British Columbia Hansard — Monday, February 16, 2004 (37th Parliament, 5th Session) (h0216pm-06) (h0216pm 06)

h0216pm-06

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

5th Session, 37th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) Monday, February 16, 2004 Afternoon Sitting Volume 20, Number 6 THE HONOURABLE CLAUDE RICHMOND, SPEAKER ISSN 0709-1281

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Honourable Iona Campagnolo 5TH SESSION, 37TH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Claude Richmond EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................Hon. Gordon Campbell Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations ...............................................................................................................Hon.

Sindi Hawkins Deputy Premier and Minister of Children and Family Development ................................................................................ Hon. Christy Clark Minister of State for Early Childhood Development...................................................................................................................Hon. Linda Reid Minister of Advanced Education................................................................................................................................................ Hon.

Shirley Bond Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries..................................................................................................................... Hon. John van Dongen Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Treaty Negotiations..................................................................................... Hon. Geoff Plant Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services ................................................................................................ Hon.

Murray Coell Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services...................................................................................... Hon. Gulzar S. Cheema Minister of State for Women's and Seniors' Services................................................................................................................... Hon. Ida Chong Minister of Education ............................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Tom Christensen Minister of Energy and Mines...............................................................................................................................................Hon. Richard Neufeld Minister of State for Mining...................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Pat Bell Minister of Finance.........................................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Gary Collins Minister of Forests................................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Michael de Jong Minister of State for Forestry Operations.................................................................................................................................. Hon. Roger Harris Minister of Health Services.........................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Colin Hansen Minister of State for Mental Health and Addiction Services ....................................................................................................Hon. Susan Brice Minister of Human Resources........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Stan Hagen Minister of Management Services ............................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Joyce Murray Minister of Provincial Revenue.................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Rick Thorpe Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General...................................................................................................................... Hon. Rich Coleman Minister of Skills Development and Labour......................................................................................................................Hon. Graham P.

Bruce Minister of Small Business and Economic Development ...............................................................................................................Hon. John Les Minister of Sustainable Resource Management ....................................................................................................................Hon. George Abbott Minister of State for Resort Development............................................................................................................................... Hon.

Sandy Santori Minister of Transportation...........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Kevin Falcon Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection ............................................................................................................................... Hon.

Bill Barisoff LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Deputy Speaker ....................................................................................................................................................................................John Weisbeck Leader of the Opposition .......................................................................................................................................................................Joy MacPhail Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole..............................................................................................................................................

Harold Long Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ........................................................................................................................................... E. George MacMinn Clerk Assistant.........................................................................................................................................................................................Robert Vaive Clerk Assistant and Law Clerk ...............................................................................................................................................................Ian D.

Izard Clerk Assistant and Clerk of Committees ....................................................................................................................................... Craig H. James Clerk Assistant and Committee Clerk ..........................................................................................................................................Kate Ryan-Lloyd Sergeant-at-Arms............................................................................................................................................................................. A.A.

Humphreys Director, Hansard Services ..................................................................................................................................................Anthony Dambrauskas Legislative Librarian ..................................................................................................................................................................................Jane Taylor Legislative Comptroller...............................................................................................................................................................................Peter Bray Published by British Columbia Hans ard Services, and printed under the authority of the Speaker by the Queen's Printer, Victoria.

Rates: single issue, $2.85; per calendar year, mailed daily, $298. GST extra. Agent: Crown Publications Inc., 521 Fort St., Victoria, B.C. V8W 1E7. Telephone: (250) 386-4636. Fax: 386-0221. www.leg.bc.ca Hansard Services publishes transcripts both in print and on the Internet. Chamber debates are broadcast on television and webcast on the Internet.

Party Standings: Liberal 75; New Democratic 2; Independent Liberal 2. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Abbott, Hon. George (L) ..........................................................................Shuswap Anderson, Val J. (L)............................................................... Vancouver-Langara Barisoff, Hon. Bill (L)...............................................Penticton–Okanagan Valley Bell, Hon.

Pat (L) ..................................................................Prince George North Belsey, Bill (L)....................................................................................North Coast Bennett, Bill (L) ..............................................................................East Kootenay Bhullar, Tony (Ind. L) ................................................................... Surrey-Newton Bloy, Harry (L).....................................................................................Burquitlam Bond, Hon. Shirley (L)..........................................

Prince George–Mount Robson Bray, Jeff (L) ........................................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Brenzinger, Elayne (L)..................................................................Surrey-Whalley Brice, Hon. Susan (L)...................................................................... Saanich South Bruce, Hon. Graham P. (L) ................................................. Cowichan-Ladysmith Campbell, Hon. Gordon (L) .............................................. Vancouver–Point Grey Cheema, Hon.

Gulzar S. (L)............................................Surrey–Panorama Ridge Chong, Hon. Ida (L) ......................................................... Oak Bay–Gordon Head Christensen, Hon. Tom (L) ...................................................... Okanagan-Vernon Chutter, Dave (L) ..............................................................................Yale-Lillooet Clark, Hon. Christy (L) ....................................................Port Moody–Westwood Cobb, Walt (L) ................................................................................Cariboo South Coell, Hon.

Murray (L) ..........................................Saanich North and the Islands Coleman, Hon. Rich (L)................................................Fort Langley–Aldergrove Collins, Hon. Gary (L) ..........................................................Vancouver-Fairview de Jong, Hon. Michael (L) ........................................Abbotsford–Mount Lehman Falcon, Hon. Kevin (L) ............................................................ Surrey-Cloverdale Hagen, Hon.

Stan (L) ......................................................................Comox Valley Halsey-Brandt, Greg (L) ............................................................Richmond Centre Hamilton, Arnie (L)..............................................................Esquimalt-Metchosin Hansen, Hon. Colin (L) .......................................................Vancouver-Quilchena Harris, Hon. Roger (L) ................................................................................Skeena Hawes, Randy (L)............................................................... Maple Ridge–Mission Hawkins, Hon.

Sindi (L) ........................................................... Kelowna-Mission Hayer, Dave S. (L) ..................................................................... Surrey-Tynehead Hogg, Gordon (L)................................................................... Surrey–White Rock Hunter, Mike (L) ..................................................................................... Nanaimo Jarvis, Daniel (L)........................................................North Vancouver–Seymour Johnston, Ken (L)..............................................................

Vancouver-Fraserview Kerr, Brian J. (L) ................................................................ Malahat–Juan de Fuca Krueger, Kevin (L)................................................... Kamloops–North Thompson Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching (NDP)................................ Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Lee, Richard T. (L).........................................................................Burnaby North Lekstrom, Blair (L)................................................................... Peace River South Les, Hon. John (L)....................................................................

Chilliwack-Sumas Locke, Brenda (L) ............................................................. Surrey–Green Timbers Long, Harold (L) .................................................... Powell River–Sunshine Coast MacKay, Dennis (L)......................................................... Bulkley Valley–Stikine McMahon, Wendy (L).............................................. Columbia River–Revelstoke MacPhail, Joy (NDP) ............................................................

Vancouver-Hastings Manhas, Karn (L) ..............................................Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Masi, Reni (L) ..................................................................................... Delta North Mayencourt, Lorne (L)............................................................Vancouver-Burrard Murray, Hon. Joyce (L)............................................................. New Westminster Nebbeling, Ted (L)..................................................... West Vancouver–Garibaldi Nettleton, Paul (Ind.

L) ...................................................Prince George–Omineca Neufeld, Hon. Richard (L) ....................................................... Peace River North Nijjar, Rob (L).....................................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Nuraney, John (L)..................................................................Burnaby-Willingdon Orr, Sheila (L) .............................................................................Victoria-Hillside Penner, Barry (L)......................................................................... Chilliwack-Kent Plant, Hon.

Geoff (L) ........................................................... Richmond-Steveston Reid, Judith (L)....................................................................... Nanaimo-Parksville Reid, Hon. Linda (L) ..................................................................... Richmond East Richmond, Hon. Claude (L)...................................................................Kamloops Roddick, Valerie (L)............................................................................

Delta South Sahota, Patty (L).......................................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Santori, Hon. Sandy (L) .............................................. West Kootenay–Boundary Stephens, Lynn (L).................................................................................... Langley Stewart, Ken (L)........................................................

Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Stewart, Richard (L)........................................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Suffredine, Blair F. (L)..................................................................Nelson-Creston Sultan, Ralph (L) .........................................................West Vancouver–Capilano Thorpe, Hon. Rick (L)............................................................Okanagan-Westside Trumper, Gillian (L)..................................................................Alberni-Qualicum van Dongen, Hon.

John (L)..................................................Abbotsford-Clayburn Visser, Rod (L)...................................................................................North Island Weisbeck, John (L).......................................................... Kelowna–Lake Country Whittred, Katherine (L).............................................

North Vancouver–Lonsdale Wilson, John (L)..............................................................................Cariboo North Wong, Patrick (L)..............................................................Vancouver-Kensington LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Clayburn ........................................................ Hon. John van Dongen Abbotsford–Mount Lehman................................................Hon. Michael de Jong Alberni-Qualicum ........................................................................

Gillian Trumper Bulkley Valley–Stikine ................................................................ Dennis MacKay Burnaby North................................................................................ Richard T. Lee Burnaby-Edmonds.............................................................................. Patty Sahota Burnaby-Willingdon ........................................................................John Nuraney Burquitlam............................................................................................

Harry Bloy Cariboo North..................................................................................... John Wilson Cariboo South........................................................................................Walt Cobb Chilliwack-Kent ................................................................................ Barry Penner Chilliwack-Sumas ........................................................................... Hon.

John Les Columbia River–Revelstoke .....................................................Wendy McMahon Comox Valley .............................................................................Hon. Stan Hagen Coquitlam-Maillardville............................................................... Richard Stewart Cowichan-Ladysmith .........................................................Hon. Graham P.

Bruce Delta North.............................................................................................Reni Masi Delta South...................................................................................Valerie Roddick East Kootenay .....................................................................................Bill Bennett Esquimalt-Metchosin .................................................................... Arnie Hamilton Fort Langley–Aldergrove....................................................... Hon.

Rich Coleman Kamloops ......................................................................... Hon. Claude Richmond Kamloops–North Thompson.......................................................... Kevin Krueger Kelowna–Lake Country .................................................................John Weisbeck Kelowna-Mission ...................................................................Hon. Sindi Hawkins Langley........................................................................................... Lynn Stephens Malahat–Juan de Fuca.......................................................................

Brian J. Kerr Maple Ridge–Mission ......................................................................Randy Hawes Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows............................................................... Ken Stewart Nanaimo .............................................................................................Mike Hunter Nanaimo-Parksville..............................................................................Judith Reid Nelson-Creston......................................................................... Blair F.

Suffredine New Westminster .................................................................... Hon. Joyce Murray North Coast .......................................................................................... Bill Belsey North Island.......................................................................................... Rod Visser North Vancouver–Lonsdale .................................................... Katherine Whittred North Vancouver–Seymour ..............................................................

Daniel Jarvis Oak Bay–Gordon Head.................................................................Hon. Ida Chong Okanagan-Vernon ..............................................................Hon. Tom Christensen Okanagan-Westside................................................................... Hon. Rick Thorpe Peace River North ...............................................................Hon. Richard Neufeld Peace River South ..........................................................................Blair Lekstrom Penticton–Okanagan Valley...................................................... Hon.

Bill Barisoff Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain......................................................Karn Manhas Port Moody–Westwood ...........................................................Hon. Christy Clark Powell River–Sunshine Coast............................................................Harold Long Prince George North .........................................................................Hon. Pat Bell Prince George–Mount Robson................................................. Hon. Shirley Bond Prince George–Omineca .................................................................

Paul Nettleton Richmond Centre ...................................................................Greg Halsey-Brandt Richmond East ............................................................................ Hon. Linda Reid Richmond-Steveston ...................................................................Hon. Geoff Plant Saanich North and the Islands..................................................Hon. Murray Coell Saanich South............................................................................. Hon. Susan Brice Shuswap ................................................................................

Hon. George Abbott Skeena .......................................................................................Hon. Roger Harris Surrey-Cloverdale ....................................................................Hon. Kevin Falcon Surrey–Green Timbers.....................................................................Brenda Locke Surrey-Newton ..................................................................................Tony Bhullar Surrey–Panorama Ridge................................................... Hon. Gulzar S.

Cheema Surrey-Tynehead .............................................................................Dave S. Hayer Surrey-Whalley ........................................................................ Elayne Brenzinger Surrey–White Rock.......................................................................... Gordon Hogg Vancouver-Burrard .................................................................. Lorne Mayencourt Vancouver-Fairview..................................................................Hon. Gary Collins Vancouver-Fraserview .....................................................................

Ken Johnston Vancouver-Hastings......................................................................... Joy MacPhail Vancouver-Kensington .................................................................... Patrick Wong Vancouver-Kingsway............................................................................ Rob Nijjar Vancouver-Langara...................................................................... Val J. Anderson Vancouver–Mount Pleasant .............................................Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Vancouver–Point Grey..................................................... Hon.

Gordon Campbell Vancouver-Quilchena ............................................................. Hon. Colin Hansen Victoria–Beacon Hill ...............................................................................Jeff Bray Victoria-Hillside.....................................................................................Sheila Orr West Kootenay–Boundary ......................................................Hon. Sandy Santori West Vancouver–Capilano ............................................................... Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Garibaldi............................................................

Ted Nebbeling Yale-Lillooet .....................................................................................Dave Chutter

CONTENTS Monday, February 16, 2004 Afternoon Sitting Routine Proceedings Page Introductions by Members ....................................................................................................... .............................................. 8553 Statements (Standing Order 25B) .............................................................................................................................. ............. 8553 Recognition of work of Surrey police officers and citizens D. Hayer Employment in Cariboo area W. Cobb Small business in Victoria S.

Orr Oral Questions................................................................................................................. ......................................................... 8554 Funding for RAV line J. MacPhail Hon. G. Campbell Passenger rail service to B.C. interior communities J. Kwan Hon. K. Falcon Release of report on B.C. forest fires K. Krueger Hon. G. Campbell Alternative budget R. Nijjar Hon. G. Collins Safety of farmed salmon B. Belsey Hon.

J. van Dongen Reports from Committees........................................................................................................ ............................................... 8557 Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations, third report K. Stewart Point of Privilege............................................................................................................. ......................................................... 8557 J. MacPhail Hon. G.

Collins Ministerial Statements......................................................................................................... .................................................... 8558 Multiculturalism Hon. G. Cheema J. Kwan Throne Speech Debate (continued) ............................................................................................................................... .......... 8559 L. Mayencourt Hon. G. Plant Hon. C. Clark Hon. K. Falcon Hon. S. Hagen R. Lee B. Penner Hon. S. Brice B. Suffredine

8553 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 The House met at 2:03 p.m. Introductions by Members Hon. S. Brice: Both the Minister of State for Immi- gration and Multicultural Services and I would like to welcome to the gallery an important leader in mental health in this province. He and his family are to be commended for both leadership and dedication in promoting mental wellness in the workplace.

Just re- cently his company, Coast Capital Savings, has launched an initiative to train 20 human resource coun- sellors so they will be better equipped to help manag- ers and employees recognize and deal appropriately with depression and anxiety. He is also leading the way in his work to create a research chair in depression at the University of British Columbia. Would the House please welcome Mr. Lloyd Craig, CEO of Coast Capital Savings and chair of the B.C. Business and Economic Round Table on Mental Health. [1405] Hon. C.

Clark: I a m d e l i g h t e d t o d a y t o b e a b l e t o welcome to the gallery, for the first time since Mark Rose was their MLA, Margaret and Art Wilkinson — both of whom have the freedom of the city of Port Moody, both of whom have led and inspired a genera- tion of people in our community to do better and to serve the people that we live next door to. I hope the House will make them welcome. H. Bloy: It's my pleasure today to introduce two young people in the gallery with us. They are recently engaged: Ms. Jennifer Sutherland and Mr. Dennis Fynn.

I have known Dennis for almost 20 years, watching him grow up and go to school and scouting with my family. Would the House please make them welcome today. Statements (Standing Order 25

B) RECOGNITION OF WORK OF SURREY POLICE OFFICERS AND CITIZENS D. Hayer: There continues to be a great deal of con- cern about crime and violence in our community, but I know we are making progress. In fact, we have some of the most dedicated police officers in the province in Surrey, and particularly in my riding of Surrey- Tynehead, battling these cancers on our society. Recently RCMP assistant commissioner Gary Forbes, along with the mayor and MLAs for Surrey– Green Timbers and Surrey-Whalley and myself, hon- oured 15 outstanding Surrey officers for deeds that were far and away beyond the call of duty.

They have spent countle ss hours on murder inves- tigations, crime prevention and making Surrey a better, safer place to live and to do business in. In addition, there were certificates of recognition given to civilians who chose to take action rath er than sit idly by. These acts by police officers and citizens alike are reassuring, and they demonstrate that dedication to the commu- nity and to help others is alive and well in Surrey. Receiving RCMP commendations were Cpl. Peter Cross, Cpl. Robert Parker, Const. Gordon Reid, Const. Duane Rolls, Const. Margo Halliday, Const. Jose Car- los, Const.

Perry Olson, Const. Christian Bichler, Const. Kurt Neuman, Const. Rudy Exantus, Const. Rob Lewis, Const. Mike Hall, Const. Bruce Crabb, Const. Graham Morgan and Const. Paul Dadwal. Civilians honoured were Simon Prodromidis, An- drew Henderson and Andrew Cilliers, who all were cited for courage and selflessness when they dragged a man to safety from a burning car, while Geoff Beau- mont was honoured for alerti ng police to a vehicle and operator who was involved in a marijuana smuggling operation along the U.S. border. Also honoured was Cpl.

Fred Nicks for his above- and-beyond work on Project Evenhanded, and civilian Teresa Campbell was recognized for her work with youth in the Surrey school district and the Surrey RCMP school liaison program. I would ask the House to join me in congratulating these fine police officers and citizens who by their own actions deserve these awards. EMPLOYMENT IN CARIBOO AREA W. Cobb: Forest fires were breathing down our necks; pine beetles are infesting our forest; trading part- ners are restricting our beef and our lumber. It has been a challenging year for the Cariboo.

We needed some good news, and it has arrived from Stats Canada. People in the Cariboo are finally getting back on the job. Em- ployment numbers in our region have improved dra- matically. Our unemployment rate is currently at 9.8 percent and closing on the 7.3 percent average. The rate has improved by 3 percentage points in the past seven months. It is encouraging to see that fewer Cariboo resi- dents are looking for work, but there is an even better signal for us. The Stats Canada rate tells us how many people are actively employed, and that number is climb- ing beyond any level in the past two years.

In January our employment rate was at a low of 58 percent, but now it is ou tperforming the provincial average and sits at 63 percent. In the past year the Cariboo region generated a total of 3,300 new jobs. To put that in perspective, that was the third-highest in the province. Only the Thompson-Okanagan and the northeast have job creation numbers above ours. [1410] These regions are all in the heartlands, where Pre- mier Gordon Campbell pledged to focus B.C.'s eco- nomic renewal. The plan is clearly paying dividends in our area. Success is being felt all across B.C.

There were 77,000 new jobs created in 2003 — tops in Canada. B.C. has increased its job creation numbers by a whopping 8.1 percent, well above the Canadian increase of 5.5 percent. It is clear. B.C. is recovering from a decade of decline.

8554 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 SMALL BUSINESS IN VICTORIA S. Orr: Two-minute statements are used for a huge variety of reasons. For me it's usually a time to brag about good things happening in Victoria-Hillside. Small business is big business in my riding, and I have many success stories. This month, one in particu- lar jumped out at me. It's a lighting store called Illumi- nations. Three years ago a couple called Bob and Wendy McRichie moved to Victoria. They had been working very successfully around the world in the computer industry, and, in fact, Bob still does.

They decided to move back to B.C. where they had lived before and take a chance once again. This couple are very astute in business and saw changes happening here with a change in government. They took a huge risk, an d knowing nothing about the lighting business, they bought a store that had been in business since 1975. It was a modest store with six em- ployees. They then took al l their expertise in their computer business and in customer service, and with the boosts in our economy and the construction indus- try combined, they applied their knowledge to this new business.

Today, three years later — during the time of this government — they employ 24 young people whom they took great pride in training to a very high level of customer service, and they now all have good jobs. The crowning glory is that last month they won in Dallas, Texas, the equivalent of the Academy Awards in lighting. There is such a thing. They were selected from literally thousands and thousands of lighting stores throughout North America for the award for lighting showroom, which is the equivalent of best picture. Yes, here in my riding of Victoria-Hillside, Illumi- nations is the best in the west.

Well done to Illumina- tions lighting store. You have just proved to me once again that small business rocks. Mr. Speaker: That concludes member statements. Oral Questions FUNDING FOR RAV LINE J. MacPhail: On Friday the federal government said it had an agreement to divert $60 million from the rural infrastructure fund to the Richmond-Airport- Vancouver rapid transit line. "News to us," said the Minister of State for Mining. "We're still in negotia- tions," said the Minister of Small Business. Then today the Minister of Small Business says the federal release is "flat wrong," to quote him.

Now, this news release didn't come out of group action Quebec. It's a very thoughtful news release, and it says specifically that the money was going to be diverted. To the Premier: why did his govern- ment come to an agreement to divert rural money to the RAV line and then deny it only when it was ex- posed? Hon. G. Campbell: The press release from the fed- eral government was wrong. Let me say that again. It was wrong. I visited with the Prime Minister in July of 2003. I pointed out to him explicitly that we would not touch one cent of infrastructure money for rural British Co- lumbia.

I met with Minister Rock and I said to him that we will not touch one cent of infrastructure money for rural British Columbia. I talked with three mayors from the greater Vancouver region al district, who suggested it might be a good idea to do that. I said: "Just so you're clear, we will not touch one cent of infrastructure money for rural British Columbia." The member opposite should be aware of this. We will not touch one cent of infrastructure money for rural British Columbia for the RAV line. We have said that to the federal government. That is our commit- ment to the people of rural British Columbia.

More importantly, it was the federal government's commit- ment back to British Columbia, and we intend to hold them to that commitment. Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a supplementary question. J. MacPhail: Well, it looks like once again the fed- eral Liberals are making life miserable for B.C. Liberals. I know it's tough — that relationship between the fed- eral Liberals and the B.C. Liberals — but this news re- l e a s e , w h i c h a s f a r a s I k n o w h a s n ' t b e e n a s k e d t o b e withdrawn, is very clear.

It's not a news release where one federal body is skimmi ng off 15 percent and trans- ferring the money to another federal body. It's very clear. It's a couple of days old, and it's very specific on the commitments…. [1415] Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please, hon. members. J. MacPhail: The governments of Canada and British Columbia have already agreed to use $60 million of the province's allocation under the MRIF for the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver rapid transit project line.

Now, if the Premier is standing up and saying the Prime Minister didn't tell the truth or if he's saying the minister responsible for the program didn't tell the truth…. Or is he saying that this is just another exam- ple of the federal Liberals playing fast and loose with tax dollars? Is the Premier now, with his vehement denial, accusing the federal government… Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. J. MacPhail: …of lying about this agreement to redirect money from rural communities to the RAV line? Who is telling the truth — the Liberal Premier of

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 8555 B.C.? Or who's not telling the truth — the Prime Minis- ter of Canada? Hon. G. Campbell: Well, again let me tell you that in the discussions we had with both the minister re- sponsible and the Prime Minister, it was always clear that in British Columbia we felt rebuilding the rural infrastructure that was left to fall under the previous government was one of the critical priorities we had.

That's why this government said to the federal govern- ment that our top transportation priority for a Canada– British Columbia partnership was the Kicking Horse Canyon upgrade, and that's why the federal govern- ment has committed to that partnership with the peo- ple of British Columbia. Let me simply say again: the new federal minister got it wrong. We can't say it any clearer than that. They got it wrong. There will not be one cent of rural infra- structure money that goes to the RAV line between Vancouver, Richmond and the airport — period. Mr. Speaker: Leader of the Opposition has a fur- ther supplementary.

J. MacPhail: Oh boy. I'm sure the Prime Minister of C anada is very nervou s today , becau se what this Pre- mier is saying is that the federal government isn't tell- ing the truth about where federal tax dollars are going. With friends like that, hmm, who needs enemies? Here's the release, and it said that the minister of state for infrastructure… Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order, please, hon. members. Let us hear the questions. J. MacPhail: …today announced that negotiations with each province had been concluded just last week.

So I take it that the Premier is saying someone's not telling the truth — that's exactly what he's saying — and that the details of this agreement, as listed here, are not the truth. Again to the Premier: when he found out that the federal government was lying to the rural residents of British Columbia…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. J. MacPhail: When he found that out, did he write to the Prime Minister and tell him that he was lying? When did he do that, Mr. Speaker? Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order, please.

To the Leader of the Opposition and to all members of the House, let us keep our language temperate and parliamentary. Hon. G. Campbell: I heard about this release on Friday. I communicated with my deputy minister, who happens to be in Ottawa today, and I said: "By the way, the federal government has got its press release wrong. There will not be one cent of rural infrastructure dol- lars that will be going to the RAV line — period." PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE TO B.C. INTERIOR COMMUNITIES J.

Kwan: R i g h t n o w , C N i s t aking proposals from private operators to run a passenger rail service that the Liberals had shut down in 2002, leaving communi- ties like Lillooet and Quesnel without regular passen- ger service. But in the requ est for proposals issued by B.C. Rail's new owner, CN, those communities are not even included on the map of the B.C. Rail network. To the Minister of Transportation: how can rural British Columbians have any trust in what the gov- ernment says about the sale of B.C. Rail when the communities have disappeared off CN's map of B.C.? Hon. K.

Falcon: I missed the last little bit. What was the map? Well, no, I wasn't able to catch that last bit, but let me just say…. Interjection. Hon. K. Falcon: My goodness. I'm shocked. [1420] Interjection. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. The Minister of Transportation has the floor. Hon. K. Falcon: The member opposite should be very happy to know that in the course of undertaking that process, we ensured and wanted to make sure that the process would be absolutely scrupulous and aboveboard.

That's why we've got a former assistant deputy minister of the Attorney General's office over- seeing that process to make sure it's absolutely above- board and above reproach, and it will be great for rural British Columbia. Mr. Speaker: The member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has a supplementary question. J. Kwan: You know, it's troubling. It's very trou- bling to hear from this Liberal government who make light of the fact that the rural communities are not even on the map of the CN's request for proposal for pas- senger rail. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. J.

Kwan: This is a government that sold B.C. Rail…

8556 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. J. Kwan: …and sold the community out. This is the Liberal government who promised…. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please, hon. members. Order, please. Let us hear the question. We can't hear the question up here. Please begin again. J. Kwan: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a government that promised they would not sell B.C. Rail, and they sold B.C. Rail. Now, with the request for proposal, rural communities are not even on the map in the request for proposal for passenger rail services.

How can this minister sit back and laugh at a question that rural community mayors are asking: "Where are we, and how can we have any faith in the request for proposal when we're not even on the map for consideration?" So before CN shuts out rural British Columbians, will the Minister of Transportation de- mand that his friends at the CN put small communities back on the passenger rail line? Interjection. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order, please. Hon. K.

Falcon: I think one of the things that the m e m b e r s h o u l d t a k e h e a r t i n i s t h e f a c t t h a t w e a r e actually going to ensure there is a commercially viable tourism passenger rail service once again in British Columbia. Now, I understand how difficult it is for this member, because they always feel a need to insert themselves politically into things. I would remind this member that one of the reasons why, sadly, there was no passenger rail service or it was discontinued under B.C. Rail is that it was losing $10 million a year.

The true strength of rural communi ties is going to be when we have a commercially viable tourism passenger rail in B.C. again, and that's ex actly what we're going to do through the CN–B.C. Rail partnership. Interjections. Mr. Speaker: Order, please. RELEASE OF REPORT ON B.C. FOREST FIRES K. Krueger: Communities in my constituency and across British Columbia were hard hit by the devastat- ing forest fire season last summer, and the constituents of Kamloops–North Thompson and all across the prov- ince have been eagerly awaiting the results of the in- quiry by Mr. Gary Filmon and his recommendations.

It's my understanding that Mr. Filmon's report was submitted to the Premier's office earlier today. I won- der if the Premier could update the people of British Columbia, particularly Kamloops–North Thompson, as to when we expect that the report will be made public. Hon. G. Campbell: Mr. Filmon's report was due yesterday. I am not aware that it's in the office, but I'm s u r e i t w i l l b e i n t h e o f f i c e t o d a y . A s I s a i d w h e n w e commissioned Mr.

Filmon initially, the government would like a few days to review the report, but I can tell the member and all the members of the House and the communities involved that that report will be made public by the end of this month. ALTERNATIVE BUDGET R. Nijjar: The Carole James NDP budget proposes balancing the budget not this year, not next year, not three years from now, not four years from now. They propose to balance their budget not until 2010. The NDP Carole James budget would give British Colum- bia taxpayers the highest income tax rate of all jurisdic- tions not only in North America but around the world.

Astonishingly, British Columbians of the lowest in- come would be hit with a 40 percent tax increase. [1425] Would the Minister of Finance please tell us what a Carole James NDP budget would do to British Colum- bia? Hon. G. Collins: I think if anybody wanted to k n o w w h a t k i n d o f a n i m p a c t t h a t k i n d o f a n N D P Carole James budget would have on British Columbia, a l l t h e y n e e d t o d o i s l o o k b a c k a t t h e d e c a d e o f t h e nineties and see what kind of effect that policy had on the province and the people in British Columbia.

We went from having the number one economy in Canada to number ten. We went from being number one in job creation to the last. We saw people's incomes go down as their taxes rose, and we saw community services decay across the province. If that's what British Columbians want, they know who they can vote for. They can vote for Carole James in the next election. SAFETY OF FARMED SALMON B. Belsey: My question is to the Minister of Agri- culture, Food and Fisheries.

A recent study funded by a U.S.–based environ- mental group claimed there were high or harmful lev- els of PCBs in farmed salm on, and all British Columbi- ans demand to know that their food is safe. I expect that the farmed salmon industry is going to play a ma- jor

part in the economies of coastal British Columbia. Can the minister tell my constituents that, in fact, farmed salmon is safe to eat? Hon. J. van Dongen: Food safety is the responsibil- ity of Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspec- tion Agency in Canada. They have assured the public that farmed salmon is safe to eat. In fact, the presence

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 8557 of organic compounds in farm ed salmon is about 1/80 of the acceptable limit. I think it's very unfortunate when anti–salmon farming groups engage in deliberate misinformation campaigns of the public, when in fact nutritionists are actually becoming concerned that these kinds of cam- paigns will encourage the public not to eat salmon — both farmed and wild salmon. I can assure the public that farmed salmon is safe. We're pleased to support the industry in communities like Prince Rupert. It's an environmentally sustainable industry.

We look forward to managed growth in farmed salmon production in British Columbia. [End of question period.] Reports from Committees K. Stewart: I have the honour to present the third report of the Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations for the fourth session, respecting a review of the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission and the British Columbia Housing Management Commission. I move that the report be taken as read and re- ceived. Motion approved. K. Stewart: I ask leave of the House to permit the moving of a motion to adopt the report. Leave granted. K.

Stewart: I move the report be adopted, and in moving the adoption of the report, I wish to make the following comments. I would like to thank all those members who worked so hard in presenting these reports and the staff that were involved with it also. I'd like to say that I've been pleased with the work of the committee. We're starting to get to a point where the reports are becoming more relevant and that the future reports will be concentrating on the board and governance aspects of the Crown corporations. With that, I move the report be adopted. Motion approved. Point of Privilege J. MacPhail: Hon.

Speaker, you will recall that last Tuesday I sought leave to reserve my right to proceed on three privilege motions. I would like to address the second of those motions today — now. I have material to support the motion I intend to bring, and I would like to table the supporting docu- mentation with you, as well as the

summary of the brief comments that I have in support of the motion I am bringing today. Mr. Speaker, I would like to present to you what I believe will be a prima facie case for the argument that the member for Surrey–White Rock breached the privi- leges of this House by misleading this assembly. I will make the case that the member for Surrey–White Rock — the former Minister of Children and Family Devel- opment — m i s l e d t h i s a s s e m b l y b y h i d i n g t h e a p - pointment of Doug Walls to a senior ministry ap- pointment.

I have attempted to keep my presentation brief and non-argumentative in accordance with the rules. [1430] On March 24 of last year I asked the member for Surrey–White Rock, who was then the Minister of Children and Family Development, for a list of the CEOs of the regional auth orities. The member for Surrey–White Rock provided a list of the names of the interim authorities but did not include the CEO for the Interim Authority for Community Living.

When I spe- cifically asked for information as to who was the in- terim CEO for community living, he replied with the following statement: "Currently, the senior government r e p r e s e n t a t i v e i s E l a i n e M u r r a y . T h e y w i l l b e g o i n g through a selection process sometime in the next num- ber of months." Mr. Speaker, I have as evidence for you…. I refer you to the Hansard record of the estimates debate for the Ministry of Children and Family Development from March 24, 2003. I will turn in all these exhibits at the end, Mr. Speaker, if that's okay.

I'd like to further point ou t that during this debate, the former minister, the member for Surrey–White Rock, was staffed by the former deputy minister, Mr. Chris Haynes, and that the member sought information from his deputy minister du ring this exchange. As fur- ther evidence of this exch ange, I submit for your con- sideration a video recording obtained from Hansard Services of that same estimates debate. Yet the member's response to my question was an entirely misleading statement.

The fact is that the chair of the Interim Authority fo r Community Living B.C., David Driscoll, had written to the Deputy Minister of Children and Family Development on January 23, 2003, to advise that Doug Walls was the acting CEO. The opposition has obtained a copy of this letter confirming the appointment of Mr. Walls, and I will table that let- ter to supplement this presentation. In this letter, Mr. Driscoll informs Mr. Haynes: "Ef- fective immediately, Doug Walls will be acting as CEO." The letter also asks that Mr.

Walls be included "in any conversations, meetings, appointments, discus- sions or any other aspects of business relating to transi- tion activities where the in volvement of the CEO of an interim authority, regional planning committee or abo- riginal planning committee is required or desirable." As a further exhibit, I attach the signature page from the Interim Authorit y for Community Living B.C.'s financial statements dated May 9, 2003, which confirms that the January 23, 2003, letter appointing Doug Walls as interim CEO was accurate.

Again, I quote from the letter: "…for the purposes of the interim authority's bylaws and for purposes of all ministry- related activity and involvement, he" — Mr. Walls —

8558 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 "has been designated as the CEO." As of January 23, 2003, Mr. Walls was designated the CEO for all minis- try-related activities. Yet when I asked the question a mere two months later, the member provided me with the name of Ms. Murray, clearing misleading this House. As further evidence of Mr . Walls's de facto role as acting CEO, I attach an extr act of the minutes for a July 16, 2002, meeting of the Community Living Coalition that indicate that the interim CEO of the community living authority would not be eligible to apply for the permanent position.

This poli cy as stated in the min- utes, which I also submit for your consideration, sug- gest a possible explanation for the secret appointment of Mr. Walls in January 2003 and the pains taken by the former minister, the member for Surrey–White Rock, including misleading the House, to insist that Mr. Walls was not interim CEO of the Interim Authority for Community Living. Acknowledging what was go ing on in fact and in reality — that Mr. Walls was acting as CEO — would have made Mr. Walls ineligible to head the permanent authority to be establishe d in June 2004. Mr.

Doug Walls was appointed as acting CEO of the Interim Au- thority in January 2003. The member, when asked in his former capacity as Minister of Children and Family Development about this appointment, clearly misled this House, providing the name of a civil servant in- stead of that of Mr. Walls.

As all members know, since this incident the member for Surrey–White Rock has resigned as Minister of Children and Family Develop- ment. [1435] While the Government House Leader may try to argue that the member's resignation nullifies my mo- tion, parliamentary procedure is very clear on this mat- ter, and I will quote from Erskine May as evidence. In the

section dealing with ministerial accountability to Parliament, Erskine May, twen ty-second edition, states on page 63 a number of resolutions, including the reso- lution that "it is of paramount importance that minis- ters give accurate and truthful information to Parlia- ment correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity.

Ministers who knowingly mislead Par- liament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister." Erskine May makes it absolutely clear at page 64 of the twenty-second edition that ministers offering "their resignation will not affect the right of the House to proceed against them in a case of alleged con- tempt, as it might proceed against any other member." This House functions when the opposition and, by extension, the citizens of this province can rely upon what we are being told.

My submission to you is that in this case that has not happened and that a committee must be struck to examine the conduct of the com- ments of the member for Surrey–White Rock. I believe that the material I have cited clearly illustrates that there is a compelling and prima facie case for striking the committee that is being requested today. For your consideration, I put forward to you a motion that, if you consider proper, you can put before the House. I include these exhibits and my remarks. Thanks very much. Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, at this time the Chair will entertain a response from the government side or a notice of response from th e government side. Then I will consider all remarks. Hon. G. Collins: As I said last week, I reserve the right of government's reply at a later date. Mr. Speaker: So noted. Ministerial Statements MULTICULTURALISM Hon. G. Cheema: Today we celebrate Multicultur- alism Week, a week in which we celebrate our cultural differences as British Columbians. Diversity and a cul- tural harmony make British Columbia a healthy, safe and prosperous province.

As a result of our diverse and thriving province, our children will live in har- mony and will be free to build upon the foundation of acceptance. Our government encourages everyone to take an active

part in our province's social, cultural and eco- nomic affairs. Diverse communities are a significant part of the social and economic fabric of this province and are the driving force behind the growth of our la- bour market. Immigration is an important part of our history. The diversity of ou r population translates di- rectly into economic opportunity for all British Colum- bians. Today our government re affirms its commitment to provide a climate where all people are full partici- pants in all aspects of our society.

Through accep- tance and respect, our go vernment has created and will maintain a climate that favours progress and prosperity for all. We are a province that's rich in his- tory and opportunity. Our Premier has built bridges between British Columbia's communities and diverse countries around the world. We know that during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we will be wel- coming people from all over the world, from all back- grounds, from all cultural histories and from all tradi- tions. Those visitors will see their reflection in the cultural and social life of th is province.

They will see their culture accepted and respected in communities throughout the province. Our government recognizes diversity as a valuable asset which we cherish and celebrate. British Columbi- ans who speak many languages and understand many cultures make it easier for our province to participate globally and ensure a pros perous future for our chil- dren. We are a part of the global community, and we are more competitive and moving at a much faster rate than anyone could have imagined.

I would ask all members, their families, friends and neighbours to celebrate with each other as we recog- nize this important week.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 8559 J. Kwan: I rise to respond to the ministerial state- ment. I am pleased to join with the minister in celebrat- ing Multiculturalism Week. Indeed, I'm proud to say that it was the former NDP government that first in- troduced Multiculturalism Week in British Columbia.

The NDP government was very committed to not only celebrating this province's rich diversity but also to working for social justice and equality for all British Columbians through programs that worked to combat racism and discrimination and highlight our multicul- tural heritage. [1440] Multiculturalism is one of the most important de- fining features of this country. Language, culture and religion all help define us as human beings and give us our sense of identity. Multiculturalism recognizes that the sense of identity is both a treasure to be cherished and a gift that we can share with each other.

It is an important approach that understands that all of us gain when we create the conditions in which people of dif- ferent backgrounds — culture, linguistic, ethnic and others — are able to live in harmony with each other. Here in British Columbia we have tremendous ex- amples of the powerfully positive impact that multicul- turalism can have when diversity is not just tolerated but celebrated. Our province, which continues to be more diverse day by day, has always been multicul- tural.

Long before explorer s started arriving on the shores of North America, the first nations were multi- cultural, multi-ethnic and multilingual. With the subsequent wave of immigration to this country and this province, our society has been built by the growing diversity and enriched by the new reality of a nation that's shaped by many cultural traditions. When leaders in this countr y decided to officially rec- ognize that reality, the word "multiculturalism" was coined to indicate a strongly held belief that it was a philosophy and a practice wo rth preserving and cele- brating.

It is important not only that we simply cele- brate the diversity of British Columbians and our communities but also that we take steps to ensure mul- ticulturalism is something that all British Columbians, whether they are visible minori ties or not, share in the experience of. It is important that all British Columbi- ans can appreciate the multiple cultural, educational and economic benefits of diverse societies.

Government has an important role to play in this — promoting the acceptance of diversity, defending hu- man rights, combatting racism and funding important settlement, integration and language programs. A gov- ernment that cared about mu lticulturalism would also ensure that refugees in this province had the necessary legal assistance and not sacrifice them in a funding dispute with the federal government. The reality is that this minister is presiding over a budget that is only $9.33 million.

This is a government that has provided a budget of $32 million for sport and culture, but only $9 million for multiculturalism, and I think that speaks volumes. This is also, I migh t point out, just half of what the former NDP government devoted to multicul- turalism and immigration settlement programs. I represent a riding that I dare say has one of the most ethnic, multicultural communities in all of Can- ada. It is reported that we have some 76 languages in Vancouver–Mount Pleasant.

I think that it is a tribute to Vancouver–Mount Pleasant and its people to show that we not only tolerate each other, but we promote the differences and celebrat e them with much respect and understanding. We are very fortunate to live in a country and a province that value sharing our cultures, the acceptance of diversity and racial harmony. Orders of the Day Hon. G. Collins: I call Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. [1445] Throne Speech Debate (continued) [J. Weisbeck in the chair.] L. Mayencourt: It is indeed a great pleasure to re- join you in this debate on the Speech from the Throne.

To begin with, I want to thank very sincerely the peo- ple of Vancouver-Burrard. It's a wonderful opportunity that I have to be in this House, to be able to represent their views, to be able to work with my colleagues here in this Legislature, and I owe them a great debt for the privilege of being able to represent them here. It has definitely been one of the most exciting two and a half years of my life, and I look forward to serving them well into 2005. I also want to acknowledge and thank the guests that I brought here for the throne speech.

I was joined here by Francois Giroux, Stephan Mouttee, Zdenky Burkhard, Chris Garvey, Capt. John Murray from the Salvation Army and Lt.-Col. Don Copple. I raise them because the theme of the throne speech has really been about bringing out the very best in British Columbia. These folks are, to my mind, some of the very best people that I k now in the wo rld. They c om e from m y riding, and they contribute so much to our communi- ties. I really want to thank them for joining us on that very important day.

We talked a little bit on Thursday about some of the wonderful things that are happening in Vancouver- Burrard. I just want to revisit those for a second. I'm so proud that my riding is going to be home to a new and expanded trade and convention centre that will open in 2008. That's something that's very important to my community. In many ways, in the 1990s, from 1995 through to 2001, the trade and convention centre had become a bit of a political football for the previous government.

It was about a Premier's agenda — Premier Glen Clark's agenda — to make sure that he was getting exactly what he wanted in the way he wanted. I'm so glad our government took the politics out of it, because it really wasn't about politics. It was about jobs, good jobs, for

8560 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 British Columbians not just in Vancouver-Burrard but throughout the lower mainland. I'm also proud of the work that has begun and is continuing on our brand-ne w school. The Minister of Education was very helpful in making sure that we got that new school to meet the needs of the people in Van- couver-Burrard. There are a whole new bunch of fami- lies that are down in Yaleto wn and in the Concord Pa- cific lands. I am very proud of that.

I'm glad that our government is able to fund that and to work with Van- couver school board in a productive way to ensure that we meet the needs of the 350 students who will attend that school in 2004. I'm also proud of the fact that we have a new build- ing going up on the waterfront, right beside the new trade and convention centre. It's the brand-new Shaw Tower, and it is going to be the tallest building in Brit- ish Columbia — perhaps the tallest building in western Canada. It's a very beautiful testament to the change in our economy.

It is a testament to the work of this gov- ernment that they felt it was important enough — or they felt secure enough — to invest that kind of money in that kind of endeavour and give jobs to people but also bring the beauty to the shores of Burrard Inlet. There are a couple of other projects that are much smaller in nature, but they also touch the very heart of my community. They are such projects as the Coast Foundation's new project with B.C. Housing Founda- tion to provide more housing for mentally ill members of the Coast Foundation.

We're trying to reach out and work with those community groups to ensure that we're providing good, safe, affordable housing for those who live with mental health problems. We're also doing that in a number of other areas. I'm very proud to see some of the work that's going on with Haro Park, which is a seniors residence in my community. I know we're working very hard with the health authorities to try an d ensure that we meet the needs of those residents.

Also, at Yaletown House and, more recently, on the corner of Davie and Jervis streets we see the development of the Knights of Columbus building, which is going to house a good number of seniors in our community. Seniors are a really impor- tant part of my community, as I have spoken on many occas ions in this Hou se . I'm alway s g lad to be able to work with them and see if we can do a better job of meeting their needs. [1450] The throne speech was a very important document for me, because the throne speech is really about some important values. It's about people.

It's about caring and compassionate people and citizens in our commu- nities — people that give us strength, make our com- munities whole, make our communities welcoming places — and communities that come out and talk to us about the ways this government can ensure it meets the needs of its citizenry well into the future. One of the great pleasures I have as a member of the Finance Committee is to go out and tour the prov- ince and meet with people across this province. In fact, one of the pleasurable parts of it is that I travel with my colleagues, and I also travel with the Leader of the Op- position.

I was very surprised, having done that for the past three years, to see the new Carole James budget, which is called B.C. Solutions Budget 2004 . It's subtitled "Getting Ready for 2010." Then, as if two titles aren't enough, they're given an other subheading called "We've invited the world, they're coming, and the place is a mess." I think the subtitle that actually works much better is: "The Premier invited the world, they're com- ing, and Carole James and the NDP have a plan to mess it all up." This budget here calls for tax increases.

Let me de- tail one thing that makes sense to every citizen in Brit- ish Columbia. Today the province of British Columbia is collecting $4.9 billion from personal income taxes. Carole James has a plan. It will be $7.8 billion. Guess where that money's coming from. It's coming out of your wallet. It's coming out of your pockets. It's coming out of your kids' mouths. It's not good enough. We're not going to let that particular budget become a reality. In 2001 we invited British Columbians into a new era of good governance.

We invited them to participate in creating a balanced budget — something we will be doing, I'm assured by the Finance minister, tomorrow. We went out and visited British Columbians for the past three years on the Finance Committee with the Leader of the Opposition, an d they told us in three successive years: "Stay the course. You're on the right track. It's tough medicine, but it's something we need for this province to get us back on track." They told us to stay the course. Carole James and the NDP want to destroy all of that, and we're not going to let them.

I want to speak about some other citizens in my community and some work I'm doing, because it's im- portant work. In the past year I and a number of citi- zens in Vancouver-Burrard have been working with Family Services of Greater Vancouver. We're working together on creating an interagency committee to create an integrated youth services facility in my riding of Vancouver-Burrard. Why? Because when kids leave Montreal or Chilliwack or Fort St. John and head for British Columbia, they all head for Granville Street. They all head for my neighbourhood.

They do that because it's viewed by those young people as the heart of British Columbia's cultural and entertainment zone. This province has not really been able to deal with some of the issues that street youth face every day. We think we can do something like creating an integrated youth services building which will make a difference in the people's lives — in those street youth there, who are coming to British Columbia, who are coming to Vancouver — and make sure we do what we can to get them on the right track, so they can build successful lives and make it back to their homes.

On Thursday when I was concluding my com- ments, I mentioned an individual in my community by the name of Ray Peterson. We were getting towards the end of the day, and the members had to get back to their constituencies, so I had to cut it off a little short. I didn't give Ray enough of a blast in the Legislature. I want to tell you why this man is important.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 8561 [1455] He runs the community police office on Granville Street. The man is one of my heroes, because he works with street youth so effectively. Ray has made it his p e r s o n a l m i s s i o n t o w o r k w i t h s t r e e t y o u t h t h a t h a v e arrived from Kamloops, from Montreal, from Fort St.

John — from all across this province and from all across Canada — to do his very best to stabilize those kids' lives, to get them into good shelter, to make sure they have a meal in their stomachs and then to work with them to get them back home, to repatriate them to their moms and their dads and their families, places where they can be protected and looked after. Many hundreds of those kids have come through the Granville Street community police office, met Ray Peterson and made it back home.

I personally have been in Ray's office and gone through letters that have come from a mom in Kamloops, thanking Ray for spending the $70 to send th eir daughter home. They sent the money back to Ray as a tribute so that he can continue his work. When you have heroes like that in your commu- nity, you are doing what this throne speech has been saying all along. We are bringing out the very best in British Columbians. Ray Peterson is one of those very best people. I salute him and the workers that work with him. I want to talk about another event I went to just a few weeks ago: Arts Umbrella.

Arts Umbrella was founded 25 years ago, and boy, those 25 years have zipped by, because I can remember almost every year of them. There was a woman at the head of that or- ganization by the name of Carol Henriquez. This prov- ince and this country have honoured Carol Henriquez for her continual contribution to kids in this province. I was amazed, Mr. Speaker. Carol is retiring this year — and believe me, she's way too young to be do- ing that; we'll just have to find her another project — but she has been there for 25 years as the executive director.

In that 25 years, half a million British Colum- bia kids — from wee tots up to 15 years old — have gone through Arts Umbrella . They've been exposed to dance, to visual arts, to sing ing, to all kinds of things. They are part of what we are doing with our commit- ment to LegaciesNow They are part of bringing out the very best in British Columbians. If kids get exposed to arts and culture, they have an opportunity to succeed. They have an opportunity to express themselves. They have an opportunity to be appreciated. It's always great to do that.

It was a great pleasure to be there with the Premier and with other members of this Legislature. I want to tell you something that was really great. We were at that event, and it was very moving because literally hundreds of her students we re there saying thank you to her. Thousands of members of our community were there saying: "Thank you for the contribution you've made through Arts Umbrella." One by one they got up and thanked her. Then th e Premier got up, and the Lieutenant-Governor got up. When the Premier spoke, he made a commitment.

He delivered a half-million dollars to ensure the work of the Arts Umbrella throughout this province, so the Arts Umbrella will affect kids all across British Columbia. I think that's an important commitment. It says this government cares about arts and culture. It cares about little kids. It wants them to build successful lives. We know that when they're invo lved in those sorts of ac- tivities, they are going to have great lives. I want to thank you for the opportunity to mention Carol. One other thing that I got to do….

Boy, a couple of weeks ago was a week of acknowledgments, because I also got to go and watch Joe Cohen, who is known to many British Columbians, get acknowledgment from the police board in Vancouver. It's so amazing. Joe must be 85 years old. For much of the last 40 years he has been a steadfast volunteer in the city of Vancouver promoting activities that support the Vancouver police department. Boy, it was amazing. They did it up right. Joe had a 15-motorcycle honorary guard that drove him in Vancouver in a police car with sirens wailing.

When he got to the front of the Hotel Vancouver, there was a complete mounted squad there at full attention. Then there were pipe bands and everything. They really did it. They pulled out all the stops to make sure that Joe Cohen knew he was greatly appre- ciated not only by the poli ce department in Vancouver but also by thousands and thousands of British Co- lumbians who saw the contribution of this man. Joe Cohen is the guy that brought Sony to Canada. You know, in addition to making some pretty good change for himself and his family, he gave back to his commu- nity over and over again ov er those 40 years.

It was wonderful to see the acknowledgment of that man. [1500] Then I got an opportunity to be at the Justice Insti- tute of British Columbia's dinner the other day. You know, they honoured three people in our community that I think are pretty fantastic. We honoured Beckie Harcourt for her bravery in saving her husband's life and making it possible for Mike Harcourt to walk today anywhere he wants to and continue to contrib- ute as a British Columbian. We honoured Justice Frank Iacobucci. Man, I was really moved by his ac- ceptance speech.

It was really incredible the way this man talked about his family and his community, and it was so nice to see someone so appreciative of this award. Then we honoured the Rt. Hon. Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada. That is one incredi- ble person inside of that person. There's a great spirit of togetherness, of caring about her province, of car- ing about her country and a commitment to democ- racy not just in British Columbia, not just in Canada, but around the world. It was a great pleasure to be there for that. Hon. G. Bruce: You had a busy week. L. Mayencourt: I had a busy week — you bet.

That's one of the beauties of Vancouver-Burrard. There's always something going on.

8562 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 It's also about a community acknowledging what we are acknowledging in this throne speech. We're acknowledging the very best in British Columbia. British Columbia, through this government, is bringing out the very best in our economy. We're eliminating unnecessary red tape. We're doing things to improve consumer protec tion. We've improved the budget for education. We've made a commitment to advanced education that has never been made in this Legislature by anybody ever before — the way this has been done in this Legislature.

We are going to increase the student spaces by 25,000 additional spaces, and that is something to work towards. That's something that we in this caucus heard about over and over again when we travelled the prov- ince on the Finance Committee. They said: "Make a big commitment, a huge commitment, to advanced educa- tion." Well, we did; 25,000 kids are going to be able to further their education and make a better life for them- selves. So we've heard lots about that, and I'm very glad to be part of a government that sees that as such an important part.

Also, I want to talk about the commitment that the Minister of Education has made to safer schools. As many of you know, I had the privilege of being the chair of the safe schools task force, and we heard over and over about how we can do a better job in protect- ing kids and making our schools safer. We're doing that in this throne speech. We're making it safer for kids. We're making safer communities. We're bringing out the very best in all British Columbians. Hon. G. Plant: Last week's throne speech is the fourth major throne speech of our government's term of office.

I am privileged to have the opportunity to respond to that speech as the member, for nearly eight years now, for the constituency of Richmond- Steveston. Every throne speech is a chance to chart a course, to remind us of where we have been and to lay out a plan for the way ahead. This throne speech does all that and more. It sets goals that will guide government for the last third of our mandate an d on to the end of the dec- ade. We promised a new era of hope and prosperity, and we are delivering on that promise for the people of British Columbia.

We have built the foundation for economic renewal, and we are seeing the results: job creation, economic growth, private sector investment, and a growing spirit of opti mism and confidence that we have turned the corner as a province and that any- thing is possible. We have been staying true to the course that was charted in the New Era document that represented our commitment to the people in the last election cam- paign. First and foremost, this is a plan about renewing the economy. Our plan incl uded tax reductions, and we have delivered tax reductions.

Our plan included a commitment to reduce unnecessary red tape, and we have reduced thousands upon thousands of unneces- sary regulations. Our plan included a commitment to modernize labour law, and we have delivered on that commitment. Our plan included a commitment to re- new the transportation infr astructure, which is neces- sary for goods and services to move across this prov- ince, and we are delivering on that commitment. [1505] A critical component of any plan for economic re- newal is the imposition of fiscal discipline on govern- ment.

In the short term, deficits and debts mean simply that we're borrowing to pay for today's services from people who will come along later. We're borrowing to pay for today's services with the dollars that we will take and we will need to take from our children and our grandchildren. Sooner or later these dollars have to be repaid. That's why we say that deficits are simply deferred taxes.

It may work once in a while in the short run, but in the long run, without fiscal discipline, governments who borrow, governments who run deficit after deficit, end up spending money on interest payments to their creditors when they should be spending our precious tax dollars on services to citizens. The simple fact is that when we took office, the fiscal commitments which former administrations had hard-wired into government could not be sustained by the provincial economy. We commissioned an independent panel, and they reported that the provincial government had inherited a structural deficit of $3 billion.

Some change of course was and is essential, and it continues to be essential if we are to have the hope we need and must have of attrac ting the investment that is the keystone of prosperity. It is not sustainable to in- crease spending on govern m e n t p r o g r a m s w h e n t h e economy is falling behind, so we needed to make some tough decisions. We made them, but they were moder- ate, they were balanced, and they were necessary. Three years ago some argu ed that we should bal- ance the budget in our first year in office. In fact, I heard that argument from ma ny.

But yielding to that argument would have required unprincipled, across- the-board spending reductions without much ability to control their impact either on services or on the people who benefit from them. So instead we made a com- mitment to a three-year plan, and we have been follow- ing that plan. That expression, "following that plan," is a new experience for citizens in British Columbia, because that was certainly not the experience under the former government.

I remember sitting in this chamber when I was in opposition and listening to NDP Finance minis- ter after NDP Finance minister deliver budget speeches, where every year it seemed there was a new plan, a new framework or a new something or other created with new targets, new goals and all the while a sort of toxic amnesia about the previous year's plan that allowed that year's Finance minister to forget all about the commitments that had been made a short 12 months ago. All that has changed over the past two and a half years.

Each year since 2001 the Finance minister has stood up in this House, tabled a budget and set targets

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 8563 for the deficit. We have met those targets. We made a plan, and we have kept to the plan. We have kept to the plan even when unforeseen challenges like fires or SARS or BSE have come along just when you wish they wouldn't. We have made the plan, and we have kept the plan, because that was our commitment to the peo- ple of British Columbia. Tomorrow the Finance minis- ter will stand here in this House and do exactly what we promised to do three years ago: table a truly bal- anced budget. Mr.

Speaker, I wanted to remind you of just a few of the new-era commitments taken directly from the 2001 platform document. We said: "…a B.C. Liberal government will…pass real balanced-budget legisla- tion to make balanced budgets mandatory by our third full budget and to hold all ministers individually ac- countable." We have done exactly that. We said that a B.C. Liberal government would pass real truth-in-budgeting legislation that ensures all pro- vincial finances are fully, accurately and honestly re- ported under generally accepted accounting principles.

That is exactly what we have done and will do tomor- row. [1510] We said that a B.C. Liberal government would hon- estly balance the budget without cutting funding for health care or education, and we have done exactly that. Mr. Speaker, those promises were there in writ- i n g . T h e y w e r e o n p a g e 8 o f t h e New Era document. They have been the road map we have followed and will continue to follow throne speech after throne speech and budget after budget throughout this term of office.

Our decisions have been made against the frame- w o r k o f p r i o r i t i e s t h a t i s b o t h p r i n c i p l e d a n d p r a g - matic. We expressly committed, as I've said, to protect health care and education fu nding. The constituents I represent tell me that these are the most important so- cial spending priorities of government. We committed to protect these program areas, and we have. We have done better than that.

Health care funding has in- creased massively, largely as a result of the need to fund wage settlements with health care providers, and as I will show in a minute, education funding has been increased at a time when public school enrolment con- tinues to decline. The fact that these increases have meant, nonethe- less, that health authorities and school districts have had to make difficult decisions is some evidence of the extent to which expenditure growth in these areas has simply been out of control both in absolute terms and in terms of the capacity of our economy to support the delivery of these services.

But as we continue to maintain fiscal dis- cipline, we will see the rewards. Mr. Speaker, we are seeing the rewards. We inherited the worst-performing economy in the country, and we have turned that around. On every indicator, we're moving up the ranks of provinces. When you start from dead last, it's a long climb, but we're making great progress. What better measure of prosperity is there than jobs? Well, let's look at jobs. More people are working than ever before in British Columbia, and over the past two years 159,900 jobs have been created in British Co- lumbia.

Our 8.8 percent increase in employment is the highest in Canada and well ahead of our fellow prov- inces and the national averag e. This will continue. The economy will continue to grow. Revenues to govern- ment will increase, debt-service costs will decline, and our ability to support critically important public pro- grams will grow. That is what it means to promise and to deliver a new era of hope and prosperity. We've done more than that. We've challenged the status quo in critically important public institutions, because the status quo is never more than yesterday's answers to yesterday's problems.

Here, too, we are seeing the results of a willingness to embrace new thinking. Our reorganization of health authorities has reduced bureaucracy so that more health care dollars go to patients. Our education reforms ensure that par- ents have a voice at the table when the education deci- sions about their children ar e made. Our reform in so- cial assistance has focused on helping those who can work to get work, and it provides for those who can- not.

Institutional reform in the provision of services to children and families at risk, which is needed to ensure that those services respond to the needs of communi- ties, is underway and will continue. The administrative justice project has helped guide the reform of dozens of pr ovincial adjudicative agen- cies, ensuring that tribunals focus on serving citizens fairly, effectively and affordably. When you challenge the status quo, you have to expect that those who have an investment in the way things are done will defend that investment. Change can be unsettling.

Change which affects us directly and challenges what feels like entitlement can be more unsettling still. But if we allow our fear of change to control our decisions, we will never make progress. For a decade in British Columbia we fell behind, but at last we are moving forward again. [1515] Some politicians promise democratic reform; we have delivered.

We recognized the need for democratic renewal, and we have embraced that challenge with initiatives that have made us a leader in governments and electoral reform — fixed election dates, free votes, parliamentary calendars, televised cabinet meetings and a legislated budget date. After two and a half years some of these initiatives feel like old hat, but they were new, they were necessary, and they have helped change the face of government in ways that were long overdue in British Columbia. Now we have the Citizens' Assembly.

A man and a woman have been chosen randomly from every con- stituency in British Columbia and are now at work weekend after weekend, giving up their time so that they can learn about our el ectoral system, about the way we elect MLAs and the job that is done for them — for the people — by those MLAs. Over the course of the year ahead this assembly of citizens will be asked to answer the question of whether there would be a better way to elect our legislators than the familiar

8564 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 first-past-the-post method which has governed elec- tions in British Columbia, with one or two exceptions, for as long as there has been a province of British Co- lumbia. If the citizens in the Citi zens' Assembly decide that there is a better way to elect our legislators than the way we have been doing it, then we will ask the citi- zens of the province, in a provincewide referendum that we will conduct at the time of the next general election in May of 2005 — 15 months from tomorrow — to vote on that alternative.

If the vote passes by a margin of 60 percent and in a majority of constituen- cies, then the people of British Columbia will have spoken — the voice that needs to be spoken for change — and our electoral system will be changed. No one could doubt that the existing electoral sys- tem, that old first-past-the-post system, worked to our advantage in 2001. We were elected with 58.8 percent of the popular vote, and we ended up with 77 out of 79 seats in this chamber.

Obviously, any government driven only by self-interest might have forgotten that promise, that new-era promis e, to create a citizens' assembly, but we have not. To take the risk of change in these circumstances and to assign the responsibility for designing our electoral system to the people it is intended to serve was the right thing to promise, and it is the right thing to do. At the top of our vision for a new era was a top- notch education system for students of all ages.

The constituency I represent, one of three constituencies in the city of Richmond, is blessed by a school district with leadership at all levels — from administrators and teachers to staff and students, in board offices, class- rooms and parent advisory councils. Richmond school district has reason to be proud of its achievements. Its levels of graduation are among the highest in the prov- ince. It has great success in producing students that are ready for post-secondary opportunities both in the lower mainland and around the world.

It has a re- markable track record of ad justing to pretty serious and profound demographic change over a pretty short period of time with harmony and stability. Over the last year I've been meeting regularly with parent advisory committees at the elementary schools and the secondary schools in my constituency. When I attend a PAC meeting, I meet passionately committed parents and teachers, and they have concerns about change, and they have conc erns about funding. The good news is that those concerns are heard in this throne speech.

This throne speech recognizes our con- tinuing commitment to education, our recognition that education is the key to unlocking the promise of British Columbia for our children and the opportunities they will inherit. [1520] The reforms we have enacted to date, from the pro- tection of volunteers to the creation of new school planning councils and a ne w set of graduation re- quirements, are being implemented and phased in, and that implementation will continue.

But what we know from the throne speech, in addi tion to this, is that over the next three years K-to-12 education funding will increase by more than $313 million — from $4.86 bil- lion this year to $5.2 billion in 2006-07. All this is at a time when across the province as a whole enrolment is declining, and in fact it has declined by more than 21,000 students in the past five years. Next year's oper- ating funding per student is projected to be $6,748. That's an increase of $904 per student since 1998. Declining enrolments are not just about numbers; they're about a reality.

They 're about a reality that in the schools in my community, elementary schools that a decade or so ago were full to the brim are now half empty. Some elementary schools that weren't that crowded ten or 15 years ago have become busy. High schools face challenges in predicting where their stu- dents will come from. These challenges leave school boards with tough decisions, but we are doing our part as government to give the school boards of British Co- lumbia the tools they need and the additional resources they need to help meet those challenges.

In my community, in addition to the increase in operating funding, our government has committed to fund a new secondary school for the Steveston com- munity. The Richmond school board will have all the challenges that school boards have when they have to meet all the expectations of all the parents who have ideas about what that facility should look like and how it should be designed.

I am certainly confident that the school board will meet those challenges, and I will do whatever I can to help ensure that a new Steveston secondary school meets the n eeds of the students and parents in the community it will serve. When I go to PAC meetings and talk a little bit about what we're doing and hear questions about what we're doing for K-to-12 education, I also hear questions and concerns about what lies ahead for the parents' kids when they reach the en d of high school and face the prospect of post-secondary education.

Parents know that this is what they want for their kids, but they also know that achieving access to post-secondary education has become a bit more of a challenge than it ought to be. We've actually done our part over the last two years to help address this challenge. We've added 6,000 spaces to post-secondary schools across the province, but more is needed. My son graduated from high school last year.

I watched as he and his friends dealt with the anticipation of some uncertainty about not knowing what percentage grade point average would be needed to get admission into Kwantlen, UBC, SFU or any other institution. Those numbers are pretty high. In fact, I think those numbers are higher than they ought to be. To say to someone that you need an 81 percent average to get acce ss to the first-year arts program at the University of Victoria may work for some kids, but for others it may prove to be a hill too steep to climb.

That's not something we want for our kids, and it's not something we want for the people of British Columbia. The throne speech makes two hugely important commitments to those kids and the kids who will fol-

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 8565 low them: 25,000 new student spaces to B.C.'s colleges, universities and institutes by 2010. That's a bold goal, but I'm sure going to work as hard as I can to help meet it.

To say to the kids of British Columbia that a 75 per- cent average is good enough for university is also to make a bold commitment to ensure that all kids know that if they apply themselves , if they study from time to time — and I've had some personal experience watching that challenge — if they sit down and do that work, then they can in fact get access to the programs they believe are going to create the path to success for them and their future.

This throne speech sets great targets for post-secondary education, and we all should commit in this chamber to working to make those tar- gets a reality. [1525] Over the past two and a half years we have also worked hard to maintain our new-era commitment to ensure that all British Columbians have equal access to legal representation and justice. We have much to be proud of in our justice system. We have a constitu- tional framework that pr otects liberty and human rights, and a strong and in dependent judiciary that upholds those fundamentally important rights and upholds them fearlessly.

But the fact is that the tr aditional approach to justice too often and in too many cases produces a system that p u t s p r o c e s s b e f o r e p e o p l e . S o w h a t h a v e w e d o n e t o respond to that reality? Well, we have done some things that lie within our powers. We have reformed adminis- trative tribunals to focus on service to citizens. We've emphasized the use of technology to reduce unnecessary barriers of physical access so that people can fax docu- ments, and soon they'll be able to e-mail documents in- stead of having to travel to a courthouse to file them. We're changing institutions.

We're changing institu- tions by doing things like taking minor bylaw disputes out of the court system an d putting them into bylaw forums, where they can be dealt with effectively and fairly and without the burden of process or cost that is associated with traditional court proceedings. We've made it easier for people to get justice by doing things like reforming the way in which maintenance and sup- port orders could be enforced for people who have maintenance and support obligations in different prov- inces of Canada. There is much more to do.

We have spent a great deal of time over the last two and a half years working with the Legal Services Society to help them develop the tools that are needed to encourage people to solve their disputes in a timely and effective way without going to court, if that can be achieved in a way that's consistent with justice.

We know that when people take ownership for the resolution of their disputes and grievances, when they pursue alternate dispute resolu- tions like mediation or conciliation, when they just sit down and try to talk things over, they can get results that work for them — that work for them in the short term and that work for them in the long term. The traditional adversarial litigation model is still an essential core of our justice system, but it is not the way to deal with every case.

We can improve access to justice, and we can improve it without just throwing more money at it, but we will only improve access to justice if we are willing to rethink justice, to make jus- tice citizen-focused, not lawyer-focused, to ensure that we are governed by the rule of law and not by the rule of lawyers. There's more to do on this front. For the past year the Justice Review Task Force has been working on initiatives to enhance access to justice in the Provincial Court.

For too long the $10,000 limit in provincial small claims cases has represented a barrier of access to all those who have claims just above $10,000 but who could not afford to pay lawyers to argue those cases in the Supreme Court according to the rules that exist for that court. We've been looking at initiatives like raising the small claims court limit, perhaps introducing further streamlined processes for small claims cases even to the extent of reforming th e Supreme Court rules to create expedited processes for other civil claims.

All of this and more is necessary if we are to make access to justice a reality for British Columbians.

There is more we have to do to make our criminal justice system be- gin to look like a system and less like what it has been: a collection of fiercely in dependent and only occasion- ally interdependent institutions that have a hard time working with one another. [1530] We have announced just today a backlog reduction initiative in Vancouver to help make sure that when criminal cases are set down for trial at 222 Main Street in downtown Vancouver, the busiest criminal court in the province, we get those cases to trial as soon as we can.

When you get cases to trial soon, particularly when you get criminal cases to trial soon, witnesses' memories are intact, people are more inclined to feel accountable for their wrongdoing, and the system as a whole will ensure that people have confidence that it is helping to keep our communities safe, as it should be. All of this and more is part of the work that lies ahead in the justice ministry. The throne speech talks about our relations with first nations.

We took office with a commitment to en- gage the people of British Columbia directly in a con- versation about their vision and their principles for the treaty process. We kept that commitment. We con- ducted a provincewide referendum. In the past year we have acted on the input the people of British Columbia gave us in their answers to the referendum questions. We have put the people's principles to work at treaty tables with unprecedented success — three AIPs last year and the fourth, which is imminent. For the first time in a decade of negotiations under the B.C.

Treaty Commission process, final agreements are within reach. We have done a great deal, as the throne speech set out, to help make a difference in the economic and social lives of aboriginal people today. Mr. Speaker, there is a plan for the future, and it is working now. There is good news wherever we choose to look for it. The lower mainland is consistently rec-

8566 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 ognized as one of the most livable places in the world. My home city of Richmond wins prizes for livability. Its citizens enjoy long and healthy lives, there are eco- nomic opportunities across a range of sectors, and if you take us all together for just a moment and reflect on these facts, we must be doing many things right. That's not to say there are no challenges. There will always be challenges, but strong communities contain within them the resources to meet those challenges.

My job gives me many opportunities to meet the people who help make strong communities. In January, I met with three individual s who do just that. They represent a new organization called Virsa — Sikh alli- ance against youth violence. Virsa was formed in De- cember 2002 by members of the Sikh community con- cerned with what appears to be an escalating level of violence among Indo-Canadian youth. Virsa is a group of community leaders and parents who are willing to do what it takes to help address this problem.

Its goal is to help coordinate information, education, training and support services for members of the Indo- Canadian community in British Columbia; to provide youth with opportunities and promote values; to build self-esteem, self-pride and leadership. It's groups like this who identify the challenges that we face in our communities, who take ownership of the problems and look for ways to resolve them that have my highest admiration and should have the admiration of all of us in this chamber.

Groups like this, day by day, in the work they do are helping all of us to realize on the throne speech commitment of 2001, the throne speech commitments of 2002, 2003 and 2004 — a new era of hope and prosperity for all British Columbians. Hon. C. Clark: It's a pleasure to speak in response to the throne speech today. It is a pleasure to speak to it because the throne speech throws out a challenge for all of us — that is, a challenge to bring out the best in ourselves, the best in our families, the best in our communities and the best in our province.

I think one of the challenges we face is that we hear often about all the things that are going wrong, but we need to re- member — every British Columbian needs to remem- ber — how blessed we are to live in British Columbia. People will literally risk their lives to come and make their home in this province.

People have been coming from all over the world for hundreds of years because of the hope and opportunity that British Columbia represents today and has always represented for peo- ple around the world. [1535] This is a beautiful place full of resources, full of forestry resources and minerals under the ground, full of rich land, the beauty of the seas, the beauty of the mountains — all of the assets that we will present to people from around the world when they come to Brit- ish Columbia in 2010 for the Olympics. It's also a free society. It is a safe society.

It is a place where you know you can walk out your door in the evening and get home safe afterward. That's not true for many people all over the world. It's a place where we know we can choose our own government. It is a place where we know we can send our children to school in the morning and kn ow they will come home safe at the end of the day. It's a place where we have the world's best health care system, a public education system that is second to none, a province filled with strong communities where people care about one an- other and are prepared to look out for their neighbours.

It is a place full of energetic, innovative people full of ideas, always looking for the next oppor- tunity. That's what British Columbia has always been and what we will continue to be. In the throne speech we talked about how we want British Columbians to be the best they can be. A friend of mine came to me the day after the throne speech and said: "Gosh, you know, I don't know if I want to be the best I can be. It sounds like a lot of work. I just want the government to let me be, just be." I thought: there's nothing really the matter with that either — just to be. You know what he is?

He's a guy who goes home for lunch every day, comes home from work at 5 o'clock every day. His wife doesn't work, or doesn't work out- side the home. Do you know what he does? When he goes home for lunch, he ha s lunch with his kids. When he goes home at the end of the night, he doesn't sit down and watch cartoons with them, because he's not exhausted at the end of the day. He plays with them, reads to them and gives them all the attention they need. He says, "I don't want to be the best I can be; I just want to be," but to me he's a great parent. That's really being someth ing.

If there is something we could be the best at, surely it's to be the best possible parents we can, to make sure our kids get the best start in life, because a child will never, ever have a parent as good as the one they're born to. Some do, actually. Some children who are adopted — and I see some adoptive parents sitting in this House — are fortunate to find lov- ing, caring families, families that might even perhaps be better than the families and the homes they left. For most kids the best place for them to be is with their families and in their homes, whether that is an adoptive home or a biological family.

That's where kids need to be. What better thing can we do as citizens than make sure we raise our children with the right kinds of val- ues and ethics, with all the skills they're going to need to navigate a really incredibly complex world? What better can we do as a society than make sure our kids all have the tools they need to be able to fulfil every single ability they have? In this throne speech the commitment our government has made is one that puts education at the centre of our government's vision. Education is an investment in kids. Education gives kids all of the tools they'll need to succeed.

If you look around the world and find the richest societies, the most democratic societies, the most civil societies, the safest societies, the strongest communities, those are all societies that have the best education systems, the best public education systems you will find anywhere. At the heart of British Columbia's success is its people, first of all. Second, it's the education we've provided to our citizens.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 8567 Our education system is continuing to get better year after year. Graduation rates are improving, not just overall, but graduation rates for aboriginal kids are improving. Success rates for kids across the board are growing — not just more kids getting scholarships, because that's true, but kids who used to perhaps not meet expectations. More of them are now beginning to meet expectations. [1540] Higher levels of satisfaction about what's going on in classrooms amongst teachers, amongst students, amongst parents.

More parental involvement at schools across the province, where more parents get more say in how their children should be educated. More choices for children. Any child can attend any school in British Columbia that they choose pr ovided there is space. We are leading the country in so many regards in our pub- lic education system, and that is something that every citizen of British Columbia deserves from its govern- ment.

Citizens in British Columbia deserve to know that we are investing in the next generation of children and that we will give them all the tools they need to succeed not just in British Columbia but in Canada and around the world. This year we will see the first truly balanced budget that British Columbia has had in many, many years. A balanced budget isn't just an exercise in bean-counting, in the bottom line. A balanced budget is an exercise in ensuring that we make sure the next generation of kids has choices to make.

Our generation of citizens con- sumes not just all the resources that we take in as a government but more, and that's been the source of our growing deficit and debt over the last 20 years. We have an obligation to that next generation to make sure we leave them some choices, to make sure they have more options than just having to pay off the credit card bill that we've created for them. So we have to balance our budget. We have to get our fiscal house in order for their benefit. We have to create jobs. British Columbia is now number one in job creation across the country.

We have led Canada in creating more jobs than any other prov- ince. Over 100,000 new jobs have been created here, and that means more people are able to put food on the table, pay their mortgage, take care of their families and provide stability. Forestry, mining, and all of the resource industries that are so critical to British Co- lumbia are receiving focus from this government to ensure that they can continue to drive our economy, because when forestry and mining are doing well, our social services can continue to be supported.

The Ministry of Children and Family Development is not an economic ministry, but the people we serve certainly benefit from a stronger provincial economy. It translates directly into co mmunities that are more con- fident; it translates directly into families that are health- ier and self-sustaining. That's a legacy, I think, of the member for Surrey–White Rock. He brought his best to this portfolio. He provided a vision and dedication to make sure that our ministry moved forward into a more productive course. He provided focus and vision that hasn't been in this ministry for many years.

So to talk a little bit about this mi nistry in the context of the t h r o n e s p e e c h , I w a n t t o m a k e i t c l e a r t h a t m y j o b a s minister is to build on the incredible foundation built by my predecessor — the blueprint he created, a vision for the future, a solid vision that is broadly supported in the community. Here are some of the bests that he helped establish in this ministry. The best place for a child is in a re- sponsible, caring family in a safe and inclusive com- munity. Every child in this province deserves the best possible start in life.

The grea test number of vulnerable people need to achieve the best possible outcomes in overcoming their challenges. The best way to make use of a community's knowledge and strengths is to make those decisions based in communities. Now, those are all of the bests, all of the challenges that he set out for us. I can't tell you that we've met all of those goals yet, but we are doing better. Better social work, increased community input and innovative programs are starting to produce incredibly positive results.

More children in British Columbia are able to remain safe and secure in their own biological or ad optive homes. Family sup- port programs are working; fewer children have to be removed from their families and put into government care. Risks to children and families are identified early before those problems become crises. Reforms are start- ing to improve the lives of children and adults who need support to ensure their safety and well-being. [1545] But there is one clear an d very important best in this ministry's accomplishments.

In just two and a half years we have created the best working partnership between a family-serving ministry and aboriginal communities in British Columbia. That partnership is based on a common goal of responsibility to ensure that aboriginal communities have the resources, skills and opportunity to safely care for their own kids in their own communities, to care for them in the context of their own families and their culture in a way that draws on the traditional strengths of extended families.

As part of that partnership, we now have a sound working relationship with every aboriginal band and tribal council in British Columbia. That has never hap- pened before. This is hard work for everyone involved. It's been hard work for the ministry; it's been hard work for aboriginal communities. There have been bumps along the road, and I' m sure there will continue to be bumps in the road for us. But we are building solid, trusting, durable relationships with aboriginal communities. It has to be done. It is the best way to do it, and I believe it is the only way to do it.

Our responsibility in this ministry is to protect the safety and well-being of children at risk of neglect, abuse or harm. Children thrive best in the safety and security of a caring home and family. Long-term out- comes for children are best when those links can be maintained. Placing children safely with extended fam- ily, friends and communities is often the best option. That's true in non-aboriginal communities, and it's true

8568 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2004 in aboriginal communities as well. Removal of a child from a family has to be the last resort. Cultural, racial, linguistic and religious heritage are key considerations when determining how we should help a child and their family. The number of children that the government has taken into care is down by 15 percent since July 2001. That's because social workers now have more tools at their disposal to be able to try and support families. Obviously, if a child is seriously at risk of harm or ne- glect, that child needs to be removed from their home.

But the choice for a social worker can't just simply be between taking children out of their home or leaving them in. A social worker also has to have a range of other tools available to try and build supports around families to give them the skills and the capacity they need to make sure their children are safe there. This is a big break with tradition. The number of children that were taken from their homes and placed in permanent government care rose steadily from 1995 to 2001.

Our success in breaking that pattern speaks to the skill and dedication of the front-line staff in the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Their job requires them to make decisions that take them to the very edge of their professional knowledge. They do that knowing it is impossible to make a 100 percent accurate prediction of human behaviour. They do that knowing that if their decision is wrong, hindsight is always 20-20. They make those decisions knowing that from time to time, their de cisions might be called into question. They make life-changing decisions for chil- dren every day.

It is frightening enough to be a parent, in my case, of one child and know that I make decisions on behalf of my child that can affect his life for the rest of his life every day. Imagine if you were a social worker and you did that not just for your own children but for other children. To every day make decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives is a tremendously difficult job and a tremendously rewarding one but not one that everyone can take on. The social workers that work on the front lines for the Ministry of Children and Family Development deserv e our support.

They de- serve to know that we respect and value the contribu- tion they make, that we wi ll honour their judgment and the experience they bring to their jobs, and that we will stand by them when sometimes those decisions are difficult. [1550] Now, in other areas of the ministry we also have some encouraging results. Not only are there fewer children that are being brou ght into care, there are fewer kids going to jail. The number of youth in cus- tody has declined 60 perc ent since 1995.

Improved treatments and alternatives to custody, such as family group conferencing and restorative justice involving both the offender and those that are harmed, are work- ing for most minor offenders. Custodial sentences are usually reserved for a small number of youth who commit very serious crimes. The youth crime rate has dropped by more than 50 percent since 1991 and con- tinues to decline. Those are very positive trends, trends that we hope will continue. As I said, we have a strong working partnership with aboriginal communities.

The number of aboriginal children in care almost doubled between 1997 and 2001. It was up to 4,300. That is a tragedy. It is a failure of policy, and it is a failure of government. Since 2001 that number is finally starting to dip. Last month it was less than 4,200 children, but it is still far, far too high. Far too many of those children have been separated not only from their parents bu t also from their communi- ties, their culture and their roots.

We've started a new program called A Child's Roots are Forever, and about 2,700 case files of aborigi- nal children are now being reviewed by Ministry of Children and Family Development staff and aboriginal workers. We are going through every single one of those files individually, because our view is that we don't need to say: "How do we fix the system?" We need to say: "How do we fix the situation for this child?" We need to recognize that every single one of those children isn't a file. Th ey are children, they are unique, and each one of them will have a solution that can work for them.

We need to know if it is in a child's best interest to return to their communities , their extended families and their parents, so we are moving to regional and aboriginal governance, which will help us build a sys- tem that does a better job of helping aboriginal families before they break down. If they do break down, the system we want to create will find better ways to keep those kids in their extended families in their communi- ties so they aren't cut off from their roots. W e ' v e w o r k e d h a r d i n t h i s m i n i s t r y o n a d o p t i o n .

More children are now in permanent and loving homes as a result of adoption. Adoption of children from per- manent foster care to what we call "forever families" — children who have moved to loving, permanent families where they feel they have some certainty — doubled last year. Now 338 more children have permanent homes, and that is the highest annual placement since the early 1980s. That's quite an achievement. Adoption doesn't just ch ange the lives of the chil- dren who are adopted; it chan ges the lives of the entire family who are blessed to take those children in.

I know the stories of many, many adoptive parents who talk about the change in their lives when their adoptive child comes permanently into their home. It's a gift, and it's a blessing. B.C. is changing the way services are designed and delivered to support adults with developmental dis- abilities. Extensive consultations with families and or- ganizatio

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	h0216pm-06
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	h0216pm 06
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	af1831fa9957bd40e51f8bff6bd702cf9c67f0b9

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