2010 Legislative Session: Second Session, 39th 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, February 10, 2010

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 10, Number 2

CONTENTS

Page

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Tabling Documents

Office of the Auditor General, report No. 7, 2009-2010, The PARIS System for Community Care Services: Access and Security

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Olympic Games events and legacy in Richmond

L. Reid

Norman Gagatek

N. Macdonald

Scout-Guide Week and Olympic Games

H. Bloy

Rossland Winter Carnival

K. Conroy

Lunar new year and Olympic Games

R. Lee

Olympic Games participation by B.C. athletes and communities

K. Corrigan

Oral Questions

Funding for education

C. James

Hon. M. MacDiarmid

Funding for Prince George school district

R. Austin

Hon. M. MacDiarmid

Funding for Surrey school district

H. Bains

Hon. M. MacDiarmid

J. Brar

S. Hammell

School district costs and funding

R. Fleming

Hon. M. MacDiarmid

Services for children and families

M. Karagianis

Hon. M. Polak

Government handling of personal information privacy breach

D. Routley

Hon. B. Stewart

S. Simpson

Motions Without Notice

Legislative sitting hours

Hon. M. de Jong

Reports from Committees

Special Committee of Selection, first report

Hon. M. de Jong

Motions Without Notice

Appointment of Special Committee to Appoint a Privacy Commissioner

Appointment of Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Powers and role of Children and Youth Committee

Hon. M. de Jong

Petitions

C. James

S. Herbert

D. Donaldson

B. Simpson

N. Macdonald

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate

D. Horne

T. Lake

N. Macdonald

Point of Privilege (Reservation of Right)

K. Corrigan

Throne Speech Debate (continued)

D. McRae

N. Simons

Hon. R. Coleman

S. Simpson

Hon. G. Abbott

L. Krog

Hon. M. Coell

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010

The House met at 1:34 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers.

Introductions by Members

R. Cantelon: I'd ask this House to help me welcome a new young lady not into this chamber but indeed into this world. Last Saturday at around 8:30 my son and daughter-in-law, Tamara and Kevin Cantelon, welcomed Elianna Rae Cantelon into this world. I'm a proud grandfather, and I thank you all in wishing them well.

Hon. M. Stilwell: I rise today to introduce four special guests in the gallery: my mother, Reva Stilwell, here from Calgary for the first time; my cousin Dr. Lisa Sheinin, a child psychiatrist who practises in Toronto, with her two children, Elka and Jonah, who study Mandarin and French in Toronto. Would the House please make them welcome.

[1335]

K. Conroy: I'd like to introduce two people to the House today. Lorne Burkart is a lobby coordinator for the West Kootenay region with the BCNU. With him is one of his colleagues, Christine Sorenson, who is from Kamloops. Would the House please join me in making them welcome.

S. Herbert: I rise to acknowledge Diana Searle and a number of other arts advocates who are here today to urge us to reinvest in arts and culture in B.C.

Tabling Documents

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to present the Auditor General's report 7, 2009-2010, The PARIS System for Community Care Services: Access and Security .

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

OLYMPIC GAMES EVENTS AND LEGACY

IN RICHMOND

L. Reid: I had the absolute pleasure on July 2, 2003, to be in the audience when Vancouver was announced as the host city for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Our province is prepared for the games to begin. Last night I again had the pleasure of experiencing the excitement that these Olympics have brought to Richmond. It was exhilarating to stand with 15,000 British Columbians cheering under a gorgeous night sky to await the arrival of the Olympic torch. The singing of O Canada was spectacular.

When the Richmond Oval opened just over two years ago, it became a source of pride. Teams from all over the world have skated and competed in the oval, giving many locals the opportunity of seeing world-class athletes at their best. Richmond and the oval are the centre of these games, and the region has never been more prepared or excited. The Olympics have already created a legacy in the community, much of which was shown last night during the torch relay and celebration.

Our local hero, the Man in Motion, Rick Hansen, brought the torch into the O Zone and lit the community cauldron. I know we'll be watching our televisions and cheering loudly for our very own Alexa Loo, when she snowboards to the podium in the giant slalom on February 26.

With the introduction of the new Canada Line to the city of Richmond, it is clear that the region is excited and prepared for what lies ahead. We are the gateway to economic activity in British Columbia. The 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Richmond will hold on to this legacy. We are ready to welcome the world.

NORMAN GAGATEK

N. Macdonald: A year and a half ago, at the age of 39, a devastating brain stem stroke changed Norm Gagatek's life forever. Norman had a young family. In fact, Norman's partner, Kim, was pregnant with their second child. After the stroke Kim was told that there was little hope for Norman's recovery, that Norman would never return home. But there was no way that this family was going to give up that easily.

As a volunteer firefighter and active community volunteer, Norman had the support of the whole Columbia Valley. Firefighters held fundraisers and advocated for Norman to receive the health care services he needed. "We're not giving up on Norman" was their motto.

Last month Norman Gagatek began intensive rehabilitation at the Halvar Jonson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka, Alberta. His progress, now that he is receiving the care he needs, has been remarkable. When I last saw Norman, he was able to communicate only through shaking his head and blinking with his eyes. That was before Christmas. Today he's initiating simple conversation, he's sitting in a chair, and he's learning to swallow again.

For Kim and their sons, there is real hope that Norm can continue to receive the rehabilitation he needs and that he will be able to return home to his family. The province

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has committed to three months of funding for Norman's rehabilitation in Ponoka. Norm, Kim and their children need the assurance that this funding will continue.

Later I'll be presenting petitions from firefighters across the Columbia Valley asking the government to do what they must to keep Norman's rehabilitation progressing.

To Norman and his family, I know I speak for all members of the House when I say: we honour your strength, your determination, and we look forward to the day when your fellow firefighters and your neighbours welcome you back to the Columbia Valley and to your home in Invermere.

[1340]

SCOUT-GUIDE WEEK AND

OLYMPIC GAMES

H. Bloy: Since the Olympic torch left Victoria on October 30, it has travelled nearly 45,000 kilometres and visited over 1,000 communities. The 12,000 torchbearers, including hundreds of Scouts and Guides from across Canada, have braved the rain, the wind, the snow and sub-zero temperatures to get the torch to B.C. Place on February 12, where thousands of Scouts and Guides have volunteered for the opening and closing ceremonies — and everything else in between — from coast to coast in Canada.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Scout-Guide Week, which will take place while the Olympics are on. This week is a celebration of both Scouts Canada and Girl Guides of Canada when the organizations come together in the spirit of friendship to honour their shared heritage. It is also a chance for the public to appreciate and recognize the endless potential of our Canadian youth in the steps they are taking in scouting and guiding that will transform them into our nation's future leaders.

Scouting and guiding instil lifelong skills and values of leadership, honour, hard work and teamwork through various outdoor programs. In fact, all of these qualities will be exemplified in Vancouver and Whistler in two days at the 2010 Olympic Games. This year Scout-Guide Week comes at a very unique time. As they celebrate across the province, Guides and Scouts will be able to look to the games and our athletes for inspiration.

I ask the members of this House to join me in wishing Scouts Canada and Girl Guides of Canada a great week and also to join me in wishing all of our Olympic athletes the best of luck at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. Go, Canada, go!

ROSSLAND WINTER CARNIVAL

K. Conroy: On January 22 to 24, the Rossland Winter Carnival, Canada's longest-running winter carnival, marked their 113th year of celebration. This has been a highlight of winter in Rossland since 1880.

Then, Olaus Jeldness pioneered the carnival and kept it successful for many years. He was also a grandfather of skiing in Rossland. Largely as a result of his efforts, the royal sport of skiing was firmly established in the Canadian west. Olaus is still honoured every year at carnival.

The weekend included many activities like old favourites such as the bobsled race down the steep terrain of Spokane Street — the entire street is closed off and becomes the run — the torch light parade down Red Mountain and the kids carnival.

Added excitement was the participation of CBC's Rick Mercer in the bobsled race. He was quite a crowd pleaser, even if his sled didn't win.

This year the carnival included the Olympic Torch Relay as part of their celebrations. Folks were asked to be part of Olympic history and celebrate Rossland's history of skiing by dressing in retro and historic ski gear.

In keeping with the Olympic spirit, there were closing ceremonies complete with entertainment and podium medal presentations on Sunday afternoon. I was happy to be able to award the medals to the winners of the various events wearing a coat from the '88 Calgary Olympics opening ceremonies — a long red coat with cowboy tassels that some of you might remember.

There were many, many people involved in the organization of this three-day event, too many to mention them all in this two-minute statement. However, I do want to acknowledge some of the hard-working carnival committee members, including Kelly Atcheson, Caroline Rousselle, Anna Caron, Richard Reid, Mary Amantea, Nathalie Levasseur, Dan Loukras, Jonathan Provencal, Greg Thatcher, Pete Gearin, Carol Enns, Ali Grubisic, Tyler Merringer, Lisa Henderson, Ben Spiller, Tara Kowalchuk, who works part-time for the festival, and Deanna Steven from Tourism Rossland, who all coordinated together to put on a great time in the true spirit of Rossland's celebration.

LUNAR NEW YEAR AND OLYMPIC GAMES

R. Lee: This month will be a very exciting time for B.C. as we prepare to celebrate two great events. The first begins on February 12, and you may have heard of it — the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. The second, lunar new year, begins just two days later on February 14. Both of these events unite billions of people around the world in celebration.

Every year in the Chinese calendar is associated with a different animal, and it's very interesting, with the Olympics around the corner, that the approaching lunar new year will usher in the year of the golden tiger. The tiger is associated with being active, seizing opportunities and reaching our highest potential, which is exactly what our fine Canadian athletes are about to do.

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Tigers love to win and cannot pass up a challenge — a perfect description of our Olympians. Tigers seem calm, but their fire shows when they compete, and we shall see this cool calm from our athletes right up to the moment they show their fires in the heat of competition.

[1345]

It's also interesting to note that the colours most important during lunar new year, red and gold, are also colours we will see a lot during the Olympics. Red is the colour we use to show our support for Canadian athletes. Of course, gold is the colour of the medals that many of them will win in our drive to own the podium.

In honour of these two great occasions, I say, xin nian kuai le , gung hay fat choy , and go, Canada, go!

OLYMPIC GAMES PARTICIPATION

BY B.C. ATHLETES AND COMMUNITIES

K. Corrigan: On behalf of the New Democrat caucus, I would like to wish each and every one of the 35 athletes from British Columbia and the rest of the Canadian team and, in fact, athletes from around the world the performance of their lifetimes in the Olympics, which will be starting in just two days.

You have reached the pinnacle of athletic achievement. The eyes of the world are on you here, but only because you spent so many months and years away from the spotlight, training countless hours, often giving up other opportunities in order that you can be the best of the best.

Communities across this province have celebrated the Olympics with torch relay events. At those events, we have expressed our community pride and our excitement. I am looking forward to torch relay events in my own community tomorrow. Students and residents from around the school district will be treated to fabulous entertainment, including a performance by Marlborough Elementary School of their Olympic song, as well as Buckingham Elementary School's choir and the wonderful Burnaby North Marching Band.

I want to express gratitude to the thousands of British Columbians who are volunteering for the Olympics — people like my neighbour Terry, who was pretty happy to find out that his duties were to drive hockey players and their families around. Thanks for giving up so much of your time to make this event a great success. The volunteers will be our front-line ambassadors of Canadian friendliness, and you will do us proud because we all know that Canadians are some of the friendliest people in the world.

As British Columbians we'll go out of our way to make our international guests feel welcome and at home. It is like us to go that extra step to ask someone looking perplexed at a map if he can help them or to strike up a casual conversation in a lineup or at an event. These small gestures are the ones that will help form the lasting impressions of British Columbia and Canada.

I also hope that we will, given the opportunity, let people know about why our province is so great — not just the beautiful, if overly green, vistas but the things we are so collectively proud of that set us apart, things like our public services, health care and education, that we believe in equality, the….

Mr. Speaker: Thank you, Member.

Oral Questions

FUNDING FOR EDUCATION

C. James: It's just been one day since the government said in its throne speech that it cares about B.C.'s kids, and the real B.C. Liberal agenda for education is already becoming apparent. This morning the Minister of Education indicated there are more cuts to come — more cuts during a time when school districts in Prince George, Kamloops, Victoria, Cariboo-Chilcotin, Surrey and across this province are facing huge budget deficits and are being forced to make cuts. Kamloops-Thompson school district alone is facing a deficit of $3.7 million.

My question is to the Minister of Education. Where exactly does government plan to trim the fat when it's clear that it has already cut the budget to the bone, and how does cutting programs for kids match up with the Liberal promise that they'll renew and revitalize education?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I would like to start by saying how pleased I am to be back in the House, how very much I appreciate the support that I felt from both sides of the House while I was extremely ill, and how appreciative I am for all of you as well as my family and the excellent health care system.

[1350]

Turning my attention to education, I have been away for a while, but the facts haven't changed. We've invested this year in education over $4.5 billion.

Just to review the facts, we increased education funding last year by $84 million. This is in spite of the fact that since 2001 we have 56,000 fewer students in classrooms around this province, a reality of the demographics of the province and something that none of us can do anything about.

In terms of the throne speech yesterday, government is doing what government is obliged to do. We are accountable. What we need to do, if there are administrative savings to be found — and we believe there are — is look for them. Why are we doing that? It's because we want to support students in the classroom.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a supplemental.

[ Page 2906 ]

C. James: I want the minister to listen to what parents, teachers and support staff in the Kamloops-Thompson school district have been saying. This was a letter sent to the Minister of Education.

"Our public education system can no longer sustain this chronic underfunding and instability. School districts are already reeling from the B.C. Liberal cuts, and they'll be hurting from new underfunded cuts, like pressures with increases in MSP premiums."

Again, my question is to the minister. How does making cuts to education support kids and their future in British Columbia?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: Again, let's talk about how we have funded education. Every single year the funding for education has increased. It has not been cut. It has not been reduced. In spite of the fact that there are fewer students, there has been more funding every year.

I have to say, after touring schools recently in the Kootenays, that I've come away with an increased pride in our system. We have an excellent education system that is meeting needs of students. There is excellence to be seen everywhere in the province. The investments really speak for themselves — increased funding year after year, increased programs, $43 million this year in StrongStart B.C. centres that are making a difference around this province.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a further supplemental.

C. James: The people who work in our education system are doing an excellent job. It's the government that's not providing any support to the people in the education system that's the problem.

Let's just take a look at this last budget. The government cut annual facility grants. They made cuts to transportation. They made cuts to parent advisory council grants, to school sports. They also downloaded costs onto school districts for things like increases in medical services premiums, with no funds to be able to manage.

The minister's statement today shows that she clearly doesn't get the pressures in the system. It's the B.C. Liberals' poor planning and off-loading of costs that have caused the kind of problem that we're seeing. In fact, it's gone so far that one school district is actually looking at presenting a deficit budget as well as closures of rural schools. The Cariboo-Chilcotin region has been pushed into a corner by this government, and other school districts may follow.

Again, my question is to the minister. Will she stand up today and say to the people in the education system and, most importantly, to the children in British Columbia that there will not be further cuts to our education system?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: This government's commitment to education could not be clearer.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: At a time when governments around the world are struggling, and indeed some of them have made cuts, this government has increased funding to education year over year — as I've said, $83 million of further funding this year in spite of declined enrolment.

[1355]

This year we're investing in StrongStart B.C. centres, and we have restated our intent in the throne speech to begin full-day kindergarten. Next year 21,000 students, or at least their parents, are very much looking forward — some of the students are, as well — to full-day kindergarten, which will be offered in school districts around this province. We are investing, we're continuing to invest, and we made that clear in the throne speech yesterday.

FUNDING FOR

PRINCE GEORGE SCHOOL DISTRICT

R. Austin: Kamloops-Thompson isn't the only region raising these concerns. Here's what a letter from the Prince George school district says: "…either the ministry does not want, or know how, to communicate, or worse, that there is an underlying agenda to set boards up to fail…."

The Prince George school district is faced with a $2.3 million shortfall and the possibility of closing several schools. They've had enough of this government's doublespeak on education, and they are frustrated by the government's lack of responsiveness.

To the minister: will she be upfront with school districts like Prince George about how exactly she plans to find savings in a system that's been gutted by cuts and saddled with unfunded costs?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I must reiterate that an increase in a budget of over $1.3 billion since 2001 is not a cut — $1.3 billion.

With respect to Prince George, I certainly recognize and we all recognize that thinking about closing schools is a very difficult decision. Prince George is a good example of just how difficult the demographic challenges can be. This is a school district that had 18,000 students and has over 4,500 fewer students now. It does mean changes in that school district; there is no question. But Prince George has….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

[ Page 2907 ]

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: Prince George has an increase in their per-pupil funding of over $2,000. This is also a school district that receives over $5.6 million annually for its unique challenges. So we are providing support and working with the school district.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

R. Austin: Here's what the Prince George school district says: "In our view, your ministry has not met its obligation to provide the communication that is essential for boards to succeed, nor has your ministry been forthright in its presentation to the public…."

It's precisely this kind of failure to communicate that's hurting communities like Prince George — sudden cancellation of funding grants, hitting school districts with unfunded costs without notice and expecting school districts to implement the government's ideas without a plan in place. That, Mr. Speaker, all hurts kids.

To the minister: B.C.'s children, parents and education partners have had enough of this government's broken promises and lack of planning. Will the B.C. Liberals today, ahead of the budget, commit to resolving the mess that they've caused and move on with fixing a system that's badly broken?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: As I've said, the Prince George school district is one that is under particular challenges because of their enrolment decline. We have continued to invest in this school district. We've invested, since 2001, more than $14 million in this school district for projects that include the new Valemount Secondary School. Investments are ongoing — new StrongStart B.C. centres. Certainly I know that Prince George is planning for the implementation of full-day kindergarten with excitement and enthusiasm. We are making these investments.

[1400]

One of the things that I'm actually the proudest of — and it isn't just for Prince George, but it's for the whole province — is the commitment that we have made to early learning. We know from research that one of the best places we can invest is in early learning, in full-day kindergarten and in the planned learning….

I have to say that as we prepare to welcome the world to British Columbia, I will certainly be talking about how proud I am of our excellent education system.

FUNDING FOR

SURREY SCHOOL DISTRICT

H. Bains: The minister talks about declining enrolment being the cause of her cuts in the school systems, but here I'll give you an example of how wrong she is.

Schools in Surrey are overflowing, and yet the district is facing the prospect of a shortfall of $19 million — $19 million. The district has grown by over 2,700 students since 2005-2006. This year alone 1,100 new students are entering our school district. So much for declining enrolment as the reason for their incompetency. A growing district laying off teachers in Surrey — a growing district that has seen no new capital funding since 2005-2006 to increase the classroom capacity.

My question to the minister is this. Why should students in Surrey pay the price for her incompetence and this government's neglect?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: While almost all of the school districts in this province do face a demographic challenge, which is reduced numbers, the member is correct — Surrey is one of the few areas where enrolment has expanded.

But when the member opposite speaks about cuts, we have not cut any school district's budget. Even those who have reduced enrolment are protected with funding protection. But in the case of Surrey, enrolment is higher, and this district is receiving $17.8 million more in funding this year than they did last year.

J. Brar: The time has come to give this government a gold medal for their record of broken promises and of deep funding cuts to the kids' programs in British Columbia. The people of British Columbia don't believe this government, and they don't believe this minister.

The people of Surrey see the portables lined up beside the schools — 20 new portables this year alone — each one at a cost of $100,000 — money that is taken from per-pupil funding, taken from our children because of this government's mismanagement of the education system.

My question, again to the Minister of Education: when will this government take responsibility for the mess they have created in school districts across the province?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: Again, maybe one last time, we have not reduced funding. We have increased funding year after year after year. This year there will be $1.3 billion more spent than there was in 2001.

We're investing in CommunityLINK program, we're investing in StrongStart B.C. programs, and next year we will be investing in full-day kindergarten, which is an exciting prospect that we all look forward to. We continue with these investments.

[1405]

In terms of investments that we've made just in Surrey, seismic upgrades, new schools. These investments have happened. This year alone in this province we have spent $454 million in new schools, in seismic upgrades and in renovations of schools.

S. Hammell: This is all about downloads and doublespeak. Schools in Surrey are being asked to pick up a tab

[ Page 2908 ]

for millions and millions of dollars in unfunded costs that are a direct consequence of this government's decisions. This government negotiated a settlement with the teachers and left the school boards to pick up the bill. This government legislated ever-increasing costs in the carbon tax for our growing district. This government has increased MSP premiums to the tune of over a quarter of a million dollars.

The real consequences of this government's decisions will be layoffs and fewer support staff in our schools. How will fewer teachers and fewer support staff working with our children provide "an unequivocally great education"?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: Again, I would say in Surrey in particular what's happening. In Surrey the funding has not been reduced. They are receiving over $17 million more in funding this year than they did last year. This is not a decrease. This is an increase.

I've talked about the different areas we're funding in Surrey. I'd really like to speak more generally about why we're looking for administrative savings.

I've spent time in classrooms in these last few weeks, and what I've seen there is students who are the future of this province. I've seen kindergarten students who are working on science projects. I had the opportunity to meet with students at the Mount Sentinel Secondary School who'd just come back from Haiti — an inspiring group of students.

It doesn't matter where I go in this province. I understand why we're continuing to invest in this. This is the future of our province. That's why we are continuing to increase the investment, continuing with developing early childhood education, and we will keep doing that.

SCHOOL DISTRICT COSTS AND FUNDING

R. Fleming: Victoria schools have unfunded cost pressures totalling nearly $5 million this year. The minister just said in this House that there are no cuts when six months ago she stood in this very House, tabled a budget that included a cut of $110 million for facilities grants for every school in British Columbia.

That was a grant program to green schools and conserve energy. Now she's forcing districts to take classroom resources and use them to pay for carbon offsets. That's not good for education, and it's not going to green our schools.

What the minister's actions will do is hurt our children's education with teacher layoffs and possible school closures in my district. The minister knows this. She knows this because she breaks her own law on classroom size every year.

Why does she keep coming to this place? Why does she tell parents and school superintendents that they're wrong? Why does she keep adding more and more unfunded costs on to our boards of education?

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I certainly would like to let the member know that he is, in fact, mistaken. In Victoria, while they have 14 percent fewer students than they did in 2001, their district has had increased funding. They have $1 million more funding just in the last year alone than they did in the previous year.

Their per-pupil funding is $1,500 higher than it was in 2001. That is clearly an increase in funding that's gone to this school district.

[1410]

We are continuing to invest in students. There's no question, in spite of what the members opposite would have the public believe. What really concerns me is the effort to undermine confidence in this wonderful education system that we have…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Continue, Minister.

Hon. M. MacDiarmid: …that students and parents should be confident and feel proud of. We have accomplishments, when our students are tested internationally and nationally, where we place at the top or near the top for the entire world.

SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

M. Karagianis: Organizations that provide front-line services to the Ministry of Children and Families right across the province received letters in late January outlining budget cuts coming on April 1, 2010. I'd like to ask the minister: what services are being cut?

Hon. M. Polak: First and foremost, I want to advise the member that we are very proud of the fact that not only is our budget this year approximately $1.4 billion but that that represents an increase of about $400 million since 2001.

We are currently engaged in a very thorough and comprehensive consultation process, working together with our contracted agencies so that we're not dealing with across-the-board cuts but finding those ways in which we can save the funds we need to manage our budget while protecting front-line services, aboriginal agencies, child and youth with special needs services and, also, maintenance payments and other supports to foster parents.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

M. Karagianis: Well, these letters were sent all over the province — the northern region, the Interior, Vancouver Island — and they include lines such as: "It's no longer possible to meet our fiscal targets for 2010-11," "We're not able to meet cost pressures," "We must find

[ Page 2909 ]

savings through efficiencies and through service reductions," "Residential services are in scope for review and potential cost reductions."

I would like to again ask the minister to supply us with a list of exactly what services are being cut that affect families across this province.

Hon. M. Polak: I'm glad that the member acknowledges that this memo, this information, was sent around all across the province, because that's the idea. We are working with our contracted agencies to determine….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Minister, just take your seat for a second.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. M. Polak: We are working in consultation with our contracted agencies across the province. We are doing that because we know that they, along with us, see the priority to protect critical front-line services, aboriginal agencies, children and youth with special needs services and those services to foster parents and their maintenance supports — all of which have been agreed to with our contracted agencies as out of scope of review. I am proud of that consultative work that is the most transparent process that has ever taken place in our ministry.

GOVERNMENT HANDLING OF PERSONAL

INFORMATION PRIVACY BREACH

D. Routley: After the theft of 1,400 personal files of some of the most vulnerable British Columbians, it took this government seven months to even notify those affected, and then only because the media found out. The acting Privacy Commissioner has released a report which has described the responsibility of this government, and this minister in particular, as a failure to meet the obligations of the law.

To the Minister of Citizens' Services: when will he end this mismanagement and bring some credibility to his file?

Hon. B. Stewart: First of all, I want to remind everybody in this House that the government of British Columbia takes the matter of privacy very seriously.

[1415]

When it was first found out at my ministry that this issue of missing files had occurred, we immediately launched an investigation that subsequently resulted in two reports…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. B. Stewart: …that were tabled on the 29th of January, as promised. In those reports we clearly lay out exactly what matters have to be dealt with in terms of improving the issues around privacy protection within government.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

D. Routley: Well, the government certainly takes seriously restriction of access to information if it's about the government. But when it comes to protecting the personal privacy of British Columbians, it's a different matter.

The minister has pleaded for more time to review the reports through the media. He's asked for three more months to review the recommendations. He's known since October. That's four more months. The RCMP made them aware in April. That's another seven months. Fifteen months is what it takes this minister to do his job.

This minister has done nothing to date. Now we wait three more months. Does the minister take seriously this breach in the privacy of British Columbians?

Hon. B. Stewart: I just want, first of all, to highlight that in the reports that were done both by the Privacy Commissioner's office and the chief information officer, the Public Service Agency…. None of the staff that were involved in this did so in bad faith. There may have been missed opportunities. As such, the deputy to the Premier, the head of the public service employees, has indicated that they need and will take 90 days to implement the changes that are recommended in all three of those reports.

S. Simpson: This issue really is one of negligence and lack of leadership when it comes to some of our most vulnerable citizens. Mr. Fraser, in his report, said: "I have found that both MCFD and the Ministry of Housing and Social Development failed to adequately secure personal information in their custody and control."

He went on to say: "It is clear, beyond any doubt, that affected individuals should have been notified within days of the April 7, 2009, discovery. A seven-month delay in notification meant that any reasonable opportunity for risk mitigation was lost."

My question to the minister is this. Will he stand up today and apologize to those 1,400 people that his government put at risk, and will he commit to paying any incidental costs that they had in order to protect their security?

Hon. B. Stewart: You know, I think the reports are very clear that were missed opportunities. Again, the members of the Public Service Agency did not operate in bad faith. Clearly, the people at the centre of this are

[ Page 2910 ]

the ones that.… Those particular individuals have been terminated from government, and that has been the result of not only our findings….

The reaction of government is that we need to provide better training. We need to provide better, clearer lines of authority as to how this information gets reported up to the necessary individuals. Ninety days is what the deputy minister has asked for. That's what we're doing to provide extra training and clear lines of authority and looking at….

[End of question period.]

Motions Without Notice

LEGISLATIVE SITTING HOURS

Hon. M. de Jong: For members, there are some administrative matters that perhaps we can deal with.

[1420]

Firstly, with respect to hours of sitting, members know that we have a

schedule provided for in the standing orders. The sessional order that I have, and I have provided it to my friend the Opposition House Leader, refers to the Wednesdays and Thursdays whereby we would sit, on a sessional basis, on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 7 p.m. and then on Thursdays from 1:30 to 6 p.m. I've provided that motion.

By leave, I move:

[That effective immediately, the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia be amended as follows for the duration of the Second Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament, which commenced on February 9, 2010:

1. That Standing Order 2(1) is deleted and the following substituted:

Sittings

Daily sittings.

(1) The time for the ordinary meeting of the House shall, unless otherwise ordered, be as follows:

Monday: Two distinct sittings:

10 a.m. to 12 noon

1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Two distinct sittings:

10 a.m. to 12 noon

1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 1:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Thursday: Two distinct sittings:

10 a.m. to 12 noon

1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

2. That Standing Order 3 be deleted and the following substituted:

Hour of interruption.

3. If at the hour of 6:30 p.m. on any Monday and Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, and 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, the business of the day is not concluded and no other hour has been agreed on for the next sitting, the Speaker shall leave the Chair:

On Monday until 10 a.m. Tuesday

On Tuesday until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday

On Wednesday until 10 a.m. on Thursday

On Thursday until 10 a.m. on Monday

subject to the provisions of Standing Order 2(2)(b).]

Leave granted.

Motion approved.

Reports from Committees

Hon. M. de Jong: Then, Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present the first report of the Special Committee of Selection, which met this morning, for the second session of the 39th parliament. I move that the report be taken as read and received.

Motion approved.

Hon. M. de Jong: The report, for the information of members, provides for the following select standing committees. I'll read the names of the members into the record.

Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs: Don McRae, convener; Donna Barnett; Dr. Terry Lake; John Slater; John Les; Gordon Hogg; Bob Simpson; Harry Lali; Doug Routley; Scott Fraser.

Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth: Joan McIntyre, convener; Marc Dalton; Jane Thornthwaite; Stephanie Cadieux; John Rustad; Douglas Horne; Maurine Karagianis; Leonard Krog; Mable Elmore; Nicholas Simons.

Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations: Ralph Sultan, convener; Harry Bloy; Pat Pimm; Joan McIntyre; Rob Howard; Gordon Hogg; John Horgan; Gary Coons; Harry Bains; Vicki Huntington.

Select Standing Committee on Education: Gordon Hogg, convener; Richard T. Lee; Jane Thornthwaite; Marc Dalton; Dave S. Hayer; Rob Howard; Robin Austin; Diane Thorne; Dawn Black; Michael Sather.

Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services: John Les, convener; John van Dongen; Don McRae; Norm Letnick; John Rustad; Jane Thornthwaite; Doug Donaldson; Bruce Ralston; Michelle Mungall; Bill Routley.

Select Standing Committee on Health: Stephanie Cadieux, convener; Ron Cantelon; Dave S. Hayer; Don McRae; Dr. Terry Lake; Donna Barnett; Adrian Dix; Sue Hammell; Jagrup Brar; Raj Chouhan.

Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives: Dr. Terry Lake, convener; Eric Foster; Dave S. Hayer; John Slater; Richard T. Lee; Pat Pimm; Jenny Kwan; Rob Fleming; Mike Farnworth; Katrine Conroy.

Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills: Norm Letnick, convener; Eric Foster; Harry Bloy; Pat Pimm; Donna Barnett; John Slater; Rob Fleming; Mike Farnworth; Jenny Kwan; Katrine Conroy.

Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts: Bruce Ralston, convener; Douglas Horne; John Les; John Rustad; Norm Letnick; Joan McIntyre; Richard T. Lee; Ralph Sultan; Rob Howard; Spencer Herbert; Kathy Corrigan; Lana Popham; Shane Simpson; Guy Gentner; Vicki Huntington.

[ Page 2911 ]

Special Committee to Appoint an Information and Privacy Commissioner: Stephanie Cadieux, convener; John Les; Rob Howard; Leonard Krog; Doug Routley.

Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act: Ron Cantelon, convener; Eric Foster; Douglas Horne; Marc Dalton; Ralph Sultan; Harry Bloy; Stephanie Cadieux; Doug Routley; Harry Lali; Guy Gentner; Katrine Conroy; Jenny Kwan.

Hon. M. de Jong: I ask leave of the House to permit the moving of a motion to adopt the report.

Leave granted.

Hon. M. de Jong: I move that the report be adopted.

Motion approved.

Motions Without Notice

Hon. M. de Jong: In addition, I ask leave of the House to move three distinct motions to activate the Special Committee to Appoint an Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth.

Mr. Speaker: Is leave granted for all three motions?

Leave granted.

appointment OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE

TO APPOINT AN INFORMATIOn

AND PRIVACY COMMISSIONER

Hon. M. de Jong: I move:

[That a Special Committee be appointed to select and unanimously recommend to the Legislative Assembly, the appointment of an Information and Privacy Commissioner, pursuant to

Section 37 (1) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165) and that the Special Committee so appointed shall have the powers of a Select Standing Committee and is also empowered:

(

a) to appoint of their number, one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the committee;

(

b) to sit during any period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

(

c) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient;

(

d) to retain such personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon the resumption of the sitting of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

I have provided a copy of the motion to the Opposition House Leader setting forth the specifics of the assignment.

Motion approved.

appointment of special committee to

review the freedom of information

and protection of privacy act

Hon. M. de Jong: I move:

[That a Special Committee be appointed to review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996 c. 165) pursuant to

section 80 of that Act, and that the Special Committee so appointed shall have the powers of a Select Standing Committee and is also empowered:

(

a) to appoint of their number, one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

(

b) to sit during any period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

(

c) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient;

(

d) to conduct public consultations by any means the Committee considers appropriate, including but not limited to public meetings and electronic means; and

(

e) to retain personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House by May 31, 2010; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

Once again, the details of that statutory responsibility are set out in the motion that I have provided to the Opposition House Leader.

Motion approved.

[1425]

POWERS AND ROLE OF

CHILDREN AND YOUTH COMMITTEE

Hon. M. de Jong: Finally, I move:

[That the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth be appointed to be empowered to foster greater awareness and understanding among legislators and the public of the BC child welfare system, and in particular to:

1. Be the committee that receives and reviews the annual service plan from the Representative for Children and Youth (the "Representative") that includes a statement of goals and identifies specific objectives and performance measures that will be required to exercise the powers and perform the functions and duties of the Representative during the fiscal year;

2. Be the committee to which the Representative reports, at least annually;

3. Refer to the Representative for investigation the critical injury or death of a child; and

4. Receive and consider all reports and plans delivered by the Representative to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon Select Standing Committees of the House, the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth be empowered:

[ Page 2912 ]

a) to appoint of their number, one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and

d) to retain personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment, or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

Motion approved.

C. James: I rise to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

C. James: This is a petition in support of the arts signed by 2,290 constituents, asking that the cuts to arts funding be reversed and that investment in the arts be on parity with the average of other Canadian provinces.

S. Herbert: I, too, rise to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

S. Herbert: It's a petition in support of the arts calling on this House to reinvest in arts and culture and to return gaming funds to the charities and communities that used to receive them.

D. Donaldson: I rise to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

D. Donaldson: It's a petition with 843 signatures of rural and Victoria constituents, a petition in support of the arts to reverse the cuts to all arts funding as recommended by the Finance Committee.

B. Simpson: I rise to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

B. Simpson: I present a petition with 224 signatures collected by the Quesnel and District Community Arts Council protesting the cuts, particularly the gaming grant cuts, and asking the government to restore funding as recommended by the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.

N. Macdonald: I rise to present a petition on behalf of hundreds and hundreds of people in the Columbia Valley who are petitioning the Minister of Health, letting him know that they're not going to give up on Norman Gagatek and that they expect that he will get the services that he needs to make a full recovery and return to his family.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: I call debate in response to the throne speech.

Throne Speech Debate

D. Horne: It is with great honour that I move, seconded by the member for Kamloops–North Thompson electoral district, that:

[We, Her Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present session.]

I am humbled by the opportunity to move this Speech from the Throne and to now stand in my place for the opening of this new session — a momentous time in our province, with only two days before the Olympic cauldron will be lit in Vancouver, British Columbia.

What a tremendous time for all British Columbians as we welcome the world to our province, a place that each of us knows so well, though sometimes we forget how lucky we are to call British Columbia home. We are fortunate to enjoy all of the advantages that come from living here — the magnificent scenery and the people from all over the world that we share our lives with, the people that we call our neighbours, our friends. This is truly a very special place that we all live.

[L. Reid in the chair.]

This has been magnified further by the excitement that is building with the Olympic flame as it snakes through our country and our province, coming within driving distance of over 90 percent of our population.

These games showcase British Columbia, but they belong to all Canadians. Nothing has brought this closer together in recent history than the Olympic torch.

I was standing on the front lawn outside this Legislature when the flame first arrived, and the sense of pride in our community, province and country was overwhelming. I can say that the show was incredible.

[1430]

As those ads on CTV often ask, do you believe? While standing there on the lawn with thousands of people witnessing the incredible energy, it was clear that we do believe. We believe that B.C. is the best place on earth, and we believe that we are going to be hearing our national anthem many, many times in B.C.

[ Page 2913 ]

Place and at Whistler as our athletes stand on top of the podium.

Tomorrow the flame will be in my home community of Coquitlam, and I can tell you the people there are excited. We have 88 people from the Tri-Cities who have either carried the flame or will soon carry it.

I spoke to one of them the other day, Tony Prophet, a renowned local musician who has been on many stages and performed many times before large audiences. He said simply that the emotion he felt as he carried the flame was something he had never felt before and that carrying the flame up the stairs of the Fernie city hall is something he will never forget. I am certain this is true for the hundreds of others that have joined in this wonderful honour.

The Olympic flame is a symbol that pulls us all together, a symbol of peace and a call to bring the world together. It is a symbol of the celebration of excellence, a drive to truly be the best.

The world is coming — the athletes, coaches and the judges, and the international media who will broadcast our stories to the world. Then there will be the many business leaders, heads of state and elected officials from many, many countries throughout the world.

I heard, the other day, one of the local media outlets claiming that the sole potential economic benefit of the games would be in increased tourism. As always, they were casting doubt on that potential. While undoubtedly the hundreds of millions of dollars in free advertising that our province will receive from the international media will indeed reap considerable reward for our tourism sector, the premise of this argument that the games will only benefit tourism is fundamentally flawed. Unfortunately, it has been so often repeated that there's no wonder there remains a question as to the benefit of our hosting the games.

I can tell you that throughout my life more deals have been done over lunch or dinner or at a hockey game, at a basketball game, on a boat, than I've ever completed sitting in a boardroom. Life and business is about relationships, building bonds, building familiarity and building trust.

In no part of the world is that more true than in Asia — where I've done considerable business — a part of the world that we need to cultivate not only to increase our exports of wood, which is extremely important to our economy, but also of our knowledge-based economy. British Columbia is not only rich with natural resources; we have a wealth of significant knowledge and expertise in many, many areas.

Before I entered politics, my company was extremely involved with the design and production of the 3-D venue images for the Sochi 2014 Olympic bid. I can tell you that while I did not meet Mr. Chernyshenko — the John Furlong of Sochi 2014 — in Torino or complete a deal there, the contacts that I made and the relationships that I built attending the events in Torino allowed me to build significant success and allowed me to win the business in Russia.

On the alpine venues our technical partner was Ecosign, based in Whistler, British Columbia. They're regarded as the top alpine venue design firm in the world by most. We in British Columbia have many, many Ecosigns competing and winning international business in many sectors.

During the games I plan to work very hard to introduce my Russian friends to the many new friends that I will meet, to the huge array of experience that we have built to stage these games and the vast array of talent that we have here in British Columbia. I will make no apology for using every opportunity to build relationships, build trust, talk about the benefits of doing business in our province and let them know how much our people have to offer.

In fact, the opposition continues to pursue such a petty line of questioning. It's simply sad. Their Olympic critic even stooped to silly name-calling of an Olympic sponsor, Jet Set Sports, which has been involved in the Olympic movement for many years, including being involved at Salt Lake City and Torino and sponsoring many international Olympic teams. They've contributed millions of dollars to our games here in Vancouver as well.

Jet Set Sports also recently stepped up to make sure that the families being sent to the games by Make-A-Wish Foundation would have accommodation, after the cruise ship they had booked was cancelled.

[1435]

While the member opposite may have been confused by their role in the past, now she is aware of the truth. I believe that member owes this fine company an apology. Maybe she could do it when she's attending the Olympics with her husband, who doesn't have a problem with the free tickets, as he calls them.

But the comments from a side…. I can tell you that they won't be using Burnaby's tickets for anything more than fun and relaxation. The fact that they continue to ask about Olympic tickets just proves that the NDP simply don't get it.

As well, it proves how little they understand about business and economic development and about being a gracious host. I feel sad for the people they represent, as they will squander such an incredible opportunity to promote their local communities. It's like inviting a client to dinner and then telling your family to sit in the driveway while your special guests enjoy a meal. Now, that's hospitality, NDP-style.

I can tell you one thing for sure: our government is firmly behind the Olympics. We get it, we understand the opportunity, we represent all British Columbians, and we will not squander this opportunity.

I'll give you an example. My friend the member for Comox Valley continues to work tirelessly with the

[ Page 2914 ]

economic development team there and has been tremendously successful to date. In the short term not only have they attracted many athletes to Mount Washington for training, but they've also had an exhibition women's hockey game there. As I've said before, this building of relationships, building bonds…. They will lead business and success for their community.

The other reason that our province will be successful in attracting business is our province's commitment to ensure that we keep taxes low and reduce red tape. The corporation tax was eliminated, and we will eliminate small business income taxes by 2012. Taxes for individuals are down significantly since our government took office in 2001 as well.

Despite the Leader of the Opposition and "It doesn't work to make tax cuts," we today have the lowest personal income tax rates for individual taxpayers on income up to $118,000, and the second-lowest top marginal rate. Some 325,000 low-income British Columbians now pay no provincial sales taxes whatsoever.

We have increased the basic personal tax amount credit by $1,627 to $11,000, effective January 1, 2010. In addition, the spouse or equivalent-to-spouse credit will increase by $1,627 above the 2009 amounts.

For those making more than the basic personal exemption, since 2001 provincial income taxes have decreased by 37 percent. While that sounds impressive, for many it's not tangible, so let me illustrate exactly what that means. It means $403 less taxes for those earning $15,000. It means $691 less for those earning $20,000. It means $1,049 less taxes for those earning $40,000. It means $1,457 less for those earning $50,000, $1,877 less for those earning $60,000 and $2,297 less for those earning $70,000 a year.

Even with these tax cuts, we have built an economy that allowed us to increase spending significantly, spending on the services that British Columbians care about most: health care and education. We have increased total spending on health care by 70 percent since 2000-2001 from $9.4 billion to $15.9 billion this year.

Funding for health authorities will be increasing by approximately 20 percent over the next three years, despite the world being in the worst recession in 27 years. That being said, we still have pressures, and our health authorities are working hard to make sure that the services British Columbians require and deserve are available. They are getting more dollars to do that, but they need to make tough decisions.

We've also committed to renovate and expand B.C.'s Children's Hospital and to build B.C.'s first new regional hospital in more than three decades, the new 300-bed Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre — which, I have to say, is a tremendous facility.

[1440]

We've doubled the number of medical school spaces in B.C. from 128 in 2001 to 256 today. We've added new medical programs at UNBC and UVic, and we're creating a new program at UBC Okanagan. With this expansion, we'll be graduating 288 medical doctors a year.

We've doubled the number of nurse-training spaces since 2001, added 25 new nursing programs and granted a record number of nursing degrees, nearly 15,000.

We are committed to education. Our funding for K-to-12 education spending is at the highest level ever — $5.743 billion, a 33 percent increase. This is despite a significant decrease in overall enrolment. We've also increased the per-pupil grant from 2000 by more than 30 percent. Today we have the highest per-pupil funding ever, with an estimated $8,318 per pupil.

We've expanded our university system by creating seven new universities, providing new opportunities for higher learning closer to home. Since 2001 we've also invested over $1 billion in literacy programs and services.

As the throne speech recognized yesterday, we as a government recognize the benefits of early learning, and we are committed to providing it through StrongStart B.C. centres and through all-day kindergarten, on a voluntary basis, which will be fully funded.

This throne speech continues to show the leadership and vision that British Columbians expect from our government. We recognize that we must never sit back, must never simply hope that everything will be okay. We are the managers of our destiny, and we need to always be vigilant.

Now, there is no secret to anyone listening that we are living in difficult times. The worldwide economic downturn, even though it began in other countries — although the members opposite try to say otherwise — has nonetheless impacted our province.

In May of last year, against the backdrop of economic uncertainty, the people of British Columbia put their trust and confidence in this government to get our province through these challenging times. The people of British Columbia knew they could rely on this government to provide sound economic management and discipline that is needed to ensure that B.C. will come through this economic crisis stronger than ever so that the core services we all value so deeply can be maintained and made even better.

On May 12, 2009, the people of British Columbia gave this government a mandate to make tough decisions that are necessary in tough times. Well, I don't think there's anyone here that would say we've shied away from those tough decisions. One of the hallmarks of this government is that we are not afraid to make decisions that are unpopular.

This is not a government that sits around and watches the polls, allowing the fickle weather vanes of public opinion to dictate to us what to do. Quite the contrary. We wholeheartedly subscribe to the words of our Premier: "Don't just do what's popular. Do what's right for British Columbia." That's exactly what we're doing.

[ Page 2915 ]

This throne speech lays out our strategy for more clean energy, more productive relationships with first nations and — my personal favourite portion of the entire throne speech — that we will fix TransLink and get on with the Evergreen line.

We have a vision, and we have a plan. Building infrastructure and a sound economy are pillars of that plan. I know that while the members opposite would like to have something that says "plan" on the front of it for them to realize there is a plan, oftentimes we just get on with moving the province forward. Hosting the Winter Olympics and Paralympics has always been a key element of this strategy and the future, and our plan is working.

Now economists predict that British Columbia will lead the country in growth. According to the Conference Board of Canada's winter 2009 provincial outlook: "Fuelled by 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the province will get back on its feet next year. Real GDP will turn around from 0.1 percent drop this year to a nation-leading 4.3 percent, again, in 2010."

I know that some don't agree with our hosting of the games and the benefit they have already brought, are bringing and will bring us long after the closing ceremonies.

[1445]

The Leader of the Opposition is one of these naysayers. On the CBC Almanac she stated: "I didn't support the government trying to gain the Olympics." But I have pointed out in the past her poor grasp of simple math and economics, how she has often been wrong before. She is wrong now and, when it comes to the Olympics, will be wrong as far as she continues this stance.

The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are expected to generate over $4 billion in economic activity. Include the convention centre expansion, and the resulting economic activity climbs to over $10 billion. The games and their resulting activity are estimated to create 244,000 jobs.

Independent economists agree that the 2010 Winter Games couldn't be better timed as an effective stimulus to the B.C. economy. The games are being cited as one of the key reasons that the B.C. economy will rebound so strongly this year. It is estimated that 250,000 people will come to Vancouver for the Olympics and Paralympics, and the expected worldwide TV viewing audience is over three billion people.

I've stated it before. It's an unprecedented opportunity to showcase and market British Columbia to the world. The Vancouver organizing committee, or VANOC, itself has spent a billion dollars on goods and services in preparing for the games. Today VANOC is spending approximately $3 million to $4 million each and every day. To date 78 percent of that spending has gone to B.C. companies.

When the Leader of the Opposition says she's against the games, she is saying that she's against this extraordinary boost to the businesses.

Interjection.

D. Horne: She's saying that she doesn't believe that this spending is going to accomplish anything. It's simply wrong. The B.C. businesses are benefiting from the 2010 business opportunities workshop.

Deputy Speaker: Member, please take your seat.

The Member for Columbia River–Revelstoke, while you're on your feet, I would caution you on your unparliamentary practice. Please continue.

N. Macdonald: Okay, thank you. Well, I just point out that the member has not been accurate in quoting another member, and I think that that's problematic, so I would ask the member to withdraw that.

Deputy Speaker: I would ask the member to please proceed.

D. Horne: B.C. businesses are benefiting from the 2010 business opportunities workshop that helped connect companies to the 2010-related opportunities, and 8,200 business members have taken

part in over 230 workshops in every region of the province since 2005.

Indirect spending by sponsors, suppliers, athletic teams and visitors will contribute an additional $2 billion, and almost surprising to me is that many of these feel that the games will lose money despite these many facts.

There are other facts that really surprise me. I saw a poll the other day that said that 90 percent of British Columbians believe that these games will lose money, and I think that comes from the fact that this is what they continue to hear. This is the message that continues to be reinforced, and it's simply not true.

VANOC sponsorships are surpassing all expectations. VANOC has already exceeded its domestic sponsorship target of $757 million and dramatically surpassed its broadcast revenue projections. VANOC has sold more tickets than they expected.

John Furlong and his exceptional team at VANOC have done an incredible job, and despite not having Mother Nature's full cooperation, with their superb planning and diligence, the venues are ready. Exceptional. The athletes village is spectacular. The staff and thousands of volunteers are ready, well prepared and excited.

The world is arriving. In two days the 21st winter Olympiad will begin. The spotlight will be on British Columbia, and we will shine. In this great moment in our province's history, we will show the world that British Columbia is truly the best place on earth — the best place to live, the best place to play, the best place to invest and the best place to do business.

When we look back on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, we have absolutely no

[ Page 2916 ]

doubt that this will mark the beginning of the greatest period of prosperity that our province has ever enjoyed.

[1450]

When I hear the question, "Do you believe?" I say wholeheartedly: "Yes, I believe in the great future ahead of us." I cannot wait for the games to begin. Go, Canada, go!

T. Lake: It is a great honour for me to rise in the House today to second the Speech from the Throne. This throne speech guides the direction of this government in 2010, a year that will undoubtedly be one of our most memorable as we celebrate with the rest of this great country of Canada, and indeed the whole world, the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Three billion people around the globe will focus on Vancouver and British Columbia and will marvel at the performances of athletes who have trained tirelessly, focused intensely and given all of their strength and spirit to their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.

Three billion people will see a province with stunning natural beauty, a resilient economy based on abundant natural and human resources, and a partner in the great Canadian nation that provides endless opportunities for its own people and reaches out to those around the world who need our help.

I'd like to recognize the contributions that Canadians, particularly in my own riding of Kamloops–North Thompson, have made to the relief effort following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The Haitian people need our support, and I'm proud that Canadians have been among the most generous in providing aid and resources.

The throne speech is a road map for the future of British Columbia. It looks to the future to the province that we want 20 years from now in 2030. This throne speech recognizes that the Olympic and Paralympic Games provide an opportunity to showcase all that British Columbia has to offer. When all is said and done in the days that follow this great event, we need to ensure that we capitalize on this rare opportunity, having the attention of the world. British Columbia will be officially open for business.

I know that the tough decisions, along with the investments we make now, will ensure that we have the capacity to take advantage of every opportunity presented to us in the future and will leave a lasting legacy for our province.

In 20 years we want to be able to look back and say that we did all that we could to build our economy, to maximize our province's strategic advantages as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific, to reach our potential as a green energy powerhouse, to support our families, to invest in our children and to ensure a sustainable health care system.

The Speech from the Throne encourages each one of us to strive harder, reach higher and dream bigger so that we can make our province even better. In 2010, as we look through the Olympic and Paralympic lens, the desire to achieve great things together is palpable and real.

There has been no better symbol of this collective spirit than the Olympic torch relay that has travelled much of the world, all throughout Canada, and arrived in Kamloops on January 28 — 22 years to the day from the 1988 Calgary Olympic torch. As in every community across the country, large or small, the torch was greeted by extraordinary numbers of people who for one day put aside their problems, their worries and their differences to come together and celebrate as Canadians this special event.

I would like to describe just a few of the people and memorable moments from the torch relay in my community starting, in fact, outside of the riding near Vernon where Kamloops' own Olympian, shot putter Dylan Armstrong, was just as thrilled to lift the torch as he was to represent Canada so well at the 2008 Beijing summer games.

A Kamloops achievement award winner and Thompson Rivers University distinguished alumnus, Jo Berry, is an inspirational Kamloopsian who with a run club has turned people's lives around through the power of movement. Jo and her husband, Adrian, have not only inspired people to better physical and mental health but have developed the Boogie the Bridge fundraising run that has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charitable organizations such as the AIDS Society of Kamloops and organizations that support literacy. Jo was joined by her family and scores of supporters as she proudly carried the torch.

Dr. Ali Zentner, a physician from Vancouver who specializes in treating metabolic syndrome, ran for her friends, family and patients, and told the local newspaper that you have to be a huge cynic not to let this mean the world. The words "opportunity of a lifetime" were repeated again and again by torchbearers like retired neurosurgeon Dr. Gur Singh and Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association president Donna Petrie.

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As the torch made its way through downtown Kamloops, a crowd of 2,000 was entertained at the Tournament Capital Centre by a stunning live performance entitled "A Meeting of the Waters." This is the translation of the original Tk'emlúps from the Secwepemc language. Written by Janet Deneault and Sherry Bennett, the show featured drummers, dancers, actors, musicians and a cowboy poet to re-enact 500 years of history in the Thompson valleys.

Meanwhile outside at the Hillside Stadium, more than 12,000 people anticipated the arrival of the torch, some wearing their torchbearer outfits from the 1988 Calgary relay with obvious pride.

To no one's surprise, the torch was carried into the stadium by Canada's athlete of the century, Olympic

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champion, Senator Nancy Greene-Raine, who has helped transform Sun Peaks into one of North America's premiere ski resorts. The crowd roared as Nancy ran to the top of the stands to light the torch of the final runner of the evening, two-time Stanley Cup champion, Kamloops's own Mark Recchi, our Kamloops athlete of the century.

As Mark made his way onto the stage, children and adults alike reached out to share in the experience, which Mark described as "like game 7, no question." Twelve thousand voices joined the Kamloops children's choir as they sang O Canada . Standing there at the cauldron singing our national anthem was the highlight of the evening for me and gave new meaning to the words "with glowing hearts."

I have to give tremendous thanks and recognition to the Kathleen Biagioni, who led the volunteer torch committee and to Tammy Campbell of the city of Kamloops. The hard work they put in with their teams made this spectacular event absolutely, unequivocally successful.

We were fortunate to have the torch in our riding for two days. The next morning the torch restarted its journey early at the sacred arbour of the Tk'emlúps Indian band, where Chief Shane Gottfriedson called the torch a symbol of hard work, determination and success and an inspiration to everyone. Chief Gottfriedson also declared that one day the Kamloops Indian band would produce an Olympic athlete of its own.

Following a prayer by elder and councillor Evelyn Camille, Korah DeWalt, a young student of business at Thompson Rivers University and daughter of Tk'emlúps Indian band councillor Connie Leonard, proudly ran the flame around the arbour.

Hundreds of people lined the streets of north Kamloops, despite the early hour, as the flame made its way out of the city and up the North Thompson Valley to the district of Barriere.

Many will remember the summer of 2003 when Barriere barely escaped huge wildfires that devastated the surrounding forest. The community pulled together then to help those who lost their homes and businesses and has emerged stronger than ever. Infrastructure funding has led to park developments, water system improvements, and despite the economic challenges faced by the forest industry, there is a real sense of optimism in Barriere.

So while the flames of past wildfires are still vivid memories, the flame of the Olympic torch was greeted as tangible recognition of a new tomorrow. Over 700 people gathered to cheer torchbearers like Chris Matthew and then stayed to participate in a mini-Olympics at the Barriere Elementary School.

The torch arrived next in the beautiful community of Clearwater, the gateway to one of British Columbia's natural jewels, Wells Grey Park. Again, over 700 people, or more than one-third of the entire community's population, greeted the torch carried by Rachael Elliot while the talented musicians of the Clearwater Secondary School band played onstage.

I then joined more than 50 people in the tiny community of Little Fort as we sent the torch over Highway 24 to the Cariboo, where it continued its journey into B.C.'s rugged and beautiful interior.

We know these scenes have been repeated time after time over the last three months in communities across the country, and it reminds us that we need and appreciate something that lifts us higher, that takes us out of our everyday lives, touches our hearts and brings us together as Canadians. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, like its predecessor in Calgary in 1988, will live on in the hearts and in stories that will be retold many times about the day the flame arrived in our community and drew us together like nothing else could.

The Olympic torch has not been alone in generating excitement about the upcoming games in my communities. As Canada's tournament capital, Kamloops has always promoted healthy and active living and has embraced the Olympic spirit in many ways.

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The Austrian men's downhill ski team has been training at Sun Peaks for the last number of years, and our McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre has been the training ground for the Chinese short-track speed skating team, which was joined this year by teams from the Netherlands and also from Kazakhstan.

Not only are our athletes being showcased at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, but the stunning glass featured at the Olympic media centre, also known as the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, was manufactured at Inland Glass, in Kamloops.

Interjection.

T. Lake: That would be in Kamloops.

An accessible Olympic playground built by Beaver Industries using beetle-enhanced ponderosa pine from Kamloops is featured at the Olympics in Whistler. Also, beautiful ponderosa pine from our own city was donated for the Olympic medal podiums.

It was no wonder that the city of Kamloops was named bronze medalist in the GamesTown 2010 Olympic spirit competition, runner-up to those other great interior communities of Dawson Creek and Princeton.

While the Olympic and Paralympic Games have generated excitement and economic activity throughout our region, there's a lot going on as British Columbia turns the corner on the recession.

The Kamloops Airport continues to set record numbers of air travellers, and that's going to continue to grow because of the airport's recent expansion, supported by both levels of government. Kamloops and the North Thompson will truly benefit from expanded air traffic.

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Travellers through the Kamloops region include many skiers on their way to Sun Peaks, which has truly become a world-class resort. Sun Peaks has just voted to become B.C.'s newest resort municipality. This will provide responsive local government to the growing community and include a first nation's advisory committee to ensure recognition of traditional uses of the land and to help inform the future development of the resort.

In the North Thompson the district municipalities of Clearwater and Barriere, along with the Simpcw First Nation, conducted an historic community-to-community forum which will lead to the development of a protocol agreement to guide the relationship of the three communities. Simpcw Chief Keith Matthew called the forum historic for the residents of all the communities and just a sign of the times, something we need to do.

We must continue to consult and develop positive working relationships in the Thompson valleys. The government of British Columbia has shown its commitment to these types of partnerships. New revenue-sharing opportunities, new reconciliation agreements and new treaties create social and economic opportunities for aboriginal people that include them in the promise of future prosperity.

The throne speech outlines a path to prosperity for the benefit of all British Columbians, and key to that prosperity is improving our productivity and competitiveness. That means fostering job creation with faster approvals, lowering the cost of doing business, opening up trade and increasing labour mobility.

Adopting an HST is the most important step we are taking to improve the productivity and competitiveness of our economy. The HST will dramatically reduce taxes on business investment by as much as $1.9 billion and remove over $2 billion of the cost of doing business in B.C. More than 130 countries, including 29 of the 30 OECD countries, along with five other Canadian provinces, have adopted taxes similar to the HST. It is the right thing to do for the long-term prosperity of our province.

The throne speech also outlines how the government intends to further streamline approval processes. Communities with mining projects in their area, like Clearwater in my riding, deserve a timely approval process to build opportunities. British Columbia will pursue amendments to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to create a unified federal-provincial review process that will rid unnecessary duplication and costs while encouraging investment and job creation. It really would be much more efficient to have a one-project, one-process approach, with a single framework that is timely, diligent and science-based.

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We need to open up opportunities in British Columbia's interior, and this unified approach will be an important step.

It's also worthy of note that the government recognizes that it is important to identify all impediments to doing business across the province, including fairness in property taxes and other barriers to investment, which include zoning, licensing and permitting requirements.

These steps are needed so that our children and grandchildren will have opportunities. They deserve to succeed, and the best investment for the future of the province is to invest in our young people. That's why voluntary full-time kindergarten for five-year-olds will be implemented this September and will be fully funded and in every school by September of 2011.

That's why we've created StrongStart centres in Kamloops, Barriere, Clearwater and across the province. That's why the new neighbourhood learning centres will make sure we're using the resources we currently have to maximize the benefits to our citizens and families, particularly in smaller centres, where schools are often the heart and soul of the community.

The throne speech outlines real, concrete solutions to help families in challenging economic conditions. A new family-with-children property tax deferral option for all B.C. families with children under the age of 18 will ease the financial burden for a lot of families in British Columbia. Now young families will have access to a program that has long benefited seniors and has received many positive comments from citizens and from local governments.

While investing in our families and our children, we must also continue to address challenges faced by the most vulnerable in our society. We continue to make strides in the fight against homelessness in Kamloops, where there has always been a supportive mayor and council as partners with other levels of government.

In the fall I spoke about the newly opened Henry Leland House for supportive housing, and in January the Minister of Housing and Social Development announced the purchase of the notorious Rendezvous Hotel for a supportive shelter for homeless men and women in Kamloops.

The sweet irony is that this previously well-known centre of drug activity will soon provide housing and support services for many of those very people affected by those very drugs.

The provision of affordable housing should not be up to government alone. There are many responsible landlords in Kamloops, many of whom I recently met at a lunch provided by the ASK Wellness Centre that is headed by Bob Hughes. Bob and his team have helped hundreds in Kamloops, and now in Merritt, with issues of drug use, mental and physical health and housing needs. Bob holds a regular meeting with owners of low-cost housing, helping them to deal with the challenges of

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the hard-to-house through the sharing of information and resources.

ASK Wellness, along with the John Howard Society, Elizabeth Fry Society and the Canadian Mental Health Association, work cooperatively in our city with faith organizations, with the city of Kamloops, the United Way and the Ministry of Housing and Social Development in a group called Changing the Face of Poverty. I want to thank and commend them for the tremendous work they're doing in our community.

While other provinces and many other countries are only now beginning to address the fiscal challenges of the recent global economic downturn, British Columbia has already demonstrated a responsible philosophy of living within our means to protect critical services, like health care and education, while laying the platform for future investment and economic prosperity.

With the eyes of the world turning this week to British Columbia for the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, this throne speech continues our determination to lead Canada in the 21st century, so we can be at the very front of the line yelling: "Go, Canada, go!"

N. Macdonald: As always, it's a pleasure to be able to stand here and address the House on behalf of the communities that I represent. This is the sixth throne speech that I have sat through from this government. If action matches this government's rhetoric, then an awful lot of the important problems that this province has would have been solved long ago. But all too often the disconnect between what is promised in a throne speech and what is actually delivered is massive.

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Similarly disturbing is the disconnect between what the B.C. Liberals promise during an election and what is actually delivered after the election.

I think if you go back to the election we've just come through, an awful lot of British Columbians would be going and saying that there were four pretty clear things that this government talked about when they went to seek a mandate.

They talked about having no HST, no harmonized sales tax. That was in writing. Yet, again in this throne speech that's referred to as an important initiative of this government — in fact, the most important thing they could do for the economy. Yet they were arguing the exact opposite when they went in front of the people of British Columbia and asked for the right to be government.

The second thing that was really clear during the last election was that the deficit would be limited to less than $500 million, and yet we know that that's not the case for this past year, for the next year. It is nowhere near that amount. In fact, it's six, seven times that amount.

As well, there were promises to protect the services that we get in public health and public education. Very clearly, that wasn't the case either. So when we listen to the throne speech and we hear some of the things that are talked about, it's the same look that we have to have at it.

Many members are new to this and forget, or were not aware of, the five great goals. It's really instructive to go back to what was my first throne speech, the five great goals, and just look at them and see what actually flowed after that, because it gives you a good sense of that disconnect between what is said in a throne speech and what this government actually follows through on.

It is over eight years that this government has been in place, and what you saw with the very short throne speech that we had is a government that really has run out of new ideas — ideas about how to deal with the very serious problems that British Columbians face.

We are uniquely fortunate in this province, and I think whenever we go forward, we have to keep the problems that we have here in context. The problems that we have are manageable. There are solutions, but nevertheless, there are real issues that need to be dealt with.

The philosophy that I have, and the philosophy that those that are in the NDP share with me, is the idea that the wisdom of this province sits within the communities and with people on the ground, and that our job is to take that wisdom and bring it into this House and generate policy that is going to reflect the wider wisdom of the people in British Columbia.

Yet what we see is a government that has centralized decision-making and does not share the information in the way that it needs to with the wider population. It does not allow them to participate in the way that they need to. There are real issues that need to be dealt with.

We have a province where more and more children are slipping into poverty. That's a fact that is year after year after year. That poverty ties directly to policy decisions that are made in this House.

It's very easy to stand up and brag about the fact that there are tax cuts. This is something that the wider public embraces, but there are consequences to that. The consequence for this year is that we have a deficit. That deficit is a deficit that you cannot disconnect from the fact that taxes have been lowered. You have taken away some of the tools that taxation allows you to redistribute wealth so that you don't have large parts of your population falling into poverty. That's sound public policy.

Now, it is something that Canada has in the past done quite well — making sure that you don't allow children to fall into poverty. But it's six years in a province with all the wealth, all the potential wealth that British Columbia has, where child poverty is highest in this province.

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Now, at the end of the speech, in a very strange choice for this government, there was a quotation from Nelson Mandela. Now Nelson Mandela is an incredible individual. I was in Lesotho in the 1980s, '85-86, and Lesotho was surrounded by South Africa at a time when a picture of

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Nelson Mandela was illegal to have in a South African newspaper. To write his name was illegal. What he has accomplished is pretty amazing.

To lift a quotation and to choose to paraphrase what he said and put it into the throne speech just seems particularly inappropriate. I mean, he has a pretty clear set of standards that I think wouldn't synchronize with the direction that this government goes.

One of the things he said that I think is a direct quotation, rather than to paraphrase it, is this: "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way that it treats its children." Now that's a quotation that is exact from Nelson Mandela. When you look at government policy, what you see is — certainly, with the poverty piece — no effort, no sincere effort on behalf of this government to deal with a very real problem.

You have Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, who has called on the Premier — has called on the Leader of the Opposition as well — to meet with her to work together on a poverty plan, asked legislators here to work on dealing on that poverty issue. Yet the Premier will not participate in dealing with that.

We heard nothing in the throne speech that really talks about that issue at all, because it's not a priority for this government. Yet if you're going to quote Nelson Mandela, to be true to what he believes in…. He says very clearly that you have to deal with the issue of child poverty, but year after year I've come to this House and it is never dealt with in a meaningful way. That's fundamentally wrong.

We have issues around children in care, as well, that still lack the solutions that are needed. That ministry, for all of the years that I've been here, is in constant, constant reorganization and unable, too often, to deal with the fundamental issues that they're asked to deal with.

If you look around the province, you have illegal activities that each year play a more significant

part in our economy. Yet these are things that weren't even talked about. There was no attempt even to deal with them.

You have collapses in salmon, forest disease and forest health issues that need to be dealt with. You have a deindustrialization of rural British Columbia — 71 manufacturing complexes closed and over 30,000 family-supporting jobs gone.

You also have — and it was talked about in a very fundamental way with this budget — the taking of public wealth and putting it into private hands. Much of what is described as a green energy plan is essentially that. In all of these efforts at privatization, you essentially disenfranchise the vast majority of British Columbians. We see that tendency with this government again and again.

You see it with the health boards, which in no way are accountable to the people who provide the funds for them. There's something wrong with that. You have it with the implementation of independent power projects, where the ability of local government to have a say on whether they're appropriate for an area or not has been taken away, very deliberately, with Bill 30.

You have bills that have removed the ability of local government to have a say in where resort municipalities go. You have a structure for TransLink that is fundamentally undemocratic. You have structures for B.C. Ferries, BCUC interference. You have a series of actions from this government which remove people from the ability to move on the solutions that they know need to be put forward and put into policy.

In conclusion, you have a government that is beholden to and serves a very narrow corporate interest — I think most British Columbians recognize that — very often to the detriment of the wider public interest. There's something wrong, fundamentally, with that.

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What I would say is that there are many things that should be done differently. These are the things that I would put forward. I'll keep it to three things, three areas that a government should move forward on to find solutions for the public that we're supposed to serve. I'll just deal with them in terms of themes.

The first theme, the first area of improvement, would be to deal with protection of the commons — these things that the public hold as a common wealth, which has generated wealth for us and for the people of this province for a long time.

There was a time when we would make money from our forests. This is the first time in 50 years where the Ministry of Forests actually cost more than the wealth it generated for the province. We have B.C. Timber Sales, which actually lost money. Any pretence at being proper managers of that resource should be forgotten about.

Let's look at one of the most important commonly held examples of public wealth, which is the Crown land. We are unique as a jurisdiction in that so much of the land in this province is controlled by the public, something that's highly valued in the communities from Kimberley on through Canal Flats, Invermere, Golden and Revelstoke.

People work on the public lands, very often. They go there for recreation. They depend upon it in so many ways. There's a love of the land. There's an expectation that the provincial government is going to be looking after those Crown lands in a way that is respectful of the fact that they're important now and will be important into the future.

Yet what we've seen this government do too often is take away the ability to make decisions on what goes on, on that public land, from the people who live there. It is being done deliberately, and it is being done to the detriment of the wider public good.

In terms of resort development, Jumbo Glacier resort is a proposed resort that for over a decade people in the Invermere area, the Columbia Valley, Kimberley, have found is inappropriate as a project the way it's put forward.

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You would think that is a view that would be respected by a government and that people would have the opportunity to express that view and make a decision whether the public lands that are there should be handed over to a developer. But what we have seen consistently from this government are moves behind closed doors to move a project forward despite the fact that the people in the area don't want it.

There's something fundamentally wrong with that. A government should be protecting those common lands, not giving them away — should be respecting what people in the area have to say, not ignoring it or trying to work through, behind closed doors, an objective that really doesn't suit the wider public good.

You also have things like Resource Road Act — concerns about the fact that these are public areas that people expect to have access to. They have access to those areas for hunting, for fishing. These are lands that people feel they should be able to get into and, having paid for the roads, if they are to be open, all people should have access to them. So there are concerns there.

Hunting and fishing opportunities, camping opportunities, forest health issues — all of these are things that the provincial government is responsible for protecting. People know, as those who live in the area, that they have a lot of expertise to offer and should participate in decision-making.

I'll move now to the independent power projects, which is another area that's really very, very contentious. This is an initiative that, let's be clear here, is subsidized heavily by B.C. Hydro, to the tune of almost $450 million a year. Public money is subsidizing what is going on with these projects.

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They're guaranteed profits. When they do not get profits, then the minister has a way of reworking the contracts so that they do. What industry is saying — and this is industry that's saying it — is that twice the price is being paid. So I put that forward as something that people find objectionable. They feel that this is our land that's being given away, that they're our rivers and that the value that comes from those areas is value that should go to the wider public. And there's strong feeling that that's not happening with this initiative.

If these projects were good projects, you could come to Kimberley, you could come to Golden, you could come to Revelstoke, and you could explain to the people in the room why they're projects that should be supported. Yet the government deliberately removed the ability of people to make those decisions.

They did that because they knew they could not go to a group of people that understand the land, that understand the trade-offs that you have to make with resource…. You need to remember that the communities we're talking about are mining communities; they're forestry communities. There is no community that knows more about hydro development than Revelstoke. They understand the trade-offs, but they also know whether it's a good deal or not. We have been removed from the decision-making because we can tell whether it's a good deal or not.

If it was a good deal, you could come there and you could convince people to move ahead. In choosing not to, they admit that they are compromising the common land that we hold as public lands.

Let's talk about one. Because of a federal environmental assessment process and because of very strong action from people in the West Kootenay — and people in Invermere and the Columbia Valley, as well — the Glacier-Howser project has been put on hold. That was a poor project. Certainly they made presentations throughout the Kootenays and didn't convince anybody it was a good project. It was put on hold, and that's good. It's appropriate.

I have to say that the federal environmental assessment program was part of that. The other areas that are a concern are Thompson Falls, Cedar falls….

Interjection.

N. Macdonald: The minister of silviculture has something to say.

It's nice to hear from you, the minister of silviculture. How is that going? Are you increasing the budget on that? No, you're not. You're not.

Deputy Speaker: Member.

N. Macdonald: And the Woodworker Lien Act — is that coming forward? There was a promise just two weeks ago that it was coming forward. Is it coming?

Deputy Speaker: Member.

The member will direct his remarks through the Chair.

N. Macdonald: My apologies. He was speaking to me, but I will….

You also have Thompson Falls, Cedar Creek, the Illecillewaet, Kicking Horse — 20 or so other proposed projects, all of which this government feels it is appropriate to move forward without any local say, and it's not.

People are being clear that unless you can come into our communities and convince us it's an appropriate project, it should not proceed. That is good government. That is a government that respects what people think, but that is not the government that we have.

You also have institutions, like B.C. Hydro, that have provided tremendous value over the decades, institutions that need to be protected. In describing the commons, I would go on to programs that we have in health care, programs that we have in public education.

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One of the experiences I've had is to live in areas where that public health, that public education is something that the wider population doesn't have. I spent six years in Africa, and anybody who goes to a place where you have to pay to have proper health care…. You realize that it is something that is incredibly precious when you come back to a country where, when you run into health problems, you actually have the population, the country as a whole chipping in to make sure that you're looked after. Those are areas that I think we need to focus on.

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A second area that a throne speech should have addressed, and that I believe a New Democrat government would address, is social equity. This province is becoming more and more unequal. There are repercussions for that. I don't think that it sits as a value for all British Columbians. I think that British Columbians want a society where they see fairness, and yet we're moving away from that.

One of the great equalizers is education. This government talks about it, and they use the same spin again and again about the dollars they spend, but the fact is that each and every British Columbian who knows anything about the education system knows that there are problems there.

There are problems with how the system is being funded. It does not help to try to deny that those problems are there. It doesn't help to have the 250- or 260-odd members of the public affairs bureau putting out spin saying what every school board knows is a fact — somehow trying to present it as not a fact.

[C. Trevena in the chair.]

If we are serious about providing education, then we need to put the resources towards it so that it will work. I will say, for the sake of some members, that there's something very positive about one initiative. That's that all-day kindergarten. All-day kindergarten is a positive step forward. That is something that is there. It is there as an option to the parents who want to use it. It will be beneficial.

The StrongStart centres that I've visited — which should never be confused with child care; you're coming there with your child — those are good initiatives. I have gone there and seen programs. The investments we make in our children are absolutely the smartest thing that we can do as a society, but we have to recognize that there is a cost, and we have to make that investment if we expect to move forward.

I'll be clear. The K-to-12 system is not being managed the way that it needs to be, and that's a problem.

Then you move to the university. I think most members would be surprised to know — I think the wider public would be surprised to know — that if the budget stays the same as it was projected to, university tuition is going to provide more money to the coffers of this province than corporate tax. So you have 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds that somehow can afford more than TELUS and Teck Cominco and others. It seems out of balance because it is out of balance.

If we're serious about doing university education and trades education, then there is a cost to it that should be met. The only way we will move forward is if we have those that are the young given the tools to succeed on all of our behalf collectively.

Social equity. You can't talk about that without speaking about seniors again. At a time when they're asked, with the residential care changes, to spend, on average, I think, in total $56 million more for the residential care rates…. When they're asked to do that….

At the same time you have the banks with a $110 million tax cut. If it seems unequal, it's because it is. It's the direction that this government, through its policy, has taken this province. It has created more poor people and more that are wealthy, and that social inequity simply does not make sense as good social policy.

The last thing that I want to talk about as an idea that I think is important for us to talk about is democracy and due process. In each of the bills…. It goes to TransLink. It goes on IPPs. It goes to the health authorities. In one area after another you have had local decision-making — the ability of people to participate properly in the political process — degraded by this government. In fact, I would argue that the way this House works has been degraded consistently by this government and that a huge disservice is done.

You know, there was recently a decision made by an arbitrator on Bill 33, which was an education bill about capped limits for class sizes. The arbitrator looked at the committee stage, what the minister said, and used that as an

interpretation.

It's important. The committee stage is important, but I think most British Columbians would be surprised to think back to a time when the carbon tax, changes to the electoral laws — eight bills in all — were passed by this House with no debate. No debate. Complete contempt in this House for the processes that we're supposed to protect and we're supposed to have respect for.

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That we see consistently — removing people from due process, removing people from the ability to participate in the political process.

The idea that every good thought comes from the Premier's office is an idea I completely reject. You cannot centralize that decision-making without damaging the quality of the ideas that you have. So democracy, due process — things that have to be improved upon.

We do not have a committee system that works. At the rare time where MLAs from both parties are actually able to sit down and talk about things in a structure that is different than what we're participating in today,

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good things do happen. The actual difference between our beliefs is not that great, and our common interest is surprisingly similar. But we again and again set up structures that allow no opportunity for full debate.

One of the things that I've suggested to the Minister of Forests…. Forestry is an incredibly complex and incredibly important file. It has collapsed in a way that is profound — 71 manufacturing facilities gone and 30,000 jobs lost. That is good for nobody.

There are answers. They will be complex and difficult. But as legislators, how are we able to participate in finding those solutions? Why do we not have a committee that is dealing with forestry, groups of MLAs from both sides that are going around and trying to take the answers that are out there?

We have people who know this industry better than any other people in the world, who know this land, who feel strongly about it. They want a vehicle to have their ideas come through to this place and produce policy that's going to work for British Columbians. Why aren't we doing that?

Those are the three things that I would say. In a throne speech we would see a protection of the commons, policies, our land. We would see social equity worked on in a meaningful way — what clearly is not a priority for this government, but it should be. Finally, we need to improve that democratic process, due process. People want to participate. They choose not to because they have lost faith in what we are doing here. They don't think it matters.

I'll tell you, on the HST, you could make the argument about the value of that value-added tax, and I would listen to it respectfully. But where I say this government has gone completely wrong is in running for office, promising not to bring in the HST and turning around in a very cynical move and bringing it in. It is wrong. The government should not be doing that,

If you truly believe this is the right thing, you should take it to the electorate and earn the mandate to take it forward. I would say that when you couple the HST with the fact that the fiscal state of this province was misrepresented, when you couple that with the fact that you are not protecting health care and education in the way you promised, it cuts to the very legitimacy of the government.

For a government to think that it can hold on for four years when the wider population thinks that it lacks legitimacy, that is a problem. It's a problem in particular for B.C. Liberals, but I'll be honest. It's a problem for politicians as a whole. We need to think about the legitimacy. We need to think about engaging the population and make them excited about politics, make them excited about participating and make that participation meaningful.

With that, I thank you for the opportunity, as always, to speak. I look forward to other speakers.

Point of Privilege

(Reservation of Right)

K. Corrigan: I'd like to reserve the right to raise a question of personal privilege.

Deputy Speaker: Thank you, Member.

Debate Continued

D. McRae: I'm pleased to rise today to respond to the throne, though I must say it's been a tough couple of weeks for me. I celebrated my 40th birthday last week. I went through a mid-life crisis very quickly, and in the same week I also found out that I was ten pounds away from being classified as medically obese. So it's been a little rough.

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However, I've been grounded. I've been doing diapers for three-month-old Chloe daily. My daughter Gracie has been an absolutely great help, but I'd like to say that my wife, Deanna, has been very supportive.

I've lived in the Comox Valley my entire life. I'm very proud of that. I want my children and their children to have an opportunity to have the greatest quality of life that this province can provide. The decisions we make today lay the framework of what our province will look like in the coming decade and beyond.

This throne speech comes at an opportune time. The world and Canada are emerging from a recession that has been unmatched since the Great Depression. Technology has changed the way we do business. It has changed the way we shop, access information and entertain ourselves.

Climate change is a factor that dominates our lives. Sadly, in the Lower Mainland Cypress is lacking snow;

whereas not too far away on Mount Washington we have some of the highest snow levels for a ski hill not just in Canada but in the world. We enjoyed record heat waves last summer yet had the Courtenay River flood to the worst high level in my lifetime.

There are challenges, no doubt, but we are so lucky to live in this province. We have a population that is highly educated. We have a fantastic health care system, abundant resources, a diverse but very desirable climate, ranging from the Peace River in the north to Vancouver Island in the south, unparalleled natural beauty and a great economic and geographic location. We are poised to emerge from this economic recession and have a very, very bright future.

We are so fortunate that the Olympics are going to be held in this province. In 2009 PricewaterhouseCoopers released a study stating that between 2003 and 2008 the games were responsible for so many things. Over 20,000 jobs have been created, and 3,400 new businesses have emerged.

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VANOC has spent $1.6 billion on goods and services. Today they are spending between $3 million and $4 million a day, with 78 percent of that funding going to B.C. companies, directly benefiting our residents. Furthermore, sponsors, suppliers, businesses, athletic teams and visitors will add another $2 billion to the economy of British Columbia.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to be in Vancouver last week and walking around downtown. Remember, this is February in British Columbia. This is not a prime shopping season, yet I saw customer after customer emerging from stores with bags full.

Many, I'm sure, were British Columbia citizens, but because of the Olympics we have the advantage of seeing where people come from. Everybody walks around with a jacket with their country's name on the back, showing how proud they are of it. When you see a person from Russia walking into your hotel with five bags from Robson Street, this is a direct-impact, positive benefit to British Columbia that we would not have had without the Olympic Games.

I love legacies. Think back to many years ago. I said earlier I was 40 years old. When I was 16, the province had Expo 86. Can you imagine British Columbia without Expo 86?

You may also remember that prior to Expo there were naysayers complaining about it. "Oh, it's expensive. It's going to be a waste of time. It is not something the province needs." But can you imagine the province without the legacy of Expo 86? How many brochures have got Science World plastered on the front of them?

B.C. Place Stadium is getting refurbished, but it's still there and has provided entertainment for so many different venues, whether it is a soccer game or whether it is a football game. In 1988, I enjoyed Bon Jovi in that very concert hall.

Canada Place — unbelievable. Sure, it's the 1980s, but what a gorgeous building, one that we use as a hallmark in western Canada.

My colleagues in the Okanagan, can you imagine taking the old Fraser Canyon Highway down to the Lower Mainland? But no, we have the Coquihalla Highway. Why? The province needed it, as the province was growing. It is a legacy that we are lucky to have today.

These are assets and icons we use to market B.C. to the world. Expo provided the impetus for their construction. These Olympics will provide their legacy. And $580 million has been spent on the Richmond speed skating oval, the Whistler Sliding Centre, the refurbished Pacific Coliseum.

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We are also getting the benefit, and I'm sure many of us have taken it, of the Canada Line to the airport. I have taken it three times, and every single time that SkyTrain is full of people who are not in cars, travelling in a far more efficient manner.

The Sea to Sky Highway was one of the most dangerous stretches of pavement in British Columbia, which makes it one of the most dangerous stretches of pavement in North America, and it needed refurbishing. We brought it in under budget, on time. We will save lives, and we will provide economic impetus because of projects like those.

Furthermore, $110 million has been targeted for the legacy endowment fund to provide support for ongoing operations of the venues that we've constructed. You know what? The Olympics don't just end at the February, and the Paralympics don't just end in March. We want to make sure that these benefits exist for future generations to enjoy.

Many of you, and some are older than I, may remember in past years skating on the Robson Square ice rink. You haven't been able to do it for a while, but you know what? You can now. That facility has been refurbished, and the outdoor skating rink will be reopened to the public both during and after the games as another legacy right in downtown Vancouver for kids and adults to enjoy and be active.

How about the arts and culture? It's not just about sport. It's also an opportunity to celebrate and showcase Canada's and British Columbia's arts and culture. There's a $20 million arts legacy fund that supports arts and cultural activities leading up to and beyond the 2010 Olympics.

I don't want to talk just about the province; I want to talk about my own riding in the Comox Valley. You may have heard of some of these places: Belarus, United States, France, Ukraine, Russia, Sweden, China, Finland, the Netherlands, Australia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Ghana. What do they all have in common? They're all training parts of their teams in the Comox Valley right now and in the coming days.

For the Olympics we are seeing teams in these sports: biathlon, cross country, freestyle skiing, giant slalom, Nordic combined, parallel giant slalom, snowboard, ski cross and women's hockey — athletes training in our facilities in the Comox Valley as we speak. For the Paralympic Games we are seeing biathletes, cross-country skiers, sledge athletes, alpine and Nordic ski teams competing in the Comox Valley. Why? Because our ski hill has fantastic facilities at the same elevation, snow type and temperatures as the Callaghan Valley.

We started in 2003. When Vancouver won the Olympic bid, we were in B.C. Place Stadium. We knew we could

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benefit and leverage from the Olympic advantage, and we have done so in a way that I would challenge no other small community in British Columbia has done. I am so proud of the work of my community.

It was showcased last week, those relationships we were building, when we had the Swedish women's hockey team, ranked No. 4 in the world, come to the Comox Valley. They came because of the relationships we've been building at the Beijing and Turin Olympics. They came, and they wanted to play. We were very lucky. They brought with them No. 7–ranked China. Two amazing teams. Over 1,100 people crammed into the Comox Valley Sports Centre last Sunday. We could have sold out three or four times more if we had the facility.

There was a pancake breakfast. Comox Valley Minor Hockey got a chance to work with them. Vancouver Island MusicFest, which is one of the best music festivals in North America, provided some amazing music, by way of The Sojourners, to entertain the crowd. There were face painters, arts and crafts, and even a Wii game for kids to enjoy.

I might say that the Swedes did win 4-2, but the quality of play was fantastic. I'd like to especially recognize the Chinese goaltender, who played, I would argue, Roberto Luongo-esque and kept the game close at hand.

An Hon. Member: Is that a word?

D. McRae: I made it up. Thank you for pointing that out.

When would a small community on the northwest coast of North America have a chance to host a team from Europe and a team from Asia in an international ice hockey game at any other time? They're here because of the Olympics.

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Our community is getting the benefit. We're showing off what we can do. We're exposing our citizens, but also we're exposing the world to places in British Columbia, who never would have seen them.

We're also getting a chance to see athletes firsthand, who have sacrificed so much time, energy, employment and their personal time to achieve the Olympic dream. These are young role models that are fantastic, and their role model transcends nationalities. I don't care whether you're Canadian or Chinese or Swedish. You recognize sacrifice, hard work and opportunity, and we have been so fortunate to get to meet these role models in our community day after day in the Comox Valley.

But it's not just the people. We're also talking about facilities in the Comox Valley. Some $4 million has been dedicated to facilities and infrastructure in Mount Washington and the surrounding parkland. We have now become one of four locations in Canada, the second-largest country in the world, to have an automated biathlon target system. I haven't used it, but if you want to attract good-calibre teams to train and you want to make sure your national team will be enticed to come and train, you need to have t