2003 Legislative Session: 4th Session, 37th 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)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2003

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 11, Number 1

CONTENTS

Routine

Proceedings

Page

Speech from the Throne

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

An Act to Ensure the Supremacy of Parliament

(Bill 1)

Hon. G. Plant

Motions without Notice

Appointment of Deputy Speaker

Hon. G. Collins

Appointment of Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole

Hon. G. Collins

Printing of Votes and Proceedings

Hon. G. Plant

Appointment of select standing committees

Hon. G. Campbell

[ Page 4697 ]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2003

The House

met at 2:04 p.m.

This being

the first day of the fourth session of the thirty-seventh Legislative Assembly

of the province of British Columbia for the dispatch of business, pursuant to a

proclamation of the Hon. Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant-Governor of the province,

hon. members took their seats.

Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, Rabbi Harry Brechner will lead us in prayer this

afternoon.

Brechner: Shalom aleichem . May peace be unto all of us. Hinei mah tov u'mah na im shevet achim gam yachad.

It is good and important for brothers and sisters to dwell and sit together in

unity.

Ribono shel

olam , master, source of the universe, source of all life, dear God, receive

with compassion our prayer on behalf of our province, its government, its

leaders and its people. Bless the rich tapestry of our Canadian diversity, the

many strands of race and creed, of culture and language, that we may know the

blessing of unity through diversity.

[1405]

May all the

people of our province learn and teach the ways of their ancestors and share

them proudly. May we honour with humility those who first dwelled on this rich

and beautiful land, and learn from them the sacredness of earth and sky and

water.

Ha-Rachaman ,

compassionate God, teach us your way of compassion. Bless and preserve the

caring spirit of our province and its institutions that translate spirit into

action. We ask for your blessings for those assembled here, the leaders and

advisers of our province. Grant them strength, courage, clarity of purpose and

sensitivity. Teach them the insights of your Torah — your

teachings — as they provide leadership to our province that is grounded in

righteousness, goodness and fairness.

May we all

experience peace and security, happiness and prosperity. May our great province

be a blessing for Canada and the rest of the world, reflecting the teachings of

the great Talmudic sage Hillel. Be like the followers of Aaron, the brother of

Moses — lovers of peace and pursuers of peace; people who have love and

respect for all of creation, bringing us all closer to our source, closer to

God. And let us say Amen.

Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, I am advised that the Lieutenant-Governor is in the

precincts, and she asks that all members remain in their seats.

Her Honour

the Lieutenant-Governor, having entered the House and being seated on the

throne, was pleased to deliver the following gracious speech.

Speech from the Throne

Hon.

I. Campagnolo (Lieutenant-Governor): Pray be seated.

Mr. Speaker,

hon. members, I join you again when, as legislators, you look to the future of

our great province and the future of all its peoples through this Speech from

the Throne.

Since this

assembly last convened, several honoured British Columbians have passed away,

and we pay tribute to them today. They include Vancouver lawyer Peter Butler,

forestry consultant and entrepreneur Charles Widman, Provincial Court Judge

William Ostler and Haida artist Freda Diesing. We also note the passing of one

of this country's admired former Governors General, Ramon Hnatyshyn; and one of

the most honoured citizens of this province, Brig.-Gen. the Hon. Henry

Bell-Irving, who served British Columbia both as a soldier and as a citizen and

was a distinguished Lieutenant-Governor from 1978 to 1983. All these citizens

and many more that we have lost since we last met have added much to the life of

this province and are sorely missed.

On behalf of

all members, I also send the good wishes of this assembly and the people of

British Columbia to former Premier Mike Harcourt for a continued positive

recovery from his recent and terrible accident.

[1410]

A lot has

happened over the past year as the world has struggled to recover from the

devastating after-effects of September 11, 2001. We live in trying, uncertain

times of great global change. New solutions are required to cope with the

generational challenges that all provinces are facing in health care, education

and other vital social program areas. New approaches are needed to refocus

public resources where they are most needed: on people — patients, students

and those most vulnerable in our society.

Significant

change is needed to make our economy more competitive and to build a stronger

foundation for prosperity for every family in every region of our province.

Reforms are required to make our government institutions and services more

responsive and accountable to the people they serve.

Yet, with the

need for change and modernization come exciting new worlds of opportunity. These

are times of renewal, hope and accomplishment. They are times of discovery,

achievement and unlimited possibility. No place on Earth is blessed with more

potential than British Columbia. In the heartlands of British Columbia, from one

community to the next, the optimism of the people burns bright, as it has

throughout our history. It is that indefatigable sense of confidence and

community spirit that has always been the hallmark of British Columbia. In these

times, as in those long past, it is the strength and imaginations of British

Columbians that carry us to a brighter future.

We still have

a long way to go, and there are challenges yet ahead, but we are moving forward

farther, faster than anyone thought possible. The world will open up for us as

we open up our province to all British Columbians and to the world. That is our

central strategic imperative. It is the mission to open up British Columbia to

the wealth of opportunities that lie in wait of our discovery.

We must open

our minds to new ways of meeting our common interests. We must open up our

province to new partnerships with first nations, other govern-

[ Page 4698 ]

ments and private enterprise. This is the government's overriding vision: to

open up every region and every community to new horizons of hope; to open up

every sector of our economy to new opportunities wherever they exist; to open up

the free flow of goods and services and people within our province and with our

trading partners; to open up every region of B.C. to visitors from around the

globe through a successful 2010 Olympic bid.

There is no

place on Earth that has more to offer the world than British Columbia. With all

we have to work with as a province — our wealth of talent, our rich natural

resources and our tremendous competitive advantages — there is no dream that

we cannot realize if we really want to make it happen.

Opening up our

democratic institutions. Today across the country Canadians have lost some of

ability to meet their needs and to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing

world. Your government is acting to change that. It has worked to open up our

public institutions to the people of the province through a number of reforms

that are, in some cases, without precedent in Canada or the Commonwealth.

These include

free votes, active legislative committees, new government caucus committees,

televised open cabinet meetings and a set date for provincial general elections.

There are now three-year rolling service plans with performance targets that

ministers must meet to earn their full pay and an independent Progress Board to

report on how well our province is doing. All these measures have made the

government more open, accessible and accountable to British Columbians.

The

government's initiative to create Canada's first provincial congress reflects

the growing understanding amongst all Canadians that all elected officials serve

the same citizens. Provincial dialogues on health and education have reinforced

the government's prime commitment to improve health and education, as well as

its dedication to new ideas, to learn from one another and to bring British

Columbians together in search of new solutions to their common challenges.

We can open up

new worlds of possibility if we have access to the information and facts needed

to make informed decisions. New efforts will be made to ensure that British

Columbians do have the information they need to understand the challenges their

government faces and to assess decisions it is making on their behalf.

Additional

resources will be committed to foster informed public debate of the facts and

choices at hand and understanding of the opportunities and solutions the

government is pursuing in the public interest. The government will do more this

year to bring citizens together in search of new ideas for constructive change.

A dialogue on

crime will bring together community leaders, MLAs, law enforcement experts and

others in pursuit of better ways to prevent and combat crime in our schools and

on our streets. In the interim, legislation will be introduced this session to

help our police better manage and track information on criminals, suspects and

sentencing conditions imposed by the courts. This new high-tech, computer-based

system will enhance public safety and will be provided to police across British

Columbia.

A seniors and

youth congress will also be organized to examine the challenges facing our

province from the perspective of both the younger generation and seniors. The

government wants to build a bridge between the generations where the enthusiasm

of new ideas of youth is tempered by the wisdom of experience.

[1415]

Moreover,

this year your government will put the drafting pen in the hands of the people

to shape the future of our parliamentary democracy in the twenty-first century.

A citizens' assembly will examine and make recommendations on the crucial issue

of electoral reform. British Columbians will have an unprecedented opportunity

to review and debate all models available throughout the world for electing

their MLAs consistent with our system of responsible government. If the assembly

ultimately determines that there is a better model than the current system, that

model will be put directly to the people in a referendum to amend our provincial

constitution on May 17, 2005. A motion will be introduced in this assembly

within the next few weeks to initiate this process, following the release of the

report on the issue that was so ably completed by the respected Gordon Gibson.

To open up the

future, we must have the confidence to challenge the status quo and build upon

the values of British Columbians. We must embark upon a bold, exciting new

course — one that ventures to dare and dream and to do whatever might be done

to make B.C. the best it can be.

Opening up new

worlds of possibility. Education is the key to opening up new worlds of

possibility, and along with health care, it is your government's highest social

priority. This year the government will build on the major reforms introduced in

education last year. New measures will be taken to improve graduation

requirements and ensure graduates have the skills they need in life after

school.

Amendments

will be introduced to the Teaching Profession Act that will enhance

accountability and administrative efficiency while clarifying the role of the

British Columbia College of Teachers. New steps will be taken to encourage

student involvement in education planning in schools. New web-based

informational tools will help parents foster student achievement and improve

literacy and numeracy skills.

Similarly,

improvements will be made to advanced education. Our universities remain a

source of provincial pride and educational excellence. The government will

continue to help liberate the expertise and potential that exist within our

universities to ensure that they remain the engines of knowledge generation and

discovery. It will continue to pursue new partnerships through initiatives like

the leading-edge endowment

[ Page 4699 ]

fund, Genome B.C. and the B.C. life sciences initiative, which will build on

the nearly $700 million the government has committed to advance research and

foster innovation in British Columbia.

Your

government is excited by the contributions that are made by B.C.'s exceptional

colleges and institutes throughout the province. This year the government will

initiate a new research partnership aimed at providing new resources for applied

economic and social research that takes place in our colleges. The new B.C.

regional innovation chairs will be seed-funded by a $7.5 million one-time grant

from the government. The chairs will be administered by the leading-edge

endowment fund.

The

legislative Committee on Education will focus its attention on B.C.'s institutes

and colleges to determine what can be done to build on their accomplishments.

The new BCcampus on-line learning model will be advanced to significantly

increase access to post-secondary education.

A new private

career training institutions act will be introduced to guide career-related

private training and to ensure tuition protection for students. A new model for

industry training in trades and technical sectors will be implemented to address

skills shortages and increase training and apprenticeships. All of these

initiatives will help open up worlds of learning for British Columbians.

Opening up new

hope for sustainable, accessible health care. No area of government is in more

dire need of reform than health care. We must find new ways of controlling

rising health costs while also increasing access to services, drugs, technology

and highly skilled health professionals. Despite the $1.1 billion increase that

the government has directed to health care, it is still not enough to keep pace

with British Columbians' growing demands, an aging population and rising

expectations for ever bigger, better and more expensive health care services.

Over the past

decade Pharmacare costs have jumped by 147 percent and are now projected to grow

by almost 500 percent over the next two decades. Over the past ten years we've

seen the cost of health care grow from 34 percent of all expenditures to 41

percent today. This growth in health spending is increasingly squeezing out the

money available in the budget for other vital social services.

Clearly, this

trend cannot continue. New solutions are needed. New approaches are required.

New cooperative relationships and cost containment strategies are essential.

[1420]

The

additional federal funding negotiated at last week's first ministers' conference

will help, but it will not in itself solve our sustainability problem or

adequately offset the cost pressures of current health services and health

reform. The province's vision for health care, the Picture of Health,

clearly outlines many reforms that will also help meet the challenges at hand.

More steps will be taken this year to act on that vision.

The action

schools project represents only one of several initiatives that will be taken to

promote health prevention and wellness. The new 24-7 B.C. NurseLine, the B.C.

HealthGuide , the aboriginal companion handbook and new programs aimed at

early childhood development will also help promote health and wellness for all

B.C. families.

Later this

year the government will initiate a new strategy for chronic disease management.

New measures will be taken to strengthen British Columbia's ambulance service.

Your government will continue to pursue new independent living options for

seniors to improve their quality of life and to reduce pressures on long-term

care facilities.

A new Fair

Pharmacare plan will be introduced later this month, which will significantly

benefit most British Columbians living on fixed and lower incomes. Some 280,000

low-income families will pay less than they do now. For the first time, young

families with lower incomes will be supported in their drug costs through the

Fair Pharmacare plan. The new Fair Pharmacare plan will end the existing

inequities whereby higher-income earners sometimes pay less for their drug costs

than those with much lower incomes. Yet it will ensure that the vast majority of

B.C. families will pay the same or less for their prescription drugs than they

do today. All these measures will help put health care on a solid and

sustainable footing for the future.

Opening up new

ways of meeting our common interests. Your government will continue to open up

new ways of meeting our citizens' common interests. New steps will be taken this

year to improve choice and access to child care services, as all services are

consolidated under the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services.

The new funding model announced last December will increase the number of

government-funded child care spaces by over 50 percent, from 45,000 to 70,000.

More than 1,400 licensed family and group child care providers will be eligible

for government assistance for the first time.

The government

will also introduce legislation to open up a new provincial authority called

community living B.C. to oversee the design and delivery of services to people

with developmental disabilities. As the government continues with employment

assistance reforms aimed at fostering greater independence and self-sufficiency,

funding will continue to be focused on those who need it most. Funding for

employment programs for people with disabilities was increased by 40 percent

this past fiscal year, and in the new year those with disabilities will see

their earnings exemptions rise again.

The changes

the government has made have not been easy or without controversy, but they are

working. Today there are 55,000 fewer British Columbians dependent on income

assistance than there were when the government came to office. Exit surveys show

that 92 percent of those leaving income assistance have done so for employment,

educational opportunities or because they have other sources of income. The

majority, 66 percent, found paid employment and are gener-

[ Page 4700 ]

ally earning two or three times more than they were on welfare.

Opening up

recognition and reconciliation with first nations. If history has taught us

anything, surely it is this: we are always stronger as a country and a province

when we work together. We are enhanced as a people when we celebrate our

diversity and build on all we have in common. We are enriched when we listen to

one another and learn from our mistakes.

Nowhere is

that truer than with the government's relations with first nations. For too long

we have been stuck in a rut of our own making, talking past each other and

heading in opposite directions. There is no mileage in the status quo. To make

progress, we must all find a new path forward together. We must move beyond the

old approaches and flawed policies of the past. It is up to us to accord first

nations the respect, support and social and economic opportunities to which they

are entitled.

Errors have

been made in the past. Our institutions have failed aboriginal people across our

province. Your government deeply regrets the mistakes that were made by

governments of every political stripe over the course of our province's history.

It regrets the tragic experiences visited upon first nations through years of

paternalistic policies that fostered inequity, intolerance, isolation and

indifference. Inadequate education, health care and housing; rampant

unemployment, alcoholism and drug abuse; unconscionably high rates of physical

and sexual abuse, incarceration, infant mortality and suicide are the hallmarks

of despair and have disproportionately afflicted first nations families on and

off reserve.

These are the

legacies of history that we must act to erase. They are sad reminders that it is

always the children who pay the biggest price for society's shortcomings.

[1425]

No words of

regret can ever undo the damage that has been done to first nations in all the

years we have shared this land together. Nor are governments solely responsible

for all the misfortunes endured by first nations at the cruel hand of history.

The point of reflecting on the errors made is not to assign blame or bear guilt

for the actions of our forefathers. Rather, it is to assume today's

responsibility to heal the wounds that time has wrought. It is to offer our hand

in a new partnership of optimism and hope as one people of many peoples in

pursuit of common goals. The place to meet is at the negotiating table, not the

courts or on opposite sides of new barriers to understanding.

Your

government will prove this year that it is serious about negotiating workable,

affordable treaties that will provide certainty, finality and equality. It will

take bold steps to advance issues that are common to most treaty tables, such as

governance, certainty and access to fish. Agreements in principle are within

reach. With goodwill and mutual commitment, we can break new ground and lead by

example.

Progress is

not just being made in treaty talks. First nations leaders have worked closely

with the government to create social and economic opportunities for their

communities throughout British Columbia. Your government is determined to

provide a new level of economic opportunity for first nations communities and

peoples.

A three-year,

$30 million economic measures fund has been established to help first nations

pursue new economic opportunities now. That fund will be indefinitely extended

with an additional $10 million per year. Funding has been approved to support

aboriginal involvement in oil and gas, tourism, forestry, fish aquaculture and

the Olympic bid.

Your

government is working to expand first nations involvement in the comanagement of

parks and recreational services. A formal new partnership with aboriginal

leaders is leading the country in aboriginal child protection and family

development. Funding has been enhanced for aboriginal post-secondary programs,

early childhood development, child care services and programs to protect and

promote aboriginal languages. The First Citizens Fund is being doubled from $36

million to $72 million.

All of these

initiatives will help, but more must be done. The treaty process will not be

completed overnight. It will take time. Interim measures will help, but it must

be remembered that a third of first nations have opted not to participate in the

treaty process. Regardless, the courts have been very clear that the Crown

always has a legal duty to consult and accommodate first nations where their

rights may be affected. Your government will do more over the next years to meet

that obligation.

It will work

with first nations and others to explore ways of building upon the provincial

policy for consultation with first nations in furtherance of the new-era goal of

developing a legislative framework for respecting aboriginal rights in the

absence of treaties. Efforts to renew forestry, develop energy, build tourism,

restore mining, revitalize the fishery, expand agriculture and improve health

care delivery and educational prospects all create new opportunities for British

Columbians that must include first nations.

Clearly, new

partnerships are required to promote greater equity and certainty for all

concerned, aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike. Achieving those partnerships

will require new commitments to cooperative approaches on everyone's part,

especially in our forest and fishing industries. Significant reforms will be

introduced this year to ensure that more access to logging and forest

opportunities is available to first nations.

Your

government will take another bold step to forge a new era of reconciliation with

first nations. Starting this year, funding will be earmarked in the budget for

revenue-sharing arrangements with first nations that wish to help revitalize the

forest industry in their traditional territories. The distribution of that

revenue will be negotiated with the first nations in exchange for legal

certainty that allows all regions and all British Columbians to more fairly

prosper from their resource industries.

[ Page 4701 ]

The future

will be forged in partnership with first nations, not in denial of their

history, heritage and culture. It will be won in recognition of first nations

constitutional rights and title, not lost for another generation because we

failed to act. It will be earned through reconciliation and mutual respect. It

will be built with bold new approaches that will materially improve first

nations quality of life before and after treaties are concluded.

Opening up the

Canada–British Columbia partnership. As your government acts to create a new

generation of understanding and collaboration with first nations, it recognizes

that the federal government must also play a crucial role. The province is

striving to create a new Canada–British Columbia partnership that meets the

needs of all our citizens and includes everyone in the promise of Canada.

[1430]

British

Columbians want their provincial and federal governments to work together on

their behalf, not in isolation or opposition to one another. B.C. taxpayers also

want to see a fairer share of their federal tax contributions being reinvested

in the province. Your government is pleased with the federal government's

growing appreciation of this fact. Over the past year significant commitments

have been made in partnership with British Columbia. The province is working in

partnership with the federal government on the 2010 Olympic bid, the new

Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, the new Gulf Islands national park, the

softwood lumber dispute, the pine beetle infestation and cross-border

initiatives.

The

governments have joined together to build important new infrastructure and

strong new partnerships. British Columbia's new life sciences initiative is one

such example. It has the potential to provide support for cutting-edge research

in life sciences critical to our traditional resource industries and to our

future. New knowledge, new technologies and applied applications will create a

new wave of economic opportunity for entrepreneurial scientists and small

businesses across B.C. Working with the federal government, we are confident we

can close the digital divide that separates many aboriginal and rural British

Columbians from the world of information opportunity and benefits that flow from

broadband access.

Another area

where the province is working in partnership with the federal government is in

transportation. Improvements to highways and border crossings have already

begun. But more is needed, starting with critical improvements to the

Trans-Canada Highway. That is your government's top priority for funding under

the new British Columbia–Canada partnership. We need to open up Canada's

gateway to British Columbia through the Kicking Horse Canyon of the Trans-Canada

Highway. Your government will pursue that goal and other priorities to meet

British Columbians' transport needs under the new Canada–British Columbia

partnership.

As well, the

government is working with the federal government to harmonize environmental

assessment policies and to improve fisheries management. This year the

government is hoping to enter into a new multi-year national agricultural policy

to improve food safety, quality and environmental sustainability. It will also

explore the potential for a new national park in the Okanagan, as well as new

marine parks to protect some of our most valuable marine ecosystems.

There is so

much that can be achieved for our province and our country when we build them

both together. This is the promise of Confederation.

Opening up new

partnerships with local governments. Your government will also open up new

partnerships with local governments. A new community charter will shortly be

introduced to give local governments greater autonomy, new planning tools and

new sources of revenue. New partnerships will be opened up with the private

sector. Partnerships B.C. will aggressively pursue public-private partnerships

that will improve customer services, maximize private sector investment and

minimize costs to taxpayers. While public-private partnerships are already

underway with a new ambulatory care centre in Vancouver and the new Fraser

Valley Health Centre, new public-private partnerships will be actively sought

this year in transportation, health care, information technology, housing, and

land and resource development.

Opening up

British Columbia to the world. There can be no better way to open up our

province to the world than by hosting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games in

Vancouver and Whistler. No money could ever buy the exposure that the event

would give our province over the next decade and beyond. What better way to

invite the world to visit our province and build our tourism industry? What

better way to turbocharge our economy and create lasting legacies of

achievement? What better way to celebrate our multicultural heritage as

Canadians?

All of Canada

is counting on us to win that bid. Cities across the nation forfeited their own

chance to bid for the Olympics so that we might win the bid for all Canadians.

Now we are approaching the finish line with only two other cities vying for the

honour of standing in the spotlight.

The Olympics

are about much more than tourism or sport. They're about reaching for the best

in all of us. It is the light of competition, dedication, commitment, discipline

and excellence that shines from the Olympic flame. It is the light of humanity

and international unity. It is the light in a young person's eye as he or she

dreams of standing on the podium, singing our national anthem.

The Olympics

are all about showing ourselves and all the world just how much we can do and

how great we can be in every respect as individuals, communities, British

Columbians and Canadians. They are all about giving our country and our province

a chance to shine, a chance to achieve more than we ever thought possible.

The economic

benefits of hosting the Olympics are undeniable. They will also attract billions

of dollars in new investment and economic activity in our province

[ Page 4702 ]

and create thousands of new jobs. Independent studies have confirmed what

former Olympic hosts, from Calgary to Sydney to Salt Lake City, have told us.

The Olympics will generate far more in jobs and economic activity than their

cost. Ask Lake Placid, Albertville, Lillehammer or Seoul. They all agree it was

the best thing they ever did.

[1435]

Should we

be successful this July, we will gain a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase

our province to some two billion viewers worldwide. We will gain the right to

build upon the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games for years before and after that

magnificent event. What a legacy it would leave to our children. What an

opportunity it would afford our tourism industry in communities throughout our

province. What a way it would be to put our province, our athletes and our

nation front and centre on the world stage. The decision will be made on July 2.

Opening up our

transportation infrastructure. The key to building our province has always been

to open up B.C. to new opportunities for growth and prosperity wherever they

exist; to open up our gateways to all of Canada and the world; to open up our

provincial lands and resources to wealth creation; to open up every region to

better transportation infrastructure and freer movements of goods, services and

people. Your government has a vision for transportation to do just that.

In rural

British Columbia there are roads that you cannot drive on because they are in

such bad shape. Resource industries face increasing costs and complications

because our transportation system simply does not meet their needs. Cities and

suburbs are choked by traffic and are in desperate need of public transit.

Coastal communities need improved ferry services to meet not just their economic

needs but their social needs as well. Goods must flow freely to our customers on

the continent and around the world if our economy is to prosper. Ports need to

be opened to new levels of access, and our airports need to be recognized as

critical social and economic infrastructure. When our transportation system is

failing, we cannot work together as we should or reach our full potential as a

province.

Your

government has completed the first stage of a comprehensive transportation plan.

It is a vision that opens up the north with major improvements to rural roads,

new access to gas and oil fields, and the completion of the new Nisga'a Highway.

The heartlands of our province will be opened up through an integrated rail

network that improves service and protects public ownership of the B.C. Rail

lines, beds and rights-of-way.

Improvements

to the Kicking Horse Canyon will open up the Kootenays and the Columbia Valley

to the rest of Canada and to all of B.C. New investments in border

infrastructure will improve the movement of our goods to customers. The Island

and the coast will be opened up to greater choice and competition and better

service through new B.C. Ferry services, and your government will continue to

work to ensure airports become the regional, social and economic engines they

should be. Improvements to transportation are long overdue, and starting this

year, they will be secured for the future through dedicated funding from fuel

tax revenue that ensures those investments are made.

Opening up a

revitalized forestry industry. No issue will dominate this session's legislative

agenda like the reforms aimed at revitalizing B.C.'s forest industry. A number

of measures will be taken to open up our forest industry and put it on sound,

sustainable, competitive footing. This session your government will introduce

legislation to create a working forest land base. The working forest is meant to

secure a working land base for forest companies, forest workers and communities

throughout the heartlands of British Columbia.

The government

will pass forest reforms to diversify tenure and move toward market-based

stumpage that is regionally sensitive and socially responsible. These measures

will ensure that British Columbians get top value for every log harvested from

their public forests. More timber will be available for innovative, smaller

local operators through the B.C. timber sales program and also for first

nations.

Fair

compensation will be assured for existing tenure holders that recognizes both

the benefits and the costs of reform. There will be benefits from the

elimination of waterbedding, cost controls and appurtenancy requirements that

have hurt forest companies' ability to successfully compete. We will maintain

current restrictions on the export of logs from Crown lands. As noted,

significant steps will be taken to involve and accommodate first nations

interests in the development of forest resources.

These measures

will not be easy, painless or welcomed by all. Restructuring of this magnitude

simply cannot be made without some short-term dislocation. But restructuring is

needed now, and it cannot wait. The coastal industry is in deep trouble and has

implored the government to act, despite the attendant hardships and growing

pains that will inevitably result in the short term. To delay further would be

to invite devastating consequences and unthinkable permanent job losses. The

changes that must be made are difficult yet absolutely critical to the coastal

industry's long-term viability and survival.

[1440]

The

interior forest industry faces other structural pressures beyond the softwood

lumber dispute. The pine beetle infestation threatens communities throughout

most of the interior and the north.

Your

government will continue to work with the industry in each region to act in a

measured, determined way to bring about the right reforms at the right time for

the greatest public good. The government's primary concern, as we move through

this generational change in forest policy, is the people who count on the

forests directly for their livelihoods. It will work with labour, the federal

government and industry representatives to try to mitigate the trauma of change

on people's lives in our heartlands communities.

Over the long

term, the government's forest reforms will modernize our forest industry and

make it

[ Page 4703 ]

more competitive. Forestry will remain British Columbia's number one industry

for many, many years to come. This year the sun will begin to rise on a new

forest industry, where forest workers look to the future with confidence and

with optimism.

Opening up

B.C.'s heartlands to economic growth. Your government's new B.C. heartlands

economic strategy will open up new opportunities for economic growth throughout

our entire province. The Ministry of Competition, Science and Enterprise will

complete and implement economic development plans across the province,

incorporating plans for infrastructure, human capital and marketing.

The B.C.

heartlands economic strategy will open up new partnerships with first nations;

new investments in transportation infrastructure; new opportunities for tourism,

sport and recreation from a successful Olympics bid; and a revitalized forest

industry. Yet more will be done.

No sector of

our economy offers more promise for job and wealth creation throughout British

Columbia than our energy industry. The new energy policy will open up new

investments in independent power production and clean, renewable alternative

energy throughout British Columbia. Coalbed methane has a huge potential for the

Kootenays, the central interior and Vancouver Island. Opportunities for job

creation in that new enterprise will be pursued this year with new vigour,

supported by legislation.

Offshore oil

and gas exploration holds tremendous promise for communities in the northwest

and on northern Vancouver Island. By 2010 your government wants to have an

offshore oil and gas industry that is up and running, environmentally sound and

booming with job creation.

Tourism is

another sector that is critical to the government's B.C. heartlands economic

strategy. By 2010 your government wants to see our tourism industry more than

double in size.

The government

wants to see B.C.'s parks be major magnets for tourism. The new recreational

stewardship plan will help make that happen. But more can be done to leverage

the opportunities that will flow from those parks, new investments in

transportation and hosting the 2010 Olympics.

B.C.'s summer

and winter resorts are unparalleled in the world. From Kelowna's Big White to

Vernon's Silver Star, from Courtenay's Mount Washington to Penticton's Apex,

from Sun Peaks in Kamloops to Eight Peaks and Saddle Mountain near Blue River,

from Canoe near Valemount to Hudson Bay Mountain near Smithers and Powder King

near Chetwynd, from Golden's Kicking Horse to Invermere's Panorama, from

Kimberley Alpine Resort and Fernie Alpine Resort to Nelson's Whitewater and

Rossland's Red Mountain, British Columbia's resort potential is unmatched.

There are a

few new resort communities on the horizon. B.C.'s four-season resorts are an

enormous economic asset and represent a major opportunity for British Columbians

throughout our heartlands. This year your government is establishing the B.C.

resort task force to bring together all the resources and assets of government

with first nations and resort communities across B.C. It would develop new

programs to ensure our resort potential is fully met and fully recognized around

the world.

The heartlands

economic strategy will bring together transportation, energy, forestry, tourism,

agriculture and new technologies to create a powerful economic force for the

regions and the province as a whole. This can all happen if we lift our sights

higher and if we set new goals for ourselves that oblige us all to reach higher

than we have ever thought possible.

Opening up

economic opportunities for all. Still more opportunities for growth exist in our

technology sector. To help focus government's efforts on expanding our knowledge

economy, the government intends to follow the advice of the Premier's Technology

Council. All information technology and e-government–related services will be

consolidated this year under the Ministry of Management Services. Your

government wants high-speed Internet access in communities throughout the

province. It wants B.C. to be the most computer-literate province in Canada.

Other steps

will be taken this year to help stimulate investment and job creation in small

businesses throughout the province. The government will launch a new

international marketing strategy to aggressively develop new markets and

increase market share of B.C. products worldwide. A national information

campaign will market British Columbia's competitive advantages to all Canadians.

Your

government will continue to streamline and modernize regulation and encourage

business investment and job creation. It will simplify consumer protection

legislation by consolidating seven existing statutes into one.

[1445]

Changes to

the Small Business Venture Capital Act will increase access to seed capital,

eliminate red tape and provide funding opportunities for all regions of the

province. Changes will be introduced to save British Columbia businesses time

and money. Companies will soon be able to use a single business number to

complete several business processes at one time, from incorporation to

registration and data maintenance. Amendments will also be tabled to the Coal

Act, the Mineral Tenure Act, the Mines Act and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Act

to streamline administration and stimulate investment in those sectors.

New

legislative measures will open up ICBC, B.C. Ferries and B.C. Hydro to

independent regulatory oversight that better protects ratepayers, free of

political interference. Legislation will be introduced to open up fair and

transparent government procurement practices, modernize the Waste Management

Act, improve contaminated-sites regulation, streamline and strengthen the

Pesticide Control Act, and enhance planning for agriculture and the right to

farming.

Opening up

prosperity and opportunity. There is much to be done to build a new era of hope,

prosperity and public service for British Columbia. The challenges at hand will

not solve themselves. The opportunities that

[ Page 4704 ]

lie in wait will not be found unless we search for them. The future we all

want for our families, our communities, our province and our country will not

materialize by clinging to the status quo. Real progress always necessitates

change, movement, growth. Never has that been truer than it is today. No region

should be left behind as our province moves forward. No segment of our society

should be marginalized by a lack of will to make things better. No sector of our

economy should be hamstrung by policies that close off opportunities, turn away

investment or deny job creation.

Your

government understands that it, too, must strive to balance the need for

positive change with British Columbians' desire for certainty, stability and

manageable reform. Finding the right balance is always open to debate and to

constructive criticism. Your government will do its best to listen and learn and

act accordingly. Undeniably, the challenges are great and cannot be surmounted

without error. Yet British Columbians know what needs to be done. This is the

year to do it.

This is the

year to open up our economy to new investment and job creation by opening our

lands and resources. This is the year to open up our minds to new ways of

meeting our common interests and to open up new partnerships with first nations,

other governments and private enterprise. This is the year to win the right to

host the 2010 Olympics and showcase our entire province to the world. This is

the year to revitalize our forest industry and optimize growth in every sector

of our economy and in every region.

Your

government will open up our province to the free flow of people, goods, services

and knowledge. It will modernize and improve crucial public services by putting

the interests of patients, students and people in need first. In short, it will

put ideas into action.

Let this be

the year when we earn our way forward with bold steps and hard work and

relentless commitment to the next generation. Let this be the year we win for

British Columbia and for Canada a world of appreciation. This is truly our time

to shine.

Her Honour

the Lieutenant-Governor retired from the chamber.

[Mr.

Speaker in the chair.]

[1450]

Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, in order to prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy

of Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor's speech.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

AN ACT TO ENSURE

THE SUPREMACY OF PARLIAMENT

Hon. G.

Plant presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill

intituled

An Act to Ensure the Supremacy of Parliament.

Hon. G.

Plant: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion

approved.

Hon. G.

Plant: The introduction of this bill prior to consideration of the throne

speech expresses the established right of parliament, through its elected

members, to deliberate independently of the Sovereign. As such it is an

important part of our parliamentary democratic process. It's a right that was

first asserted by the Parliament at Westminster in 1603, during the reign of

Queen Elizabeth I.

Mr. Speaker, I

move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the

next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 1

introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for

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

Motions without Notice

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY SPEAKER

Hon. G.

Collins: I move, seconded by the member for Vancouver-Hastings electoral

district, that John Weisbeck, the member for Kelowna–Lake Country electoral

district, be appointed Deputy Speaker for this session of the Legislative

Assembly.

Motion

approved.

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CHAIR,

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Hon. G.

Collins: I move, seconded by the member for Vancouver-Hastings electoral

district, that Harold Long, member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast electoral

district, be appointed Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole for this

session of the Legislative Assembly.

Motion

approved.

PRINTING OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS

Hon. G.

Plant: I move that the Votes and Proceedings of this House be

printed, being first perused by Mr. Speaker, and that he do appoint the printing

thereof, and that no person but such as he shall appoint do presume to print the

same.

Motion

approved.

APPOINTMENT OF

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEES

Hon. G.

Campbell: I move that the select standing committees of this House for the

present session be appointed for the following purposes:

[ Page 4705 ]

Aboriginal Affairs;

2. Education;

3. Finance and

Government Services;

4. Health;

5. Public

Accounts;

Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills;

7. Crown

Corporations;

which said

committees shall severally be empowered to examine and inquire into all such

matters and things as shall be referred to them by this House and to report from

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

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

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

above select standing committees of this House under standing order 68(1), the

committee to be composed of the Hon. G. Collins and Messrs. Wong, Krueger,

Wilson, Nuraney and Manhas, Ms. McMahon, Ms. Chong and Ms. MacPhail.

Motion

approved.

Hon. G.

Collins moved adjournment of the House.

Motion

approved.

The House

adjourned at 2:54 p.m.

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2003: British Columbia Hansard Services, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

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