British Columbia Hansard — Tuesday, October 26, 2004

h1026am-17

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

5th Session, 37th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) Tuesday, October 26, 2004 Morning Sitting Volume 26, Number 17 THE HONOURABLE CLAUDE RICHMOND, SPEAKER ISSN 0709-1281

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Iona V. Campagnolo, CM, OBC 5TH SESSION, 37TH PARLIAMENT SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Claude Richmond EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council ............................................................................................................Hon. Gordon Campbell Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations ...............................................................................................................Hon.

Sindi Hawkins Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education .......................................................................................................... Hon. Shirley Bond Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries..................................................................................................................... Hon. John van Dongen Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Treaty Negotiations............................................................................. Hon.

Geoff Plant, QC Minister of Children and Family Development ..........................................................................................................................Hon. Stan Hagen Minister of State for Early Childhood Development...................................................................................................................Hon. Linda Reid Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services ................................................................................................ Hon.

Murray Coell Minister of State for Immigration and Multicultural Services..............................................................................................Hon. Patrick Wong Minister of State for Women's and Seniors' Services................................................................................................................... Hon. Ida Chong Minister of Education ............................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Tom Christensen Minister of Energy and Mines...............................................................................................................................................Hon. Richard Neufeld Minister of State for Mining...................................................................................................................................................................Hon. Pat Bell Minister of Finance.........................................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Gary Collins Minister of Forests................................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Michael de Jong Minister of State for Forestry Operations.................................................................................................................................. Hon. Roger Harris Minister of Health Services.........................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Colin Hansen Minister of State for Mental Health and Addiction Services ................................................................................................Hon. Brenda Locke Minister of Human Resources........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Susan Brice Minister of Management Services ............................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Joyce Murray Minister of Provincial Revenue.................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Rick Thorpe Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General...................................................................................................................... Hon. Rich Coleman Minister of Skills Development and Labour......................................................................................................................Hon. Graham P.

Bruce Minister of Small Business and Economic Development ...............................................................................................................Hon. John Les Minister of Sustainable Resource Management ....................................................................................................................Hon. George Abbott Minister of State for Resort Development.......................................................................................................... Hon.

Armando (Sandy) Santori Minister of Transportation...........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Kevin Falcon Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection ............................................................................................................................... Hon.

Bill Barisoff LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Deputy Speaker ............................................................................................................................................................................. Dr. John Weisbeck Leader of the Opposition ..................................................................................................................................................................Joy K.

MacPhail Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole.............................................................................................................................................. Harold Long Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ................................................................................................................................... E.

George MacMinn, QC Clerk Assistant.........................................................................................................................................................................................Robert Vaive Clerk Assistant and Law Clerk .......................................................................................................................................................Ian D. Izard, QC Clerk Assistant and Clerk of Committees ....................................................................................................................................... Craig H.

James Clerk Assistant and Committee Clerk ..........................................................................................................................................Kate Ryan-Lloyd Sergeant-at-Arms............................................................................................................................................................................. A.A.

Humphreys Director, Hansard Services ..................................................................................................................................................Anthony Dambrauskas Legislative Librarian ..................................................................................................................................................................................Jane Taylor Legislative Comptroller...............................................................................................................................................................................Peter Bray Published by British Columbia Hans ard Services, and printed under the authority of the Speaker by the Queen's Printer, Victoria.

Rates: single issue, $2.85; per calendar year, mailed daily, $298. GST extra. Agent: Crown Publications Inc., 521 Fort St., Victoria, B.C. V8W 1E7. Telephone: (250) 386-4636. Fax: 386-0221. www.leg.bc.ca Hansard Services publishes transcripts both in print and on the Internet. Chamber debates are broadcast on television and webcast on the Internet.

Party Standings: Liberal 73; New Democratic 2; Independent Liberal 3; Vacant 1 ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Abbott, Hon. George (L) ..........................................................................Shuswap Anderson, Rev. Val (L) .......................................................... Vancouver-Langara Barisoff, Hon. Bill (L)...............................................Penticton–Okanagan Valley Bell, Hon.

Pat (L) ..................................................................Prince George North Belsey, Bill (L)....................................................................................North Coast Bennett, Bill (L) ..............................................................................East Kootenay Bhullar, Tony (Ind. L) ................................................................... Surrey-Newton Bloy, Harry (L).....................................................................................Burquitlam Bond, Hon. Shirley (L)..........................................

Prince George–Mount Robson Bray, Jeff (L) ........................................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Brenzinger, Elayne (Ind. L)...........................................................Surrey-Whalley Brice, Hon. Susan (L)...................................................................... Saanich South Bruce, Hon. Graham P. (L) ................................................. Cowichan-Ladysmith Campbell, Hon. Gordon (L) .............................................. Vancouver–Point Grey Chong, Hon. Ida (L) .........................................................

Oak Bay–Gordon Head Christensen, Hon. Tom (L) ...................................................... Okanagan-Vernon Chutter, Dave (L) ..............................................................................Yale-Lillooet Clark, Christy (L) .............................................................Port Moody–Westwood Cobb, Walt (L) ................................................................................Cariboo South Coell, Hon. Murray (L) ..........................................Saanich North and the Islands Coleman, Hon.

Rich (L)................................................Fort Langley–Aldergrove Collins, Hon. Gary (L) ..........................................................Vancouver-Fairview de Jong, Hon. Michael (L) ........................................Abbotsford–Mount Lehman Falcon, Hon. Kevin (L) ............................................................ Surrey-Cloverdale Hagen, Hon.

Stan (L) ......................................................................Comox Valley Halsey-Brandt, Greg (L) ............................................................Richmond Centre Hamilton, Arnie (L)..............................................................Esquimalt-Metchosin Hansen, Hon. Colin (L) .......................................................Vancouver-Quilchena Harris, Hon. Roger (L) ................................................................................Skeena Hawes, Randy (L)............................................................... Maple Ridge–Mission Hawkins, Hon.

Sindi (L) ........................................................... Kelowna-Mission Hayer, Dave S. (L) ..................................................................... Surrey-Tynehead Hogg, Gordon (L)................................................................... Surrey–White Rock Hunter, Mike (L) ..................................................................................... Nanaimo Jarvis, Daniel (L)........................................................North Vancouver–Seymour Johnston, Ken (L)..............................................................

Vancouver-Fraserview Kerr, Brian J. (L) ................................................................ Malahat–Juan de Fuca Krueger, Kevin (L)................................................... Kamloops–North Thompson Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching (NDP)................................ Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Lee, Richard T. (L).........................................................................Burnaby North Lekstrom, Blair (L)................................................................... Peace River South Les, Hon. John (L)....................................................................

Chilliwack-Sumas Locke, Hon. Brenda (L) .................................................... Surrey–Green Timbers Long, Harold (L) .................................................... Powell River–Sunshine Coast MacKay, Dennis (L)......................................................... Bulkley Valley–Stikine McMahon, Wendy (L).............................................. Columbia River–Revelstoke MacPhail, Joy K. (NDP) .......................................................

Vancouver-Hastings Manhas, Karn (L) ..............................................Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Masi, Reni (L) ..................................................................................... Delta North Mayencourt, Lorne (L)............................................................Vancouver-Burrard Murray, Hon. Joyce (L)............................................................. New Westminster Nebbeling, Ted (L)..................................................... West Vancouver–Garibaldi Nettleton, Paul (Ind.

L) ...................................................Prince George–Omineca Neufeld, Hon. Richard (L) ....................................................... Peace River North Nijjar, Rob (L).....................................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Nuraney, John (L)..................................................................Burnaby-Willingdon Orr, Sheila (L) .............................................................................Victoria-Hillside Penner, Barry (L)......................................................................... Chilliwack-Kent Plant, Hon.

Geoff, QC (L).................................................... Richmond-Steveston Reid, Judith (L)....................................................................... Nanaimo-Parksville Reid, Hon. Linda (L) ..................................................................... Richmond East Richmond, Hon. Claude (L)...................................................................Kamloops Roddick, Valerie (L)............................................................................

Delta South Sahota, Patty (L).......................................................................Burnaby-Edmonds Santori, Hon. Armando (Sandy) (L) ........................... West Kootenay–Boundary Stephens, Lynn (L).................................................................................... Langley Stewart, Ken (L)........................................................

Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Stewart, Richard (L)........................................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Suffredine, Blair F. (L)..................................................................Nelson-Creston Sultan, Ralph (L) .........................................................West Vancouver–Capilano Thorpe, Hon. Rick (L)............................................................Okanagan-Westside Trumper, Gillian (L)..................................................................Alberni-Qualicum van Dongen, Hon.

John (L)..................................................Abbotsford-Clayburn Visser, Rod (L)...................................................................................North Island Weisbeck, Dr. John (L) ................................................... Kelowna–Lake Country Whittred, Katherine (L)............................................. North Vancouver–Lonsdale Wilson, Dr. John (L)........................................................................Cariboo North Wong, Hon.

Patrick (L).....................................................Vancouver-Kensington LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Clayburn ........................................................ Hon. John van Dongen Abbotsford–Mount Lehman................................................Hon. Michael de Jong Alberni-Qualicum ........................................................................ Gillian Trumper Bulkley Valley–Stikine ................................................................ Dennis MacKay Burnaby North................................................................................ Richard T.

Lee Burnaby-Edmonds.............................................................................. Patty Sahota Burnaby-Willingdon ........................................................................John Nuraney Burquitlam............................................................................................ Harry Bloy Cariboo North...............................................................................Dr.

John Wilson Cariboo South........................................................................................Walt Cobb Chilliwack-Kent ................................................................................ Barry Penner Chilliwack-Sumas ........................................................................... Hon. John Les Columbia River–Revelstoke .....................................................Wendy McMahon Comox Valley .............................................................................Hon.

Stan Hagen Coquitlam-Maillardville............................................................... Richard Stewart Cowichan-Ladysmith .........................................................Hon. Graham P.

Bruce Delta North.............................................................................................Reni Masi Delta South...................................................................................Valerie Roddick East Kootenay .....................................................................................Bill Bennett Esquimalt-Metchosin .................................................................... Arnie Hamilton Fort Langley–Aldergrove....................................................... Hon.

Rich Coleman Kamloops ......................................................................... Hon. Claude Richmond Kamloops–North Thompson.......................................................... Kevin Krueger Kelowna–Lake Country ...........................................................Dr. John Weisbeck Kelowna-Mission ...................................................................Hon. Sindi Hawkins Langley........................................................................................... Lynn Stephens Malahat–Juan de Fuca.......................................................................

Brian J. Kerr Maple Ridge–Mission ......................................................................Randy Hawes Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows............................................................... Ken Stewart Nanaimo .............................................................................................Mike Hunter Nanaimo-Parksville..............................................................................Judith Reid Nelson-Creston......................................................................... Blair F.

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

Daniel Jarvis Oak Bay–Gordon Head.................................................................Hon. Ida Chong Okanagan-Vernon ..............................................................Hon. Tom Christensen Okanagan-Westside................................................................... Hon. Rick Thorpe Peace River North ...............................................................Hon. Richard Neufeld Peace River South ..........................................................................Blair Lekstrom Penticton–Okanagan Valley...................................................... Hon.

Bill Barisoff Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain......................................................Karn Manhas Port Moody–Westwood ....................................................................Christy Clark Powell River–Sunshine Coast............................................................Harold Long Prince George North .........................................................................Hon. Pat Bell Prince George–Mount Robson................................................. Hon. Shirley Bond Prince George–Omineca .................................................................

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

Hon. George Abbott Skeena .......................................................................................Hon. Roger Harris Surrey-Cloverdale ....................................................................Hon. Kevin Falcon Surrey–Green Timbers............................................................Hon.

Brenda Locke Surrey-Newton ..................................................................................Tony Bhullar Surrey–Panorama Ridge..............................................................................Vacant Surrey-Tynehead .............................................................................Dave S. Hayer Surrey-Whalley ........................................................................ Elayne Brenzinger Surrey–White Rock..........................................................................

Gordon Hogg Vancouver-Burrard .................................................................. Lorne Mayencourt Vancouver-Fairview..................................................................Hon. Gary Collins Vancouver-Fraserview ..................................................................... Ken Johnston Vancouver-Hastings.................................................................... Joy K. MacPhail Vancouver-Kensington ........................................................... Hon. Patrick Wong Vancouver-Kingsway............................................................................

Rob Nijjar Vancouver-Langara................................................................. Rev. Val Anderson Vancouver–Mount Pleasant .............................................Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Vancouver–Point Grey..................................................... Hon. Gordon Campbell Vancouver-Quilchena ............................................................. Hon.

Colin Hansen Victoria–Beacon Hill ...............................................................................Jeff Bray Victoria-Hillside.....................................................................................Sheila Orr West Kootenay–Boundary ...................................Hon. Armando (Sandy) Santori West Vancouver–Capilano ............................................................... Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Garibaldi............................................................

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

CONTENTS Tuesday, October 26, 2004 Morning Sitting Routine Proceedings Page Tabling Documents.............................................................................................................. .................................................. 11719 Auditor general report No. 5, 2004-05, Salmon Forever: An Assessment of the Provincial Role in Sustaining Wild Salmon Third Reading of Bills......................................................................................................... ................................................... 11719 Safe Streets Act (Bill 71) J. Kwan Hon. G.

Plant Royal Assent to Bills.......................................................................................................... .................................................... 11721 Safe Streets Act (Bill 71) Social Service Tax Amendment Act (No, 2), 2004 (Bill 76)

11719 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2004 The House met at 10:04 a.m. Prayers. Tabling Documents Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, I have the honour to present report No. 5, 2004-05, of the auditor general: Salmon Forever: An Assessment of the Provincial Role in Sustaining Wild Salmon. [1005] Orders of the Day Hon. G. Plant: I call report on Bill 71. Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, the question is third reading of Bill 71. Just before we begin the debate on the bill, I just wish to apprise the members of the parameters to which debate is limited. It's an unusual occurrence — third reading debate.

Because all bills in this House come from Commit- tee of the Whole, debate at third reading is limited. However, members have available to them the amendments to the motion for third reading that are available to the motion for second reading, always re- membering that debate at this stage is strictly limited to the contents of the bill. Third Reading of Bills SAFE STREETS ACT J. Kwan: I want to begin this morning by making a couple of points: first, why we're here and then about the substance of the bill. Over the last three and a half years, a very definite pattern has emerged with this government.

With every seat in this Legislature save four, the government has developed a sense of compla- cency about the importance of this institution and about the debate that takes place in this House. Mr. Speaker: Hon. member, please. Debate is lim- ited to the contents of this bill — period. That goes for all members in this chamber. We will not hear spurious debate at this time. J. Kwan: Yesterday I tried to make closing com- ments about this bill, and I was unable to do so. I did not have the opportunity that I think, in my close to ten years of being in the Legislature….

When a bill is be- fore the House and before the final vote is voted on, usually I would have the opportunity to bring forward some closing comments. I was unable to do so yester- day. I tried, and I was unable to do so. In not having an opportunity to make my final case in the opposition about this bill…. That is why we're here today. I know that the government doesn't have to agree with the opposition or listen to the opposition, politely or otherwise, or even show up. I know that they can heckle and they can scream and they can abuse.

They have done so, as it is the tradition of this House often- times — for that is the theatre perhaps. That's why I think we sit two sword-lengths away, Mr. Speaker. Let me just say that the government cannot, on a whim, decide that debate is over and the vote is called. The record of the opposition in dissent must be heard and dialogued. On this final day of debate…. Mr. Speaker: Hon. member, please take your seat for a moment. I wish to caution you again, and all members in the House, that debate on this bill was well canvassed at second reading, where a wide variety of topics are allowed.

It was well canvassed clause by clause in committee, where many members strayed from the intent of committee. This is possibly the rea- son why your closing remarks were closed off yester- day in committee. I caution the member again: the Chair will only listen to items pertaining to Bill 71 — period. Please proceed. J. Kwan: Well, Mr. Speaker, thank you. Let me talk about the bill, about the substance of this bill — a bill that in my view was ill-thought-out.

The Attorney General actually had to a dd two amendments to this skimpy piece of legislation that only has five sections to it — a bill that was so poorly drafted and overreaching that it makes asking for change for the phone or selling a newspaper at the ferry ill egal. Those were the words of the Attorney General yesterday. [1010] The Attorney General conceded in this debate yes- terday that the bill was so unnecessary and so obvi- ously a political stunt that the mayors of B.C.'s two largest cities, Vancouver and Victoria, have panned the Attorney General's legislation.

I know that this government doesn't like to listen to Vancouver's mayor, so let me quote the mayor of Vic- toria instead. He said: "I do not believe we need the S a f e S t r e e t s A c t . W e h a v e t h e C r i m i n a l C o d e t o d e a l with aggressive panhandlers." The Attorney General yesterday tried to make the claim that the local governments needed a province- wide law.

The Criminal Code, of course, applies to the entire province, but the Attorney General says that that's not good enough and that local govern- ments needed this piece of legislation, notwithstand- ing — and I know some members in this House would appreciate this — that local governments have the authority to bring in any additional bylaws to address their specific situation. Legislation that gov- erns local governments gives them that enabling au- thority. Some jurisdictions, some municipal govern- ments have brought in those bylaws, and some haven't. Maybe that tells a story.

Maybe that should be im- plicit — why not every municipality has a bylaw to deal with this issue.

11720 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T UESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2004 This is a bill for which th e question of constitution- ality is in question, a fact that even the Attorney Gen- eral had to admit in debate yesterday. Yes, one point that the Attorney General refused to acknowledge in yesterday's debate is the relationship between poverty and homelessness and this govern- ment's crackdown on panhandlers and the poor beg- ging for food. The Attorney General said that home- lessness has nothing to do with the desperation of peo- ple on our streets. I beg to differ.

This is despite the fact that Linda Thomas, the housing director at the Van- couver coastal health authority, has stated about the housing situation under this B.C. Liberal government: "During the 1990s Thomas was able to create hous- ing" — she said — "for the mentally ill by going to non- profit groups, building housing for families or singles and offering them support staff, paid for from her budget, if the housing society would agree to reserve some units for the VCHA patients.

The Liberal provincial government has essentially stopped building low-income social housing as it previously existed, focusing instead on projects for the elderly and disabled. There isn't any of that general housing anymore." The fact is that the government took money that used to be used for building affordable housing away from that development and pu t them into assisted liv- ing.

This is despite the fact that Linda Mix of the Ten- ants Rights Action Coalition backs this up, stating: "While the NDP government spent most of its housing budget on new units for low-income people, the Liber- als focused instead on independent living." A direct q u o t e : " T h e B . C .

L i b e r a l g overnment is taking money from the housing envelope and putting it into the health care envelope." The Attorney General states that his government and this bill have nothing to do with increased des- peration on our streets, despite the fact that a Septem- ber 2004 Statistics Canada report shows that B.C. now has the biggest gap between the rich and the poor of all the provinces.

Similar studies indicate that during this government's tenure, poverty has grown faster in the lower mainland than in any other urban region in Can- ada and that the number of homeless in the lower mainland has more than doubled. [1015] After all, despite how much the Attorney General and the members on the other side hate to hear it, this is a government that has cut the very programs and supports that keep people off the streets and protect public safety.

This government has cut or eliminated funding and has reduced programs for the construction of affordable housing, for street-level youth programs, for victim assistance programs and for street-level mental health programs. The government has even refused to put forward an organized crime task force. The government has cut legal aid. This bill will attack the very people who cannot afford legal assis- tance, and they will have no recourse. The government has cut Crown prosecutors' funding — the very people that try to address crime and safety in our communi- ties.

The government has cut funding for advocacy for people to keep them off the streets — t o n a m e a f e w programs, PEERS, WISH Drop-in Centre and countless others. Those programs were designed to get people off the streets, to make it safer for everyone, and this government has cut those programs. I want to just touch on the constitutionality issue for one more minute. The Attorney General, by his own admission yesterday, stated that in Ontario the Safe Streets Act is under the Court of Appeal. It is ques- tionable whether or not that act will stand up in a court of law on the issue around co nstitutionality.

That issue here is before us, I expect, sometime in the future. I expect that this bill will be challenged, and I expect that constitutional issues will be raised. I want to make a final comment about this bill. There are a lot of people out there, a lot of pundits and what have you, saying: "Well, this is the popular vote." The government, by their own admission, says it's a popular-vote issue. You know what? Sometimes being in government isn't just about being popular. Good public policies should override what is popular and what is not.

It is the opposition's point of view that sometimes you have to do something because you be- lieve it is the right thing to do. That's what the opposi- tion will be doing. We believe it is the right thing to do — to vote against this bill — because it does not address the issue of crime and safety. It does not, in my view — under the government's leadership or lack thereof — put pro- grams in place that would ease the many challenges on our streets.

Governments should not be bringing forward policies that divide communities and pit communities against each other, but rather shou l d w o r k t o w a r d b r i n g i n g communities together. Good public policy should be based on substance and not just a cheap political trick. Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, we are at third read- ing of Bill 71. The Attorney General closes debate. Hon. G. Plant: I acknowledge that we are now hav- ing the third reading debate that we could have had yesterday evening. As has been the case throughout this debate, I have waited for a critique of the legisla- tion from the opposition.

I have yet to hear it. I have heard criticism about other matters. I heard it again this morning. The opposition argue that we should be arguing about homelessness. This is not a bill about homeless- ness. The opposition would like this to be a debate about how to house the mentally ill. This is not a bill about housing the mentally ill. [1020] This is a bill about safety on our streets.

It is a bill which says that the right of free passage on the streets of British Columbia is a fundam ental right, and there is a role for the provincial Legislature in establishing a provincewide set of rules that h a v e t h e f o r c e o f l a w i n ensuring that the citizens of British Columbia do have the right of free passage on the streets without being harassed or intimidated or abused or beset by those who abuse their own right as citizens to be on the streets.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2004 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES 11721 This bill recognizes that th ose who wish or feel they are obliged by circumstance to panhandle or beg are free to do so. They have the right to be on the streets, just as all of us do. But they do not have the right to use their right to be on the streets to intimidate and to bel- ligerently verbally abuse people, to block their right of passage, to take advantage of their presence in situa- tions where citizens are waiting to make a phone call or using a cash machine. Mr.

Speaker, I have heard the opposition, during the course of this debate, raise questions about constitu- tional arguments. I have waited in vain for them to make the constitutional argument. If they say there is a consti- tutional argument, then I would respectfully suggest it's their obligation to explain it. They don't explain it. Just as they have not critiqued the bill, they have not offered in this chamber a critique of the constitutional issue. We are here debating a bill.

We are not here debat- ing larger social policy questions, which are important and which deserve debate and which have been de- bated in this chamber on other occasions and which will be debated on other occasions. But at the end of the day, the question on this reading — a s i t w a s t h e question yesterday in committee stage debate, as it was the question in second reading — is: what are the stan- dards of behaviour and action that we as legislators believe should be permitted on the streets?

To vote for this bill is to say that there should be standards; that there should be a provincewide code of standards; that there should be the force of law behind those standards; and that th e police and peace officers should, in appropriate cases, have the tools they need to ensure that all citizens have the right of free passage. To vote against this bill, simply put, is to vote against that proposition. To vote against the bill is to say that the citizens of this province should not have the right to pass unmolested on the streets of this prov- ince.

To vote against this bill is to say that people should have the right to verbally abuse citizens when they are panhandling. To vote against this bill is to vote in favour of the right of some citizens — a small group of citizens — to harass and bully and intimidate others. I don't think that's what British Columbians want us to do in this chamber. I think British Columbians w a n t u s t o v o t e i n f a v o u r o f s t a n d a r d s w h i c h s h o u l d apply equally and for the benefit of all.

During the course of the debate, from time to time we came close to talking about the way in which this bill will also operate to protect those who are disadvan- taged, because no one should be abused or intimidated or dealt with in the way that is proscribed by this bill. Maybe a homeless person…. Does that give a couple of punk kids from some suburb the right to take a bus and go visit a downtown neighbourhood and beat up on, verbally or otherwise, a homeless person? I don't think so, and this law will pr event that.

This law will protect those who are disadvantaged from being taken advantage of, the same way it protects all the rest of us in British Columbia. I have waited for the criticism of the bill on its terms. The opposition has not offered that criticism. All they can do is talk about other issues. I think it's time that we as legislators decide if we're for safe streets. Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, the question before the House is third reading of Bill 71. [1025-1030] Third reading of Bill 71 approved on the following division: YEAS — 49 Falcon Les Wong Chong Locke Hansen Harris Bruce Santori Bell van Dongen Roddick Bray Cobb Lee Murray Plant Brice de Jong L. Reid Penner Anderson Jarvis Orr Nuraney Nebbeling R. Stewart Hunter Chutter Long Johnston Krueger J. Reid Hawes McMahon Brenzinger Stephens Masi Nijjar Bhullar Visser Lekstrom K. Stewart Bloy Suffredine Whittred Sultan Kerr Manhas NAYS — 2 Kwan Nettleton Bill 71, Safe Streets Act, read a third time and passed. Mr.

Speaker: Hon. members, I've been informed that the Lieutenant-Governor is in or near the precinct, and she will be here momentarily. I would ask all members to please remain in their seats. [1035-1040] Royal Assent to Bills Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor entered the chamber and took her place in the chair. Clerk of the House: Safe Streets Act Social Service Tax Amendment Act (No. 2), 2004 In Her Majesty's name, Her Honour the Lieutenant- Governor doth assent to these acts. Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor retired from the chamber. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

11722 B RITISH COLUMBIA DEBATES T UESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2004 [1045] Hon. G. Plant: I move that the House at its rising do stand adjourned until it appears to the satisfaction of the Speaker, after consultation with the government, that the public interest re quires that the House shall meet or until the Speaker may be advised by the gov- ernment that it is desired to prorogue the fifth session of the thirty-seventh parliament of the province of Brit- ish Columbia.

The Speaker may give notice that he is so satisfied or has been so advised, and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and, as the case may be, may transact its business as if it has been duly adjourned to that time and date, and that in the event of the Speaker being unable to act owing to illness or other cause, the Deputy Speaker shall act in his stead for the purpose of this order. Hon. G. Plant moved adjournment of the House. Motion approved. Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, I wish you all safe journeys as you travel to your constituencies to con- tinue your work there.

In case I do not see you, have a very merry Christmas. The House adjourned at 10:46 a.m.

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	h1026am-17
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	h1026am 17
Language	en
Format	pdf
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