2004 Legislative Session: 5th Session, 37th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes

only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2004

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 20, Number 1

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Speech from the Throne

Introduction and First Reading of

Bills

An Act to Ensure the Supremacy of

Parliament (Bill 1)

Hon. G. Plant

Point of Privilege

J. MacPhail

[ Page 8443 ]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2004

The House

met at 2:03 p.m.

This being

the first day of the fifth session of the thirty-seventh Legislative Assembly of

the province of British Columbia for the dispatch of business, pursuant to a

proclamation of the Hon. Iona Campagnolo, Lieutenant-Governor of the province,

hon. members took their seats.

Mr.

Speaker: Good afternoon, hon. members, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to all

of our guests. Pastor Tim Schroeder of the Trinity Baptist Church in Kelowna

will say prayers for us today.

Schroeder: Just before I say the prayer, I want to mention that this morning

I had the privilege to visit briefly and pray briefly with your colleague Sindi

Hawkins. She's fighting hard. Her spirits are incredibly high, and she asked

that I tell you how deeply grateful she is for your friendship and your care.

With Sindi's spirit and God's help, she's going to win this, and we're going to

celebrate her return. Let's pray together.

Dear God,

each time the phrase "Super, Natural British Columbia" rolls off our

lips, it's a tribute to the fact that this incredible treasure is more than any

of us can claim to have made. While we wouldn't ever have the audacity to

suggest that when you made some other provinces you were having an off day, we

would certainly declare that when you made this one, you were at your very best.

As this

session of the Legislature begins, it's without any embarrassment that we ask

for your help. As these men and women are faced not only with the honour but

with the awesome responsibility of managing this treasure, I pray that you give

each of them individually and that you give them collectively a measure of

wisdom and courage and sensitivity that is beyond any of their natural

abilities, and at the end of the term, this province will be an even more

polished treasure than it was when it came into their care.

With one

voice we pray for Sindi, asking that you use all the power of modern medicine,

and then some, to heal her.

Finally,

being where I'm from, God, I can't quite close this prayer without thanking you

that not only is the fire out and not only is there a blanket of life-giving

moisture covering the interior but that everywhere we look, there are also the

sights and sounds of rebuilding. It's such an encouragement, and we are

grateful. Finally, bless not only these men and women, but bless their families

as together they make the sacrifice to lead us. In the name of our Lord, I pray.

Amen.

[1405]

Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, the Lieutenant-Governor is in the precincts, and I

would ask everyone to please remain in their seats.

Her

Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, having entered the House and being seated on the

throne, was pleased to deliver the following gracious speech.

Speech from the Throne

Hon. I.

Campagnolo (Lieutenant-Governor): Pray be seated.

Mr.

Speaker, hon. members, British Columbians, it is a privilege to join you once

again for a new session of the parliament of British Columbia. Since I last

addressed you in a Speech from the Throne, we have lost many accomplished,

honoured and admired fellow citizens. We said farewell to the remarkable Jim

Spilsbury, whose love of airplanes and air travel gave birth to coastal air

services to provide access to formerly isolated coastal communities.

We also

sadly note the passing of Doris Shadbolt, who carved out her own place in the

complex arts world as writer, educator, activist and curator and as a beloved

supporter of creativity in all its many dimensions.

Every

committed citizen contributes to strengthening the communities that we all share

in this fortunate province. Such a man was the former Penticton councillor Ron

Biggs, who was a dedicated community volunteer, as was Vancouver's

longest-serving parks board commissioner, George Wainborn. We remember the

talents and dedication in business, culture and the arts of people like master

Port Alberni carver and artist Art Thompson and others like Cecil Green, who was

a technological innovator and dedicated philanthropist. We pay tribute to people

like the late Glen Hillson, who was a ground-breaking advocate seeking dignity,

care and respect for those living with HIV/AIDS. All these exceptional

individuals and many more are missed and are remembered with respect.

There are

moments in history that crystallize the essence of a province's nature and the

promise of its people. They are the moments that bring out our best and signify

our spirit to the world. They are the moments that hold within them the shape of

our future. British Columbians have been through many such moments in the last

year. Together we have faced fire, flood and record drought. Together we

prevailed in times of trial, and together we stood in triumph.

Throughout

the last year we saw incredible acts of kindness, of courage and of compassion.

We saw so many people risk their lives to save the lives and property of others.

We saw legions of quiet heroes and selfless souls who are our neighbours, our

friends and our fellow citizens. In community after community they showed the

spirit of citizenship and community that defines British Columbia. No matter

what the challenge, together British Columbians can rise up to meet it. Whatever

the goal, together we can reach it. That is the spirit of British Columbia.

It is the

spirit of 2010 that we saw so clearly last July. In households and stadiums

across the province, British Columbians waited with bated breath as that

envelope was opened on a stage halfway around the

[ Page 8444 ]

first nations, we waited, and together we captured our dream. British Columbia

will host the world for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

[1410]

British

Columbians will bear the Olympic torch and carry it high with pride and with

purpose as it lights the way to peace, hope and progress for all humanity.

Canadians

will hold it high in celebration of our common aspirations, our diverse cultures

and our singular will to achieve the goals we set for ourselves as individuals,

as teams and as a nation. Nowhere will that flame burn more brightly than in the

eyes of young British Columbians.

Just two

weeks ago, for the first time ever, British Columbia won the right to host the

World Junior Hockey Championship. Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops will join in

hosting the world in 2006. With the approval of the International Ice Hockey

Federation, exhibition games will be played in Victoria, Nanaimo, Burnaby,

Chilliwack, Salmon Arm and Vernon.

It is our

time to shine in British Columbia, now and for many years to come. The

groundwork for growth has been laid. The foundation for achievement has been

built. The new era has begun. In every area of public policy, important reforms

have been made with one goal in mind: to bring out the best in British Columbia.

Bringing

out the best in our economy. For B.C.'s families to realize their dreams and

reach their full potential, we need a strong economy. The old approaches ignored

the needs of our resource communities, neglected the north, and failed to

consider the rights and interests of first nations.

Your

government has taken many actions to bring back the best in our economy across

the province and in every region. Major changes have been made, policies have

been modernized, impediments to investment have been removed, costs have been

lowered, tax rates have been cut, red tape has been reduced, competitiveness is

being restored, progress has been made, and results are beginning to show.

Next week

your government will table a balanced budget, right on schedule. More people are

working than ever before in British Columbia. Our unemployment rate has dropped

to its lowest level in years and is now below the national rate.

British

Columbians' take-home pay is growing. Personal income taxes have been cut by an

average of 25 percent, 27 tax relief measures have been implemented, and almost

90,000 regulations have been removed.

Our economy

is on the rebound. The markets are up. Confidence is growing. The number of

small businesses is on the rise after years of decline. British Columbia is now

leading the nation in job creation. Over the last two years B.C.'s rate of

growth in new jobs was higher than any other province.

Our

province gained nearly 40 percent of all investor immigrants to Canada in the

third quarter of 2003. For the first time in six years more people moved to

British Columbia from other provinces than moved away. People and investment are

coming back to B.C. Families and children are coming back home. Key sectors are

booming once again.

Progress

has been made, but more needs to be done. Your government will do more this year

to help every sector of our economy. Bills will be introduced to further

eliminate the unnecessary red tape that has stifled economic growth. Your

government will act to meet its commitment to cut the regulatory burden by

one-third.

There will

be changes to encourage employee investment and improve consumer protection. New

legislation will modernize the regulatory requirements in agriculture,

environmental management and the real estate and resource sectors.

More will

be done to help B.C.'s ranchers recover from the bovine spongiform

encephalopathy crisis. In addition to the $10.5 million in extraordinary

assistance already committed for the BSE recovery program and cull program, a

further $16.8 million will be contributed to help farmers under the whole farm

trust.

Certainty

in land use will continue to be enhanced this year. The working forest land base

will be established. Land use plans will be completed for the central coast,

north coast, Sea to Sky, Queen Charlotte Islands–Haida Gwaii, Morice and

Lillooet areas. Constructive new relationships in land use decisions will be

strengthened.

Bringing

out the best in partnerships with first nations. For too long the needs of first

nations communities were ignored. Your government has made it a clear priority

to work together with first nations to create concrete action plans to help them

realize their full potential.

Dialogue

and negotiation are triumphing over division and confrontation. Over 150

land-related measures and other agreements have been concluded, which support

first nations participation in forestry, oil and gas, and parkland management.

An additional 124 economic measures agreements have been reached. Three

agreements-in-principle have been reached in the past year with the Lheidli

T'enneh, Maa-Nulth and Sliammon first nations, and a fourth with the Tsawwassen

first nation is nearing completion.

[1415]

For the

first time ever, annual funding from forest revenues has been designated for

first nations revenue-sharing agreements. More wood will be made available to

first nations to open up new opportunities in forestry. Since September 2002,

the government has signed 29 agreements with first nations to provide access to

7.26 million cubic metres in timber and to share forestry revenues of $38.6

million. Under the forestry revitalization plan, the share of the annual

allowable cut available to first nations will be more than doubled from about 3

percent to about 8 percent.

[ Page 8445 ]

New

opportunities for energy revenue-sharing arrangements with first nations in

Treaty 8 areas will be introduced this year.

Your

government is working with first nations to develop new child protection

strategies that effectively address the unique needs of first nations children

in care and in foster situations.

Secondary

school graduation rates for first nations youth are starting to climb, and entry

to post-secondary institutions is increasing.

Legislation

will be introduced to create a $15 million B.C. Rail–first nations benefit

trust that will support initiatives for the 25 first nations along the B.C. Rail

corridor. The trust will be run by first nations and used as they see fit to

support economic development, educational advancement and cultural renewal.

Bringing

out the best in transportation and northern development. Our transportation

infrastructure was neglected and allowed to deteriorate over the past decade.

Your government has acted to focus investments on critical transportation

improvements throughout the province. The $1 billion B.C. Rail investment

partnership with CN Rail will create an economic boom in the north and the

interior. It is a partnership that responds to the challenges and

recommendations identified by northern communities for the benefit of the north

and of the province.

B.C. Rail's

tracks, railbed and right-of-way remain protected in public ownership through

legislation. The B.C. Railway Company, a provincial Crown corporation, will own

these assets. CN Rail will pay the province $1 billion for the rolling stock and

the right to operate the line for the term of its lease. This enables your

government to pay off B.C. Rail's $500 million debt and save $30 million a year

in interest costs.

CN will

assume all maintenance costs, capital costs, risks and profits from running the

railway to its full potential. That will mean hundreds of millions of dollars in

new investment in B.C. as well as faster, cheaper, better rail service. It will

create a truly integrated continental rail service that will better connect B.C.

companies to their customers within our province and beyond.

This

investment partnership will leverage tremendous amounts to our transportation

infrastructure. A new passenger tourism service will be launched to draw

visitors north from Vancouver and Whistler via Prince George to Jasper, and

potentially across the north from Prince Rupert to the Rockies and the Peace.

That alone will create hundreds of new jobs in the years ahead.

CN will

invest $15 million to help open up the port of Prince Rupert. The government

will invest a further $17.2 million to expand that great northern port and to

open it up to container traffic. That will create another estimated 500 direct

jobs. The expanded port will open new worlds of opportunity for the north as

Asian and North American exports and imports flow through Prince Rupert.

Prince

George will be the centre for CN's western rail services. It will be the primary

beneficiary of 600 new centre beam cars and 1,500 upgraded boxcars. It will have

a new non-stop Chicago express rail service and a new $1 million

state-of-the-art wheel shop. It will see $4 million in proceeds invested in a

$10 million expansion of the Prince George Airport. Prince George will be the

headquarters for the new $135 million northern development initiative that your

government will launch this year.

Legislation

will be introduced this session to establish the northern development

initiative. It will give northern communities unprecedented control of their own

destiny and $135 million to leverage and invest in benefits for each region and

the entire north. That money will flow directly into the northern economy

starting this year. The northern development initiative will be managed and

invested by northerners on northern priorities to create jobs and opportunities

that will unleash the true potential of that vast and varied part of British

Columbia.

The B.C.

Rail investment partnership will also support improvements to our transportation

infrastructure in every region; $200 million of the proceeds will be used to

finance projects that are planned and outlined in the government's

transportation vision.

Bringing

out the best in B.C.'s forestry economy. Our forest industry has always been of

critical importance to British Columbia's prosperity, but it has been challenged

for many years. The softwood lumber dispute and lack of forestry investment have

made it a difficult time for forest-dependent communities.

Your

government has acted to bring out the best in British Columbia's forest economy.

It will continue to implement the forestry revitalization plan, to provide

renewed hope for those in the industry.

[1420]

Market-based

timber pricing will be introduced on the coast. The plan to reallocate 20

percent of the annual cut to smaller operators, local communities, first nations

and others will be implemented. Legislation will be introduced to open up more

opportunities for small-scale salvagers by quadrupling the amount of timber

available by direct award.

Your

government will increase its efforts to open up new markets for B.C. forest

products in China and elsewhere.

New

amendments will ensure forest contractors' rights are maintained when licensees

transfer, subdivide or consolidate a licence. Your government will use every

legitimate advantage to help B.C. forest communities and companies prevail in

the softwood dispute and successfully compete for new customers around the

world.

New

measures will be introduced to combat the mountain pine beetle. As well, your

government will act on the Filmon fire review recommendations.

To help

B.C.'s ranching sector, the Range Act will also be modernized.

Bringing

out the best in energy and in mining. British Columbia is North America's new

energy powerhouse. British Columbia has 115 trillion cubic feet of clean natural

gas, enough to heat every gas-heated

[ Page 8446 ]

home in Canada for 230 years. There is an estimated 42 trillion cubic feet of

gas and 9.8 billion barrels of oil off our northern coast and the coast of

complete its scientific review and join with B.C. in responding to this truly

exceptional offshore oil and gas opportunity with actions that are

scientifically sound, environmentally safe and socially responsible.

Families

and first nations living in our coastal communities see enormous potential.

Working together, it can be captured.

The

government is taking action to ensure exploration in northeast B.C. and the

Nechako and Bowser basins. There is potential in coalbed methane on Vancouver

Island, in the Kootenays and in the Cariboo — 90 trillion cubic feet of gas

that can be converted to clean energy.

British

Columbia has huge coal reserves in the Kootenays — 23 billion tonnes

provincewide. That alone is enough to meet B.C.'s energy needs for the next 120

years. A new royalty regime is now encouraging summer drilling and generating

record revenues for the provincial treasury.

Your

government is taking concrete steps to maximize the potential of wind, thermal,

solar and tidal energy so future generations will be able to rely on sustainable

sources of power. Fifty percent of all new power produced for B.C. Hydro will be

generated from clean, alternative energy sources. Already, independent power

producers in B.C. have proposed $800 million of new investment in clean,

renewable power projects.

Your

government recognizes the enormous contribution that mining has made to our

province, and it is working to bring out the best in mining and mineral

exploration across B.C. Legislation will be introduced to reduce unnecessary and

redundant regulatory requirements in coal tenure administration by 29 percent.

Other changes will introduce on-line transactions, create e-payment capabilities

for miners and clarify mineral rights.

The

government's new action agenda for mining will restore mining's economic

potential and generate new investment, jobs and opportunities for mining

families throughout British Columbia.

Bringing

out the best in the Spirit of 2010. No sector of our economy will benefit more

from the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games than tourism. A new Spirit of 2010

tourism strategy will be introduced this year to ensure that every region can

take full advantage of the Olympic opportunity. It will build on B.C.'s

spectacular all-season resorts that are already generating investment and jobs

throughout the heartlands.

The new

Vancouver convention and exhibition centre is proceeding and will give tourism

throughout B.C. an enormous boost. It will be a showcase for our wood

construction and will feature the best B.C. products throughout.

There are

amazing opportunities for growth in the winery and ecotourism industries.

Later this

spring your government will co-host a Spirit of 2010 business summit. It will

bring together businesses, investors and community leaders from across the

province. Detailed Olympic development strategies will be outlined covering

tourism, procurement, trade and investment, and labour supply strategies.

Your

government will also build on the international marketing efforts it is

supporting in tourism, technology and forestry.

A new

initiative will invite all British Columbians to help picture the true spirit of

our province and its people for all the world to see in films, photos, music,

art, poetry and literature. Under this new Picture B.C. initiative, British

Columbians' images, words and artwork will be featured on the government's

website, showcased in printed publications and profiled in countless ways from

now until 2010.

[1425]

Local

governments, first nations, school districts, tourism organizations and others

will be invited to work in partnership with the province to picture B.C. in

films and images that suitably convey our diverse cultures, regions, amenities,

enterprises, activities and natural wonders. Picture B.C. will build a library

of resources that will be available to participating partners for use in

international marketing campaigns, tourism promotions and investment missions.

Bringing

out the best in student achievement. For all British Columbians to realize their

full potential, we must have an education system that is second to none and that

is accessible throughout the province. Education is the key to unlocking the

promise of British Columbia for our children and the opportunities that they

will inherit.

Your

government's goal has been to free up resources for the best education system

anywhere through strong and prudent financial management and a prosperous,

growing economy. Education has been restored as an essential service. Parents

have been encouraged to become actively involved in their children's education.

Today there is expanded choice in schooling, enhanced education accountability

and a strong focus on student achievement.

Education

funding has increased despite a decline in student enrolment that will continue

for years to come. Since the year 2000 total funding is up more than $500 per

student, including an increase of over $200 per student in the year ahead under

the new generally accepted accounting principles. The education budget will grow

by $313 million over the next three years, from $4.86 billion in 2003-04 to

almost $5.2 billion in 2006-07.

New

provincial standards for codes of conduct will be put in place to increase

student safety and reduce bullying in the schools. New physical education

performance standards will also be introduced. The incredibly successful action

schools program, which encourages children to develop good physical fitness

habits early in life, will be expanded so kids throughout B.C. can benefit.

[ Page 8447 ]

B.C.'s new

graduation requirements will begin this September. They will raise our standards

and provide more flexibility and choice for students. Several more steps will be

taken down the road to improve student achievement. New funding and investment

in early childhood development will help bring out the best in children from

infancy to their first years in school. The early learning and child care

agreement with the federal government will inject more than $70 million over the

next three years in funding increases for programs to support British Columbia's

youngsters.

The human

early learning partnership conducted through UBC will benchmark the learning

readiness of school entry–aged children across our province. That partnership

will help better target early childhood development funding and ensure that all

children have every opportunity to experience the excitement of learning and to

be the best that they can be.

Your

government wants British Columbia to become recognized as the most literate

location in North America by 2010. It is estimated that 40 percent of adult

British Columbians have low literacy skills. They have difficulty in reading,

writing and basic numeracy skills that places them at a severe disadvantage in

theireveryday lives. Many adults cannot read at all. They cannot fill out job

applications, read a map, use an ATM machine or balance their chequebooks. Low

literacy is directly tied to low income and to unemployment. Your government is

committed to tackling this serious social challenge for young and for old alike.

Every British Columbian should experience the benefits and the opportunities of

literacy.

To that

end, your government will launch a major new initiative to foster literacy

throughout B.C., enhancing reading, writing, numeracy, as well as computer

advisory panel on literacy will be created to assess British Columbians' most

urgent needs in literacy and recommend actions for improvement. Your government

will provide new funding for literacy initiatives aimed at leveraging matching

contributions from private donors. Moreover, your government will double its

annual contribution to the adult literacy cost-shared program and will challenge

the federal government to do likewise.

The

government will act to improve literacy in our schools. It will act to ensure

students have the textbooks they need to bring out their best.

Bringing

out the best in higher education. As our student population ages and our

provincial population grows, so too does the demand for access to advanced

education. More than 70 percent of job openings in the next decade will require

some form of post-secondary education. Nearly 6,000 new spaces have been added

to our public post-secondary institutions during the last two years, yet there

are still not enough spaces to meet current and future demands for learning and

skills development.

[1430]

In the days

ahead, your government will outline a comprehensive new strategy to increase

access to advanced education. It will act this year to create new post-secondary

options and new student spaces in the heartlands as well as in the lower

mainland. Young people deserve to know that if they work hard in school, they

can move on to new educational opportunities that meet their needs where they

live.

Your

government believes that any student with a 75 percent average in secondary

school deserves to have access to university. This year it will act to

accomplish that goal by 2010. Your government will add 25,000 new student spaces

to B.C.'s colleges, universities and institutes by 2010. That will create

opportunities in public post-secondary education at twice the expected rate of

growth in students aged 18 to 29.

Overall

funding to B.C.'s post-secondary institutions will increase in each of the next

three years. As well, the advanced education budget will increase by $105

million by 2006-07. Measures will also be taken this year to gain better

information and to increase the options and choices for advanced education in

British Columbia's private institutions. More must be done to better match

B.C.'s training and educational options with the skills and workforce demands of

the future.

Today there

are about 70,000 job openings that need to be filled over the course of any

given year, yet there are only about 37,000 job vacancies that remain open for

lack of skilled workers. From now until 2010 that will mean an anticipated half

million new jobs, not counting those generated by the Olympics. It is expected

that the games and related capital projects will generate a further 132,000

person-years of employment. These are all opportunities for B.C. workers and

their families. The new industry training model will increase flexibility and

choice in trades training for everyone.

A new

Spirit of 2010 human resource strategy will also be launched later this year to

ensure our skills training initiatives are better targeted to personal training

and training needs. As our economy flourishes, more will be done to meet skills

shortages in critical growth sectors like oil and gas, communications and

transportation, technology, construction, hospitality and tourism. When we

welcome the world in 2010, British Columbia will have the best-trained

superhosts on the planet.

Bringing

out the best in digital technology. Today too many of B.C.'s families are shut

out of the opportunities and advantages in the new knowledge economy; 171 of

B.C.'s 361 communities currently do not have broadband access to the Internet.

Your government will bridge that digital divide. It will act in partnership with

others to connect every community in our province to high-speed Internet access.

This year 154 schools will be upgraded from low-speed to high-speed Internet

access to open up broadband access points in 77 communities through the

provincial learning network. The remaining 94 communities will be connected to

the broadband network by the end of 2006.

Once those

access points have been established in each community, they will then be linked

to homes and

[ Page 8448 ]

businesses. Your government will work with local service providers, community

organizations, first nations and the federal government to put in place those

last-mile connections. As your government extends broadband access to rural

communities, it will liberate new opportunities in telehealth. Advancements in

tele-imaging and digital technology will deliver better, faster patient care

closer to home.

Bringing

out the best in patient care. Few challenges that confront us as a province and

a nation match the task of revitalizing our health care system so it is

sustainable and meets the needs of patients regardless of where they live.

Changes have been made to improve the quality of patient care and make our

health care system more sustainable. Yet the challenges remain and grow greater

every year.

Simply put,

funding cannot keep pace with the pressure on the system. Health care spending

has been increased by $2 billion over the past three years, or over 20 percent;

$1.2 billion has gone directly to wage and compensation increases for B.C.

doctors, nurses and health support workers. Health care funding has increased at

more than three times the rate of economic growth. Pharmacare costs have soared

by 14 percent annually. And still the pressures grow, with no end in sight. As

our population ages, demands increase and costs escalate.

But the

biggest single cost component of health care is labour. Salaries, fees and

benefits for doctors, nurses and health support workers account for 70 percent

of all health care spending. B.C.'s health professionals are now amongst the

highest paid in Canada, as health sector wage and compensation costs have

increased by over 20 percent in the past three years.

[1435]

As we

strive to create the sound financial footing that is critical to the next

generation of British Columbia's future, everyone must share in the burden of

transformation that is taking place. Already many public servants have accepted

that responsibility, as 27 separate public sector agreements have been concluded

with the government's cost-neutral negotiating mandate. The workers covered by

those agreements have all helped your government to live within its means and

not add to our children's growing burden of debt.

The

government urges all others in the broad public sector to act in that same

spirit, in a united effort to secure our children's future. This requires health

care professionals to also do their part for patients, for taxpayers and for the

long-term sustainability of the public health care system. Every penny of

savings realized from the administrative restructuring and the elimination of

unnecessary costs will go back into care for patients.

Every new

dollar from extra federal health care funding will flow directly to improvements

in patient services. Working with communities across the province, your

government will pursue new strategies to increase the supply of seniors housing,

options for independent living and expansion of home care services.

Your

government will establish a new rural health travel assistance plan that will be

launched this year to help defray costs for rural families who must travel to

health centres for special care. At the same time, it is expanding the capacity

of regional hospitals to deliver more care in those regions so that fewer

patients have to travel to get the care they need. There is now evidence that

more British Columbians are getting the care they need when they need it in the

regions where they live.

Your

programs and resources necessary to meet the health care needs of first nations

in British Columbia. Your government will also work with the federal government

to establish a national centre for disease control here in British Columbia.

B.C. is

leading the world in the fight against SARS. Nothing better demonstrated the

spirit of British Columbia than the leadership shown by our health care

professionals and our citizens as they rallied together to prevent the spread of

that virus and keep each other safe. Not one life was lost in British Columbia.

Yet in one year a lifetime of progress has been made that will potentially save

many thousands of lives in the future.

Only a year

ago B.C. scientists at the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre were the first

in the world to map the genetic code of the SARS virus. Now Dr. Brett Finlay and

his team of 40 scientists have developed a vaccine for SARS that is already in

initial testing. A process that usually takes ten to 12 years has been

accelerated to 18 to 24 months by our own world-leading British Columbia

scientists. It is an amazing example of how ongoing investments in research can

bring about the best in science and cooperation to advance human health and

understanding the world over.

Bringing

out the best in sport, music and culture. As British Columbians prepare to host

the Olympics, your government will embrace the Spirit of 2010 with new

initiatives to bring out the best in sport, music, arts, culture, literacy and

volunteerism. Over 30 million in one-time exceptional funding will be invested

to support those initiatives, largely under the auspices of LegaciesNow.

LegaciesNow will be given the funding and resources to assume the leadership

role in British Columbia's sport development and recreation programs. It will

work with sports associations, schools, the Olympic secretariat, Olympic

organizers and all levels of government to bring out the best in our athletes.

It will leverage new contributions for sport and fitness from other levels of

government and from the private sector.

The 2010

Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are Canada's games. British Columbians want

all Canada to succeed in 2010. We want to see Canadians from every province and

territory on the Olympic podiums in Vancouver and Whistler. It is the dream of

the Olympics and the drive of the Olympics that will light the excitement in our

children's eyes. LegaciesNow will take our kids from the playground to the

podium. It will build on initiatives that are happening today, like

[ Page 8449 ]

the Spirit of 2010 hockey tournament, and on others that will take place

tomorrow.

There has

never been a more exciting or promising time to live in British Columbia for

athletes, spectators and sport enthusiasts alike. Our artists and musicians

should share the excitement of our young athletes. New Music Now and Arts Now

initiatives will be launched under the mandate of LegaciesNow to help our young

musicians and artists be the best they can be. LegaciesNow will prepare British

Columbians to take advantage of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and it will continue

bringing out the best in British Columbians beyond 2010.

[1440]

Bringing

out the best in social responsibility. Your government will continue to improve

services for children, women and families. Changes last year funded 25,000 more

child care spaces, making 70,000 spaces available for funding and increasing

choice in child care options. New capital investments have created or supported

15,000 child care spaces since 2001, largely in the heartlands. Over the next

few years more will be done to increase child care spaces and benefit young

families throughout B.C.

Your

government will continue to ensure that women and their children have the

services and support they need to be safe and secure. It will improve services

for those most vulnerable in our society through regionalized service delivery

in the community living and child and family development sectors.

Later in

the year the Premier will host a series of round tables aimed at engaging B.C.'s

families in a discussion about their hopes and aspirations for the future.

Building on the successful model employed to create the Citizens' Assembly,

round-table participants will be randomly selected in several communities. They

will be invited to share their views on the challenges and opportunities they

see for their families and for their communities, and they will be asked to

offer constructive suggestions on the steps they would like their government to

pursue in a wide range of public policy areas that have a major effect on their

day-to-day lives and futures.

As a sound

financial foundation is established, the province will continue to work with the

Union of British Columbia Municipalities to create safer communities and to

establish new responses to the aging of our population. Income assistance will

continue to be targeted to those most in need — to persons with disabilities

and those who have multiple barriers to employment.

More than

80,000 British Columbians have left income assistance since your government came

to office. They are no longer dependent on welfare and are typically employed

and earning two or three times more money. Your government will continue to help

employable British Columbians get the support and skills they need to find work

and bring out their best.

New steps

will also be taken this year to increase public safety and target organized

crime. New legislation will be introduced to ensure that criminals do not profit

from illegal activity and that victims have new recourse for compensation.

Your

government will also act this year to bring out the best in our environment. In

consultation with regions throughout the province, your government will act to

expand our provincial park system by converting protected areas to parks. It

will reinstate funding to maintain forest recreation roads and recreation sites

in the heartlands, and it will work in partnership with other governments to

preserve Burns Bog and create a new national park in the South Okanagan.

Bringing

out the best in the spirit of British Columbia. As we look to the year ahead,

all eyes will be on the work of the Citizens' Assembly that your government

established this year. The 161-member Citizens' Assembly is deliberating on how

best to elect members to this Legislative Assembly. It is a groundbreaking

initiative of which British Columbians are rightly proud. It gives British

Columbians an unprecedented opportunity to bring out the best in our

parliamentary system. Like all the other measures and reforms your government

has introduced, it reflects your government's abiding confidence in British

Columbians to choose their own destiny.

The hard

work of the last two years has opened new promise for our province. It is

bringing our children home.

There is so

much our province can accomplish and will achieve in the years ahead. This is

British Columbians' moment in the sun. This is our time in history to bring out

the best for our children, our province and the world. This is British

Columbia's time to show its true spirit.

We can

excel in every field of endeavour. We are leaders in job creation, resource

management, environmental stewardship and first nations partnerships. We are

leaders in sport, fitness, health and wellness, and student achievement. We are

leaders in parliamentary reform, local government reform, health care reform and

educational reform.

But we can

be better still. We can lead the nation in literacy and bridge the digital

divide. We can give our children the gifts of music and lift ourselves higher

through art and culture and volunteerism. Our economy can race to the future

with new confidence and new pride of purpose in every region and in every field

of endeavour.

The Spirit

of 2010 is the spirit of British Columbia. It is alive with opportunity and with

hope. It is the Spirit of 2010 that will bring out the best in our great

province.

This is

more than an opportunity. It is our obligation to the seniors who built this

province, to the families who strive to make it the best it can be for their

children, and to the next generation who will carry new dreams for all of us.

[1445]

Her Honour

the Lieutenant-Governor retired from the chamber.

[ Page 8450 ]

[Mr.

Speaker in the chair.]

Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, in order to prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy

of Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor's speech.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

AN ACT TO ENSURE

THE SUPREMACY OF PARLIAMENT

Hon. G.

Plant presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill

intituled

An Act to Ensure the Supremacy of Parliament.

Hon. G.

Plant: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion

approved.

Hon. G.

Plant: The introduction of this bill prior to consideration of the throne

speech expresses the established right of parliament, through its elected

members, to deliberate independently of the Sovereign. As such it is an

important part of our parliamentary democratic process. It's a right that was

first asserted by the Parliament at Westminster in the year 1603, during the

reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Mr.

Speaker, 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 1

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.

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY SPEAKER

Hon. G.

Collins: I move, seconded by the member for Vancouver-Hastings electoral

district, that John Weisbeck, member for Kelowna–Lake Country electoral

district, be appointed Deputy Speaker for this session of the Legislative

Assembly.

Motion

approved.

APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY CHAIR,

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

Hon. G.

Collins: I move, seconded by the member for Vancouver-Hastings electoral

district, that Harold Long, member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast electoral

district, be appointed Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole for this

session of the Legislative Assembly.

Motion

approved.

PRINTING OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS

Hon.

G. Plant: I move that the Votes and Proceedings of this House be

printed, being first perused by Mr. Speaker, and that he do appoint the printing

thereof, and that no person but such as he shall appoint do presume to print the

same.

Motion

approved.

APPOINTMENT OF

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEES

Hon. G.

Campbell: I move that the select standing committees of the House for the

present session be appointed for the following purposes:

Aboriginal Affairs;

2. Education;

3. Finance and

Government Services;

4. Health;

5. Public

Accounts;

Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills;

7. Crown

Corporations;

which said

committees shall severally be empowered to examine and inquire into all such

matters and things as shall be referred to them by this House and to report from

time to time their observations and opinions thereon, with power to send for

persons, papers and records; and that a special committee be appointed to

prepare and report, with all convenient speed, lists of members to compose the

above select standing committees of this House under standing order 68(1), the

committee to be composed of the Hon. G. Collins, Convener; Messrs. Wong,

Krueger, Wilson, Nuraney and Manhas; Ms. McMahon, Ms. Orr and Ms. MacPhail.

MacPhail: I rise today in support of this motion and to amend it. I move the

following amendment, after which I will speak.

[By inserting the text highlighted by underline 8.

Attorney General-Solicitor General Joint Committee so that the amended

motion reads:

I move that the select standing committees of this House for

the present session be appointed for the following purposes:

1. Aboriginal Affairs;

2. Education;

3. Finance and Government Services;

4. Health;

5. Public Accounts;

6. Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills;

7. Crown Corporations;

8. Attorney General-Solicitor General Joint Committee;

which said committees shall severally be empowered to

examine and inquire into all such matters and things as shall be referred to

them by this House and to report from time to time their observations and

opinions thereon, with power to send for persons, papers and records; and that

a special committee be appointed to

[ Page 8451 ]

prepare and report, with all convenient speed, lists of

members to compose the above select standing committees of this House under

standing order 68(1)]

On the

amendment.

MacPhail: I move that the select standing committees of this House for the

present session be appointed for the following purposes…. In addition to the

seven that the Premier has just appointed, add an eighth: Attorney

General–Solicitor General joint committee.

At certain

times in the life of our province, issues of grave concern arise that demand the

immediate attention of legislators, that demand strong leadership, that demand

strong action. These issues rise above the daily partisan battles that we wage

here in the Legislature. They are fundamental to the maintenance of a free, open

and democratic society.

[1450]

The spread

of organized crime in British Columbia is just such an issue. Recently, every

British Columbian watched as members of the RCMP organized crime and drug units

descended on this building, carrying away boxes of evidence from the offices of

senior political staff. Although we know little about what led to these raids on

our most important democratic institution, we listened carefully to the words of

RCMP Sgt. John Ward, who described the spread of organized crime as "a

cancer eating away at the moral fabric of our society."

That's a

graphic and alarming description of a disturbing phenomenon in the daily life of

our province. The impact of organized crime activity is reflected in rising

crime rates, in the prevalence of new, powerful and widely available drugs and

in — we can only assume — the activities of those charged with protecting

the public interest. That's why the opposition has brought forward this

amendment to the motion before us to establish, this session, a joint Attorney

General–Solicitor General standing committee of the House, a committee whose

first task we may respectfully suggest would be to investigate organized crime

in B.C. with a view to proposing practical solutions to halt its spread.

To assure

the members opposite, I want to make it clear that the intent of this committee

would not be to examine organized crime's links to this government. Indeed, that

is the subject of a police investigation. Rather, the intent perhaps can best be

understood…

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

MacPhail: …as our way of helping the Solicitor General keep his

unfulfilled promise to hold a public forum on organized crime — a forum he

said would involve the judiciary, the Crown prosecutors, police and the public

— to examine fully how we can do a better job fighting organized crime. The

Solicitor General will recall that he made that promise in March of last year at

the Premier's annual congress.

At the time

the opposition fully supported this initiative, but we have been disappointed in

his failure to follow through. Therefore, we bring this motion forward, a motion

that is in keeping with the new-era promise to give all MLAs and citizens a

better voice in government through active legislative committees. The government

side of the House should not feel threatened by this motion, although I suspect

they already are — by their disappointing reaction. Rather, they should view

it as an opportunity — an opportunity to help their government take a stand

against organized crime, an opportunity to stand up for their communities, an

opportunity to contribute to a public discussion of an important issue for their

constituents.

There will

always be a need for public scrutiny of this government's activities on this

matter. Just last week the Solicitor General announced integrating the Organized

Crime Agency with the RCMP, but integrating with the RCMP means there will no

longer be a service plan forthcoming from the agency responsible for organized

crime in this province. Therefore, unless we have this legislative standing

committee, there will be no legislative scrutiny because of that action of the

Organized Crime Agency. It will be through a standing committee such as this

that information regarding the adequacy of funding and resources for organized

crime fighters will be found.

We cannot

hide from this issue. We cannot ignore it and hope that it just goes away. Now

is the time to match rhetoric with action and to get serious about our

collective responsibility to tackle a mounting, dangerous problem that affects

us all. I strongly encourage and hope that every member of this House will

support this motion.

Mr.

Speaker: We are debating the amendment to the Premier's motion.

Hon. G.

Collins: I've been in this House long enough to know how opposition tactics

work. I think it's fair to say that everyone is concerned with the issues that

the Solicitor General has raised previously as well as the member opposite has

raised. I think that if it were a genuine gesture to try and provide a forum for

debate, discussion, public consultation around this issue, it's something we

probably could have talked about beforehand. The fact that the member raises it

here in the fashion she does, I think, is an indication of its intent.

However, I

think all members of this House would be glad if the member has some suggestions

as to how we might grapple with this issue. There have been recommendations or

suggestions put forward by the Solicitor General in the past. We'd be glad to do

that, and we can certainly have that discussion.

[1455]

Perhaps

this isn't the best way to do it. Perhaps there are others that would involve

the public in a

[ Page 8452 ]

more meaningful way than just having the Legislature members sit here and

address something, which I think the member makes a point on — that this,

according to her, impacts individual members of the Legislature and that perhaps

the better forum would be some public forum. I think if she has suggestions on

that, then we would certainly be more than happy to hear her suggestions as well

as the suggestions of other British Columbians. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe

this is the best forum to make that happen.

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

Hon.

members, we are voting on the amendment proposed by the Leader of the

Opposition. It reads as follows, under item 8, "the Attorney

General–Solicitor General Joint Committee" so that the amended motion

reads that this committee is incorporated.

Amendment

negatived on the following division:

YEAS — 3

Nettleton

MacPhail

Kwan

NAYS — 74

Falcon

Coell

Les

L. Reid

Chong

Brice

Cheema

Hansen

Bell

Bruce

Santori

Barisoff

van Dongen

Bray

Roddick

Wilson

Masi

Lee

Thorpe

Hagen

Murray

Plant

Campbell

Collins

Clark

Bond

de Jong

Harris

Christensen

Abbott

Neufeld

Coleman

Penner

Weisbeck

Cobb

Jarvis

Anderson

Orr

Hogg

Nuraney

Brenzinger

R. Stewart

Hunter

Chutter

Long

Mayencourt

Trumper

Johnston

Bennett

Belsey

Krueger

J. Reid

McMahon

Hayer

Nebbeling

Stephens

Locke

Nijjar

Bhullar

Wong

Visser

Lekstrom

MacKay

Halsey-Brandt

K. Stewart

Bloy

Suffredine

Whittred

Sultan

Hamilton

Sahota

Hawes

Kerr

Manhas

Mr.

Speaker: The question, hon. members, is on the motion on select standing

committees as put forward by the Premier.

Motion

approved.

Point of Privilege

MacPhail: This being the first appropriate time, I want to reserve my right

to raise a matter of privilege — not once, not twice, but three times. I put

that before you, Mr. Speaker, I hope in the appropriate fashion — to reserve

my right on three matters of privilege.

Mr.

Speaker: So noted.

Hon. G.

Collins moved adjournment of the House.

Motion

approved.

Mr.

Speaker: The House is adjourned until 2 p.m. tomorrow.

The House

adjourned at 3 p.m.

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