1983 Legislative Session: 1st Session, 33rd 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 )

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1983

Morning Sitting

[ Page

11 ]

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Tabling Documents

Report of the auditor-general, March 31, 1982,

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Ministry of Finance annual report, December 31, 1982.

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Compensation stabilization program annual report for 1982.

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Statement of Crown proceeding payments, 1982-83.

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Report of treasury bill borrowings.

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Assessment Appeal Board of British Columbia report, 1982.

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Remissions and refunds under the Taxation (Rural Area) Act.

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Statement of unclaimed money deposits Taxation (Rural Area) Act, March 31, 1982.

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Official administrator's (Estate Administration Act) annual returns, December 31, 1982,

Hon. Mr. Curtis –– 11

Human rights branch and Human Rights Commission annual report, 1982.

Hon. Mr. McClelland –– 11

Workers' Compensation Board annual report, 1982.

Hon. Mr. McClelland –– 11

Labour Relations Board of British Columbia annual report, 1982.

Hon. Mr. McClelland –– 11

British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority annual report, 1982-1983.

Hon. Mr. Rogers –– 11

British Columbia Development Corporation's annual report, 1983.

Hon. Mr. Phillips –– 11

Throne speech debate

Mr. R. Fraser –– 11

Mr. Michael –– 14

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1983

The House met at 10:10 a.m.

Prayers.

MR. REE: Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your election,

and I thank you for the opportunity of making the first introduction in

this first session of the thirty-third parliament.

Over the years I have had the opportunity of introducing my eldest

son Scott to this House. I have also had the opportunity of introducing

my daughter Deanna, — who is getting married tomorrow. This morning I

have the great pleasure of introducing my youngest son — the tallest

son of my children — and I would ask this House to welcome Cameron Ree

to Victoria and to the Legislature for his first visit.

MR. SPEAKER: Hon. members, I submit herewith the

auditor-general of British Columbia's statement of expenditures as at

March 31, 1982. I also submit herewith the special report of the

auditor-general of British Columbia.

HON. MR. CURTIS: I have the honour to present several

reports. First, I have the honour to present the report of the

auditor-general for the year ended March 31, 1982. I also present the

Ministry of Finance's annual report for the year ending December 31,

1982; the compensation stabilization program annual report for 1982;

the statement of Crown proceeding payments for the fiscal year 1982-83,

pursuant to the provisions of the Crown Proceeding Act; the report to

the Legislative Assembly of treasury bill borrowings, as required under

section 43 of the Financial Administration Act; the report of the

Assessment Appeal Board of British Columbia for the 1982 assessment

year; remissions and refunds made under the authority of

section 23 of

the Taxation (Rural Area) Act; the statement of unclaimed money

deposits for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1982; and the official

administrator's annual returns for the calendar year ended December 31,

1982, under the Estate Administration Act,

section 51.

[10:15]

HON. MR. McCLELLAND: I have the pleasure to file the annual

report for 1982 of the human rights branch and the Human Rights

Commission, the sixty-sixth annual report of Workers' Compensation

Board, 1982, and the annual report of the Labour Relations Board of

British Columbia, 1982.

HON. MR. ROGERS: I have the honour to present the annual report of the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority for the year 1982-1983.

HON. MR. PHILLIPS: I have the honour to present the British Columbia Development Corporation's ninth annual report, 1983.

Orders of the Day

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

MR. R. FRASER: I have the honour to move, seconded by the

hon. member for Shuswap-Revelstoke (Mr. Michael), 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 proud to rise as one of two members for Vancouver South, and I

thank the citizens there for supporting me and the man with whom I ran.

I am also proud to be a member of Premier Bennett's team, for I

perceive that to be the one which will lead us into the future and the

one which will help the whole economy of British Columbia and, in fact,

of Canada. I congratulate the Premier and his cabinet on their

re-election and I welcome them back, as I wish to join with them.

Special mention is warranted for you, Mr. Speaker, and the Deputy

Speaker. You perform difficult tasks — a trying task — and rarely

receive the recognition you deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my predecessors in the riding of Vancouver South, and

especially the man with whom I ran, the Hon. Stephen Rogers, the Minister of

Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. It was evident to me throughout the entire

campaign that he is a man who has the respect of the entire community, whether

or not they support the Social Credit Party, and it is very clear to me that

he has done a lot of hard work there, for the work that he did made my own election

much easier. Indeed, I congratulate all the members of the Legislative Assembly

who were elected, and on your behalf, and on behalf of the citizens of B.C.,

thank all those people who ran and lost, for all of us share a common bond:

to serve the citizens of B.C.

In the speech by His Honour, I see realism and compassion as the

overriding themes. It is indeed a people-oriented program, one, in

fact, which will understand and serve the needs of not only the economy

but all the people, rich and poor. It is a call for delivery of

services in a more efficient and less cumbersome way, for good

industrial relations, and for democracy in every sector of our society.

It is a call for government of essentials; a call to the private sector

for cooperation in the development of real jobs, long-term jobs, the

kind that will keep us busy for years. It is recognition of science and

technology, and a move to high tech, where the world is going. And we

must go and we must lead. It is a call to local councils to encourage

job creation in their municipalities through a variable tax assessment

procedure which will come. It's a call for every citizen in B.C. to set

realistic expectations for the future.

Mr. Speaker, if I am famous for making speeches at all, I am famous

for making short rather than long speeches. However, I could speak for

days about the contents of the Throne Speech, for indeed it is the one

which will lead us on and it is the way we are going to come out of

this present economic problem.

Mr. Speaker, the people of B.C. have spoken. They have chosen

Premier Bennett as the leader most capable of leading B.C. In these

difficult times. They chose restraint, leadership and good management.

They chose government with compassion, and they chose a government

capable of making the

[ Page 12 ]

hard decisions necessary in these difficult times,

which may be unpopular when they are made but are recognized later as

being the ones which ought to have been made. That's the government

they chose.

When I speak of realistic expectations, I think about my own

forebears. My mother's family came to this country in 1882 and my

father's side of the family came in 1830, One presumes that their

expectations were high or they would not have come, and I presume

before long their fondest hope was to survive the first cold winter in

eastern Canada. In fact, I suspect their salvation was in their own

self-reliance.

Mr. Speaker, we have all come through a cold economic winter. Our

salvation will be the resilience of the people of B.C., in their

realization that self-reliance is the key, for if those with the

capacity for work are given the hope and opportunity to be productive,

governments and social agencies can help those who are less fortunate.

That is the only way all these things can be done.

I see that hope because the Premier and his colleagues had the

political courage necessary to talk about restraint and to bring in the

compensation stabilization program, which was the best in Canada and

still is the best in Canada. It provides the flexibility to adjust the

wages of both high- and low-paid workers, the lower paid people having

a better chance to get more money. It recognizes the collective

bargaining process that we all know, which is voluntary within the

guidelines and recognizes productivity and, if within the guidelines,

is selfadministered. This is the best program in Canada.

I want to make special note of the fact that our government, under

the leadership of Premier Bennett, was the first to recognize the

downturn in the economy, the first to make public that we had to

restrain ourselves and the first to make those hard decisions. That is

worthy, Mr. Speaker. It is quite clear from May 5 that the people of

B.C. appreciated that. The people of B.C. asked for and have chosen

good management of human and natural resources, a government with

vision and a government of compassion. The mandate is there. Our job is

to deliver and deliver we will.

When we speak of compassion I note that the spending in the Ministry

of Human Resources is up by 32 percent in these hard times. We

understand that in the Ministry of Health, a major component of

government spending in B.C., our spending is up 13 percent. That is

compassion. In education His Honour speaks of training and retraining

now, and in fact the teachers I spoke to during the election, many of

whom supported us, understand restraint and efficiency and wish to work

and make the system work. so that the children of B.C., our children,

will get the education they need. They will be the future leaders and

they will have to understand how the system works.

His Honour spoke of northeast and southeast coal projects, and I am

certain, Mr. Speaker, that those people working there now were quite

happy to see the government reelected. The people who will be working

there are happy to see the government re-elected. It is the vision of

the government and the vision of Premier Bennett that has led us to

these great projects, which will lead us into the future well.

I note the discussion about the Crow rate. No doubt it is

significant to B.C. I don't think too many people understand that. I am

pleased to hear we will be talking about that.

We talk about the great resources of B.C. — natural gas. We

certainly understand that it would be better to use our own resources

wisely than to rely on the importation of oil from overseas, over which

we have no control.

We talk about industrial relations. I praise all those groups who

worked within the guidelines: government workers, municipal workers,

school boards — everybody who cooperated to make that program work. In

fact, the level of cooperation has been nothing short of phenomenal,

and the results have been nothing short of marvellous. Mr. Speaker, we

are lucky that our people understand.

Because of my background in the parks system I was pleased that His

Honour spoke of parks in B.C. As I see it, our heritage in all of

Canada and in western Canada is open spaces. That is why many of our

forefathers came here. The preservation and enhancement of park spaces

is something very close to me. Certainly in the urban centre that I

represent — in fact, I feel myself to be a citizen of the entire city —

there is no doubt that we need open spaces in urban centres.

We talk about the value of big parks and how people can get there,

but in fact there are many people who cannot get to large urban parks,

let alone large provincial parks. That is why, during my term in the

parks system in Vancouver, I pushed for local parks, little parks and

neighbourhood parks, so that the elderly who cannot walk very far and

the children who should not be out of sight of their parents can enjoy

the open spaces. I can assure you that parks and recreation are an

absolutely essential stress-release mechanism. In the trip I took to

Europe some three years ago I noticed — and I want everybody to

remember — that some of the crowded cities are tearing up asphalt

paving. They are tearing buildings down and building parks, closing

streets and making them into pedestrian ways, restricting traffic and

cars.

Sometimes we in Canada, where we have so much space, fail to

understand the social value of those open spaces. I have said publicly

before and will repeat to you that there are some members of the city

council of Vancouver that I wouldn't let loose in Stanley Park with an

axe. These people have no understanding of that value, none whatsoever.

It's important for them to think, today, that the social value of parks

is great. That is why I was pleased to see that in the subdivision of

Riverview Heights proposed by this government there will be a 65-acre

park. Mr. Speaker, that makes sense; it makes a lot of sense.

I was also very pleased to hear the comment about the B.C. Winter

and Summer Games, Mr. Speaker. Two hundred and fifty thousand of our

people participated in the games. It's obvious that the government

understands that healthy minds and healthy bodies go together, and that

people who are fit and well and in a good frame of mind can produce

more and feel better about it, and create more and pay more taxes. This

is the only way we can help those who are less fortunate than we are.

We have to let the working people — the capable people — work, and then

we can help those who aren't so lucky — and we cannot fail to do that,

Mr. Speaker.

His Honour talked briefly about native rights. I do not claim to be

an expert in this field, but, in fact, I am pleased to see the

commitment of the government to work with native peoples and the

federal government to help try to solve this very complex problem,

which clearly cannot be solved overnight. That commitment I appreciate.

We talk about real growth opportunities today — perhaps as high as 6

percent. Wouldn't that be lovely? But this can only happen if we follow

our mandate, if we all work and we all share in the tough decisions. If

we don't make it, people

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will say that the dream was impossible. But we may

be able to make it if we all work together, and the cooperation of

every member of the House is sought in that respect.

[10:30]

I was pleased that the Minister of Forests (Hon. Mr. Waterland), who

is a professional engineer, saw fit to work with the forest industry to

convince our American friends — and they are our friends, and have

been, and hopefully always will be — that in fact our lumber industry

was not subsidized, that in fact the importation of our lumber to their

country was useful to them and certainly useful to us. We are a trading

nation. I was pleased that his effort there was strong and good and, in

fact, effective, for indeed the Americans rejected the countervailing

duties that would have ruined, or possibly ruined, our forest industry.

That industry needs all the help it can get right now.

We talked about vision not too long ago, Mr. Speaker. Certainly the

man with whom I ran, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum

Resources (Hon. Mr. Rogers), the minister responsible for B.C. Place,

the minister responsible for undertaking the first part of the dream of

the Premier, built that stadium, together with a good board of public

officials, and delivered the stadium to the taxpayers of B.C. ahead of

schedule and under budget, and that is worthy. I'm sure there were

times when the board of B.C. Place and the minister responsible were

frustrated: the carping about traffic, the carping about roadways, the

carping about density. Everybody knocked the project — almost everybody

knocked the project — but luckily the vision, together with the

determination of those involved in the project, resulted in its being

finished, as I said, early and on time. I was one of the approximately

60,322 people at that first game on Monday night, and it was wonderful;

those people were happy, and so was I. It is a long-term project that

will benefit not only the city, part of which I represent, but the

entire province. It was a vision unparalleled in Canada — in fact, in

North America. We are lucky to have a government that can see these

things and make these things happen.

We have Expo '86 coming on: another question, another problem, more

carping. We have a minister responsible for that, and I am sure, as

with B.C. Place, that by 1986 it will be in place, the problems will be

put away, and the light rapid transit system that is already underway

will be finished. I know the hon. member sitting to my left will want

me to say that it's going to go to Surrey, and I hope it will. We're

talking efficiencies. We're talking about putting the money into

programs and getting the programs down to the people, instead of having

the money go into operating costs. That is what the government is all

about: getting the money out to the people, making governments less

cumbersome, more efficient. People understand the mood. People are

willing; everybody is tightening their belts. They are pleased to see

the extension of the compensation stabilization program. They want it.

And because of the cooperation, because of the success, we now find the

inflation rate in B.C. below the national average. That is noteworthy,

Mr. Speaker. As the Premier has said, we must earn our way out; we

cannot spend our way out. I think everybody understands that, in spite

of what you might hear them say.

I'm a professional engineer and a small businessman, and I can assure you

that our profession and our industry has not been immune from the effects of

recession. All of us in small business and all of us in the engineering profession

are tightening our belts very hard. I know that unemployment in the engineering

world is unbelievable. In fact, it wasn't that long ago when I think many

engineers felt they were immune from the effects of recession. How much better

we know today. Those people, those small businessmen and engineers, want the

government to do what it is doing. They want it to be lean, and I'm sure

we will be.

I was also pleased, as an engineer, to learn that the University of

Victoria will have an engineering school coming on stream. Engineers

are doers, engineers are builders, and we need people who can do

things. For every engineer that is employed, between three and five

other people in the community are employed as a direct result. They are

technicians, workers in plants, secretaries, or something. For every

engineer employed we get three other people, or five other people, so

we need to get the jobs going, the builders going. I like to see the

engineering school coming on stream.

I was pleased to see the note in His Honour's speech about single

parents, about the commitment to funding for parents and children where

they have gone through divorces or separations. I support that. Those

custodial parents who have no ability to earn and who need the help

clearly should have it, and this government should make every effort to

see that they do. I'm sure that we will.

I was pleased to see the inclusion of housing projects for seniors.

I was pleased to see the inclusion of housing projects for the

disabled. I am pleased to welcome the second member for

Vancouver–Little Mountain (Mr. Mowat), who is a personal friend of

mine. He has shown all of us that the fact you are disabled does not

mean you cannot contribute. His contributions so far have resulted in

the fact that he was awarded an Order of Canada, which is significant

and creditable.

Along with the hon. minister, I represent the riding of Vancouver

South, which is a riding not unlike many that others of you serve. It

is bordered by the Fraser River, Boundary Road, 49th Avenue and Nanaimo

and 41st Avenue and East Boulevard. It is a riding compromised of all

levels of income, all kinds of housing and small and big business. It

is multi-cultural — a true Canadian mix.

During the time the minister and I were touring and knocking on

doors, talking to the workers, housewives and businessmen, there was no

doubt they wanted restraint. There was no doubt they wanted us to work

hard. There was no doubt that they themselves were tightening their

belts and working. I want to thank those people of Vancouver South for

supporting me. Certainly it was phenomenal. I wish to tell all the

people of Vancouver South that I appreciated the kindness they extended

to me through the campaign, whether or not they happened to support the

government. I thought that was a credit to them.

I express my thanks to the candidates who ran and lost. It was a

good, clean campaign, and I thought it was worthy of me to mention them

in that regard.

I would also like to tell the constituents of Vancouver South that I

intend to represent them to the limit of my ability. I would like to

think I could represent them as well as the Minister of Energy, Mines

and Petroleum Resources (Hon. Mr. Rogers) has. I know he is well

thought of there, because the people there told me so.

I was pleased to see some electoral reform concerns expressed by His

Honour in the throne speech. I think it is useful for us to understand

that populations change from time

[ Page 14 ]

to time on a continuing basis when there is a shift

from one area to another. In order that every single voter in B.C. has

a fair shot at getting good representation, I should hope the reform

process would be ongoing. Whether it's ongoing or periodic, it's

something that we have to address, and I am sure we will.

We talked about the hopes for the future. We talked about the fact

that everybody wants restraint. We talked about the willingness to

cooperate and good industrial relations. We talked about real job

creation, long-term job creation and possibly some short term, if it

can be done. I happen to support this. I believe in the free enterprise

system. I believe it's the only way to go.

Mr. Speaker, let me wrap up by saying that there are signs of recovery out there. Let us nurture them carefully.

MR. MICHAEL: I rise to second the Speech from the Throne.

I must say what an honour and privilege it is to be a part of the

Bill Bennett team. It certainly is a privilege to represent the

constituents as the member for Shuswap-Revelstoke, and I sincerely look

forward to representing those constituents through the next few

sessions of the Legislative Assembly.

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your election and

also congratulate the Deputy Speaker, the member for Prince George

South (Mr. Strachan). I was happy to see that he received unanimous

approval from both sides of the House.

I would also like to congratulate all members on both sides of the

House on being elected. I would also like to pass my congratulations on

to all of the defeated candidates in the past election. In excess of

200 people ran for office and there had to be a lot of losers as there

are only 57 seats to fill. I think they played a very important role in

the democratic process. I would like to pass my congratulations on to

them for taking a

part in the democratic process in the province of

British Columbia.

In mentioning the defeated candidates, I would like to point out one

person in particular, Mr. Bill King, the former representative of my

constituency. I would like the members of the House to join with me in

passing on our best wishes and regards to Bill King and his future

endeavours.

At this time I would like to offer the House a few comments on the

constituency of Shuswap-Revelstoke, one of British Columbia's most

scenic and most important regions. I ask you to turn your attention to

Shuswap-Revelstoke, the land of the great Monashee mountain range, the

magnificent Columbia River and Shuswap Lake. It is a constituency that

depends largely on forestry; however, we have quite a mixed

agricultural community. We have beef and pork producers, dairy farmers,

breeders of horses, poultry, lamb, sheep and rabbits, vegetable, fruit

and berry growers — all located within the constituency of

Shuswap-Revelstoke.

In talking about agriculture, I would like to very briefly point out

to the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. Mr. Schroeder) that, in my view, a

horse branch is needed within his department. It is my understanding

that in Alberta there is one person in charge of horses, who gives

advice to the horse community — advice on such subjects as nutrition,

disease control and good pasturing practices. In my view, it would be a

worthwhile review to look at the feasibility of appointing one person

in that department to look at these types of things for the

agricultural community. I assure him that it would have very wide

support from the constituents of Shuswap-Revelstoke. Perhaps, with the

permission of the hon. member for Omineca (Mr. Kempf), we might even

get him a part-time secretary — he could share his secretary.

[10:45]

We also have a very large retirement community in the

Shuswap-Revelstoke constituency. Many people come from outside the

province and within the province to retire in the Shuswap area because

of its beauty and the many things that Shuswap-Revelstoke offers in the

way of recreation and golfing and things along those lines,

We have a very heavy tourist influx, particularly during the summer

months. People come to see the Alpine City — the city of Revelstoke —

and the Shuswap country; they come to visit Sicamous, which is the

houseboat capital of the world, and enjoy the many golf courses and

hiking and fishing opportunities available to those visiting the

Shuswap-Revelstoke constituency.

We also have some mining. A large mine has recently been opened

north of Revelstoke, the Goldstream mine, employing in the

neighbourhood of 150 to 180 people. We have hydro generation from two

large dams, the Revelstoke Dam and the Mica Dam.

My constituency is a large rural area. The people place a strong

value on the quality of life. They have a farming lifestyle. They pride

themselves on their independence and cherish their religious

convictions. We take pride in clean air and clean water in the

environment, and I will be working toward an eventual land disposal

program rather than disposal of treated sewage into our lakes. I will

also be pressing for the continuation of the excellent program that the

Ministry of Environment has been supporting for the control of milfoil

in Shuswap Lake.

In pointing to some of the complexities of my constituency, I would

like to point out that my constituency embraces portions of six

municipalities, three regional districts, four school boards, five

hospital boards, three forest districts, four highway divisions and

thirty hall societies.

Some of the special functions that take place during the calendar year in my

constituency are: the Interior Provincial Exhibition in Armstrong, which is

held in the second weekend of September; the Funfest festivities in Salmon Arm

during the Canada Day weekend; the Salmon Arm Fall Fair held during the third

week of September; the Falkland Stampede — it's very famous and has been

going on for many years — held on the Victoria Day weekend in the month of May;

the Moose-Mouse Days in Sicamous; the Revelstoke Snofest held in February; and

the very famous salute to the sockeye, the Adams River sockeye run, which is

tied into late September and early October. I would like to point out to the

Minister of Tourism (Hon. Mr. Richmond) that the next big run on the Adams River

will be in late September, early October, 1986. Let's try to tie that very

famous event in to Expo 86, to build on that.

In the constituency we also have downhill skiing and some of the

best cross-country skiing in the entire North American continent. The

large hills of Salmon Arm, through recent expansions and building, have

some 150 kilometres of cross-country ski trails. I look forward to

giving that publicity to make it a tourist attraction for the winter

months so as to support the tourist industry in the Salmon Arm area.

[ Page 15 ]

I'd like to make some comments regarding the throne speech, and my

first area would be the compensation stabilization program. I am very

proud of our government's endeavours, very proud of our Premier for

being the first in Canada to come up with a positive program on

restraint. I think our government has received a very clear message

from the electorate that they want less government, not more. We should

be working toward a growth in the public sector that is closer to zero.

Several sections in the private sector — farmers, small businessmen,

industry and the unemployed — have not enjoyed any growth whatsoever,

and I would ask that we work toward coming closer to zero, rather than

the zero-to-ten or six-to-five programs that are currently in effect.

Regarding inflation I am very happy to see that the dominion level

is now down to 5.4 percent. In British Columbia, the most recent 12

months brought a 5.1 percent growth. Members of the assembly would do

well, to look at the rate of inflation in the Dominion of Canada for

the last six months. If you measure that figure and annualize it, it

comes out to 2.97 percent. If we continue for the next six months the

success we have had in the past six months, we indeed will have an

inflation rate of 2.97 percent. I think it is incumbent on all of us to

work toward that target over this next six-month period.

I was very pleased to hear in the Speech from the Throne about the

creation of 67,000 new jobs since January. The government and private

sector in British Columbia must create 40,000 new jobs every 12 months

just to break even, to maintain the current unemployment levels. That

is the challenge before this province and the private sector, with

government policies backing them up.

I would like to see us press our programs in philosophy at our first

ministers' conference in Canada. We must clearly display, through

example, that the secret to creating jobs is creating the environment

and encouraging the private sector, not only in British Columbia but in

all of Canada. We are faced with stiff international competition

throughout the Pacific Rim and we must do an even better job in

increasing productivity. Without increased productivity, we cannot see

improvements in the much needed heath care, environmental and social

services in British Columbia and all of Canada. That must be our

challenge. We must create a better industrial relations climate, for

that is one of the key things to improving the image in Pacific Rim

countries.

Dealing with increased productivity, I think one of the greatest

challenges of any minister in this government is that of the Minister

of Education — the challenge resting on the shoulders of the recently

appointed member for Prince George North (Hon. Mr. Heinrich). He must

prepare our graduates to meet the new challenges of high technology, of

computers, and he must do this by getting cooperation from teachers,

school boards and their respective provincial organizations. We must

understand the stress of the classroom teachers, who have a tremendous

challenge before them in today's world. Having been a school trustee

for the past five years, I have personal knowledge of many of the

complexities in the classroom today. I would say that 20 years ago

probably one child in 20 went home to a single-family parent. I would

predict that the figure today is closer to one in five or one in four.

This has created a lot of stress and emotional problems within the

classroom, and has led to a large degree to the need to create special

programs divisions. I understand the tremendous challenge to the

Minister of Education. He must — we must — expand on our policies,

leadership, understanding and communications to motivate and activate

the talent in our classrooms throughout British Columbia.

Regarding the comments in the throne speech on highways and the fact

that there will be a continuation of expenditures on drainage and

diking, I can say that is most welcomed in Shuswap-Revelstoke. We have

a lot of problems, particularly in the agricultural sector, and I look

forward to working with the Minister of Highways (Hon. Mr. A. Fraser)

in furthering improvements in diking and drainage problems in my

constituency. This will certainly provide for economic returns for the

farming sector throughout this province and will pass economic benefits

onto all the province by improving productivity in those areas. I am

very pleased with the past support we have received from the Ministry

of Highways in our constituency and very pleased that a lot of

improvements have been made. These improvements are needed to provide

efficiency and safety for the constituents in Shuswap-Revelstoke and

throughout the province.

I'd like to say a few words, Mr. Speaker, about the Crowsnest Pass

freight rate. Under the Crow rate, unchanged since 1897, farmers can

ship a tonne of grain for .05 cents per tonne mile. In other words, an

Alberta farmer can ship a tonne of wheat from Calgary to Vancouver, a

distance of 672 miles, for a freight charge of 33.6 cents, just

fractionally more than the cost of mailing a first-class letter.

Western Canada stands to lose billions of dollars in rail upgrading

over the next four years if the Crow rate is retained, with enormous

loss of attendant construction jobs and mining-related jobs due to the

inability of southeast coal to meet the volumes required by overseas

customers, solely as a result of failure to upgrade.

The potential impact of not abolishing the Crow rate has horrendous

implications for B.C.'s economy. British Columbia stands to benefit

immensely from federal initiatives to repeal the Crow rate and beef up

our western transportation system. B.C.'s benefits will come from the

direct rail investment estimated at $5.4 billion — one-third of that

planned for all of Canada, providing an estimated 87,000 person-years

of employment. This includes CP Rail's plan to build the Beaver tunnel

and double-tracking from Golden to Revelstoke. The railway expects to

build a coal car repair shop at Golden, expand its maintenance

facilities at Golden and install major microwave communications

equipment. CN will be improving its north line through the mountains to

Prince Rupert and expanding its terminals at Prince George, Smithers

and Terrace. Half of CN Rail's south line will be double-tracked with

yards expanded in Kamloops and Vancouver.

The money spent by the railways will have a ripple effect throughout

British Columbia's economy, creating thousands of full-time jobs. The

construction industry will get a major boost in building new railway

facilities. Crews will be laying new tracks and building new bridges

and culverts. Maintenance crews will have more work; more full-time

draughtsmen and engineers will be hired. The metal industries will also

supply goods for railway construction. New businesses will be opened in

British Columbia's electronics industry. The wood products industry

will be called upon to help supply and treat the 3.4 million wooden

ties needed to lay the new track. British Columbia's coal prospects are

also directly affected. New legislation will release the federal coal

blocks in southeastern British Columbia for future development. This

large deposit of high quality coal which had been locked in by a fixed

selling price of $2 a tonne will be a new source of

[ Page

16 ]

supply for domestic use and export. Additional

exports of British Columbia and Alberta coal during the decade could

grow to a value of between $1.5 billion and $2 billion a year,

depending on rail upgrading and a more fair balance in rail shipping

charges between grain and coal.

As was stated yesterday in the Speech from the Throne, this

investment, which is crucial to the future of British Columbia as a

trading province and which could dwarf investment in northeast coal

infrastructure, is on hold pending resolution of the Crowsnest Pass

freight rate issue. The government of B.C. will seek an early

resolution on this issue, which is in the best interest of the people

of the province, and will ask the support of this House to aid in its

efforts. I am proud of our Premier's efforts in attempting to bring

about the necessary changes to the Crow rate, and I hope to see

unanimous approval of this resolution, which will be introduced shortly.

Mr. Speaker, regarding the Ministry of Lands, Parks and Housing, I

can say that I am very pleased with the mortgage subsidy program

brought in by that department. It has certainly assisted in saving a

lot of homes in my constituency and, I am sure, throughout the province

of British Columbia. I am also proud of the work done by that

department in subsidizing and assisting senior citizen housing

projects, of which there are many throughout my constituency. I am very

pleased with the two recent announcements of further expansions, one in

Salmon Arm and one in Revelstoke. I can say that this will go a long

way towards enabling elderly parents to stay close to their families.

[11:00]

Regarding the proposed changes to the the Labour Code, speaking

specifically to the long-debated issue of the process of certification

and decertification, I would like to say that as far as I am concerned

I don't care whether the magic number to trigger a vote is 33 percent,

35 percent, 40 percent, 45 percent or 50 percent plus one. My only

position is that whatever is fair for certification should also be fair

for decertification. I will fight to protect the interests and the

right of those to organize. If a group of employees have an employer

who is not treating them equitably or fairly, then they should have the

right to join a union. Alternatively, if a group of organized workers

wish to leave their union because they are not happy with its policies

on the local union administration, or if they are not happy with

unbending or rigid policies being made without consultation with the

rank and file, then I say they should have the right of equal

opportunity to choose whether they wish to leave.

Regarding the makeup of the Labour Relations Board, I wonder what

happened to public representation on the board. I can recollect

experiences with the Labour Relations Board when it was made up of

one-third, one-third, one-third, representing management, labour and

the public. I think the public has a case to be made for representation

on that board. Why shouldn't the agricultural community, small

businesses, housewives and the unemployed have representation on the

board, when the decisions of that board certainly have an effect on all

those sections of the public?

It's my view that the labour standards act is in fact superimposing conditions

and constraints on employers and employees with collective agreements. It's

a perfect example of government interference in free trade unions and in the

private sector. I think we should give serious consideration in this House to

removing the effects and the law of the labour standards act from all employers

and employees covered by freely negotiated collective agreements. They stand

in the way of agreements and superimpose laws and restrictions that those employees

and employers have agreed on in the free collective bargaining process over

a bargaining table.

I think we should be reviewing the role of arbitrators in wage

settlements. One perfect example of the irresponsibility of arbitrators

was displayed in the teacher's settlement affecting the year 1982 — the

decisions were made in November 1981. This is no reflection on the

teachers or their organization. It was a direct result of the

arbitration process that landed a settlement of 17.4 percent or 17.5

percent, resulting in a total cost to the taxpayers of 19.5, at the

very point in time when this province was going through its most

critical financial constraints. It has brought a great burden to the

taxpayers. It is my view that the rules and regulations regarding

arbitrators should be reviewed and, indeed, amended.

Mr. Speaker, I think enough has been and will be said about the

ferry workers. It is my view that this government has a mandate to act.

The right to strike of ferry workers should be taken away — not

necessarily because of their past actions, but because the threat, the

rumours and the discussion of a strike place an unfair burden on

businesses, the public and whose who depend on the tourist industry. I

think there should be legislation put in place that treats them fairly

and equitably in line with their peer groups, and it is my view that we

should act immediately in taking that right to strike away from the

ferry workers throughout the province of British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to say a few words regarding northeast coal.

Northeast coal is an investment in the future of British Columbia. The

government's $750 million investment represents only a fraction of the

$2.5 billion being spent on the project, yet it will result in a net

return of $350 million in taxes, surcharges and other levies. The

financial benefits of northeast coal will go a long way towards paying

for our schools, hospitals, and social programs in the future.

Moreover, northeast coal is providing jobs for British Columbians right

now. Already 6,800 construction jobs have been created by the project

this year, and there will be permanent employment for another 2,230

people in mining, transportation and port-handling once the mines begin

operating in a few months. The potential benefits are even greater.

Depending on future contracts and the economic conditions, northeast

coal could generate as many as 18,000 to 28,000 direct and indirect

jobs.

Nor is coal-mining the only industry which will benefit from the

government's investment. The extension of the BCR line will provide

access to the rich timber resources and the other mineral resources in

the northeastern part of the province and will also provide access to

the Elmworth gas basin, the largest single pool of natural gas in

Canada. So the money being spent on northeast coal is not being wasted;

it is an investment in the future, an investment in the natural

resources of the province, and an investment in the skills and

initiative of British Columbians. Again, Mr. Speaker, I am proud of our

Premier, our government, and our Minister of Industry and Small

Business Development (Hon. Mr. Phillips) for their vision, confidence

and determination in preparing this vast resource development.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to make special mention of the Winter Games held in Revelstoke. It was with

[ Page 17 ]

a great deal of pride that the people of Revelstoke accepted the

challenge of hosting the Winter Games. I'd like to say that 1,640

athletes participated. There were 2,100 local volunteers in the small

community of Revelstoke who rolled up their sleeves and made those

games happen, and assisted in their administration and development. I'd

like to make special mention of the person who headed up that large

group of volunteers, Rosemary Imlah. There were 72,000 youths in the

playdowns leading up the Revelstoke Winter Games. I am informed that a

BCTV survey during the games indicated that they had 193,300 viewers at

the height of the Games — a larger viewing audience than "M*A*S*H." I

believe the Premier deserves a great deal of credit in developing the

Winter and Summer Games; it is a creative opportunity for young British

Columbians to excel.

Mrs. Dailly moved adjournment of the debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. Mr. Gardom moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 11:09 a.m.

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