2009 Legislative Session: Fifth Session, 38th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the

Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 40, Number 3

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Introductions by Members

Tributes

Victoria Racquet Club amateur hockey champions

Hon. I. Chong

Introductions by Members

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, 2009 (Bill M203)

B. Ralston

Statements (Standing Order 25 b )

Social workers in B.C.

J. McGinn

Canadian Agricultural Safety Week

V. Roddick

Belmont Secondary School

J. Horgan

Journée de la Francophonie

J. Nuraney

Treatments for kidney disease

K. Conroy

Ethel Tibbits Awards

J. Yap

Oral Questions

Role of Patrick Kinsella in B.C. Rail sale

L. Krog

Hon. W. Oppal

J. Horgan

B. Ralston

Government legal proceedings in Frank Paul inquiry

J. Kwan

Hon. J. van Dongen

Report recommendations from Frank Paul inquiry

M. Farnworth

Hon. J. van Dongen

Transition assistance for forest workers

B. Simpson

Hon. K. Krueger

G. Coons

Long-term care beds in Campbell River

C. Trevena

Hon. G. Abbott

Lodge on 4th seniors care facility

D. Routley

Hon. G. Abbott

Petitions

M. Karagianis

C. Trevena

J. Horgan

R. Fleming

D. Routley

S. Herbert

J. McGinn

S. Fraser

Committee of the Whole House

Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2009 (Bill 8)

Hon. I. Black

K. Conroy

Report and Third Reading of Bills

Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2009 (Bill 8)

Budget Debate (continued)

R. Thorpe

J. Brar

V. Roddick

C. Wyse

D. Hayer

J. McGinn

Hon. J. McIntyre

Speaker's Statement

Appropriate attire in the chamber

Royal Assent to Bills

Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2009 (Bill 2)

Ministerial Accountability Bases Act, 2008-2009 (Bill 4)

Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2009 (Bill 8)

Supply Act, 2008-2009 (Supplementary Estimates) (Bill 3)

Supply Act (No. 1), 2009 (Bill 5)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009

The House met at 1:34 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Introductions by Members

Hon. M. de Jong: Mr. Speaker, one of the individuals that influenced my life, earlier life in particular, a great deal is in the gallery today. He is now the mayor of the city of Abbotsford, and his name is George Peary. He is accompanied by a team that includes Frank Pizzuto and, from the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Alvin Epp.

I hope all members will make this dynamic threesome welcome here in the chamber today.

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C. Evans: Joining us, just to the left of Hansard , are Tina and Dave Coletti, their daughter Christine, her best friend Elise and Tina's sister-in-law Jodi Laurie. I explained to Christine and Elise that this building actually belongs to them, so would members please welcome their landlords.

Tributes

VICTORIA RACQUET CLUB

AMATEUR HOCKEY CHAMPIONS

Hon. I. Chong: I would like today to congratulate the Victoria Racquet Club Kings, who are from my riding of Oak Bay–Gordon Head, on their successful victory of the Vancouver Island championships for the midget triple-A division in the B.C. Amateur Hockey league.

The team, along with several parents, will be travelling to Prince George very shortly to participate in the provincial championships, which I hope are going to receive a warm welcome in my colleague's hometown. Clearly, there will be spirited competition, but I think it's appropriate to put in the Hansard records how well the Victoria Racquet Club Kings did this past year.

Their statistics — because I know how important it is for those sports fans out there — are a whopping 31 wins, seven losses and five ties. They were undefeated in the playoffs and are now on a 12-game winning streak and headed to the provincial championships.

Not only would I like to congratulate them, but I would like to wish all participating teams and volunteers and parents the very best as they participate in Prince George.

Introductions by Members

D. Chudnovsky: Today in the gallery we are joined by Rachel Marcuse. Rachel has been my constituency assistant on a part-time basis for the last number of years. She's young, dynamic, articulate and principled. She's one of the best political organizers in the province. I don't think this is the last time we'll see her in this House. Please join me in welcoming Rachel Marcuse.

Hon. K. Falcon: Today in the gallery we have three outstanding labour leaders who represent individuals who build and transport our economy. Today we are joined by Don McGill of the Teamsters, Mike Garisto from the Teamsters Rail Conference and Gary Kroeker from the Operating Engineers. I would ask the House to please make these leaders welcome.

H. Bains: In the gallery — if they haven't made it up to the gallery yet, they probably are looking around and visiting our beautiful building here — are two groups of students from Strawberry Hill School, grade 5. They are accompanied by their teachers Rapinder Gill, Sharon Goodwall and Harmony Wilson. A total of 56 of them are here. So please help me welcome them to this place.

Hon. J. McIntyre: [French was spoken.] Today I have the pleasure of welcoming His Worship Richard Stewart, mayor of Coquitlam; Dr. Réal Roy, president of the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique; Francine Bolduc from le COVAN, or VANOC; Robert Rothon from Canadian Parents for French; and Claire Grisé, president of the Société francophone de Victoria.

We also have the pleasure to welcome fifth- and sixth-grade students from Ecole Victor Brodeur in Victoria, one of the schools from the Conseil scolaire francophone.

We also had the privilege of having three athletes, Olympic-quality athletes, at our celebration: Carly Grigg, Erinne Willock and Michelle Bartlemann. I hope the House will make them all feel very welcome aujourd'hui.

M. Farnworth: It's my pleasure to welcome to this chamber, as others on the government side have done, a former MLA but now the mayor for Coquitlam, which is the Burke Mountain part of my riding. It's my pleasure to welcome Richard Stewart to this House and ask everyone to make him most welcome.

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Hon. T. Christensen: I am pleased to welcome today and hope everybody will join me in welcoming three valued employees within the Ministry of Children and Family Development. All three are involved in that somewhat unenviable position of trying to keep ministers organized, deputy ministers organized and other senior staff within the ministry organized and coordinated.

Please join me in welcoming Zita Teng, who's an executive assistant in the deputy minister's office; Breanna Viala, who's a manager of executive operations; and my own administrative coordinator, Linsey Cole. Please help me welcome them all.

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Mr. Speaker: Opposition House Leader for a second go-round.

M. Farnworth: Hon. Speaker, I don't usually get many visitors from my riding over here in Victoria.

An Hon. Member: All your friends.

M. Farnworth: Hey, no one of my immediate family has been here my entire time as an MLA — not once.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: And this isn't even question period.

M. Farnworth: There is a very important constituent in my riding, and that is Gary Kroeker. He and his members have built an awful lot of roads and bridges and schools in my constituency since 1991 and my being an MLA. I want to welcome him here and tell him that I look forward to him and his members building an awful lot more roads and bridges in my constituency in the future.

Hon. I. Chong: Earlier today I introduced an individual, and I note that he has now returned for a repeat attendance to watch us at question period. I wanted to again provide a further welcome and introduction to him. He's the Hon. Jim Kenyon, Minister of Economic Development from the Yukon. He's also responsible for the Yukon Housing Corporation, the Yukon Development Corporation and the Yukon Energy Corporation.

I know he is very familiar with many members in this House because he has been an avid supporter and participant member of the PNWER organization, so I know many members on both sides of the House will have met him over a period of years.

He joined us earlier today at an announcement. But not just that, he's come to every event and announcement thus far this morning and has decided to join us at question period. He would like us to be on our best behaviour. I hope the House would please make him welcome.

L. Krog: I apologize if the Minister of Intergovernmental Relations already introduced this person, but my ears are somewhat stuffed today. Joanne Hogan is with us, the president of the local francophone association in Nanaimo, an active supporter of community events and French culture in central Vancouver Island. I would ask the House to make her welcome, please.

Also wandering around the building is my sister-in-law Valerie Caselton and her daughter Morgan. I think it's the first time Morgan has been to this place, and as a teenager, I'm sure we're going to provide her with the greatest display possible in question period.

V. Roddick: In the gallery today are two super women who are married to great-grandsons of two of Ladner's pioneer still-farming families: Jackey Zellweger, Swedish-Irish-Swiss, and Sam Guichon, French. They both run me and my office, and I am forever grateful.

Joining them is the next generation, Chrissy Zellweger, a fabulous young lady who is here attending UVic. Would the House please make them very welcome.

H. Bloy: I'd like to introduce two great British Columbians in the gallery today. These two individuals were in Victoria today talking to the Minister of Advanced Education, proposing a public service internship program for immigrant professionals. I believe this is a great opportunity for the government to gain access to some strong professionals to work for government.

We have Patrick Coady, coordinator of the B.C. Internationally Trained Professionals Network, and Sakya Newman, who is the BCITP Victoria representative and a success story in her own right. She came from Panama four years ago and was just recently hired by the provincial government. Would the House please make them welcome.

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C. Wyse: I believe today we have visiting with us in the House two constituents from up in the Cariboo area. I say they may be here because they also may be on Cariboo time. They are in transit. I am expecting them to be here. I would ask the House to join with me in welcoming Chris and Ray Hornby from Williams Lake.

Hon. I. Black: You know, Mr. Speaker, 60 percent of the great riding of Port Moody–Westwood is contained within the city of Coquitlam. I would be remiss if I didn't add the welcome to Mayor Richard Stewart, who is the friend of many in this House. Bienvenue, mon ami .

Hon. L. Reid: I am joined today by a woman, Lynda Turney, from Duncan, British Columbia. She and I attended high school together, so we've known each other for a long, long time. I would ask this House to please make her welcome.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Safer Communities and

Neighbourhoods Act, 2009

B. Ralston presented a bill intituled Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, 2009.

B. Ralston: I move that a bill intituled Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, 2009, be introduced and read a first time now.

[ Page 14475 ]

Motion approved.

B. Ralston: The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act will help communities across the province with additional legal tools to help make neighbourhoods safer for our citizens.

This legislation provides legal methods to hold landlords accountable if a pattern of criminal activity occurs on their properties. This legislation will also provide authorities with additional means to target criminal organizations and gang-related activities operating in residential neighbourhoods.

The provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have enacted similar legislation. It works. This legislation also provides safeguards to protect vulnerable tenants who may face eviction as a result of enforcement actions.

I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill M203, Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, 2009, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25

b) SOCIAL WORKERS IN B.C.

J. McGinn: It's my great pleasure to rise in the House today to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by social workers in our community. March 9 to March 15 is Social Work Week in B.C. This year's theme is "Strength, Spirit and Compassion: Social Workers Make a Difference."

Social workers play a key role in our society by empowering individuals and their families to overcome barriers in their lives. They have the skills and dedication needed to provide help and support during this economic downturn through their work and their advocacy of social justice and standing up with communities and individuals fighting poverty, discrimination and oppression.

In my constituency of Vancouver-Fairview alone, social workers make a tremendous impact in a variety of settings. At Little Mountain Neighbourhood House social workers provide support for families facing financial and life challenges. At the Jewish Family Services Agency social workers have developed programs to help people with mental disabilities in our community.

At the SAFER program social workers provide counselling to suicidal individuals and their families during their darkest hours and promote healing. At the Vancouver General Hospital and the Children's and Women's hospital, social workers provide crisis support and advocacy to ensure that patients get the support they need and deserve.

Unfortunately, the current reality is that our social workers have to help more people with fewer resources than ever before because of the cutbacks we've seen over the last eight years. I hope we can use Social Work Week to recognize the vital role that social workers play in our society but also to look ahead at how far we have left to go in supporting some of our most hard-working, caring citizens.

We need to recognize social workers do make a difference in B.C. and make sure that they have the resources necessary to provide the help that they do.

CANADIAN AGRICULTURAL SAFETY WEEK

V. Roddick: It is Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, and we want to recognize this in British Columbia.

On behalf of the province, our deepest condolences to the families of the three workers that lost their lives last fall in Langley.

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This incident has highlighted the need to be ever-mindful of safety issues and the need for adequate training in all industries. However, as the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and as someone who is active in agribusiness, I know firsthand how important it is that we look out for everyone's well-being and safety.

FARSHA, the Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association, funded through WorkSafe B.C., has recently brought in a Spanish contractor and employs Vietnamese- and Punjabi-speaking coordinators to provide safety training to workers in Delta and across B.C. The western agricultural labour initiative, WALI, facilitates and coordinates requests for temporary foreign workers.

A single accident is one accident too many, but it is encouraging that in the last few years, the injury rate in agriculture is on the decline. In recognition of farm safety week, I would like to say thank you to everyone who is dedicated to the task of ensuring safe, proper housing and working conditions.

Agriculture is often hard manual labour, the importance of which is often overlooked. I would urge everyone to remember how important farmers and farmworkers are to life in B.C., because we all still have to eat to live.

BELMONT SECONDARY SCHOOL

J. Horgan: Last week I attended an evening at the Grammies, a gala celebration of music performed by an exceptional group of students at Belmont Secondary School in Langford. Every year I attend musical productions at Belmont, and every year I'm astounded at the sheer talent of the students and the effort taken by the participants, teachers, parents and other volunteers to produce such professional events.

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Belmont is also a leader in green thinking and environmental learning. Through its various green teams, students are learning to be environmental stewards and taking the initiative to make our community and our world more sustainable. I encourage all schools in the district to participate in the Belmont Earth Hour challenge hosted by the school's eco-committee and turn off their classroom lights at one o'clock, Friday, March 27.

Belmont's hockey school academy is committed to supporting the development of young hockey players. Soccer, volleyball, basketball and football are all flourishing parts of a successful athletic program.

The arts, the environment, trades, athletics and academics — these are just a few of the impressive programs provided by the one and only high school in the West Shore located in the fastest-growing area of the province. These students can take pride in their accomplishments, and the teachers can take pleasure in helping develop our next generation of leaders.

Tonight at 7:30 district 62 is holding a public forum at Belmont to discuss the pressing need to replace the old building. As a local MLA and a parent of two Belmont grads, I encourage all community members to come out and participate in this discussion. Despite the crumbling walls, the duct tape covering the holes in the floor and a leaky roof, there is strong school spirit. But the time has come to build a new school for the 21st century. Let's get on with it.

JOURNÉE DE LA FRANCOPHONIE

J. Nuraney: [French was spoken.]

I am pleased to announce that on March 20, 2009, we will have a proclamation for the Journée de la Francophonie in British Columbia. As the House will not be sitting on that day, we are taking advantage to make this declaration today.

This year Francophonie Day of 2009 was celebrated in style earlier this afternoon here in the rotunda of the legislative building. This year's event was hosted by my colleague the Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations, who is also responsible for francophone affairs. The celebration was attended by many in the Francophonie community. It was filled with music, fun, friends and great food.

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This year's theme of B.C. Francophonie Day is sports and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. These francophone athletes — Erinne Willock, Carly Grigg, Michelle Bartlemann — were recognized. I'm sure that we all wish them best of luck in their future endeavours in both winter and summer sports.

My colleague the Minister of Healthy Living and Sport was also part of today's celebration. The minister invited us to adopt a healthy lifestyle not only to maintain good health but also as a tribute to our athletes who are training hard to compete in Olympic and Paralympic Games.

To commemorate this historic fact this year, the year 2009, the city of Coquitlam is celebrating the foundation of the presence of francophone communities in British Columbia with the 100th anniversary of Maillardville, where the first francophone community emerged.

TREATMENTS FOR KIDNEY DISEASE

K. Conroy: A number of members in this House and their families have had challenging health experiences. Our family is no different, due to the ongoing experience my husband Ed has had with many levels of health care throughout the province. March being Kidney Month in B.C. and today being World Kidney Day, I want to talk about the latest focus in our life, and that would be kidneys.

Last year I acknowledged the amazing people who work in the regional renal unit in Trail, who continue to provide the excellent dialysis service for Ed and others in a caring and compassionate manner. Again, I say a huge thanks to all of them for being there.

In the last year we've had the pleasure of getting to know the staff from the renal unit at Kelowna General Hospital, another great group of caring professionals. I want to thank them too.

Our journey has taken us into the world of kidney disease, and it has taken us on another turn. Ed has now become eligible for a kidney transplant, a transplant that would not only give him a much better quality of life but save the health care system thousands of dollars in dialysis cost. The transplants are cost-effective. The average cost of dialysis treatment is $50,000 a year. By comparison, the one-time cost of a kidney transplant is $20,000.

I want to thank the people who work with the B.C. Renal Agency throughout the province and the kidney team at B.C. Transplant. Today in B.C., 220 people are actually waiting for a kidney transplant. For them, the wait-list for a cadaver donor kidney can be up to eight years.

However, with the new programs that have been introduced, there are more opportunities for living donors to make that gift of life. Family members with the same blood type who can meet all the requirements can donate a kidney. The paired kidney exchange program makes it possible for patients with living donors who are not blood-type compatible to swap donors with another couple in the same situation, enabling two kidney patients to receive a transplant.

[ Page 14477 ]

Just recently we have learned of another option, an option that will be available to us only because of research. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the medical researchers, the unsung heroes who work in their labs and struggle through the complexities of kidney disease and once in a while say: "Eureka. We have it."

This time they have. They have found a way for an A donor, me, to potentially give an O recipient, Ed, a kidney. For that I want to say thanks. Thanks on behalf of all the families who, like our family, could potentially benefit.

ETHEL TIBBITS AWARDS

J. Yap: The 16th annual Ethel Tibbits Women of Distinction Awards were held on Tuesday with 300 community members in attendance to celebrate the achievements of a truly distinguished group of women who embody the spirit of community. The awards are named in honour of the Richmond Review newspaper's visionary editor Ethel Tibbits.

Ethel became editor in 1934 and was well known for her outspoken nature and her passion for standing up for what she believed in, characteristics that all of the award winners share. Ethel Tibbits was truly one of a kind and the perfect inspiration for awards to honour women who carry on her tradition of community work. With 27 nominees in total, the organizers had quite the task to pick winners, as all the women nominated were truly deserving of recognition.

Melanie Pudlas, a three-time nominee, was awarded the arts award for her work in dance at the Richmond arts centre. Prianka Dhir, an R.C. Palmer Secondary student, won the youth award for her volunteering. With over 30 years of experience with coaching and skating, Connaught figure skating club's Marilyn Grubb took home the sports award. Ami McKay was awarded the business award for her environmentally friendly line of furniture.

Frances Clark was awarded, in a new category, the pioneer award for her advocacy for and founding of the Richmond Centre for Disability. A winner close to my heart, Nina Graham, a longtime friend, won the community award for her extensive volunteering in Richmond.

The Ethel Tibbits Awards also serve as a fundraiser for Nova House, a domestic violence shelter, the Richmond Hospital maternity ward and the Richmond Women's Resource Centre, as well as funding a scholarship for women returning to school.

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Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, please join me in thanking these six women and all the other nominees for giving their time and energy towards making Richmond and, indeed, British Columbia a better place.

Oral Questions

ROLE OF PATRICK KINSELLA

IN B.C. RAIL SALE

L. Krog: Yesterday the Attorney General said he couldn't answer questions about Mr. Kinsella because the B.C. Rail corruption case is before the courts. Later he said he had no idea if payments to Mr. Kinsella were before the courts. The fact remains that the Premier's friend and campaign manager received $300,000 in public money, and this government thinks it's none of the public's business to know what he was paid for.

My question is to the Attorney General. Why did B.C. Rail pay $300,000 to the Premier's friend, and why is the Premier hiding the truth?

Hon. W. Oppal: I have no idea if any of those facts alleged are accurate or not, and I'm not going to comment on them.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

L. Krog: Perhaps the Attorney General is not aware that B.C. Rail is a Crown corporation. Perhaps he's not aware that he's the chief legal spokesperson for this government. Perhaps he's not aware that this is not the B.C. Court of Appeal and that he's expected to actually answer public questions in a public place.

I want to ask him again: what did Mr. Kinsella do for $300,000? Tell us here in this chamber today.

Hon. W. Oppal: Perhaps the member doesn't know, but the matter of B.C. Rail is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and I will not make any comment on it.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a further supplemental.

L. Krog: The facts are not in dispute. They are public record. Mr. Kinsella and his companies received $300,000 of taxpayers' money. The question is: what did he do that he got paid to do for $300,000? A big chunk of change for most people in the streets of Victoria. Taxpayers' dollars. Let this Attorney General stand in this House today and tell us: what did Mr. Kinsella do for $300,000?

Hon. W. Oppal: The fact that something is of public record does not mean that it can be the subject of comment. Every piece of evidence given in a courtroom is a matter of public record. Every document that's ever filed in a courtroom is a matter of public record. That doesn't mean that we need to comment on it.

J. Horgan: Yesterday in this place the Attorney General said he would not comment on Mr. Kinsella's

[ Page 14478 ]

contract for $300,000. Yesterday in the hallway he went on at some length talking about whether or not the case was relevant, whether or not Mr. Kinsella's contract was or was not relevant.

So I'm curious, and I'm certain that people in this House are curious and that the people of British Columbia are curious. What is it today? Is it what you're going to say in the House or out of the House that matters? Three hundred thousand bucks of public money up in smoke. We don't know what happened.

What did he do? Give us something. Give us anything so we can go back to our constituents and say you're not squandering tax dollars to political pals.

Hon. W. Oppal: Yesterday it's fairly clear that the opposition drew a link between the B.C. Rail trial and Mr. Kinsella, and I'm not going to answer the question. [Applause.]

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

J. Horgan: A tepid round of applause for the non-answers. They're getting silent on the other side, because they're as concerned as we are. I'm absolutely convinced that every backbencher on that side of the House, when they go back to their communities, wants to know what the Premier's pal did for 300 grand.

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If the Attorney won't answer, maybe Mr. Infrastructure can answer. Maybe the Minister of Transportation has an idea of what he could have done if he had $300,000, rather than giving it to a guy who did nothing.

Hon. W. Oppal: You know, yesterday a defence lawyer in the Provincial Court in Vancouver made a comment.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Continue, Attorney.

Hon. W. Oppal: Yesterday a defence lawyer in the Provincial Court in Vancouver made reference to certain comments that I had made, general comments that I had made, regarding bail law in this province. He used my comments to….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue, Attorney.

Hon. W. Oppal: He argued before the judge that it was inappropriate for the Attorney General to be making general comments about the law on bail. He argued that that jeopardized his client's right to a fair hearing. I would think that the members opposite would….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue, Attorney.

Hon. W. Oppal: The opposition members seem to have missed the point. It underscores the reason for the rule that people in this House should not be commenting on those matters that are before the court.

B. Ralston: I think the Attorney General has the obligation to give us the other side of the story, which is what the judge said — that those comments of that defence lawyer had absolutely no bearing on the decision that she proposed to make. So can the Attorney General tell us here in this House: what did Mr. Kinsella do for that $300,000?

Hon. W. Oppal: Obviously, that member there has missed the whole point of the argument. The fact is that it's the appearance of justice. It's the appearance of people in this House making comments about matters before the court. I well know that the judge, at the end of the day….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Continue, Attorney.

Hon. W. Oppal: I well know that at the end of the day, the judge dismissed the argument. That's not the point. The point is that no one in here should be even speaking about those matters before the court.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Continue, Attorney.

Hon. W. Oppal: The point is, the principle is that we operate under the doctrine of separation of powers, and we should not even be commenting on anything that is directly or indirectly before the courts. That member well knows that. He is a member of the Bar.

government legal proceedings

in FRANK PAUL INQUIRY

J. Kwan: "Frank Paul died cold and alone in a back alley in Vancouver sometime on December 5 to 6, 1998." That's the opening line of the interim report by the Davies commission, which the government finally released today, after sitting on it for six weeks.

Commissioner Davies is unable to provide a final and full report because the Attorney General commenced legal proceedings to block a key part of the inquiry. The family of Frank Paul, his friends and the public want closure. They deserve answers, not more stonewalling.

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Will the Attorney General commit today to end the legal barriers, to stop the stonewalling and allow the commission to complete its work?

Hon. J. van Dongen: As the member stated, the Attorney General tabled the report today of the commission of inquiry into the death of Frank Paul. Frank Paul was a native man in the Downtown Eastside.

I want to, first of all, express the sympathy of the government to the family and friends of Frank Paul. I also want to acknowledge the first nations leadership who supported this inquiry.

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I think it's important to note that the report is very clear in that the system failed Frank Paul, both in terms of the conduct of the police and the subsequent review of their conduct, and in terms of the social services that were available to him. They did not meet his needs in terms of his medical condition and his possible addictions.

The criminal justice branch, in answer to the member's question, felt it was an important principle of independence that needed to be upheld. The decision of the B.C. Supreme Court in that regard is currently in the B.C. Court of Appeal, and we can't comment any further on that at this point.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

J. Kwan: Commissioner Davies, a respected judge, ruled that he had the authority to fully investigate. The ruling was upheld by another respected B.C. Supreme Court judge. Justice Melnick wrote: "By personally signing the order-in-council establishing the inquiry's terms of reference, the Attorney General was effectively giving the Assistant Deputy Attorney General in charge of the branch a lawful, binding directive under

section 6 of the Crown Counsel Act to waive both immunity and privilege."

Two judges have ruled on this now. If the Attorney General truly believes that the family and friends of Frank Paul and the public deserve to know the truth, all the circumstances related to the death of Frank Paul, will he stand up today and waive and remove the legal barriers and roadblocks?

Hon. J. van Dongen: The criminal justice branch feels there's an important principle at issue here in our system of justice, in our legal system. B.C. Supreme Court decisions are appealable to the B.C. Court of Appeal. That's a decision made by the criminal justice branch to follow through on that appeal.

Report recommendations

from Frank paul inquiry

M. Farnworth: The report says the system failed Frank Paul. The recommendations in that report are to ensure that the system never fails anyone again, and they're to fix the flaws and the failures. Does the Solicitor General support those recommendations, and will the government be implementing all the recommendations in the report?

Hon. J. van Dongen: The government will be review­ing all of the recommendations carefully, but it's important to note that our government has been acting on all of the issues that have been raised by Commissioner Davies.

Our government has been acting on a number of fronts on those issues — for example, changes in the Coroners Act that were initiated in 2007 and the Josiah Wood report looking into the independent police complaint process, which we commissioned and which forms the foundation for the Police Act amendments that have been tabled in this House.

Through the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Housing and Social Development and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, our government is acting to implement programs for people in terms of medical aid and addictions treatment that are specifically targeted to help people like Frank Paul.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

M. Farnworth: The government's had the report for six weeks. The minister, by saying that they're working on some of the recommendations, the information and the issues raised by these recommendations, clearly indicates that the government has been thinking about which recommendations to implement and which not to implement.

Can the minister tell this House when we will know which specific recommendations will be implemented? And can he also tell this House which recommendations the government does not intend to move on?

Hon. J. van Dongen: It's important to note that the tragic event that is the subject of this inquiry happened in December of 1998. On all of the issues raised in the report and in the recommendations, the 12 recommendations in the report…. On all of those issues, the government has been acting — in some cases, starting years ago.

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Our government will continue to implement elements of the report that haven't been implemented, and we will continue to pursue the very specific recommendations that Commissioner Davies made. For example, he suggested there needs to be a civilian-based addictions treatment service particularly geared to first nations people in the Downtown Eastside.

In 1998 there were 12 aboriginal service providers in the Downtown Eastside. None of them provided the specific service that Frank Paul needed. The Vancouver

[ Page 14480 ]

Coastal Health Authority is putting in place an alcohol management program that will specifically meet the recommendations made by Commissioner Davies.

TRANSITiON ASSISTANCE FOR

FOREST WORKERS

B. Simpson: I ask the Minister of Community Development to inform this House of the exact date that forest workers will be able to apply for transition assistance.

Hon. K. Krueger: We are reconstituting the group of stakeholders that advised us when we first rolled out the community development trust. When we have their recommendations, we'll be inviting applications again. I don't have a firm date yet.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

B. Simpson: The last opportunity that forest workers had to apply was August 15, 2008. Tens of thousands of forest workers and their families have lost their jobs or had their jobs put at risk since then. They have been pleading with this minister, the Minister of Forests and the Premier's office to give them another opportunity to get transition assistance.

The former mayor of Williams Lake suggests that their unemployment rate in Williams Lake is hovering around 35 percent. The minister must inform these families, give them some certainty. When are you going to reopen transition assistance for these workers? What date will that happen?

Hon. K. Krueger: We had 2,294 applications for transition assistance. Some 83 percent of those have been approved. The average payment has been $36,813.

We feel tremendous concern and compassion for displaced workers in the forest industry and other industries in British Columbia in these tough economic times. The throne speech made a commitment to expanding these programs to other resource industries.

In the meantime, we're employing hundreds of British Columbians through the job opportunities program, and we've had 1,538 applications for tuition assistance and a 90 percent approval rate on those. As I said to the member, we're working on the question that he's asked, and that is what I've been conveying to workers and their representatives.

G. Coons: Workers need help now. It's obvious by this minister's response that he's so out of touch with what's happening in rural British Columbia. He's got to get hold of this file.

Gary Weeks, a registered log scaler from the Queen Charlottes, is one of the thousands of British Columbians neglected by this government. He's desperately looking for help from the minister. He says, "The forest industry and my family need assistance now," and that if the transitional assistance program was open, he would be the first to apply.

My question to the minister: what date will it be open for applications so that hard-working British Columbians like Gary Weeks and the thousands of other workers get the help they need?

Hon. K. Krueger: Many of the workers that we're talking about have already also applied for tuition assistance, and those decisions continue to be made. We are presently taking action right across the province to ensure that there's work available to displaced people from all the resource industries. This includes a $14 billion investment in important infrastructure projects.

[1420]

Jobs are being created constantly through the job opportunities program, and also through these many infrastructure grants that are being announced. Some were announced again today. Jobs are tremendously important to British Columbians. Jobs are the first and highest priority of this government.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

G. Coons: This deliberate neglect and abandonment by this minister is shameful. Workers deserve respect and action from this minister.

In Sandspit, Joni Fraser, who works in the forest industry, says she lives in a ghost town where the biggest export besides raw logs is our young people. She says that this Liberal government has been sucking the life out of our industry and that workers, families and communities are nothing but political pawns to be sacrificed by this government.

Will the minister commit today to opening up the needed applications and putting in provincial money so that workers and families get the help they need?

Hon. K. Krueger: I have in front of me a printout which indicates that there's been a job opportunities program grant to Port Clements in the member's riding. I see that there have been six in the member's riding — who represents Columbia River–Revelstoke. I see that the member for Cariboo South has had eight different job opportunity program approvals.

We think that….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Take your seat, Member.

Members. Members.

Continue, Minister.

[ Page 14481 ]

Hon. K. Krueger: The forestry critic, the member for Cariboo North, of all people, just said these are weed-whacking jobs. That is so demeaning and disrespectful to the workers, who are eager to take these jobs, and their employers.

We had the same kind of commentary from the NDP candidate in Kamloops–North Thompson the other day — and people that he brought with him to an announcement. I can tell the member that that's very offensive to the people who fill these jobs, who generally are making $20 per hour or more.

LONG-TERM CARE BEDS

IN CAMPBELL RIVER

C. Trevena: John Hussey has been living in Campbell River for more than a quarter of a century. He's on an emergency list for long-term care. There are six beds open at New Horizons, but they're private. So Mr. Hussey has been told he has to go to Courtenay.

VIHA has said that Campbell River needs at least 60 more beds to deal with the current needs in our community. To the Minister of Health: why can't those six beds be used to start to ease the crisis?

Hon. G. Abbott: I thank the member for her question. I'm pleased to note, first of all, back in 2001, 127 total long-term care beds in Campbell River — today 248 long-term care beds. That is a 95 percent increase in the number of residential care and assisted-living beds serving the community of Campbell River. So….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Continue, Minister.

Hon. G. Abbott: I have been fully briefed on the case of Mr. Hussey. There are some details of that case that I think are inappropriate to share with the member in this House. I'd be glad to do that outside this House.

Needless to say, Mr. Hussey has not been obliged to go out of the community. He can remain in the community with supports if that's his wish, or he can undertake to utilize the residential care option that's been provided to him in Courtenay. He is not obliged to undertake that if he does not wish to.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

C. Trevena: Mr. Hussey is being told that if he wants public care, he has to go to Courtenay. If he had $69,000 a year, he could stay in his hometown of Campbell River. That is blatantly unfair.

[1425]

I'd like to ask the Minister of Health: will he commit to putting public health dollars into public long-term care beds so people can stay in their communities and not be forced out when they need to stay in their communities?

Hon. G. Abbott: This member, like so many of her colleagues, is attempting to talk out of both sides of her mouth. There has been, as I noted, a 95 percent increase since 2001 in the number of residential care and assisted-living units in Campbell River.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Take your seat for a second, Member.

Members.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. G. Abbott: New Horizons, which the member referenced, is 86 total units, and 80 of those are under contract with the Vancouver Island Health Authority. Six are private-pay beds. The member, if I hear her correctly, is saying that we should acquire all of the private-pay beds in communities as well as the 80 that we have contracted.

Obviously, they're attempting to say two different things here. Is the member telling me now that somehow we should acquire all the private-pay beds in the province? If she is, they've made another new, interesting policy pronouncement on the fly here. But I do look forward to hearing from her now just exactly what the NDP's position is on this.

LODGE ON 4th SENIORS CARE FACILITY

D. Routley: Talking out of both sides of one's mouth is promising 5,000 long-term care beds and then switching that with assisted living…

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Member, just take your seat.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Just stay sitting down.

Continue, Member.

D. Routley: …and breaking that promise. That's talking out of both sides of your mouth, Minister. That's what the B.C. Liberal government has done.

The Lodge on 4th in Ladysmith is a privately operated seniors facility, and it continues to be a problem. The staff struggle to continue giving adequate care despite diminishing and decreasing staffing levels. The residents, their families, this member — we support those noble efforts. But there just isn't enough staff.

[ Page 14482 ]

I've asked the minister in question period. I've asked in estimates. I've asked Mr. Waldner, the CEO of VIHA, directly. The operator says VIHA isn't providing enough funds. VIHA says the operator is a bad businessman. The minister just points at both and says it's their problem.

The people of Ladysmith have had enough of this passing the buck. The minister is responsible to provide care levels to seniors. What will he do today to ensure care levels at Lodge on 4th?

Hon. G. Abbott: I'm well familiar with the issues at the Lodge on 4th in Ladysmith. I had the opportunity to meet with the owners and managers of that group to try to better understand the situation that faced them, and I can advise the member that the Vancouver Island Health Authority is working hard to attempt to resolve the challenges that face the Lodge on 4th.

But the Lodge on 4th — it's interesting — is one of the facilities that comprise the more than 5,800 units that we have delivered across the province of British Columbia since 2005.

[1430]

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. G. Abbott: In the 2005 election we promised an incremental 5,000 residential care and assisted-living beds. Today, over 5,800 incremental units of residential care and assisted living. Further….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. G. Abbott: I am remarkably proud to be a part of a government that not only delivered on that promise but also has taken more than 6,000 substandard units that we inherited from the New Democratic Party — substandard units, narrow hallways. We've remediated those units. Quantitatively and qualitatively, we have the best seniors care ever in the history of British Columbia.

[End of question period.]

M. Karagianis: Mr. Speaker, I have a petition to present.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

M. Karagianis: I have here in excess of 7,500 names of petition asking to ensure that old-growth forests survive and to stop exporting jobs and logs.

C. Trevena: I have a petition to present.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

C. Trevena: I have a petition with 2,000 signatures calling on the government to protect old growth and also to protect jobs by stopping exporting logs.

J. Horgan: I have a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

J. Horgan: I have a petition with over 2,000 names calling on this place to protect old-growth forests and to ensure that we stop exporting logs.

R. Fleming: I have two petitions this afternoon. The first is from constituents demanding that the B.C. government take immediate action to address current funding shortfalls and to support the public education system.

The second petition is from constituents of the south Island to reduce tuition fees, increase funding to improve the quality of our education system, restore upfront provincial grants and reduce interest rates on B.C. student loans.

D. Routley: A petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

D. Routley: I have a petition signed by over 1,700 Vancouver Island residents calling for the protection of old-growth forests and the banning of raw log exports.

S. Herbert: I'm presenting a petition seeking for this House to take action to stop exporting our jobs with our raw logs and to stand up for our ancient forests.

J. McGinn: I present a petition of 4,500 names to urge action by the government to protect our ancient forests and to stop exporting our jobs with our logs.

S. Fraser: I'm submitting 25 pounds of petitions urging action to ensure that we have old-growth forests for the future and that we stop exporting our jobs with our logs. The total is 30,000 signatures.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: I call committee stage debate on Bill 8, Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2009.

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[ Page 14483 ]

Committee of the Whole House

Workers Compensation

Amendment Act, 2009

The House in Committee of the Whole on Bill 8; H. Bloy in the chair.

The committee met at 2:37 p.m.

Hon. I. Black: I just wanted to very quickly introduce the staff I have with me. I have my deputy minister, Paul Straszak, from the Labour side of our ministry as well as Michael Tanner, who is our director of legislation.

Just to remind members of what Bill 8 is accomplishing. This amendment will enact a lung cancer presumption for firefighters who are non-smokers, effective May 27, 2008, as announced publicly by the former Minister of Labour and Citizens' Services in May of 2008.

It establishes the presumption that if a qualifying firefighter contracts primary site lung cancer, WorkSafe B.C. must presume that it was caused by the worker's employment as a firefighter, unless the contrary is proved. This presumption means that firefighters will be eligible for workers compensation benefits without having to provide scientific and medical evidence that the cancer was caused by their work in their specific situation.

Section 1 approved.

section 2.

K. Conroy: Just on subsection 2(c)(ii), in the case of primary site lung cancer, and the date of May 27, 2008. Why is the date May 27, '08, the date that it's retroactive to?

Hon. I. Black: The date is such because that is the day the government announced its intention to provide this presumption.

K. Conroy: Then am I clear in understanding that any firefighters who potentially contracted the disease prior to that date will not be eligible for the retroactivity on this bill?

Hon. I. Black: Those individuals would not get the benefit of presumption, but their cases would be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis by WorkSafe B.C.

K. Conroy: To clarify, then. If that was the case, why would the minister not have just made it so that their cases would be approved as of April 11, 2005, like all the other cases have been set in the previous bill?

[1440]

Hon. I. Black: We're not providing the retroactivity earlier than that date in order to maintain consistency for the workers compensation system. Generally, the historical approach for workers compensation legislation in British Columbia is that changes that affect entitlement to benefits are not retroactive.

K. Conroy: I need clarification on that, then, please. You said that it would be done on a case-by-case basis, but now you're saying that due to the Workers Compensation Act, they will not be retroactive.

Hon. I. Black: It is the presumption that is not retroactive. The individual cases will be adjudicated by WorkSafe B.C. on a case-by-case basis.

K. Conroy: Then what this legislation is setting up is that firemen and their families who have contracted lung cancer through non-smoking will have to go to WCB and plead their case on a case-by-case basis. Once they are already struggling with the effects of lung cancer, they will have to also go to WCB and plead their case in order for it to be compensable?

Hon. I. Black: If the firefighters were diagnosed with lung cancer on or after May 27, 2008, they will receive the benefit of the presumption that it is job-caused, and if the diagnosis is prior to that date, then their case will be adjudicated by WorkSafe B.C., as it does with many other ailments.

K. Conroy: To that end, I'd like to propose an amendment to the bill, which I've already supplied to the Chair.

I'd just like to amend it as follows.

[Section 2(

c) is amended by repealing the phrase "May 27, 2008" and substituting the following: November 16, 2005]

The Chair: Minister, do you want to talk to it?

On the amendment.

Hon. I. Black: This question and this proposed amendment. The content of it and the spirit of it have already been canvassed. This is about maintaining consistency with the workers compensation system in general. The historical approach for workers compensation legislation in B.C. is that changes that affect entitlement to benefits are not retroactive.

The Chair: Having examined the amendment, the amendment is out of order as it creates an impost, which is out of order in the hands of a private member, contrary to Standing Order 67.

Amendment ruled out of order.

[ Page 14484 ]

K. Conroy: Thank you for that ruling, and it's unfortunate that firefighters who have contracted lung cancer prior to this date will have to go through the process, as explained by the minister. In fact, November 16 was the first time that lung cancer was introduced in the House through a motion by the member for New Westminster. So that is actually the first date that it was first introduced in the House, not May 27, 2008. But I will accept the Chair's ruling on that.

Section 2 approved.

section 3.

K. Conroy: Under "interim period," it means "the period starting May 27, 2008 and ending on the effective date." So I know this has been canvassed, but I just want to bring it to the attention of the Chair that we are again asking for that interim period to be changed to November 16, 2005, because that is actually the date that the whole issue of lung cancer and presumption of lung cancer was first introduced in this House by the member for New Westminster.

[1445]

I think that would be the date that should be effective, as opposed to May 27, 2008.

Hon. I. Black: I appreciate the perspective of the member opposite, though I may not agree with it, nor the historical account. However, the context and content of that question has been asked and answered.

K. Conroy: Just for the minister's knowledge, the historical account is in Hansard , so it's there for his reading. But I have put the amendment forward.

I would like to acknowledge another amendment that I've put forward.

The Chair: Proceed.

K. Conroy: That's under

section 3.

[Section 3 is amended by repealing the phrase "May 27, 2008" and substituting the following: November 16, 2005]

On the amendment.

The Chair: After reviewing the proposed amendment, the amendment is out of order as it creates an impost, which is out of the hands of a private member, contrary to Standing Order 67.

Amendment ruled out of order.

Sections 3 and 4 approved.

Title approved.

Hon. I. Black: I move that the committee rise and report the bill complete without amendment.

Motion approved.

The committee rose at 2:47 p.m.

The House resumed; Mr. Speaker in the chair.

Report and

Third Reading of Bills

WORKERS COMPENSATION

AMENDMENT ACT, 2009

Bill 8, Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2009, reported complete without amendment, read a third time and passed.

Hon. I. Chong: I now call continued debate on the budget.

Budget Debate

(continued)

R. Thorpe: I rise to speak on Budget 2009 and my support for Budget 2009. It is the right budget for the challenges we face today — the right budget at the right time.

[H. Bloy in the chair.]

The world is in global recession — the first time there has been a global recession since World War II. Budget 2009 takes into account the world situation all Canadians and all British Columbians are facing. Yet despite unprecedented global economic turmoil, our Budget 2009 shows British Columbians that your government is listening. In these tough economic times we will improve public services and make critical investments to create jobs — yes, jobs — here in British Columbia.

Budget 2009 plans to create tens of thousands of jobs, and Budget 2009 positions British Columbia as a leader for the economic recovery. Budget 2009 invests almost $14 billion in infrastructure programs in every region of British Columbia. Yes, jobs.

Over the years, our government has developed great working partnerships. The first partnership that I'm very proud of is the one….

[1450]

I want to say thanks to the citizens and the mayors and councils in Summerland, in Peachland, in west Kelowna, Central Okanagan regional district and the Westbank First Nation. We have worked together in partnership to move our communities forward.

With our federal government, I want to thank my MP for the area that I live in, the Hon. Stockwell Day, for his

[ Page 14485 ]

commitment to British Columbians. British Columbian taxpayers want their elected representatives to work together, and we have an excellent working relationship. Thank you, Stockwell, for working so closely with us to achieve the goals that British Columbians want.

I also want to thank Prime Minister Stephen Harper for working in partnership with British Columbia and to acknowledge the support and leadership he has shown British Columbia in working in a very positive partnership with our Premier and our province. Thank you, Prime Minister.

I also want to thank all British Columbians who have worked in partnership with our government over the past eight years. Together with British Columbians, and by working hard, we have restored British Columbia as one of Canada's leading provinces.

As a caring fiscal hawk, I was driven to public office with the goal to restore fiscal responsibility, balance budgets, cut red tape, reduce unemployment and build a strong economy so that we could help those truly in need and so our children could find jobs close to home and not have to leave the Okanagan, not have to leave British Columbia.

We have achieved so much by working together in partnership with British Columbians: the best economy British Columbia has seen for years, in the past eight years; and the lowest personal income tax rates in Canada, here in British Columbia. We have achieved the lowest unemployment rates we've seen in the past 30 years, right here in British Columbia.

I'm particularly pleased that the significant reduction in youth unemployment has taken place so that our best and brightest can stay in British Columbia, find opportunity in British Columbia, find opportunities in their communities. By building strong communities, we build a strong province, and I'm so proud of that. Also, British Columbians working together have re-established British Columbia with a triple-A credit rating. And yes, today our students and our youth can find jobs in the Okanagan, one of the fastest-growing parts of the province of British Columbia.

Budget 2009 builds stability, builds confidence, creates jobs in every region of British Columbia in these unprecedented times of economic challenge. British Columbians know where our government stands and what our government's plans are. They know because we've told them.

But the question is…. The question that British Columbians want answered is: what is the NDP going to do? We know that the NDP destroyed the fiscal credibility of British Columbia in the '90s, destroyed our credit rating, doubled our debt, increased taxes for all and made British Columbia a have-not province. NDP equals fiscal mismanagement.

The current leader of the NDP says she has changed how the NDP would manage B.C.'s finances. This is a quote from the Leader of the Opposition: "I believe strongly in balanced budgets. I believe strongly in making sure that fiscal situations are strong and that our economy is strong." That's what the Leader of the Opposition said on November 6. Another quote that I have here says: "I've said all along that I believed in balance budgets. I believe in fiscal responsibility." That's what the Leader of the Opposition said on January 28 of this year.

But then there's the NDP Finance critic. The member for Surrey-Whalley recently — after voting for balanced-budget legislation that would see the budget balanced in 2011-2012 — said: "That's the law at the present time, yes." Quite frankly, that translates to: the NDP will not honour the balanced-budget legislation that they voted for in this House only a couple of weeks ago. Hypocrites. That's what they are — hypocrites.

Then the member for Surrey-Whalley said the following, on The Bill Good Show on November 25: "We're committed, and what our leader has said is that if the money is not there, we won't spend it. Our commitment is to undertake these initiatives and keep them within a balanced budget." One day they say this; one day they say that.

[1455]

It sounds like the same old NDP to me. Sounds like Glen Clark is in this building somewhere. British Columbians, take note. Take note, British Columbians, that if the NDP are ever re-elected in British Columbia and bring their reckless and irresponsible tax and spend and tax and spend as in the '90s here, British Columbia will fall backwards once again.

Another quote from the Leader of the Opposition. When people say things, when people are leaders, people actually expect that they're going to do what they say. So let us just do this quote. "We will come forward with a fully costed election platform, just as we did in the last election. It will be done with a balanced budget." That is on the Voice of the Province of October of this past year.

The election cycle is four years. That's what the election cycle is, but our budget cycle is three years, so one would obviously think that the Leader of the Opposition was going to bring forward a detailed, costed platform for three years, just as the government has tabled.

Then on March 10 what does a senior insider of the NDP caucus from Nanaimo say, the one that always stands in this House and demands transparency and full disclosure? What did he say on CKNW? He said that the NDP will produce a platform "for one year of finances only" — so it's the old move-the-numbers-around trick, the old fudge-it budget — and would not make commitments. "No commitments beyond the first year." There's the NDP, same old tricks. Glen, where are you?

The reckless NDP leader is breaking another commitment. Refusing to produce a three-year budget plan proves the NDP have no intention to live up to their

[ Page 14486 ]

commitment to balance the budget by 2011-2012, as they voted unanimously in this House to do. The NDP are here to try to deceive British Columbians, and we know they just want to spend, spend, spend.

It's true. The picture is clear. The NDP have not learned from their errors of the 1990s, and they want British Columbia to believe that their reckless and irresponsible spending is good enough as they move forward. I'm here to say that's not acceptable. British Columbians do not want to go back to a have-not province. They've had it. They enjoy leading Canada. They don't want to go backwards.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to serve the voters of Okanagan-Penticton and Okanagan-Westside — the honour they have given me to serve for three terms and 13 years. I remain committed to working for those constituents up to and when the writ is dropped. Together and working in partnership, there are many things we have achieved.

Let me just mention a few. The major expansion of the Kelowna General Hospital; new cardiac services at KGH; a new medical school at UBC Okanagan; expansion of the Okanagan College; a new university, the University of British Columbia Okanagan; the new William R. Bennett Bridge; the new Campbell interchange, working in partnership with the Westbank First Nation; improvements to the Westside Road with WRC committee, the first time in the history of the province; major water and sewer projects at Casa Loma, West Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland, and lastly Faulder.

It just keeps coming. Spirit Squares in West Kelowna, Peachland and Summerland; widening Highway 97 at Okanagan park; rebuilding the trestles at Myra Canyon that were destroyed in the fire of 2003.

Currently we are four-laning 7 1/2 kilometres north of Summerland, where people have died year after year, removing 1.6 million cubic metres of rock; the expansion of the Mount Boucherie Secondary School, working with PACs throughout the riding; new senior facilities in every one of my communities.

Working with the Boys and Girls Club of West Kelowna; working with the Peachland Wellness Centre; StrongStarts, where you can go in and see the magical smiles of children in the StrongStarts.

[1500]

That's what we've been able to achieve — working with Summerland Asset Development Initiative, which has taken troubled youth off the streets and given them opportunities in our community; working with exceptional volunteers on a new Agur Lake Camp for those with disabilities; working in partnership on many projects with the Westbank First Nation; and moving forward on the Westside urgent care centre, just to name a few.

It has been a pleasure to work on behalf of my constituents, but as we all know, we can't do these things by ourselves. We need to work in partnership, and there are so many people I have to thank.

The one thing that members on that side of the House will agree with me on is that they need the help of others to achieve their goals. We can all agree on that.

My first thanks go to the citizens of Penticton, Naramata, Summerland, Peachland, Westbank, West Kelowna, Westside Road and both the Penticton and Westbank First Nations, who have honoured me by electing me to this chamber for three terms, 13 years.

My second thanks go to those who gave me

the initial encouragement to embark on this journey: Judy and Tony,

Janice and Rob, Linda and Ron, Carol-Lee, Finchie, Bob. Thank you.

My third thanks go to the staff members who

have worked with me over the years: Marion, Maureen, Sarjit,

Candice, Jamie, Sam, Caroline, Lisa, Jenn, Kelsie, Kiel, and many more.

A special thanks goes to Mike Reed. Mike Reed has worked with me for 13 years, and I know members on this side can appreciate that someone who would work with me for 13 years deserves that hand. I know that. [Applause.]

It's all about character-building, as the member from the Cariboo knows.

My fourth thanks go to those who have

worked tirelessly to help me get elected and then re-elected twice.

There were hundreds. Today I will only be able to mention a few.

We'll start with Judy, A.J., Sy, Jamie, Orv, Harry, Cathie, Bruce,

Gerry, Christa-Lee, Carla, Walt, Irene, Otto, Tracey, Kim, Allen,

Linda, Marion, Al, Chuck, Joy, Graham, Wayne, Jim, Anne and Jane,

Stan, and many, many more. I just want to say thanks to those folks.

I also want to say thanks to my colleagues — to the team of '96, to the team of 2001, to the team of 2005. Without question, the learning, the challenges, the accomplishments are many and will be treasured, especially our friendships.

I also want to thank the Premier.

Premier, thank you for your vision. Thank you for your work ethic. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your friendship. And Premier, isn't it great to be a grandpa?

My biggest thanks, my biggest thank-you, is to the one without whose support this journey could have never begun or continued for 13 years — my wife and my best friend, Yasmin John-Thorpe, or Doll, as her father called her.

Your support, listening, advice, strength and love have made this journey possible and, in my opinion, so rewarding. Thank you, Doll.

I must also say thanks to my daughters Richa and Ranette and my son Jason for their understanding and support, and a very, very special thank-you goes to my grandson Eben — or as I like to call him, Rocco — for bringing focus to why we do what we do — making decisions today and building a future for our children

[ Page 14487 ]

and, most importantly, for our grandchildren. So thank you, Rocco.

[1505]

I've also had the opportunity to serve the public, and it has been a privilege to serve as their MLA. Yes, many memories to treasure, but I'd like to share just a few of my most treasured memories. It's not about the opening of a new facility. It's not about a bridge. It's about those that we all are elected to serve. In my particular case over the years, a few come to mind that I will treasure forever.

The young man with disabilities, Paul, who needed help to walk across the stage for his high school graduation. We were able to help him, and yes, he got out of his wheelchair, and he walked across the stage to receive his Dogwood.

The senior lady who needed bridging until SAFER became available. We were able to help her, and now, with SAFER, she lives with certainty and comfort.

The disabled senior who provided us with his experiences, which resulted in changes to the homeowner grant for those with disabilities.

The disabled senior who needed help with his driver's licence and the issues with the special vehicle that he had. Together we were able to make changes so that people who have those disabilities and have those safety components, if you will, in their vehicles can do what we do — drive our vehicles.

The parents who gave us the reason to pursue changes to the child care subsidy program — to take a program that layered some 30,000 pages on families and parents who were entitled to help. Working together with those parents, we were able to reduce that red tape to three pages.

The young constituent who needed brain tumour surgery in California. We were able to assist him with air travel and air travel for his family so they could be with him in California.

These are a few examples that I have had over the past 13 years, and I know every member in this House has those special examples, whether you've served 19 years or 23 years or four years or whatever. That is why I believe all members of this House are elected — to help those and those special cases. And I know that all members try to do that the best they can.

Yes — I want the members on the opposition to hear this — I will vote yes for Budget 2009, because it's the right budget at the right time. It's about jobs, it's about stability, it's about partnerships, and it's about confidence.

To all members of this House: I want to say thank you for the opportunity to serve with you. Yes, from time to time my colleague from Nelson-Creston wants to get up and talk about socialism, and I listen to him. I like to get up and talk about the power of the individual and free enterprise, and he listens to me.

The member from Nelson did say something that I do agree with. It's about us sharing our differences and having the debate and having the dialogue. So I thank all members of this House for the memories that we will all share.

I don't know. It must be a moment of weakness. I'm going to agree on two things with the member for Nelson-Creston today. That is a first in 13 years. We are honoured to serve in these buildings. I look forward to coming back to these buildings to see many of you here.

But we have been given a very, very special opportunity that very few get. We should treasure that. We should treasure our democratic processes as we all continue to work for what we as individuals believe in — hopefully, at all times putting British Columbia, our province, first; putting the people of British Columbia first; and making sure that we can help those truly in need.

I would also like to thank the staff in this building and also the ministries. As MLAs we get to have interface with folks in various ministries throughout government. As a former minister, I want to say thank you to the staff and the ministries that I worked with.

I'm very proud of the accomplishments that, by us working together…. Whether it was in Competition, Science and Enterprise or whether it was in Provincial Revenue or whether it was in Small Business and Revenue, our accomplishments are the result of their dedication, their work, their tenacity, their interface with British Columbians. That's how we work in partnership. That's how we achieve things.

[1510]

It's getting close for me to turn the page to the next

chapter of my life, but I will be busy until about 8:30 on May 12. I am very, very hopeful that my friends will be here and my other friends will be there.

I look forward to returning to the House to see you. As you go out on the campaign trail, I wish you and your families and your friends all the very best. Do it in a positive spirit. Do it in a healthy debating spirit. I think I agreed again with my friend from Nelson-Creston. That will be the third today. Do it for the right reasons. Don't do it for the wrong reasons.

I stand here, and I will vote for Budget 2009 because I believe in the support and the investments in health care. Since we've been government, the health care budget has increased by 61 percent. I know some members on the other side of the House somehow — I don't know where they went to school or where they took math — interpret that as a cut. I don't understand how $8.3 billion to $17.5 billion is a cut. I don't get that math. I'm only an accountant, but maybe I would learn that. I don't think I'll learn that.

I'm also very pleased by the investment in K-to-12 education and pleased that the Minister of Education is beside me today. Funding to the highest levels in the history of the province of British Columbia for K-to-12.

I'm pleased that the Minister of Advanced Education is investing, I believe, $228 million more in advanced education in the province over the next three years. I'm also pleased that in the past two years I've worked

[ Page 14488 ]

with the Minister of Human Resources and Housing on a number of things. I'm pleased that we're making progress on dealing with the homelessness issue.

It's not an issue just for Vancouver. It's an issue in communities throughout British Columbia. These issues were not created overnight. They will not be solved overnight. Sometimes it would be very good if we could park the political rhetoric and actually focus on the people.

I'm also very, very pleased that our government has been able to reduce the taxation burden and put the money where I believe it's most powerful — in the pockets of British Columbians, to let them make their decisions. I do not believe that the best place to put it is in big central government.

There's where I will disagree with my friend from Nelson-Creston. I think it's important to put it back into small business. That's why I was pleased, as the Minister of Small Business and Revenue, to work with the Small Business Roundtable, with the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, with the Retail Council of British Columbia, with the restaurant and hotel association of British Columbia — all those like-minded small business organizations. All they want is the opportunity to have a chance to succeed and look after their employees.

I think — as a matter of fact, I know — that Budget 2009 gives us those opportunities to continue to make British Columbia strong, to continue to grow British Columbia, to continue to give opportunities in every region of the province of British Columbia for those that seek them. I know and you know that British Columbia is still where people in Canada want to come.

Our future is bright. Our work will be there. But when we all work together in our communities, in our province, in our country, we can achieve so very, very much.

Mr. Speaker, let me just close by saying to you and, through the Chair, to all members of this House, to the constituents that I've had the pleasure to represent and to all: thank you very much for the opportunity to serve. It's been my pleasure, and I wish you all well in your future endeavours.

R. Lee: I ask leave to make an introduction.

Deputy Speaker: Proceed.

[1515]

Introductions by Members

R. Lee: In the gallery today we have two visitors from Burnaby, Wendy Wang, vice-president of the Greater Vancouver Table Tennis Association, and Zhiyong Wu, visiting coach from Putong, Shanghai, China. My daughter Leanne benefited tremendously from the GVTTA, as well as, most recently, under Mr. Wu's coaching. May the House join me in welcoming them.

Debate Continued

J. Brar: It's a real honour for me to stand up in this House and speak on many important issues to the people of British Columbia. Today I will give my response to the budget, introduced by the government a few weeks ago.

Before I do that, I want to wish well to the member for Okanagan-Westside who just finished his speech, because this is his last speech. I wish him well for his future endeavours and for the services he has provided to the people of British Columbia during the last many, many years.

I would also like to thank many other people who have been part of my journey as the MLA of Surrey–Panorama Ridge since I was first elected through the by-election in 2004. To my staff in my Surrey office, Ruby Bhandal, Murray Bilida and Peter Leblanc: thanks for your passion and commitment to serve the people of Surrey to the best of your ability.

To my fellow members on both sides of this House: thanks for your hard work and commitment serving the people of British Columbia.

To our staff in Victoria, Gurbinder Kang, Brian Kowalski and others: thanks for your able support and meaningful assistance to me on a day-to-day basis.

To our communication team and research team: thanks for your valuable support and advice on issues very important to the people of British Columbia.

To our intern team: thanks for your energy and innovative ideas, providing me a springboard to think outside the generation-old box.

To my friends and my supporters: thanks for standing with me during good times and during tough times.

To the love of my life, my friend, my partner, Rajwant Brar; to my daughter Noor; and to my son, Fateh: I love you so much, and I'm proud of you.

To my brother Jaswant Brar and my sister-in-law Brigit Brar: thanks for being lifetime friends and advisers.

I would like to start my critique to the budget speech, but I would like to add at the beginning, to the member for Okanagan-Westside, that the second part of his speech was much better — actually, the best that I have heard in this House since I've been here — as compared to his own past standards in terms of tone, volume and content. So I appreciate the non-partisan delivery of his speech.

So Mr. Speaker, think about a busload of 46 people going on the wrong side of the highway. People are shouting to stop them, but they won't listen. They continue driving on the wrong side of the highway.

[1520]

Another busload of people are police officers driving parallel but on the other side of the highway, warning them to stop because they are going in the wrong direction. The driver of the bus is so overexcited with the power given to him by the people of British Columbia

[ Page 14489 ]

that he wouldn't even listen to the same people of the province.

He continued driving on the wrong side of the highway until he ran out of gas and was not able to go any further. Guess what. They had no choice then but to make a U-turn. The driver of the bus was very surprised to find that making a U-turn at that point was an illegal action. Therefore, they had to shamelessly plead to the people and the police for changing the rules to allow them to make the U-turn.

That is the story of this budget. The budget is a U-turn made just before the pending provincial election with a sole purpose, and the purpose is to stay in power by making promises they have no intentions of fulfilling — as they did during the last eight years. A brief look at the last eight years' economic record of mismanagement supports the argument that the Premier has no intention of fulfilling his promises in this budget and no intention of protecting vital public services such as education, health care and public safety.

We see that the Liberals have broken all records, wasting hundreds of millions of dollars of the people of British Columbia on cost overruns. A $500 million cost overrun on the convention centre alone is a prime example. Last October the Premier said he would cut the waste. Instead, he spent tens of millions of dollars on pre-election ads and hundreds of millions more on pet projects like a retractable roof for B.C. Place. He said he would speed up infrastructure projects. Instead, he spent millions on failed privatization schemes, delaying projects and wasting taxpayer dollars on offshore bidders.

The Premier also broke all the records by giving himself a raise of $65,000 a year. Similarly, he has given his highest-paid advisers a raise of 43 percent. That is his economic vision: take care of the few and forget about the rest; take care of the rich and forget about the poor.

As a member of this Legislative Assembly, I get the opportunity to attend lots of community events and meet with lots of people. During the past four years, I have visited lots of organizations and attended hundreds of events in the community. I have met and listened to seniors, students, patients, workers, small businesses, victims of crime, newcomers — and the list goes on. They have shared their stories with me as to how they have been left behind by the B.C. Liberals. I would like to share some of the most powerful stories from those people, which bother me the most.

The first story is about the crisis we have in health care. The people of Surrey say: "We need a new hospital, not just a model." The people of Surrey are waiting and waiting for a new hospital, announced by the B.C. Liberals more than ten times. After eight years in power the only thing the Premier could offer to the people of Surrey is just a model, that big model. Nothing more than that. That shows clearly that the Premier is completely out of touch with the health care needs of the people of Surrey.

[1525]

In 2001 the B.C. Liberals promised to provide the best health care when and where you need it. In fact, they did exactly the opposite. They closed hospitals. They privatized services key to the quality of care. They closed acute care beds in the province as well as in the city of Surrey, the fastest-growing community in the province.

The story of Surrey Memorial Hospital is a prime example to show that B.C. Liberals don't care about the people of Surrey. Because of their broken promises, Surrey Memorial Hospital has now become the second-largest hospital in British Columbia by volume of patients. It is home to the busiest emergency department in the province, with up to 75,000 visits per year. Between 300 and 500 patients leave the emergency room every month without seeing a doctor because of the extreme wait times.

The Premier didn't listen to the people of Surrey at all during the first four years in power. The only time the Premier found some time to visit the city of Surrey was in the middle of the last election, when he made the promise to build a new hospital to the people of Surrey.

The construction of that hospital was to begin in 2007, with a completion date in 2009, but 2007 has gone, and the Premier has done nothing. Now 2008 is gone, and the only thing the Premier has given to the people of Surrey is just a model of the hospital. The reality is that the Premier has broken his promise and delayed the out-patient hospital to 2011. That means the Premier failed to make any improvements at all during the first two terms of the B.C. Liberals, as far as health care is concerned, for the people of Surrey, and that is a shame.

The people of Surrey deserve better. The people of Surrey have a dream. The dream is to see the new out-patient hospital up and running. I share that dream with the people of Surrey, and I will continue standing up for the people of Surrey until we see the new hospital up and running.

Another promise the Premier made to the people of Surrey during the last election was to build a new state-of-the-art emergency room. The construction was to begin in 2008, with completion in 2010. Very surprisingly, there is no money in this budget to start the construction, to start the new emergency room. In fact, the Premier has also delayed the construction of the new emergency room to 2014. The people have to suffer for five more years.

People in Surrey are really, really worried to learn that the B.C. Liberals failed to build the new emergency room and the new out-patient hospital during good times. Can they now build these facilities during

[ Page 14490 ]

bad times? That's a big question that people have on their minds.

I would like to share a story with you. Four months ago a teenage girl bitten by a dog had to wait for six hours at the emergency room and received 40 stitches. Imagine the pain this girl experienced for six long hours to receive 40 stitches. That is the level of crisis we have in the emergency room in Surrey. How can the people of Surrey wait for five more years without any improvements? That is beyond my understanding, and people don't understand that as well.

[K. Whittred in the chair.]

That tells very clearly that the B.C. Liberal government and the Premier are completely out of touch with the health care needs of the people of Surrey. Therefore, the people of Surrey have lost their trust in this government.

[1530]

Another promise they made to the people of British Columbia was they promised to build and operate an additional 5,000 new long-term care beds. That was the promise made in 2001, but in reality they did exactly the opposite. Between 2002 and 2004 the government closed 26 residential care facilities throughout the province for a net loss of 2,500 beds, or 15 percent of the total bed stock.

The other story that the people of Surrey have shared with me is save our schools. Once upon a time the B.C. Liberals made a promise to provide the best education system so that no child is left behind. It's a good slogan, but in fact, they did exactly the opposite. The B.C. Liberals closed 177 schools in the province of British Columbia. The rationale given to the people was that they closed those schools because the number of students is declining.

One of those schools is a school in the city of Surrey, Fleetwood Elementary School. The city of Surrey is the fastest-growing community in the province and in the country. In fact, we receive almost 1,000 new people every month. That is the level of growth that has been going on in the city for the last many, many years. The location of this school is in Fleetwood, the fastest-growing constituency we have in the city of Surrey. But the B.C. Liberals are so out of touch with the reality and needs of our children that they closed that school anyway.

The parents fought back to save this school. The students of the elementary school fought back to save this school. The opposition MLAs joined the parents and the students to save this school. The only people who remained silent were the B.C. Liberals, including the local MLAs. They didn't even care to meet with the parents and the teachers and the students of that school. The Premier is known for his arrogance, but that was the height of arrogance I have ever seen from this Premier.

Because of the wrong priorities of this government, Fleetwood Elementary School will become a bedtime story. Once upon a time there was a school named Fleetwood Elementary School. This school was closed by the B.C. Liberals when the population in the area was growing and when B.C. had the biggest surplus. This is the bedtime story that school has become.

Parents and children are now concerned to know: if they closed 177 schools during good times, what will they do during bad times? That is the question people are asking of this government.

The other story that I hear at the door is that we don't feel safe. The people have the right to feel safe. People have the right to take their children to parks, beaches and malls without any fear. People have lost that right. Our streets have been taken over by gangs. Gang members are killing themselves on the streets in Vancouver, Surrey and many other cities in the Lower Mainland. Innocent bystanders are being caught in the crossfire. In communities throughout this province, people don't feel safe anymore.

Because of the failures of the B.C. Liberals on this file, crime has been rising since they took over. This budget has no hope. It makes the situation from bad to worse. The B.C. Liberals have cut funding for policing, cut funding for prosecution. How are the gangs going to get under control?

That response from the Premier clearly indicates that the Premier is not serious and that the Premier is completely out of touch with the issue of public safety. Parents and children are concerned to know: if the B.C. Liberals couldn't make our streets safer during good times, how can they make our streets safer during bad times? That's a question this government needs to respond to the people of British Columbia.

[1535]

The other story that I hear at the door is that the average family and small business didn't benefit from the good economy of B.C. There's no doubt that B.C. was blessed with a good economy, but the B.C. Liberals failed to make it a successful economy because of their one-sided policies to benefit only the rich.

They gave big tax cuts three times to the richest, who don't need them and never asked for it. They gave 43 percent pay hikes to their senior staff. On the other side, the Premier is so arrogant that he has constantly refused to raise the minimum wage for working families. The only people who did not get any raise are people who are working for minimum wage, and that is a shame.

Life has in fact become too costly for average families under the B.C. Liberals. The transit fare has gone up. It now costs $10 to take a return trip from Surrey to Vancouver. It is hard for working families to afford that.

[ Page 14491 ]

Tuition fees have gone up over 100 percent. They are now the second-highest in the country. The cost of MSP has doubled. The cost of insurance has gone up. The cost of the driver's licence fee has gone up. On top of that, the Premier has introduced a new gas tax at the pump. Average families and small businesses, including the taxi industry and the trucking industry, are being forced to pay when big corporations were given subsidies. Particularly oil and gas companies were given subsidies at the same time.

So people are concerned. If the B.C. Liberals couldn't make life affordable for average families during good times, how can they make life affordable during bad times? That's a question this government needs to answer. There are many, many other stories I have heard from the people.

Forestry workers have told me that the B.C. Liberals have killed the forest industry because of their self-serving and one-sided policies. B.C. Rail workers told me that they promised not to sell or privatize B.C. Rail. In reality, they did the opposite. B.C. Rail was sold to CN Rail in 2004. There are lots and lots of important questions regarding the B.C. Rail corruption case, but the B.C. Liberals are constantly refusing to answer those questions.

People have told me that it is unacceptable that for the fifth year in a row, child poverty remains the highest in the province of British Columbia. People have told me that the number of homeless people in this province has gone up significantly as a direct result of B.C. Liberal policies. Workers have told me that they didn't get a raise during the last eight years when, on the other hand, the Premier gave himself a raise of $65,000 per year.

Students have told me that their tuition fees have gone up 100 percent or more, and their debt load is growing every day. People have told me that life has become costly under the B.C. Liberals because of the rising costs of almost everything. This budget does not provide any hope to those people. People are very, very concerned. If that is what the Liberals were able to do during the good times, what would they do during the bad times?

I would like to conclude by saying that it pains me when a young girl had to wait for six hours at the emergency room at Surrey Memorial Hospital to receive 60 stitches, even if she is not my daughter. It bothers me when a retired senior, who spent his entire life building this province, has to go to a food bank to receive a hamper, even if he's not my relative.

[1540]

It concerns me when a mother doesn't feel safe taking her kids to a park, even if she's not my sister. It bothers me when a student is unable to continue his study because he cannot pay high tuition fees, even if he is not my brother.

This budget does not provide any hope to average families, to seniors, to forestry workers, to the homeless. The list goes on. I cannot support this budget, because this budget does not provide any hope to average families, which should be the case because everyone matters in this province.

With that, I will take my seat. Thank you very much for listening.

V. Roddick: I rise with great pride and enthusiasm, Madam Speaker, hon. Members and guests in the gallery, for my last budget speech.

In 2001 a new era for British Columbia dawned, a vision for hope and prosperity for the next decade and beyond. In that year we made 201 specific commitments. The following are just a few examples.

We brought in balanced budgets; cut provincial income tax; ensured public services appointed by merit, not patronage; restored workers' democratic rights to secret ballot certification; restored open tendering; protected public ownership of B.C. Hydro, all its dams, reservoirs and lines; focused resources on improving northern and rural transportation and infrastructure; encouraged mineral exploration; increased trades and technical training; preserved Burns Bog; and promoted clean and renewable alternative energy sources; and support for more flexibility and choice in public schooling.

We guaranteed that parents of students attending schools are entitled to volunteer; expanded training to care aides, licensed practical and registered nurses; increased the number of medical school graduates; gave ambulance attendants access to training and better life-support and communications equipment; increased emphasis on early childhood intervention programs for families with special needs children; introduced free votes to the Legislature; appointed the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform and established fixed election dates.

We raised health care funding by 66 percent since 2001 and established 5,000 intermediate and long-term care beds plus new assisted-living units. We have invested over $200 million in housing; purchased 45 existing buildings and are constructing new units; worked in partnership — an unknown word — with the federal government for B.C.'s fair share of federal tax dollars; pushed to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers with TILMA; and embarked on aboriginal treaty negotiations.

All of these commitments are aimed at revitalizing the economy, restoring sound fiscal management and putting patients, students, people first. We have continued to build on these commitments and many, many more great goals over the past eight years. We are putting more tax dollars into individuals' pockets and into small businesses, the backbone of our economy.

For example, we are investing in silviculture and training to replace our lost pine beetle wood, plus heading into the urban areas with the goal of planting four

[ Page 14492 ]

million new trees at schools, hospitals and public places across the province. We are committed to making better use of every tree and, more importantly, to doing a better job at growing trees as well as marketing the fact that wood is good.

[1545]

Environmentally, we are leading the world with our revenue-neutral carbon tax. Since 2001 we have delivered 103 positive tax cuts and reductions for individual British Columbians, small businesses and corporations. We have worked to unite British Columbia, to find solutions to all kinds of issues and challenges — social, environmental, economic. We've developed a new era of common purpose with a focus on people in need. We are builders in the truest sense of the word.

Does this sound familiar? It should. The United States, our biggest trading partner, just elected a new President who says his people can by working together — can. Of course they can. B.C. has proven it.

We have a team led by a Premier who has worked determinedly to ensure that this province can and does, year after year. We have provided real leadership, real progress in education, health care, support systems, environment and jobs.

Just as Barack Obama has asked the people of the United States to pull together to rebuild their country, people from all walks of life in British Columbia have worked to make our province the best place on earth. As I said in my second session in the Legislature eight years ago, if we find ourselves riding a dead horse, dismount. Sometimes it takes longer than we would like to change mounts, but change we can, and change we do.

Unlike the member for Delta North, who cannot seem to understand the role of being a member of the Legislature and representing his riding provincially…. He still, after four years, has his head buried in municipal minutiae, which honestly does not help Delta or the province.

On the other hand, we have accomplished a great deal, and the all-important social well-being of British Columbia is improving. As noted in the B.C. Progress Board report, the province has been able to maintain its first-place standing in environmental quality and health outcomes.

We have the second-highest rate of university completion, the second-lowest top marginal personal income tax rate. We also rank third in terms of standard of living, real average hourly wages and government surpluses. The Progress Board also says that we have the lowest rate of cancer mortality, the highest life expectancy at birth, the largest proportion of land base protected from development and the second-lowest greenhouse gas emissions.

There's more good news, Madam Speaker. Personal disposable income growth beat the national average in 2006 and 2007. When the NDP was last in power, their budgets were reckless and irresponsible. These budgets became "monuments to drivel." They drove B.C.'s growth rate of GDP from fifth place internationally in 1993 to 29th place out of 31 jurisdictions by 2001.

Under a B.C. Liberal government, we have climbed out of that hole. We've had five years of better than average employment growth. Listen up, Delta North. Our plan, based on productive economy, also includes support for the arts, heritage and cultural diversity. Even in today's economy, that support remains.

[1550]

The provinces, territories and federal government realize there is strength in numbers, strength in consensus. Our financial world is facing its worst crisis in 75 years. There are no easy solutions, but we are acting to help alleviate the impacts and emerge stronger than ever.

Madam Speaker, this is not the time for a traditional budget. We as a government are committed to being flexible and responsive to our families and our communities. With $6.6 billion in revenue evaporating due to global circumstances, we must make immediate and dramatic investments in our infrastructure that will keep people working and position ourselves for future growth.

We must all work together. Party politics will not help our families and their communities, our province or our country. We are focusing on two key priorities for our jobs, competitiveness and productivity.

On October 22, 2008, the Premier announced a plan to build economic strength for the future by undertaking five initiatives: create a new economic advisory council composed of top Canadian CEOs, academics and economists; organize a new Northern Economic Summit to focus on northern issues; organize a two-day economic summit to investigate ways to capitalize on economic opportunities; implement the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement, TILMA, with Alberta by April 1, 2009; and work with other provinces and the federal government to eliminate regulatory duplication and reduce the cost of federal-provincial overlap.

To support families and small businesses during this economic downturn, we promptly announced several key measures as a stimulus to the economy: unlimited deposit insurance for deposits to credit unions, new pension opportunities for private sector employees without access to pension plans, an accelerated retroactive personal income tax cut of 5 percent, school property tax rebate for industry, accelerated tax benefits for small businesses, double commission paid to business for PST and HRT collection, accelerated public infrastructure and curtailing avoidable government spending.

These measures account for an additional accumulation of $485 million in tax relief and support for business, families and individuals over the next three years. Most fortunately for British Columbia, we are the host for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games only

[ Page 14493 ]

a year away. As we have seen, our marvellous Spirit of 2010 committees and athletes provincewide are holding great countdown events.

Every community stands to benefit, every young person. It's something to look forward to. It's exciting; it's positive. GamesTown and Spirit Squares are excellent examples. We are striving to equalize opportunities across B.C., and the 2010 games are a perfect stimulus.

That doesn't mean it's all going to be smooth sailing. Life, unfortunately, just isn't perfect at all times, but we must keep our eyes on the horizon. Our forefathers did, and we cannot let them down.

Through interprovincial meetings, groups like PNWER, Pacific Northwest Economic Region, developed partnerships with American west coast states in areas of climate change and economic development.

British Columbia is building a foundation that will enable us to strengthen our nation and thereby strengthen North America. Our municipalities, through their collective bodies — the UBCM, Metro Vancouver, plus our first nations people — bring the necessary grass-roots perspective to this vision.

Delta South has had, as I've brought to this floor every year since 2000, more than its share of ongoing challenges. Many difficult decisions have been made by our caucus over the past years.

[1555]

I have to say that serving as MLA for Delta South has been an honour and a privilege, hard but exhilarating work — and fun. I have been touched by the extraordinary contributions of constituents who have poured their hearts into our community.

My thanks to the people of Ladner and Tsawwassen for your incredible participation and for the love and support of your community. You are truly amazing. And my thanks to the members of our riding association and to my office staff: Elizabeth Merritt, Tim McDougall, Jackey Zellweger and company, who have been second to none.

The legislative team here over the years, all of you who have diligently and patiently aided a hopeless techno-dolt. The dining room staff, who have kept us alive and well fed and, most importantly, the unflagging support of my entire family, especially my husband Noel who, as I recently said, can now retire from driving Miss Daisy.

As the Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Planning and Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Health, I have had the opportunity to meet with people from every part of this province to hear their ideas on sustaining and strengthening our agriculture and health sectors. I have been heartened by my riding's and our province's talented and caring citizens. Many of their suggestions and solutions have been implemented by the province.

As long ago as July 2003, when I spoke to the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen, I stated that Delta South was going to be faced with enormous challenges over the next several years, challenges that would overshadow the one-time threat to our now hugely successful Delta Hospital.

Delta South changed forever with the opening of the Massey Tunnel. Since that time our community has continued to face increasing pressures. Of these issues, the Tsawwassen First Nation treaty has been a real achievement, the first urban treaty in B.C. We now have the opportunity to combine our extensive local talents to work with and work beside the Tsawwassen First Nation in their ongoing community development.

My role has been to represent this community and reinforce to my government that Delta South, a gateway community, is host to or affected by many serious issues. The port and its proposed expansion. The B.C. Ferry terminal. Four highways: 10, 17, 91, 99. The South Fraser perimeter road. Three rail lines. The Tsawwassen First Nation's ongoing development. Burns Bog. Vancouver landfill. The agricultural land reserve and our farming industry. The Fraser River and our fishing industry, plus dredging, diking and flooding issues. Brunswick lands buyback. Boundary Bay Airport. Delta Hospital and the VITR transmission line project.

There is — pardon the pun on this one — power in numbers. A unified voice — and I repeat: a unified voice — dedicated to Delta South would be capable of wading through the quagmire of six separate provincial government ministries: Agriculture, Aboriginal Reconciliation, Energy, Environment, Health and Transportation. There are also five levels of government required for cooperation: federal, provincial, municipal, Metro Vancouver and Tsawwassen First Nation.

[1600]

All of these issues hugely affect residents and local farmers and have resulted in the loss of approximately 1,000 acres of our first-class agricultural land base, as well as heavily increasing truck, rail and marine traffic within the surrounding area.

Such challenges in our community require an incredible amount of work and negotiation. Cooperation at all levels of government is vital to successful negotiation and resolution. Believe me. It is the only way. Municipal, provincial, federal, Metro Vancouver, Tsawwassen First Nation and school trustees need to join forces and develop a demonstrated willingness to work together to find solutions and areas of consensus and to negotiate mitigation where and when necessary.

To work together rather than independently is our responsibility as elected officials. This will produce a spirit of collaboration and cooperation. We may not always agree, but we need to compromise for the greater good of our community. In other words, we can disagree without being disagreeable.

Over the years the community and its superb volunteers have hosted an amazing assortment of forums.

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To name just a few: the Delta Conversation on Health, women's forums, seniors forums, health fair, employment fair. We're a community of doers, but because Delta South has had so many big-ticket challenges, we have difficulty recognizing our many individual successes and extra investments.

For example, health: Delta Hospital redevelopment, acute care, CT scanner and hospice — $17 million, plus all the expanded, dedicated operational costs. Environment: Burns Bog, $28.6 million. Seniors: McKee House Seniors Rec Centre, Lions Wellness Park, Kinsmen retired assisted living — $7.1 million. Education: seismic upgrades to schools, literacy innovation grants, South Delta Secondary expansion, North Delta Secondary renovations, StrongStart early learning, school playground grants — $36.63 million. Child care: Bright Eyes Academy at Holly Park, Rainbow Connection at Pebble Hill for $260,000.

Transportation: Highway 10, 17 and 99 access improvement; Deas tunnel upgrade, plus designated truck lanes; HOV down from three to two occupants — $25.2 million.

Plus many miscellaneous items, such as traffic fine revenue-sharing; Boundary Bay sea dike reinforcement; community charity gaming grants; Spirit Square; BC150 Years: Rivermania; and Holly Park synthetic field, with its fantastic washrooms, which of course have left me flushed with pride — for a total of $29.1 million.

As I have said, there are so many stellar volunteers in our community that I am loath to name any particular individual. But I have to mention Harry Caine, known locally as our Energizer Bunny. And the Tsawwassen Boundary Bay Lions are to be thanked for their contribution to 18 seniors wellness parks across the province.

I am working on many more of these successes, so stay tuned, because a positive, constructive approach does produce results. By taking this kind of action, Delta will be a better place.

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Now, in the past eight years it goes without saying that the constituency highlight was the saving, reorganization and expansion of Delta Hospital. This year we have the separate hospice unit being built on the hospital grounds. The new addition for the CT scanner is in place, as of Saturday, February 21 — a terrifically exciting and satisfying moment for all of us. Among the many other available treatments, thanks to this upgrade and the CT scanner, we can now plug into the B.C. stroke strategy, which has opened three clinics in the Fraser Health area to coordinate and integrate stroke care protocols, activities and services across the region.

Provincially, for me, it was the creation of a provincial agriculture plan to set the direction of the agriculture industry in British Columbia and re-establish the essential link between agriculture and society as a whole, because as we know, we still all have to eat to live.

This plan will not languish on a shelf. It is part and parcel of the Ministry of Agriculture and must be delivered, as do the transportation, mining and energy plans.

My thanks to the Premier of B.C. and the Minister of Agriculture for providing the wisdom and leadership which enabled our MLA team to lay the foundation for growing a healthy future for B.C. families. Thanks also to a whole host of terrifically talented agriculturalists, both ministerial and private. This plan would never have made it without their unflagging help and guidance. My particular thanks go to Andy Dolberg, Heather Anderson, Dave Melnychuk and Carla Shore.

We are working to ensure that our farmers and farm families are able to continue growing, both in products and, equally as important, in profits. School property tax on classified farmland will be reduced by 50 percent for the 2011 tax year and beyond. Genome B.C. and the B.C. Innovation Council have been given research money and project grants as a step towards advancing our productivity.

The provincial and federal governments are investing $24 million over three years for flood protection, a huge issue for those of us who live and farm on the banks of the Fraser River. In fact, for the future of Delta South, I would like to see the municipality, Metro Vancouver, Tsawwassen First Nation and the provincial and federal governments working together with DFO, Delta Farmers Institute, Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust and other environmental groups — such as the Suzuki Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, etc. — to expand and protect the Fraser River delta and our incredible farmland.

Early pioneers built Richmond, Lulu Island and Sea Island and Delta South. Now, with the threat of global warming, we are desperately in need of surge dikes as well as more land for our farmers and wildlife. Last year even Richmond school fields were being eaten bare by snow geese. Let's look at the possibility of building more land through accretion and diking. Let's work collectively to see if such a concept is attainable or practical. It is in Winnipeg. Duffs Ditch is indispensable. British Columbia does think outside the box, because we can.

On that note, I would like to thank each and every one of my colleagues, who over the years have been inordinately patient and generous with their time. You were always there.

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I support this budget, and in closing, I would like to say that our future is ours to build. Serving Delta South and the province under the leadership of the Premier has been the experience of a lifetime, and it has given me full confidence in the overall future of British Columbia for our children our grandchildren.

C. Wyse: Madam Speaker, it is indeed my pleasure once more to have this opportunity to address you, the rest of the House and British Columbians with my response to the budget that has been introduced. But before I do

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that, I would like to take just a moment of your time and acknowledge the riding that has indeed been my pleasure to represent over the last four years.

This is a huge riding geographically. It includes the communities of Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Clinton, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake. It includes portions of two regional districts: Thompson-Nicola regional district, Cariboo regional district. Geographically, the community of Savona…. When those individuals get up in the morning, they look out across Kamloops Lake. The riding goes all the way up to Williams Lake. It goes out west to Anahim Lake, and it includes Bridge Lake and the Interlakes. A huge geographical area that also contains with it, besides those communities that I've talked about….

It includes the first nations of three great communities: the Tsilhqot'in, the Shuswap and the Carrier.

It's appropriate for me to mention that geography, because contained within it — as I'm here to talk about the budget — it also has the industries of forestry, agriculture, mining and tourism that form the basis. As my discussion unfolds, there will be a rationale that I'm sure people will understand why this budget is not supportable. Where it fails in those areas, I will be discussing with you relatively shortly.

Before I go on, in serving that vast geography, I have had the support of people back in the constituency: Mark Woons; Jayne Ducker; Robert Chometski; and, Larry Day, who has been with me the longest. They have worked diligently in looking after the interests of the constituents, making sure that their needs have been met to the best of our ability.

Here in Victoria, I've been supported by many staffs, as we all have been. However, I would like to acknowledge my assistant down here, Terese Scambler, who has worked diligently in making sure that I'm organized in the sense that I know where I need to be.

Finally, before I go on to the budget itself, I would like to acknowledge my wife, who has been very supportive, like many of us here in the House with our significant others who have supported the time that it takes in order for all of us to attempt to do the best job in representing all of the constituents that are found in our riding and also, at the same time, to do our best to ensure that the needs of all four million British Columbians themselves are looked after and addressed.

Having said that, I wish to return to the budget itself, a budget that continues the practice of not looking after the interests of all British Columbians equally, continues on with the practice of looking after the interests of the exceptionally wealthy and looking after the interests of the large corporations.

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When you look at this budget, it has some shortfalls that are contained in it. But they are evident, to find what they are, because it is there…. In a moment I'm going to draw attention to a couple that concern me.

The budget itself contains a quarter of a billion dollars — that's $250 million — of further cuts that are necessary in order to actually bring this overall plan into balance. There are many, many financial experts who also look at the revenue projections that are contained, whether it be for this year or whether for the upcoming two years, and question the validity of those revenue forecasts in actual fact being met.

You see, those concerns already point out that this budget is simply the start of a different agenda, a hidden agenda in one sense — that if you don't sit down and go through it and find items of this nature, you do not know what is coming down the track.

While I'm here talking about coming down the track, that reminds me of a promise that was made not to sell the tracks of B.C. Rail, a service that has had a profound effect upon the interior of the province from where I'm from. The fact that the railway is no longer owned and being run for the betterment of the province of B.C. — for the opening up of the province's interior, for looking after the industries of forestry, agriculture and mining.

What I hear with increasing volume is that with that broken promise, in these very tough economic times that are facing everywhere in the province, those industries cannot and do not receive the railcars in quantity and in a timely fashion for them to be able to stay in business. They are forced to look at other means of providing their product and getting it to market — more expensive means.

When I go through the budget itself and I go through the ministries, I'll be talking further upon where the budget fails those industries. It is those industries that employ the people from where I am from. It employs the people, and they have been abandoned. They have been left by the wayside.

Interjection.

C. Wyse: At the same time, the policy decisions that have been made here in Victoria, as the Minister of Community Development is well aware, are not contributing to their viability to be able to stay employed.

So those are some of the concerns. As we go through the budget, we look at the various ministries and we have a look at where the funds have been placed and the support that it will not provide to those industries — reasons why I will not be supporting this budget.

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But before we move on from there, I think we also need to take a look at what the record is from the government for the last eight years and the effect it has had upon the area where I am from.

I've identified areas of significant financial shortfalls. That means that there are additional cuts coming. There is more heartache to take place, and let's talk about some of the heartache that the Interior has been subject to already — not for a long time but just a little bit to give the flavour.

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We have issues with homelessness. We have issues around minimum wage. We have issues around child poverty. We have issues around class size and composition. We have a whole variety of issues, none of which is overshadowed by the thousands of people that have recently been laid off in my area — thousands. Shortly, we'll also be talking about, as we go through the budget, what is not found in the budget for supporting those people.

Let me continue to go back through those industries and have a look at the budget itself and what is there and what isn't there in support for them. Let's begin alphabetically with agriculture, the base industry where I'm from, and what is contained for it in the budget, what the policies and practices and decisions by this government have meant for agriculture. It will be clear why this budget would not be supportable on its own, on that one item.

When you look at agriculture, you see contained in it an increase of 3.1 percent. And I thought: "Great. Here is a government that has finally recognized that it has ignored this industry all this century." All this century they have ignored it. With the advent of mad cow, the agriculture industry asked for help. They looked for support from their government here in British Columbia, and they got diddly-squat. But I will come back to that.

I want to go back to the budget and talk about it and what is not contained within it. When you remove one line item alone — and by name it's called the Crown lands special account, which deals with future Crown land deposition — it has moved from $87 million to $127 million, and it will go back to $57 million.

When you take that one line item out of there, rather than a 3 percent increase for agriculture, you have, on average, a 7 percent decrease on every line item that supports t