1972 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 29th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1972

Afternoon Sitting

[ Page 985 ]

The House met at 2:00 p.m.

Prayers.

MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable the lady Minister without Portfolio.

MRS. I.P. DAWSON (Minister without Portfolio): It isn't very

often that I have the opportunity of welcoming folks from the Bella

Coola valley. But we have in the gallery today Mr. and Mrs. Andy

Ridston. Mr. Ridston is a real old pioneer of the area, having been

born there a good many years ago. I am sure the Members wish to welcome

them here today.

MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable the Minister of Highways, and Provincial Secretary.

HON. W.D. BLACK (Provincial Secretary): I shall have to write you a letter some time, Mr. Speaker. (Laughter)

Mr. Speaker, it's my great pleasure to welcome this afternoon to the

legislative assembly two former pupils of mine who have families of

their own now and who are excellent citizens of this province. They're

presently sitting in the ladies' gallery, in the persons of Mrs.

Bennett and Mrs. Walters. I'd be happy if you'd receive them.

MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member for Oak Bay.

MR. G.S. WALLACE (Oak Bay): I'd like to welcome students from

two different schools. The Grade 11 students from Oak Bay Senior

Secondary with their teacher Don Taylor, and pupils of William of

Orange Christian School in Burnaby with Mr. van der Kamp.

MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable the Leader of the Opposition

MR. D. BARRETT (Leader of the Opposition): Mr. Speaker I'd

like the House to welcome two very important young men who are visiting

this House for a short period after an absence of some time, my two

sons.

MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Member from Vancouver South.

MRS. A. KRIPPS (Vancouver South): Mr. Speaker, we have in the

galleries a group of 75 students from the Waverley School in the

Vancouver South constituency. They are here with their principal Mr.

McClarty and their teachers Mr. Feldes, Mr. Jansen and Mrs. Johnson. I

would ask the House to welcome them.

Introduction of bills.

Mr. Wallace moves introduction and first reading of Bill No. 115, intituled

An Act to Amend the Assessment Equalization Act .

Motion approved. Bill No. 115 introduced, read a first time, and

ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the

next sitting after today.

Orders of the day,

House in committee of supply. The committee rose, reported progress, and asked leave to sit again.

Presenting petitions.

MR. P.L. McGEER (Vancouver–Point Grey): Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to present a petition.

Leave granted.

MR. McGEER: Mr. Speaker, it's a petition from Mr. Howard

Sullivan of Vancouver. The petitioner respectfully and earnestly

objects and protests against the granting of certification to a

three-party labour consortium by the Labour Relations Board of British

Columbia for the hourly paid employees of National Paper Box Limited.

The certification was granted without a hearing being conducted at

which the employees of the plant could be represented.

Wherefore, Mr. Speaker, the petitioner "humbly prays that your

Honourable House may be pleased to recommend that the Labour Relations

Board conduct a democratic vote as requested by over 80 per cent of the

employees in signed petition to the board."

Presenting reports.

Mr. Jefcoat from the select standing committee on agriculture presented the committee's report.

MR. SPEAKER: The Honourable Leader of the Opposition.

MR. D. BARRETT (Leader of the Opposition): Is that from the

agricultural committee after this morning's meeting? We had expected a

draft to be circulated before submission. Mr. Speaker, as I left the

committee, it was my understanding that a draft would be circulated

before being submitted.

MR. SPEAKER: The House has no knowledge of the actions of the committee.

MR. W.F. JEFCOAT (Shuswap): Could I clarify this Mr. Speaker?

I asked this question in committee, and unfortunately I was only able

to get this printed a few minutes ago. And in committee this morning I

asked if it were necessary, with the amendments as proposed, and I was

told that it was not necessary.

MR. BARRETT: I never told you that.

The report was taken as read and received.

(Your select standing committee on agriculture begs leave to report as follows:

On February 9, 1972, on the motion of the Hon. C.M., Shelford it was ordered:

That this House authorize the select standing committee on

agriculture to assess the impact on British Columbia agriculture of

food products which are imported from other countries and from other

parts of Canada, with particular reference to those products which are

produced in substantial volume in this province.

The committee shall have the power to send for persons, papers, and records and to hear representations from the

[ Page 986 ]

food and agricultural industry, from Government

officials, and from such organizations and individuals as may, in their

discretion, appear necessary, and shall report its findings and

recommendations to this House.

In its study of the impact on British Columbia agriculture of imports

from points outside the province, the select standing committee on

agriculture conducted 11 public hearings at which 22 briefs were

presented by individuals and groups representing producers, marketing

boards, wholesalers, processors, and retailers of food and agricultural

products.

The B.C. Interior Vegetable Marketing Board was represented by R.

Freeze, chairman; Fred Hack, vice-president; and Eric Magee,

secretary-treasurer.

The Department of Agriculture was represented by M.M. Gilchrist, markets commissioner.

The Broiler Marketing Board was represented by chairman, Harry Leidtke.

Western Food Processors was represented by Messrs. Rankin, Penner, Kitson, Bloomfield, and Luscombe.

B.C. Cattlemen's Association was represented by Ron Pilling.

Federation of Retail Food Council of British Columbia was

represented by A.C. Abbott, president, and Al Mesmer, Hi-Lo Food

Company; John Kristensen, Safeway; Tom Milburn, Safeway; Merv Hampton,

Supervalu; and Mrs. Joan Gadsby, recording secretary.

B.C. Federation of Agriculture was represented by Dick Stocks.

The Fraser Valley Fruit and Vegetable Grower's Association was represented by Nick DeWahl.

The products division of Woodwards Stores was represented by W.A. Eadie.

The National Farmers Union, Region 8, was represented by L. Butler,

president, and Roy Atkinson, National President of the Farmers Union.

The B.C. Tree Fruit Board was represented by Nigel Taylor and Carl Stevenson.

The Meat Packers Council of Canada was represented by Messrs. Tolton, Ralph Towsley, W.E. Mathewson, and Martin Morgan.

The B.C. Egg Marketing Board was represented by Ed Morgan and William Brunsdon.

The B.C. Turkey Marketing Board was represented by Ed Pratt and C. Stanley.

The Independent Egg Industry Association was represented by Ed Lightfoot and Walter Oliver.

The South Peace Marketing Board was represented by R. Johnson.

The B.C. Coast Vegetable Marketing Board was represented by Messrs. Ed Gilmore, Walsh, and A. Barker.

The Okanagan-Mainline Egg Producers Association was represented by Messrs. A. Link, D. Lewis, and R. Pridham.

The B.C. Egg Producers Association was represented by Glen Redline.

The B.C. Grape Marketing Board was represented by Dr. E.F. Avery, Messrs. E. Raikes and L.R. Stephens.

The B.C. Swine Breeders' Association, The Consumers' Association of

Canada (B.C.), and the sheep industry of the Peace River Block also

submitted briefs.

Throughout the hearings there was evidence that present levels of

food imports cause substantial damage to certain segments of British

Columbia's agricultural industry. Among those most seriously affected

are the vegetable, soft fruit, strawberry, greenhouse, chicken broiler,

turkey, and egg industries. The food-processing industry is also under

intense pressures from imports coming from low-cost areas.

Existing forms of protection such as tariffs, import quotas,

agricultural stabilization payments, surtaxes, and other relief

measures, all of which are under federal jurisdiction, were found to be

generally inadequate in maintaining a viable agricultural industry in

this province.

It was noted that the dairy industry is in a reasonably viable

state and in this connection it is important to note that no one in

Canada can import milk or dairy products without obtaining an import

permit from the Canadian Dairy Commission. Similarly, no one can import

feed grains without a permit from the Canadian Wheat Board. It is

significant to note that neither dairy products nor domestic feed

grains are under pressure from imports.

The committee found that this Province, because of its close

proximity to large food-producing areas in the Western United States

and Mexico, is particularly vulnerable to the dumping of surplus

products. Even a small surplus from these areas, dumped into our

traditional domestic markets seriously affects our industries. Because

of the lateness of British Columbia's cropping season, peak production

of many commodities here coincides with clean-up operations on the same

commodities to the south. Their cleanup, if directed to British

Columbia, can impart substantial hurt to our agricultural industry. The

same kind of damage is done by low price quotations from these areas,

even though actual quantities shipped may be small.

The committee deplores the fact that we are losing the beef

finishing and processing industry and recommends that the Department of

Agriculture give consideration to ways and means of aiding the

finishing of beef in this province, preferably using provincially grown

grain.

On the basis of the evidence presented, the committee is able to

conclude that the impact of food imports to this province from other

countries and other provinces is substantial and is a major constraint

to the further development of British Columbia's agricultural industry.

Accordingly, the committee recommends:

(

a) The government introduce legislation which

would provide authority for the Minister of Agriculture to require

permits for the importation of specified food and feed products and to

require the identification of the source of such products. The use of

the term "importation" includes the inter-provincial movement of

products.

(

b) That the Government of British Columbia make

automatic surtax based on reasonable, 'moving average" prices based on

the previous three-year average be implemented in Canada to replace the

present slow and cumbersome machine which is presently used in

combating the effects of low-priced imports.

(

c) That the Government of British Columbia

establish a $25 million fund from which the Minister of Agriculture

could authorize loans and guarantees, which would encourage substantial

development of British Columbia's food and agricultural industry among

British Columbia's primary producers,

(

d) That the Department of Agriculture increase

its efforts in sales promotion of British Columbia grown products and

increase dialogue among producers, consumers, processors, wholesale and

retail merchandisers through a British Columbia Advisory Food Council,

[ Page 987 ]

recommended in the 1971 report of the select

standing committee on agriculture; also that the Department of

Agriculture be renamed the Department of Food and Agriculture to

encompass this broader jurisdiction.

(

e) That the Department of Agriculture and the

Department of Industrial Development, Trade and Commerce establish a

joint committee to study disparities in domestic and export freight

rates between various points in British Columbia and Canada; the

committee to make recommendations on methods of reducing these

disparities.

(

f) That the Department of Agriculture make

strong representations to the federal Food and Drug Directorate

requesting assurance that food products entering British Columbia are

thoroughly checked and found to be free from pesticide residue banned

by the Province of British Columbia.

(

g) The committee received reports from the Egg

Marketing Board and representatives of the egg producers indicating

severe conflict between the areas served by the Egg Marketing Board. We

note with interest that the Minister of Agriculture has indicated to

the board that they must take immediate action to overcome their

internal problems. The Egg Marketing Board reaction will be carefully

noted by members of this committee.)

Mr. Mussallem from the select standing committee on public accounts

and printing presented the committee's first report which was taken as

read and received.

(Your select standing committee on public accounts and printing begs leave to report as follows:

Your committee summoned Mr. Willard E. Ireland, chairman of the public documents committee, established by the Public Documents Disposal Act, Revised Statutes of British Columbia, 1960

chapter 134, and, having heard the submission on behalf of the public

documents committee, recommends that, in accordance with the provisions

of the Public Documents Disposal Act ,

approval be given for the destruction of various public documents as

listed in the submissions to the public documents committee for 1970 in

so far as the following departments of government are concerned:

Education; Finance; Health Services and Hospital Insurance; Industrial

Development, Trade, and Commerce; Lands, Forests, and Water Resources;

Provincial Secretary; and further recommends that the various public

documents as listed in the submission to the said public documents

committee by the Department of Labour be transferred to the custody of

the Provincial Archives.

The following departments were dealt with: Agriculture; Commercial

Transport; Education, curriculum resources branch, registrar's branch,

research and standards branch; Finance; Health Services and Hospital

Insurance, division of V.D. control, division of laboratories, division

of T.B. control, division of vital statistics, health branch (local

health services), health branch central office, environmental

engineering division, British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service

hospital construction division; Provincial Secretary, Government House;

Public Works, safety engineering services division.

Your committee afforded its members several opportunities for the

examination of vouchers supplied by the Comptroller-General. These

vouchers were supplied from various votes on the request of the members

through the chairman.)

Hon. Mr. Bennett moves adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 6:04 p.m.

The House met at 8:00 p.m.

Introduction of Bills.

Orders of the day.

House in committee of supply. The committee rose, reported resolutions and asked leave to sit again.

Hon. Mr. Peterson moves adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 11:30 p.m.

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