2004 Legislative Session: 5th Session, 37th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes

only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2004

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 20, Number 4

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Introductions by Members

Statements (Standing Order 25 B )

Winnifred Ariel Weir

W. McMahon

Houston sawmill

D. MacKay

Harvesting of underwater forests by

Triton Logging

H. Long

Oral Questions

Relationship of Michael Holland with

Human Resources minister and B.C. Liberal Party

J. MacPhail

Hon. S.

Hagen

J. Kwan

Long-term care beds in Comox Valley

J. Kwan

Hon. C.

Clark

Release of alternative budget by

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

R. Hawes

Hon. G.

Collins

J. Bray

Tabling Documents

Report and recommendations for

settlement of renewal agreement between B.C. Public Service Agency and

B.C. Crown Counsel Association; and Attorney General letter to B.C.

Crown Counsel Association in response to the report and

recommendations

Hon. G. Plant

Throne Speech Debate (continued)

Hon. I. Chong

Hon. T. Christensen

D. Chutter

Hon. G. Cheema

Hon. M. de Jong

G. Halsey-Brandt

J. Nuraney

D. Jarvis

K. Johnston

G. Hogg

D. MacKay

L. Mayencourt

[ Page 8503 ]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2004

The House

met at 2:03 p.m.

Introductions by Members

Hon.

C. Clark: I have the honour to make an introduction on behalf of the

Premier, who is in Vancouver marking the fact that six days from today….

Interjection.

Hon. C.

Clark: Six years from today. I apologize; I'm getting too excited about

this. Six years from today the 2010 Olympics will be in Vancouver.

Today we

are visited by 66 grade 5 students from the Premier's riding in Vancouver, west

Point Grey Academy — young people who will, I'm sure, be inspired by the

Olympics and the rollup to the Olympics as we get to 2010. They are accompanied

by their teachers, Mr. Harley Rollins, Ms. Susie Neil and Ms. Rhonda Hubbard. I

hope the House will make them all very welcome.

Hon. S.

Bond: It is my pleasure today to introduce two people to the House. First of

all is a friend and someone who lives in Prince George, Don Manson. He is an

instructor of environmental economics at the University of Northern British

Columbia, as well as a number of other jobs. Second is Mark Stephens, who is a

student at the University of Victoria and someone whom I enjoy having regular

discussions with about the challenges and opportunities in post-secondary

education. I know the House will make them welcome today.

[1405]

Brenzinger: Today I would like to introduce a visitor from Scotland, my

second cousin Ruth Wilson. Ruth is visiting now but will return to the

University of Victoria as an exchange student studying political science —

what else? Would the House please help me make her welcome.

Hon. T.

Christensen: It's my pleasure today to introduce two friends from Vernon,

Bonnie and Kurt Latham. I do not know Bonnie well, but over the last few years

I've come to know Kurt Latham very well. Kurt is a local physician, but equally

and perhaps more importantly, he's been one of the driving forces behind the

Vernon Airport Training Council that has been a further driving force behind

bringing aerospace training to Vernon. I'm very proud that this government has

responded to that drive and that we are now training students at the Vernon

Airport to be involved in our growing aerospace industry. That's very much, in

my community, a credit to the very hard work of Dr. Latham. Would the House

please make him very welcome.

Hunter: It's my pleasure today to introduce to the House my constituency

assistant from Nanaimo, Siona Rounis. She's accompanied by a visitor from the

UK, her cousin Jenny Cornell, who is from Liverpool. Would the House please make

them welcome.

Hon. G.

Abbott: In the gallery today is the daughter of my administrative

coordinator, Wendy King. Jennifer Thomas has just returned from a long trip

overseas, and I'd like the House to make her welcome.

H. Bloy:

It's my privilege to introduce three new friends I met last night, who are

in the gallery. They're visiting here from out of town. They're attending the

Security and Privacy: Friends, Foes or Partners? conference in Victoria. They

are Ed Rebane, senior director, e-security and privacy solutions, product

manager to marketing for BCE Emergis from Ottawa; Jeannette Jarvis, security

systems product manager, infrastructure protection systems, shared security

services, from the Boeing company in Seattle; and Curtis Blais from Telus,

senior network consultant and security specialist, professional services. I also

had the opportunity to introduce them to fine B.C. wines last night from the VQA

label. Would the House please make them welcome.

Statements

(Standing Order 25

b) WINNIFRED ARIEL WEIR

McMahon: While we focus this week on looking forward to a bright future in

British Columbia, I want to take time today to look back and honour a person who

was one of this province's pioneers. Winnifred Ariel Weir, a beloved resident of

Invermere who helped shape our community, passed away earlier this month at the

age of 95. She was a creator, a motivator, a teacher, a historian, an

entertainer, a leader and a contributor to the very fabric of our community.

Born and

raised in Cranbrook, Winn moved to Invermere in 1929 to teach school and

instantly devoted herself to the community. She was a founding member of the

Columbia Valley Writers Guild, the Rocky Mountain Toastmasters Club, the

Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Invermere Businessmen's Association,

the Invermere Public Library and the historical society. I have named just a

few, but she certainly was involved and founded many more organizations.

She was the

first editor of the Valley Echo newspaper in Invermere many years ago. It

was at a time when women simply didn't have jobs like that. She wrote and

directed plays for the community, and most recently she wrote a weekly column

for the paper, "Echoes by the Way."

Her

achievements did not go unnoticed, as she was recognized across British

Columbia. One of my greatest honours as an MLA was to present Winn with the

Queen's Golden Jubilee medal last year, recognizing her as an outstanding

British Columbian. In 1999 she received the Order of British Columbia and was

also

[ Page 8504 ]

honoured with the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association's life

achievement award. The last award no doubt was inspired by her 1980 book Tales

of Windermere , a historical novel depicting the life and times of settlers

in the upper Columbia Valley, as well as her commitment to the Invermere Valley

Echo .

[1410]

While it is

important to have vision for the future, it is also important that we don't

forget our past and the people who built this great province. Winn's life has

been a tapestry woven with vision and determination. Our province is a better

place because of her.

HOUSTON SAWMILL

MacKay: On November 5 last year I stood in this House and asked the

question: where is the world's largest sawmill? Just to refresh your memory, the

world's largest sawmill is located in Houston, British Columbia. On Monday of

this week, February 9, I attended the official opening of this sawmill. The

Premier was there. The Minister of Forests was there. The Minister of State for

Forestry Operations was also in attendance, along with many numerous elected

officials from nearby communities and a lot of people from communities in

general.

Following

the opening ceremonies, we were taken on a tour of the mill. The sheer size of

the facility was awe-inspiring. The activity that was taking place is difficult

to put into words. Seeing the movement of logs along the numerous conveyor belts

and the end product as it was being wrapped for shipment is a credit to Canfor

as they continue to show confidence in the forest industry in British Columbia.

The workers we met in the mill during our tour appeared happy and confident that

their jobs would be there for the long term.

Perhaps the

most remarkable aspect of this facility is the technology and the skilled

workforce that put this large complex marvel of technology together so that it

works as it was designed to. The edgers and scanners used to maximize the

recovery from the logs as they were being processed were designed right here in

British Columbia. To be competitive in today's marketplace in the forest

industry, one needs only to look at Canfor mill in Houston.

HARVESTING OF UNDERWATER FORESTS

BY TRITON LOGGING

H. Long:

After listening to the member for Bulkley Valley–Stikine on the biggest

sawmill in the world, I'm impressed. But I stand here today to talk about

innovation. More specifically, I want to talk about Triton Logging Company Inc.

They call themselves underwater harvest specialists, and for a good reason.

Triton Logging uses patented sawfish harvesting to dive underwater and reclaim

trees from dam reservoirs. Triton estimates that 200 billion board feet of

merchantable timber is submerged and preserved by the world's 45,000 major dams

and 80,000 small reservoirs. They saw opportunity in B.C.'s dams and in B.C.'s

forests, as most of us do, but they were looking at both industries for a much

different perspective. They wanted the trees underneath the water, so they went

and got them — a great idea and great news for Powell River–Sunshine Coast.

Triton is

currently doing business at Lois Lake just south of Powell River and has

established a branch office in Powell River. This is innovation in the truest

sense of the word. This is a company using cutting-edge technology — no pun

intended — and they were using that technology in Powell River.

People are

starting to take notice. Triton took home an award for technology company of the

year and earned the runner-up nod for forestry company of the year at the recent

Vancouver Island business awards, but that's not all. Martha Stewart recently

sent a crew to Lois Lake to do a story on Triton for her Martha Stewart

Living show, a show seen by millions of people. The story of Triton Logging

aired this morning on stations throughout North America, bringing attention to

B.C. and the Sunshine Coast. It's a story that brings attention to my area. It's

a story that says Powell River and the Sunshine Coast are open for business and

full of opportunity. I look forward to more good-news stories like this coming

from the community in the near future, and I'm counting on the Minister of

Forests to be there for Powell River–Sunshine Coast in the future.

Mr.

Speaker: That concludes members' statements.

[1415]

Oral Questions

RELATIONSHIP OF MICHAEL HOLLAND

WITH HUMAN RESOURCES MINISTER

AND B.C. LIBERAL PARTY

MacPhail: There's a lot for this government to worry about, given the

headlines in today's paper or today's news release from the UVic Students

Society entitled "Victoria MLAs Admit Throne Speech Fraud." The

trouble for this government just keeps mounting, and all we have to do is look

at the front page of the Vancouver Sun . We're not sure if the story

involves a modern-day Judas who abandoned his scruples for 508 votes or a

modern-day Peter who is denying three times his personal relationship with the

highly regarded community activist, but there's a lot of intrigue to be had

here.

To the

Minister of Human Resources: will he today admit that he has had a very close

relationship with Mr. Holland and indeed is well aware of Mr. Holland's

important work on his nomination campaign and Liberal riding association?

Hon. S.

Hagen: I'd like to remind this House about Mike Holland. Mike Holland is the

man who virtually single-handedly, with the help of some other citizens in the

Comox Valley, took on the previous NDP government.

[ Page 8505 ]

Why did he

take on the NDP government? Because the NDP government brought in the most

draconian piece of legislation that anybody could ever think up. What was that

draconian piece of legislation? It was a piece of legislation that would allow

the government to take over, to expropriate without compensation, non-profit

societies that were running care homes for the elderly around the province. Why

would they do that? Because it would make…. They tried to make their balance

sheet look better after the horrendous effect that that government had on the

economy of the province of British Columbia.

Mr.

Speaker: Leader of the Opposition has a supplementary question?

MacPhail: Well, it's probably a repeat, because I asked the minister a

question based on what he said yesterday about his relationship with Mr.

Holland. In asking whether he was a Liberal, the minister said: "I have no

idea." Was he on your riding executive for eight years? "I don't

know." So I was just wondering whether….

Interjection.

MacPhail: The Minister of Finance is always helpful.

Yesterday

he didn't know that he was a Liberal or helping him out. Well, today I have an

ad from Mr. Holland that appeared in the Comox Valley Echo in December of

2000. In December of 2000 Mr. Holland took out this ad in the local paper

begging people to join the Liberal Party to support the minister's nomination

bid. Why? Because the ad says: "Stan will get the beds." I expect the

minister signed off on that ad, and there it is.

Can the

minister tell this House why he tried to duck the issue yesterday, but today,

when confronted with overwhelming evidence, he…? Well, actually, confronted

with overwhelming evidence, he still continues to not answer the question of how

well he knew Mr. Holland.

Hon. S.

Hagen: This actually helps me remember the incredible occasion when a large

group of people, together with the media, were gathered in a hotel in downtown

Courtenay.

Hon. G.

Collins: Was it a secret meeting?

Hon. S.

Hagen: It was secret except for the 100 people who were there and the media

that were there.

Anyway, I

stood up at that meeting and explained to the crowd of people there, who were

very, very happy that I was going to announce my candidacy for the nomination

for the Liberal Party, and I gave them a list of reasons why I wanted to do

this. The biggest reason was because of what the previous NDP government had

done to the economy of the province. That was the biggest reason. One of the

other reasons was that I had been told by Glacier View Lodge that they were

going to need about 75 new beds to fulfil the things they want to do for the

seniors in the valley, and I said: "Definitely. I support that." I

still support that. I supported it then. I supported it publicly. I've supported

it in every speech I've given in the Comox Valley.

Mr.

Speaker: Leader of the Opposition has a further supplementary?

[1420]

MacPhail: Well, we still don't know whether he's a modern-day Judas or a

modern-day Peter, but here's what the ad says. It says: "Stan needs your

help to become our candidate. Please call me, or come and see me at my

office." Signed, Mike Holland. "Purchase your membership in the B.C.

Liberal Party!"

An ad, an

ad. Yet, the poor minister couldn't remember yesterday. Why is it that he

couldn't remember that? You know, the government has a lot to be embarrassed

about. It's one scandal after another, and look at them chuckling amongst

themselves, chuckling with the minister about this. Police in the Legislature

and a Solicitor General who shared sensitive information with the Premier and

political operatives. Untendered contracts for friends and insiders like Doug

Walls; Liberal memberships in exchange for hospital beds….

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please. Order. Order, please. Would the member now please

put her question.

MacPhail: The list is long, but surely…

Mr.

Speaker: Question, please.

MacPhail: …this has to be one of the top embarrassments of this week, or

at least for today.

Mr.

Speaker: Question, please.

MacPhail: Will the minister admit…? Will he perhaps take the grin off his

face, the smirk off his face, and will the minister admit that this kind of

blatant ducking of the truth, a bald-faced denial of an association well known

to the public, can't be tolerated by a public official or in a public official?

Hon. S.

Hagen: I am very proud to say in this House and in my riding that I will

never stop fighting for the constituents who live in my riding. That's why I won

the nomination, because people knew that I could take their concerns to

Victoria, which is exactly what I've done, and I will continue to do that as

long as I'm the serving MLA in that riding.

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please. Order, please.

[ Page 8506 ]

J. Kwan:

Clearly the minister doesn't see anything wrong with what he has done in trying

to duck the truth, trying to duck and not own up to his actions and his

responsibilities, about denying his relationship with Mr. Holland.

To the

Deputy Premier, one who should know about the consequences of ducking the truth,

given today's headlines about new education funding being faked. As the

Premier's deputy, will she encourage her boss, the Premier, to take action to

restore public trust in his government by asking the Minister of Human Resources

to step aside, to give him some time to reflect on the responsibilities of the

public official?

Hon. S.

Hagen: Do you know what? I think everybody in this House really takes….

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. S.

Hagen: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think

everybody who sits in this House really takes their job as MLAs very, very

seriously. I would say that every MLA in this House works hard for their

constituents. That's the commitment that I made in 2000. That's the

commitment…

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order.

Hon. S.

Hagen: …that I made when I ran in the election of 2001. That's the

commitment that I make to my constituents today…

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Hon.

S. Hagen: …and that's the commitment I will continue to make to the

citizens of the Comox Valley into the future.

Mr.

Speaker: Member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has a supplementary question.

[1425]

LONG-TERM CARE BEDS

IN COMOX VALLEY

J. Kwan:

Mr. Holland believed the minister when he made the promise and cut the deal. So

did 508 British Columbians who responded to Mr. Holland's plea and joined the

Liberal Party. In fact, so did every British Columbian who voted for the

Liberals on a promise to improve health care but now have been betrayed.

To the

Minister of Children and Family Development, who has the big title called

"Deputy Premier": will the government at least take the action to help

the Minister of Human Resources keep his promise and fund the 75 long-term care

beds that he promised in return for political favours?

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. C.

Clark: I imagine that the reason the people of the Comox Valley believed the

member when he made a commitment to them is because he has a long history in

this House of keeping his promises to his constituents. Further, I would imagine

the reason this member feels such a great deal of confusion about how this works

is because every time she stood up to run for office, she has made promises that

she has always failed to keep. When she ran for office, they said that they

would respect the values of volunteers. She might have even been the minister

responsible for volunteers. But what did they do instead? They tried to

expropriate the assets of volunteers.

If she

finds shame in a member of this House telling his constituents he is going to

try and work for them, and then she finds further shame in the fact that that

MLA comes to Victoria and works to deliver on his promises, well, then she's the

one who should be thinking about whether she has a future in politics.

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order. Order, please. The Leader of the Opposition, please come to

order. You've had your turn in question period.

RELEASE OF ALTERNATIVE BUDGET

BY CANADIAN CENTRE FOR

POLICY ALTERNATIVES

Hawes: We all know that in the dying days of the NDP government….

Interjections.

Hawes: Well, maybe I'll wait until they're finished, Mr. Speaker.

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order.

Hawes: Apparently, they're not finished.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please, hon. member.

Would you

please start again. We couldn't hear what you were saying.

Hawes: We all know that in the dying days of the NDP government, they paid

hundreds of thou-

[ Page 8507 ]

sands of dollars over to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives to

continue to spew NDP rhetoric. Now that centre has just released the Carole

James NDP budget. It called for whopping tax increases on working families, a

return to deficits and the old tax-and-spend policies that killed our economy

through the 1990s. Apparently, for Carole James and the NDP, it's more of the

same fiscal irresponsibility.

Can the

Finance minister please inform this House how this NDP budget — and perhaps he

could be helpful again to these NDP members — would fit within the

balanced-budget legislation passed by this government?

Hon. G.

Collins: Well, I don't know whether Christmas is early this year…

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Hon. G.

Collins: …or whether Christmas is late this year, but it's certainly come

in February. The member is right. Right prior to the election, the NDP cabinet

and the NDP Treasury Board issued a $200,000 untendered contract days before the

election to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. I know I expressed

dismay at that in the past, but I have to say it looks a lot better now. They've

issued a new budget….

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order. The Leader of the Opposition, please come to order.

Hon. G.

Collins: It's amazing how fast they rush to disown the NDP brain trust at

the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Carole James's transition team has

brought out a budget that wouldn't balance the budget until 2010.

But that's

not the worst part of it. They are recommending not just rolling back the 25

percent tax cuts that working-class British Columbians got on the first day

after the last election, but they want to give them a 30 percent tax increase in

British Columbia. It doesn't stop there, because if you're a nurse or a teacher

in British Columbia, under the NDP's new plan — their budget, their election

campaign — they're going to see a 30 to 40 to 50 percent increase in their

B.C. income tax. British Columbians voted against that, and I'm surprised the

NDP haven't learned their lesson.

[1430]

Mr.

Speaker: The member for Victoria–Beacon Hill.

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please. Order, please.

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please. Will the Leader of the Opposition please respect the

rules of this chamber. The member for Victoria–Beacon Hill has the floor.

J. Bray:

I imagine the opposition members will be rushing out now to call their leader to

figure out what the heck's going on here. They're obviously in somewhat of

disarray. But as my esteemed colleague mentioned earlier, the Canadian Centre

for Policy Alternatives has just released Carole James's new budget plan. With

recommendations such as delaying a balanced budget until the year 2010, they are

intent on rejecting the principles….

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please. The member for Victoria–Beacon Hill has the floor

to ask a question.

J. Bray:

They've obviously rejected the principles of fiscal common sense. It's truly

unfortunate that Carole James has not learned from the decade of NDP

mismanagement that we went through in the nineties. Can the Minister of Finance

please tell the teachers and the nurses and the child care workers in my

community what an NDP budget will mean to them?

Hon. G.

Collins: I'll be quick and just outline for him, in fact, that if the

individuals the member describes earn $30,000 or below, they'll get a 40 percent

income tax increase. If they're earning between $30,000 and $60,000

approximately, it's a 41 percent increase. If they have the temerity to actually

earn over $65,000, it would be a 51 percent personal income tax increase in

British Columbia.

Mr.

Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition seeks the floor.

MacPhail: I assume question period is continuing, Mr. Speaker?

Mr.

Speaker: The question period will continue until we have order in this

House. When we have order and you quit prolonging question period, it will go on

until we do have order.

MacPhail: Then I seek the floor to ask a question, Mr. Speaker.

Mr.

Speaker: We now have order in the House. The bell terminates question

period.

[End of question period.]

[ Page 8508 ]

Tabling Documents

Hon. G.

Plant: I rise to table….

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: On both sides of the House, order, please. The Attorney General has

the floor.

Hon. G.

Plant: I rise to table the report and recommendations for settlement of the

parties' renewal agreement in the matter of a dispute and in the matter of a

renewal agreement between the government of British Columbia Public Service

Agency and the British Columbia Crown Counsel Association. I rise to table a

letter that is being sent to the president of the British Columbia Crown Counsel

Association, which represents my response to the report and recommendations.

Orders of the Day

Hon. G.

Collins: I call continued debate on Address in Reply.

Mr.

Speaker: Continued debate on Address in Reply to the throne speech.

[1435]

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

Hon. I.

Chong: It is my pleasure, as Minister of State for Women's and Seniors'

Services and as the member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head, to rise in response to the

Speech from the Throne.

The throne

speech is about the future. It is about the government's vision for the upcoming

year and for the years beyond. It is about building a province that all British

Columbians can contribute to and participate in. This throne speech shows

clearly that our Premier and this government are committed to building a

province that will improve the quality of life for women and seniors and,

indeed, for all British Columbians by fostering an economic climate and healthy,

safe communities.

We intend

to create a competitive and vital economy in this province. In fact, we're well

on our way to doing that. B.C. families are seeing that their after-tax incomes

have grown. One of the reasons is that the average income tax paid by B.C.

families has decreased by over 13 percent, and it is the largest decrease in 20

years.

B.C. leads

the nation in job creation, and that is vital to our economic prosperity. The

province's small business sector is growing again, and the Canadian Federation

of Independent Business reports that small and medium-sized businesses in B.C.

are more optimistic about their businesses' prospects over the next year than

anywhere else in Canada. These facts clearly show that this government's

commitment to revitalize the economy is having positive results, results that

will benefit women and women in business in this province.

Women are

creating their own small businesses at twice the rate of men, and our province

leads the country with the highest percentage of small businesses owned by

women. Earlier this week the news media reported that women account for 55

percent of all university graduates. More women now have university degrees than

men, and that gap is widening. More households than ever are headed up by women,

and women influence 80 percent of the purchasing decisions for all products.

As women's

participation in the workforce increases, so does their disposable income and

spending power. Increasingly, women are finding employment in construction and

technology, in firefighting, in police forces and in resource industries. We are

building a solid, sustainable foundation of child care programs, making it

possible for both parents to contribute to the family income.

With all of

the advances women have made, challenges remain. Although our government is

working to help women develop the skills they need to move into higher-paying

jobs, we need to work together to help change the culture of the workplace to

create opportunities for more women to move into senior management positions. We

need more women to take leadership roles in the political world where they can

make their influence felt at the decision-making table of government. We need to

support women of all ethnic origins to find their place in the economy.

I want to

talk a little bit, too, about seniors. Traditional assumptions about seniors in

our society must fall by the wayside too. Seniors are the fastest-growing part

of our population. Seniors are active longer, many of them well into their

eighties and nineties. Seniors are keeping healthier in mind, body and spirit,

and I value the many roles that seniors play in building strong communities.

They represent a tremendous resource in communities throughout the province.

Many seniors have already contributed hours each week to volunteer activities,

and I see that they can be a resource for mentoring and for nurturing business

and community leaders. By encouraging and supporting seniors, we can help them

to continue to be active members of their communities.

As the MLA

for Oak Bay–Gordon Head since 1996, I've had the pleasure of meeting with and

volunteering alongside the many seniors in my riding. Over the years I have seen

the many seniors at the Oak Bay Monterey Centre in my riding have many

initiatives. I recall the launching of a book that a number of seniors had

prepared and authored together. I see them providing support to other seniors

who come to the centre and who just need to understand how they can still

participate in their community.

[ Page 8509 ]

[1440]

I've seen

this centre bring in speakers to educate each other and, again, to contribute to

each other's well-being. I've seen them encourage activities amongst each other

that will ensure that they remain inclusive and participatory.

Also, I

have been able to speak in this chamber often about the University of Victoria

and about their Centre on Aging. This Centre on Aging at the University of

Victoria is a vital part of meeting the needs of seniors in our communities.

Their focus is about the aging population. Their focus is about finding out the

concerns of seniors. I have no doubt in my mind that I will be able to work with

them over the next few years to hear their concerns and how our government can

plan for our aging population.

As well, it

has been my privilege for the last number of years to have helped raise the

awareness of two major illnesses that, more often than not, seem to affect

seniors. Those two illnesses are Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Every September I am able to participate in the annual coffee break for

Alzheimer's, where constituents can drop by my office, enjoy a cup of coffee and

speak with representatives from the Alzheimer's Resource Centre here in Victoria

to understand more about the effects of Alzheimer's — the effect it has on

their friends, the effect it has on their families — the kinds of supports

that are necessary and the resources that are available.

I know

there are many other members in this chamber, other colleagues of mine, who have

done that very same thing every year — that is, host this annual coffee break

for Alzheimer's. Just last month I went up to the University of Victoria, where

the second annual Walk for Memories was held in my riding. I want to thank all

those volunteers who came out in support of that walk once again to raise

awareness of Alzheimer's. I know this walk takes place in a number of

communities throughout the province. I would encourage members to continue to be

able to participate in that.

The other

major illness that I mentioned was Parkinson's. It also is a disease that, while

not confined to seniors, seems to have been one that seniors are associated

with. Again, I have had the opportunity to participate in their annual walk. It

was last September that I attended their walk, along with the member for

Victoria-Hillside. She was very much in support of their efforts to raise

awareness. She went one step forward, the member for Victoria-Hillside. She

organized a team and brought them together to talk about Parkinson's disease

and, again, about the supports that are available to them.

For another

few moments I want to speak about the throne speech and how it affects the

younger generation in my community of Oak Bay–Gordon Head. That is about

bringing out the best in higher education. That's good news for my riding.

That's good news for the University of Victoria, because the University of

Victoria has been a leader in creating new spaces for university students, for

post-secondary access.

The Premier

knows that access to advanced education is important to our economy, because the

jobs that will be available in the next decade are going to depend on people who

have post-secondary education. While our government has already added nearly

6,000 new spaces in the last two years, we can do more, and we will do more. The

province will add 25,000 new student spaces to B.C.'s colleges, universities and

institutes by the year 2010.

With the

University of Victoria in my riding and with the Lansdowne campus of Camosun

College also in my riding, I'm excited about that prospect — the prospect of

new spaces being added to the University of Victoria and Camosun College. Our

government knows that making an investment in higher education is going to be a

major part of a vibrant economy, a diverse economy, an economy that's going to

contribute to health care, an economy that's going to continue to contribute to

our public education system.

[1445]

In the next

few days or weeks ahead I know we will soon see and receive an outline of a

comprehensive strategy that is going to achieve that initiative. This government

believes in higher education, and I am very grateful that my riding is going to

be a beneficiary of that. Already the University of Victoria has added spaces

for the Island medical program, which is going to see doctors be able to

graduate in this area and, as we all know, doctors who are going to deal with

our aging population. It's important to know that they can graduate in their

communities and stay in those communities they graduate from. That is going to

see their first students entering this program this fall. It's a collaboration

with the University of British Columbia. It was the first of its kind, and,

again, under the leadership of this Premier and of this government we're able to

move ahead on those initiatives.

Mr.

Speaker, I have accepted my new responsibilities to the Premier, to this

government and to the people of British Columbia with great anticipation of the

days ahead. I will be listening, and I will be documenting all those challenges

and all the opportunities of women and seniors in our society. I will look

outside government as well as inside government to see where those challenges

can be addressed and where the opportunities can be enhanced. We often speak

about challenges, but let's never forget that with challenges comes opportunity.

At the end

of this I will provide government with recommendations and strategies to help

remedy the difficulties and highlight the positive programs already underway.

Sometimes we do forget that there are programs and initiatives underway and that

they are already benefiting women and seniors in our province. We need to talk

about that, and we need to find ways to make those better and enhance those.

I will work

very closely with the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services as

well as the Minister of State for Immigration and Multiculturalism Services. I

will work together with them to help

[ Page 8510 ]

all British Columbians find comfort and prosperity in a growing economy and

in safe, healthy communities.

Hon. T.

Christensen: It is indeed my pleasure to rise in the House today to respond

to the Speech from the Throne. It's my first opportunity to speak at some length

after having taken on the responsibility as Minister of Education, and I do want

to say how much I welcome this opportunity.

I think

education is something…. In fact, I know education is something that every

single British Columbian holds very dear to their heart. It is a portfolio that

every single British Columbian is interested in and certainly wants to see

succeed. Quite frankly, from my experience so far, British Columbians in every

single part of this province are working very hard to ensure we have an

education system that is very much meeting the needs of our children.

Our

government's vision is very clear, and it's reflected in the throne speech. The

vision is to bring out the best in British Columbia on a number of fronts. We

want all British Columbians to realize their full potential. In particular, we

must ensure that our children have the opportunities to achieve their goals and

reach their dreams.

I sincerely

believe, firstly, that as a parent — and as any parent will tell you — the

thing they spend most of their time thinking about is their children and how

they can help their children to succeed as they grow older and have to enter

what is becoming a very complex world. Secondly, we all want our children and

the children of the province to succeed for perhaps a more selfish reason when

we look to the future, and that's because they are our future doctors. They are

our future community leaders. They are our future teachers. They are the future

builders and maintainers of our province. We must ensure that at all times we're

setting them on a very positive course to that end. To do that, we must have an

education system that is second to none.

What I'm

very happy to have found — and, quite frankly, I knew this before — is that

we do have an education system in this province that is second to none. When the

achievements of students in British Columbia are put up against the achievements

of students in other parts of Canada or in fact around the world, our students

are consistently among the highest achievers.

[1450]

I know that

when we pick up the newspaper or turn on the television, unfortunately we often

see stories that are raising concerns about our public education system. One of

the true delights of being the Minister of Education is that you actually get an

opportunity — and it's the same delight that MLAs can share in their own

constituencies — to go out and visit our schools and see exactly what is

happening.

If you get

an opportunity to visit our schools, it becomes pretty clear why our students

are doing so very well. It's because of the dedication of teachers, the

dedication of principals and vice-principals in our schools and of the school

trustees that we all elect in our communities. It's because of committed parents

who are continuously being strong advocates for their children and cooperative

partners in ensuring their children's success. In fact, British Columbians in

every part of this province are working hard every single day to meet the needs

of our children in our education system.

That's why

our government has made a clear commitment to invest in our education system and

to bring out the best in our children by focusing on student achievement. That

includes directing what have been, and will continue to be, scarce government

resources — government resources that many, many interests wish to obtain.

This government is choosing to focus those towards education. Over the past two

years we have worked very hard to increase education funding despite the

continuing decline in student enrolment. Education funding will grow by $313

million over the next three years. That's new money going into the system

starting this year. We'll be working hard to ensure that those dollars help to

bring out the best in B.C. students.

The throne

speech also noted that government's goal has been to free up resources for

education through strong and prudent fiscal management. Just last week we

announced a new video and computer software buying group that will save school

districts more than $14 million a year, money that can then be directed back

into the classroom to help students achieve.

From day

one our government vision has been to improve student achievement, and I'm happy

to report that — based on the opportunity I've had to speak with a number of

school districts and parents, teachers, principals, superintendents and trustees

in those districts over the last couple of weeks — the vision of student

achievement has been embraced by all of the players in our education system.

Last week I

toured four school districts — Prince George, Nechako Lakes, Okanagan-Skaha

and my own Vernon school district — where I had the opportunity to see for

myself how student achievement has become the focus of our education system.

This is what I was told. Superintendents told me that school planning councils

have very much helped to bring some focus to what a school is doing well and

where a school might need some improvement. That focus then extends up to the

accountability contracts at a district level, and it has allowed a district to

recognize what its strengths are. There are very many strengths, and in some

cases there are some challenges. It's allowed districts to focus on where they

need to perhaps focus some of their energy moving forward.

We have

also had district reviews going on around the province over the last couple of

years. Those are essentially peer review processes where ministry personnel and

superintendents from one district will visit another, look at the practices

there, determine the best practices and report on those — make some

suggestions as to what improvements can be made, but learn

[ Page 8511 ]

from what they see in that school district so that they can take that

information and ensure that other districts are aware of what is working well

around the province.

One of the

first things I had the pleasure to do upon being appointed minister was to visit

my old elementary school, B.X. Elementary in Vernon. The reason I was there was

to congratulate them because B.X. Elementary was one of 60 schools throughout

the province that received a $3,000 school improvement excellence award for its

literacy program. I was happy to see that where I had started out, certainly in

my public education, is still going very, very strong in meeting the needs of

the students in Vernon. I saw that literacy program in action, and it's amazing.

It's similar to programs around the province. Many of our schools are focusing

on early literacy by identifying at-risk students in kindergarten to grade 3 and

then helping parents to work with their children. Many literacy programs include

one-to-one, toddler and preschool support.

[1455]

Another

school and district visit I've had was in Vanderhoof, where I had a firsthand

look at the Nechako Lakes school district's e-bus program. This program is a

leader in electronic learning in this province. In fact, the day before I was in

Vanderhoof, I had an opportunity to attend the Premier's Technology Council

e-learning round table out at Royal Roads University. That brought together

representatives from businesses large and small, from post-secondary education

and from school districts around the province to look at the concept of

e-learning and what needs to be done, both in the private sector and publicly,

to try and encourage further e-learning around the province and to take

advantage of the opportunities that e-learning presents to improve student

achievement and, in fact, to improve lifelong learning.

I was very

pleased that shortly after being at that round table, I was able to be in

Vanderhoof to have a firsthand look at the E-bus program. E-bus is the

province's largest electronic distance education provider, and it enrols

students from all over the province. In fact, my recollection is that

approximately 1,000 students who live outside the Nechako Lakes school district

are actually students in that district through e-learning.

I had a

demonstration of what electronic learning in rural areas is all about from that

district. It was incredible. It is about four classrooms each that had anywhere

between four and eight teachers in them, who are spending their day on line

helping students anywhere in the province — and they could be doing it for

students anywhere in the world — who are enrolled in the E-bus program in the

Nechako Lakes school district. It was truly a strong signal of the opportunities

in e-learning and of a forward-looking school district that is looking to take

advantage of those opportunities.

In Prince

George I had the opportunity to visit Harwin Elementary School. I visited the

school reading room, where teachers tailor their teaching to the individual

needs of students. Rather than teach to the broader grade level, teachers assess

the reading levels of individual students and then match books to the student's

reading level. They're having great results in working with those students on an

individual basis to ensure that they're getting the literacy skills they need to

move forward.

Penticton I had the opportunity to tour Skaha Lake Middle School, affectionately

known as the shark tank because of the big fish tank that's inside just as you

go in and a big sculpture of sharks that is right at the entrance to the school.

It's truly a school that the community as a whole has embraced. The sculpture

outside was donated to the school and certainly provides a very big sign of the

school's theme as you first approach it.

There I had

the opportunity to see grade 6 students in a middle school working in

woodworking class. I saw band class practice. I must say they were marching and

playing their instruments certainly on par with you, Mr. Speaker, but much

better than I ever could. I also observed a teacher giving a great social

studies lesson, using games to ensure that students were working together to

improve their study skills by virtue of the fact they were also working against

one another in a game format. My only regret at the middle school was that I was

about five minutes late to the home ec class, so I missed the French toast.

So far,

it's clear to me from my visits across B.C. that students are succeeding like

never before. That success is showing up elsewhere, as well, like in school

completion rates. Last year a record 79 percent of students completed high

school, up from 74 percent four years ago. That's a remarkable increase. Overall

completion rates have increased steadily over the past five years. We expect the

completion rates to continue to increase, thanks to our new graduation program

that will be phased in beginning next September. The new grad requirements will

provide students with more flexibility and choice, encouraging students to stay

in school by making school more relevant to more students. Our new graduation

program allows for more innovative, locally developed courses, and we've amended

the School Act so that students have the freedom to choose any school, provided

there is space available. Students are moving around to ensure that they can get

the program that best meets their needs in the schools they're able to get to.

In my

riding, Charles Bloom Secondary School out in Lumby has a real-world forestry

laboratory that attracts students from all over the district. They are able to

do that by virtue of the fact they have a woodlot. Up until last week I believed

they had the only woodlot in the province, but actually I found when I was up in

Nechako Lakes that that district has two woodlots. They are exploiting the fact

that they, too, have these woodlots to provide a wide range of opportunities for

their students in a broad range of subject areas that are based on the ability

to access that woodlot.

[1500]

Blewett

Elementary in Nelson has a grade 7 science program where students learn about

the environment

[ Page 8512 ]

in an outdoor classroom. Schools like A.R. MacNeill in Richmond or Reynolds

Secondary in Victoria are drawing students to their special science, arts and

sports academies. Our new choice programs are clearly having an effect on the

way boards are delivering programs and allowing students to find how they can

best meet their needs.

I want to

congratulate school districts, schools and the teachers and the leadership in

those schools across the province for ensuring that classes are more meaningful

and student-focused, because all those elements help to improve student

achievement.

I think it

is also important to note — critically important to note, in fact — that

secondary school completion rates are also improving for our aboriginal

students. Nearly 46 percent of aboriginal students completed high school last

year. Now, 46 percent, you might say, Mr. Speaker, doesn't sound like a great

number, but that is in fact an increase of 13 percentage points since 1996. I

don't think any of us are satisfied with the 46 percent completion rate, but it

is important to note that the trend is towards marked improvement and that

school districts around the province are focusing very much on how they can

improve the results for their aboriginal students.

In fact,

British Columbia is the only jurisdiction in the world that we're aware of that

tracks aboriginal achievement separate from overall student achievement. That

has allowed us to focus on or identify the problem and to recognize that

aboriginal student completion rates are much lower than the non-aboriginal

population, but that in turn then allows us to focus resources and focus our

attention on what can be done in schools in different ways around the province

to ensure that we're meeting the needs of our aboriginal students.

We will

continue to work with first nations and school districts to find ways to

encourage aboriginal students to stay in school. Our goal is to make sure high

school completion rates continue to increase so all students have the skills

they need for life after high school.

It's clear

from other evidence that B.C. students are excelling like never before. In the

2003 foundation skills assessment, 84 percent of grade 7 students met or

exceeded expectations for math. That's up 2 percent over the previous year. In

the most recent international test of 15-year-olds, only Finland scored higher

in reading than British Columbia. But there is always room for improvement.

That's why

last year the Premier introduced a five-point student achievement action plan to

better equip parents, teachers and schools to enhance student learning. The

action plan provides new resources for parents and teachers, awards to recognize

excellence in teaching, and grants for early literacy and school improvements

such as the one presented to B.X. Elementary that I mentioned earlier.

The throne

speech also notes that schools with low-speed Internet access will be upgraded

to broadband access. This is something that I certainly think most of us would

agree is overdue. We live in a technological age, and it is critically important

that we do all we can to ensure that our schools — the ground where we train

our future citizens — have access to the Internet and all the opportunity it

can provide. The expansion of broadband access will ensure that students have

the opportunity to be the best they can be no matter where they live in the

great province of British Columbia. That commitment to expand broadband access

follows up on the rural achievement action plan that government announced last

year.

we look to the months ahead, Mr. Speaker, you will see the government will be

announcing new standards for physical fitness that will help fight the epidemic

of obesity that is threatening the health of young British Columbians. It's a

threat that we have all read a lot about recently. There seems to be a good deal

of attention being paid, and it is a threat that demands action. I'm pleased

that in the throne speech this government has indicated it will be moving ahead

with an action plan in that regard.

Early

learning and child care agreements with the federal government are going to

inject more than $70 million into programs for B.C. children over the next three

years. That's critical — to recognize that learning doesn't start when all of

a sudden you turn five years old and arrive at a kindergarten class in one of

the many schools in the province. Learning starts pretty much from the time you

arrive in this world, as any parent will tell you, and it's important that we be

focusing resources and finding resources to meet the needs of those children in

those early learning years.

[1505]

Our

government will launch a comprehensive new literacy program starting with the

creation of a Premier's advisory board on literacy. You may recall that I just

said a few moments ago how well we're doing among 15-year-olds in reading tests

compared to the rest of the world. Well, we can't simply rest on those laurels.

We must recognize that there is still a good number of British Columbians who

don't have the literacy skills that allow them to be their best in today's

society. We will be working hard over the next number of months and years to

ensure that we're focusing on effective literacy programs to meet the needs of

both children and adults and to upgrade their literacy skills, whether it is

reading, writing, numeracy skills or computer skills that are so necessary

moving forward in today's society. It is clear that obtaining these skills in

the early years is critical to enabling our children to flourish as they

succeed, as they move into later grades and on to their adult lives.

It has been

my pleasure since being elected — I guess it's coming up on three years ago

now — to have had many meetings with school district 22, my own district in

Vernon, and to learn from them what's going on in the public education system.

As a parent I have entered the public education system just this year, so I'm

getting in on the ground floor.

Since

becoming minister and over the last couple of years sitting on different

committees for the govern-

[ Page 8513 ]

ment, I have learned a great deal about the public education system. I can

say unequivocally that all British Columbians should be proud of the system we

have. We have a strong and thriving public education system in British Columbia

that is offering a broad range of opportunities to our children. We cannot ever

forget that, because as we all know, educating our young people is key to the

future of British Columbia. I'm very confident that we're very much on the right

track.

In fact, I

believe that in early March there is going to be an international conference

here looking at and recognizing many of the innovative practices that have been

adopted in education in British Columbia, so that others around the world can

learn from our success. I certainly over the next number of weeks and months

look forward to working with teachers, with parents, with principals and

vice-principals and with school trustees as we confront some of the challenges

that do exist in the education system. In that work we must always recognize

what we're doing well. We must recognize where the challenges are and how we

address them and must all keep our focus on what our common goal is, and that is

to ensure that the education system in British Columbia is the one the rest of

the world looks to when they, too, want to improve student achievement.

Chutter: Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to respond to the throne

speech as the representative for the people living in the riding of

Yale-Lillooet. Although all the initiatives addressed in the throne speech will

benefit the people of Yale-Lillooet, I want to talk about the initiatives that

my constituents can directly identify with.

The people

in and around Lillooet have been waiting many years for the land and resource

management plan decision. They know the key to economic development and

prosperity is having certainty on the land base. For activity to take place on

the land — whether it be mining or forestry, tourism, back-country tourism or

conservation — we need to know the guidelines and boundaries for activities.

The Lillooet land use plan will be completed this year, initiating opportunities

for economic activity.

Yale-Lillooet

has a diversity of sport, music and culture with over two dozen small

communities and in excess of 20 native bands. With the announced $30 million of

funding for LegaciesNow, communities throughout my riding will have the

opportunity to reach out to our youth and assist in developing sport and

fitness, music and artists. We have given communities the tools that help them

reach their full potential.

Yale-Lillooet

is very clearly a rural riding with many small communities scattered around a

large geographical area. Most communities are a distance from regional health

centres. There are many people without private vehicles, and public

transportation does not exist in my riding. Therefore, it is very difficult and

costly for many to access the large centres that provide specialized health care

services. Our government announced a rural health travel assistance plan that

will help to defray costs to rural families who must travel to health centres

for special care. As well, our government is expanding the capacity of regional

hospitals. This is exactly what people in my riding have been asking for, and

I'm happy to say we're delivering.

[1510]

The

ranching industry operates in most areas of my riding and is a steady economic

driver in small towns and rural areas of Yale-Lillooet. Our government will

expand the assistance for the BSE crisis with a $16.8 million contribution to

the whole-farm trust to help farmers and ranchers. Our government is committed

to helping farming and ranching through these tough times, as these activities

are key to our B.C. rural economic future.

Yale-Lillooet

contains over 25 aboriginal bands, making up 17 percent of the riding population

— the third-highest in the province, with some communities having over 50

percent aboriginal population. The initiatives of our government to involve

first nations in the resource economy are valuable to the future of

Yale-Lillooet. These initiatives involve revenue-sharing agreements, allocation

of timber and, for bands located along B.C. Rail, a $15 million B.C. Rail first

nations benefit trust that will support economic development, educational

advancement and cultural renewal. The $1 billion B.C. Rail investment

partnership with CN Rail will result in a better rail service reaching out to

the entire continent, including a new passenger tourism service opening up

tremendous tourism opportunities throughout the interior and the north.

Forestry is

the economic engine throughout the riding of Yale-Lillooet. Our government will

reallocate 20 percent of the annual allowable cut to small operators and local

communities, to first nations and for public auction sale. Legislation will be

introduced to allow for more opportunities for small-scale salvage by

quadrupling the amount of timber available for direct award. This government

will make amendments to ensure that forest contractors' rights are maintained

when licensees transfer, subdivide or consolidate a licence. Our government will

increase efforts to develop new markets for B.C. forest products in order to

achieve less dependence on the U.S. market. All of that is good news for people

in my riding.

The

Princeton area has coalmining and coalbed methane activity, which offers promise

for future jobs in the local economy. Legislation will be introduced to reduce

unnecessary and redundant regulatory requirements in coal tenure requirements by

29 percent.

We have

spoken a lot about our resource industries. It's important that people know that

our resource industries are the reason we have the best education and health

care systems in the world. The revenues generated from our rural land base are

needed to support these services across British Columbia.

Since the

day we were elected, we committed to making education a priority. We have kept

that commitment, and I am pleased to see we are increasing the education budget

by $313 million over the next three years. There are some tremendously bright

young peo-

[ Page 8514 ]

ple in my riding who want to enhance their education. However, space in our

colleges and universities is limited.

We need to

create more opportunities for our young people. The opportunities are out there.

It's well known that we have a skills shortage in many industries, so we must

give young people the opportunity to train, develop skills and find jobs; 25,000

more post-secondary spaces will be added to our province between now and 2010 to

address that problem. Everyone should have a chance to improve their education,

so I am pleased to see that we have a target of a 75 percent grade average to

allow entrance into post-secondary institutions.

I represent

a region that has some of the best living qualities anywhere. Yale-Lillooet

communities are affordable to live in. They border the great outdoors, which

lends a healthy lifestyle. We have tremendous outdoor recreation and brilliant

scenery. I know professionals would love to live in this region if they could

continue to work and be connected to urban centres. To address this, government

will act in partnership with others to connect every community in the province

to high-speed Internet access. Not only will this help students of all ages

access the latest education information at home in their small town, but it will

also allow professional people to live in any community in Yale-Lillooet, enjoy

the outdoor activities and healthy living, and yet connect to the world of

opportunities.

British

Columbians have had difficult times this past year with fires, floods, drought

and BSE. Yet B.C. has pulled together and prevailed. We have had our successes

as well. The awarding of the 2010 Winter Olympics is our opportunity to show the

world what the people and the land of our great province are all about — a

tremendous opportunity for growth and achievement, truly a new era for British

Columbia.

For

families and their communities throughout Yale-Lillooet to have access to health

care and other social services, as well as infrastructure such as roads, we need

a strong economy. Our provincial government has taken many actions towards

economic growth. Costs have been lowered; tax rates and red tape have been

reduced.

[1515]

The

positive results are in. More people are working than ever before. The

unemployment rate has dropped to the lowest level in many years. The number of

small businesses is on the rise after years of decline. B.C. is leading the

nation in job creation. Over the past two years, B.C.'s rate of growth was

higher than any other province's.

A balanced

budget will be tabled next week. What this means is that we will stop digging

ourselves deeper in debt, a liability unfairly passed onto the backs of our

children. This significant change resulting from responsible fiscal management

will translate into surplus, allowing opportunities to fund new and expanded

programs and benefiting families throughout the province.

Confidence

and optimism are growing in communities in Yale-Lillooet. People are taking on

the challenge and responsibility to make it happen. The throne speech outlines

the additional work our government will do this coming year to build upon the

positive results to date. The future looks bright for our children, our families

and communities in Yale-Lillooet.

In closing,

the plan for the future, as laid out in the throne speech, is a responsible,

balanced plan to build on the progress to date in bringing prosperity and

opportunity to all British Columbians.

Hon. G.

Cheema: I'm very honoured, as the Minister of State for Immigration and

Multiculturalism and as the member for Surrey–Panorama Ridge, to rise in

response to the Speech from the Throne.

Canadian

multiculturalism is fundamental to our belief that diversity and cultural

harmony are indicators of a healthy, safe and prosperous community in building a

successful future for all. Especially for our children, we must set an example

of how to live in harmony and to freely cultivate and enhance our cultural,

social and economic diversity. B.C. leads the nation in job creation, and

unemployment is now below the national rate.

Our

government is committed to bringing out the best in partnerships with first

nations. The government will build on the foundation that has been established,

which includes three agreements-in-principle in the past year, 124 economic

measures and over 125 treaty-related measures and other agreements involving

first nations in resource management.

Our

government is committed to bringing out the best in transportation and northern

development. The Premier will host a series of round tables to encourage B.C.

families about their hopes and aspirations for the future, bringing out the best

in the spirit of B.C. Our government believes that multiculturalism and

immigration are integral components in shaping the future of our province.

Cultural diversity is a way of life in British Columbia and a key element in

building stronger, more vibrant and safe communities.

Our

government's aim is to promote and encourage racial and cultural harmony through

public education and community partnerships. Communication is the key. We intend

to include all British Columbians in our common responsibility for cultural

inclusion and acceptance. Through our government's commitment to

multiculturalism and cultural inclusion, all British Columbians will benefit

from a society where diversity, tolerance and full participation are celebrated.

Canadian multiculturalism is fundamental to our belief that all citizens are

equal. Acceptance gives Canadians and British Columbians a feeling of security

and self-confidence and helps them to be more open and accepting of diversity.

Multiculturalism

encourages racial and ethnic harmony and understanding and helps to discourage

intolerance. Our government encourages all British Columbians to reach their

full potential. Mutual respect helps foster a common attitude that aids all

British Columbians to respect the political and legal process. Our government

recognized that, and all British Columbi-

[ Page 8515 ]

ans are encouraged to integrate into our society and to take an active

part

in social, cultural, economic and political affairs.

[1520]

A recent

census makes clear that immigrants to Canada are and have been a significant

part of social and economic fabric of this province. In the past decade,

immigrants represented 70 percent of the total growth of the labour force and

are a necessity for continued growth in the future.

British

Columbians benefit greatly from the economic engine of immigration. Immigration

is an important part of our history. The diversity of our population translates

directly into economic advantage and opportunity for all British Columbians.

British Columbia's diversity is increasingly recognized as an asset in the

domestic and international markets and is a major contributor to Canadian

economic prosperity. Business and the workplace can promote innovation,

stimulate teamwork and creativity that help expand markets for goods and

services.

Demographic

trends point to the critical labour shortages in Canada in the next decade. We

must attract and retain skilled immigrants in order to stay competitive in the

global marketplace. In the past ten years 16,000 business immigrants invested

over $3 billion in businesses in B.C. that realized an estimated 75,000 jobs in

B.C.

Immigrants

blend cultures and customs, creating an increasingly dynamic and diverse

society. Through acceptance and respect, our government is creating a climate

that favours progress and prosperity for all. New immigrants to British Columbia

can count on our government's commitment to provide the means to become full

participants in all aspects of our society. Our province has taken a leadership

role by signing the agreement for Canada–British Columbia cooperation on

immigration, one of the most visionary in the nation.

Given the

important role immigration plays in B.C.'s social and economic engine, our

government is designing settlement services that will meet B.C.'s unique needs,

implementing the provincial nominee program to support employers in meeting

skill requirements and to attract business investment to this province and

implementing the international qualification program that supports

internationally trained workers to get access to the jobs they are trained to

do.

We are a

province that's rich in history and ripe with opportunity. We know that during

the 2010 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, we will be welcoming people from

all over the world, from all backgrounds and cultural histories and traditions,

and those visitors will see their reflection in the cultural and social life of

this province. They will see their cultures are accepted and respected in

communities throughout British Columbia.

Let's

remember that diversity is our nation's most valuable asset. British Columbians

who speak many languages and understand many cultures make it easier for our

province to participate globally and ensure a prosperous future for our

children. The province no longer lives in isolation. We are part of the global

village, which is more competitive and moving at a much faster rate than anyone

could have imagined. We must be open-minded and innovative to succeed in a

competitive environment. The constituents of Surrey–Panorama Ridge are ready

to accept the challenge and opportunities, and so are British Columbians.

Mr.

Speaker: The Minister of Forests. [Applause.]

Hon. M.

de Jong: That makes me feel welcome, as I know I always am in this chamber

and have been — it just occurred to me a few moments ago — over the past ten

years, because in a couple of days it will have been ten years since I first was

elected.

[1525]

It is one

of the pleasures of this job, as I look around the chamber today, starting with

the Chair…. I recall as a younger man becoming acquainted with you, Mr.

Speaker, in your first campaign in 1981, I believe, to sit in this chamber. Then

the ever-youthful member for North Vancouver–Seymour, who predated my arrival

here by a couple of years; the member for Langley as well; the member from

Abbotsford, who followed me just a few short months in a subsequent by-election;

and of course the Minister for Human Resources, who also taught me a thing or

two in advance of my election to this chamber in his capacity as a minister in a

previous government…. We have the honour and the privilege to stand here and

represent our constituents and also to form some lifelong friendships, and that

is something for which I am grateful.

It is the

tenth February that I have stood in this chamber. It is, I think, the tenth

throne speech, but there may have been an extra one or two along the way, given

the electoral cycle. The theme for this speech is, I think, eminently

appropriate, entirely appropriate: bringing out the best in British Columbians.

I want to

comment on what that means, firstly, for the community I have had the privilege

to represent for a decade now. I want to observe what it means for the

all-important sector of our economy that I have the honour to be involved with

on an administrative front as the Minister of Forests.

I also want

to say, not in passing but parenthetically, that the throne speech, as we know,

pursuant to parliamentary tradition is delivered by Her Honour the

Lieutenant-Governor. I have to say her effort as a spokesperson for her office

in travelling around this province is something that has made quite an

impression on me and many British Columbians. She is tireless in meeting with

British Columbians, schoolchildren, in the four corners of the province. I know

the whole House appreciates those efforts that she makes on our behalf, on

behalf of the Sovereign she represents.

What has

occurred in the city and the valley of Abbotsford since we last stood in this

chamber and debated a Speech from the Throne? There's quite a list, and I will

only be able to touch on a few of those mat-

[ Page 8516 ]

ters and then also speculate on where those projects and others will go,

thanks to the direction offered by the Premier, by Her Honour, through the

Speech from the Throne we heard just a few short days ago.

We talk

about the Olympic spirit. We talk about bringing out the best in the Olympic

spirit. I can't for a moment forget the absolute excitement that captured the

province, the country and, yes, the city of Abbotsford on that day last summer

when we huddled around our television sets. The member from Abbotsford and I

were with a large gathering of our neighbours and friends in Abbotsford while we

watched that envelope being passed in Prague, in our hearts certain we had

earned the right to sponsor and hold the Olympics in 2010 but not really certain

until the moment had been confirmed by the announcement itself.

[J.

Weisbeck in the chair.]

This has

been said, but it bears saying again. It is something every person in that room

in Abbotsford understood. The spirit that brought British Columbians together

found its voice in the Premier, who said some time ago that this is a goal, this

is an objective we are going to set collectively as British Columbians, and we

are going to realize that goal. When the envelope was opened and that

announcement made, I know everyone cheered. But everyone knew, as well, that in

addition to the tremendous efforts of Mr. Poole, Mr. Furlong and the team they

brought together that made that a reality, it was also very much a reflection of

the efforts of the Premier of the province of British Columbia, who also made

that a reality.

[1530]

The work,

of course, has only begun. In Abbotsford my friend the member for

Abbotsford-Clayburn and I were at a meeting along with the member for

Chilliwack-Sumas, the now Minister of Small Business, where we saw that

excitement taking root, where the plans are underway. How do we as a community

capitalize? How do we as a province and a country capitalize on bringing the

world to our province, to our country, to our communities and show them what we

have to offer?

I am, as I

know my colleagues are, thrilled at how that spirit has remained and how now the

innovativeness and the imagination of our friends and neighbours in Abbotsford

are taking over — people like Christine Weibe and David Holmburg and others

who are saying: "Let's get a plan together." As the Deputy Premier

said earlier today, we've got six years till those games begin, and we've got

six years within which to prepare ourselves and prepare our communities.

I'm

absolutely confident that when those games arrive, they will be regarded as the

best ever in the history of the Olympic movement and that each community around

the province, including my own in Abbotsford, will have a proud place in that

legacy that will extend many years out from the conclusion of the games.

The throne

speech talks about bringing out the best in education. I was mindful of that day

a few months ago when, in Abbotsford, we opened a new, permanent aerospace

training facility to be operated in partnership with the University College of

the Fraser Valley. It goes much further than just the Fraser Valley. It's yet

again an example of the Minister of Advanced Education, the Premier of the

province, the government and the caucus in its entirety hearing what the

priorities are of the MLAs and the communities they represent.

There are

countless of my colleagues who, about 18 months ago, said to the Minister of

Advanced Education: "You know, there is a market out there for aerospace

training, for aeronautics, for airframe mechanics, for qualified aircraft engine

technicians. If we can fill that demand, we will be doing a service to the young

people, and we will be creating for British Columbia a critical mass of trained

personnel that in and of itself is going to attract more business here." I

have to look no further than the airport that I use on a weekly basis now, in

Abbotsford, to look at the work of Cascade Aerospace where they're performing

service work on 737s and now wide-bodied aircraft from around the world —

Aloha Airlines, Southwest Airlines out of the United States and European

carriers.

It is a

tremendous success story. The government, the minister and the Premier had the

foresight to listen to the advice they were getting from members of this chamber

and say that we can do more, and we've done more. When we opened that training

centre in Abbotsford on the day that the Abbotsford air show began, it was a

proud day for me. It was a day that my colleague the member for

Abbotsford-Clayburn and I had been working for, for years, and now it is there.

Now there are students receiving that training, and there is a base from which

to expand.

I am going

to make this prediction today. I suspect there are members of this chamber that

will want to challenge me, but I am going to make this prediction that before

the decade is out.… I'd better be careful how I end that. Before the decade is

out, Abbotsford will be regarded, if not as the leader, as one of the leaders in

aerospace training in North America. It is thanks to the seeds that have been

planted by the Minister of Advanced Education and, again, the Premier of British

Columbia.

We talk in

the throne speech about the unleashing or bringing out the best in terms of

transportation. Again, I look at the work that has taken place in my hometown. A

project that languished for years and years, now the highway between Mission and

Abbotsford is on the verge of being four-laned. Phase 1 will be complete later

this year, with plans in place to finalize and complete the final phase shortly

thereafter — a stretch of highway that I am eminently familiar with, having

lived there for over 30 years, as has my colleague, a project that languished.

[1535]

Safety

concerns. We talk about safety on the highways, with terrible accidents year in

and year out. Now

[ Page 8517 ]

people can see for themselves the work taking place within the context of a

sound fiscal plan that the Minister of Finance has delivered on for three years

now and in a few short days will deliver on again when he delivers a truly

balanced budget to the people of British Columbia.

remember ten years ago standing on a freeway interchange at Mount Lehman Road,

saying that this interchange is inadequate. It is still inadequate, but for

those many years the problem went ignored. Now I'm happy to say — and the

people of my community understand — that we are a few short months away from

commencing construction on an upgraded interchange at Mount Lehman Road and

Highway 1.

It is, of

course, necessary from the point of view of moving traffic and moving people,

but if you accept — and I have made this argument time and time again — that

for that part of British Columbia the largest engine that will drive economic

growth in the future is the Abbotsford Airport, the fastest-growing airport in

Canada, then you've got to have the capacity to get there. That's what this

infrastructure upgrade is all about — ensuring that that capacity exists, that

the access and egress to the airport exists.

It is

exciting and of course is giving rise to other plans that people within

Abbotsford are already advancing — to expand the runway itself so that there

is international service, wide-bodied service. Speculation about direct air

travel between Abbotsford and India, for example, to service the cultural link

that already exists and is so strong. Exciting plans that will come to fruition

because this government over two and a half, nearly three years, has fulfilled

its obligation to actually get government out of the way of people and say to

them: "Use your imagination. Realize on those dreams that you have for your

community, and let not the provincial government, or the federal government for

that matter, get in your way. How do we facilitate the realization of those

objectives and those dreams and those aspirations?" It is beginning to bear

fruit. It is beginning to see the results that we have all in this chamber

worked so hard over the years to make a reality.

In health

care we are only a few short months away from fulfilling a commitment that we

made, that the Premier made, that I made, that the member for

Abbotsford-Clayburn made — a commitment to ensure that the health care needs

of people in the Fraser Valley are met by replacing an outdated hospital. When

that day arrives shortly, when the final proposals are in and have been

approved, and it is confirmed by the team in charge of the project that the

partner with whom we will contract to complete this work has met all of the

standards set out in the RFP — request for proposals — and when it has been

confirmed under as-close-as-possible scrutiny that those commitments will be

kept within the confines of the financial parameters that have been set, that

will be a day to celebrate. It's just around the corner. It's a few months away.

People are going to be excited.

I reminded

myself of what this facility is going to include. I look at the additions: the

medical imaging, the MRI, CT scan, the nuclear medicine, the renal dialysis

program, the level 2 obstetrics in nursing, the pediatric services, the special

adult medical services. In the final RFP the additions are a 25 percent larger

emergency area to accommodate larger room sizes and more waiting space; more

stringent infection control measures to deal with things like the most recent

SARS outbreak; a focus on child and youth care; child rehabilitation capacity;

children-friendly areas for physiotherapy; occupational therapy; operating

rooms, two of the eight of which will have teleconferencing and video

conferencing facilities to allow surgeons from around the world to participate

in those surgeries.

[1540]

Academic

space. This will be a teaching facility, something that the fastest-growing part

of our province needs in any number of ways.

Two new

cancer out-patient programs — the breast health program and the hereditary

cancer program — are to be located within a cancer facility that will be built

from the ground up. It's the first time that has happened — a new cancer

treatment and research facility that is actually being constructed and not

renovated from some older existing building. I do want to say this again and put

it on the record: this is a facility that the public will own. They will own the

building; they will own the land. The clinical services they receive will be

administered by the public health board, the health region.

I know

there are people, perhaps some of them watching now, who are trying to conjure

up all kinds of spectres, but I am a believer in this project, and the time has

come for this project. It's being delivered, again, because of the vision of the

government, the tenacity — I say humbly — of the Members of the Legislative

Assembly, and the commitment of the Minister of Health and the Premier. It's

exciting news.

colleague the member for Abbotsford-Clayburn, I know…. There are some,

ironically, who are critics of this project, who for ten years did nothing to

fulfil a promise that previous governments had made. I find it reprehensible

that they, the same people who did nothing for ten years but wax eloquent and

offer hollow promises, would now — as we are on the verge of actually giving

the people of the Central and eastern Fraser Valley what they need, which is a

modern state-of-the-art facility — stand up and throw stones and try to

fearmonger. Well, shame on them. We're getting on with the job. We're going to

make sure there is a hospital facility out there that people in that part of

British Columbia can be proud of, and it's going to happen soon.

Now, a

portion of the speech Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor delivered focused on an

area of public policy that I have some interest in and involvement with. That is

forestry, bringing out the best in forestry. It is something that has made an

impression upon me over the last two and a half or three years — the extent to

which this truly is the engine that drives the economy, geographically at least,

across the province. There is nothing that I have just spoken about as it

[ Page 8518 ]

relates to Abbotsford or any one of the communities represented here that

isn't impacted by the performance of our forest sector. Whether you are in

Nanaimo, whether you are in Burnaby, whether you are somewhere else on the north

shore of the Fraser River — no matter where you are — your abilities to

access and realize the services you need in health care, education and the

justice branches are contingent upon the performance of our forest sector,

because that's where a goodly portion of the revenue comes from that government

relies upon.

When it

sputters, it has an impact right across government. As we all know, it has been

sputtering over the last ten to 12 years. I will be careful not to overstate

this, because I think one does so at his or her peril. We are beginning to see

the signs. We are beginning to see the signs of a new-found confidence, a

revitalization, competitiveness. I know that perhaps sounds odd when one

considers that we have not yet found a solution to a lingering problem relating

to our largest trading partner, the United States of America. Yet the signs are

there. I will say, again humbly, they are there because British Columbians

themselves have found some solutions and have acquired that confidence. They

said to the government before it was elected: "We need you to address a

regulatory nightmare called the Forest Practices Code. The objective is fine,

but the manner in which the government of the day, the previous NDP government,

sought to pursue and achieve those objectives was flawed — overly

prescriptive. We want a results-based code that will allow professionals the

ability to utilize their ingenuity."

[1545]

delivered. In the year of forestry, we worked with stakeholders from all sectors

and developed a legislative package and a regulatory package that — I will

confess — is undoubtedly not perfect but which virtually all of the

stakeholders have said is a huge step in the right direction and has eliminated

thousands upon thousands of unnecessary regulations. I'm proud of that. I'm

proud of the fact that in this year, as we unleash and bring out the best in

forestry, that is the document and the statutory instrument people will begin

working with. There will be some training over the next two and a half months

for people in the Forest Service, for stakeholders themselves, but that is the

new tool that will be available for them to work with in the months and years

ahead.

We said we

wanted to go to a market pricing system, that the people of the province own the

trees on Crown land and that they deserve to know they're getting a fair price

when we sell those trees. The system we have in place at a minimum didn't assure

people of that in a transparent enough way. A couple of weeks ago at the truck

loggers' convention in Vancouver — to a tremendous reception, I might add —

the Premier stood and kept our promise. He said that in the coastal industry in

a week and a half, we will make the shift to a market pricing system, one that

is transparent, is completely defensible and will ensure that people purchasing

the timber pay a fair market-based price and that the people who own the

resource receive a fair market-based price.

For the

interior the work continues. We are working with stakeholders to ensure that the

data sets we rely upon in order to effect the shift are accurate and that any

anomalies in that data are properly addressed and accounted for. That work will

continue. But as the Premier said, our objective is to finalize the transition

across the remainder of the province before the year is out. That is part of

bringing out the best in forestry.

We said

that in revitalizing this sector of our economy, this all-important sector of

the economy, we wanted to create new opportunities. We wanted to create new

opportunities for small family businesses by doubling the woodlot program. We

wanted to create new opportunities for communities who see the resource around

them and have been frustrated over the years with a feeling of powerlessness

about how to access and exercise some jurisdiction or some ability to influence

the use of that resource. I will say this, as I have in the past: we're not the

first government that has actually stood in this chamber or gone around the

province and said we are interested in creating those new opportunities. But we

are the first government with a Premier that has the courage to actually do

something about it, because realizing on those laudable objectives is not easy.

In order to

be in a position to create those new opportunities, you have to deal with the

fact that a vast majority of the timber resource in this province has been

allocated to others. That is a difficult thing to deal with, because it involves

going to those others and saying we need some of that tenure back. We are in the

process of working through that in a fair and equitable way. Yes, there are

impacts. There are impacts on contractors; there are potential impacts on

communities. It is why we set up a transition fund. It is why in the weeks and

months ahead we will be meeting with the contractors and meeting with the

communities to ensure that those transition funds are used in a way that makes

for a seamless transition to a new era for forestry — bringing out the best in

forestry so that communities do have a role and so that woodlot licensees have

an expanded role in the future of our industry.

[1550]

We talked

about fairness for first nations. If I may, I will take a moment to dwell on

this because it is something I have tremendous pride in. I am glad he is in the

chamber because, in addition to the Premier, I will tell you this. It would not

have been possible to advance this agenda without the work of the Attorney

General, who has managed in a relatively short time to instil — not in

everyone — a general feeling of confidence within those with whom we are

trying to work. He said, along with the Premier, some two and a half years ago:

"The negotiation of comprehensive treaties is a challenging task, a complex

task, a complicated task and one that we are going to get on with. But in the

meantime we are also going to endeavour to improve the lives of people, and we

are not going to ask them to put their lives on hold while the lawyers and

negotia-

[ Page 8519 ]

tors go about their very important business. We are going to seek out those

opportunities that might exist for them and provide them with an ability to

improve their lives through employment, community development, and for so many

of those first nations, the logical opportunity is in the realm of

forestry."

For too

long, first nations have been living in communities surrounded by our forestry

resource and felt shut out from participation in that economy and that sector.

It's changing, and it is not just changing in a little way. It's changing in a

huge way. It was the Attorney General, the Premier, the members of the cabinet

and the members of this caucus that said: "We are going to be the first

government in the country of Canada that actually embraces the notion of

revenue-sharing with first nations. We're going to allow first nations to share

in the resource that surrounds their communities. We are going to provide to

them licence opportunities in a meaningful way that will allow them to

participate — put people to work."

The Haisla,

the Heilthuk, the Kitasoo, the Wekanu, the Cowichan, the Kitselas, the

Kitsumkalum, the Metlakatla, the Saik'uz, the Gitxsan, the Lax Kw'alaams…. I

can go on and on, because there are 29 agreements — 29 agreements. Some of

them include revenue-sharing, and all of them include timber resources.

As I bring

my remarks to a close…. I began talking about forestry, about this new sense

of confidence that is developing. Well, is it any wonder that new confidence is

reflected in the investments that are taking place, again, for the first time in

a long time in forestry? Whether it is Dunkley and Hickson — a $50 million

investment in doubling the capacity of their plant…. As we heard today from

the member for Bulkley Valley–Stikine, we've got the largest sawmill in the

whole wide world right here in British Columbia. We're number one. Whether it is

the Slocan and Louisiana-Pacific announcement in Fort St. John, a new

facility…. It's the first time in over a decade that we've had an investment

of $200 million — $200 million — and there are examples right across the

province.

We're not

there yet. The work isn't done. That is why we have a new Minister of State for

Forestry Operations, because there is a heck of a lot of work to be done yet.

But that new feeling of confidence is building out there. There is a sense that,

yes, we have met some challenges. We have been dealt some challenges by our

biggest trading partner. They have thrown their worst at us. British Columbians

have shown their best, and that's what this throne speech is about: bringing out

the best in British Columbians because British Columbians are the best.

Halsey-Brandt: It is indeed a pleasure, along with many of my colleagues, to

rise in response to the Speech from the Throne and to highlight the initiatives

and direction this government is embarking on for the coming legislative

session.

The theme

in the Speech from the Throne is bringing out the best, and that theme is a

major part of what I think the service of any government is really all about. We

know that this beautiful province has the people and the natural resources to be

a leader in Canada and, indeed, the world. It is incumbent upon us, the

legislators in this House that have been given the trust of our citizens, to

build a platform that will allow British Columbians to excel and reach their

potential.

[1555]

As a

government we have laid the groundwork in many areas: reducing personal and

business taxes; reducing red tape and bureaucratic obstructions to the

initiatives of individual British Columbians; providing patient-centred health

care, with measurable levels of service; bringing parents back into the

education system; measuring outcomes to ensure our students get the best

education possible; revitalizing the forestry, mining and gas industries through

regulatory changes. Government has provided a platform, and now it is our time

to shine.

I want to

address in my comments a number of points in the throne speech that will

certainly bring out the best in my community of Richmond. The first is student

achievement. Educational achievement — whether it be in school, in college, in

an institute or at a university — is immensely important to all the residents

of my community. Education funding from our government has increased over the

past three years in spite of a decline in student enrolment. I'm very pleased

that this trend of increased funding will continue and the education budget will

grow by $313 million over the next three years. This increased funding will

allow the quality of K-to-12 education to improve even further, as it not only

is key to personal fulfilment but is the greatest economic development tool that

we have in the province.

In addition

to greater funding, the throne speech addresses the question of literacy in our

province. It calls for a major new initiative to foster literacy throughout

British Columbia. Especially relevant to my community is proficiency in the

programs in the province in our public school system and through private ESL

schools. We also have large numbers of adults who have recently immigrated to

language. The funds we spend in helping all these individuals, young and old

alike, will be returned tenfold through both their personal growth as Canadians

in enjoying the benefits of a wider society and in the economic return that they

can generate to our economy.

The second

point in the throne speech I want to address is bringing out the best in higher

education. Although this government has worked with our post-secondary

institutions to add nearly 6,000 new spaces for students over the past two

years, we know there are not enough spaces to meet current and expected demand.

To deal with the pressure of enrolment, institutions raise their admission

standards. Students either cannot get into post-secondary institutions or take

five or six years to complete a degree when the normal term is four years. Right

now, for instance, students may be

[ Page 8520 ]

required to have an 80 percent average upon high school graduation to enter

an arts program, or an 85 percent average to enter a science program.

Students

know that most job openings in the future, as is the case now, need some type of

post-secondary education. In addition, the income levels of those individuals

with post-secondary education is much higher than those with high school

graduation or less, and generally the overall physical health of individuals

with higher education is better than those without.

Our

government believes that any student with a 75 percent average in secondary

school deserves to have access to a university. To reach this goal, we need to

add 25,000 new student spaces to universities, colleges and institutions by a

target date of 2010. We have to set this ambitious target because we must create

spaces at twice the graduation rate to not only keep up with present demand but

to open up extra spaces that will allow the entrance requirements to be

adjusted.

[1600]

I know that

my community welcomes this goal in the throne speech with great anticipation.

While the provincial average for grade 12 students going on to post-secondary

education is 20 percent, in Richmond 31 percent of the graduating students go on

to post-secondary education. This is a reflection of a 92 percent high school

graduation rate in the Richmond school district, which I believe is the

second-highest of any school district in the province and of which we are proud.

A good education is clearly one of the goals of the young people and parents in

my community, and we welcome this initiative in the throne speech.

We know

that for the 69 percent of students in my community who do not go on to a

post-secondary career path, skills training is a must in today's competitive

workplace. From now until 2010 the government projects that half a million new

jobs will be created in British Columbia, not including those related to the

Winter Olympics. To help meet this challenge, the government is increasing the

Advanced Education ministry budget by $105 million by 2006-07.

Thousands

of jobs remain unfilled in B.C. each year. The Winter Olympics and related

capital projects will create, indeed, thousands more. Skill shortages now exist

in the construction trades in our large urban areas and also in the oil and gas

industry. Our young people must be equipped, through skills training

initiatives, to meet this labour shortage. A human resource strategy will be

launched this year to ensure that our training programs match the needs of

working British Columbians.

The third

point I want to highlight is the initiative to bring out the best in sport,

music, culture, arts and volunteerism that we have in British Columbia. Our

residents have a tremendous enthusiasm and energy to devote to the institutions

in their private and, for some, professional lives. We will help them through a

one-time funding program of $30 million to support their dreams.

In the

field of sports we, of course, want to see our athletes compete at all levels.

Some may reach the Olympic level in time for the 2010 games, but most

importantly, all must be encouraged and have the opportunity to reach their

personal best.

That goal

is also true in the areas of music and the arts. The 2010 games will have a

major cultural component, and this funding provides the opportunity for British

Columbians to begin to prepare for this major event.

Our

volunteer sector, as well, is ready and able to take up the challenge of playing

a greater role in our society, but they require organizational funds to train

and mobilize individuals. This funding will help volunteers realize their

potential and instil in us all their spirit to bring out the best in British

Columbia.

Mention of

the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games leads us to another initiative, the

Spirit of 2010 tourism strategy that was mentioned in the throne speech.

Communities and resorts all over the province are beginning to plan for 2010,

particularly for the lead-up to the games and maintaining high tourist

visibility after the games.

As was

mentioned earlier today by the Premier, time is passing. The games start six

years from today. To get the best exposure and long-term tourism benefits, a

strategy for British Columbia is a necessity. I know that in my community,

hotels, the Vancouver International Airport, Tourism Richmond and individual

attractions are already excited about the possibilities and look forward to

working with provincewide initiatives to maximize benefits from the games.

The Spirit

of 2010 business summit this spring will bring together community leaders,

investors and businesses from around the province. Each community in British

Columbia has an Olympic preparation committee, and these are ready to get

involved once the procurement website is up and running. Local agencies and

businesses are gearing up to supply goods, services and tourism requirements for

the games.

Just last

fall I had the opportunity to attend a meeting of first nations leaders and

entrepreneurs from across this province. They were acquiring background

information, ideas for business development and marketing strategies to ensure

they were front and centre in terms of business and cultural involvement in the

games.

[1605]

There are

many other points in the Speech from the Throne that I could respond to, but

time is limited. However, there is one additional area I would like to cover,

because it concerns a unique perspective I gained as an MLA.

As the

House is aware, our $1 billion B.C. Rail investment partnership with CN Rail

will lead to significant economic benefits across much of this great province.

The province will receive $1 billion from CN for the operational rights on the

BCR line for the next 90 years. This will enable the province to pay off $500

million of B.C. Rail debt and invest the balance in economic development

projects across the north and transportation projects around the province.

[ Page 8521 ]

B.C. will

enjoy a new competitive rail network from our north to urban centres like

Chicago, New Orleans and Halifax. Investment in the port of Prince Rupert and

the city of Prince George will result. A new passenger tourism rail service is

proposed for routes that include Whistler, Prince George, Jasper and Prince

Rupert. Hundreds of new jobs will result from this initiative.

One of the

consequences of this new rail partnership was heightened interest by the Yukon

Territory and the state of Alaska in having CN link up with the Alaska state

railway to provide a continuous link to the southern 48 states. With the

addition of capital investment and market access available through the CN

network, Alaska sees at last an opportunity to open up their state.

I had the

opportunity to attend a transportation conference in Juneau, Alaska, last month

attended by the Governor Murkowski of Alaska and Premier Fentie of the Yukon

Territory. Both spoke of their region's desire to open up their mineral

reserves, other natural resources and consumer markets.

The United

States has allocated $6 million (U.S.) through their federal government for an

economic feasibility study for the rail line and has asked Ottawa to do the

same. I don't know whether a study will be carried out or not, but the key

lesson for us is that by entering into the CN partnership we at least make

possible, for the first time since the extension of B.C. Rail was terminated in

the 1970s, that it again could be started north from Fort St. James, Fort Nelson

or both to open up the mineral and forest resources of the northern half of our

great province. Our neighbours to the north, Alaska and the Yukon, are excited

about the British Columbia–CN Rail partnership and are very aware that B.C. is

once again open for business.

conclusion, the theme of this government's fourth throne speech is

"Bringing out the best." We have repositioned our province in terms of

our economy, our tax structure, the platform of government services, and now we

are poised to make significant social and economic strides towards 2010. Setting

goals and having measurable targets is often difficult for governments, but our

government, led by the Premier, has always laid out our new-era commitments, our

ministry service plans and our budgets for all to see.

The public

will hold us to account in May of 2005. I am proud that the initiatives laid out

in this throne speech will further us along our course towards prosperity and

enable us to bring out the best in British Columbia.

Nuraney: As the member for Burnaby-Willingdon I, too, rise to respond to the

throne speech.

The past

two and a half years have been a time of transformation for British Columbia. It

has not been an easy task being in government, trying to implement so many major

changes in such a short time. The changes we have had to make were necessary and

not made easier for the average British Columbian to bear by some of the recent

difficulties that were beyond the government's control.

The fact

that no changes in the right direction were made in the decade prior to this

government made it even harder to bring about those adjustments, which needed to

be made faster and seemingly more drastic. Because of this government's

initiatives and hard work, today we are seeing some improvement, and that, too,

is because of the resilience of British Columbians and the determination of this

government to put matters right.

[1610]

The changes

we have made have affected every aspect of this government. We have restructured

every major ministry to run more effectively and to better serve the people of

British Columbia. Whether it be allowing more flexibility and choice in schools

or replacing out-of-date equipment in our hospitals, we have made the changes

that the province had needed for many years.

Under the

previous government, health care was centralized out of the office of the

minister, with over 50 ineffective local authorities. Our government has

decentralized the control of regional authorities, and as promised in our New

Era document, we have set provincewide standards for health care. Despite

economic difficulties, we have actually increased the funding to health care. We

have also made, in spite of difficult circumstances, very difficult decisions in

reorganizing health care.

We have

also streamlined health authorities. Before we came into office, there were 52

health authorities. Under the leadership of our Premier and the Health minister,

that has now been reduced to six to eliminate waste. This government has also

recruited 538 new nurses. We have expanded training and specialization for

nurses already on the job. This government is taking care of health care, even

though our opponents accuse us of making cuts to health care and abandoning it.

In fact, we have increased funding, updated equipment and improved staffing

levels like no other government in the history of British Columbia. We are

promoting healthy living and wellness for a better quality of life.

When the

people of British Columbia elected us, we promised to restructure the education

system to provide more accountability and flexibility, and we have done that. We

have given more choice to local districts, parents and students. By amending the

School Act, we have improved the graduation requirements so that students have

more choices and districts can plan curriculums around local needs.

Our

government has also given local school boards more autonomy and flexibility in

funding. Under the previous government there were 60 directed-funding

categories. Now there are only six. Local boards know what the needs of their

communities are, and the needs of the students are far better served by the

school boards than we can do in Victoria. We also have provided three-year

funding envelopes to the districts so that they can undertake long-term planning

more accurately.

This

government is also committed to improving post-secondary education in our

province. We still

[ Page 8522 ]

have some of the most affordable tuition rates in Canada. We have increased

spaces in nursing, doctor training and social work. We have instituted loan

forgiveness for nurses who train in British Columbia and work in rural British

Columbia.

Amongst

many changes that took place, the Ministry of Children and Family Development

has undergone the most dramatic changes — that, if I may say so, under the

leadership of our Minister of Children and Family Development, who just sought

to step aside to make sure that his dreams and the challenges that he took over

are fulfilled.

When this

government came to power, we promised to stop the endless bureaucracy that

surrounded children and family services. We promised to allocate the funds to

those who needed them the most. We have promised to concentrate on the

prevention and early detection of factors that can lead to unhappy families, and

so the measures are there to make that correction. Once again, this government

had the motivation, the dedication and the social and fiscal responsibility to

deliver on these promises.

[1615]

We are

working towards establishing five aboriginal and five non-aboriginal authorities

to improve the front-line service to direct funds to the children and families

and work with the communities who know best what their needs are. The community

approach and involvement are especially successful, as who better to know their

difficulties and to allocate the funds in the right place than those who are

directly involved.

promised, this government allocated funds to where they were needed the most.

Funding for early childhood development has increased by $50 million to $348

million. The government has launched the Make Children First learning initiative

in British Columbia communities, monitoring and offering educational, physical

and social support to help identify any child at risk. One hundred and

twenty-two family resource centres have been created or enhanced to help parents

with young children. Funding has been directed towards 37 aboriginal communities

for culturally relevant early childhood development. Children under six

suffering from autism spectrum disorder have been able to receive early

intensive therapies, increasing from 75 to 500 children being treated, with

another $26 million committed to help them.

This

government has done a lot more than just lip service. We have concentrated on

providing services where they are needed, and more importantly, we have

concentrated on the prevention of broken families and children. We promised to

improve on our delivery of service, and we have done that. Making these changes

has not been an easy task. Our government has had to make a lot of difficult

decisions in our short mandate.

As if our

challenges were not difficult enough, there have been many obstacles that we've

had to overcome, and no one could have foreseen them. SARS, BSE and the worst

forest fires we have ever seen were among the challenges that we had to face. It

would have been very easy to abandon hope and give up our plans to revitalize

British Columbia, but we didn't. The spirit of British Columbia showed through

all these difficult times in the past two years and has really shown up.

British

Columbia's economy is heavily dependent on the lumber industry, and that

industry has also been dealt three bad hands in a row. We are suffering from a

massive pine beetle infestation, a crippling tariff on our exports, and this

summer we had the most destructive forest fires in the history of British

Columbia. In spite of these difficulties, the industry continues to rise to the

challenge.

Another of

British Columbia's major industries is tourism. The SARS outbreak took a heavy

toll. Again, despite incredible odds, B.C. did not give up. We went into this

summer with low expectations but high hopes, and we worked together as a

province and pulled through. British Columbia's medical professionals proved

themselves to be heroes in the way they handled the cases we had, and the SARS

threat was another example of how British Columbians pulled together and

persevered through adversity.

This summer

we thought the worst was over, and a case of BSE was found in Canada. Our beef

industry was effectively shut down and shut out of the world market. Beef

farmers in British Columbia were devastated. They, too, banded together in these

difficulties and continued to fight this challenge. More funds have now been

allocated to farmers to help them through these difficult times. In spite of

these hardships, we are pulling through and going forward.

[1620]

The

leadership of our Premier and the determination of this government helped bring

the 2010 Olympics to Vancouver. Under our leadership, there are more jobs in

British Columbia than ever before. B.C. has led Canada in job creation for the

past two years. Cutting red tape and lowering taxes has brought an unprecedented

level of investment into our province, and because of that there are more jobs.

Our work

here is not done. We are going to cut even more red tape. We are going to

modernize regulations in agriculture, environmental protection, real estate,

mining, and oil and gas exploration so that there will be more investment coming

into this province.

Our $1

billion investment partnership with B.C. Rail is going to be a much-needed shot

in the arm for British Columbia. It will give us the resources to pay off $500

million in debt entirely. This partnership will also connect Prince Rupert to

the North American rail network. This is going to make British Columbia the

point of entry for trade between Asia and North America. By bringing all this

trade through B.C., we are going to help our local economy beyond belief.

The 2010

Olympics are going to bring the world to our back yard. We will get to showcase

our spirit, our natural beauty and our amazing cultural diversity in British

Columbia. As we know, B.C. is the best place in the world to live and work, and

in six short years we

[ Page 8523 ]

will have the best chance to showcase it. The preparation for the games is

going to create hundreds of jobs and bring millions of dollars' worth of

investment.

The Spirit

of 2010 Olympics is not something we are going to have to wait six years to see.

Right now we are building and developing sport and cultural facilities, and not

only in Vancouver but all around the province.

We are also

going to take on new tourism strategies to bring people to all regions of our

province. We know that B.C. is the most beautiful place in the world, and we

don't need to wait six years to show it off. We are also going to use the 2010

games to bring together the private sector in this province. We are going to

host a summit of businesses, investors and community leaders from every part of

British Columbia. We will also be introducing an initiative called Picture B.C.

to show off photography, writing and artwork from B.C. artists, writers and

photographers.

Because of

all these successes and better fiscal management, we can now put more money into

schools. We are going to be injecting $313 million into education over the next

three years. We are also going to put over $70 million into early learning to

give B.C. youth a head start. We are also going to add 25,000 new seats in our

institutes of higher learning. We are going to inject a further $105 million

into advanced education by the end of the 2006-07 fiscal year. We are committed

to educating our young people, because only with an educated and trained

workforce will we continue to succeed at the same pace.

This

government is also committed to patients. We are going to introduce a plan to

help rural families who have to travel away from their homes for specialized

care. We are also committed to finding new and innovative ways to increase the

spaces in seniors' housing. We want to let our seniors live their golden years

with dignity and respect, which is why we are committed to finding ways to

expand independent living and home care options.

The B.C.

government is also going to work with the federal government to establish a

national centre of disease control right here in British Columbia. We already

have the leading edge in disease research in Canada. B.C.'s spirit of innovation

and forward thinking makes us the perfect home for this world leader in medical

research.

[1625]

B.C. also

is on the leading edge of democracy. We are the only place in Canada to have

brought together people from all over the province to discuss our electoral

system. We want to have the best democracy possible, and we are letting the

Citizens' Assembly work together to find out how to do it. This is the people's

Legislature, and it is our duty to the people to let them decide how best to

elect the members.

Determination

through adversity has proven to be the spirit of British Columbia, and it has

inspired this government. If the people of this province can persevere through

the giant trials they've had to face, so can this government.

The people

elected us with a clear agenda in mind. We promised British Columbians a new

era