deep commitment on this side of the h ouse to doing the absolute best we can for families that depend on government to provide services, and that's why we've seen the budgets from almost all of the service provision ministries grow so much since 2001. Y ou've certainly seen the h ealth Ministry budget grow. We have seen the e ducation budget grow.

We have seen the budget for clbc grow as well, and the member comes up with all of these questions about how we will do these things. [1420] My answer, i guess, should be: how would they do any of these things? h ow is it that the nDP would manage to be able to provide services for the people in british c olumbia who so desperately need them when their

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7751 plan is to shrink the economy, when their plan is to put people all across the province out of work, when their plan is to reduce the amount of revenue that's avail - able to government to pay for these services? because if that's their plan, i don't think that's the plan british c olumbians want. i think british c olumbians want to know we'll grow revenue and be able to continue to provide those very necessary services. Wait tiMeS for reS iDential care beDS K.

Conroy: a Williams l ake family has been told that they can expect up to a three-year wait for resi - dential care for their father. John t uerlings has been in k amloops h ospital since last o ctober, over three hours away from his family. in March he was designated as a long-term-care patient. They were told in a pril that he would be moved and again in May that he would be moved, and now probably not until the fall. in reality, there could be up to a three-year wait for a long-term- care bed need for him.

Mr. t uerling is the unfortunate victim of the b.c. l iberal government that has abandoned its commitment to seniors. This is what happens when a government closes residential beds at a time when needs are growing and does not adequately replace them. What happened to the b.c. l iberals' commitment to ensure seniors were treated with dignity? Hon.

M. de Jong: a s always, i am interested in pur - suing individual cases to ascertain what the particular circumstances are. but in general — and the member knows this from the lengthy conversation we engaged in just a few days ago in the estimates debate — the aver - age wait time for seniors obtaining residential care in this province over the last ten years has been reduced dramatically. That is as a result of the construction of thousands upon thousands of new beds, new homes, new facilities to care properly for seniors so that they can have a dignified end-of-life situation where they live.

There has been a tremendous amount of work done. There is more work taking place. but as always, i am happy to take information from the member and ex - plore whether an individual case requires additional attention. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. K. Conroy: in fact, Mr. t uerlings' daughter k imberley has been pleading with anyone who will listen to get service for her father.

She's been send - ing letters to the Minister of h ealth, the member for c ariboo-c hilcotin, the member for c ariboo n orth, the member for k amloops–South Thompson, the member from k amloops n orth and hasn't been getting anything. She's trying to figure out how the government could be so callous. in fact, k im writes: "i'm sharing this story to encour - age the government to make the changes necessary so that other families do not have to feel the disappoint - ment that our family has experienced with the current health care crisis." My question is simple.

When will the h ealth Minister ensure people like Mr. t uerlings get the services they deserve and need? Hon.

M. de Jong: a gain, i want to emphasize to the member, to the h ouse and to british c olumbians gen- erally that the importance that the government attaches to ensuring that there are proper, comfortable facilities available for seniors as they move towards their end of life is reflected in the fact that there are over 6,000 new beds that have been constructed and a total of over 12,500 that have been refurbished. in an aging demographic, this is obviously an important need that communities across british c olumbia have.

We have addressed that need in a significant and a dramatic way. [1425] There are, i am advised, additional factors that the member hasn't disclosed in this question. but i'm happy to look at the situation, as always, to ensure that the needs of all families and all individuals are properly addressed. Mr. Speaker: i remind members to keep your ques - tions to the point and answers to the point. DiVerS ion of Water fro M Willi Ston re Ser Voir B. Simpson: i am uncertain as to which minister to dir- ect this question to.

Would the Minister of environment, the Minister of f orests, l ands and n atural r esource o perations or the Minister of energy please inform this h ouse if approval has been given to t alisman energy and c anbriam energy for the diversion and pipeline re - moval of 7.3 billion litres of water out of the Williston reservoir behind the W .a.c. b ennett dam. Hon. R. Coleman: i'll take the question on notice, and i'll get back to the member. Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental. Public conS ultation on Willi Ston re Ser Voir Water DiVer Sion B.

Simpson: That withdrawal is actually up on web - pages. it is the worst-kept secret in the South Peace. The question from that region is: what is the public

british c olumbia Debates7752 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 consultation process for a water withdrawal of that magnitude? both f irst n ations and the general public would like to know, from whatever minister that's ap - propriate for this: what is the process that the public can be engaged in, in the diversion and pipeline withdrawal of 7.3 billion litres per annum from the Williston reser - voir behind the W .a.c. b ennett dam? An Hon. Member: bring in the Stickman. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. R. Coleman: i just want to, first of all, assure the h ouse, hon.

Speaker, that i charged no royalties for my modelling for the Stickman. There will be an extensive process of public consul - tation, discussion and negotiations with first n ations before anything would go ahead. o Ver SiGht of oil an D Ga S in Du Str Y iMPact on Water re Source S V .

Huntington: i'd like to say that hundreds and hun- dreds of temporary water licences have been issued in the Peace region by the oil and Gas c ommission with no first n ation consultation, and still more large water- volume licences are today being issued — again, with no public consultation. h as any ministry conducted a baseline assessment of groundwater and surface water in the Peace region, and does any ministry track the cumulative withdrawal of water from all sources and for all reasons? interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. R.

Coleman: i am advised that there are some studies ongoing that are going to deal with the volumes of water. i know that the member and i actually had a debate on radio — or she spoke, she had a visit, and i had a radio shortly after her — on Sunday. We are looking at the water extraction, and i can tell the member that the reusing of water is way more substantial than the member, actually, has said publicly that it is — the recycling of the water. a ctually, the management of waste at all our well sites is quite remarkable. in actual fact, hon.

Member, if we could take some of the scientific application of how we handle waste and water recycling at well sites, we could use it domestically in other places in british c olumbia for the environment as well. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. V . Huntington: The fact is that the wastewater is be - ing recycled to some extent, but the bulk of it ends up on the surface, and there is no water treatment being handled at this point.

The simple fact is that the government does not have baseline data for water in this region, and no one agency tracks cumulative water demand, let alone reports out on this critical resource. [1430] Similarly, the government does not have data for the total toxic wastewater created by the industry, the greenhouse gas implications of shale gas development or the cumulative health and safety impacts of oil and gas development. i would like to ask the Premier if she will commit to - day to doing what other jurisdictions have done and take a comprehensive look at the development of this resource by striking a special committee of this legislature.

Hon. R.

Coleman: in british c olumbia about ten years ago we had about ten years' supply of natural gas. t oday we have over a hundred-year supply of natural gas to help feed our economy — create investment, cre - ate jobs, create dollars for health care and education — because of the innovation and the environmentally very friendly and very disciplined work done by our oil and gas sector in british c olumbia for the future of the province of british c olumbia. i'm actually very proud of the fact that we may be the only jurisdiction that ac - tually understands shale gas at the level we do and the job that we do with it and how we do it environment - ally friendly. a s we go forward, we will continue to investigate and to learn more to make sure that we protect the environ - ment while actually at the same time develop a very significant resource for the people of the province of british c olumbia.

Go VernMent action on WilD fire Pre Vention N. Macdonald: in Golden and other b.c . border communities there are fundraisers to help families dis - placed by the recent firestorm in Slave l ake, a lberta. a s the wildfire season in british c olumbia gets underway, we are reminded of how vulnerable our communities are. in early 2004 recommendations on interface fuel management were made to reduce the risk of wildfire to our communities. t o the minister responsible: is it acceptable to the minister that after seven years only 2 percent of the interface area identified for fuel management has been treated? Hon. S.

Thomson: Thank you for the question. it does provide me the opportunity, firstly, to recognize

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7753 the great work of our firefighters, the men and women of our firefighting service. o ver 600 of our firefighters are working in a lberta, working in rotation. We've also just deployed a crew into the Yukon and a laska to help out our neighbours. This is great work being done by our firefighter service. We take the issue of wildfire threat very, very seriously. That's why i was very pleased recently to be able to announce $25 million additional support for the com - munity wildfire mitigation program.

That's $25 million over two years for communities in british c olumbia, in partnership through ubcM. We'll continue to work very closely with local govern- ments and with first n ations in addressing the wildfire threat to our communities. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. N. Macdonald: Just so members of the h ouse under- stand, $50 million was spent over seven years to get 2 percent of the work done, and i think all members would understand that an additional $25 million is not going to complete the job. These are serious issues. We saw similar devastation from wildfire in k elowna.

That was eight years ago. a t that time Gary filmon was requested by the government to promptly provide a report with recommendations in- tended to mitigate risks to communities. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. N. Macdonald: The government promised that these recommendations would be implemented immediately. The government has a responsibility to protect commun- ities at risk from wildfire. t reatment that has been done to date has not even begun to protect those communities. t o the minister: will he commit to a new strategy and a new sense of urgency to deal with fuel management in the interface forest?

Hon. S. Thomson: u nder the community wildfire management program, as the member opposite ref - erenced, $37 million to communities, in partnership with communities. That's leveraged investment in the communities. Mr. Speaker, 240 communities and f irst n ations have got plans that are in place or are being im- plemented, with the additional funding, $25 million over two years, working in partnership with local commun - ities, with f irst n ations. We will continue to work with them in the wildfire management program. [1435] in addition, our wildfire management branch works with communities in terms of training.

We provided support through the job opportunities fund in partner - ship with the federal government in terms of providing additional training and support. We provided support for purchase of infrastructure protection devices. We'll continue to work very closely with local governments as we protect families and f irst n ation communities in british c olumbia. Staffin G le Vel S for Sheriff S K.

Corrigan: We already know that there is a critical shortage of judges, prosecutors and sheriffs in our justice system, yet this past f riday the b.c. l iberal government cut 28 full-time auxiliary sheriffs. a n additional 24 dep- uty sheriffs have had their hours cut down to 75 percent, for a net loss of 34 full-time positions. This is despite warnings by judges that they cannot operate potentially dangerous and volatile courtrooms without security. We know the result will be more cases thrown out of court and that more accused will get off.

My question to the a ttorney General: why on earth are dozens of sheriffs being cut from a court system which is already dangerously understaffed? Hon. B.

Penner: The member is referring to auxiliary sheriffs. it's true. a number of changes were announced last week in terms of our staffing complement. o ur number one priority remains the safety and security of our courtrooms and our court facilities, but we are also living within a budget — something that might be a novel concept to the members of the opposition, cer - tainly based on my experience when i was here and saw how they operated in the 1990s. e very single day of the week these members stand up and say: "Just spend more money." it doesn't mat - ter what the issue is; just spend more money.

Then they turn around and say they're campaigning to go back to a 12 percent PSt -GSt , which will not only be worse for consumers but will deprive government revenues of $3 billion in the next couple of years. t ell me, Mr. Speaker, how they would fund additional services of every kind that they always mention with $3 billion less to spend. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. The member has a supplemental. K. Corrigan: Well, they were auxiliary sheriffs as well as deputy sheriffs. They were both. Most of those aux - iliary sheriffs were hired in January.

They received weeks of training, paid for by the taxpayers. n ow, after a few short months, that training is completely wasted. Thirty-four fewer sheriffs, and trials being thrown out. t wo courtrooms in k elowna were shut down because no sheriff was able to provide security or escort prisoners.

british c olumbia Debates7754 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 a nother eight families that were waiting to seek access to their children had to wait for court delays because of sheriff shortages. t o the a ttorney General: how do these cuts aid our ailing judicial system? Hon. B. Penner: i dispute the member's character - ization that training and education is a waste. i think that's completely inappropriate. What we have informed those staff that the member refers to, and it's a number of them, is that they will not be getting as much work in the future as they were most recently.

We will still utilize them when we're able to. The member hasn't answered the question, which is: how would you hire more sheriffs, spend more on health care, more on education, more on roads, reduce ferry fares, reduce camping fees and do anything else in the public service with $3 billion less to spend? That is what they're campaigning for right now. r ight now that's what they're campaigning for, a 12 percent PS t and GSt , while on this side of the h ouse we want a 10 percent single hS t . [1440] [end of question period.] Petitions G.

Hogg: i rise to present a petition signed by 630 residents of Surrey seeking remedies for the severe over- crowding in some of the schools in Surrey. Tabling Documents Hon. K. Falcon: Pursuant to the financial a dminis- tration a ct, i'm pleased to present reports for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2010, on all amounts borrowed by government and all amounts loaned to government bodies. These reports provide an overview of the prov - ince's borrowing activity in fiscal 2009-10. Proclamation beef Da Y Hon. D.

McRae: in honour of the ranchers present with us today, it is my pleasure to read the following proclamation: "Whereas b.c .'s grasslands produce some of the world's highest quality cattle; and

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

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

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

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

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

whereas our l ieutenant-Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the executive council, has been pleased…to proclaim and declare that June 1, 2011, shall be known as beef Day in the province of british c olumbia." L. Popham: on behalf of our side of the h ouse, i would like to join the Minister of a griculture in con - gratulating our b.c. ranchers on b .c. b eef Day. The history of this industry is a large part of our b.c. history. The challenges have been great, but as with many sectors in agriculture, our b.c. ranchers are resili - ent and as tough as nails.

We're encouraged by the initiatives ranchers are tak - ing with programs like friSP , a program designed to help provincial agriculture producers to protect and enhance water quality, to protect and enhance riparian vegetation, and to prevent and mitigate agricultural im - pacts on streams and lakes. initiatives like this help to maintain and strengthen the sustainability of the b.c. beef industry, and we thank you for that. Tabling Documents Hon. I. Chong: i am here to table a report — the 2010 annual service plan report for b.c. a ssessment. Orders of the Day Hon. R.

Coleman: first of all, as a courtesy, i wish to inform the h ouse that tomorrow morning at approxi - mately 10:05 there will be a small, 15-minute addition to the courtesy h ouse business

schedule i circulated yesterday. This brief insertion in the

schedule will be to discuss Motion 15. in the h ouse this afternoon we will be doing second reading of bill 13. We will be doing committee stage of bill 2, second reading of bill 15, committee stage of bill 14 and committee stage of bill 11, according to the

schedule i circulated yesterday. in

section a in the Douglas fir c ommittee r oom we will be doing the estimates this afternoon for the office of the Premier, followed by the Ministry of energy and Mines and, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., the conclusion of the Ministries of c hildren and f amily Development, a ttorney General, Social Development, and t ransportation and infrastructure. Point of Order J. Horgan: i heard the Government h ouse l eader say "courtesy calendar." a s i view the Votes and Proceedings from t uesday, May 31, it has Standing order 81.1 amending our standing orders and a

schedule attached.

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7755 n owhere does it say it's a courtesy schedule. in fact, we have been in lockstep with this as a result of the motion passed arbitrarily by the Government h ouse l eader yesterday. i'm wondering, hon. c hair, if you could clarify for us if this is a calendar that we must follow or one that can be changed at the whim of any member of the l egislature, or just the member for f ort l angley–a ldergrove. Mr. Speaker: h on. Member, i'll take it under advise - ment. This h ouse stands in recess for five minutes.

The h ouse recessed from 2:45 p.m. to 2:51 p.m. [l. r eid in the chair.] M. Farnworth: i seek leave to make an introduction. l eave granted. Introductions by Members M. Farnworth: i know that during introductions my colleague the e ducation Minister and myself noticed a mutual acquaintance who has since left the gallery, but i would like the h ouse to recognize the presence of Mr. a ngus h ereford, who's been in the precincts today ob - serving the proceedings. Second Reading of Bills bill 13 — Mi Scellaneou S Statute S aMenDMent a ct (n o. 2), 2011 Hon. B.

Penner: i move that bill 13, the Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 2), 2011, now be read a second time. bill 13 amends a number of statutes. i sum- marized this very briefly in first reading. i'll elaborate just a bit more now in second reading. Minor amendments to the Milk industry a ct will allow for changes to the milk industry standards regula- tion to facilitate interprovincial and international trade. These amendments will update

definitions to current in- dustry standards and amend regulation-making powers to enable assignment of certain responsibilities. a mendments to the l aw and e quity a ct will protect the interest that many strata property owners have in their parking spaces and storage lockers. in some strata developments the allocation of parking and storage spaces is based on long-term lease arrangements that could be subject to attack under the common-law rule of certainty. This amendment will exempt leases from that rule, validating the lease arrangements, resolving uncertainty and avoiding costly litigation.

The amend - ment will be retroactive to exempt agreements already in existence and to validate the expectations of the par - ties who entered into them. a mendments to the c hild, f amily and c ommunity Service a ct will allow the courts to transfer the perma - nent legal custody of a vulnerable child who is living with a trusted family member or friend to that person. This creates an alternative to bringing children into fos - ter care and will provide continuity and permanency for both children and their caregivers.

The amendment also includes safeguards to ensure that permanent trans- fers only occur when they are in the best interests of the child while ensuring that due process is in place before parental rights are severed. a mendments to the c lean energy a ct will extend the legislated deadline for the submission of b.c. h ydro's first integrated resource plan by one year to 30 months. The panel reviewing b.c. h ydro and the impact of hydro rate increases on british c olumbia families will present its recommendations by June 30.

This amendment ensures that b.c. h ydro has the time and flexibility to include any new direction from the review in their integrated re- source plan. it will also give b.c. h ydro adequate time to consult with industry stakeholders, communities, first n ations and families across the province. a mendments to the Special a ccounts a ppropriation and c ontrol a ct will expand the types of housing initia- tives for which the earnings of the housing endowment fund may be used.

This will allow the province to invest in a wider range of affordable-housing solutions for people in greatest need. e arnings from the housing endowment fund will contribute to new supportive housing, includ - ing those that are currently being developed in eight communities across the province.

The fund has already contributed $25 million to 52 projects across b.c., bring - ing unique housing solutions to low-income seniors, working families, youth and those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. c hanges to the Protected a reas of british c olumbia a ct will amend the boundary description of n isga'a Memorial l ava bed Park to remove 10.5 hectares to al - low for the construction of a segment of the northwest transmission line. The western route of the north - west transmission line requires the use of lands in n isga'a Memorial l ava bed Park.

The n isga'a l isims Government supports the western route and has con - sented to amending the boundary of the park to facilitate construction of the northwest transmission line. f or the purposes of

section 103 of

chapter 3 of the n isga'a final agreement, this represents british c olumbia's agree - ment to not continue the n isga'a Memorial l ava bed Park to the extent of the amendment. a minor amendment to the environment and l and u se a ct will better reflect current practices of appointing non-cabinet Mla s to sit as members on the environ - ment and land use committee. [1455]

british c olumbia Debates7756 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 This bill also makes a number of amendments to the f orest a ct. first, the f orest a ct is amended to make large tenure holders ineligible to apply for or hold a wood - lot licence. Woodlot licence opportunities are intended for individuals, first n ations and small companies that want to participate in small-scale forestry.

The amend - ment will help maintain the intent of the woodlot licence program as it is expanded. f urther amendments to the f orest a ct will provide that a non-lumber producer can only transfer a receiv - ing licence to another non-lumber producer.

This will help support the bioenergy, pulp and paper, and value- added industries by providing security of supply for lower-quality fibre needed by the non-lumber sector. a mendments are made to the f orest a ct, the f orest and r ange Practices a ct, and the Ministry of f orests and r ange a ct to replace references to decision-makers such as "regional manager or district manager" with "min - ister." This will enable the minister to delegate powers and duties to officials in the Ministry of f orests, l ands and n atural r esource o perations as needed to optimize decision-making and improve efficiency. a mendments to the Medicare Protection a ct will create authority to require adult british c olumbians to re-enrol in the province's Medical Services Plan by updating proof of their identity to a higher level of assur- ance.

These amendments will support the introduction of a more secure photo card, which would replace the current c arec ard. a mendments to the l egislative a ssembly Manage - ment c ommittee a ct will provide for the continued authority of the Speaker under that act between the time a general election is called to when a subsequent parliament elects a new Speaker.

This eliminates the need for additional legislation to continue the Speaker through that period. a mendments to the Motor Vehicle a ct will provide that golf carts and certain industrial utility vehicles no longer require registration, licensing or insurance through icbc to operate in parking lots or for in - cidental highway use in specific situations, such as crossing a public roadway between two areas of a golf course. f urther amendments to the Motor Vehicle a ct are made in compliance with the n orth a merican f ree t rade a greement.

These amendments will establish a designation code for use on the drivers' licences of com- mercial drivers who are ineligible to drive in the u .S. owing to specific medical conditions, such as epilepsy, insulin-dependent diabetes or certain hearing defi - ciencies. o ther changes to the Motor Vehicle a ct will allow holders of foreign drivers' licences to keep their existing licence so that they can practise before taking a b.c . road test.

Previously foreign licence holders had to surrender their driver's licence when applying for a b.c. driver's licence. finally, this bill contains a number of confirming, valid- ating, housekeeping and consequential amendments. C. Trevena: i am speaking to bill 13, the Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct. i'm going to be talking about the

section which deals with the amendments to the c hild, f amily and c ommunity Service a ct, but i'd like to preface my re - marks by talking about the absurd situation which we're in, which is with the calendar that was introduced and that we learned earlier this afternoon was there as a courtesy. it wasn't a change to the standing orders; it is just a courtesy. it's supposed to close this debate in about one minute, when there are a number of speakers on this side of the h ouse, because this bill affects a number of areas which we are trying to find answers to and to try and ensure that government is acting appropriately.

We are really having to watch the clock, which is an absurd situation in a democratic h ouse, in a place where we are, as h er Majesty's l oyal o pposition, supposed to scrutinize, talk about and discuss matters of legislation. i think we are being forced, really, into a pretty farci - cal situation where we are watching the clock rather than having the ability to talk as we would like to talk, which is for a full half-hour on our different subject areas. i want to talk about the c hild, f amily and c ommunity Service a ct, the amendments to it, the things that i think are very positive in it and my cautions. i know i have colleagues who want to talk about the forestry bill, and we have people who would want to talk about other parts of this bill — the c lean energy a ct, which is an amendment to something that was closed by guillotine.

Madam Speaker, i do know that we are, in this nice way, working.

We're having a courtesy extra 15 minutes, which is…. i don't know how that's going to affect other bills later on when we are working to such a tight time frame because democracy has been shut down in this place yet again. [1500] h owever, i would like to address my remarks to the amendments to the c hild, f amily and c ommunity Service a ct. on the whole, this side of the h ouse does support the amendment. f rom our discussions with the people who are involved in child and family services, people who work with the ministry and people who watch the ministry, there is a sense that it does make sense to have this amendment. u ltimately, people don't want to see children go into the care of the ministry. h opefully, if this amendment is used appropriately, it will keep the court system out of play and allow families to keep looking after children without having to bring in the courts. it will create the least disturbance. i think that is why it has been welcomed. it's been welcomed by a number of people. it has been welcomed by the r epresentative

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7757 for c hildren and Y outh, who has said that it is a posi - tive move. it's been welcomed by the f ederation of c ommunity Social Services. People do see that there is a positive to this. The way that this amendment works is that, as i understand it…. i'm hoping that if we manage to have courtesy extensions to time allocation, we can have a longer discussion about this in the committee stage. i believe we've given an hour for the whole Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct, which is very full. it just cov- ers a number of ministries.

We have found in previous miscellaneous bills, when we do go through the committee stage, things that we have missed just in reading it and missed in discussions with people. We actually pick up some very salient points that are very controversial and very worrying.

So we would hope that we get a lot of time to be able to go through this bill, literally for each ministry, and have a full discussion with the various ministers and their staff to ensure that what we are passing here in this h ouse is done with due consideration and with the thought that should go into creating, discussing, debat - ing and passing legislation — that we are not working against the clock. u nfortunately, i fear that we are stuck with this very tight time frame. a s of five o'clock tomorrow afternoon we are going to be asked to vacate these premises until goodness knows when. it's been — what? — four weeks in the last year.

Maybe we'll get a bit longer next year, but i'm not very hopeful, if this government is still in place. i'm more hopeful that we will not have this government in place. Then we can get on with the business of run - ning b.c. in the interests of the people of b .c. on bill 13 and its amendments to the c hild, f amily and c ommunity Service a ct. a s i say, we are pretty sup- portive of it.

The r epresentative for c hildren and Y outh, Mary e llen t urpel-l afond, who i think everybody in this province has huge respect for because of her work, has actually said that she is pleased with it and is quoted as saying: "it begins to really pin down our desire to have children not come into care but…be in safe relation - ships and strong, good placements." i think that is really what everybody wants — that children can be in very supportive placements with family wherever possible and have that nurturing. i know, Madam Speaker, you're very, very concerned yourself about our young people and children and would really welcome any way that we can ensure that they are kept safe in nurturing environments. i have a few cautions about this. i think that the amendment, which is very fulsome and does add a large

section to the c hild, f amily and c ommunity Service a ct and changes the f amily r elations a ct also…. i do hope that we will have that time to dis - cuss fully in the committee stage what those changes are going to be. i have a few cautions that i will be raising then and that i'd like to highlight now. one is the extended family program and the government's shift from child in the h ome of a r elative to the extended family program. [1505] There is still screening for the extended family pro - gram.

There is money available for families who are involved in it. but there are, i think, some real con - cerns about the way it's working and about the way it's not working. one of the questions that keep coming up is that there are at the moment just 350 children in the extended family program, and there are several thousand in the c hild in the h ome of a r elative program. There is con- cern about what is happening to those children, whether they're aging out, whether the families have moved on — just what is happening.

There is the sense, without anybody saying it…. a re chil- dren falling through the gaps? a re families falling through the gaps? i hope this bill doesn't allow that to happen and that there is a close watch and a close continuum. The other concern that is there — and i think is al - ways there when we're looking at families and how we look after vulnerable families and vulnerable children — is the financial support. There is no question that the best way for children to be looked after is in a supportive, nurturing family.

So in many cases what we see is a grandparent taking over the responsibility for the child, has all the love, all the willingness to look after that child or maybe one or two, maybe the siblings, wants to do the best and, there- fore, instead of keeping the ministry involved, decides to have guardianship so they have the full responsibil - ity themselves. u nfortunately, when that happens, the grandparents lose any financial support.

We have a vast range of ages of grandparents. i think we've seen in this h ouse the number of people who stand up and say: "We're now grandparents." Grandparents can start young, but they can also get to be quite old.

They are often at an age where they are ready to retire, and they're finding that they're going to have to carry on working to look after their grand - children, or they are still working themselves, but they have their own financial pressures. n ot everybody can afford to continue looking after a second generation, and i think this is very troubling because it does add to the pressures on the families.

The other thing that…. in taking the courts out of the system…. i think people, on the whole, really welcomed this — the fact that the courts will be out of the system — but i think we have to recognize as well that there are times when it's good to have that third eye, the checks and balances and the scrutiny of a judge to ensure that nobody's being overzealous, that everything is working appropriately, and that while the child's rights are being

british c olumbia Debates7758 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 protected and we are looking after the child and doing everything in the best interests of the child, we are also working in the best interests of the parent. Madam Speaker, i'm going to end my remarks there. i could speak a great deal longer about this. i know other colleagues also want to speak about the bill. a s i say, it talks about many different government ministries.

There are many areas that i think we have concern about, and we really would like a courtesy extension of our debate beyond the extra 15 minutes we've had. h owever, i have the sense that we're not going to get that in this h ouse, which i think sadly…. u nfortunately, there are no children here to watch democracy die in b .c. N.

Macdonald: Just to speak for the short time that's available on the Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 2). bill 13 has a number of provisions, al - most 70, related to forestry. in my capacity as the critic, along with my co-critic from the c owichan Valley, we need to be looking at this piece of legislation to make sure that these are what the minister has indicated that they are for the most part, which is housekeeping of existing bills. i think it's important to remember that in my time here since 2005, one of the most controversial meas - ures was hidden in a miscellaneous statutes act, and that's related to iPPs and the removal of local control, as members will know —

section 55, bill 33, the a shlu river section. it's important to be able to go through even pieces of legislation that are described as innocuous to make sure they are. The term the member from c owichan Valley always uses is "jiggery-pokery," which means, of course, looking for things nefarious or misleading in descriptions. This act, however, does seem certainly to be innocuous, and with regard to the forestry sections, it does seem to be pretty clearly, housekeeping for the most part. [1510] i just want to thank the Minister of f orests, l ands and n atural r esource o perations and his staff for setting up a briefing for members of the opposition. Most of the sections, from

section 35 to 107, change specific titles to a minister delegation model. The ministry has been significantly reorganized, and the language seems to be changed to match the reality of that reorganization. There's also a

section which clarifies that a tenure holder cannot go after the woodlot tenures. There's also a

section clarifying restricted forest licences. The amendments certainly seem innocuous and largely housekeeping, but my co-critic and i will put on record the explanations from the minister responsible for the proposed changes during the committee stage, which we should get to either later today or tomorrow. With that, i'll turn it over to the other critics that deal with this bill. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] L. Krog: h on.

Speaker, i'm conscious of the fact that we will get a whole hour tomorrow to deal with commit- tee stage in this bill — a whole hour. t oday we have had basically a little over 15 minutes for the opposition to actually speak in second reading. There's a line from Shakespeare: "all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." if there was ever a farce, it is the suggestion that the amount of time allocated to this bill — or, indeed, many of the pieces of legislation — in this h ouse is adequate. it's truly farci - cal.

That line comes from As You Like It. i can assure the members opposite that this is anything but something that the opposition likes. h er Majesty's l oyal o pposition has a job to do within our parliamentary system, and that job is to criticize. it is to question, to advocate and to speak on behalf of british c olumbians. it is not to speak on behalf of the government. it is to hold the government to account. t o hold its feet to the fire is the cliché most commonly used.

We have a bill before us of 38 pages, nine parts and 137 sections — nine parts reflecting the fact that these all relate to different ministries. it is inconceivable that one could say, even if they had the brains of an einstein, within such a short period of time, anything intelligent about the importance of this legislation or its impact, nor to raise issues that one would hope would bring attention to what the government is trying to do with this bill. if what we do in this place has any meaning what - soever and bill 13, Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 2), is to receive the scrutiny it should, then you can't do it in the time allotted. it is a shocking ex - ample of a government that has claimed to be open and transparent, to be listening, to care about what british c olumbians think. indeed, we have listened to the Minister of finance, on more than one occasion in the last few days, talk about the wonderful consultation process around the hS t . h undreds of thousands of british c olumbians consulted by telephone, apparently.

Well, hundreds of thousands of british c olumbians don't have an oppor - tunity to speak in this place. only 85 members do. only 85 members, and the majority of those are on the other side, and they're not speaking to this bill. They don't care. Their Whip tells them what to do. They get up; they come in; they vote; they go out. it's the job of the opposition to be critical. it's the job of the opposition to raise issues. it's the job of the op - position to ask the kinds of questions that give voice to the people.

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, June 1, 2011 7759 it is impossible for us to do it, hon. Speaker. i see i've received the nod. i will take my place with great re - luctance in these circumstances, protesting as well as i possibly can the farce that is this process. Mr. Speaker: h on. Members, the time is now allo - cated. [1515] Second reading of bill 13 approved on division. Hon. B. Penner: Mr.

Speaker, i move that bill 13 be referred to a c ommittee of the Whole h ouse for con - sideration at the next sitting after today. bill 13, Miscellaneous Statutes a mendment a ct (n o. 2), 2011, read a second time and referred to a c ommit- tee of the Whole h ouse for consideration at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. Hon. G. Abbott: i call committee stage debate on bill 2, intituled budget Measures implementation a ct, 2011. Committee of the Whole House bi ll 2 — bu DGet M ea Sure S iMPleMentation act , 2011 The h ouse in c ommittee of the Whole (Section

b) on bill 2; l. r eid in the chair. The committee met at 3:17 p.m.

Section 1 approved. on

section 2. B. Ralston: This is the substantive

section amending the balanced budget and Ministerial a ccountability a ct. it proposes an amendment adding a new subsection. c an the minister explain the purpose of this section? i gather that there has been, and have noted, a major reorganization of government ministries, and some min- istries, such as that of the Minister of State for c limate a ction, seem to have been subsumed in other ministries. i assume that this is related to those changes in minister- ial structure, but could the minister please explain the purpose of the amendment? Hon. K.

Falcon: This amendment, Member, is there to enhance ministerial accountability by ensuring the expected effects of any reallocations that are made under Vote 44, which is the capital funding appropria - tion. Where you have more than one minister that may be responsible within that vote and some reallocation is being done of capital dollars, there is an ability to re - allocate in a manner that ensures that you're still going to have appropriate accountabilities with respect to the individual ministers under the bbMaa act. B.

Ralston: The proposed amendment refers to "the minister." i take it, just for clarity, that that's the min - ister who is assuming responsibility for the subsumed department. in other words, if there's a merger, the minister who takes over is obliged to make public this statement that's required under this proposed amend - ment. is that correct? [1520] Hon. K. Falcon: That refers to the minister responsible for the balanced budget and Ministerial a ccountability a ct — in other words, the Minister of finance. B.

Ralston: c an the minister advise which govern - ment ministries or secretaries or ministers of state will be affected by this proposed amendment? Hon. K. Falcon: it is the ministers with responsibil - ities under Vote 44, capital funding, which includes the Minister of a dvanced e ducation, the Minister of e ducation, the Minister of energy and Mines, the Minister of h ealth and the Minister of finance. B. Ralston: The reference here is a reallocation of spending authority, which occurs during a fiscal year.

That means that the main estimates have not been al - tered, but that there's simply an alteration in the responsibility for the main estimates, which are un - changed. is that correct? Hon. K. Falcon: That is correct, Member. it does not change the actual vote. it is just allowing for realloca - tions within the vote. B. Ralston: is there any different application to sup - plementary estimates? o r is that simply a timing issue, where ordinarily these changes might be made, re - ported out, and the supplementary estimates would be dealt with by the minister responsible for the reconfig - ured ministry? Hon. K.

Falcon: n o, it does not have anything to do with supplementary estimates. This is specific to votes that contain multiministerial responsibilities as, for ex - ample, Vote 44 in the capital funding side. B. Ralston: The legislation or the act itself, the balanced budget and Ministerial a ccountability a ct, refers to, in part, in

section 4, "achieving collective responsibilities," and then, in

section 5, "achieving in - dividual responsibilities."

british c olumbia Debates7760 Wednesday, June 1, 2011 Given that this reallocation recognizes that the con - figuration of ministries may change and that, indeed, ministers who may have been assigned what this act deems individual responsibilities may disappear or re- emerge in a reconfigured ministry, can the minister advise how this amendment would work in tandem with, particularly,

section 5 of the balanced budget and Ministerial a ccountability a ct? [1525] Hon. K. Falcon: This section, i'm advised, has noth - ing to do with the reorganization. This is a

section that applies uniquely to Vote 44 which, as i say, contains multiministerial responsibilities that allow, within the vote, to have some moving around within the vote to en- sure that we can still have ministerial accountability even if there's shifting of dollars within the vote.

With respect to the larger question, i'm advised that with the reorganization that takes place in government, wherever the different pieces of the reorganization go, the obligation follows. in other words, the obligations under the bbMa will follow whichever minister inher - its whichever portion of a previous portfolio that would have had accountabilities alongside it. B. Ralston: Just following up on the minister's re - sponse. if there are multiple ministries responsible for Vote 44, and there's a change in the spending by each responsible minister, what…?

Given that the intent of the legislation, presumably, is to encourage accountabil- ity, how does one ensure accountability if the numbers can be moved? one could imagine a situation — although i'm not suggesting that this happened or has happened — where accountability might be shifted in order to save a minis- ter who might be in danger of running over the allocated estimates and therefore incurring some responsibility under this act. of course, there is resort to legislation, and notoriously the government has resorted to sep - arate legislation under the Ministerial a ccountability bases a ct to fix up any overruns each year. but in theory, that might arise.

So i'm just wondering how this legisla - tion works to prevent such a reallocation. Hon. K.

Falcon: The changes that we're talking about would be changes that would have to be done ahead of time under the direction of t reasury board. t reasury board would have to have a plan that's brought to t reasury board to say: "We want to reallocate or make changes within the vote with respect to the capital spend." it would be t reasury board that would be making that decision, and then the accountability would follow. h owever t reasury board decided to make a decision based on a predetermined plan, then the accountabilities would still follow. it would not be something where after the fact, which i think is really what the member is getting at, you would try and move things around in the vote to cover off somebody on the capital spending side. it would have to be something that would be a plan brought forward to t reasury board and considered by t reasury board. t reasury board direction would then follow, which would result in the capital moving within the vote and the accountabilities following the move - ments that take place within the vote.

B. Ralston: i understand the minister's explanation.

That's quite clear. h owever, the language of the proposed amendment doesn't limit it to something in advance of the fiscal year. it says: "i f a reallocation of spending au - thority in relation to operating expenses occurs during a fiscal year…." So there's no limit. it could occur in the first month of the fiscal year or the 11th month of the fis- cal year, given the wording that's there. [1530] a gain, i appreciate that this may be a hypothesis, but would the minister not agree that despite what he said, there's nothing in the wording of this amendment that would prohibit that sort of step being taken very late in the fiscal year?

Hon. K. Falcon: i appreciate the member's legal back- ground, actually. it gives him the capability of pointing out these kinds of issues, and correctly.

Theoretically, yes, the member would be correct, but i think, prac - tically speaking, that wouldn't be the case. a s chair of t reasury b oard, i can certainly assure you that if there is going to be a change within the vote, it will be as a result of a plan being brought forward to t reasury board. a nd as chair of t reasury board, work- ing to ensure that's a plan t reasury board signs off on, with then subsequent direction being provided to min - isters…. it is not the intent, nor w

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0601pm-03
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0601pm 03
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	71e0255f377b1b002d2fc3f8289cd6fcd3ea8df4

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