1980 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 32nd Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1980

Afternoon Sitting

[ Page

4217 ]

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Speech from the Throne –– 4217

An Act to Perpetuate a Parliamentary Right. Hon. Mr. Williams.

Introduction and first reading –– 4221

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1980

The House met at 2 p.m.

This being the first day of the third session of the

thirty-second Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia

for the dispatch of business, pursuant to a proclamation of the Hon.

Henry Bell-Irving, Lieutenant-Governor of the province, dated December

4, 1980, hon. members took their seats.

Prayers.

His

Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, having entered the House and being

seated upon the throne, was pleased to deliver the following gracious

speech.

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

HON. MR. BELL-IRVING:

Mr. Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly; it is again my

pleasure to deliver' the Speech from the Throne to Members of this

Assembly.

It is with great sadness that I must open these

proceedings within such a few days of the funeral of the Right

Honourable Jules Leger, the former Governor-General of Canada. He was a

courageous man and a prestigious Canadian whose passing leaves our

nation a little poorer.

I ask you to cast your thoughts back

to an event that occurred while you were last gathered here to examine

and discuss my government's programs.

A young British

Columbian, Terry Fox of Coquitlam, performed

an act of unprecedented

courage. Himself suffering from cancer, he earned world-wide admiration

for his selfless attempt to jog across Canada from coast to coast to

raise money for medical research on this disease.

All of

British Columbia's sentiments were expressed when the Premier, on

behalf of all of us, awarded this modest yet highly principled young

man British Columbia's highest honour, the Order of the Dogwood.

His

Excellency Governor-General Edward Schreyer also bestowed the Order of

Canada upon Mr. Fox in national recognition of his brave struggle. Mr.

Terry Fox, all of us are so very proud of you.

During the

past nine months, we were honoured by visits of many distinguished

persons. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales again came to British

Columbia in March and April where he visited Vancouver and chaired a

meeting of the International Council of United World Colleges at Lester

B. Pearson College of the Pacific on Vancouver Island. Her Royal

Highness Princess Alexandra, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the

Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary'

s) attended events in

Victoria and Nanaimo during April and May.

His Excellency

the Governor-General and Mrs. Schreyer visited British Columbia in July

to conduct a cruise in HMCS Kootenay and to invest B.C.'s well-known

track and field athlete, Mr. Percy Williams, with the Order of Canada

in August. During that month, His Excellency visited Victoria,

Vancouver, Chilliwack, Cranbrook, Kimberley and Invermere.

Other distinguished persons who graced our province included Prime Minister

Ohira of Japan, who was mourned by all as his untimely passing occurred shortly

after his return to his homeland; the Honourable Peter Lougheed, Premier of

Alberta, with members of his cabinet; Vice Premier Bo Yibo of the Peoples'

Republic of China; the Right Honourable Brian Talboys, Deputy Prime Minister

of New Zealand; and many ambassadors and high commissioners from countries throughout

the world.

Canadians, we share the continuing concern of all free people for the

American hostages still being held in Iran and continue to pray for

their deliverance to their families. Our concern is heightened by the

outbreak of hostilities between Iran and Iraq. These events, and the

unwarranted threat to world peace in the face of the invasion of

Afghanistan, are grave matters. It is our fondest hope that the cause

of world peace will prosper in the coming year.

I would now

like to reflect on the affairs of our nation. All of us born in Canada

are brought up to recognize our country as something unique in the

world. We are taught to see it as a federation of regions and

provinces, each sharply different from the other, sprawling across the

top of the North American continent. Our vast and thinly populated

country, the second largest in area in the world, is a country

fortunately endowed by nature and one where freedom of choice has been

and is a most important ingredient in our lives.

We are no

longer a cluster of colonies. We are a nation, a federation of regions,

of provinces that in the past, each in its turn, sought greater freedom

by entering into a Canadian partnership. We believe our choice will

always be to remain together as Canadians, and that is the commitment

of my government.

We are a deliberate mosaic. We believe

that this diversity working in harmony is one of the main strengths of

our Canadian federation and of our Canadian system of federal

democracy. Canada is, always has been and must continue to be a

fundamentally good place to live, a place where individual citizens in

each of our provinces can seek their own destinies and a destiny for

their province within the Canadian nation and in accordance with its

traditions.

process of seeking a fundamental change in the basic principles of the

Canadian federation. The federal government is unilaterally asking the

House of Commons and the Senate to request the British Parliament to

enact a series of changes and amendments to the British North America

Act and other imperial statutes touching upon Canada, by way of

patriating the Canadian constitution.

My government has

objected to this method of constitutional revision. It is without

provincial agreement, which in the view of my government is contrary to

Canadian convention, custom and practice and Canadian law.

government has twice asked for additional round-table constitutional

discussions with the federal government concerning proposed amendments

to the constitution of Canada. Building on the summer's round of

federal-provincial talks and the near agree ment at the subsequent

first ministers' talks, my government is firmly of the view that some

further days of public and private ministerial discussions could well

resolve the major differences between the 11 governments.

government will recommend the unanimous support of this Legislature for

a resolution that requests the federal government to confine its

request to the British Parliament to the simple patriation of the BNA

Act without unilateral amendments.

[ Page 4218 ]

The

BNA Act,

section 109, states in part: "all lands, mines, minerals, and

royalties belonging to the several provinces of Canada...and all the

sums then due or payable for such lands, mines, minerals or royalties,

shall belong to the several provinces...in which the same are situate

or arise, subject to any trusts existing in respect thereof, and to any

interest other than that of the province of the same."

This

has been interpreted for more than a century as stating that those

people who choose to live in a province of our country shall have

perpetual ownership and control of all of the province's natural

resources. This division of powers has worked well and has benefited

all our provinces, as well as our nation, for more than a century.

During

the summer's round of ministerial meetings on the constitution, and

later in the House of Commons, the federal government indicated that it

would confirm the ownership and control by the people in each province

of all their non-renewable natural resources in their provinces and of

one renewable resource, the forests. The federal government has not

indicated that it is prepared to confirm the continuation of ownership

by the people in the provinces of all other renewable natural

resources. These renewable resources include such things as game and

other wildlife, fish that spend their lives in fresh water, fresh water

itself, plus other less well recognized renewable resources.

our thousands of lakes and rivers, our province at present owns about 8

percent of the world's total volume of accessible fresh water. This

vast resource is already highly important to the well-being of British

Columbians for the production of energy and food, and this importance

to us will continue and expand in the years to come.

government will recommend that this Legislature give its unanimous

support to a resolution asking the federal government to confirm that

the ownership and control of all renewable and non-renewable natural

resources in British Columbia remain in the hands of those who can best

manage them — the people who live in the province of British Columbia.

government believes that, as Canada's third-largest province, a strong

provincial economy in British Columbia is important for the strength of

our nation as a whole as well as for the well-being of those of us who

live in B.C. British Columbians supported this concept when they

elected my government five years ago and gave it a specific job to do.

This job was to return our great province to its traditionally sound

financial basis. My government has now accomplished this; but

notwithstanding, it always will strive to do better. The economy of

British Columbia is healthier now than it has been before.

The

process of returning our province's economy to its traditional

soundness has not been an easy one. However, all the actions taken by

my government to achieve financial security were necessary and in the

public interest for the good and well-being of all British Columbians,

both for now and for the future. This difficult task has been

accomplished in spite of the external forces of inflation and recession

that are pressing on us from outside our borders.

We still

have inflation in British Columbia; as a province that lives by

external trading, it cannot be completely avoided. My government will

continue to pursue financial policies that will keep our rate of

inflation among the lowest if not the lowest in North America, while at

the same time developing our economic capacity.

As the goods we must consume every day rise in price, primarily through pressures

from outside our province, the only way to counteract this is to continually

strengthen our economy. My government is doing that now that it has established

a firm financial basis on which to build our future and, as a major Canadian

province, the future of all Canada.

government believes that it is time to progress to the next phase of

building the truly good life in British Columbia. It is time to adopt

formally an overriding philosophy that has as its goal the general

betterment of the quality of life of all British Columbians. Already

the quality of life of those Canadians and landed immigrants who live

and work in British Columbia is admired and often envied throughout the

world. But as good as it may be in comparison with other regions, my

government believes it can still be better.

My government

believes individual British Columbians have six basic aims in life: to

enjoy the best possible health; to be protected by an even-handed, fair

system of justice; to attain personal financial security; to live in a

healthy environment; to enjoy equality of opportunity and treatment;

and finally, to have the freedom to lawfully pursue their individual

lives without undue interference from either the state or their fellow

citizens. My government believes that the sum of degrees of achievement

of these six basic aims determines the quality of life for each

individual British Columbian. The greater the degrees of achievement,

the better the quality of life. In pursuing this goal of bettering the

quality of life for all British Columbians, my government plans to turn

the six aims into a general guideline, to be used as an important part

of all government planning processes.

I am advised that the

British Columbia economy remains strong and its prospects remain good,

in sharp contrast to the Canadian economy generally, and to that of the

United States. During the past 12 months, the British Columbia economy

was able to create 65,000 jobs, an increase of 5.6 percent. This

compares to the Canadian average of 2.2 percent. The number of new

companies incorporated in British Columbia totalled 20,600, a one-year

increase of 17 percent. The investment in British Columbia totalled

$11.4 billion, up 22.4 percent. This compares to an increase of only

13.6 percent for Canada as a whole. British Columbia's rate of real

economic growth for this year is expected to increase by 1.8 percent,

compared to a decline of 1 percent for Canada and a decline of 1.4

percent for the United States.

Our economic success has

attracted and is still attracting thousands of newcomers a month to

British Columbia, and they are welcomed by my government. However, this

same success has created an urgent problem for many: a housing shortage

that is driving prices beyond reasonable limits. The heart of this

problem is that the building of dwellings is not keeping pace with the

province's steady increase in population. This is a situation that is,

unfortunately, mainly the result of policies again determined beyond

our borders.

My government was able to help relieve this

problem by encouraging building this year through the innovative

program of making $200 million available last winter for mortgages for

residential construction. This program resulted in a total of 5,078

additional dwelling units.

During this coming year, my

government will continue to conduct intensive studies into this very

serious problem and is planning further innovative actions both in

relation to home ownership and in the rental field. My government also

plans to lessen the impact of residential property value increases in

1981 assessments.

Next year has been proclaimed

International Year of the Handicapped by the United Nations. During

1981 my government, under the direction of my Minister of Education

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4219 ]

(Hon. Mr. Smith), will initiate regulations

pursuant to certain sections of the Human Rights Code of British

Columbia to specify a handicap as a characteristic in which

discrimination in services, facilities, accommodation and employment is

unequivocally prohibited.

Major positive initiatives to

improve opportunities and access for the handicapped will be undertaken

by government ministries with social mandates, notably Health, Labour,

Human Resources, Housing, Education and Municipal Affairs. These

initiatives will include the proposal of a home modification grant

program for severely handicapped persons who have need for home

modifications, and my government will be taking a leading role in

implementing the recently formulated national elevator standards for

the handicapped.

My Minister of Environment advises me that

he will be introducing a new waste management act to replace and update

the Pollution Control Act. That is part of a general review of all

ministry legislation. It is also my government's intention to publish

for public comment a White Paper concerning proposed revisions to the

Wildlife Act. Acquisitions of critical habitat areas for fish and

wildlife under the conservation fund are now under consideration and

this project will be fully functional next year. Studies are continuing

in a number of environmentally sensitive areas, including the Fraser

River and estuary, and the cleanup program initiated this year will be

ongoing.

I am advised by my Minister of Labour that the

positive collective bargaining atmosphere in British Columbia is

continuing. For the first ten months of 1980, working days lost due to

industrial disputes in the provincial jurisdiction totalled only

339,852, a continuation of the downward trend from 1975, when 1,516,010

working days were lost due to industrial disputes in the provincial

jurisdiction. Mediation services of the Ministry of Labour have

contributed significantly to the harmonious collective bargaining

climate in British Columbia. In addition, it is my government's

intention to implement a preventive mediation service, which will

assist labour and management in analyzing and resolving day-to-day

problems and improving attitudes and communications.

The

priority of my government on manpower training and development is

evident from the special initiatives for critical trade shortages,

which enable the youth of our province to be given the opportunity to

obtain required training.

As an integral part of this

activity, a women's office has been established under the Employment

Opportunities Programs Branch to ensure that the women of British

Columbia receive assistance and encouragement in taking their rightful

place in our workforce. An increased emphasis is being placed on

opportunities for women in the skilled trades area and on expanding the

women's apprenticeship training program.

In addition, a

manpower-needs forecasting capability has been established under the

policy and planning branch of the Ministry of Labour to provide the

basic data with which to forecast requirements and to anticipate supply

of manpower, especially in the skills area.

My government's

continued commitment to ensuring safety for British Columbians will

reflect itself in the introduction of legislation concerning boiler and

pressure vessels, electrical and gas safety, and building safety

standards.

The provision of health services to rural or isolated parts of British Columbia

has been under serious review by my government. During this session, this assembly

will be provided with details of the creation of a B.C. rural health corps.

It will be an agency that will assure primary health care in all areas of the

province.

government is dedicated to ensuring that all communities in British

Columbia receive a basic television service, including education,

entertainment, and British Columbian, Canadian and world news.

Satellite technology now makes it possible for isolated B.C.

communities to receive appropriate television signals. However, federal

administrative and regulatory obstacles stand in the way. My government

will announce policies and programs to assist British Columbians to

obtain satellite and other television services.

I am also

pleased to announce that the Knowledge Network will next month commence

a major provincial educational television service. It will appear on

many community cable systems. This is in addition to

inter-institutional closed-circuit television services and interactive

educational programming by satellite. These accomplishments provide

tangible evidence of my government's commitments to provide improved

television services to all the people of British Columbia.

am pleased to note that, in keeping with the commitment of my

government to develop science policy, Discovery Parks are under

construction near the B.C. Institute of Technology and on the campus of

Simon Fraser University. It is my understanding that further Discovery

Parks will be under construction in the future.

government will participate with the federal government in building a

new ultra-modern research-extension facility to serve the agriculture

and food industry in the southern interior of our province.

Construction will commence at Summerland late this year, to be

completed in 1982.

An accelerated knapweed containment

program, to be undertaken jointly by the Ministries of Agriculture and

Food and Forests, is planned for 1981 to prevent knapweed from

spreading further over provincial range land.

In the field

of energy, so crucial to the future of our province and our country, my

government has been and will continue to be active in pursuing policies

and developing programs which will help bring about energy security and

continuing economic prosperity for British Columbia and for Canada.

The

initial concern of my government is security of supply of ample stocks

of appropriate energy for British Columbia. Another, equally important,

concern is British Columbia's commitment to make available surplus

stocks of energy at fair prices to other provinces when the need arises.

approving the export of energy, which has been deemed surplus to

British Columbia's needs, my government's prime objective is to bring

maximum benefits to the people of British Columbia, who are the owners

of these resources. This is also the objective behind my government's

encouragement of the development of energy-based industry in this

province.

My government has established the Energy

Development Agency, which has the mandate to identify areas of new

energy technology deserving further research. Coal liquefaction is an

example of one such area. The agency is working under the direction of

the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources on several

projects in various fields, exploring energy alternatives for British

Columbia's future with energy security in mind.

[ Page 4220 ]

government has vigorously embraced its mandate of energy stewardship in

order to meet the challenges and take full advantage of the opportunity

for an energy-secure future in British Columbia by developing a clear,

logical and comprehensive energy policy. However, I regret to say that

many of my government's efforts in working toward energy security,

particularly those designed to encourage British Columbians to switch

from oil to natural gas, are being seriously hampered by the policies

and action of the federal government.

Various taxes have

been imposed by the central government on the people, the industries

and the energy export revenues of British Columbia. These are making it

increasingly difficult for my government to implement effective energy

policy, to encourage the orderly development of our province's energy

resources and to gain the support of individual British Columbians for

energy conservation and substitution, thus allowing all British

Columbia to work together toward the nationally beneficial goal of

energy security.

My government has every hope that agreement

can be reached in energy taxation and other matters which will be fair

to all concerned and which will create the right climate for energy

security in this province and right across Canada.

The

Ministry of Universities, Science and Communications is now operating

some vehicles on compressed natural gas. It is anticipated that fleets,

and possibly even members of the general public, will soon have the

opportunity to utilize compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel.

is the intention of my government, through my Minister of Industry and

Small Business Development, to continue to pursue a course of active

economic management and assistance to maintain a strong economy in

British Columbia. He will continue actively to seek new markets for

products produced in British Columbia. He will further seek the removal

of constraints and restrictions to foreign market access for our goods,

thus ensuring continued growth for British Columbia firms.

minister, through his small-business policies and programs, will again

aid in the upgrading of skills necessary for successful performance in

the business world, plus assist new and established small businesses,

particularly in the area of secondary manufacturing, to create new

enterprises or expand existing ones. New programs designed to assist

further the small entrepreneur, who is the backbone of our business

community in British Columbia, will be put before you for your

consideration.

Finally, my Minister of Industry and Small

Business Development will be taking an active role with the national

government to ensure that federal policies of national scope, as well

as any new economic initiatives, operate in harmony with the already

well-established and successful economic policies and practices

introduced by my government for the well-being and future prosperity of

our economic community and the people of British Columbia, and indeed

our nation.

Members of this House will recall that earlier in the year the new Ministry

of Tourism was ' established as a separate portfolio, as recognition by

my government of tourism as an increasingly important B.C. Industry, and mindful

that its growth must be province-wide, year-round and in harmony with the lives

and environment of our citizens. The industry was declared and holds the status

of a basic resource, a declaration that has caught the attention of many other

countries.

This

year the number of visitors from overseas reached a new peak, while our

fellow Canadians responded to the first ever spring and fall promotion

by coming to our province more than ever before. The number of

international conventions the ministry has helped bring to our province

for the next few years indicates the aggressive marketing approach that

has been taken in this and other specific travel-related fields. The

feature film promotion office, this year alone, has succeeded in

bringing 11 productions to date to the province. The ministry will

continue to place special interest on developing exciting package tours

and all-inclusive travel opportunities.

My Attorney-General

will be proposing for your scrutiny the Provincial Court Act which

would restructure the Judicial Council of the provincial court and

define the role of the chief judge of the court. Also proposed will be

a general update of the 70-year-old Court of Appeal Act.

Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs will put before you the

Securities Act, which will bring British Columbia legislation into

conformity with new legislation introduced in Ontario and in other

western provinces. This act will contain special provisions to

encourage the formation of risk capital and makes provisions for junior

resource securities.

You will also be asked to consider

amendments to the Company Act and the Credit Union Act concerning

provisions for equity share capital.

During the past year my

government has researched the need and feasibility of a fixed-link

transportation system between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The

information obtained will certainly be of great value during future

considerations. Additional studies will be taken to secure our

transportation links to Vancouver Island. But at this time my

government has recommitted itself to the expansion and improvement of

the B.C. Ferry Corporation fleet, adding to the passenger and vehicle

capacity available. Recently, Mrs. Audrey Bennett, wife of our Premier,

christened the Motor Vessel Queen of Surrey , and Mrs. Barbara Smith, wife of our Minister of Education, christened the Queen of Oak Bay . These new vessels are the largest double-end ferries in the world, carrying 362 vehicles and 1,500 passengers.

addition, a contract was recently awarded to a British Columbia

shipyard to greatly increase the carrying capacity of the Motor Vessels

Queen of Vancouver and Queen of Victoria .

Also, for the first time in our province's history the British Columbia

Ferry Corporation will be providing a regularly scheduled passenger and

vehicle ferry service to our citizens on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

government realizes the great importance of transportation to the

well-being of our province and will continue with the largest highway

construction and improvement program in our history. Work continues on

the new third highway access to the Pacific coast, the Coquihalla

Highway, and construction has been initiated on the Annacis crossing of

the Fraser River which will serve so many of our citizens in the lower

mainland.

My government will continue the highly successful

and popular Local Airport Assistance Program which has greatly enhanced

the airport system throughout our province. Many communities and local

airport committees will be assisted again this year in a cooperative

program to provide greater transportation facilities to our citizens.

1978 my government created the Urban Transit Authority to develop a

province-wide public transit policy and thus bring an end to the

confusion and duplication of effort in

[ Page

4221 ]

providing urban transit services throughout British

Columbia. Through a cost-sharing program with its municipal partners —

the most generous in Canada — the UTA funds between 65 percent and 75

percent of all transit operating deficits. To cover our province's

contribution to future transit capital requirements, $55 million was

set aside in the previous legislative session.

The next

transit initiative of this government will be a financial commitment to

the establishment of a major system for the lower mainland that will

improve traffic flow and conserve energy.

This initiative is

expected to coordinate with another program by my government concerning

its registration of Transpo '86 as a world's exposition to be held in

Vancouver in 1986, the year that city marks its hundredth anniversary.

This exposition, having to do with transportation on land, sea and air,

will be held in cooperation with the city of Vancouver and the

My Minister of Forests has informed me

that my government's commitment to a five-year, $1.4 billion forest

management program, which was announced in the March 1980 budget, has

been well received by the forest industry of the province. The

industry's confidence in the future of this crucial sector of the B.C.

economy is reflected in massive capital and repair expenditures and a

partnership between government and industry on revitalizing our

forests. By 1984-85, 100 million new trees a year will be planted on

Crown land, generating directly about 1,125 man-years of employment

annually.

In conclusion, I ask your most careful

consideration of these matters and various others that are to be placed

before you, and of the budget to follow. I further pray that Divine

Providence may guide your deliberations.

Mr. Speaker and

Honourable Members, I leave you now to discharge your legislative

duties on behalf of the people of British Columbia.

His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor retired from the chamber.

MR. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, in order to prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor's speech.

Introduction of Bills

AN ACT TO PERPETUATE A

PARLIAMENTARY RIGHT

Hon. Mr. Williams presented a message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor:

a bill intituled

An Act to Perpetuate a Parliamentary Right.

Bill

1 introduced, read a first time, and ordered to be placed on orders of

the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

HON. MR. BENNETT: Mr. Speaker, I move that the speech of His Honour

the Lieutenant-Governor be taken into consideration at the next sitting of the

House, and that this order have precedence over all other business except introduction

of bills, and except consideration of the following motion of which notice of

motion has been given this day: namely, that we the members of the Legislative

Assembly the province of British Columbia, reaffirming our allegiance to the

Crown, a commitment to a united Canada within the Canadian Confederation, and

asserting the sovereign status of Canada as a free and independent nation, support

(1) early patriation of the constitution of Canada from the United Kingdom,

and (2) a formula for the amendment of the constitution of Canada in respect

of matters affecting federal-provincial relationships with the consent of the

Legislatures of all the provinces and of the Parliament of Canada, until disposed

of.

MR. HOWARD:

Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask an uncomplicated question of the Minister of

Intergovernmental Relations in his capacity as government House Leader,

and also to say in passing that it seems to me that unanimous consent

of the assembly should have been sought to introduce this particular

motion in the form that it is introduced, because it imparts into it

something unusual and unprecedented. It's been practice to give

precedence to the Speech from the Throne over every other item of

business except the introduction of bills. That has by practice been

done without leave and without unanimous consent; but there is now

brought into it something additional, and I think unanimous consent

should have been obtained. However, the motion is before us, and I

don't raise it by way of any point of order. What I wanted to inquire

of the government House Leader was whether he can now make a commitment

to the House as to when this particular notice of motion might be dealt

with and, if not, whether he can make the commitment that he will give

the House advance notice of a day or two as to when the matter might be

brought forward.

HON. MR. GARDOM: In response to the

hon. House Leader of the official opposition, insofar as leave and

notice are concerned we have very carefully checked the rules and it

appears that is not required. We have precedent for that. As a matter

of fact, in March of this year there was an addition to the precedent

motion during budget to deal with interim supply.

Insofar as

your second question is concerned, it's indeed a very valid question.

We will be informing, following a meeting between the Whips — which I

hope can take place today or tomorrow morning — when the debate and the

motion will come up. I would anticipate that it will be next week, and

before the end of next week, prior to termination of the Speech from

the Throne. There's every indication that the Speech from the Throne —

subject, of course, to the wishes of all the hon. members — will take

the usual time that is allotted it under the rules of the House.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. WOLFE: I move that the votes and proceedings

of this House be first perused by Mr. Speaker, that he do appoint the

printing thereof, and that no person but such as he shall appoint do

presume to print the same.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. BENNETT: I move that the select standing committees of the House for the present session be appointed for the following purposes:

(1) On standing orders and private bills;

(2) On public accounts and economic affairs;

[ Page 4222 ]

(3) On agriculture;

(4) On municipal affairs and housing;

(5) On labour and justice;

(6) On health, education and human resources;

(7) On transportation and communications;

(8) On environment and resources; which said committees shall severally be

empowered to examine and inquire into all such matters and things as

shall be referred to them by this House, and to report from time to

time their observations and opinions thereon, with power to send for

persons, papers and records, and that a special committee be appointed

to prepare and report, with all convenient speed, lists of members to

compose the above select standing committees of this House, under

standing order 68(1), and by leave the said committee to be composed of

Hon. G.B. Gardom, Hon. E.M. Wolfe, Hon. P.J. Jordan and Messrs.

Brummet, Hyndman, Howard, Gabelmann and Cocke.

MR. HOWARD: I rise briefly to enter a few comments with respect to the motion, similar to those....

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please, hon. member. Leave was required, so we'll ask for leave first and then we'll entertain the debate on the motion.

Leave granted.

MR. HOWARD:

As I said, I rise just to make some brief comments, similar to those

which were made at the opening of the last session, relating to

standing committees beyond those which are set out in the motion. Last

session, as Your Honour will recall, we moved an amendment to establish

a committee on fair election practices, which was accepted by the

Premier on behalf of the government. I propose to do something in the

same vein after conclusion of my remarks now.

I think it

should be noted that, even though the government accepted the motion to

establish a committee on fair election practices during the last

session, that committee was not permitted to meet, did not meet, didn't

even meet in the normal course of events to elect a chairman and a

secretary. The convener, the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs

(Hon. Mr. Nielsen), I know, in his heart, wanted to call that meeting

together to organize it and to have a chairman and secretary selected

and to be prepared to undertake whatever business the House might refer

to it. But it's obvious that the Premier and the Deputy Premier, not

being in favour of fair election practices, prevented the Minister of

Consumer and Corporate Affairs from proceeding in that direction.

This

time I have an amendment to move, seconded by my colleague, the hon.

member for Shuswap-Revelstoke (Mr. King). If I could ask someone to

give it to Your Honour, and distribute it to other hon. members, I'll

then hope the government will have courage, if they object to this

amendment, to say so and vote against it, rather than accept it and

allow the thing to die an unnatural death.

I would like to move, seconded by the hon. member for

Shuswap-Revelstoke that the motion be amended by adding after the word

"resources": "

(9) On fair election practices;

(10) On investment

policies of British Columbia Resources Investment Corporation;" — which

I note was absent from the Speech from the Throne, and I wonder why —

"

(11) On insurance rates of the Insurance Corporation of British

Columbia." So the effect of that would be to add, following the

numerical enumeration of eight standing committees, numbers (9), (10)

and (11).

MR. SPEAKER: The amendment appears to be in order. Is there any debate on the amendment?

HON. MR. BENNETT:

Speaking for the government, we reject the amendment at this time. The

government and this assembly can from time to time set up committees at

need. We reject this amendment.

MR. BARRETT: Mr.

Speaker, I wish to rise to express my disappointment at the

government's changing its policy of a year ago. They accepted a

committee a year ago. Rejecting the amendment today indicates that they

had no real conviction to go ahead with that committee last year. The

House adopted the establishment of a fair election practices committee,

with the belief that the government would pursue with vigour that

responsibility intended to be delegated to the committee.

Since

that committee did not receive its responsibility last year, we asked

that that committee be structured again this year. The government has

said no. Along with that, we asked for two new committees: one on ICBC

— which is of grave concern to the citizens of this province — and, of

course, one on the British Columbia Resources Investment Corporation.

The flat rejection of this amendment is clear indication that the

government wishes to control all committees before even allowing the

opposition or independent members to set them up. This is a very grave

step backward, Mr. Speaker, and I regret this very much.

Amendment negatived on the following division:

YEAS — 26

Macdonald

Barrett

Howard

King

Lea

Lauk

Stupich

Dailly

Cocke

Nicolson

Hall

Lorimer

Leggatt

Levi

Sanford

Gabelmann

Skelly

D'Arcy

Lockstead

Barnes

Brown

Barber

Wallace

Hanson

Mitchell

Passarell

NAYS 29

Waterland

Nielsen

Chabot

McClelland

Rogers

Smith

Heinrich

Hewitt

Jordan

Vander Zalm

Ritchie

Brummet

Ree

Davidson

Wolfe

McCarthy

Williams

Gardom

Bennett

Curtis

Phillips

Fraser

Mair

Kempf

Davis

Strachan

Segarty

Mussallem

Hyndman

Division ordered to be recorded in the Journals of the House.

[ Page

4223 ]

HON. MR. GARDOM: Mr. Speaker, seconded by the hon. member for

Skeena (Mr. Howard), I move that Walter Kenneth Davidson, Esq., member

of Delta electoral district, be appointed Deputy Speaker for this

session of the Legislative Assembly.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. GARDOM:

Mr. Speaker, before moving the following motion I would draw to the

attention of all members that the times referred to will be insofar as

the Throne Speech is concerned. I have had discussion with the House

Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Howard) on different times and they'll be

subscribed to when we return in the spring.

I move that on

each Tuesday and Thursday of this session there shall be two distinct

sittings, one from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and one from 2 p.m. to 6

p.m.; and on each Monday and Wednesday one sitting from 2 p.m. until 6

p.m.; and on each Friday there will be one sitting from 10 a.m. until 1

p.m., unless otherwise ordered.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. GARDOM:

Mr. Speaker, I move that report No. 9 of the Select Standing Committee

on Standing Orders and Private Bills, adopted by this House on February

27th, 1973, relating to oral questions, be adopted by this House for

the present session.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. GARDOM: Mr. Speaker,

before moving adjournment of the House, on behalf of all members of the

House, I would like to draw to the attention of the many guests we have

here today that usually every day before we commence the session we bid

welcome to the many people who come to these quarters to see their

representatives in action. Therefore I bid special welcome to the many

guests we have present today from all across our province. We thank you

very much for coming and we indeed wish you the best over the holiday

season.

MR. HOWARD: I have just a brief statement to supplement and agree with the comments of the Leader of the Opposition...

Interjections.

MR. HOWARD: I'm just looking into the future, Mr. Speaker, that's all.

...and

to welcome the guests here. I'm sure that if they would have had the

opportunity to vote, perhaps that amendment of mine would have been

carried.

Hon. Mr. Gardom moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 3:07 p.m.

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