British Columbia Hansard — Monday, April 7, 2003 (37th Parliament, 4th Session) (H0407am-01) (H0407am 01)

H0407am-01

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

4th Session, 37th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) Monday, April 7, 2003 Morning Sitting Volume 14, Number 1 THE HONOURABLE CLAUDE RICHMOND, SPEAKER ISSN 0709-1281

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Honourable Iona Campagnolo 4TH 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.

Greg Halsey-Brandt Deputy Premier and Minister of Education............................................................................................................................. Hon. Christy Clark 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 Children and Family Development ..................................................................................................................... Hon. Gordon Hogg Minister of State for Early Childhood Development...................................................................................................................Hon.

Linda Reid Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services ..............................................................................................Hon. George Abbott Minister of State for Community Charter ..............................................................................................................................Hon. Ted Nebbeling Minister of State for Women's Equality..................................................................................................................................Hon.

Lynn Stephens Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise ..................................................................................................................... Hon. Rick Thorpe Minister of State for Deregulation ..............................................................................................................................................Hon. Kevin Falcon Minister of Energy and Mines...............................................................................................................................................Hon.

Richard Neufeld Minister of Finance.........................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Gary Collins Minister of Forests................................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Michael de Jong Minister of Health Planning .....................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Sindi Hawkins Minister of Health Services.........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Colin Hansen Minister of State for Mental Health................................................................................................................................... Hon. Gulzar S. Cheema Minister of State for Intermediate, Long Term and Home Care ............................................................................... Hon.

Katherine Whittred Minister of Human Resources.................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Murray Coell Minister of Management Services ............................................................................................................................................ Hon. Sandy Santori Minister of Provincial Revenue..................................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Bill Barisoff Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General...................................................................................................................... Hon. Rich Coleman Minister of Skills Development and Labour......................................................................................................................Hon. Graham P. Bruce Minister of Sustainable Resource Management ..........................................................................................................................Hon.

Stan Hagen Minister of Transportation..............................................................................................................................................................Hon. Judith Reid Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection ............................................................................................................................ Hon.

Joyce Murray 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/Committee Clerk.................................................................................................................................................Kate Ryan-Lloyd Sergeant-at-Arms............................................................................................................................................................................. A.A.

Humphreys Director, Hansard Services ..................................................................................................................................................Anthony Dambrauskas Legislative Librarian ............................................................................................................................................................................ Joan A.

Barton 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 In addition to printed transcripts, Hansard Services publishes transcripts on the Internet and broadcasts Chamber debates on television.

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, 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, 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, Ida (L) .................................................................. Oak Bay–Gordon Head Christensen, 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, Hon. Greg (L)....................................................Richmond Centre Hamilton, Arnie (L)..............................................................Esquimalt-Metchosin Hansen, Hon.

Colin (L) .......................................................Vancouver-Quilchena Harris, Roger (L) .........................................................................................Skeena Hawes, Randy (L)............................................................... Maple Ridge–Mission Hawkins, Hon. Sindi (L) ........................................................... Kelowna-Mission Hayer, Dave S. (L) ..................................................................... Surrey-Tynehead Hogg, Hon. 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, 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, Hon. 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, Hon.

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, Hon.

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, Hon. 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 ....................................................................................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.................................................................................. Hon. 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.....................................................................Hon. Judith Reid Nelson-Creston......................................................................... Blair F.

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

Daniel Jarvis Oak Bay–Gordon Head......................................................................... Ida Chong Okanagan-Vernon .......................................................................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 ................................................................................. Pat Bell Prince George–Mount Robson................................................. Hon. Shirley Bond Prince George–Omineca .................................................................

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

Hon. George Abbott Skeena ............................................................................................... 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................................................................. Hon. 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................................................... Hon.

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

CONTENTS Monday, April 7, 2003 Morning Sitting Routine Proceedings Page Private Members' Statements .................................................................................................... ............................................. 6021 Road safety M. Hunter Hon. R. Coleman IFC (International financial centres) R. Sultan R. Harris Youth asset development K. Manhas B. Belsey Genome research R. Visser Hon. C.

Hansen Motions on Notice.............................................................................................................. ...................................................... 6030 Criminal Code amendments on street racing (Motion 7) (continued) P. Sahota A. Hamilton B. Locke Drinking water quality (Motion 46) J. Wilson M. Hunter B. Suffredine Hon. S. Bond B. Belsey AMBER alert early warning system for child abduction (Motion 50) B. Penner B. Bennett D. MacKay J. Bray

6021 MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 The House met at 10:01 a.m. [H. Long in the chair.] Prayers. Hon. R. Coleman: I call private members' state- ments. Private Members' Statements ROAD SAFETY M. Hunter: This morning I want to talk about an issue that is, I think, dear to the hearts of most people in this province. I want to talk about road safety. As everyone knows, the last century saw the inven- tion and the widespread adoption of the automobile and all its variations, from buses to trucks to private cars.

One of the enduring tr uths that I think history will show us has emerged fr om one of mankind's most critical inventions is that everyone who's ever seen a car, let alone driven one, is an expert on driving. If only this were the case. Unfortunately, it's not. As a consequence, we too often hear distressing news about another road accident that has cut short or affected the lives of victims and their families in our communities. Happily, though, not every incident that happens on our roads ends up with a loss of life. But road safety is not all about loss of life; it's about common sense.

It's that aspect that I want to speak about this morning, not about the important initiatives that have been taken by this government in terms of curbing some of the real excesses on our roads — street racing, in particular. I want to talk about some more commonsense issues that affect all of us who take the wheel. [1005] Safety on our roads is determined by a combination of somewhat complex factors. Some — like the weather, of course — are way beyond our control, but many are well within our ability to influence.

I would list amongst those factors, for example, automobile design; highway design and construction standards, including lighting and signag e; driver education and training; the Motor Vehicle Act, which expresses Brit- ish Columbia's rules about how we behave on the road; and speed zones and speed limits. I'm going to focus on the latter later on in this statement. I want to examine some of these factors. While we in British Columbia can't determine what goes into car design, surely we can influence how the federal gov- ernment approaches this su bject.

I'm an experienced driver, as I'm sure many people in this chamber are. I have taken the roads safely in over a dozen countries. I am always amazed about how the same car manufac- turer can incorporate different safety functions in dif- ferent markets. In Canada, for example, the third brake light and daytime running lights were introduced be- cause they are proven to reduce accidents. Yet in much of Europe these features are almost unknown.

On the other hand, European vehicles all have high-intensity rear lights that are a real safety feature in weather con- ditions which we experience here in B.C. — fog, white- outs, heavy road spray conditions. Maybe we should be pressing the federal government to adopt the same provision for requiring high-intensity rear lights. While we're at it, I might also suggest that daytime rear lights going along with daytime headlights would be a useful safety factor. Highway design in B.C. leaves, in my opinion, much to be desired.

For exam ple, entry and exit points on limited-access highways are not standardized, so drivers never know whether you have an acceleration or deceleration lane to use. While signage is much im- proved in recent years, it's still far below the standards found in other parts of the world, even in Canada. I would point to Ontario as an example of excellent highway signage. Stop signs sprout in B.C. communities like dandeli- ons in the spring. Once sprouted, they stay, not like the humble dandelion. It's no wonder to me that we con- sume so much fuel in Canada when we spend so much time at stop signs.

In contrast, in the United Kingdom stop signs are a rarity, which proves that there are other ways to control traffic flows through our com- munities. I k n o w t h a t w e h a v e a p o l i c y i n B . C . t o p r o v i d e lighting at intersections and on off-ramps on highways, but there are many places that are unlit that could do with lighting improvements to provide more safety. Of course these are going to have to wait until after the budget is in surplus.

On driver education, I think we've taken huge strides with the implementa tion of and improvements to the graduated licence pr ogram, although I see in today's paper there are criticisms that we haven't gone far enough. That may be. The driving exam is still not tough enough, in my estimation. I am appalled at the number of people who drive without looking in rear- v i e w m i r r o r s m o r e t h a n o n c e i n a b l u e m o o n o r w h o pull into traffic after consul ting their mirrors but with- out looking over their left shoulder. These bad habits are formed young.

Not knowing what is around you in a vehicle is just not optional. I want to move to a couple of issues that are within our control to change in road safety. The first is the B.C. practice of allowing drivers on a multi-lane highway to pass another vehicle on the right. Our laws permit this practice if "the lane is clear." I submit that the practice is dangerous. It creates tailgating in the passing lane. And given the lack of mirror checking that goes on, how many drivers do you think are surprised when they get passed on the right where the biggest blind spot exists?

I want to quote to you from Constable Tim Schewe in the Nanaimo RCMP detachment, who wrote re- cently on this subject: "If you are driving in the left- hand lane and you are driving at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing, you must drive in the

6022 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 right-hand lane." If this is the suggestion of an experi- enced RCMP patrol constable, I think it's time that we took steps in this Legislatur e to change the rule. I've been talking to the Minister of Transportation about that very subject. Lastly, I want to talk about speed limits, because in B.C. speed limits make no sense to me. They invite disobedience and encourage a lack of respect for the law. I know that speed limits are supposed to be set as a result of a combination of engineering and safety studies, but this clearly is not the case.

Speed limits outside of urban areas are generally set too low. The fact is that around the world, even in Germany where there are no speed limits outs ide of urban areas on the autobahn, some 85 percent of people drive at speeds that reflect the road condition at the time and their abil- ity. So when we build a road that can safely be driven in a relatively modern car at 110 kilometres an hour, and we set a speed limit of 90 kilometres an hour, guess what happens. The vast majority of drivers drive at a speed closer to the designed speed than that posted on the highway signs.

Moreover, there are places in B.C. where speed limits on similar kinds of highways are different. I'll give you an example on a route that I travel weekly through Duncan. South of Duncan there's a stretch of the Island Highway which is not separated, not di- vided. It's four lanes, and yet the speed limit there is the same as on the divided

section of the highway. It doesn't make any sense. [1010] Others around the world have said…. I quoted ex- amples of this — the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion federal highway administration report from 1992 talking about the study looking at speed limits. The results of the study: lowering posted speed limits by as much as 20 miles an hour or raising speed limits by as much as 15 miles an hour had little effect on motorists' speed. The majority of motorists did not drive above the posted speed limits when speed limits were raised, nor did they reduce their speed when speed limits were lowered.

I want to introduce a debate on this subject. I think it's overdue. We need better road safety in B.C., and I look forward to the remarks of the Solicitor General. Hon. R. Coleman: Good morning to everybody. I just wanted to take a few minutes today. I appre- ciate the member's remarks.

I should tell him, on the issue of speeds, that I've actually had conversations with the Minister of Transp ortation and highways to l o o k a t s p e e d s i n c e r t a i n corridors in the province, which will be done on balance with statistical informa- tion to decide where the real road safety issues that are affected by any changes can be dealt with. We actually have some of the best statistical infor- mation with regard to intersections and road safety in any jurisdiction that we've accumulated.

We now have to deal with those in a manner that we can actually apply to public safety, which is something that frankly has not been done before. Our job in this ministry, of course, is to give police and communities the tools so that they are able to pro- tect the public through issues of public safety with re- gard to traffic on our roads and this specific topic. One of the things we've done is that we've made it pretty clear that we are ready to deal with a number of issues on behalf of the relationship we have with law enforcement, as well as issues that we've already dealt with.

An example is that on April 1, the compliance sec- tion for the minister was transferred from the Insur- ance Corporation of B.C. to this ministry. It was trans- ferred because it was felt that road safety with regard to the heavy trucking industry was important. Obvi- ously, two or three days later there was a serious acci- dent in West Vancouver th at brought the whole issue to the forefront. People were wondering what's changed and what we are doing about it.

I can tell the House today that in the past in the case of an accident like th at, there would have been a request go out, and there mi ght have been, over a pe- riod of two or three months, the opportunity to look at the vehicles that were also owned by the same com- pany with regard to road safety. The changes we made in March with regard to the transfer over is to put into position a director in charge o f t h i s s e c t i o n .

W e w e r e i m m e d i a t e l y a b l e t o d e m a n d the presentation of any other vehicles of the company, to do inspections on them, to react to any deficiencies of those vehicles, to pull them off the road if there were any and to actually respond to the issue. The fact that some people out there say that the provincial government has not been doing something about safety on this issue is completely wrong. The changes were made so that we could integrate the en- forcement of road safety with regard to the heavy trucking industry in the province with all other polic- ing operations in the provin ce.

That's what we did on April 1, and it was the right thing to do. In addition to that, we ac tually target industry sec- tors in this area, where we take a month with our per- sonnel and we go out with mobile scales and inspec- tion teams to target industry segments — whether it's the dumptruck industry, whether it's the hazardous goods moving industry or whatever the case may be.

In addition to that — this is one of the latest things we've done to integrate our issues around road safety — we're now working with ICBC to integrate some of the funding that they put into r o a d s a f e t y i n t o a n e x - panded, integrated traffic enforcement team for the province to enhance our road safety.

In addition to the other things that we've done — like being able to seize vehicles for 48 hours with re- gard to road safety or speeding and doubling points with regard to speeding, ro ad rage or road racing — we have in front of us today changes to the learner's permits, the time frames and the number of passengers that young people will be allowed to have in their ve- hicles when they are trave lling with an N on their li- cence plate for a period of time so that we can actually reduce the serious and fatal motor vehicle accidents in that age group.

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 6023 We have done a lot of things in the last 24 months with regard to road safety that needed to be done, things that would take initiatives to move forward so that we as a government can actually be seen to be pro- active to deal with some of these issues that face our communities today. [1015] The member for Nanaimo's suggestions are addi- tional tools that are being asked for.

We are looking at those tools as well, because long term it is to get to an integrated relationship and changes with regard to road safety, compliance and everything that moves goods, services and people on our roads. We will have the safest streets in North America. That's the goal. Can we achieve it overnight? I don't think so. But can we achieve it? I believe so. We have the right infrastructure, we have the right relationship, and the stars are all aligned with traffic enforcement, policing and communities to identify those issues and work towards success in all those areas.

So watch in the next few months as you see how we improve the standards in trucking, how we improve the safety for young people to get a learner's permit, how we improve the number of issues in and around how they should behave and drive, and how we im- prove the future for the safety of our roads in British Columbia. I think the initiatives we've taken and the ones we're about to take will make a huge difference in this particular area of government and in this particu- lar area of the province. M. Hunter: I'm really encouraged about the Solici- tor General's remarks.

I will indeed be watching in the next few months for more good news from this gov- ernment. I want to conclude by just repeating some of the things I've said and adding some new perspectives on speed limits. I think th e Solicitor General talked about enforcement and comp liance, but speed limits are important from another perspective. I'm going to quote from a paper done by the De- partment of Transportation in the state of Arizona.

"What realistic speed limits do : (1) they invite public compliance by conforming to the behaviour of the ma- jority; (2) they give a clear reminder of reasonable and prudent speeds to non-conforming violators.

What unrealistic speed limits do: (1) they do not invite volun- tary compliance since they do not reflect the behaviour of the majority; (2) they make the behaviour of the ma- jority unlawful; (3)" — and this is where I want to focus on the police — "they maximize a public antagonism towards the police since the police are enforcing a speed trap." There are a couple of slogans that have become well entrenched over the years: "Speed kills, and slow is safe." Those kinds of slogans have no basis in fact. The evidence from around the world shows that.

Repeated long enough and loud en ough, these slogans have taken on the aura of truth. In the United States in 1996 the federal government removed the speed limit on federal highways. It's in- teresting to note that in the 33 states that had raised their speed limits through th e first half of 1996, after the federal government allowed limits to go up, total fatalities were up 0.4 percent — the same increase as for the nation as a whole.

The opinion of this docu- ment, which is from a non-profit public policy research foundation in Washington D.C., says that speed limits that are too low can be just as dangerous as speed lim- its that are too high. I think we've all experienced that. We all know that intuitively. I am really pleased that this government is taking steps to look at the important data that we have through ICBC and through other sources to take a sci- entific look at how we govern speed on our highways. It is important.

I don't like being a criminal, but I can tell you that when I drove down here last night on the Island Highway, I was being passed, and I was driving — I will admit it — slightly above the speed limit. I was passed by just about every other car on the road. Let's be sensible about this. Let's deal with the eighty- fifth percentile. Let's not make all of us criminals. I look forward to changes in this area based on science. Deputy Speaker: Members, I ask leave of this House to make an introduction. Leave granted.

Introductions by Members Deputy Speaker: Today in the House, from the great city of Powell River, I have two super supporters of mine. I'd like to introduce to this House my son-in- law, Tor Birtig, and my granddaughter, Amanda Birtig, who are here today. I ask this House to make them welcome. [1020] Debate Continued IFC (INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRES) R. Sultan: I rise today to talk about international financial centres.

But I cannot resist the opportunity to respond immediately to the strong message from the Solicitor General, which I think will be music to the ears of my constituents in West Vancouver–Capilano and, in fact, should reassure all British Columbians that under this Solicitor General, road safety is being treated with great competence, great energy and great seriousness. I could go on at great length on this topic, but let me just say on behalf of my constituents: Solici- tor General, thank you.

I would like to address the topic of the day insofar as the private member's statement is concerned, and that is international financial centres. Years ago I was a foot soldier in a fierce war between Montreal and To- ronto as to which of those two cities would dominate Canadian financial affairs. Two of our largest institu- tions — the Royal Bank, where I happened to be senior vice-president, and the Bank of Montreal, Canada's

6024 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 largest bank before the Royal muscled on by about 50 years ago — had their mind and management securely based in Montreal. So, too, did Canada's leading bro- kerage and insurance companies. Toronto, in those early days, was a sideshow. James Muir, hard-driving Scottish patriarch who pushed the Royal ahead of its rivals, hated Toronto with a passion. Post-Muir, by the mid-seventies it was clear, to some of us at least, that Toronto was winning.

Thoroughly disenchanted by the policies of René Lévesque and Jacques Parizeau, head offices fled down Highway 401 to Toronto. In fact, does this sound a little bit like British Columbia under the previous govern- ment? I think so. A decade later, even the PQ began to doubt the wisdom of driving the big banks and everybody else out of town. It was time for Quebec to rebuild its finan- cial promise, with a little helping hand from sympa- thizers in Ottawa. Thus was born the concept of inter- national financial centres.

The idea was simple: create a tax-free zone in Montreal where financial institutions could engage in international transactions with a com- pelling tax advantage over Toronto, which would have to pay taxes. When the word leaked out, of course, Toronto growled: "Not so fast. Whatever Montreal gets, we de- mand also." "No deal," said Montreal. "That would defeat the whole purpose." "Hmm," said the Ottawa mandarins, "yes, it would look bad to single out only Montreal for these special favours.

Let's create a second international financial centre way out there beyond the Rocky Mountains in a place I think they call Vancou- ver. That's fair, and it won't bother Montreal one bit." Despite Toronto's objections, the deal was struck. When you work to create your own destiny — and let's concede that Quebec did it with astute lobbying in Ottawa — it's my observation the outcome is often quite different from that produced when unexpected fortune is just given to you on a silver platter, such as happened to Vancouver. Quebec grabbed hold of Ot- tawa's favours with vigour.

Out here, it seemed to take a while to figure out what was in the gift package. Nevertheless, by 1988 both Vancouver and Mont- real had provincial legislation in place dovetailing with federal legislation. The Vancouver IFC had an initial spurt, peaking at 51 members in 1991. But then fate, with the initials NDP, in tervened, and membership declined to 33 in 2002. Mention the name IFC in down- town Vancouver today, and people tend to say, "Oh, that thing. I got excited about it ten years ago, but Ot- tawa gave all the licences to Quebec," which is a stun- ning misinterpretation of the facts.

Meanwhile, Montreal IFC added 15 to 20 new members a year and now has 120 offices employing 1,300 people. Economic impact ranges beyond the number of employees. Montreal has a genuine claim to being an international financial hub. Do you know that two of British Columbia's forestry companies recently established IFC subsidiaries in Quebec? People I talk with agree th at if the deal were struck today, the western leg of Canada's IFCs wouldn't be here in Vancouver; it would be in Calgary. Under the NDP, Calgary picked off th e credit functions of our major banks.

Under the NDP, while Calgary was com- pleting soaring Bankers Hall, in downtown Vancouver banks were subletting. If granted the IFC opportunity today, Calgary would no doubt tuck it under their arm and charge ahead like a Stampeders running back. The good news is that British Columbia has a new head coach, a new team and a second chance at the playoffs. Here's the playbook. [1025] Federal legislation and provincial legislation both impact IFCs and operate in tandem. The federal legisla- tion is quite neutral for the two qualifying jurisdictions, Montreal and Vancouver.

Both grant exemption from federal income tax on earnings generated from finan- cial transactions where both sides are on an arm's- length basis with non-resident s. Provincial legislation, notably Quebec's, is structured more liberally. Provid- ing exemptions from provincial income tax and capital tax — the latter being quite onerous in Quebec — is not really much better for financial institutions in B.C. For example, Quebec is more li beral with respect to trans- actions where one of the pa rties is non-arm's length, and they're more liberal with their definition of an eli- gible company.

They can dr aw into the Quebec IFC with considerable flexibility to carry out international transactions even when one of the parties is an affiliate of a Canadian company, and this is attractive to fund operators in Europe and to the U.S.A. To entice Asian operators is a bit more of a chal- lenge given the low tax regimes already in place in Hong Kong and Singapore. But the Canadian location and our British Columbia location nevertheless have benefits going far beyond the tax advantage.

In com- parison, for example, with the Cayman Islands we have a very reliable trustee structure, an effective clear- ing and settlement operation, a skilled multilingual workforce and our knowledge of networks in the Asian milieu. And we're not simply talking about downtown Vancouver here. IFCs fit secu rely into the heartlands economic strategy of this government. On that score, I would like to turn the podium over to my esteemed colleague from the heartlands, the MLA for Skeena. R.

Harris: It probably seems a little strange to have a rural MLA with a history in the logging industry stand up to respond to the member from West Van- couver, especially on an issue like international finan- cial centres. So with my ch ainsaw firmly put aside, I am pleased to be able to respond to the member. The relevance of this subject is in fact a critical component of getting this province going again so it can achieve its full potential, and that's even more im- portant in the heartlands.

The member from West Van- couver brings up an interesting point in how Quebec has seen a lot more success than B.C. in attracting IFC firms. He speaks of a need to align and change provin- cial policy to stay ahead of the competition — recogniz- ing, of course, who the competition is. There is no doubt about the legacy of the last government and how

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 6025 they treated the business and investment community. Over the last decade this has done the province very few favours. A history that has taken us from the top to the bottom in attracting investment is making this task a lot more difficult today. But for rural communities, as we rebuild, one of the critical questions is: how do we bring those businesses and investment dollars back, specifically, to rural communities again? Do we just build it and hope they will come? I don't think so.

Cer- tainly, the changes we have made in creating the right environment for investment are extremely positive. The changes to the tax and regulatory environment are certainly more conducive to attracting interest. As we continue to improve the busi ness climate, the question before us is: is that really enough in today's world? I think the Olympic bid gives us an interesting in- sight into what might be the right method of attracting investment. Here we have a specific investor we are trying to attract to the province for a very specific pro- ject, and that's the Olympics.

We put together a bid book that contained all of the assets that the country, the province, the city an d the communities would bring to the table. We then went out to the investor — in this case the IOC — and we aggressively marketed the plan. Now we wait and see how effective we've been. If this strategy works for the Olympics, then why not pursue it with industry? [1030] In my riding, the city of Kitimat is presently going through a significant community debate revolving around how to compel Alcan to reinvest and expand in the smelting industry there.

For years this community has been trying to attract numerous opportunities without success. They look outside the province and read about Alcan and others making investments around the world. They look at the kinds of commit- ments that these different industries make to invest- ment and job creation and ask the question: why not us? When is it our turn? Kitimat has all the assets, one would think: a deep-sea port, proximity to markets, a community rich in recreational assets, available hous- ing and a well-educated workforce. Yet over the years, no successes.

The community, in its frustration, now looks at legal or legislative methods to force industries to invest. They see this approach as their only option. As I consider economic strategy, I find parallels to the Kinsella novel later made into a Kevin Costner movie, Field of Dreams . It's the story of a Kansas corn farmer who loves baseball. He loves it so much that he builds a baseball stadium in his cornfield. His motto was, "Build it, and they will come," and so they did. But in our case the pretext of "build it, and they will come" is not enough. Our competition for investment dollars is global.

Money moves to the point of greatest return, whether it's a union pension fund or a corporate bank account. In Kitimat's case, even with all their assets, this has not been enough for them to cr oss the hurdle and win. We have to change our tactics and seek out industries and go to them with a package. If the Olympic bid teaches us anything, it is to market ourselves and be aggres- sive.

If the package contains the right tools of what communities, labour, the province and first nations all bring to the table, it will not only work for Alcan in Kitimat, but it will, in fact, create the winning condi- tions for completely new and different industries to locate across this province. They will make these in- vestments in those communities because that's where they're going to get their greatest return. We must look at what our competitors are doing, recognizing again who they are, and be a little smarter.

We must look at how places like Quebec have suc- ceeded in attracting investment, look at other jurisdic- tions that have realized success: Iceland, Australia, Kentucky and Michigan. We must learn and change our tactics. Rural communities have been shrinking over the l a s t d e c a d e . K i t i m a t i s n o d i f f e r e n t . I n m a n y w a y s i t ' s fared better than most. The policy changes in forestry are going to open the door to new value-added oppor- tunities for every community in the north.

Our gov- ernment's commitment to containerization in Prince Rupert will set the infrastructure in place to facilitate access to world markets. Now we will have built it. Let's not wait for them to come. Let's be creative with our taxes and royalties, legislative requirements and regulations, and get out there with an Olympic bid fo r industry. It is time to close the deal, and on that note I am pleased to be able to respond to the member from West Vancouver.

I look forward to an opportunity to park my chainsaw one more time on another day and talk about venture capi- tal, another key component of getting rural communi- ties going again. R. Sultan: Thank you to the member for Skeena for explaining how we must get out and sell IFCs. I love the baseball analogy. B.C. should waste no time in considering provincial legislation mirroring the Quebec model — at least, if not beyond — thereby creating a flexible regime for B.C.–based global financial players.

But even without amended provincial legislation, such players can bene- fit from federal legislation in respect of transactions between two foreign counterparts, neither being affili- ated with Canadian companies. However, given the combined effect of federal legislation and a more com- petitive provincial legislation, the resulting package could provide an attractive new opportunity for finan- cial enterprises with an international base, especially those from the United Stat es, China and Japan. The resulting benefits would flow into our major urban centres and into the heartlands.

As British Columbia emerges from its socialist de- sert and rebuilds its economy for the twenty-first cen- tury, the rebuilding of a vibrant financial sector must be a core strategy. The rapidly growing field of interna- tional financial transaction and servicing promises highly skilled, high-paying jobs; international network- ing with manifold spinoffs; clean, non-polluting enter- prises; and organizations cont ributing to the cultural and civic life of our communities. Vancouver can be-

6026 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 come a centre for the proces sing of merchandise trad- ing transactions around the world. International traders are famous for generating value through innovative application of existing prod- ucts and resources. The presence of a thriving trading services cluster will improve the global marketing of B.C.'s resource industries and the commercialization of high-tech products.

High-val ue financial sector em- ployment will permeate all of British Columbia. [1035] The good news is that this appears to be exactly the path that the Ministry of Competition, Science and En- terprise is pursuing in c ooperation with Robert Fair- weather, the new president of our IFC, in cooperation with the Minister of Revenue and in cooperation with the Minister of Finance. All have to be involved. We encourage them, and we support their endeavours. YOUTH ASSET DEVELOPMENT K.

Manhas: I have spoken in this House before about the importance of crea ting and developing social structures that maintain and strengthen our connection to our community and of recognizing the important role of community connections in our lives. To be suc- cessful, those social structures must come from and have ownership by the community. Participation con- tributes to the overall well-being of a community and is vital to our sense of ownership and belonging amongst residents. We know that's true for all individuals, but it is especially true for youth growing up in a community.

Young people model the worl d they see around them. They develop their social identity by modelling their actions and beliefs on their so cial environment. If it is strong and principled, they model that as their base- line; if it is isolating and inconsistent, that unfortu- nately becomes their baseline. The truth is: the world today is an increasingly complex place. However, youth have basic needs. They need attention, support and human-level interaction. The complex social reali- ties for youth today have not altered their need for a sense of ownership and belonging to their communi- ties.

The developmental assets approach is a research- based method of measuring and developing the areas of support in a community that are essential to the healthy development of youth and therefore, at the end of the day, the healthy development of a community. Mobilizing the people and systems within a com- munity to promote healthy development of its children and adolescents is rooted in research that began as a national research and community change effort by the Search Institute in 1990.

Th e approach identifies 40 distinct elements necessary for positive youth devel- opment and terms each of them "developmental as- sets." These assets are base d on a core premise that healthy development for children and teenagers re- quires constant and consistent community attention to support, empower, give clear boundaries and expecta- tions, provide meaningful activities, encourage a com- mitment to learning, instil positive values, build social competencies and form a po sitive identity in young people.

The asset development program assists youth with developing these skills and supports, or assets, neces- sary to contribute positively in the school system as well as in life in general. Research has shown that young people who have ten assets or less are 16 times more involved in high-risk activities than those who have more than 30. These assets have been well defined and offer sup- port to young people in every aspect of their lives. All of them can be built into our homes, neighbourhoods and communities.

Some of the knowledge gained by this extensive research and the best practices of this approach has been modelled by several organizations in our province that have shaped unique, made-in- Canada approaches to asset-building. The program has been implemented in several B.C. communities — Summerland and Port Alberni, to name a couple. The response by parents, teachers and youth to the pro- gram has been extremely positive and showed results in just a few months. Youth were able to identify their assets and endeavour to find ways to build upon them.

Likewise, parents were enabled to set out goals to achieve every day when they interacted with their children or another child. A young person needs a lot of support as they en- counter the ill effects that society can offer. Impression- able youth without a support structure and a sense of self-worth are susceptible to high-risk behaviour such as early alcohol use, illicit drugs and violence. The study performed by the Search Institute documented that of youth with fewer than ten assets, 49 percent had problem alcohol use, while youth with 31 to 40 percent had a rate of 3 percent.

Likewise, youth violence dropped from 61 to 7 percent. Youth asset development works because of its sim- plicity. Youth and their surroundings work together to build relationships with one another. Gaining a greater understanding of one another entrenches ideals of community and family into youth. Working together to build assets strengthens th e bond between individual and community. The more assets a youth has, the less likely they will participate in that high-risk behaviour.

What we have to realize is that we can have a direct influence on what path youth will take, and we can make it easier to choose the more positive route. Over the past century the role of community has changed drastically. Government took over the role as a social safety net, and individuals slowly relinquished their personal responsibility. When I was growing up, my grandfather taught me the importance of personal responsibility, and my parents drilled that in. My dad, my uncle and my aunt tell me that the family home was a revolving door as they grew up.

My grandfather brought in people who were new to the country and found them a place to live and a job to set them up. He never forgot the people who helped him when he came to B.C. as a teenager, and he felt his responsibility to others. His efforts led him to help form the Welfare Society of B.C., which mobilized a greater number of

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 6027 p e o p l e t o c o n t i n u e t h a t w o r k . H e e m b o d i e d p e r s o n a l responsibility in buildin g the community, and those beliefs instilled the values and importance of commu- nity responsibility in me. [1040] We have moved away from the tight-knit commu- nity interactions that domi nated and enriched people's lives in the past. Mobility has enabled close, extended families to separate across this country and around the globe.

Now more than ever, we need to revitalize our communities by coming together in a common goal to inspire and motivate our youth. Many youth feel detached and separate from their communities. We can reverse that. We can make youth feel as though they are valued members of our com- munities by allowing them to take ownership over themselves and areas of their surroundings they're interested in. By doing very simple things, I think we can achieve that. Next time you're at home or in and around your community, try doing a few of these simple things. It will make a positive difference in the life of a young person.

Notice them. Talk to them. Smile at them. Laugh with them. Do anything that will allow to you positively interact with th em. It will build their per- sonal assets, and you will see a difference. Most of all, treat them respectfully, as you would any individual regardless of age. By providing positive experiences for youth and proactively initiating rela- tionships, anyone can make a huge difference in the life of a child. B. Belsey: I'd like to thank the member for his statement and for his enthus iasm in representing the interests of youth throughout the province.

I suppose it helps that the member was 11 years old the last time the Olympic Games were in Canada. The asset development and youth entrepreneurship project that is currently under consideration as a pilot project is a very significant opportunity to advance British Columbia's commitment to youth. You know, when people talk about British Columbia's natural re- sources, they talk about ti mber, and they talk about mineral deposits. But if you ask me, British Columbia's most important natural resource by far is our young people.

The 40 distinct elements necessary for positive youth development mentioned by the member from Port Coquitlam, as identified by the youth asset devel- opment, fall into eight categories: general support, em- powerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies and positive identity. The project proposed by the youth asset development is an oppor- tunity to set out the basic bu ilding blocks that are most important for the developmen t of a healthy, successful lifestyle.

The youth assets development program focuses on the commitments, attitudes, va lues and skills that sup- port our youth from within, and on the external assets that focus on the support for community members and institutions. Parents often complain that when the stork brings the newborn, they ra rely bring along an instruc- tion manual. Well, the asset-building program and the youth asset development projects come pretty close to filling that need. Parents need to know that the more assets a youth has, the more he or she tends to succeed, and they need to know how to make sure that these assets are there.

The British Columbia asset development initiative is an exciting opportunity to bring these assets to youth throughout B.C. I know the proposed asset develop- ment and youth entrepreneurship program is eager to implement their extensive wo rkplan in four B.C. com- munities, including my community of Prince Rupert. Let me tell you: I, for one, know that the youth of Prince Rupert and other northern communities have not had it easy. High unemployment rates have not had a good impact on children and families in our communities.

I fully support the proposed project to find out the best ways to help our children succeed in life, in work, as future parents, as co mmunity leaders and as com- munity members. I'd like to thank the member from Port Coquitlam for bringing this to my attention, and I congratulate him on his initiative and his work on be- half of this province's greatest natural resource: our youth. [1045] K. Manhas: I'd like to thank the member for North Coast for his reply.

I have seen the care and commit- ment he shows to his riding and the needs of his peo- ple — specifically, the youth — in his work in and around the Legislature. I am consistently impressed. The caring he shows represen ting his riding is truly a blessing to the people in it. A handbook I read recent ly for the asset develop- ment program in Summerland stated: "Perhaps the most urgent task facing North American society is rebuilding a sense of community, a village in which everyone reclaims and accepts their share of respon- sibility to and stake in nurturing the youngest genera- tion." I believe that is true.

In Summerland they've done that. Through the work of Ellen Lloyd and the support of the Summer- land Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism, Summerland has changed the way a community and the youth in it interact. It has created a safer, more vi- brant place to live and grow up in. Doug Wells, an RCMP officer who mentioned to me his initial skepti- cism, spoke gushingly about the quality and the mag- nitude of the transformation . The levels of bullying, depression and violence have dropped significantly.

I want to thank Ellen for her dedication in Summer- land and for introducing me to this approach and showing me what was possible with it. When I saw what she was able to do ther e, and seeing the needs of the youth in my community and recent effects, I thought: I want to help do something like that for my community, and I want to see that happen for the bene- fit of all youth across British Columbia.

6028 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 I want to thank the many people who are helping to bring this dream to reality: the Minister of Children and Family Development; th e Minister of Education; the Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise; and the many people like Ralph Hembruff, the Boys and Girls Clubs of B.C., Wendy Cooper, Siobhan Ashe, Cheryl McKeever, Linda Baker and Robin Swets, who have helped, contributed and supported this initiative to get us to this point.

With the help of the member for North Coast, I hope we can help kick-start community mobilization around the province by star ting in our own respective communities. At the end of th e day, the success of our society will be judged by the individuals who come from it. I believe the makeup and success of our society in the coming decades will be directly correlated with our success in equipping and developing our youth. Our youth are the most important asset we have in developing a British Columbia that is a beacon of suc- cess and a hope in an ever-c hanging, ever-competitive world.

Let's hope we leave a legacy of happiness and success. We have the ability, and it starts in our com- munities. The asset development approach is an excellent method of focusing on the key deficiencies in a com- munity and including all members of it — most impor- tantly, the youth — to build a safe, caring and con- nected community. Each individual has an inherent opportunity to build something positive in his or her life. It is up to us as individuals to ensure that all kids in our communities have the most and best opportuni- ties possible. GENOME RESEARCH R.

Visser: More often than not when I rise in this H o u s e , I ' l l b e s p e a k i n g o n issues like forestry, fishing or mining — things I am familiar with and things I know. One thing I can assure this House is that I am not now — nor have I ever been, nor certainly will I ever be — a geneticist. But genomics and proteomics are what I want to speak about today. I want everyone to remember that as I speak about mapping the DNA and identifying proteins in the life forms around us, I am talking about those very important issues of fish- ing, forestry and mining.

But I'm looking at them at the most elemental level. The greatest privileges we have as parliamentarians is the ability to open the doors for personal learning. I've been able to do that many times. I've called on in- dustry experts and leading thinkers in different indus- tries to come explain to me the challenges they have, and it helps my level of understanding grow. I value this privilege immensely. That's why I wanted to talk about the genome to- day. As legislators we're traditionally challenged by seeing the forest for the trees.

Now we're going to have to learn how to see the forest for the DNA of those trees. Last week in the ba sement of the engineering building at the University of Victoria, I came face to face with the reality of what our future is going to look like. [1050] I remember, when I was a kid, seeing the punch cards they'd give us for the computers. If I filled out all the little boxes correctly and put it in the machine cor- rectly, my name would come up on a screen, and I thought that was remarkable. That was 30 years ago.

What was remarkable for me was when I looked at an ordinary glass microscope slide, I could see little grey dots on it. The only difference between that punch card, which was rows and rows of dots, and this grey s l i d e , w i t h g r e y e t c h i n g s w i t h r o w s a n d r o w s o f d o t s , was that one brought the name up. The other has the 4,000 individual genes of an Atlantic salmon, and that represents only 10 percent, maybe, of that species' ge- netic makeup.

It is this revolution in understanding the building blocks of human health, forestry and salmon that is becoming fundamentally important to how we develop public policy. In March of this year the government announced a commitment of $27.5 million in funding for an organization called Genome B.C. It's a commit- ment that is entirely consis tent with our government's commitment to an economic strategy for the heart- lands. I wanted to know what difference this was going to make in the lives of my constituents and how genomics research could benefit the residents of coastal commu- nities.

So I decided to ask the scientists. It's always in- teresting when you're there one-on-one to see what those answers are going to be. There have been very few times in my life where I've come to realize in a moment that the way we look at life is about to change, and it was in that basement that day with Professor Ben Koop. Genomics and proteomics will be to the next 20 years what computers and the Internet have been to the last. It's going to be a quantum leap into the fron- tiers of knowledge.

The research we're funding is trans- forming how we view disease, how we manage our resources and how we generate energy. This new era of genomics research will create opportunities for B.C.'s resource industries. It's going to change our health care system too. It will allow us to attract and retain world- class talent and invite future investment in British Co- lumbia. It's health care that I want to start with. Health care is one of the most pressing concerns for B.C. and the world.

The knowledge gained from genomics research has considerable potential to benefit patient care and reduce costs through early diagnosis and efficient and personalized drug delivery. For example, B.C. re- searchers are beginning to learn more about genetic recurrences of cancer so they can determine if radiation treatment is necessary. Only with research are these type of breakthrough discoveries possible — discover- ies that enable the development of new methods of prevention, detection and treatment. At the B.C. Cancer Agency, a Genome B.C. partner, a number of projects are underway. An early detection

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 6029 project is discovering the important genetic markers which will help with diagnosis at the pre-cancerous or early stages of disease. Early detection of cancer will increase the chances of long-term, disease-free survival. In addition, the research focuses on learning how cells become malignant at the earliest stages. This will help us understand how to develop better preventive meas- ures. Another project focuses on how we get diseases in the first place. Using bioinf ormatics, the scientists at the B.C.

Cancer Agency are beginning to understand when and where every single gene in our body is s w i t c h e d o n a n d o f f . T h i s m e a n s t h e y w i l l b e a b l e t o understand the relationship of those genes with vari- ous diseases such as cancer. Additional research into the genetics of aging uses the mouse as a model organism to study human dis- ease. Researchers believe that we can get a unique per- spective on how our genes change as we grow.

Genes that are activated at various stages of mouse develop- ment are being documented in an atlas, which will be maintained in an electronic database and made avail- able to researchers around the world. It will help us understand such things as why and when we develop various age-related diseases. [1055] But the projects we're fund ing aren't limited to hu- man health. Many of them ar e tied to the historic pil- lars of our provincial economy: forestry and fish. The forestry genomics project studies the mechanisms of wood formation and pest resistance in two specific tree species.

The work is allowing us to understand the relationships between genetic markers and the physical attributes of trees, including wood quality, resistance to disease and growth rate. Ul timately, this understand- ing will help us protect the value of our forests. One of the goals of funding Genome B.C. was to create an internationally re cognized life sciences clus- ter. This will give us that world-class standing that is so critical. I'm going to conclude, after this has been re- sponded to, with how I think this is going to bring us to the future. Hon. C. Hansen: I thank the member for his initial comments.

It was certainly a day that I was very proud of when I was joined by the Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise at Children's and Women's Health Centre in Vancouver to announce $27.5 million of funding to Genome B.C. for the kind of research project that the member outlin ed earlier. In addition to the $27.5 million that we were able to announce that day, there was also an additional $6 million that came from the Michael Smith Foundation, which was also initially funded by the province of British Columbia.

In total, it was about $34 million of money that came ei- ther directly from various mi nistries of provincial gov- ernment or indirectly through the Michael Smith Foundation. That, in addi tion, was matched by $34 million from Genome Canada. A total of $64 million is being pumped into this really exciting and leading- edge innovation and research that's being done right here in British Columbia. The head of Genome Canada was there that day, and he spoke just prior to me.

He made an interesting comment, which the member alluded to in his opening comments, and that's the real impact that biotechnol- ogy is going to have. He went back beyond the com- puter generation that the member referred to, and he talked about the industrial revolution and how that so fundamentally changed our society and fundamentally altered the quality of life around the world — in some cases for better, in some cases for worse. Truly, the industrial revolution really brought us to the twentieth century.

Then, as we got to the second half of the twentieth century, we saw the information and the computer revolution that the member a lluded to earlier. I, too, can remember from my university days 30 years ago the stacks of punch cards. In fact, I took computer sci- ence in first year university, and I can remember hav- ing the box full of punch cards that you would have to run through the machine to pr ocess. It was your unfor- tunate day if you should happen to drop that box, be- cause it was impossible to put it back together again.

Today we are on the cusp of the next big revolution in our society, and that is the biotech revolution. This funding that is going into these projects is going to position British Columbia as an important player in that global initiative to capitalize on the changes that biotechnology will bring to our society. In British Co- lumbia, Genome B.C. is carrying out this research in partnership with a bunch of key organizations. The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser Univer- sity, the University of Victoria, the B.C.

Cancer Agency, Vancouver Hospital and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics are all part of this partner- ship and are all part of deli vering the kinds of projects the member was talking about earlier. He talked about the research into the early stages of cancer, in which we're trying to identify exactly how malignancies are started. This research will enable the development of better therap ies and medicines in the treatment of cancer. He mentioned the research into the genomic struc- ture of Atlantic salmon.

This will help us to understand the function of 20,000 Atlantic salmon genes, including their reaction under different conditions. There's another research project from UBC into micro- bial envirogenomics, understanding the function and determining the location of specific genes in a microbe with great metabolic abilities. You can tell I wasn't a sci- ence student. Such microbes can be used for environ- mental cleanup and the develo pment of safe industrial processes. [1100] Another interesting piece of research that's being done at UBC is looking into the nematode as a model organism.

It's to learn the function of specific genes in a small roundworm. In fact, the nematode, as I recall it, is part of the nemesis of the agricultural industry or po- tato farming industry in British Columbia. What's in-

6030 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 teresting is that the nematode shares 7,000 genes with humans, and the knowledge th at's gained can actually be used in medical diagnosi s and treatment in the fu- ture. Some of this stuff is really quite exciting. One other one I want to point out, which is also really quite important to us in British Columbia, is re- search into fungal genomics — the sequencing of the genome of a specific fu ngus which is known as crypto- coccus. It's to better understand the role in life- threatening diseases.

I know there was a lot of contro- versy about some of the fungus that was causing peo- ple to get very ill on Vancouver Island recently. This kind of research is going to lead us to the kinds of solutions we need. It's going to position British Co- lumbia as a key player in this new cusp of innovation that is worldwide, and B.C. will be a key player in that. R. Visser: I want to thank the minister for his words and also his leadership on this issue, and cer- tainly the Premier's leadership on technology. I started by talking about health and fish, and I want to close by talking about salmon.

Willie Davidson and Ben Koop are working on mapping the genome and decipher- ing the genome of Atlantic salmon, because they believe this is the key to understanding growth and reproduction. Their work will provide insights on which genes combat infections, how genes change when salmon move from fresh to salt water and how they respond to different river conditions. This product will have direct applications for fish conservation and will help us understand the envi- ronmental interactions between different stocks. For every question I had posed to Dr. Koop, there were 10,000 pos- sible answers.

It felt like, in listening to him, we were walking through a new door into something that was quite different. I want to recommend a book to the House: As the Fu- ture Catches You by Juan Enriquez. He says that the domi- nant language and economic driver of this century is go- ing to be genomics. Those that remain illiterate in this language won't understand the force making the single biggest difference in their lives. I'm proud to be a part of a government supporting genomics and life sciences.

I'm also proud that we're able to bring this back to something that's very important to me — coastal communities and the economy that supports those communities. These scientists in the laboratories in Vancouver and Victoria sequencing the DNA of the mouse or the Atlantic salmon are contributing in immeasurable ways to help the future of the environment, our forest industry, our fisheries and ourselves. They're at the leading edge of a revolution in understanding our life and the relationship that we have to all life around us.

This economic development strategy — it's all part of what we're doing to make this province a leading- edge jurisdiction in the world, from science to resource management to the environment. I'm very proud of what we're capable of doing and where we're placing our commitment as a government in those endeavours. Hon. G. Abbott: With leave, I call private member's Motion 7. Leave granted. Motions on Notice CRIMINAL CODE AMENDMENTS ON STREET RACING (continued) P. Sahota: I rise to table an amendment to Motion 7. I move the following amen dment.

The motion with amendment may now read: [Be it resolved that this House call on the federal government to amend the Criminal Code so that "street racing" is considered an aggravating circumstance for a person convicted of a offence committed by means of a motor vehicle under

section 220 (criminal negligence causing death) or 221 (criminal negligence causing bodily harm) or subsection 249(3) (dangerous operation causing bodily harm) or 249(4) (dangerous operation causing death). those convicted of serious crimes of violence, including the offence of criminal negligence causing death, arising out of street racing, cannot receive a conditional sentence.] [1105] On the amendment. P. Sahota: Over the past few months I have been dis- mayed, disheartened and outraged at the number of need- less accidents that we have seen in the lower mainland as a result of reckless street racing.

As many of us know, this is not a new phenomenon amongst our youth. There are many factors involved as to why our youth decide it is acceptable to take not only their own lives but also the lives of innocent people into their own hands. We read of young people who have had their cars modified so they can drive at excessive speeds. We read of young people who say they don't care, who don't fear the repercussion s and who say that pedes- trians should really get out of their way. These young people, at some level, believe that they're invincible and that the streets belong to them.

Why else would they engage in reckless and careless behaviour? I believe a strong message needs to be delivered about our laws. Drivers have a speed limit. Bike riders use bike lanes. Pedestrians use crosswalks. These laws, when followed, work together to protect us all. When these laws are broken, the safe ty of all citizens is com- promised. It is our duty to find solutions and look at ways to discourage those who speed recklessly. A change of attitude is needed, and that's where we all come in. Parents can make a difference, and as a society we can all say this is wrong.

We can say this in one voice and support the initiatives to stop this irresponsible behaviour. I know this government is trying to do as much as it can. The government introduced legislation to give o u r p o l i c e m o r e t o o l s t o p u n i s h a n d , h o p e f u l l y , s t o p street racers. This legislation is among the toughest in our country, and I believe this zero-tolerance policy is the right way to go.

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 6031 Last spring we gave police the ability to impound vehicles involved in road racing. We gave them the au- thority to ask for immediate suspension of a driver's li- cence. We introduced heavy fines. There's no doubt in my mind that these policies will help make British Columbia's roads safer and will help save many lives. But we know more needs to be done. Although we have given police these tools and they're using them, it is not enough. Police have said it is not enough, and I've heard from my constituents, who tell me it's not enough.

I have heard British Columbians' outrage at the lenient sentencing of two street racers who caused the death of Irene Thorpe. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] The Attorney General wrote in a letter in which he outlines this government's additional efforts: "You should know that for some time, this government has been pressuring Ottawa to change the laws around con- ditional sentencing so they cannot be used for crimes of violence as was the situation in this case where someone was killed. That way it will be easier to punish offenders appropriately who commit these kinds of crimes.

We must use sentencing as a deterrent." It is often said that those people have lost faith in our justice system's ability to act as a deterrent, and I b e l i e v e t h a t a v e r y p o w e r f u l m e s s a g e m u s t b e s e n t t o those would-be street racers that their actions not only are very wrong but also carry a stiff punishment. Street racers need to know that there are very serious conse- quences for their actions. Th ey need to know their ac- tions will not be tolerated.

The provincial government takes this seriously, and I feel confident that our government will be able to work with the federal government to help stop this needless violence on our roads. All of us know that to deal effec- tively with the problem of street racing, we need to work together to find solutions. It will take the concerted effort from parents, community leaders, police and especially young drivers to make our roads safe, but I am certain that this is not an insurmountable task. A. Hamilton: I rise to support the amendment put forward by my colleague from Burnaby-Edmonds.

As a police officer of 30 years, there was nothing worse than having to go to the parents' home and tell them that their child had died. Street racing occurs all over the province, and we have to educate young driv- ers to the dangers not only to themselves, but if there are passengers as well. Some people think that photo radar will stop street racing, as an example. A ticket in the mail several weeks after the offence is not much of a deterrent, es- pecially if that driver, after passing that van, gets into a serious accident and someone is killed.

Our government, as previously mentioned, has a zero tolerance for street racing and speeding. Our legis- lation is amongst the toughest in Canada, and police are allowed to immediately impound vehicles for 48 hours for the first offence and 30 days for subsequent offences. Drivers who speed or race can get penalty points and fines up to $2,000. Furthermore, the driver can be charged under the Criminal Code and have his licence suspended. B.C.'s graduated licence program, implemented by this government, has also reduced the accident and death rate among new drivers.

Since all this new legis- lation came into effect, 60 drivers have had their vehi- cles seized and 180 drivers have received roadside driving prohibitions for street racing. Our government is doing its part, and now it is up to the federal government to come forward and amend the Criminal Code to ensure that our society feels safe on the roads. [1110] B. Locke: I rise in this House in support of the amendment. I thank the member for Burnaby-Edmonds for her amendment and the member for Esquimalt- Metchosin for his words. I thank all of those who sup- ported this original motion before the House.

I rise in support of this amendment because it casts a wider net, and while the original motion was restricted to street rac- ing, this amendment now encompasses all those who are convicted of a serious crime of violence. In my community we have numerous incidents where victims simply do not feel justice and, worse, loved ones do not feel closure. These are concerns of many support groups in our province like Family Survivors Against Street Racers, Angels in Heaven and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. These are the issues that the family of Irene Thorpe deals with every day.

This is the turmoil that her sister Nina and her daughter Tina face day in and day out. They deserve to feel justice and closure, as do all families and friends. But this amendment goes even further and says to all victims and their families that the province of British Columbia cares — cares about innocent people. We care about seniors brutally attacked in their homes. We care about children and adults who are mowed down by those who have no right to be behind the wheel of a car. We care about all people who are harmed by criminal ac- tions.

Too often victims and their families feel that the jus- tice system isn't serving them. Too often they see the sys- tem protect the criminal and disregard them. They feel that they are alone and no one cares, and while we all can ex- press our sorrow for their pain and for their loss, it is in- cumbent on us as legislators to seek justice. Be clear: this motion al so speaks to those thugs, those criminals whose blatan t disregard for others and the law has to some degree been validated by the ac- tions of the courts. It is time to send them a strong mes- sage. B.C. is not their haven.

Conditional sentencing is not an option. I was re-reading the comments in Han- sard of the Solicitor Genera l, and I thank him very much for his thoughtful and caring remarks. There is no doubt he cares deeply about the human tragedy and takes his responsibility seriously in ensuring that vic- tims of crime are supported and that criminals face real penalties for their actions. I also want to thank the At- torney General, for he too shares not only the personal concern for victims but also the concern that they must

6032 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 feel justice in order to have closure. While the jurisdic- tion for criminal behaviour clearly is a federal respon- sibility, there is no doubt that British Columbians feel strongly that in offences where people are hurt by vio- lence, death or sexual assault, those criminals should never receive conditional sentencing. So it is on behalf of Irene Thorpe and all the victims of criminal violence and th eir families and friends that I support this amended motion. I move passage of mo- tion 7 as amended. Amendment approved. Motion as amended approved. Hon. G.

Abbott: With leave, I call debate on private member's Motion 46. Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 46 without disturbing the priorities of any preceding motions. Leave granted. DRINKING WATER QUALITY J. Wilson: It is my pleasure today to rise and speak on Motion 46, which reads as follows: [Be it resolved that this House continues to support advances in improvement of drinking water quality around British Columbia, and strives to keep it environmentally sound and free from contamination.] [1115] Mr.

Speaker, probably the most important single factor in the health of people is the quality of drink- ing water that they have available. If you were to ask any Third World country for a wish list of what would benefit them the most in maintaining the health of their people, they would tell you: good quality and an abundance of drinking water. This motion represents a concern of not only this gov- ernment but a lot of British Columbians that drink- ing water quality is paramount in keeping our popu- lation healthy.

This government is showing its commitment to ensure that all British Columbians have access to safe, reliable drinking water. The Ministry of Health Services Action Plan for Safe Dr inking Water in British Columbia summarizes this commitment. For exam- ple, funding of water quality monitoring has in- creased. Nearly 100 water-related improvement projects have been approved to this date. It is funded from the British Columbia–Canada infra- structure program. That is allowing these projects to proceed. We all know that it cannot stop here.

We must con- tinue to support advances in technology that help to improve the quality and accessibility of our drinking water. Health concerns must be monitored and mini- mized. Our water system's infr astructure is aging. This must be addressed so that future generations will have access to a safe, reliable water supply. Our government is working to address these con- cerns with a set of princi ples for drinking water protection.

These include making drinking water safety a public health issue, recognizing the impor- tance of water source prot ection, risk assessments for all water systems and safety standards for tap water. The government has introduced comprehen- sive legislation to address these concerns, including an improved Drinking Water Protection Act. New groundwater protection legislation is being devel- oped by the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protec- tion.

Regulations that protect the health and safety of our citizens have been and will continue to be introduced to ensure that all British Columbians enjoy access to safe drinking water. The Ministry of Health Services has taken the initia- tive to ensure healthy drinking water, clarifying re- sponsibility for water quality within government. Co- ordination between all ministries involved with the provision of quality of drinking water is necessary. The importance of interministry coordination has been rec- ognized.

The action plan set out a commitment to es- tablish an interministry committee to coordinate drink- ing water protection measures and ensure proper inte- gration of services at every stage of drinking water production. The ministry will also take advice from expert advisory councils, ensuring that information is up to date. Drinking water officers are also an initiative of this government, helping to ensure that all regula- tions are obeyed in the production of our drinking water by performing inspections and investigating complaints.

The publication of water quality infor- mation also helps to keep government accountable. It is an important part of ensuring production of safe drinking water. The commitment of our government is to funding the development of better infrastructure and water puri- fication techniques, as evident. I believe that we will continue to work towards having the safest, highest- quality, most accessible drinking water possible for all British Columbians. [1120] M. Hunter: I want to thank the member for Cari- boo North for putting forward this motion this morn- ing.

Obviously, with events in other parts of our country over the last couple of years, the focus on the quality of our drinking wa ter has become not an op- tion for government but, in fact, a very clear and per- sistent priority. I would like to endorse the comments that the member made in introducing this motion with respect to the actions that this government has taken with re- spect to starting to impr ove the situation with our drinking water quality, including the Ministry of Health Services action plan and the commitment to dealing with groundwater protection.

It's on that issue that I want to focus my brief remarks on this motion.

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 6033 I represent Gabriola Island as part of my riding. Gabriola is an island with approximately 3,500 full- time residents. It is, with a very minor exception, to- tally served by private well and septic tank disposal systems. The issue of groundwater management on Gabriola Island is one that I'm having a little bit of con- cern we're not addressing perhaps as ambitiously as we might.

There is clear evidence from a very active residents group on Gabriola Island, and I was pleased to have been able to assist them in forming the Gabriola Groundwater Management Society a couple of years ago — residents who are taking action, trying to de- velop an approach to groundwater management in their community that I thin k is responsible and which we need to adopt perhaps as a model and certainly as an example of how communities can help themselves.

In a community like Gabriola Island with approxi- mately 1,600 private wells an d disposal systems, it's pretty difficult to regulate water supply in the way we are able to do in major cities or even smaller communi- ties. Certainly in Nanaimo we are the beneficiaries, on the Vancouver Island side, of a very voluminous and excellent water supply. Such is not the case across the channel on Gabriola Island.

I've been watching the activities of the government and the improvements that we're making, obviously with support but also with a cr itical eye as to what this can mean to those constituents of mine who don't have the benefit of a communal water supply or even a wa- ter supply that benefits 25 or more people.

I took the initiative in January of this year to put together a work- shop on Gabriola Island that started to ask questions about what it was that we could do together — provin- cial government, local governments, the island resi- dents themselves — to try to start to make changes that would address some of the issues that have been found on the island. One of the first things that springs up is the fact….

Pardon the pun, but what we find is that in a commu- nity like Gabriola — and I suspect the same is true around the province in ar eas where private wells are the source of drinking water — you have a whole bunch of data. We have data on the status of the aqui- fers on Gabriola. There is some work that's been done o n t h e g e o l o g y , f o r e x a m p l e . W e h a v e w o r k d o n e b y the Gabriola Groundwater Management Society on the quality of water, and, frankly, there are some fecal coli- form problems there that need addressing.

We have some information about septic tank con- struction and practices going back over 50 years. We have some data about well construction techniques and what is going on, on the island, but we have nowhere where we can actually bring a ll this data into one place so that all of the people who have an interest and a responsibility in improving the quality of drinking water and managing the groundwater supplies can actually sit down and say: "Well, this is the source. This is the information we have.

This is where new informa- tion can go and be added to the data set so that we can start to make some changes." My interest in this motion is, indeed, to support it. I think it's a hugely important issue that we are dealing with, for obvious reasons. Bu t I am concerned that for communities where private wells and private sewage disposal is the only way to go, there are some gaps in coverage that we need to start addressing.

I have been speaking with the Minister of Health Services and with the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection with a view to seeing how our basic thrust in terms of improv- ing drinking water quality can be actually tailored for communities like Gabriola Island and others like it. I look forward to meeting wi th the ministers to talk about this some more. [1125] An idea that came out of our workshop in January was the formation of a Gabriola Island water authority that would have the responsibility for collecting data and protecting privacy of individuals that provide the data.

We must never forget that the value of property is dependent on good water supplies, and nobody wants to impact property values by removing privacy from the data that's provided by individuals, but all of those things need to be done. We need to address these issues alongside the important improvements we've made with respect to drinking water quality around the province and for municipal and smaller domestic supply systems. As I say, I look forward to making advances on that. I think this motion addresses some more attention on this subject, and I'm pleased to support it. B.

Suffredine: M a n y p e o p l e , w h e n t h e y p i c t u r e a fresh mountain stream, believe the water is pure and drinkable. Often that is the case, but unfortunately the reality is that it depends on the day. Nature cleanses the water in a stream just as a swamp is nature's way of cleansing the stagnant, smelly water that we find full of mosquitoes, tadpoles and bull rushes. In Nelson- Creston we value clean drinking water, and every- where there people have a common concern. One of the longest-running debates in my riding over the provision of a public system of pure water is at Erickson.

That's just to the east of Creston. There's been a controversy there for years over chlorination to purify the water. Recently the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services announced a new infrastructure grant there th at will help to achieve the goal of pure water, but many issues still remain. Filtration is the first end of that, followed by ultra- violet light which temporarily cleans the water, but there's still an open reservoir where the water can be contaminated.

Once it's through there, there are old concrete pipes where bacteria can and do grow, which may mean that chlorine may be required at the bottom end of that in order to purify the water for some users. A few miles north of Creston in Wynndel, they're seeking assistance to change an antiquated piping sys- tem to improve their drinking water quality. At Yahk, on the easterly boundary of the riding where the water quality is poor, there ar e concerns about Hawkins Creek getting contaminated by cattle. In Kaslo there was a debate over chlorination that recently concluded.

6034 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 In the Slocan Valley everybody has heard of log- ging protests for years by water users who fear their water quality is being affected by logging operations silting the water. Those practices and those users should take into account th e needs of users, but the users themselves must recogn ize they're at risk of con- tamination simply by usin g water from the surface. They should take the opportunity to make their water safe. W e m u s t w o r k t o c a r e f u l l y e n s u r e t h a t e v e r y o n e has pure, safe drinking water all year-round.

That's a combination of educating users to understand where the risks lie and where the opportunities exist to ensure they have addressed those risks in a way that ensures safety. I'm not an advocate for one system or another. There are many different approaches that will give good water quality. Water taken from deep below the surface of the earth is often completely pure and re- quires no treatment. Water from the surface invariably requires some attention. In the roughly 20 months that I've been the MLA for Nelson-Creston, I've had a num- ber of opportunities to learn about the various systems.

I've learned that ultraviolet can do the job as effectively as chlorine if the right system is in place. At other times chlorine may be the only option for older systems where concrete or wood pipes are a place for contami- nation to grow. I encourage everyone to su pport this resolution and to ensure that everyone in B.C. has a source of safe, healthy drinking water. Hon. S. Bond: I'm pleased this morning to rise in support of the motion tabled by my colleague. Cer- tainly, as a member who lives in the heartlands, I un- derstand the importance of safe and reliable drinking water.

It doesn't matter whether we live in a city or a more rural environment, we count on having safe drinking water. This government is committed to ensuring safe, reliable and accessible drinking water for all British Columbians. Living in a be autiful and abundant prov- ince such as we do, we sometimes take clean drinking water for granted and just simply assume it will always be there.

It takes resources, vigilance and a plan to en- sure that our drinking water is safe. [1130] The action plan for safe drinking water in British Columbia includes comprehensive legislation and measures to protect drinking water from source to tap by improving standards for monitoring treatment, re- porting and accountability to the public. There was widespread consultation, and this provided us with the groundwork needed to intr oduce legislation that pro- vides strong drinking water safety measures. The most high-risk systems will be examined first, but eventually all drinking water systems will be assessed.

A 1996 report cited British Columbia as having the second-oldest water supply systems in the country. In the past year alone our government has approved 92 water-related improvement projects worth $239 million to be funded through the Canada–British Columbia infrastructure program. In Prince George the city re- ceived $3.66 million to build a new well and pump station in my colleague's constituency of Prince George North. This project allows the city to decommission two existing wells considered potentially vulnerable to contamination.

Rural communities understand the danger of poor water supplies, and many of our communities have experienced boil-water advisories. For far too long we took drinking water for granted, and we now have a plan in place to protect drinking water. The govern- ment is also increasing funding for water quality moni- toring by $1.5 million a year for the next three years. Our government has an aggressive and significant plan to monitor and maintain safe drinking water for the province of British Columbia, and I'm pleased to- day to be able to stand in support of the motion. B.

Belsey: Water is one of the most important nu- trients our body requires. Our lungs are nearly 90 per- cent water, our blood is ro ughly 80 percent water, our brain is approximately 76 percent water, and our bones contain approximately 25 percent water. There's no doubt that man has an intrinsic relationship with wa- ter. The challenge we face today is the protection of our water supply. This is certai nly more important in some parts of the province — some parts of the world — than in others.

Recently we have been inundated with images of Iraqi citizens and their struggle to acquire a safe source of drinking water. Here in Victoria we all felt the effects of a water shortage and spent a number of months under water restrictions, although it cer- tainly wasn't drinking water that was restricted. Never- theless, there were water restrictions that impacted almost everything else we use water for. In contrast, my riding uses water with mixed emo- tions.

From the community in Sandspit, which has been waiting patiently for infrastructure funding to improve its domestic water supply, to the community of Ocean Falls with an annual rainfall of over 200 inches — they hold the Canadian record for annual rainfall — water across my riding is viewed differently, depending on where you live. The community in which I live has an annual rain- fall of 120 inches — ten feet.

I often apologize on those sunny days to people who are visiting Prince Rupert — apologize for the sunshine, pointing out the fact that I live in a rain forest, and th at's probably why they're there visiting. However, the rains I mentioned are only a small part of our real concern for a long-term, dependable source of pure drinking water. The normal source of drinking water in the heartlands is either through a well or surface runoff. This can be dangerous, espe- cially when the source is located in areas where waste from both domestic and wild animals can enter the drinking water system.

Seepage from septic systems or industrial effluent can also inadvertently enter drink- ing water systems.

MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 6035 [1135] Each and every day the access to safe groundwater and surface water is less certain as our population con- tinues to expand and as we cover more and more of this province. British Columbia is blessed with some of the cleanest, most abundant water supplies in the world, but contrary to that perception of many, this resource may not be as pristine or endless as we think. The Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection con- siders water protection and management to be her top priority.

The ministry is committed to ensure that clean, reliable, sustainable water for all British Colum- bians is a priority. I applaud what she is doing, so when it comes time to support Motion 46, I will stand with my colleagues and support a motion that promotes safe drinking wa- ter. Noting the time, I move adjournment of debate. B. Belsey moved adjournment of debate. Motion approved. Hon. G. Abbott: With leave, I call private member's Motion 50. Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, unanimous leave is required to proceed to Motion 50 without disturbing the priorities of any preceding motions. Leave granted.

AMBER ALERT EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR CHILD ABDUCTION B. Penner: I rise this morning to speak in support of the motion which appears under my name in the or- ders of the day. [Be it resolved that this House recognize the value of exploring the establishment of a provincewide "AMBER Alert" early warning system to help find children when they are abducted.] I ' v e s p o k e n b e f o r e i n this House about the impor- tance of protecting British Columbia's most precious resource, and I've said that it's not our oil, gold or even our forests. It is our children.

Many people, including myself, are always out- raged and saddened when innocent children are ab- ducted and slain by sexual predators. I know we all feel utter contempt and loathing for people who com- mit these horrific crimes against defenceless children. Nothing could be more cowardly or pathetic. Whether the children are abducted here in British Columbia or elsewhere in Canada or even somewhere in the United States, we are all horrified by what has become an all too familiar scenario: a young child reported missing, frantic parents asking for help, police and volunteers conducting neighbourhood searches.

And then some- time later and all too depressingly, a body is recovered. Grieving loved ones are left to wonder about impon- derable questions such as why and what if. Like myself, I suspect other members of this cham- ber have asked themselves what we could do differ- ently to prevent the monsters which seem to dwell within our society from taking more young lives. This motion today is an attempt to answer that question in a positive way.

This motion encourages the exploration of an AMBER alert plan in B.C., which would be a provincewide emergency aler t system for police forces to access commercial radio and television frequencies during the critical minutes following an initial report of a child abduction. The goal is to disseminate accurate information as broadly as possible with details of the missing child, descriptions of suspicious vehicles and possible suspects, and other information. This is similar to the concept used to warn the public about severe weather emergencies.

The initial AMBER alert plan was created in mem- ory of nine-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was ab- ducted while riding her bicycle near her home in Ar- lington, Texas, in 1996. A neighbour was able to pro- vide details about the car and abductor to law en- forcement officials, but no system was in place to get the information to local residents quickly. Amber's body, tragically, was found four days later. This sense- less tragedy shocked and ou traged the entire commu- nity.

Residents contacted ra dio stations in the Dallas area and suggested they broa dcast special alerts over the airwaves, so they could prevent such dreadful out- comes in the future. In response to the community's concern for the safety of local children, the Dallas–Fort Worth Associa- tion of Radio Managers teamed up with local law en- forcement agencies in northern Texas and developed an innovative early warning system to help find ab- ducted children.

There are now approximately 39 states in the U.S. with the AMBER alert system in place, and so far, as of this morning, the systems are credited with saving 53 children, including a high-profile case this past August when two teenaged girls were abducted in Orange County in California. The girls were found about 12 hours later, just as it appeared their abductor was about to kill them. [1140] In a very real sense, the AMBER alert plan is a public- private partnership.

Government officials receive the initial information and assess whether it justifies acti- vation of the alert system , which then relies on pri- vately owned media outlets to get the message to the public. Strict criteria must be applied to prevent false alarms. If there are too many false alarms, the public will not be as responsive to an AMBER alert.

While the criteria applied by different jurisdictions does vary, in general, the criteria include a determination by law enforcement officials that someone under the age of 18 has been abducted against their will, that a child is in danger of serious bodily harm and that there is enough descriptive information about the child, abductor and/or the suspect's vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help find the child. If these criteria are met, alert information is put together for public distribution.

6036 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES M ONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003 Contrary to some media reports, a large electronic billboard along a roadside is not required for an AM- BER alert system. These have proven very useful in California and elsewhere and certainly provide an en- hancement in terms of quic kly disseminating the in- formation, but they are not a requirement for establish- ing an alert system in a particular area. The key ingre- dient, though, is a cohere nt, well-thought-out commu- nication plan.

Typically, once law enforcement agencies have as- sessed the information and applied the relevant criteria to determine whether to use the AMBER alert, the in- formation is faxed to radio stations. The information is also sent to TV stations and cable systems so it can im- mediately be broadcast to millions of listeners and view- ers. Radio stations interrupt their programming to an- nounce the alert, and televi sion stations and cable sys- tems run a crawl on the screen with a photo of the child.

The media continue to alert the public every 15 minutes with pertinent details that may lead to the safe return of the child. In child abduction cases, time is of the essence. According to one study by the U.S. De- partment of Justice, in 74 percent of abduction homi- cides, the child is killed within the first three hours. It is my hope that some form of AMBER alert sys- tem can be developed in British Columbia.

I know that already the Solicitor General is pursuing — the first in Canada — the PRIME-BC information system, which will more quickly disseminate key details of crimes to all police detachments within the province. This is a firm foundation from whic h to build. In addition, I support tougher sentences for child abusers and an expanded use of Canada's fairly new DNA database to help catch these criminals in the first place. Together with the PRIME- BC information system, I believe the AMBER plan could add a measure of pro- tection for young people in our province.

I look for- ward to hearing the remarks of other MLAs in re- sponse to this motion. Thank you for your attention. B. Bennett: I would like to thank the member for Chilliwack-Kent for bringing forward this important motion. It's an honour to speak in support of a motion like this. There can be no greater tragedy to a human being than the loss of a ch ild. The overwhelming level of anxiety and stress is even worse, of course, in the case of an abduction. Parents in that situation don't know the whereabouts of their child and what has happened to their child. I ca n't even imagine what it must be like.

I have a couple of children of my own. I've been lucky. They're both happy and healthy young men, although they did test their parents somewhat during their teenage years. I have an older son, Dylan, who's 25. When he was a little guy up at my fly-in fishing lodge in northern Manitoba, I brought a new farm trac- tor in. It was actually an old farm tractor. It was an old Ferguson tractor with a three-point hydraulic hitch on the back of it. My young son had just flown in from Thompson, Manitoba — 272 miles by air, which was the only ac- cess to our lodge. He got his little fingers stuck in the three-point hitch.

I pulled the lever the wrong way, and he got his little fingers st uck in there. It looked like they'd squeezed his little fingers right off. He was only about four years old, and I remember how I felt when this happened. It was May, and there was still snow on the ground. We got his hand out, and I went and sat with him and put his hand in the snow and tried to cool it off and just helped him however I could. Remember there are no roads in that part of the world, and the only way to get him out of there to see a doctor would be to call an airplane on a radio that of- ten didn't work.

We were very, very fortunate that day. We did get him out. But I remember how I felt to be so helpless in terms of being able to relieve the pain that my child was feeling. [1145] I guess the point is that that's really nothing com- pared to the loss of a child by abduction. I can't, I don't think, put myself in the place of a parent who suddenly finds that his or her child is gone — here one minute, gone the next. This AMBER alert plan is truly a wonderful idea. When the member for Chilliwack-Kent first

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0407am-01
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0407am 01
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	b3668e43fbcf51f595657df8079ccfcbd11f4437

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