2010 Legislative Session: Second Session, 39th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 10, Number 11

CONTENTS

Page

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Statements (Standing Order 25B)

Community social services workers

M. Karagianis

Suppliers to Olympic Games in Vancouver and Sochi

D. Horne

Hazelton and Hockeyville competition

D. Donaldson

Vernon Winter Carnival

E. Foster

Pacific Rim Whale Festival

S. Fraser

Paralympic Games and Torch Relay

S. Cadieux

Oral Questions

B.C. Hydro rates

J. Horgan

Hon. C. Hansen

Internet gaming and problem gamblers

S. Simpson

Hon. R. Coleman

N. Macdonald

ICBC revenues to government

B. Ralston

Hon. C. Hansen

M. Farnworth

Air quality tests in Prince George

R. Fleming

Hon. J. Yap

Coroner report recommendations on farmworker deaths

R. Chouhan

Hon. M. Coell

Investigation into farmworker deaths in Langley

A. Dix

Hon. M. Coell

Government support for tourism industry

S. Herbert

Hon. C. Hansen

Tabling Documents

Property Assessment Appeal Board, annual report, 2009

Petitions

S. Fraser

R. Fleming

D. Donaldson

Tabling Documents

Public Service Benefit Plan Act, annual report, 2008-2009

Orders of the Day

Budget Debate (continued)

M. Karagianis

S. Cadieux

L. Popham

D. Horne

H. Bains

Hon. M. MacDiarmid

S. Simpson

Hon. G. Abbott

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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010

The House met at 1:35 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

R. Cantelon: This year the British Columbia legislative internship program celebrates its 35th anniversary. Every year ten brilliant young British Columbians are accepted into the program and experience the executive and legislative branches of their provincial government.

Today I'd like to introduce the legislative interns who are now part of the government caucus research and communications: Ron Ahluwalia, University of B.C.; Heather Chatwin, University of Victoria;

Kristopher Henderson, University of Northern British Columbia; Whitney Punchak, University of Victoria; and Rahim Mohamed, University of British Columbia. Please make them feel welcome in the gallery.

D. Donaldson: It's my pleasure to introduce two members of the Hazelton Bulldogs minor hockey team. They're up there in their jerseys — Nolan Barnes and Kaein Tait.

They're accompanied by Kristen Barnes and Jessica Tait, who are key organizers in the Hazelton is Hockeyville campaign. They work for the Gitksan Wet'suwet'en Education Society, and they're in town seeking support for a new ice arena for Hazelton. Would the members please make them welcome.

Hon. M. Polak: Touring the legislative buildings today and here to observe us at our finest are two groups of grade 5 students from Langley Christian School. They are here with their teachers Tim VanHemert, Linda Boersma and Annette VandenBrink. Would the House please make them welcome.

J. Horgan: We have a very special day today, Members of the Legislature. Joining us in the galleries are Sharon Brasho of Sooke and also the mayor of Leechtown, Bill Wilson. He's the first and only mayor of Leechtown. For those of you who don't know where that is, it's just north of Sooke, and it's only had one mayor. His name is Bill Wilson. He's here joining us today. Would the House please make him very, very welcome.

D. Routley: I'd like the House to help me welcome four people who aren't here. It's a little unfortunate, but Maisie Barnett, Neil Burns, Lynda Evans and Marianne Busch had planned to be here for lunch. Unfortunately, one of their party took very ill this morning. They weren't able to make it.

The reason I still stand up is that I had hoped to be able to welcome personally and wish personally Marianne Busch a very happy birthday. In her absence, could the House help me do that.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

COMMUNITY SOCIAL SERVICES WORKERS

M. Karagianis: Today I'd like to recognize the enormous contributions of British Columbia's exceptionally dedicated 15,000-strong community social service workers. These workers provide a myriad of services to women, children and families, youth, people with physical and developmental disabilities, and First Nations.

They make sure that people don't fall through the cracks when they have a special need or when they are facing a crisis in their lives. They look after some of the most vulnerable people with compassionate care. They are truly unsung heroes.

Municipal councils across B.C. have joined with community social service workers to ask that March be made community social services awareness month. I support that call and encourage members to join me.

B.C.'s community social service workers are people like Rosemary Menendez, a personal development plan worker who provides support for homeless women at the Salvation Army's Belkin House. Roy Scafe works with five at-risk youth in a group home. Roy helps them in all aspects of their lives while providing a safe, stable environment for them.

Stephanie Seaman is an early childhood educator at Shaughnessy Heights Day Care in Vancouver. Stephanie helps children aged three to five explore, socialize, play and develop day-to-day skills. Larry Jandu works for Western Human Resources in Langley, working to — as he puts it — bring the people from the inside out. Larry even started a program for residents of the home to raise chickens so they could have free-range eggs, and now they have a small vegetable garden.

In my time with the community social service sector, I've had the pleasure of meeting some of these workers. They are a most passionate, dedicated and giving group of people, the best you will ever encounter. I'm so very grateful and proud of the work that they do. I hope that all members will join me in saluting the exceptional contribution of B.C.'s community social service workers and join together in the spirit of designating March as community social services month.

SUPPLIERS TO OLYMPIC GAMES

IN VANCOUVER AND SOCHI

D. Horne: As our first week in this place draws to an end, the first week back from the 2010 Winter Olympic

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Games, I thought that I'd get up and speak to yet another opportunity for B.C. businesses generated by our hosting the games, these fantastic games.

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Many local companies, including Cannon Design, Britco, Sandwell and many, many others…. The list is too long for me to go through them all today, although I'd like to, but two minutes is two minutes. From this, they've gained significant experience and significant expertise.

As many of you are aware, Sochi, on the Black Sea in Russia, will host the next Winter Games in 2014, and they had significant presence in Vancouver during the games. Not only did they have a large group of observers working closely with their VANOC counterparts, but they spent tremendous energy reaching out to our community, the suppliers of the Vancouver games and those that contributed to its success. In addition, the Sochi2014.ru World, located in the TELUS World of Science, was an exceptional place and showcased their vision and resolve.

I would also like to thank this time TELUS for their role in facilitating this, because as always, TELUS has gone way beyond and showed their support in the community in allowing this facility to be used by Sochi during the games.

As many of you know, I personally have significant experience in dealing with the Sochi Organizing Committee. Prior to my election I was very involved with their bids committee and the master planning, design, creation of promotional materials and other aspects of their bid.

During this past few weeks I spent tremendous amounts of time encouraging the many suppliers to Vancouver 2010 to meet and engage with the Russian delegation and build relationships, familiarity and to demonstrate and showcase their Olympic experience here during our games to enhance their chances of being suppliers to the Sochi games.

Following our Premier's lead when he signed an Olympic protocol for 2014 this last week with his counterpart, the governor of the Krasnodar region, to share information on games planning and cultural business opportunities, this protocol will further facilitate exploring 2014 business-related opportunities, trade and cultural exchanges.

HAZELTON AND

HOCKEYVILLE COMPETITION

D. Donaldson: There are many stories about the Hazelton ice rink. One that sticks in my mind is how a visiting kids' team didn't come back after the first day of the tournament because their water bottles froze solid on the bench while they were playing. You can imagine how cold the little players were, let alone the parents in the stands.

That is the state of the rink built by volunteers more than 30 years ago. When it rains outside, spectators inside get wet. When it's 15 below outside, it's 20 below inside for the players. The arena is becoming unusable. Engineers recommend the structure be torn down.

A dedicated group of community members are working to build a new rink. A few of them are in the gallery today. They need support from the province and the federal government because they know that in a rural community, an ice arena is about the future. It's a gathering place. It's where old and young, men and women, First Nations and non–First Nations, doctors, school teachers, loggers and truck drivers mix and forge relationships which create the common ground that gets us through the rough times and enables us to take full advantage of the good times.

Part of the plan is entering the Hockeyville competition. Hazelton as Hockeyville attracted more than 1,000 stories submitted to its website, the third-highest total in Canada, the highest in B.C. The stories are heartening. They're about healthy activity, fun and building relationships that are at the basis of other activities, like commerce in the region.

Now we are waiting to see if Hazelton makes the final 12 communities in Canada. Regardless of the outcome, the effort has helped galvanize the community. But outside help is needed. It's time to invest in rural B.C. for a better future for all in the province.

Shall I say it, hon. Speaker? Shall I say it? Hazelton is Hockeyville.

VERNON WINTER CARNIVAL

E. Foster: From January 29 to February 7, Vernon and the entire North Okanagan were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Vernon Winter Carnival. I'd like to say congratulations to Derek Hall, the chairman of the Winter Carnival Society, and his crew of hard-working volunteers.

Each year the winter carnival kicks off with a great event. On the Thursday evening my wife, Janice, and I were able to attend the Miss Silver Star coronation. I'd like to congratulate Vernon's new queen, Katie Annand; her princesses, Brittney Weatherill and Amy Soranno; and also Miss Congeniality, Tamsen Guidi. These young ladies will make excellent youth ambassadors for Vernon and the North Okanagan. I'd like to congratulate them on a job well done.

One of the most attended events of the carnival is the annual parade, which Janice and I were able to attend and actually take

part in. With 120 entrants, it took over an hour to go by the reviewing stands — pipe bands, horses, fire engines, floats, all kinds of participants. As usual, a great event.

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Another highlight of this year's winter carnival, possibly the big highlight. The people in the winter carnival

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committee changed their dates to coincide with the Olympic torch coming to Vernon for the big event. The torch came in, in the morning. It was carried into Polson Park by a young 13-year-old B.C. Select hockey player, Lannie Houle, who is the first First Nations player to play on the B.C. Select team. The thousands of people that were there took part, as I said, and watched the cauldron being lit.

I'd like to congratulate Vernon city councillor Mr. Jack Gilroy and Michelle Jefferson. They co-chaired the community spirit committee. They just organized a great event. It was, like I said, attended by thousands of people who thoroughly enjoyed it. To all the volunteers who worked on both of those events, thank you very much.

PACIFIC RIM WHALE FESTIVAL

S. Fraser: Well, it's that time of year again. From March 6 to the 14, Ucluelet, Tofino and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve are hosting the 24th annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, the greatest migration on earth — and one of the greatest mysteries as well.

They don't quite understand it, but the phenomenon of thousands and thousands of these two-legged land creatures, often clad in bulky yellow suits, covering the coastline of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds floating in funny rubber vessels is too much to resist. This human spectacle attracts more than 20,000 grey whales to travel more than 16,000 kilometres, all the way from the Baja, just to see the greatest spectacle — the human migration — on earth.

Seriously, folks, this year's Pacific Rim Whale Festival bodes to be one of the best. In the heart of the magnificent Clayoquot Sound, Nuu-chah-nulth territory, you can see and witness 30-tonne leviathans — these grey whales — right off our own coast. It is amazing. The greys cruise into the area at about two to five knots, and they put on the greatest natural show of a lifetime.

If that wasn't enough, there are parades, pancake breakfasts, amazing interpretive events and fantastic seafood. There are extraordinary local artists and traditional storytelling and much, much more. For those more adventurous at heart, rent a longboard, take a lesson and hit the surf, because Tofino was just rated by Outside magazine as the best surf town in North America. You might find yourself in the water with the likes of Peter Devries, Canada's top-ranked surfer and winner of the 2009 O'Neill Coldwater Classic — very cold water.

No one should miss the 24th annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, so mark it on your calendar, March 6 to March 14, Nuu-chah-nulth territory. Be there.

PARALYMPIC GAMES AND TORCH RELAY

S. Cadieux: Well, don't put away your red gloves yet. The party is hardly over. Yesterday the torch for the Paralympic Games was lit on Parliament Hill, beginning the first-ever Paralympic Torch Relay across Canada. Over the next nine days the torch will make its way to B.C., along the way raising awareness for the games and fuelling the amazing Canadian spirit.

Over 600 people will share in the honour of carrying the torch as it makes its way to Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium. Many of these torchbearers are previous and current Paralympians who have inspired people around the world with their determination, perseverance and, above all, amazing athletic ability.

I'd like to mention just a couple of the torchbearers from British Columbia, who include Sonia Gaudet, a member of the Canadian wheelchair curling team and the only returning member; Bruce Gilmour, an active member of the B.C. Blind Sports and Recreation Association and member of the 2010 Legacies Now disability advisory committee. I'm also proud to say that Sarah Hunter, a longtime Surrey resident, will be carrying the torch through Hope on March 9. Sarah competed in wheelchair tennis in two summer Paralympic Games, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

Remember, if you're visiting Vancouver throughout the Paralympics, many of the national and provincial pavilions will continue to be open. So if you missed your opportunity to see the Northern Pavilion or hold a gold medal at the Canadian Mint, you can do so over the next week.

On March 12 the games are here again. Let's remember to cheer on our Paralympic heroes as they represent our province and our country. Go, Canada, go!

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Oral Questions

B.C. HYDRO RATES

J. Horgan: Yesterday we learned that B.C. Hydro has gone to the Utilities Commission to seek a 9 percent rate increase this year. This is on top of rate increases of 7 percent last year and 7 percent the year before that. The rationale from the Crown was that this rate increase was required to improve infrastructure and repair aging facilities.

The reality is that in the budget documents, B.C. Hydro is required to find 254 million additional dollars to transfer to the Minister of Finance to make up for his — I would suggest — fiscal folly over the past year. Will the minister stand in this place and tell ratepayers that the 9 percent increase on their bill is not just going to new dams — that it's going to pay for his mistakes?

Hon. C. Hansen: Actually, there are two elements to that. One element of it is fulfilling a policy that was brought in by the NDP government in the mid-1990s with regard to the rate of return that is expected from B.C. Hydro to the taxpayer.

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The other element of it is actually to fund the significant capital investment that B.C. Hydro has to make if it's going to meet the energy demands of British Columbia for the future. Unlike during the NDP years, all of those decisions are subject to review and approval by the B.C. Utilities Commission.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

J. Horgan: Unfortunately, the minister is ten years late and about $250 million short. The question is a simple one. This is a repeating pattern for this minister, whether it be the HST, whether it be increasing MSP premiums…. Now it's hydro rates.

Over and over again, rather than choose the course of least resistance — go to the corporate sector and make them pay for the profits they're making, go to the banking sector and make them pay for the profits they're making — instead you go to consumers. Instead, you go to ordinary British Columbians and take more and more money out of their pockets. It's not just 9 percent this year.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

J. Horgan: It's not just 9 percent this year. Hydro is expecting a 13 percent rate increase next year and 7 percent the year after that — hundreds of millions of dollars from ratepayers' pockets into the minister's pocket to pay for his fiscal folly. Will he stand and admit to the people of B.C. that it's not just aging infrastructure — that it's mismanagement by his government?

Hon. C. Hansen: It's actually interesting today. Another day, and we have yet another financial policy pronouncement by the Energy critic for the official opposition, which I guess actually helps flesh out a little bit of the comments he made on February 9 when he said: "We have to find revenue to offset that from other taxes."

I gather, at a time when the province of British Columbia is being recognized globally for having some of the most competitive tax regimes in the province — one of the reasons why investors are interested in coming to British Columbia, one of the reasons why companies globally are interested in creating jobs in British Columbia for British Columbia families — this member stands up and suggests that we should be hitting those very job creators with new and additional taxes. I fundamentally disagree with him.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a further supplemental.

J. Horgan: For the edification of those on that side of the House, you're in favour of an HST. We on this side of the House are fundamentally opposed to the HST. The members on the other side….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

J. Horgan: The members on the other side….

Interjections.

J. Horgan: They may bow down to fictitious investors….

Mr. Speaker: Member, just take your seat for a second.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue, Member.

J. Horgan: The minister may well want to bow down to fictitious investors from some point somewhere else in the world. We on this side of the House will put our constituents ahead of that every day of the week.

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Simple question: will the minister stand in his place and admit to the people of British Columbia that their hydro rates are going up because he needs the money?

Hon. C. Hansen: It's actually interesting, coming from this member who was an executive assistant to an Energy Minister in the late 1990s when special directive No. 2 was issued by the NDP government of the day. It didn't go through a BCUC hearing. It actually just gave an order from cabinet to B.C. Hydro to send more money.

What we are doing is following the policies that were set out in the 1990s around a return on equity that is expected from B.C. Hydro to the shareholders, who are the people of British Columbia. All of the increases that are being proposed by B.C. Hydro are subject to review of the B.C. Utilities Commission, unlike what happened during the NDP government.

INTERNET GAMING

AND PROBLEM GAMBLERS

S. Simpson: At a time when the Lottery Corporation acknowledges that British Columbians are "in the worst economic situation since the Great Depression," the B.C. Liberals are trying to get people to gamble more. While cutting programs and spending on public services, the Liberals are approving a $347 million expenditure by B.C. Lotteries to enhance gambling, particularly through the Internet.

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Can the minister explain the B.C. Liberal vision that says having more British Columbians and in particular young people spending their money on Internet gambling is the best for the future of our province?

Hon. R. Coleman: This is a $2 billion corporation which has asked to modernize its equipment and upgrade its stock from time to time. That's why it's allowed to have that type of money in its operational budget. In actual fact, any business would make an investment in its inventory and its electronic network at any given time. That's why it's there.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

S. Simpson: Over 150,000 British Columbians identified by the B.C. Medical Association as being problem gamblers. Expert after expert stating that Internet gaming is the most risky form of gambling for people who have a problem and particularly for young people.

The response of this government is to further cut the gaming policy and enforcement branch by another 10 percent since September, as well as to invest over a third of a billion dollars in enhancing that gaming. No wonder, by the government's own numbers, that only 17 percent of British Columbians have any confidence in how this government deals with problem gambling and that every year for the last three years, support for gaming has dropped in this province.

Can the minister tell us when revenues at any cost, including exploiting some of our most vulnerable citizens, became a B.C. Liberal great goal?

Hon. R. Coleman: To the member opposite: I'll actually listen to your opinion on gaming the day you actually recognize the fact you still haven't paid back the charities you stole from in Nanaimo back in the 1990s.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. R. Coleman: Don't lecture me, Member. Don't lecture me, Member. Two Premiers resigned under your regime over gambling.

Mr. Speaker: Minister. Minister.

Hon. R. Coleman: Nothing has ever happened under this jurisdiction, and the reason is because we have actually professionally managed this file for the people of British Columbia in a way it should be managed on behalf of the people of British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: Members. First of all, I want to advise the minister to be more careful with his words. Secondly, this is the second day that we've gone into this bantering back and forth. If we want question period to end right now, we'll continue with it.

Member for Columbia River–Revelstoke has the floor.

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N. Macdonald: We'll go to the Minister of Finance on the same topic and try to raise the standards here a little bit. This government ran for office on a promise to limit the expansion of gambling and a clear promise not to move into Internet gambling, but this is the exact opposite of what is happening. The government knows the damage that is going to take place for problem gamblers. At the same time, they're reducing programs in this budget.

So the question is: how can the minister justify such a shortsighted and desperate cash grab?

Hon. R. Coleman: Any British Columbian today could go on anywhere up to 2,000 websites and gamble on websites that are not legal in this province and spend money. The highest percentage of problem gaming that comes on the Internet comes from unauthorized sites and sites that don't have control.

The reason we've gone to Internet gaming and some of the aspects we've done in gaming is so we can actually give a place for people to legally do this and not be actually abused by these types of operators around the world. We have the funds in place to take care of problem gamblers in British Columbia. We have a line in place for them to call. We have counselling for them anytime they need it, and we'll continue to have that going into the future.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

N. Macdonald: This budget cuts programs that are supposed to support those people. This budget aims to increase Internet gambling, and there was a time….

The minister stands up and talks about illegal gambling and Internet gambling. This is a statement that you made in this House, the current gambling minister. He said that the incidence of problem gambling is the highest in things like illegal gambling and Internet gambling, and those are things we fight to stamp out.

Well, some fight. The goal in this budget is to increase it by 300 percent, and at the same time that you are creating those people with gambling problems, this budget takes away the supports.

The question I have for this Minister of Finance, who created this budget: how can the government possibly justify that direction? It is indefensible. Stand up and defend it if you can, but it stands indefensible.

Hon. R. Coleman: When I made the comment on Internet gaming, I was actually commenting about the

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sites that I referred to a minute ago. The fact that a teenaged kid in this province could take their parents'…

Interjection.

Mr. Speaker: Member.

Hon. R. Coleman: …Visa card and go on line and gamble at some place in Barbados or over in the Cayman Islands or somewhere like that on line…. Why not have a legal thing so people could do this legally in the province?

You have to be excluded. You have controls in place. It reduces the issues of problem gambling on the Internet if you actually have it in an environment that is controlled and managed by the provider.

In addition to that, I know…. The member over there just thinks that they…. Well, we could talk about illegalities in gaming, but then we might go over your line, Mr. Speaker, with reference to the history of the NDP.

But with regards to this, I do know this — that when poker was introduced into gaming centres in British Columbia, a number of illegal gaming centres run by organized crime in this province shut down.

ICBC REVENUES TO GOVERNMENT

B. Ralston: In its budget the government proposes to take $778 million from ICBC customers over the next three years, taking it from ratepayers and transferring it to the government's books. ICBC has used some of this money to give ratepayers rate reductions, but the B.C. Liberals appear to want to take this option away.

Coming at this time, the only conclusion that a reasonable person can draw is that the Finance Minister is using this to patch some of the holes in his budget caused by the budget deception that the B.C. Liberals have created over the last year. Why isn't the government prepared simply to level with the public and say why it's decided to scoop the $778 million now?

Hon. C. Hansen: The member, I think, is under the mistaken notion that this transfer of dollars to the shareholder actually results in more bottom-line revenue for the province. It does not. These are revenues that have already been reflected in the consolidated financial statements of the province over the last number of years as this surplus capital has been accumulated within ICBC on the optional coverage side.

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ICBC divides its insurance into two categories — basic insurance for which they have a monopoly — and they have among some of the best and lowest rates of car insurance for basic insurance of anywhere in North America. That is not being touched.

On the optional side of coverage, where we have mandated that they must compete on a level playing field with the private sector on the provision of optional insurance, they have accumulated surplus capital over and above what would be required by the North American standards.

It is entirely appropriate that the provincial government representing the shareholder, which is the taxpayers of British Columbia, ask for those dollars to be transferred into the consolidated revenue so that we can reduce what would otherwise be borrowing requirements of the province.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

B. Ralston: Well, clearly the Minister of Finance has very little, if any, confidence in the ICBC board of directors. The government appointed the board of directors. Mr. Turner is the chair. Why doesn't the minister leave it to the ICBC board of directors to make the decision how large their cash reserves should be, rather than by enshrining it in the legislation and forcing them to transfer it to the government's books?

Hon. C. Hansen: It's not the government's role to determine what the cash reserves should be. It's not the ICBC board's role to determine what the cash reserves should be. These are actually dictated by international standards within the insurance community.

The reserves that the ICBC had on the optional coverage were far in excess of what those national and international standards would require. Therefore, that cash surplus is being directed to the benefit of the shareholder.

I should also point out to the member that over the last five years, on the optional insurance side ICBC has reduced those costs by 17 percent. There is no part of this decision and this move that will have upward pressure on insurance rates either in the basic insurance side or the optional insurance side.

M. Farnworth: This government is transferring HST costs to consumers in British Columbia, has increased MSP premiums to consumers in British Columbia and has increased hydro rates to consumers in British Columbia. Now, with this $780 million unprecedented cash grab, they are taking away the opportunity to reduce optional coverage and other coverage even further.

Why did the minister choose to tell motorists in British Columbia to take a hike, instead of allowing the board the option of giving them further rebates?

Hon. C. Hansen: We have an excellent board at ICBC, and this government has full confidence in them. We work cooperatively with them on these issues. I can tell the member that there is nothing in this move that will trigger an increase in either the basic premium rates for motorists in British Columbia or the optional rates in British Columbia.

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What the option that British Columbia motorists have today that they did not have ten years ago is there's actually competition for optional coverage in British Columbia. Motorists in British Columbia can buy that optional insurance coverage from ICBC if they wish, or they can actually go to a private sector provider and buy that optional insurance. That's a competitive marketplace.

We'll ensure that as long as government maintains a level playing field, which is what we are, British Columbia motorists are going to get the best rates possible on optional coverage.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

M. Farnworth: What the government has done is just swooped in and scooped $780 million faster than a hawk in a chicken coop. Can the minister stand in this House…? It's really convenient that all of a sudden, in one of the worst budget times in this province's history, they now decide they need to scoop $780 million.

[1410]

Will he stand in this House and table the documents of when he started having the discussions with ICBC that they were overcapitalized and that they needed to transfer the revenue to the province of British Columbia? Will he table that in this House? Will he commit to doing that?

Hon. C. Hansen: It's interesting that the opposition would express opposition to this move, because this actually reduced the borrowing cost for taxpayers in British Columbia. This is a huge net benefit. When you've got in one part of your enterprise…. In this case, ICBC has surplus cash. Meanwhile, the province of British Columbia is actually going out to markets to borrow money at market rates. It makes sense, on behalf of the shareholders and the taxpayers of British Columbia, that we actually utilize this excess capital to make sure that we can offset our borrowing requirements and thereby save taxpayers' dollars.

AIR QUALITY TESTS IN PRINCE GEORGE

R. Fleming: Air quality tests from the summer of 2008 showed dangerous levels of formaldehyde near playgrounds and neighbourhoods in Prince George. No air quality advisory was issued despite levels being 20 times higher than the provincial standard, and today, 18 months after these tests, no follow-ups have been done on unsafe levels of a toxin linked to cancer and asthma in children.

According to government officials, there's no money to do these follow-up tests. So my question is to the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport. She's responsible for setting air quality standards in the province of British Columbia. Does she think it is okay for her government to keep families in Prince George in the dark about potential threats to their health?

Hon. J. Yap: On behalf of the Minister of Environment, I'll take this question on notice.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental. Is it a new question?

R. Fleming: Mr. Speaker, I have a different question, but it is to the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport, who is responsible for setting air quality standards in the province of British Columbia.

I want to know when — because she has co-responsibility for this — she was first made aware of the air quality situation in Prince George and whether she thinks it's acceptable for Prince George residents or any residents in British Columbia to wait 18 months to follow up on reports about dangerous levels of toxins in the playgrounds.

Hon. J. Yap: Again, on behalf of the Minister of Environment, I'll take this question on notice.

CORONER REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

ON FARMWORKER DEATHS

R. Chouhan: This coming Sunday, March 7, is the third anniversary of the roadside accident killing three female farmworkers on their way to work. The RCMP recommended 33 criminal charges against the driver and owner of that van.

Last December the B.C. coroner forwarded 17 recommendations to this government. To the Minister of Labour: will the minister commit today in this House to implement immediately the full set of recommendations from the coroner to prevent future accidents?

Hon. M. Coell: I actually will be meeting with the families next week, and I hope the recommendations from government will be in the next few weeks.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

R. Chouhan: That's very hopeful — that that will happen. But let's go over some other information. Since 2001 the B.C. Liberals have treated farmworkers as second-class citizens. Many of the safeguards to protect farmworkers were removed. In 2003 another farmworker was killed in an unsafe van. The B.C. Liberals neglected all of the coroner's recommendations about that accident. In 2008 the three mushroom farm workers lost their lives, and the other two were severely injured.

It has been three months since the coroner has issued these recommendations. I understand the minister is go-

[ Page 3174 ]

ing to meet with the families, but I hope his review was done, because there were very straightforward recommendations. I would like to ask the minister when these recommendations will be implemented to prevent future accidents.

[1415]

Hon. M. Coell: I know the member would agree with me that any loss of life is unacceptable in the workplace. The coroner made a number of recommendations to a variety of ministries. Those recommendations are being handled through my ministry. I hope to have a report back on how those recommendations will be dealt with in the next few weeks.

INVESTIGATION INTO

FARMWORKER DEATHS IN LANGLEY

A. Dix: To the Minister of Labour as well. The minister, of course, knows that there was a terrible accident in Langley as well in September 2008. We still don't have the initial investigative report into that accident. The anniversary is coming up. He knows that people in the community have really reached out to the families in this case. I know that in the past he's met with those families.

Can the minister today give us an indication of when we'll see that investigative report and whether he would support a coroner's inquest into that incident as well?

Hon. M. Coell: I thank the member for the question. I did meet with those families as well.

WorkSafe B.C. is investigating this terrible incident. I would hope that within a couple of months, that report would be available for us and also available for the coroner to review.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

A. Dix: Just on that, the minister is saying "in a couple of months." This is a question that the families frequently ask me. Can the minister explain why it's taken so long, what the circumstances of that are, why he believes now it will take additional months — we're 18 months into the process now, and this is just the first investigation — why he thinks it will take so long and whether at the time that he receives that report, he will make it available to the families at the same time as he makes it available to the coroner?

Hon. M. Coell: I appreciate that question as well. WorkSafe B.C.'s investigation is probably the most complicated they've ever done, the most time-consuming and most intricate. It involves a number of ministries, a number of the municipalities, and they're winding that investigation up. I would hope that within the next couple of months, we'd have it available. Of course it would be available to the families immediately.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

FOR TOURISM INDUSTRY

S. Herbert: When the HST was introduced, the Minister of Tourism told the tourism industry that he would work to help them and that he would work to support them to make their way through it. The Council of Tourism Associations predicts the HST will cause up to 10,000 job losses in that industry.

So they watched the budget with much anticipation. And what did they find? Nothing. Not one bit to help their struggling industry. My question is to the Minister of Tourism. Why should the tourism industry believe this government at all when they're actually cutting tourism marketing funding?

Hon. C. Hansen: You know, we've just come off an incredible 17 days of Olympic marketing, where images of British Columbia have been broadcast around the world.

Not only have we, in this budget, committed to maintaining the tourism marketing track that we otherwise would have seen, we also put $39 million into tourism marketing last September so that we could fully maximize and benefit from the Olympic spotlight.

In addition to that, in an HST world you're actually going to see the hotel room tax come down from 8 percent to 7 percent, which is going to be a big benefit to hotel operators around the province. We have also made the commitment that for those communities that elect to take advantage of this opportunity, they can tap into the extra 2 percent additional hotel room tax for their local and regional tourism marketing initiatives as well.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

S. Herbert: Now is not the time to rest on our laurels. Now is the time to aggressively reach out to people across the world to bring them here. When you look at any other tourism jurisdiction and you look what happened after Olympics, they regretted that they cut back on their tourism marketing.

[1420]

But did the B.C. Liberals learn from them? No. In fact, the B.C. Liberals followed those jurisdictions and have cut tourism marketing. On top of that, what did they do? They got rid of Tourism B.C.'s industry-led board. They got rid of the award-winning Tourism B.C. Oh, and what else did they do? They introduced the HST — the HST, which is going to cost the industry up to 10,000 jobs.

Interjections.

[ Page 3175 ]

Mr. Speaker: Members.

S. Herbert: Do the B.C. Liberals have any solutions for the tourism industry? Faced with a high American dollar, faced with what the Sauder school of business says is one of the worst times for tourism in terms of the international markets, what Central 1 Credit has said could lead to, actually, declines in tourism after this budget….

Mr. Speaker: Can the member pose the question, please.

S. Herbert: My question, again, to the Minister of Tourism: when will this government get it and actually support the tourism industry?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. C. Hansen: That's exactly what this budget does. It makes sure that we can continue with the funding that goes into tourism marketing in the years to come. We've made sure that we've rolled out $39 million of additional money for tourism marketing, and — guess what — the NDP voted against that $39 million of additional marketing.

We had 17 days of the world's spotlight on British Columbia. Tourists from around the world have been enamoured by what British Columbia can offer, and the NDP, over the last number of years, have done everything possible to undermine that initiative and to undermine the success of the Olympics.

On this side of the House we supported the Olympics. We helped make it a big success, and we're going to help make the tourism industry a big success.

[End of question period.]

Tabling Documents

Hon. B. Bennett: I am presenting the annual report of the Property Assessment Appeal Board for the year 2009. This exciting report can be reviewed by members on the board's website at www.assessmentappeal.bc.ca, effective tomorrow.

S. Fraser: I seek leave to present petitions.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

S. Fraser: I have petitions from my constituents in Alberni–Pacific Rim asking the government to halt the implementation of the HST.

R. Fleming: I would like to present a petition collected by Mr. Bill Oin, a constituent of mine, calling on the government to restore funding to social programs, particularly for people with disabilities so that they may live independently in our province.

D. Donaldson: I rise to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

D. Donaldson: This petition is in the form of over 800 postcards collected by two eight-year-old boys in Hazelton calling on this government and the Premier to support a new ice arena for the Hazeltons and all surrounding communities.

Tabling Documents

Hon. B. Stewart: I'm happy to stand and present to the House today the public service benefit plan annual report for the fiscal year 2008-2009.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: Mr. Speaker, continued debate on the budget.

Budget Debate

(continued)

M. Karagianis: I'm very happy to take my place here in responding to the budget that was tabled in the House this week. I would like to first use the words of others rather than myself in describing the initial impacts of this budget on the province.

[1425]

[L. Reid in the chair.]

I think it's very telling, in fact, that the news headlines on the day after the budget was tabled actually give us a huge clue as to how it will impact the lives of British Columbians.

I actually am looking at one of the articles published in the Globe and Mail on Wednesday. The headline reads: "Gimmicks and Tricks Can't Fix the Deficit." I thought it was very succinct. The writer of this

article summed it all up.

"Faced with the need to restore its battered fiscal credibility, the B.C. Liberal government has instead chosen to resort to sleight-of-hand measures that create a distraction from the unfolding political debacle of the HST and the future peril of a blowout deficit. In short, the government has just tabled the gimmick budget.

"The Finance Minister already faces questions about his credibility as a finance manager, fallout from his insistence in last year's election campaign, in the face of overwhelming evidence, that the province would not head into a deficit, and the subsequent stumble on the snap introduction of a harmonized sales

[ Page 3176 ]

tax in the summer. The budget does nothing to restore the aura of trust that a Finance Minister requires."

Another

article in the paper — this from the Fraser Institute, often singing the praises of this government — says that this is "significantly more critical, saying the budget missed several opportunities and did not strike the proper balance. 'We're seeing massive increases in spending. We're seeing unnecessary deficits. We're seeing a legacy of increased debt for future generations and no real focus on making B.C. more competitive through tax cuts.'" That from the right-wing think tank.

Another

article says, "The Liberals' HST Spin Gets Faster and Faster," and goes on to say: "The HST double-cross inflicted on British Columbia voters after last year's election triggered some of the lamest excuses in spin jobs I've ever seen in government." That from Mike Smyth.

Vaughn Palmer says: "A restraint budget, a spendthrift budget, plus a budget whose only new idea was a gimmick." Paul Willcocks says: "A tough time if you need government services." The Times Colonist says, "The capital forgotten in the budget," and later on: "Layoff notices coming for civil servants."

These articles go on to talk about the priorities of this government that I believe are detrimental to my community and are hurting people across British Columbia. Once again, we see that the government has taken an opportunity and squandered it.

For nine years we have seen a growing issue of poverty in this province — families struggling to make it from payday to payday and a brand-new categorization of poverty called the working poor where even when two family members are out working in the workforce, a family is still forced to go to a food bank for the last week of the month to make it from payday to payday.

We have seen the increase of a divided society where the few wealthy are far divided from the rest of us, where what used to be the middle class is now tottering on the edges of working poverty. I think we have seen nine years of failed theories, failed fiscal management from a government that has now delivered us a budget that creates no vision for the future of British Columbia, actually sees no way forward for us in a time when we know there are fiscal restraints worldwide that will affect the outcome of the lives of families in this province for many years to come.

Instead, what we have seen is a nine-year legacy of chaos in the health care sector. Whether by design or by accident, this government has managed to create so much turmoil within the health care industry in this province that a myth has grown around the costs of health care and its impact on the welfare of every other aspect of government.

I say that is absolute nonsense. Health care as a percentage of GDP has altered very little in the last 20 years. What we have is a government that has continued to spend less and less on other things and disproportionately made health care look like the unaffordable service in this province.

Coupled with that, not only do we have chaos in the health care industry; we have chaos in the education of our children across this province. We have a government that has continued to fail, year after year, to come up with real solutions to ensure that education in this province is a thriving and healthy service for our young people.

[1430]

Coupled with the social services cuts that have gone on since the day this government was elected and continue even through this budget process that we're engaged in right now, I would have to say it's no wonder that we have a cynical electorate that in the last election did not turn out to vote in the numbers we've seen historically.

Why should they? They have watched for almost a decade as chaos, mismanagement and wrong priorities have in fact jeopardized all of the very fundamentals of our society here in British Columbia — health care, education, social services — at the expense of the well-being of the citizens of this province.

When we went through the last cycle of an election here, there were a number of promises made by the government. Those promises were broken literally days after the election. Again, this creates more cynicism within the electorate.

We talked a little bit here, in the comments I read earlier from pundits and from the media right after the budget was tabled, about the HST, probably the most hated move that this government has undertaken. In fact, it may be the thing that galvanizes people to finally make a fundamental shift in how they vote in the coming years.

It's certainly at this point gathering communities together and pulling people together of all political stripes to stand up and say no. But again, we have a government that has failed consistently to listen to its electorate, to listen to the people of the province — in fact, to show any kind of support or care for communities, for their needs and for their voice to be heard.

Eighty percent of British Columbians say no to the HST, and we have a government that continues to cover its ears and say: "I cannot hear you. This is going to be good for you. We're just going to shove it down your throat."

Decisions this government has made that are very evident in this budget, that I think are going to be most harmful to my constituents and British Columbians right across this province, are in fact going to level more costs on to taxpayers, more costs on to families that are already struggling from payday to payday — families that have seen job cuts, cuts to education, cuts to health care, more costs all the time levied onto their shoulders. And what do we have now? We have a government that

[ Page 3177 ]

has come up with tax hikes in the form of hydro rates that will go up 29 percent — 29 percent in the coming three years.

We have a government that has offered a solution of property tax deferral as a way to get cash into people's hands. In fact, we have a government that's now encouraging more debt onto the backs of families who often will be forced into using this technique because they have no other choices — those families who are struggling to make it from payday to payday and having to access the food bank at the end of the month. They may see this as an alternative.

What will it do? In reality, anyone who even knows simple math knows that year after year, a deferral of tax payments means you will owe increasing levels of debt as time goes by.

For those people who are stretched right now in their ability to obtain credit, who are paying over 70 percent, perhaps, of their income in shelter costs, this additional debt may in fact add to them a burden that will disallow them from buying a car, will disallow them from borrowing money in the future because they will have accrued this huge debt.

It only takes a few years of tax deferral to have a $10,000 debt hanging over your head. Is the government actually saying that much like seniors, who could take a tax deferral and at the time when they sell their home to retire or go into assisted living could sell their home and cover that…?

Is the government actually suggesting that young families who have just scraped together the money to buy a home should, in fact, jeopardize that and all of their equity and their future and the security for their family by going into further debt so that in five years, they're forced to sell their house to pay off an accrued tax debt? That to me seems so incredibly irresponsible.

When I look at the number of cuts that are coming that are going to affect families, it makes me very, very ashamed that I live in a province that repeatedly goes after the most vulnerable in this province as a way to scrape back money, based on really poor fiscal management on their part. We have a government that has made that choice.

[1435]

When we look at the kinds of services that are going to be cut across this province, as the critic for Children and Families I am deeply, deeply distressed by the cuts that are now going to be foisted onto social service agencies that are already stretched as thin as many of the working families in this province. Yet these organizations are now being told they have to find savings. They have to find a way to take a cut. Millions of dollars are either being shuffled from one place to another within government or outrightly cut from these services.

When you look at the effect of some of those services…. A residential treatment program for youth that has helped more than 500 youth throughout B.C. with their addictions — cut. A community kitchen program for seniors and others living on low incomes — cut. A 50 percent reduction to a program for people living with HIV or hepatitis.

A community-based counselling program for people with mental health, a hundred people a year served — cut. A wraparound program for people at risk of losing their housing that served more than 450 adults and 500 children a year — cut. A 12-week support program for people experiencing mental health crisis — gone. Loss of 500 or more employment placements and jobs created every year for people facing mental health and addictions challenges — gone.

That's the priority of this government. In tough times, when we all know that the economy has affected everyone in our society, this government's priority coming out of this budget is to go once again after the most vulnerable and ensure that communities will feel that pressure.

The B.C. Association of Social Workers has done a really magnificent job of laying out the impact to communities of cuts within the Ministry of Children and Family Development. I know there is an equal list that spreads right across government around the kinds of services — educational, health care and social services — that are being once again trimmed under this government.

I think the list here paints a disturbing picture of further stress and strain that's going to be put on families as they try and not only thrive and raise their families in this tough economic environment, but now they're going to have to do it with less services, with less options and with a government that, in fact, does not seem to particularly be concerned about how these impacts are going to affect ordinary people.

We hear in this House every day all kinds of glowing reports about how communities are thriving and flourishing under these cuts. I'm not sure sometimes if I live in the same world as government members when I hear them talk about their communities, because I know in my community these cuts are deeply hurtful.

I see mental health services stripped away from Esquimalt Neighbourhood House, which has managed to do miraculous things in the community with very few dollars, which leverages every single penny that comes into their hands to help the community and offer a variety of services that help everyone in the community. They have seen money stripped away that offers vital mental health supports, but those are gone. And more will certainly be coming down, as we see the impacts of some of these cuts really felt by communities.

You know, $10 million being cut from community social service programs. I'm sure we will see over the coming months exactly what that means in communities, in front-line working communities — their ability to access services as these close down. We'll see exactly

[ Page 3178 ]

how that affects communities, families, children and seniors across this province.

I was very disappointed in the budget to see that my community has once again been left out of the infrastructure investments that this government has made repeatedly in the Lower Mainland and has failed repeatedly to make here in my community.

We have a need for a replacement for Belmont High School in the Western Communities. The community got together, and the school districts put together an exceptional business plan. They leveraged all kinds of opportunities to put together a very attractive, very feasible business plan — a great investment for the government to make in schools in the Western Communities. But, alas, we're not going to get those schools this time either.

[1440]

Transportation continues to be at the top of mind and top of discussion right across this region, and the government, despite seeing good business plans for transportation infrastructure expansion here — like commuter rail — once again has left us out of the equation.

In fact, we saw that the federal and provincial governments got together, put some infrastructure projects together and made a big announcement — none of them here for the south Island. Belleville terminal. We've been asking repeatedly for upgrades to these facilities. We deserve just as much investment here in the south Island as the Lower Mainland and other communities, and yet we are repeatedly left out of that.

Look out the door, the front door of this building, and you can look at the kind of infrastructure investment that's needed here. The government has repeatedly ignored the needs of infrastructure investment here.

I would say that my view of this budget is that the government has got it wrong. I think they have got their planning completely backwards from what should really be happening now and long term into the future. I think the government has no vision at all for what the future should look like in British Columbia.

I believe after nine years of watching government decisions and watching the follow-through, watching to see what actual declarations in the throne and budget speech mean when they become real programs and seeing how very little they resemble one another once legislation is passed or budgets are passed, I think the government plans right off the end of their nose. I think they plan in a very reactive way.

It's very evident to me and certainly to writers and people I talk with in my community and to the media and to anyone paying attention to the actual language of the budget and what its implications will be that we have lost our way in British Columbia, that we have a government that did a fine job of surfing the wave of affluence that resulted for the last number of years from a very enriched resource economy.

Once that changed, once that began to alter, the government faltered and had no way of recovering, no vision, no sound fiscal plan for far into the future. And we've seen in repeated budgets, this and the budget that was tabled only a few months ago, that the government is floundering around.

There was a time here when, you know, the joke on the street was that the world would end after the Olympics because the government never talked about anything past the Olympics. Well, here we are. We're past the Olympics now. We are past the Olympics and looking at a budget that should be painting the way forward for us. We do not see that. What we see is repeated cuts. We see gimmicks and trickery around trying to sell us a hated sales tax that's coming on board.

I think we had an opportunity to really seize upon the opportunities here as the economy slowly begins to recover. We could actually be investing — like real investment — in the future, in our families, in our children of the future. We could take this opportunity now to do that.

We could ensure that every individual, every person who seeks an education in this province will get the very best education opportunities — not the cuts, not the downloading that has occurred over the last nine years here but real solid investment and good education opportunities for our children and for new citizens to this province and for our post-secondary education sector that would, in fact, allow us to create a very competitive economic environment long term into the future, a sustainable investment in education that would allow our children to compete and to create and to be the new economic drivers of the future. We could actually do that.

Instead, we get caught up in all of this shortchanging and downloading onto communities and school districts. I think at this point we're on the brink of an opportunity that could, in fact, make the future less of a roller-coaster ride where we are simply blown one way or the other by global conditions. The cost of copper, what's happening in the oil and gas sector, what's happening in the U.S. suddenly buffets us, and our economic security is affected by that.

[1445]

But if we were the masters of our own future by investing right now in healthy families, in well-educated families, in well-educated children who will then, with their creativity and imagination and education and confidence, take us forward into the future….

Strong families need to have a good health care system that is reliable, that is not as crippled and broken and mismanaged as we are currently seeing. We need a public health care system so that every person in this province can have health care when and where they need it.

I've heard the government members talk about that since they ran for election in 2001, and they have failed

[ Page 3179 ]

to deliver on it for nine years. But the fact is that a good, well-funded, well-managed public health care system is a cornerstone of a healthy future economy. It would be the envy of the world. We have been the envy of the world until we began to incrementally cripple our health care system playing around with privatization, playing around with failed theories about how to grow a good health care sector for the private corporate interest rather than for the public good.

If we think about offering families strong communities where they can grow their families and have security about the kinds of services they need so that no matter whether they have a special needs child, an autistic child or individuals who need some supports in order to go out and seize the best opportunities available to them…. If we put those in place, we will be a better society.

Instead, we have a government that continues to whittle away at services for the most vulnerable as if they are somehow a lesser resource in this province. I say they are not. Healthy communities surrounding strong families is in fact the best investment we can possibly make in our future, the very best investment.

We talk a lot about sustainability. Unfortunately, it's become one of those words that's a little bit hackneyed, and that is really unfortunate, because the concept of sustainability for our environment and for the essential part of a community, I think, is the other piece of our future that needs investment and needs to be a top priority.

If we have a good health care system, a good education system, a solid and thriving and secure social justice system in this province, and then we have a clean environment where we are moving forward in the future and being leaders in the world around real sustainability…. I really despair the fact that that word gets so overused that it is eventually going to be meaningless to all of us.

In fact, that is the other piece of the future that the government has no vision for, that the government has utterly failed us on. The government slapped on a gas tax and called that the great greening, yet every single action they have taken since doing that has been completely counterintuitive to any sustainable green future in this province.

One of the articles that I looked at here talked about how the government has chosen to give huge breaks to the banks rather than look after the vulnerable and families in this province. It goes hand in hand with the fact that we also see a reliance on the oil and gas industry as being the only economic opportunity of the future. Apparently, that is the only direction in the future that according to this government is going to be a solid economic base.

[1450]

I would say a green, clean future, in fact, is our other greatest opportunity that we are missing. We are missing all of the possibilities around making a fundamental change in this province.

Part of the outcome of a really good education…. And I want to go back to that, because I really think that's the fundamental here that's missing in this budget. Part of a good education is preparing our children for a future that they can embrace, for a future that will allow them to use all of the creativity, all of the imagination that they possess to take us forward into a green and clean environment that's part of our continuum.

We have a healthy community with a good public health care system, with the very best education opportunities for every single person who seeks an education in this province. We have a social justice system, social services that support and cradle people to allow them to reach their potential even if they have barriers to that.

Then we give them an opportunity in a green and clean future and say: "The sky is the limit on how you develop that future. You will be the future. Your imagination and your creativity as you embrace that will actually create a new economy that's not about cyclical change, that's not about devastating every resource that we can lay our hands on." That is our habit, which is being perpetuated by the kind of reliance this government has put on very specific and not-green industries in this province.

I've talked with business across this province, and I know that they, too, see the opportunities here for a greener future, a great economic opportunity there for them. In fact, I would say that this concept of good education, strong families, healthy communities and a green, clean province is the very best business case we could possibly make.

Let's just put aside all of the value discussion around why we should do things because they're the right thing to do and because we are a caring society. Let's put some of those things aside for the moment and say: "Yes, we all think that's all motherhood and apple pie." We hear it from both sides of the House — that everybody's engaged in and committed to this idea of looking after families and children and making them most important.

But let's just talk about a simple business case. A future, a vision for a future in British Columbia should contain good public health care; an exceptional education system; social services that support families; and green, clean technologies. In fact, then we would have a future economy that we can invest in now, for the long term, that would not be as volatile in the future, that would be a real, sustainable future for British Columbians to embrace, to be enthusiastic about, to have an ownership in. We have none of those things currently under the government.

We have had nine years of either rhetoric on some of these topics, backed up by really poor action…. We have declarations, grandiose declarations, but you only have to go through this budget to see that, once again, this budget is reliant on a burden being put on average, or-

[ Page 3180 ]

dinary working people in this province that they cannot sustain.

Where the government thinks that this is a good, visionary plan for the future, I don't know. It's a mystery to me that they would in any way be able to justify that. As long as all of our investment is about an inch deep and superficial, we will fail. We fail to have a vision in British Columbia under this budget, and we deserve better.

[1455]

S. Cadieux: First off, this is my first opportunity to address the House in this session. This session marks only my second session as an MLA, so again, it is an honour and a privilege to be here to represent the people of Surrey-Panorama. I certainly wouldn't be able to do it without the support of my husband and my family and my friends, as I'm sure all in this House would echo. I would like, of course, first off, to offer them my humble thanks.

I would also like to mention how fortunate I am to have two outstanding people in my constituency office. They continue to work tirelessly on my behalf to represent me when I am here. They do that to assist our constituents with the utmost of grace, diligence and patience, and I would like to thank them very much — Sharon Crowson and Manjit Gill.

Honestly, I am so excited. Over the past three weeks, and really over the entire length of the Olympic Torch Relay, we've seen Canadians come together and celebrate just being Canadian. I think that shows that Canadians recognize how lucky we are to live in a country and in a province of plenty, of freedoms, of peace and of beauty.

And I believe. I believe in the power of British Columbians to drive our economy and our province into the future with innovation, determination and pride. We have an enormous opportunity to do the right thing and profit both economically and socially from it through partnerships that will create a strong future for B.C.

The past few weeks have been a fabulous party. Canadians have celebrated like never before. A unity was found, colours proudly worn and flags draped in glorious pride. Yes, the games were held in Whistler, Richmond and Vancouver, but the fun was had through TVs, iPods, iPhones, curling rinks, ice arenas and neighbourhood pubs, at schools, on the buses, and certainly at Holland Park, in Surrey. The Olympic flame was a symbol that drew us together as Canadians and as citizens of the world, a symbol of peace and perseverance.

"Do you believe?" — the question posed so many times on TV. Now I ask: can you believe? Can you believe that anyone who saw B.C. through the coverage of these games could say to themselves: "I don't want to visit B.C."? The world came, and I believe they're going to be back.

I was fortunate to attend a number of business events over the games period, and the people I spoke to were excited about B.C. They were excited about the prospects of expanding business in B.C. It was wonderful to be able to share some of the Olympic excitement, Canadian pride and B.C. hospitality with them. After all, one of the major benefactors of the economic spinoffs of the games is the hospitality sector.

Truthfully, we have many things to offer the world, and the world has many places to get the things they need. It might be wood. It might be coal. It might be technology. It might be power. It might be gold. It might be people. We need to cultivate relationships and business. We need to be the salespeople for this province — for our resources, for our knowledge. We know B.C. is best, and we need to keep telling others.

These games were a fabulous opportunity to be able to tell that story. Economic partnership memorandums of understanding have been signed with foreign governments, including a protocol of intent with Russia's Krasnodar region to share information on games planning, cultural outreach and business opportunities.

A three-year action plan with South Korea's Gyeonggi province to focus on collaboration in biotechnology, green energy, marine leisure, digital media, culture and tourism. It will promote personnel exchanges with an emphasis on government-to-government secondments.

We also announced a $24 million expansion of a wood pellet plant from Prince George and a ten-year deal with Europe for pellets. These are good things for B.C.

Significant announcements were made by major airlines — Emirates adding daily service to Vancouver, creating more than 300 jobs, $30 million in economic spinoffs and 50,000 new travelers to B.C. Air China announced that they'll introduce three new direct flights a week, for a total of ten direct flights between Beijing and Vancouver, with Prince George as their alternate airport. This will connect B.C. to 123 destinations. Huge economic impact. We are taking that momentum, and we are moving forward.

[1500]

The Finance Minister delivered a solid budget with a much-needed vision for future generations. It highlights this government's unwavering commitment to revitalize the economy, create jobs and provide a strong start for our youngest citizens — our future.

Fiscally conservative decisions are hard, tough, and yet they are the right decisions to maintain strength as a province. It is leadership in challenging times to be responsive to new realities.

I've heard a lot of concern over the reductions last year to arts and culture funding. These were absolutely essential, albeit very unhappy decisions. They were made so that despite unprecedented economic challenges brought on by the global economic environment, we could continue to support the most vulnerable in our society. I support those decisions.

Thankfully, this year much support to the arts has been included in the budget. This government is provid-

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ing over $30 million in 2010-11 to support arts groups and artists. It includes $10 million for this year through the new 2010 sport and art legacy, which will enhance opportunities for all British Columbians in the arts, including participation in music, theatre, visual arts, dance and digital media. There's $7.9 million in grants funding through the B.C. Arts Council, $1.5 million in earnings from the arts and culture endowment and $11.5 million in gaming grants for arts and culture.

This is evidence that despite challenging times, despite the fact that we are still recovering economically as a province, despite lower revenue projections, despite all of this, our government is committed to the long-term health of B.C.'s arts sector and recognizes the key social and economic benefits that heritage, arts and culture play in our society.

We certainly saw that, as well, over the last few weeks and are continuing to see that now as productions and concerts and programming continue as part of a 2010 Cultural Olympiad. I'm proud to be attending at least one of these new projects, specifically one titled SPINE announced today — the second play that will be produced by Realwheels, a theatre company in Vancouver headed by a friend of mine, James Sanders.

As an integral part of the celebration in the 2010 Winter Games, the province invested in B.C.'s arts and culture community by investing $20 million to create the arts legacy fund. The endowment supported arts and cultural activity leading up to the games. Since 2002, $4.1 million in earnings has been distributed to arts and culture organizations. That's no small amount of money. This government has provided $16 million to 2010 Legacies Now to support the arts. We've invested more than $5 million through that in 400 arts and culture community projects around British Columbia. That's fantastic.

Another $1.3 million was invested in the Cultural Olympiad through the Arts Council special projects. This was the first time there has been a three-year Cultural Olympiad leading up to a winter games.

Despite the misleading words of the opposition, we have been and continue to invest in the health of arts and culture in B.C. in my community and in those communities throughout the province. I encourage all of us as citizens who support the arts to continue to support the arts and recognize the part that we all play in the success of those organizations.

Speaking of health, the budget also puts health centre stage. My constituents and the people of Surrey city-wide will benefit from this. In fact, they're witnessing right now the expansion of Surrey Memorial, a hospital providing essential care in our community, and a new out-patient hospital to supplement the acute and trauma care at Surrey Memorial and to expand surgical space for Surrey patients.

Yes, once again, health care takes centre stage in the budget, a place it will hold with an additional $2 billion over the next three years. Yes, an additional $2 billion. No one on the opposition side thinks that's enough money. What's the magic number they're looking for? What's the fictional number that will support all health care and not take away from other sectors? There isn't one. Demand will always outstrip supply unless we find new efficiencies, new innovations and new partnerships.

[1505]

We're seeing partnerships thrive. We're seeing partnerships with the federal government, the municipal government, local businesses and charities.

Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation, for example, is helping to provide essential equipment for the neonatal unit. This is possible because we have people like Kulwinder Sanghera from ReD FM and Tony Singh of Fruiticana and a board of tireless volunteers, like Bruce Hayne and Ralph Berezan, who join with caring companies, like two of those that happen to be working on the Surrey Memorial expansion, Bouygues Building Canada and Bird Construction, who have both made $64,000 donations to the hospital foundation to buy one fully featured isolette, which is a neonatal bed.

All of these people and all of these companies believe in this province. They believe in important investments and in doing their part. Kudos to all of those people and those organizations.

What about the amazing welcome Surrey gave to the world at Holland Park? The mayor, Dianne Watts, and council, especially Coun. Linda Hepner, who chaired the 2010 spirit committee for Surrey, and all of the volunteers who envisioned a celebration site and brought it to life, providing free-to-all shows, activities, the RCMP Musical Ride for the full period of the Olympic Games — a wonderful celebration, a great venue. Hundreds of thousands of people took part.

The mayor and council and local businesses used this venue and the games as an opportunity to showcase Surrey to our neighbours near and far, to invite business and partners to think about Surrey as the next place to invest and build their businesses. This is an incredible economic generator, the benefits of which we will continue to see for many years. Of course, what I liked most about the Surrey celebration site was the multicultural nature exhibited. It showcased Surrey's diversity through food, through music and through exhibits.

There's a rich history and strength in the city that cannot be minimized. B.C. was built by immigrants who worked hard and thrived and are very successful business people in the community. Surrey is no exception to this, with current leaders in our community like Daniel Igali, Satnam Johal, former MLA Gulzar Cheema and so many more.

Our multicultural strength was demonstrated by a fantastic welcome to the Olympic team from India, raising thousands of dollars to provide uniforms and a legacy for training programs. I can only imagine how

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leadership and initiative from Surrey's Indo-Canadian community has gone to help strengthen our relationship with that nation as a whole. That taking initiative is what B.C. is known for. It's because of citizens like those and this B.C. government that we will continue to lead and welcome new opportunities to B.C.

Every year we welcome new British Columbians from all over the world to our province to work and to live, and 33 percent of the population in Surrey-Panorama is from other parts of the world. The EmbraceBC program is just another example of how we support these diverse groups and sectors in promoting multiculturalism and eliminating racism to create welcoming and inclusive communities. The throne speech promises that we'll continue to work to make life easier for people to embrace B.C., to work towards improvements in the residency opportunities for foreign-trained medical students, and we see this now reflected in the budget.

It is also important to recognize the importance of strategic investments. Some of them are obvious — infrastructure, like the Canada Line — and others less obvious but still vital — investments in families of today and in the schools for our kids, for the leaders of tomorrow.

As we heard in the throne speech and was demonstrated on Tuesday as the Finance Minister outlined the budget, education remains a priority because the future is our priority.

In my riding and, truthfully, in Surrey as a whole, we have even more reason to recognize this. We're a rapidly growing city. We're young, and around 30 percent of Surrey's population is under age 30. It's simple to recognize that we will benefit from our investments in our kids in strong starts for their future and in providing them with the best options for optimizing their unique talents through education that is responsive to children's needs, to providing options for post-secondary and advanced education close to home and to maximize opportunities for partnerships that enhance those opportunities.

[1510]

In Surrey-Panorama we have amazing teachers. We have inspiring students. This budget is for them. We will be providing an additional $150 million over three years to fully fund teachers' wages and benefits and to offset other cost pressures.

We recognize this. We will provide $110 million to school districts between now and March of next year for annual facilities grants, because we do recognize the need for these. In addition, per-pupil funding for students in K-to-12 is increasing from $8,200 in 2009 to an estimated $8,301, the highest ever in B.C.

I mentioned in this House last week that I visited TE Scott Elementary for their Olympic assembly, where two youngsters stood up and read essays about why it's good to live in B.C. and in Canada, the opportunities that being Canadian represent and the values that we hold dear: freedom, peace, respective cultures, the strength of our diversity and the beauty and bounty of our environment.

I was also honoured to attend a grade 5 performance recently of a musical titled A Salmon Tale at Crescent Park Elementary. It was a play the students helped to create to tell the tale of B.C. salmon — their life cycle, their natural and man-made threats to survival — after which the children answered questions about how they felt and what they'd learned. Their answers were simple and clear: "We all have a role to play."

That's why I'm proud to represent the voters of Panorama and especially the kids that are not yet voters — the future of this province and this country, who so poignantly and simply state the obvious, things that often seem to get lost in adult discussions of pros and cons, costs and opportunities, politics and policy. It reminds me that decisions we make now are not as important for today as they are for our future, when the effects will be borne.

I am excited about this budget and our commitments to support families and children. The 21st-century family is different, different from the family most of us knew and certainly different than the ones some of our planning seems to favour.

In my parents' generation, most people thought a family was a husband and a wife raising 2½ children living in a single-family home in the suburbs. That's no longer the case. The unmarried now outnumber the married. Common-law relationships, including same-sex couples, single-parent families — especially those headed by men — and single-person households continue to increase, according to the 2006 census figures. It's not uncommon for a gay couple to be raising children. These patterns foreshadow difficulties for the economy when we see labour shortages and living standards decline.

Of course, we're happy to see that we recognize different family structures and different opportunities and focus on the well-being of children. But in so many families, the primary caregiver also works outside the home, and although family remains a major source of informal care and support, the presence of an extended family that can care for children can no longer be taken for granted, as many seniors are now working longer, living further away, travelling and enjoying their higher-than-normal life expectancy here in B.C.

So families today have different challenges — from mortgages to day care, children splitting time between two households, and all the other challenges that every family faces. We need new tools for supporting families.

This budget adds $26 million over three years to support child care programs that assist low- to moderate-income families with the cost of child care. It also introduces a new tool in the household budget toolbox: the family-with-children property tax deferral option.

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Wow, that's a mouthful. It will be an option that gives B.C. families with children under age 18 another tool, the right to defer their property taxes, similar to the option already available to seniors or those facing financial hardship.

Another tool, the extended family program, will modernize and improve upon the Child in the Home of a Relative program to provide increased assistance, broader supports and new safeguards for children, because there are families where children are cared for by relatives other than their parents, and these children and families are dealing with emotional and financial challenges as a result of this. This is another step that our government is making to help B.C. families.

My nephew is six. He's been using a computer since he was two. He's a hundred times better than me at video games. He could use a VCR before he was four, and now he's in grade 1, and I expect the skills he'll have to have and certainly need when he graduates will be entirely different than those I had.

[1515]

The world is evolving — in technological terms, faster than we can fathom even. The skills tomorrow's workers will need will be increasingly about the ability to adapt, to weather rapid change, to search for answers, to sift through and discern what information they need out of vastly different amounts of information available to them. That's why, despite our great education system, we need to look for improvements, things that we can do to enhance learning and skill development, to recognize and challenge excellence, to support and create specific learning environments for different learners.

We have the talent. Our teachers and administrators are exceptional. We have the infrastructure. We have the creativity. We just need to act. We need new partnerships with the private sector and parents that will enable the establishment of neighbourhood preschools. We need to provide families with new, voluntary options for public and private preschools so that they can have access to what they need close to where they live.

We need to place emphasis on parental involvement and tailoring the education system to individual needs and passions. We need to provide greater choice and diversity centred on students' special interests and talents. We need to provide voluntary full-time kindergarten for five-year-olds, and we will ensure this is in place in September and fully funded by 2011. Why do we need to do that? Because people need options. They need options for child care. They need options for learning.

We need to make sure that the funding reaches the classrooms so that, in concert with local governments, neighbourhood learning centres can integrate neighbourhood needs with available capital resources and underutilized space. Seven-day-a-week facilities management is fundamental to providing critical community services, and I think that's incredibly important. When we have infrastructure needs and we have capital requirements and we have unused space, we'd better first think about using the space we have. Smarter approaches will allow resources to be focused on student learning needs.

These are all important measures that will help us embrace a 21st-century learning environment. I hope to see us building on the fantastic opportunities offered by 21st-century technologies to maximize efficiencies. We need to make sure we're maximizing dollars for student learning, and we need to continue to do this because kids matter and education matters. We're committed to ensuring that opportunity is here for young British Columbians. We have plentiful resources, an innovative mindset in British Columbia and resourceful people.

What has been so disappointing to me in my time here is the fact that, sadly, as in so many other things, the opposition comes out against a budget like we have here. The opposition opposes a plan — even a strong and innovative plan like this budget details.

I do understand that the opposition's job is to oppose, but opposition without substance is not helpful. I find it very difficult to understand, in this House where we all sit for the same ultimate purpose — to govern on behalf of all British Columbians and to make the best decisions we can for today and tomorrow — why it is that the opposition does not take the opportunity afforded to them through these debates to provide an alternative position, some strong and reasoned points, suggestions on how to improve programs that are in place or proposed — not simply to do more and to do it in some other way that is undescribed.

I for one believe that no idea is perfect. Ideas improve from debate and from collaboration for incorporating other points of view, other experiences, from fine-tuning and from positivity, believing in possibility. We saw this over the last few weeks — what the power of positivity, community, dreams, vision and action can achieve. We create, and what we can create we can be.

I encourage the opposition to seize the day — carpe diem . Chart a new course, set a plan, or better yet, see the future that this budget is building and help us make it happen. We will not be driven off course. We will be bold, for those who are counting on us to do what is right — the kids, the future leaders.

With that, I would like to conclude my remarks on this budget.

[1520]

L. Popham: It's an honour and a privilege to rise in this chamber and deliver my response to the budget. There's something quite different about the first time that I responded to the budget last fall and delivering a response today. There's less nerves, less innocence, less fear and much less hope that anything I say will be heard by the other side.

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But regardless, it's my responsibility….

Interjections.

L. Popham: Did you hear that? It's my responsibility and my job to deliver a response and a response that reflects my own philosophy allowing me to stay true to myself, the philosophy of my party, and a response that reflects the values of my constituents in Saanich South.

I stand here today, like all of you, as a servant of the people, and to those whom I serve in Saanich South I extend my humble appreciation for placing your confidence, your hopes and your vision for a better community in me.

I would like to extend my congratulations to all our Olympic athletes who have competed and our Paralympic athletes who are about to compete. From coast to coast, Canadians are proud of your fierce work ethic, your tireless dedication and your grace under pressure. We saw a lot of gold shining in Vancouver this winter, something we can all be proud of as British Columbians.

But it's time to talk about something that we can't be so proud of as British Columbians, and that's the budget. We're on the edge of the end of the golden decade — a decade fraught with promises undelivered, a throne speech and a budget speech littered with platitudes undelivered and five lauded, great goals consigned to the dustbin of forgotten promises.

When this government says that we must leave the past behind and embrace new solutions for this new century, when this government says byzantine bureaucratic practices have no place in the 21st century, when this government says standing still is not an option and makes lofty promises of a tomorrow — one with our eyes wide open and our sights set on the future — I must ask: what year do they think this is?

Who do they think has had their hands on the levers of government year after year for the past decade? We are 1/10 down the road to the next century. By all accounts, I say that we're well on our way. Now is not the time to start shuffling your feet, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and lifting your gaze from your navel to set your sights on the road called 21st century.

This government clearly missed the turnoff to the 21st century a few years back. They've failed to make B.C. the best-educated, most literate place in North America. They've failed to make B.C. a model for healthy living and physical fitness. They've failed to lead the world in sustainable, environmental management. They've failed to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and our seniors. Five great goals, five empty promises and a decade of missed opportunity.

It's interesting to reflect on how the 2010 budget addresses these goals and how unbelievably they've missed the mark.

Goal 1: education and literacy. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit grade 5 students at Cordova Bay Elementary School in Saanich South. There I saw the future — a new generation of innovators, thinkers and leaders in the world of tomorrow. The unlimited potential of youth is the unlimited potential of our future. And if children are the future, then teachers are the stewards of what lies ahead.

I was fortunate that day to meet a fantastic practicum student from the University of Victoria, Rachel Waters. Therein I saw a young, optimistic face of tomorrow's educators. But as class sizes grow and funds are cut, as schools and school boards are shortchanged…. A refusal to accept the funding formula in a way that benefits children shows an unauthentic way that this government waxes on about how they value education.

As teachers and soon-to-be teachers aren't given the support they need for our children's needs, then we as people, as a society and as an economy are setting our province up to fall behind in the future. We will lose our competitive advantage for the 21st century — which this government just realized was upon us — while sacrificing our children's futures in the name of what?

[1525]

Once upon a time, literacy was a much-celebrated goal of this government, yet as the

chapter closes on the decade, we see literacy fall from the page. What happened to the Premier's literacy initiative? Not a mention. Not surprising given the cuts to literacy programs and a 22 percent cut in library funding. The word "literacy" didn't even make it to the final cut.

In order to compete in the international marketplace, B.C.'s future cannot be mortgaged with bigger class sizes, school closures and more and more burdens placed on the backs of educators and support staff. These are problems that have directly impacted our community in Saanich South, and our Saanich school board is faced with problems that are almost unsolvable. Yet the government fails to listen to them.

With bloated class sizes, cuts to important funding for our kids and more school closures to come, the future is uncertain for budding teachers like Ms. Waters or for thousands upon thousands of kids across the province and those in Saanich. As those elected to serve the people, I think the people deserve a lot more.

Goal 2: healthy living and physical fitness. Well, the people sure aren't getting more in this area either. This government's goal was to make B.C. a model for healthy living and physical fitness. Instead, in a baffling and frankly ridiculous move, they plan to penalize healthy living and physical fitness by taxing it with the HST and then putting that money into health care. How odd.

The B.C. government plans to raise taxes on cycling by charging you 7 percent more on bicycles and bike-related equipment under the HST. That is backwards thinking. In fact, another Saanich South MLA once had

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a thing or two to say about taxing bicycles. In his 1981 budget, Hugh Curtis, Finance Minister to Premier Bill Bennett, rose in this chamber.

Interjections.

L. Popham: Just wait. It's going to get better and better. I look so young because I ride a bike, actually.

In his speech, he set a "born in Saanich South" precedent that has been followed for almost 30 years, exempting bicycles from the PST because it is "consistent with a healthier, quieter and more energy-efficient society."

[C. Trevena in the chair.]

A lot has changed since 1981, but you cannot honestly tell me that the Social Credit Party of 1981 was more concerned about a healthier, quieter and more energy-efficient society than the members opposite today. Well, actions speak louder than words, and this government's actions are yelling at British Columbia that they don't care about that at all.

Hon. K. Krueger: You're getting harsher.

L. Popham: I'm going to get a lot harsher. Hang on. Put in your ear plugs.

Goal 3: the environment. If we want a more environmentally friendly province, perhaps the governing party ought to have stuck to their goal to lead the world in sustainable environmental management. Instead, the people of B.C. are taxed with the HST on bikes, one of the greenest and most sustainable forms of transportation around.

Interjection.

L. Popham: Wrong direction.

In Saanich one of the things we're most proud of is our fabulous trail system, which was fought for, built and protected by strong Saanich South New Democrats. As a cyclist, I treasure the many benefits of this jewel in Saanich. It was infrastructure investment that allowed for easy transition from car to bike as commuters make their way downtown — really important infrastructure investment.

But today we see the funding for cycling infrastructure being cut by 60 percent. This makes no sense if you're committed to a sustainable vision, a vision for our province where dedication to the principles of sustainability secures for present and future generations the benefits of a healthy environment and a decent and just sustainable society. This type of funding implies that this government is greenwashing.

What we see instead is old-fashioned politics. We see no investments in alternative infrastructure coming to greater Victoria, a region that needs to make some sustainable transportation decisions before we end up making some irreversible choices.

Instead of investment in our environment, we see partnerships and investments with the federal government to build an overpass over the Pat Bay Highway into our airport.

[1530]

Well, I've got something to say about that. I've done a lot of polling in the last little while, and nobody was actually having trouble getting into the airport. That's not a sustainable choice. That's money that could have gone into green transportation investment, transportation modes that could have frequented the airport and thus decreased the capacity needs for the road infrastructure.

But it was all about being shovel-ready. It's all about old-fashioned blacktop politics. If we were playing that game properly, we should have used that money to solve a safety problem. Just up the road in Saanich South at Sayward and the Pat Bay Highway, we see one of the most dangerous intersections in this region. But that wasn't a priority, and I have no idea why. I would like to see the checklist this government uses to make things a priority.

In a new decade — a greener, sustainable decade — we cannot afford to penalize positive choices people make with tax hikes to cut popular and vital programs. The government has decided to make it harder for people to make these choices.

From taxing the spokes off cyclists to keeping the clunkers on the road, this government's transportation strategy is far removed from their great goal of leading the world in sustainable environmental management. There is no commitment, no investment and no second thought to developing a comprehensive, sustainable transportation strategy for this area. There would be tangible benefits to Saanich South residents.

With higher taxes on bikes, no incentives to trade in the old clunkers for new ones and no options for light rail, my constituents are resigned to long, long waits sitting in rush-hour traffic that get longer every six months. Since fuel costs are exempted from the HST, pretty much nullifying the carbon tax, it appears that's exactly what this government wants.

A move forward towards light rail would be an immense benefit. It would reduce congestion, reduce carbon emissions and reduce costs to all commuters, all of which would improve our quality of life. Investment in light rail right here in Victoria would directly benefit Saanich South by creating job opportunities. That's one of the differences between blacktop and alternatives. Alternative transportation infrastructure makes for long-term stable jobs, and that's what this province needs.

Now is the time for such investments. This government's cure for the economic downturn is clear: inaction,

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lethargy and a return to the same failed politics and policies that got us into this mess. They're encouraging international trade and abandoning our own province and our own people. Their carbon footprint is getting bigger by the second.

Speaking of jobs, B.C. has an opportunity to live up to the other great goal, No. 4 — leading Canada in job creation. Provincewide, more than 100,000 full-time jobs have been lost. There is a face to each and every one of these jobs. They are our mothers, our fathers, our sons and daughters. They're our parents, our kids, our friends and our neighbours. They support families, and someday dream of supporting their own families.

They are faces in Prince George, Kamloops, Surrey, Comox, Vancouver, Victoria and Saanich — 100,000 people. That is roughly the equivalent of every soul living in the member opposite's entire constituency of Surrey-Cloverdale, combined with every person in the Premier's own back yard of Vancouver–Point Grey. Those are real, human numbers.

While some of the communities are hit harder than others, it's clear that no community is safe. That's why we need a comprehensive employment strategy for this province — not a plan that forces people into the purgatory of long-term unemployment, but rather one that gets them working again in the economy of tomorrow. Investing in projects such as light rail transit here in the capital region would go a long way to stimulating economic growth, creating jobs and creating infrastructure for the future.

Investing in the knowledge economy by supporting new and emerging industries such as the tech industry would lay the groundwork of an economy of ideas and innovation for years to come. That's why I'm so proud that Saanich South is home to the Vancouver Island Technology Park. I recently had an opportunity to pay them a visit, and I was deeply impressed by the ahead-of-the-curve mentality. They need support.

The Vancouver Island Technology Park provides a plethora of jobs to my community and jobs in the capital region. So does the restaurant industry, which will be gravely affected by the HST, the same HST that bike shops are concerned about, the same HST that Butchart Gardens is concerned about — one of our largest employers in this region. They're considering whether or not they have to shut the door on their business after so many years of being a leader and an attraction worldwide.

[1535]

From wrong-headed to no-headed, this government has failed to support existing, emerging and new employment opportunities in our province.

Hon. K. Krueger: No-headed?

L. Popham: No-headed.

Interjection.

L. Popham: I know. I'm making up for lost time in this one — okay?

Goal 5, supporting the vulnerable. Yet as the working and middle class take the brunt of the downturn, taking it on the chin, it is our most vulnerable who are slipping through the cracks.

The Premier broke a promise to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and our seniors. He didn't just make that promise to you and me; he made that promise to Cooper Davis, a five-year-old boy with autism from Saanich South whose mom, Holly, calls him her special little dude.

In a startling move and an appalling breach of trust, this government cut funding to the EIBI program. Just what is the EIBI program? Well, according to one member of the opposite team, it's a Cadillac program. In reality, the EIBI program is an invaluable program that drastically improves the lives of many children with autism. It's troubling that the member for Langley would compare such a vital program to a luxury car. Autism is no luxury.

Does the word "vulnerable" mean anything to this government? For six years in a row B.C. has had the highest rate of child poverty in all of Canada. You can't polish that tarnish off the golden decade.

B.C.'s minimum wage has remained stagnant for years on end while the cost of living has drastically increased. Homelessness, by comparison, is also on the rise while employment insurance recipients have almost doubled. You can't buff those statistics off the golden decade.

As of New Year's Day this government took money out of the pockets of seniors in residential care homes by imposing a new rate of structure that saw patient fees increase up to 75 percent. One must ask: what's left over for prescription drugs, dental care, clothing and a host of other necessities? Happy new year indeed.

With cuts to seniors care, bed space and housing, seniors in Saanich South and across B.C. are not getting the respect that they deserve. You can't put a shine on their golden years after this golden decade.

I would like to address agriculture in our province. I am astounded by this government's lack of support for agriculture in a time when we need food security in B.C. This is not fluff and glitter. This is critical to our survival.

We have had the Premier's pal Arnold Schwarzenegger telling us that the world, as far as agriculture goes in California, is in really big trouble. Their groundwater is mixing with salt water, making it poisonous to irrigate the crops. No crops, no food and no exports into B.C.

The lack of support for agriculture is irresponsible. Not only is it abandoning our potentially strong economic driver in our province, it is also setting us up for

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failure when we must turn to our province for sustenance. With another 4 percent cut to agriculture in this budget, it's obvious that this government has no plan for our future. They are setting us up to starve.

For the past decade this government has been chipping away at the agricultural land reserve. We see 14 percent cuts to the Agricultural Land Commission coming down the pipe over the next two years. Acre by acre, we've seen one of the most successful land use planning initiatives in the history of our province become relegated to the status of a dwindling bank account to be drawn upon at a whim yet never replenished. At the same time, they have pulled support for farmers — two more strikes against this government.

This government has failed to support agriculture time and time again. I'm not alone in my thinking. Just ask the fruit growers in this province or the cattle ranchers. Time and time again they have warned us about their demise, and the government's response is to cut the budget.

No better example demonstrates this government's agricultural malaise than the halting of the Buy B.C. program in 2001. Shortly before its demise there were over 1,200 companies and associations using the Buy B.C. logo in their advertising and promotional materials — over 5,000 Buy B.C. products identified at major grocery retailers throughout the province. Buy B.C. supported a critical industry that directly served the economic and physical health and well-being of our province.

The Minister of Agriculture has confirmed his belief that this government ought to bring back Buy B.C. Yet there was not one single mention of this program in the budget speech. In fact, it might as well be called the goodbye B.C. program.

[1540]

From literacy to healthy living to….

Interjection.

L. Popham: I did that one myself.

From literacy to healthy living to the environment, jobs, our economy, B.C. agriculture and support for our most vulnerable, there was little solution in this budget speech. This government has failed to live up to the last five commitments they've made. So it's no wonder they produced this jack-in-the-box budget speech of platitudes which shied away from making clear, unambiguous commitments.

As we move into the next decade, let's readjust our thinking, look back at what we did not accomplish, and set our sights on what we can and what we should and what we must for the next. Let's not lose sight of the cost of the Olympic Games even as we revel in the triumphs. As we celebrate, let's remind ourselves that there are still promises undelivered, still people without jobs and income, housing or basic care. There are still businesses and consumers that will be very hurt by the HST and children who will be hurt by cuts to crucial autism funding. There is still an environment ignored and literacy forgotten.

There are hundreds and hundreds of issues for thousands upon thousands of families in countless communities across this province. From the North Island to the North Shore, from Cariboo North to Saanich South, let us celebrate our Canadian pride, celebrate our Olympic triumphs, but let's not lose track of the promises we've made along the road.

Today the golden decade is a little duller, a little worn and a little cheap. After a decade of rhetoric, it's time to stand up and deliver. This government has had that opportunity in this budget speech. In fact, they've had that opportunity all along, but we're on the edge of the end of the golden decade of missed opportunities. When the people asked for a golden decade, this government sold them fool's gold.

D. Horne: It's with great pleasure that I stand today and speak in favour of this budget. You know, I was worried when I was about to speak next, because some have said that from time to time I can be fairly harsh. When the member for Saanich South, someone I would view as one of the most balanced, nicest, most wonderful persons on the other side, could deliver such a harsh criticism of our budget, then I can't worry.

I believe this budget is a continuation of the strong fiscal management and prudent vision of the future that British Columbia expects from our government. The budget sees our continued commitment to core values — health care and education — and continues our government's commitment to building the needed infrastructure and renews our commitment to sports and the arts.

Of particular note to those I represent is the continued steadfast commitment to the building of the Evergreen rapid transit line. Construction is now scheduled to begin on this line next year. Hopefully, we're going to have that completed by 2014. This is a project that's been ongoing for many, many years. It's something that's been promised to the northeast sector since the 1990s. It's something that my area has wanted and needed for many, many years, and I'm excited by the fact that we continue to move forward.

Locally, as we brought this budget forward, there were a number of naysayers that said they don't believe it's going to move forward. They don't believe that we're going to build the Evergreen line. Obviously, there's always negative energy around these things.

The difficulty is if we said that we were going to build the Evergreen line tomorrow and that we were going to start work on it tomorrow and that this is something that's new, I could understand that. But the fact of the matter is that we have a project office in place. We have

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been doing the engineering. We have been doing the design work. We have been consulting with the community and putting the blocks in place in order to build this for some time.

This isn't something that we're about to build. This is something that this government is currently building. We're going to continue to do that, and it's going to be up and operational by 2014.

The importance of building rapid transit, of building infrastructure and of having these transit options available to British Columbians was seen in spades during the Olympics.

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If you took a look at the lines that we saw for the Canada Line, the lines we saw for the Expo Line, the lines we saw for the Millennium Line during the Olympics — people standing in line for almost an hour many times to be able to get on our rapid transit system — a system that is world-class, a system that will serve us well for many, many years in the future and a system that needs to continue to be expanded….

Obviously, the Evergreen line is part of that expansion and something that people in my area are very, very excited about.

I actually spent a lot of time on our transit system during the Olympics. It was actually a great way to get around. One of the things I noted, in the fact that the Evergreen line will be a huge improvement for my area, was the fact that in coming to Lougheed Mall, in coming to the Lougheed station and the Millennium Line that currently exists, the options for parking and the options for transit to get there didn't make that a terribly attractive option for people who live in my area.

Having the Evergreen line in place and the commitment to the environment that that represents, I think, is an incredible thing and something that this government remains steadfastly behind and excited about.

The last time that I stood in my place and spoke, I was speaking about the Olympics and what a tremendous success it was and what a tremendous success it represents for the province of British Columbia and all of the opportunities that we enjoyed during the Olympics. You know, I spent many, many hours with people from around the world. Many have spoken about the volunteers in blue jackets. I actually volunteered, and I have a blue jacket.

I spent a lot of time in the transportation group in VANOC and drove many people from around the world around our province. I can tell you that one of the most exciting things I experienced during the Olympics was the opportunity to bring a group from Switzerland up to Whistler to watch one of the competitions.

On our way back we stopped at one of the viewpoints along the Sea to Sky Highway with the mountains in the background — a beautiful sunny day, absolutely incredible. It was British Columbia at its absolute finest. It was the picture-postcard-perfect moment, and we got a wonderful picture with the group. They were very, very excited — not only excited about being here this time but excited about coming back again, excited about the opportunity to perhaps find some business opportunities here in British Columbia and be able to come back.

Many times I spoke to different business groups and different people in the financial community, and they spoke of the fact that they liked it here. They'd made investments here before, but now they understand how beautiful it is. They'd love to be on a board of directors here. They'd love to have the opportunity to come to British Columbia, to come to Vancouver again and again.

It's because of not only the wonderful scenery and the wonderful opportunities that we have here but also because of the fiscal environment, the taxation environment, the pillars that this government has put in place in order to attract business, in order to make sure that business is sustainable here in British Columbia.

It's no secret to anyone listening that we're living in very difficult times. We've had a world economic downturn, which we haven't seen in decades, over this past year. It began in other countries. Nonetheless, obviously it's impacted us here in British Columbia and in this province. Last May, against the backdrop of this economic uncertainty, the people of British Columbia put their trust and confidence in this government to get this province through these economically challenging times.

I hear on the HST time and time again — the talk from the opposition and from the other side — the fact that if this were different or that were different, this government wouldn't be the government. Well, this government is the government because people believe in British Columbia that we are the best choice and those to be trusted in order to move this country forward.

I hear the opposition all the time. They talk about the fact…. You know, the funniest thing is that I actually met someone over the last couple of weeks…. There has been polling that's been out there, and it shows…. The poll that I saw before Christmas showed that 80 percent of people were against the HST.

I'd say that's on a backdrop of considerable misunderstanding of exactly what the HST is, but that being said, the most interesting thing that I found was…. I actually spoke to an NDP…. Basically, the NDP and the opposition look at it and say that the 20 percent of the people that are in support of it would be our supporters, which is how I assume they're coming up with the math that they would do so much better should the HST not move forward.

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That being said, I spoke to someone who was part of that 20 percent that was in favour of the HST. They came up to me. They were actually a huge NDP supporter, and they were so excited about the HST because they said

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they've actually looked into the facts. They found out that as a low-income earner, they were going to get a considerable HST credit back, so they were actually going to be further ahead after the HST than they are now. This was a wonderful thing, as they saw it, because the rich were going to get taxed.

There have been other reports that way as well, reports from some people that support the opposition on the other side. Obviously, the decision to move to an HST shows that we're not worried about the popularity of decisions and that basically this government moves forward with what's best for British Columbians.

I can tell you, on the HST, that when I first heard about the HST last summer, which was only a few days before its implementation, I listened to what it would accomplish, what it would deliver. I'm like those opposite. I had an open mind and said: "Does this make sense?"

In looking at it and looking at what it will contribute to business in British Columbia, what it will contribute to the economy in British Columbia, what it contributes to forestry and all of the other industries in British Columbia, it's clear. One thing is clear for certain, and that is that this is the right move. This is something that is going to make British Columbia strong for the future, and this is something that we must do. And it's not that we must do it because it is bad; it's that we must do it because it is the right thing for us to do.

You know, it's interesting. I've observed that the NDP, as well, are constantly changing their numbers when it comes to the HST. I'm not certain whether this is just being bad with economic facts or just bad with math.

Last August, which I've pointed out before, the Leader of the Opposition was asked by Opinion250.com what the impact of the HST would be on the average B.C. consumer, and she said: "We are thinking it's looking like the family budget could well be in thousands of dollars a month." As I pointed out back last fall, for her statement to be true, the