2009 Legislative Session: Fifth Session, 38th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the

Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 40, Number 7

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Page

Introductions by Members

Tributes

Bennie Yung

Hon. G. Campbell

Introductions by Members

Tributes

Juan de Fuca Grizzlies hockey team

J. Horgan

Introductions by Members

Introduction and First Reading of Bills

Forest Amendment Act, 2009 (Bill 13)

Hon. P. Bell

Statements (Standing Order 25 b )

Oil tanker moratorium

G. Coons

Spirit of 2010 hockey tournament

R. Sultan

Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre

M. Karagianis

Dease Lake arena

D. MacKay

Heart Truth South Asian Fashion Gala

S. Hammell

Amateur sports in Prince George and GamesTown 2010 challenge

J. Rustad

Oral Questions

Meetings between Patrick Kinsella and government ministers

C. James

Hon. W. Oppal

L. Krog

R. Fleming

M. Farnworth

N. Macdonald

J. Horgan

B. Ralston

Gravel extraction proposal and Hopington aquifer

S. Simpson

Hon. B. Penner

Health care travel assistance for disability benefits recipients

K. Conroy

Hon. R. Coleman

C. Trevena

Ombudsman report recommendations on income assistance

C. Trevena

Hon. R. Coleman

Petitions

L. Krog

K. Conroy

J. McGinn

Budget Debate (continued)

R. Fleming

Hon. S. Bond

D. Thorne

Hon. I. Chong

M. Farnworth

Hon. W. Oppal

S. Simpson

Hon. R. Cantelon

K. Conroy

[ Page 14591 ]

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2009

The House met at 1:36 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Introductions by Members

Hon. C. Hansen: Today in the members' gallery we have a very special visitor from Austria. I am pleased to introduce His Excellency Werner Brandstetter, the Ambassador of Austria to Canada. The ambassador is conducting his first official visit to British Columbia. He is accompanied by Mr. David Haber, honorary consul of Austria in Vancouver.

As you may know, Austria was the host of the 1964 and the 1976 Winter Olympics. I'm very much looking forward to my meeting with the ambassador later this afternoon, at which time I will assure him on behalf of the Canadian Olympic team that there are many silver and bronze medals that are up for grabs. Thank you for making them all very welcome today.

Hon. G. Campbell: I am proud to introduce members of the board of directors of the B.C. Veterans Commemorative Association. They're with us here in the gallery today. They've done exceptional work across the province, particularly over the last number of years, as they've reached out to people in every community to explain the role that veterans have played in creating our quality of life.

Lt. Col. Archie Steacy and his wife, Lynda Steacy; Sharel

Fraser; Capt. Jerry Couling and his wife, Dominique Michel; Sgt.-Maj. Ben Nizio and his wife, Sheila Nizio; Cpl. Edwin Hawthorne and his wife, Gayle Hawthorne are all here in the gallery with us today.

As you know, they spearheaded the BC150 project, which took the experience of the veterans from across British Columbia to all people and communities and schools and local community associations. The On Guard for Thee program helped those communities across the province recognize the contribution of our veterans.

It seems to me that when we live in a time like this, where we all recognize the challenges that people face, we should also recognize the exceptional sacrifices that our veterans made on behalf of all of us. They didn't know who we were, but because of their contributions, generation after generation of Canadians has really benefited from the freedom and the democracy that we all enjoy here today. I hope we'll make them all welcome.

H. Lali: Today visiting us — actually, since yesterday — are some folks from Lillooet and area.

They're here meeting with a number of ministers, yesterday and today, on a number of issues that are important to them in the community. Joining us in the galleries are Mayor Dennis Bontron, Coun. Greg Kamenka and Coun. Patrick St. Dennis, along with the administrator, Grant Loyer. As well, accompanying them is the chief of the T'it'q'et Indian band, Chief Bill Machell. Would the House please give them a warm Victoria welcome.

Tributes

BENNIE YUNG

Hon. G. Campbell: I am sorry today to rise in the House to inform the House of the passing of Bennie Yung. Bennie was a successful Richmond businessman and a 34-year resident of Canada who believed in putting his community before himself. His dedication to making our province a better place was recognized with the Queen's Jubilee Medal in 2003.

[1340]

From serving as an adult education tutor to being the founding director of the Association of Chinese Canadian Professionals, serving on more than 15 community and volunteer boards, Bennie once said that he spent more time volunteering than he did with his business. The province, the city of Richmond and Canada are stronger for the contributions that Bennie Yung made, and I hope that we will send our condolences to his family.

Introductions by Members

J. McGinn: I am pleased to welcome today 45 students from Vancouver Talmud Torah School, which is the largest Jewish traditional school in Vancouver if not in British Columbia.

I would love to welcome those students who are here from grade 5, as well as five of their teachers: Lisa Romalis, Lily Bouskila, Doreen Papadopoulos, Russell Der and Gerrald Lotzkar, as well as the accompanying parents Max Pinsky, Wendi Klein, Katherine Arnold and Ruth Zvi.

Certainly, most people know the importance that Vancouver Talmud Torah plays in our society. They teach the students about the importance of Jewish culture as well as how to be active members in Canadian society as well as members of their faith community. I would like to ask everyone to say shalom to our friends from Talmud Torah.

Hon. I. Chong: Visiting us today in the gallery are some very good friends of mine. They have lived throughout greater Victoria and moved several times. So they've been constituents of many of us here, but needless to say, they have been very strong community and business leaders here. I would like the House to

[ Page 14592 ]

please welcome Brian Butler and his partner and friend Ann Lindsay.

Tributes

JUAN DE FUCA GRIZZLIES HOCKEY TEAM

J. Horgan: I want to join with the member for East Kootenay in congratulating the Juan de Fuca Grizzlies bantam double-A team, which completed its undefeated season by crushing Cranbrook 7-6 last week in Powell River.

Introductions by Members

J. Horgan: If I could indulge the Attorney General and do a bit of a riff off of the Talking Heads, this may not be my beautiful house, but up there is my beautiful wife, Ellie Horgan.

J. Nuraney: In the gallery today we have members of the Fiji Canada seniors council, who are visiting us here in Victoria. They are Edward Palad, the president; Norindra Tesram; Sam Niker; and Sam Sidal. I would like the House to please join me in offering them a very special welcome.

Hon. L. Reid: We are joined in the gallery today by a remarkable woman, no stranger to this place, having spent more than a decade employed with us here in the province of British Columbia. I'd like all members to welcome Terri Cunningham.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

forest amendment act, 2009

Hon. P. Bell presented a message from His Honour the Administrator: a bill intituled Forest Amendment Act, 2009.

Hon. P. Bell: I move that Bill 13 be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion approved.

Hon. P. Bell: Today I introduce Bill 13, which proposes several amendments to the Forest Act. Today's bill improves operating certainty for community forest agreement holders and allows woodlot licences to expand their role in the forest sector.

These changes will create revenue and benefits not only for small tenure holders themselves but for the communities that they operate in. The bill also encourages all licensees in British Columbia to fully use and value our forest resources.

Bill 13 also responds to points identified during the regulatory review. By expanding the reasons cutting permit postponements may be approved for licensees in British Columbia, licensees will have the ability to have greater flexibility and ensure that the maximum value of our wood resource is utilized.

[1345]

Hon. Speaker, I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading of the House after today.

Bill 13, Forest Amendment Act, 2009, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25

b) OIL TANKER MORATORIUM

G. Coons: Today marks 20 years since the oil tanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef, spewing 40 million litres of crude oil into the waters of Prince William Sound, Alaska. Some 20 years later oil can still be found on the beaches, the herring fishery has completely collapsed, and the health and social implications of this disaster linger on.

Today many groups across the province are gathered to pay memorial to the fish, birds, whales and coastal communities devastated by this tragic accident. The lessons of this travesty cannot be ignored. Crude oil spills are still inevitable. Spill cleanup technology has improved little in 20 years, with a spill cleanup rate of 15 percent considered successful.

Northern B.C. communities and first nations are facing crude oil projects through their salmon rivers and oil tankers through their ecologically rich marine waterways. Their attempts to push aside a 37-year tanker moratorium along British Columbia's inside waters, which has survived eight Prime Ministers and nine B.C. Premiers…. Recent polling shows 77 percent of British Columbians feel that affected communities should have a first say in deciding if crude oil tankers should be allowed on our coast.

Proposed tanker routes include the waterways along the Great Bear rain forest and through the fragile marine ecosystems of Tsimshian and Haida traditional territory. The Nuxalk, the Heiltsuk, the Oweekeno and especially the Gitga'at from Hartley Bay are all distressed with the thought of supertankers loaded with dirty oil from Alberta's tar sands travelling through B.C.'s sensitive Inside Passage.

In a recent Gitga'at press release entitled "Disaster Déjà vu in Canada's Great Bear Rain Forest," band councillor Cameron Hill stated that there is nothing but

[ Page 14593 ]

risk in this whole process for the Gitga'at people. There are no benefits.

Leading environmental groups, first nations and thousands of concerned citizens have declared today, March 24, as Canada's no-tanker day. It's time to strengthen the existing tanker moratorium through a legislated prohibition on crude oil tanker traffic in our sensitive northern waters.

SPIRIT OF 2010 HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

R. Sultan: This season more than 50,000 — I repeat that number: 50,000 — young hockey players across the province are hitting the ice as part of the seventh annual Spirit of 2010 hockey tournament. Last week it was West Vancouver's turn. On Thursday I dropped the puck at the 140-player female peewee-A B.C. Hockey Spirit of 2010 hockey tournament.

The championship game featured the Surrey Falcons and the North Shore Avalanche. Final score was 6-1. I regret to inform my Surrey colleagues that their team was out shot 39-18 and lost. This is the third year in a row the North Shore Avalanche has won the provincial title.

The Spirit of 2010 hockey tournament is a provincewide celebration of amateur sport, healthy living and community spirit. Last year it involved 224 tournaments and teams from 98 communities right across British Columbia, all getting involved in our 2010 Olympic quest.

I'd like the House to recognize the tournament sponsors: the Vancouver Canucks, B.C. Hockey, 2010 Legacies Now and the province of British Columbia, which contributed pucks, jerseys and banners. Great thanks to conference coordinator Cheryl Currie.

Finally, we should especially acknowledge the remarkably skilled young athletes on both teams for a fast-paced, well-played game, and two athletes in particular, Ashley Jukich and Alizah Kerr, each of whom scored two unassisted goals.

ESQUIMALT MILITARY FAMILY

RESOURCE CENTRE

M. Karagianis: It's a pleasure to stand in the House today and talk about a significant new addition to my community. Next week the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre officially opens in the historic Lampson Street School, which was closed to students in June of 2007. My community fought long and hard to keep the school open, and I was very proud to stand with them. But alas, our voices were not heard by the government, and the school was closed, a victim of the funding formula.

Now, out of that tragedy for Esquimalt, comes renewal, as it always does in my resilient, hard-working community. The Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre is breathing new life into the grand old building, with services that include 24 new day care spaces for members of the CFB Esquimalt military community.

[1350]

Like its other locations in my constituency, the Lampson School centre will offer a warm place of welcome

and support for military families. As a one-stop source for information and referrals to base and civilian resources, the non-profit centre's trained staff and volunteers help connect military families with the resources they need.

There are a wide range of support services including deployment support, short-term intervention and crisis support, child care programs and a support system for families with special needs and responsibilities.

The new centre is having an open house next Tuesday, March 31, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. I will be happy to join my neighbours in celebrating that great renewal in the community.

I hope members of this House will join me in thanking the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre's enormously dedicated staff and volunteers, who generously donate their time to help others. They are the heart and soul of the centre, living up to their motto "Providing the strength behind the uniform."

DEASE LAKE ARENA

D. MacKay: A week ago on Sunday I left Smithers and drove to Dease Lake, spent an evening there and then continued on to Atlin. I want to give you some idea about the distance between Smithers and Atlin. A round trip from Smithers to Atlin is 2,600 kilometres. If you got in an automobile and left Vancouver and drove for 2,600 kilometres, you'd be in Kenora, Ontario.

The roads were much like a bobsled run. The snowbanks were 12 feet high. I saw several moose and a couple of caribou. It was a great trip. But it's the trip to Dease Lake that I would like to spend a few minutes to talk about.

The purpose of that trip was to deliver a good-news story to the residents of that remote community on Highway 37 North. Over the years the local residents built an arena that would make many communities proud. It was built with money raised from raffle tickets for such items as snowmobiles and quads. It took a lot of tickets to get to the point where they're at now.

As in the case of many communities, a few people got tired, and the arena was never quite finished on the inside. They didn't have a concrete floor — no boards, no Plexiglas and no ice plant for their arena. After a great deal of arm twisting, I was able to deliver a cheque in the form of a grant to that community for $400,000 to permit them to complete their project.

The local residents turned out in great numbers, and the event was one of the most inspiring events I have attended over the past eight years. It was a privilege to have been able to deliver on an issue that I heard about over the years.

[ Page 14594 ]

This community and the arena will be a showcase for the many small communities that are in close proximity. Who knows? I may even get an invitation to play hockey against or with the kids, because I don't think I can compete with those teenagers up there.

HEART TRUTH SOUTH ASIAN

FASHION GALA

S. Hammell: Hon. Speaker, 400 attendees turned out for an evening of fashion, food and philanthropy at the inaugural Heart Truth South Asian Fashion Gala in Surrey. The Hearth Truth South Asian Fashion Gala was a first-of-its-kind event aimed at raising awareness of the risk of heart disease and stroke among South Asian women. It is part of a national campaign by the Heart and Stroke Foundation to raise awareness and provide women with the tools they need to reduce their risks and protect themselves.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is a volunteer-based health charity focused on eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and the promotion of healthy living.

Fashions were provided by the Surrey-based shop Made in India and were modelled by celebrities and dignitaries such as former MuchMusic veejay Monika Deol and our Minister of Healthy Living and Sport. I also had an opportunity to put on a beautiful sari and walk the catwalk — and for such a great cause.

The event raised $104,000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of B.C. and Yukon, half of which came from a single donation. After being moved by the speakers and performers at the stylish event, Irwin Singh Brach and Satinder Singh Dhillon were inspired to match the $52,000 raised by the gala with their own donation of $52,000.

I'd like to congratulate all the people who participated and the people who organized an event over such an important issue as heart and stroke.

[1355]

AMATEUR SPORTS IN PRINCE GEORGE

AND GAMESTOWN 2010 CHALLENGE

J. Rustad: Just last weekend the Prince George Minor Football Association and northern B.C. high school football hosted the 2009 Northern Football Combine at the Northern Sport Centre in Prince George. It's an annual three-day camp where more than 100 varsity and junior varsity players come to work on improving their skills, learning firsthand the opportunities available to them to pursue football after they graduate from high school.

With more than 700 players playing minor hockey and high school football in northern B.C., this is always a popular event. I believe it's the kind of event that will make Prince George one of the frontrunners to win the province's GamesTown 2010 competition with the $100,000 grand prize to upgrade a healthy living or sports facility, a number of tickets to the 2010 Winter Games and more.

The north is a leader in B.C. when it comes to engagement and involvement in community sports events. The people really embrace the spirit of healthy living and the excitement of hosting the 2010 Winter Games. When I look at the GamesTown 2010 competition and the criteria for winning the title — healthy living spirit, engagement in amateur sports, commitment to environmental sustainability and incorporation of the 2010 Winter Games theme — Prince George will be difficult to beat.

With ongoing and highly successful sports and community events such as last week's northern football combine, I'm confident that the people of Prince George can leverage this success into the title of GamesTown 2010.

Unlike some politicians, I believe that clean, unfettered competition is never a bad thing. With this in mind, I'd like to take this opportunity to challenge all members of the House and all communities in B.C. to visit www.gamestown2010.ca and take the GamesTown 2010 challenge. Let the games begin.

Oral Questions

MEETINGS between PATRICK KINSELLA

and GOVERNMENT MINISTERS

C. James: The Premier and the Attorney General — in fact, this entire government — have spent the last few weeks refusing to come clean to the public and be answerable for payments from B.C. Rail to the Premier's closest friend and Liberal campaign chair, Patrick Kinsella.

But those weren't the only dealings that Mr. Kinsella had with this government. Records obtained by the opposition and members of the media show that Mr. Kinsella met with the former Solicitor General on February 1, 2006. So my question is to the Premier. Would he tell this House why Mr. Kinsella met with the Solicitor General? What was the meeting about, and who was Mr. Kinsella representing?

Hon. W. Oppal: The Leader of the Opposition knows well that that matter is before the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and I will not comment on it.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a supplemental.

C. James: It's very clear that there's only one answer from government on that side. They refuse to even listen to the question. They just give the answer no matter what. "It's before the courts."

[ Page 14595 ]

I'll repeat again, Mr. Speaker. This issue is about Mr. Kinsella meeting with the Solicitor General. We know Mr. Kinsella met with the former Solicitor General on February 9, 2006, on April 11, 2007, and on May 2, 2007.

Again, my question is to the Premier. There were a lot of meetings between Mr. Kinsella and the former Solicitor General, a lot of meetings for someone who claims they aren't a lobbyist. Will the Premier tell this House what business Mr. Kinsella was doing?

Hon. W. Oppal: The issues involving Mr. Kinsella are before the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a further supplemental.

C. James: It's unbelievable. It's very clear that this government will do absolutely anything to protect the Premier and his friend — absolutely anything. This is around meetings held with government, meetings held by Mr. Kinsella and government. This government will hide accountability; they'll stonewall. They'll refuse to tell the public what's going on. It's long past time to come clean on Mr. Kinsella's relationship with this government.

[1400]

I'd like to read how Mr. Kinsella himself describes his relationship with this government. "Access to key decision-makers is simply the price of admission in our business." Well, that's certainly true when it comes to the former Solicitor General. Eleven times he met with Mr. Kinsella. He also met with key officials reporting to the Solicitor General.

Again, my question is to the Premier. Does he believe in public accountability or not? Will he stand up today and tell us what kind of business Mr. Kinsella was doing with his government officials?

Hon. W. Oppal: I will not answer the question.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

L. Krog: Frankly, Mr. Speaker, the complete lack of accountability by this government in this chamber today on this issue is shocking. The public is tired of the complete lack of answers. They now suspect strongly that this government has something to hide.

Mr. Kinsella was meeting with a senior minister of this government repeatedly — on February 1, 2006; February 9, 2006; April 11, 2007; May 2, 2007. And it goes on and on. So my question is to the Premier, Mr. Kinsella's friend. What was discussed at these meetings, and who was Mr. Kinsella representing?

Hon. W. Oppal: If that member has allegations to make, he should make them to the appropriate authorities.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

The member has a supplemental.

L. Krog: I don't know what the Attorney General knows, because he won't answer the questions. The question is very simple. This government is being asked about meetings between a person who's clearly working on behalf of somebody. It's not before the courts, unless the Attorney General knows something that this House doesn't know.

It's very, very simple. My question is to the Premier. What were Mr. Kinsella and the government meeting about, and who was Mr. Kinsella representing?

Hon. W. Oppal: I have no knowledge of whatever meetings took place, if they took place. If there is any wrongdoing associated with whatever took place, then that member ought to take it to the appropriate authorities.

R. Fleming: The Attorney General is going to have to do better than that, because this government has a responsibility to make sure the law is followed.

The fact that unregistered lobbyists are plying their trade and working the back rooms of government, that their friends seem to walk around this place and have a meeting with whomever they want, whenever they want isn't good enough.

Again to the Solicitor General: who was Mr. Kinsella meeting with, when did these meetings occur, and who was Mr. Kinsella representing? That's a fair question for this government to answer. They're obligated to answer it, and they should tell British Columbians exactly that.

Hon. W. Oppal: If there are any allegations of wrongdoing concerning any meetings, then that member should ask the appropriate person — Mr. Kinsella. I have no knowledge of any meetings that took place, and if there….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Attorney, continue.

Hon. W. Oppal: If there is any improper conduct on the part of any person, then the member opposite should lodge that with the proper authorities.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

[1405]

[ Page 14596 ]

R. Fleming: The supplemental is the question that we want an answer to, which is why the Premier's friend has been repeatedly meeting with members of the executive branch of this government and who he was representing when he met with them. That's the question.

The Attorney General suggested that this matter is before the courts. I don't know what he's talking about. He has an obligation to disclose what exactly this unregistered lobbyist was meeting with senior members of the cabinet about, and he should do it today.

Hon. W. Oppal: If there is someone who is an unregistered lobbyist, there are remedies for that. There are appropriate legal remedies for it, and the person should take it there.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

M. Farnworth: The Attorney General says he doesn't know, and he says: "Go to the appropriate authority." Well, let's do just that. Let's go to the member of this House who knows Mr. Kinsella better than anyone. Let's go to the member of this House who's probably spoken to Patrick Kinsella more than he's spoken to some of his colleagues on that side of the House.

Let's go to the Premier, and let's remind him of the words that he said on CKNW in 2008. "What private citizens do is up to private citizens." But Mr. Kinsella is no ordinary private citizen. He has unfettered access to a government. It shows meeting after meeting after meeting after meeting, and this Attorney General won't answer, so my question is to the Premier.

Premier, you know Mr. Kinsella. You know the access he has. You know that he is no ordinary citizen…

Mr. Speaker: Member.

M. Farnworth: …so why was he meeting with members of your government on a regular basis? What was he meeting about? Who was he representing, and was he representing himself?

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

First of all, I want to remind the member to pose the questions through the Chair.

Hon. W. Oppal: The members of the opposition have linked Mr. Kinsella to the B.C. Rail dispute. That case is clearly before the Supreme Court. I'm not going to answer the question.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Just wait.

The member has a supplemental.

M. Farnworth: The questions link Mr. Kinsella to the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Forests, the Solicitor General, the Premier on meeting after meeting after meeting, and we want an answer. What was Mr. Kinsella meeting with government for? What was he meeting about, and who was he representing?

The question is to the Premier. Why won't the Premier answer? What is he afraid of? What doesn't he want the public to know about Mr. Kinsella? Why won't he stand up and answer the questions? The public has a right to know.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. W. Oppal: If there was anything improper about any meetings that may have taken place, then the members opposite have an obligation to report that to the appropriate authorities.

N. Macdonald: The gentleman we're talking about, Patrick Kinsella, is a lobbyist. There is nobody that does not think that that is the case. The lobbyist law that the Attorney General talks about is a farce. We know that it is a farce.

[1410]

The questions have been directed to the Premier. He has heard them again and again. Everyone in this House expects the Premier to be able to stand up and defend his government.

Stand up and explain what Mr. Kinsella was doing meeting with one after another of your ministers. Stand in this House, and explain to the people of British Columbia.

Hon. W. Oppal: I'm not here to defend Mr. Kinsella or anyone else.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. W. Oppal: If there has been a violation of the lobbyist act or any other act or statute, then there is an obligation on the part of these members to take that to the appropriate authorities and report the violations.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

N. Macdonald: After four years you get used to an awful lot, but even for someone who has been here and watched day after day what goes on in this House, this is so clearly a disgrace.

[ Page 14597 ]

The question has gone to the Premier. The Premier has an obligation to answer. There were meetings in 2006, 2007. This is not an ordinary person. He is not only tied to the giveaway of our railway. He is tied to the giveaway of our rivers. He's tied to the expansion of gambling. He's tied to liquor law chaos.

We have a right to know. The public has a right to know what those meetings were about, and the Premier has an obligation to stand up and explain to the people of British Columbia what the nature of those meetings was, what was going on. Why is there lobbying going on at the heart of his government? Stand and explain.

Hon. W. Oppal: You know, the members themselves continually make reference to the B.C. Rail dispute. The member did it again. In those circumstances, it would be improper for me to make any comment at all about anybody's activities.

J. Horgan: My question is to the Premier. We're looking for a little bit of openness. We're looking for a little bit of accountability. The Premier's campaign manager in 2001 and 2005 has had unfettered access to members of the executive council.

Will the Premier stand in this place and explain to British Columbians why his campaign manager can do anything he wants with anyone he wants, and you won't answer for it?

Hon. W. Oppal: Again, if there was any improper conduct on the part of anyone, then that member should take the opportunity and report the same.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

J. Horgan: Again, to the Premier. February 1, 2006; February 9, 2006; April 11, 2007; May 2, 2007 — on and on and on. Your campaign manager can talk to anyone on that side of the House, and the Premier allegedly, presumably, thinks that's okay. Again, to the Premier. Why can this guy do whatever he wants? Why is he above the law?

Hon. W. Oppal: If there was anything improper done by any person at any time, that member knows that there are remedies that he may seek.

B. Ralston: I'd remind the Attorney General that he has a dual role. That dual role is a very important one constitutionally. He is at once a political member of cabinet, but he has a separate and independent duty to be the chief law enforcement officer of the province. Sometimes that involves standing up to political members of his cabinet. He's obviously failed to do that here.

My question is to the Premier. Who did Mr. Kinsella meet with on these occasions, on behalf of whom, and what was he paid?

[1415]

Hon. W. Oppal: I understand the dual role. Thank you, sir.

It's the members opposite who have linked Mr. Kinsella to the trial, and that makes it improper for us to comment on.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

B. Ralston: The meetings we're talking about took place in 2006 and 2007, well outside the period spanned by the indictment in the case before the court. So these are not before the court. The minister has an obligation to answer the question.

Hon. W. Oppal: I'm not prepared to accept that member's contention that those incidents took place at that time and that they're not before the court.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

GRAVEL EXTRACTION proposal

and hopington aquifer

S. Simpson: The Hopington aquifer in Langley is the sole water source for over 3,000 wells in that community. Today people in the community are very concerned about proposals by the Transportation Minister to mine gravel out of Brown's pit, potentially compromising this essential water source. These concerns have been shared by the mayor of the township.

People in the community tell me that they have got no support from their MLA, the Minister of Housing and Social Development, and that they have been bullied and dismissed by the Transportation Minister on these matters.

So my question is to the Minister of Environment. Will he commit today that he will not approve of gravel extraction from Brown's pit and will protect the integrity of the community's drinking water?

Hon. B. Penner: I'll be pleased to investigate this matter and take the question on notice.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental, but is it a new question? The minister did take it on notice.

S. Simpson: Yeah, different question.

Mr. Speaker: Okay. Proceed.

[ Page 14598 ]

S. Simpson: Since the Minister of Environment is not aware of this, I'm sure the Minister of Transportation understands this issue. He has an application put forward. The point here is that there is no plan B for these families that depend on the Hopington aquifer for their water. There are numerous other sources for the Minister of Transportation to seek gravel in this province. There is no other choice for people in this community for drinking water.

Gravel extraction creates huge risks around water — the potential for the release of arsenic and other pollutants — and according to a study that was done for his ministry by EBA consulting, the Ministry of Environment has rated the Hopington aquifer's vulnerability for being contaminated from surface sources as very high.

My question is to the Minister of Transportation, who is behind this proposal. Will he do the right thing? Will he withdraw this proposal around the Brown's pit gravel, and will he say to that community: "I'll find my gravel somewhere else. I won't jeopardize your water source. I'm backing off of this proposal"?

Hon. B. Penner: As I've already indicated, I'll look into this matter. Since the member has not seen fit to bring it to my attention before today, I will endeavour to investigate this matter and respond.

health care travel assistance

for disability benefits recipients

K. Conroy: Jack Ward is a disabled man on income assistance from my constituency who recently had to travel to Vancouver for serious medical services. Imagine his family's shock when he was provided a total of $12 a day for meals. We all know that purchasing a healthy meal in Vancouver with $4 is next to impossible.

To the minister responsible for income assistance. How can he possibly defend this policy? How can he expect a person who has no choice but to leave their community for urgent medical care to survive on $4 per meal, $12 a day?

[1420]

Hon. R. Coleman: If the member would like to provide me with the details, I'll look into the matter. I'm not familiar with this individual case.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

K. Conroy: In fact, it's a policy that this minister supports in his ministry. It's a policy of $12 a day that the ministry is putting forward. It's a ministry policy that is for everybody that travels from rural B.C. to get medical services. They're paid $12 a day.

All I'm asking is: would this minister please commit to looking at this policy, to say today that people can't survive on $12 a day for a meal in Vancouver, that they need healthy food when they're coming for medical services? Will he say today that indeed he will look at it, that the policy doesn't work and that he'll commit to changing it?

Hon. R. Coleman: I am more than happy to look into the matter, if the member wants to bring it to my office. She could have brought it to my office at any time with regards to this. I will look into the matter for the member if she wants to bring me the details.

C. Trevena: The question that my colleague has just asked is a matter of policy, and I would like to ask the Minister of Housing and Social Development again whether it's not just looking into a specific case, but does he actually agree with a policy that leaves people with $12 a day to live on and a policy that leaves people with disabilities…?

I have had one gentleman who has disabilities sending, I would say, about 30 letters to my office saying: "I haven't got the money to live on." Will the minister look at that policy, and will he say: "I agree with it. I think that's a good policy"? Or is he just going to write it off like everything else that this government seems to be doing today?

Hon. R. Coleman: As I said to the member for West Kootenay–Boundary, I will look into the matter.

In addition to that, I want to actually emphasize to the members opposite that the only government that ever has given a raise to people on social assistance in the province of British Columbia in the last 15 years is this government on this side of the House.

You know, Mr. Speaker, when it came time to vote to actually increase the rates and help people on social assistance in the province of British Columbia, they voted against that. They are the same people on the opposite side of this House who would go out tomorrow, if they had the opportunity, and cancel the rent assistance program for families making under $35,000 a year — 8,000 families in B.C. — because they don't believe in it. They would put those people on the street.

I say that we'll look into the policy. I mean that, but at the same time, there can't be both…. Members over there, you folks have no interest whatsoever in helping people that are underprivileged in the province of British Columbia.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Just take your seat for a second.

Members.

Member has a supplemental.

[ Page 14599 ]

OMBUDSMAN REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

ON income assistance

C. Trevena: I'm not sure what I should interpret from the minister's non-answer, when he clearly doesn't know his own ministerial policies about what is happening in social assistance. I think it's very troubling that the minister has such a lack of understanding, when we've had now a second Ombudsman's report into the way that the system works. That Ombudsman's report basically said the system is broken. It doesn't work.

I would like to ask the minister whether he can plow through the two Ombudsman's reports and maybe the latest one to look at some of the recommendations, particularly on the issue of immediate needs, what used to be emergency needs assessment, where we have people who have nothing, absolutely nothing — no home, living in their cars, living in complete poverty — who are given…. Maybe, if they're lucky, an advocate will give them a tent to live in.

[1425]

I would like to ask the minister whether he will implement the Ombudsman's report immediately to make sure that those needs are addressed immediately, and not with the three-week delay that we're seeing in many areas across this province.

Hon. R. Coleman: Well, there are a number of topics in the one question. I'll try and address them all for the member opposite, but let me start with the first one.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Coleman: Let's start with the first one, and that is the Ombudsman's report. If the member was actually paying attention to me in the last couple of days, we've accepted the report of the Ombudsman. I've actually complimented the Ombudsman on the work she's done with my ministry over the last number of months. We sat down and had a very collaborative process with the Ombudsman with regards to her recommendations. We committed to implement all the recommendations but one.

Then the member went off and talked about people sleeping in their cars. Let me just segue for the member opposite a little bit of information with regards to that. Last Sunday, standing on a lot in Vancouver was the Leader of the Opposition and another MLA from Vancouver, saying: "These guys are not going to do the memorandums of understanding and build the homelessness for people in the province of British Columbia." That's what they said.

Interjections.

Hon. R. Coleman: Wait for it, Member. Wait for it. So on Tuesday….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Coleman: On Tuesday….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. R. Coleman: So you're standing on an empty lot, sitting in the rain with an umbrella, saying, "They're not going to do this," and on Tuesday the Premier announces $261 million of capital.

We said we would do the MOUs. We're doing the MOUs. We're doing more for homelessness than anybody in the history of the province of British Columbia, and we'll continue to do that.

[End of question period.]

L. Krog: I seek leave to table a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

L. Krog: I wish to table a petition consisting of 37 signatures from people in my constituency asking the government to reconsider the postponement of the intended in-hospital dialysis ward at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

K. Conroy: I seek leave to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

K. Conroy: I have a petition with almost 1,500 signatures from people in the Kelowna and Boundary area opposed to Big White's water licence application. They're calling on the Ministry of the Environment to deny the application and asking for a comprehensive water use management plan for the Kettle River.

J. McGinn: I'd like to seek leave to present a petition on behalf of the B.C. Health Coalition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

J. McGinn: This petition has over a thousand names of people who are concerned about the protection of

[ Page 14600 ]

public health care in British Columbia and who want this House to affirm the sustainability of public health care in British Columbia.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: I call continued debate on the budget speech.

Budget Debate

(continued)

Mr. Speaker: Before we start, hon. members will be advised that under standing orders, the Chair will be required to put all necessary questions to conclude this debate at 6:15 this evening.

R. Fleming: Before we adjourned at 12 o'clock, in my remarks I was talking about some of the failings of the budget around a research and development agenda and contrasting that with other jurisdictions which have used these extraordinary times of economic crisis that we're in.

[1430]

Jurisdictions like the United States, the United Kingdom and, most recently, Ontario look at this crisis as, in fact, an opportunity to see where the economy is going, to see where the jobs of tomorrow will come from and to look at the difficulties that industries like manufacturing and the automobile sector, in the case of Ontario, will have. They won't come back, necessarily, in the same way.

I think the analogy is very apt for British Columbia, where we have resource-dependent communities across British Columbia that are really in the same boat. We don't anticipate, in many cases, that those sectors of the economy will come back in exactly the same way as they have for decades and decades in terms of how capital is used and how labour is used. That is why we must make those critical investments, and this budget didn't do it.

I think the other thing that's very disappointing — and I want to spend a few of my remaining minutes on this question with regards to advanced education — is what a letdown the budget the government tabled was for students and their families. Low- and middle-income families in British Columbia need the ability, want the ability to access education, to pursue trades and diplomas and degrees and advanced degrees but don't have the means to do it and face barriers to B.C.'s post-secondary educational institutions that are significant.

This is the very same year that the federal government's millennium scholarship disappears. It will wind down and sunset completely.

This is an extraordinary year, as well, when you look at all of our campuses that have campus-based bursary programs for students with various economic needs. Those funds have been hammered in this market environment. Endowments and bursaries on campuses that support operations in terms of revenue supplements — own-source revenues for universities and colleges — but that also support student aid that is campus-based will be paying out approximately half of what they had before this financial market tsunami hit British Columbia, as well as everywhere else.

It was a time when government should have been listening and should have been helping, under these special circumstances, to ensure that British Columbia's young people, regardless of their background and where they came from and how much money their parents earn, will be supported to pursue their dreams. And it wasn't. In fact, it was worse than that.

Not only did the government not help the institutions with their own bursary programs. They didn't even help the core programs that government operates. I'm referring to StudentAid B.C. In fact, they cut the budget for student financial assistance at a time of great need, at a time when enrolment for post-secondary institutions is projected to increase. That shows total complacency in the face of urgency.

There was no effort in this budget or in budgets previous to get rid of British Columbia's shameful record of having Canada's highest student debt levels or the ranking that British Columbia was awarded just this December by the Millennium Scholarship Foundation, which did a survey of all the provinces and territories in the country and found British Columbia to have the least generous programs for student grants and student supports in the country. We ranked bottom, and we ranked first only seven or eight short years ago in those same rankings.

From first to worst — that's the record of this government on student financial assistance, and this budget made no attempt to attenuate that shameful record. There are no ideas for improvement that were offered in this budget.

These are anxious times. Families are sitting around their kitchen tables. They're talking about falling home values. They're looking at their personal credit issues, their high family debt levels. Those are on everyone's mind.

When they're trying to make a plan to better themselves and make their family safe and secure, when they're trying to look at avenues to pursue skills and diplomas and trade tickets and degrees that our labour market calls for, they look to government for help, and it's not there. In fact, what help there has been is worsening and is being pulled away.

[1435]

There are some other inexcusable features in this budget. At a time when citizens need government in their corner, when they need a government that's fighting to keep jobs, that protects small business and

[ Page 14601 ]

addresses the competitive challenges of our economy…. At a time like this, this budget actually cuts funds that market tourism.

The tourism industry is one of the cleanest and greenest sectors of our economy. It sustains thousands of small businesses — 125,000 direct jobs. It is a significant portion of this province's gross domestic product. It's an industry we would like to do even better at. It's an industry that's facing tough times. Projections for U.S. visitors are down something like 10 percent. That's the challenge that we're facing in this coming year — European visitors as well.

As the throne speech indicated repeatedly, we're inviting the world here for the 2010 games. That takes place in this fiscal year, which this budget covers. And what's happening in this fiscal year to tourism marketing? It's being cut in this budget. Tourism B.C.'s revenues will be cut by $300,000 this year, $4.2 million in 2010 and $5.6 million in the third and final year of this budget that was tabled.

Other jurisdictions are seeing the challenges. They're competing for visitor dollars that we compete for, and they're redoubling their efforts. They're redoubling their efforts, and they're amending their plans so that their industries and the jobs and the small businesses that support tourism don't go into decline. That is something that should have been a feature of this budget, but it wasn't.

I thank you for the time this afternoon to make some remarks on the budget.

Hon. S. Bond: I'm delighted today to be able to stand up in support of Budget 2009, and I think it's also high time that we actually had an opportunity to hear in this Legislature a sense of optimism, despite the very difficult circumstances that British Columbians are facing.

Mr. Speaker, you would well know that British Columbia is not facing those circumstances alone. In fact, every jurisdiction around the world is grappling with the same circumstances. It's important that this government has laid out a very clear path for the future of British Columbia, and we have a very strong record on which to base that.

Before I make my comments and, in particular, address some of the comments made by the member opposite, I want to say what an absolute pleasure it has been for eight years to stand in this Legislature and represent the people of Prince George–Mount Robson. I can honestly tell you that as we face challenging circumstances in northern British Columbia, there is nothing I am more proud of than the fact that the people I represent are resilient, they're hard-working, and despite everything that we've heard in the Legislature from the members opposite, they are optimistic about the future of British Columbia.

One of the things that makes this job such an incredible pleasure and that ultimately makes it possible is that each one of us has stood in this House to recognize the people who are such an important part of the work that we get to do. We all know that that begins at home. It starts with our families, with those people who care enough to allow us to do the work that's so important to us. They give up a great deal.

So I want to begin my remarks around the budget by saying thank you to an incredible spouse. As the Speaker and someone in the House mentioned the other day, we've just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. I'm sure that my husband feels that that is quite an accomplishment. I've always been appreciative of the fact that he is always there. In fact, an important part of the work that I get to do is because I have an incredible family, as members in the House have as well.

Our staff is also incredibly important to us, and I have an amazing team in Prince George that works hard every day to serve our constituents and also a team here in Victoria who are a key part of that.

The ministries that we work in and that we partner with in terms of leadership also. I want today to pay tribute to the incredible public service in British Columbia. As a minister who's had the opportunity to be in three ministries, I can tell you that in every single case, we've had incredible public servants who make a difference, who make a commitment on behalf of British Columbians every single day.

I also want to recognize the leadership that we see in communities across British Columbia. I am so privileged to work with a group of mayors that have been elected by their constituents to serve in small communities in the north.

[1440]

I want today to say thank you to retiring Mayor Colin Kinsley and current Mayor Dan Rogers in Prince George, Mayor Mike Frazier in McBride, retiring Mayor Townsend and new Mayor Bob Smith for the incredible partnership that they have brought to the relationship that I have working in the riding of Prince George–Mount Robson.

As we move forward, one of the things that we have tried very hard to do over the last number of years is position British Columbia to be restored to the place that it deserves in this country in terms of the leadership that it provides and the fiscal certainty it provides for families in this province.

The member opposite, who spoke previous to me, continued to use the word "fiction" and talked about the budget and the fiction that it represents. Well, today I feel incredibly obligated to point out that in fact, the fiction that has been completely ignored in the member opposite's comments really relates to what happened during the 1990s.

We've continued to hear speaker after speaker on the other side talk about this budget and look at it from a very negative perspective. Well, Mr. Speaker, I can tell

[ Page 14602 ]

you this. In the 1990s the members opposite had an opportunity to position British Columbia, with all of the circumstances that they faced, in a very positive way. Yet what did we see happen during that period of time? In fact, the previous government brought in eight consecutive deficit budgets, including two that have been fondly labelled with a not very pleasant term, and they managed to double British Columbia's debt between 1990 and 2000.

When we talk about fiscal management, we saw the government of the 1990s actually have five debt management plans in place in eight years. They did not meet one single one of them and missed every single budget forecast during their term. I can tell you that this government has a record of strong fiscal management, which changed British Columbia's outlook and is one of the reasons that, as we look at jurisdictions around the world, especially in this country, people know that British Columbia is better positioned to manage through these difficult circumstances than virtually any other jurisdiction.

Why is that possible? It's because we have a record of responsible fiscal management, and Budget 2009 builds on that record. When we became government, we were facing a $4.4 billion deficit, and what we did was actually implement a strategy to revitalize the B.C. economy.

Interjection.

Hon. S. Bond: I know one of the members chuckles on the other side of the House. That is simply the fact. What this government did was work extraordinarily hard.

Let's just look at our record of fiscal management. We'd be delighted on this side of the Legislature to put that up against the decade of decline in the 1990s any single day, and we'll be doing that very shortly.

We actually reduced provincial operating debt from $15.7 billion to $6.4 billion, a reduction of more than 50 percent. In 2004-2005 this government paid the debt down by $1.9 billion, the largest paydown of debt in British Columbia history. All of those facts have conveniently been left out of any of the comments of the members opposite.

The government of today has also introduced five consecutive balanced budgets, and Budget 2009 outlines a plan to return to a balanced budget by 2011-2012.

We recognize that British Columbia is facing unprecedented circumstances, and one of the most difficult things that this government had to consider was the possibility of returning to a deficit. But we've done that in a very thoughtful and careful way. In fact, British Columbia will be in a deficit position for two years, but by legislation, we will return to a balanced budget in the third year. We will then reduce the operating debt with all surplus funds that are a result after that.

These are very difficult times, and what people in British Columbia today are looking for is responsible leaders that actually have a thoughtful fiscal plan in place to manage in unprecedented fiscal times. That's exactly what Budget 2009 does. While members opposite voted in favour of the legislation that would actually see us have a two-year deficit and then return to a balanced budget in the third year, speaker after speaker has gotten up and spoken about how inappropriate that was.

[1445]

Well, it's time for the members opposite to stand up and actually tell British Columbians what exactly they plan to do over the next number of years, because we've heard clearly that they're not prepared to lay out a three-year budget strategy. In fact, British Columbians will only hear about a single year's budget plan.

Day after day we continue to hear: "Let's add a billion here, and let's add a billion there. Let's fund this, and let's take care of that." There's only one of two ways we can see that being accomplished by the members opposite. They can ramp up the deficit to such a place that it is impossible for it to be retired within two years, or they can raise taxes. Heaven knows that we've seen that practice occur with the members opposite.

This government has had a strategy in place and has consistently looked at tax reductions over the last eight years, so we find ourselves in the place today of actually having the lowest provincial income taxes in the country for anyone who earns up to $116,000.

That works for the economy of British Columbia, and that's why we're in the position today to be able to say that yes, in difficult times we need to manage properly, and yes, we are facing a deficit for the next two years. But we have positioned British Columbia well because of thoughtful management, responsible fiscal management in British Columbia, and that's what our budget lays out.

When we look at how we've helped northern British Columbia, obviously that matters a great deal to me. That's the part of the province I represent. In fact, I've lived there my whole life. So it matters to me that at a time when things are difficult in this province, we give smaller northern rural communities the tools necessary for them to actually be able to move forward, to visualize and to realize the dreams they have for themselves and for their families.

As I've watched over the last eight years, investment after investment…. I can speak most personally about Prince George and Dunster and Valemount and McBride and about Dome Creek and places like that in the riding I represent. We've made a consistent and significant accomplishment in terms of adding to the infrastructure of those small communities.

When I represent a community like McBride, with a very small population, or Valemount…. One of the big challenges that those communities face is that they have

[ Page 14603 ]

a very small tax base. When you look at the kind of infrastructure investment that we might take for granted, or that large communities might, these communities need those tools that help them do the things that are important to them.

I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that as I have represented, as I've said, villages like McBride and Valemount…. Just this past weekend, because of an extraordinary partnership with the federal government….

I want to say on the record what a pleasure it's been for me to work with my federal colleagues, the MPs who represent the area of the province that I live in: MP Dick Harris, MP Jay Hill and MP Cathy McLeod. All of those federal partners are working together with us, plus our municipalities and our regional districts, in a time of unprecedented partnership. That's what difficult times call for.

Just in this past week I have been delighted, with my colleagues and through our partnership, to deliver invaluable infrastructure programs to McBride, where we're going to be able to look at things like water metering and upgrading their water system. The same thing in the village of Valemount, where downtown revitalization is in fact critical to this small community. There is no way they could have done it on their own, because of their small tax base.

Year after year — listening to those small communities and working in partnership with our federal colleagues, with our municipal colleagues and with our regional district leaders — we've been able to deliver all of those benefits to assist those small communities in doing the things that you and I, Mr. Speaker, might take for granted.

We have a consistent and strategic approach to how we're going to manage British Columbia through the next number of years. That's what British Columbians want to hear. They want to hear about people who are willing to work together, to work with our federal partners in order to protect and enhance those vital services in northern B.C.

Budget 2009 also does something else that I think is extremely positive for northern British Columbia, and that's the creation of the rural B.C. secretariat. We know how important it is — I live there; I've lived there my whole life — to listen to those voices outside of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.

I love being able to visit the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, and I'm happy to serve here in Victoria, but I am most passionate about what matters to northern British Columbia.

[1450]

In fact, we look at all the regions across our province — like the Okanagan, Mr. Speaker, where you find your residence. We see how important it is to hear those voices and recognize the progress that's been made in those parts of the province as well.

The rural B.C. secretariat will allow us to further enhance our relationships, to look at partnering with organizations like IPG in Prince George, like the Northern Development Initiative Trust. All of those things are tools that we've provided to people in rural British Columbia.

People where I live don't want government to do things for them. They want it to support the dreams and the goals that those communities have, and that's exactly the strategy that we've put in place.

I was very proud that we were able to host a Northern Opportunities summit in Prince George. What was most significant about that was the attitude of all of the people who attended that summit.

You know, if you'd listened to the members opposite, you would have thought that people would have walked into that opportunities summit with their heads down and negative and wondering where in the world they were going to go and what they were going to do. That's exactly what the members opposite would have assumed.

Well, I can tell you that over 600 people gathered together in Prince George for two days, and they weren't at all deterred. In fact, they were determined to make sure that at this time we are looking at opportunities.

We're finding ways to look to the future of northern British Columbia. There was optimism, there was energy, and there was enthusiasm. This side of the House is committed to partnering, to capturing that sense of enthusiasm and to working closely with the people in northern British Columbia.

When we look at what's so critical at times like these, we certainly recognize that we're going through absolutely unprecedented challenge in the forest sector, for example. We know that as we work in the forest sector and work with our partners, we have to make sure that we are looking at a new forest industry, as it obviously will continue to do those things that are traditional.

But we also have to look at new opportunities. We're very excited about some of the things that we are looking at with bioenergy and biofuel and biomass and even biocarbon. I can tell you that those are words that may not have been in our vocabulary over the last decade, but they are today. Those are the kinds of things and the kind of thinking that will help us emerge from the challenges that we're facing.

There's another key word, and that word is "diversification." One of the things we need to be doing is continuing to help diversify our economy in northern British Columbia. I want to talk just for a minute about something that has done an extraordinary job of doing that. In fact, it's called an airport expansion.

[S. Hammell in the chair.]

People might wonder why in the world we care about expanding airport runways across northern British

[ Page 14604 ]

Columbia, and across our province, in fact. Well, I'm very proud to tell you that we in Prince George are now — thanks to a partnership with the Northern Development Initiatives Trust, the federal government and the provincial government — home to the third-longest runway in the country.

That is a very long runway. In fact, it's so long that we've been told that in an emergency we could actually land the space shuttle in Prince George if that were necessary. That's not why we expanded the runway. I think that's an interesting side benefit.

We expanded the runway in Prince George for a very specific reason — because we need to use that runway as a catalyst for the further development and strengthening of our economy in northern British Columbia. It means that we in the north can actually look at the possibility of attracting cargo planes, those big planes that currently…. In Prince George right now they're flying right overhead. They have a flight path that leads right over the top of Prince George as they fly on to Anchorage, Alaska. Well, we know this.

We now have a runway, and we now have a responsibility to capitalize on that tool we've been given in northern British Columbia.

It also allows us to talk about the tourism industry. In fact, if we were able to bring those large charter aircraft…. If people from Asia or Germany and all of those countries want to travel and land in Prince George, we want them to be able to do that.

I am very proud of the fact that one of the most significant investments as a government that we have looked at over the last eight years is transportation infrastructure, including expanding regional airports right across British Columbia. It's important because it helps us diversify our economy. It's one of the tools that we've given to communities to actually help them manage their way through very, very difficult circumstances.

[1455]

Perhaps even more importantly than that, we are committed to and focused on one thing on this side of the House, and that is that we want to make sure we keep British Columbians working. We know that every single job counts.

As recently as this week, as we were meeting in small communities across my riding, in particular, we were able to deliver an infrastructure grant to look at things like water and sewer and all those things that are so basic. One of the reasons we celebrated that in those communities was because there was another great-news story. That was the fact that it meant jobs — two jobs here, three jobs there, five jobs there, 16 jobs here. Every single job counts in British Columbia today.

In fact, over the next number of years this government has committed to investing in $14 billion of infrastructure investment in every part of British Columbia. While that's important in and of itself, what's even more important is that that will result in up to 88,000 jobs being created right across the province of British Columbia. That is the kind of fiscal management and leadership that this government has put in place and that we expect to continue over the next number of years.

I also want to take just a moment…. I would love to speak the entire time about the north and the amazing things that we've done there, but I also want to, for the record, talk a little bit about what we've done in terms of education. It's absolutely amazing to me. I sat and listened respectfully to the member opposite, who spoke about post-secondary education, something I know that he, indeed, is very concerned about. I do appreciate that, but the facts speak for themselves.

When you look at Budget 2009, the budget maintains funding for kindergarten-to-grade-12 education. In fact, it results in per-student funding of $8,242 per student, the highest level in British Columbia's history. That's the fact, and it's pretty hard to imagine how one could dispute that.

Even more significantly, the post-secondary education system will see an increase of $282 million over three years in post-secondary education spending. One of the reasons that this government made the very difficult decision to actually look and consider a deficit budget was to protect those vital services in K-to-12 education, post-secondary education, health care and those important services for children and families.

You know, I would challenge the members opposite. It's time for them to stand up and actually tell us, and tell British Columbians, more importantly. If this isn't what their plan would be, then just let us know. Just tell British Columbians how many more billions of dollars the members opposite expect to invest.

Instead of simply being negative, pessimistic and having very little positive to say, it's time to actually lay out for British Columbians, just like the government has in their plan, what the plan is. Where are the investments going to be? Is it going to be a deficit that is absolutely unmanageable, which will be passed on to generations in this province, or will it be tax increases that will fund all of the things that we've heard spoken about day after day after day on the other side of the House?

Our goal was to make sure that we made education funding and post-secondary education funding a priority.

Another convenient fact completely left out on a regular basis. British Columbia's education system is different today. In the system we have 53,000 fewer children attending public education in British Columbia — 53,000 fewer children. At the same time, this government has decided for eight years consecutively to add dollars to the education system. If that doesn't speak volumes about a commitment to an education system, I'm not sure what does.

[1500]

[ Page 14605 ]

Rather than simply hearing the comments on a regular basis from the other side of the House, I think it's time they actually stood up and laid out their education plan and explained to taxpayers in British Columbia exactly what it's going to cost them to meet all of the promises and commitments made by the Leader of the Opposition and by random members of the opposition as they're out and about. We continue to hear: "Let's add here; let's add there; let's add this." Well then, you know what? Let's cost that for British Columbians.

Let's stand up and boldly say to British Columbia: "Here's your choice. You can choose to raise taxes and have a deficit that is absolutely unable to be dealt with in two years." Why don't we simply have that plan laid out for us? Certainly we've laid out our plan in Budget 2009, and in very difficult circumstances we've said this: "Our priorities are health care, education, making sure we have those vital public services for children and their families."

We've actually seen an increase in education funding of over a billion dollars since we took office, and that's simply on the K-to-12 side. How in the world anyone could describe that as a cut is beyond me.

When you think about health care funding in British Columbia…. Over the next three years we're actually going to see health care funding increase by over $4 billion in British Columbia. Once again, NDP math would call that a cut. That is simply irresponsible. We absolutely need to lay out the facts for British Columbians. It's time for the members opposite to stand up and talk to British Columbians about how they're going to proceed over the next number of years.

I want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible education system we do have in British Columbia. I have been so honoured to travel across the province and virtually visit just about every school district in British Columbia. On those visits I've had the pleasure of meeting with parents, with student, with trustees, with teachers, with support staff workers.

I can assure you of this, and I know both sides of the House would agree with this. The people who work in public education and in education today are absolutely extraordinary. They do an amazing job in classrooms, and there's nothing I like more than being in a classroom watching the magic that takes place between a great teacher and the students that are in that classroom. It is an amazing privilege, and I have been in hundreds of classrooms and schools across the province and feel so thankful that I've had that opportunity.

But I do want to remind British Columbians that over the last number of years we have seen increases in our student achievement rates. Again, as we continue to talk about the resource side, it's important to talk about the outcome side as well. In fact, we've seen our completion rate increase from 76 percent. We've seen that move up to 79 percent because of the hard work and dedication of teachers and school district administrators working together.

We've also seen our aboriginal rate of completion increase, but we have significant challenges there. We still have a system, basically, that doesn't work for aboriginal children in our province. We know that we have much more work to do when we look at how we're going to help those young students in British Columbia be more successful.

But we've also invested — and again, this budget continues to invest — in early learning programs in British Columbia. One of the things I'm hoping is that members of the House have taken the opportunity to visit a StrongStart B.C. centre somewhere in their community.

Those programs are allowing and encouraging families to bring their young children to schools that have space in them, and in fact, we're seeing incredible results. We're, first of all, seeing a great deal of demand, and that's why it's important that the funding continues to be provided in Budget 2009. In 2009 StrongStart B.C. programs mean that about 40,000 children will be better prepared to enter kindergarten.

We know that if we're going to make those kinds of investments and look at the prevention side in education, we need to start by making those investments early on. That's exactly what we've done. We've invested $43 million for StrongStart centres in the province, and in fact, today we have 190 StrongStart B.C. centres operating in 102 communities right across British Columbia. So again, an important outcome of the investment that we've made in education in the province.

Today we also want to talk a little bit about literacy and how much that matters in the province, and I know that one might think: "Why in the world are we talking about literacy?" It is absolutely essential to have a literate British Columbia, and it will remain an important priority for British Columbians.

[1505]

As I conclude my remarks, I want to simply say that it is my pleasure today to be part of a government that has recognized the importance of strong leadership, of focusing on job creation in British Columbia, of supporting the rural communities that I represent in this province.

We have unprecedented economic times in front of us. I'm proud of the fact that we've laid out Budget 2009 with a thoughtful and strategic plan that will help create certainty for families in this province. I know that while there may be different views in this House, there's only one view that matters in British Columbia. It matters that children and families are protected, that jobs are created and restored in this province.

I can assure you that I will stand proudly supporting Budget 2009, recognizing that while all of us are facing challenges around the world, this provides a strong, sustainable future for the province that I love very much

[ Page 14606 ]

and for the northern part of the province, which I am deeply honoured to represent.

D. Thorne: Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity today to respond to the 2009 budget on behalf of my 51,000 constituents in Coquitlam-Maillardville.

First, I would like to thank my husband, Neil Edmundson, and my sons Jay and Lee for putting up with me throughout my political career. It seems like a good time to do that. I also wanted to thank my constituency and my legislative staff for their great work on behalf of my constituents. These people have supported me for four years, and I appreciate everything they have done, and I just wanted to say a public thank-you.

Coquitlam-Maillardville is located in the northeast sector of Metro Vancouver, about 15 miles east of Vancouver. Coquitlam was founded by millworkers from Quebec, who settled on the Fraser River in the area called Maillardville.

The francophone community of Maillardville is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with a lineup of special events, including the annual Festival du Bois, which is the largest French Canadian event in western Canada.

I'd like to take a moment to pay tribute to Antonio Paré, a Maillardville leader and outstanding Coquitlam resident who died last July. Tony was the well-known and much-loved town crier of Coquitlam and is sorely missed by all. He was appointed a freeman of the city of Coquitlam, the city's highest honour, in recognition of his outstanding contributions towards documenting the history and promoting the awareness of French Canadian culture in Coquitlam.

Coquitlam-Maillardville is a diverse community of people who speak an astounding 52 languages, with almost 37 percent able to speak one of the Chinese dialects. Our Asian population has doubled during the last ten years, bringing to our community a rich culture of food, music, art and, of course, many new businesses.

I am currently working with a group of Tri-City parents who want Mandarin to be taught in the school district. They are in communication with local school trustees and staff while they meet regularly to plan their campaign and inform the public of the benefits of this language instruction.

On North Road, the boundary between Coquitlam and Burnaby, there is a vibrant Korean business area, which is in the process of forming a business improvement association. I look forward to working with them to enhance their commercial opportunities when this association is complete.

What many people may not realize about the Tri-Cities is that it is the fourth most popular destination in B.C. for government-sponsored refugees. We have experienced considerable growth in both the Afghan and Iranian refugee populations, and plans are underway at the moment to assist almost 1,000 refugees arriving from Bhutan later this year.

While groups like SUCCESS do their best to help newcomers to our province to adjust to a new culture, many British Columbians are struggling to adjust to new economic realities.

Housing is only one of the areas in which government action is lacking. People throughout the province are still struggling to make ends meet. Seniors are still waiting for long-term care beds. Too many students still can't afford a post-secondary education because of the combination of rising tuition fees and high living costs.

[1510]

Thousands of people are still being shortchanged by minimum-wage jobs in one of the last provinces in Canada to deal with raising this rate.

Unacceptable poverty rates among children, lack of day care spaces, a rising population of homeless and a lack of services for vulnerable citizens should not be inevitable, even in an economic climate such as we are experiencing now throughout North America, B.C. and the world. They are also the result of bad policy choices that can be fixed.

Residents of Coquitlam-Maillardville were looking to the government's budget for solutions that would improve their daily quality of life. Unfortunately, once again, they have been disappointed. It appears the government's priorities are more along the lines of a $400 million retractable roof for B.C. Place and hundreds of millions more in Olympic cost overruns.

While Coquitlam residents are facing a significant property tax increase, the budget reduces provincial transfers to communities by 24 percent. Environmental protection in Coquitlam will be compromised by an 11 percent cut to the Ministry of Environment budget, and a 46 percent cut to Tourism does not bode well for businesses in my community that are already experiencing a dramatic reduction in visitors.

My constituency office has heard from dozens of people with other concerns that are not addressed in this budget. One of the most pressing local issues is the possible sale of the Riverview Hospital lands and its redevelopment as a huge market housing site. When the Minister of Housing was forced to admit in 2007 that these plans were being researched by ministry staff, a wave of concern swept through Coquitlam and the rest of the province.

Madam Speaker, a petition opposing the sale of the lands was immediately launched, and more than

[ Page 14607 ]

12,000 signatures were collected and presented in the Legislature. People have continued to sign this petition every day, and I will be tabling almost 2,000 more before the end of this session.

In addition, the city of Coquitlam has gone on record as being opposed to the government's plans and to any rezoning of these lands. Even the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce has passed a resolution urging this government to give "particular priority to the preservation and enhancement of Riverview Hospital and its existing lands as British Columbia's principal class residential and out-patient mental health care services for people across the province."

Riverview was established in 1904 and has gone from being a hospital that provided care and housing for thousands of patients to a collection of empty and neglected buildings. Currently less than 100 patients reside at Riverview.

I remind everyone that patients released from Riverview have added to the growing number of people with mental illness living in Coquitlam ravines, in abandoned buildings everywhere in the province and in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside streets. This is why the government's proposed plans to sell the property are so shocking and so shortsighted.

People with mental illness and patients should have proper housing and medical care at the Riverview site, and the heritage buildings, gardens and famous arboretum must remain in public hands. Preservation of the lands is extremely important to all of my constituents but particularly the hard-working volunteers of the Burke Mountain Naturalists, the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society and ArtsConnect, who organize the annual Treefest celebrations and walking tours throughout the year on the Riverview Hospital lands.

No one on the government side of the House has publicly announced that the plans to sell and develop the Riverview lands have been cancelled. The silence from the Minister of Housing and in this budget on this subject is ominous.

Residents in my constituency are also watching this budget carefully because of ongoing problems in the delivery of health care in my constituency. The emergency room at the Royal Columbian Hospital is still dangerously overcrowded with long wait times, and all the Minister of Health could offer was the use of a portable trailer to erase congestion — a pathetic offer that was eventually dismissed.

Obviously the Fraser Health region continues to suffer from the loss of St. Mary's Hospital, and yet this government refuses to provide the necessary funds to properly utilize the Eagle Ridge Hospital to its full capacity.

[1515]

Also, Madam Speaker, another issue concerning my residents. In spite of a series of splashy PR events, the Evergreen line — the rapid transit line that we've been hearing about for many, many years — is still a bit of a mirage to most of my constituents, who wonder why so many announcements were made with possible completion so far away.

Development in the Tri-Cities has proceeded as planned, and the postponement of the completion of rapid transit to 2014 has led to an untenable traffic situation. This is unacceptable at a time when we are concerned about the effect that air quality is having on our health and on our environment.

Education funding in the budget falls far short of what is needed both in my constituency and across the province. School district 43, the third largest in British Columbia, is and has always been one of the lowest funded per student in the province for many years now.

Children in my community are also affected by the budget's failure once again to address the serious problems of class size and class composition. I remember when my children were young. We had librarians and art specialists in elementary schools. The number of special education teachers was growing then rather than diminishing, and most classes were considerably smaller.

But just to show that I'm not always negative, I want to remind the House that in 2005 I praised a pilot program for first nations children at Coquitlam's Vanier Elementary School. Unfortunately, my optimism was short-lived. Two years later Vanier School closed its doors, a victim of the latest round of school closures in my constituency. I'm sad to say Vanier School still sits empty today.

Rising post-secondary tuition fees and the cancellation of worthwhile programs because of severe budget cuts have caused enormous problems for my constituents attending Douglas College and Simon Fraser University. A recent rally by students, staff, faculty and community members at SFU highlighted the difficulties arising from this government's continuing reduction in per-student funding.

Transportation, health care, the environment and education are not the only concerns in my community. Violent crime has come to Coquitlam, and a high percentage of the offences are drug-related. No longer a sleepy suburb of Vancouver, shots now ring out in Coquitlam neighbourhoods, leaving fear and shock in their wake. Citizens are voicing concerns about their safety, and families are affected by crime and grieving the loss of loved ones.

The recent government announcement of a supposed crackdown on gang activity turned out to be a hollow public relations exercise with no real funding or commitment behind it. Instead, this budget will impose deep cuts to prosecution, court services and corrections services.

Even society's most vulnerable citizens, our children, are not immune from this government's budget slashing. The Ministry of Children and Families will be

[ Page 14608 ]

cutting more than 100 staff over the next three years, while as many as 1,300 children wait to be adopted. It is unacceptable that children, who especially need our protection, will be left vulnerable because of this government's misguided priorities.

I'll now focus my remarks back on my constituency, where we are blessed with many active community organizations and involved citizens of all ages and abilities — a special blessing in this economic time and with so many cuts coming up in the next three years.

I want to congratulate the executive and members of the Austin Heights Business Improvement Association for successfully shepherding the first Coquitlam BIA, business improvement association, through the official registration process at city hall.

My husband and I have owned and operated several small — but extremely successful, if I do say so myself — businesses during the past 35 years, so I am really able to appreciate the effort that is required to run a successful small business. By joining together, these merchants in the Austin Heights area will bring so many improvements and increased consumer activity to this area.

[1520]

Like many other cities, Coquitlam is blessed with a number of volunteer community groups who work to enrich the lives of our residents. Among these are the SHARE Family and Community Services Society; the PoCoMo Youth Services Society; the Tri-City Women's Resource Society; the Crossroads Hospice Society; the Como Creek watershed society; the Children of the Streets Society; many, various residents associations; the Tri-Cities Housing Coalition and the homelessness task group; the Royal Canadian Legion; and many more.

To merely say thank you publicly to these wonderful volunteers hardly does justice to their significant community contributions.

I've had the pleasure of speaking and attending meetings of the Rotary Club of Coquitlam. I'm very impressed with their unique funding abilities; likewise, the Burquitlam Lions and the Maillardville Lions, who all do outstanding work in their community through various fundraising efforts.

This Christmas marked the 39th year of the Jimmy Christmas hamper fund, which has provided thousands of food hampers and toys to families in Coquitlam. Started by the Burquitlam Lions Club, the hamper program is another example of numerous individuals and community groups working together to help their neighbours. After many, many years with the Burquitlam Lions, this project is now being passed on to the SHARE Society, who will continue to provide hampers and other essential services to families throughout the Tri-Cities.

Another of the wonderful service clubs in Coquitlam is the Kinsmen and Kinettes. Last June the club members proudly watched as the town centre accessible playground opened. The Kinsmen and Kinettes have a long, long history of community work for children, including the water spray park at Blue Mountain Park, the children's playground and wharves at Como Lake, the tennis courts at Mackin Park and the annual pancake breakfast at Como Lake Fishing Derby. These are all in my riding, and I'm very proud of them all.

I thank the Kinsmen, who have also fundraised to support a search and rescue trailer and equipment for Coquitlam. If that isn't enough, the local club also supports the Boy Scouts, the Dogwood Pavilion for seniors, the Eagle Ridge Hospital, the Little League and the Coquitlam Public Library. And the Kinsmen and Kinettes have a special commitment to cystic fibrosis research.

How do you thank groups who do this kind of work, and how would our society and my community, my constituency, function without these people?

Families in Coquitlam-Maillardville are also involved in a wide variety of sports, from teams of enthusiastic young children to more competitive adult professionals. I was pleased last summer to support the planning of the under 19 World Field Lacrosse Championships, which were held in Coquitlam. Hundreds of athletes from North America and Europe gathered to compete in the ten-day tournament. I've also supported the junior and senior Adanac lacrosse teams in their effort to secure funding to carry out their excellent youth activities.

We have a thriving soccer community in Coquitlam. I continue to join the coaches and parents in their fundraising events, and I look forward to attending their tournaments and games when I have the opportunity.

For some time now I have been working to build a supportive relationship with members of the Kwikwetlem First Nation, a small band that makes its home beside the Coquitlam River in my constituency. A school portable on the Kwikwetlem First Nation reserve was the site of a historic meeting between members of the band and municipal, provincial and federal politicians held in February last year.

"This meeting is not just you learning about us," said band councillor George Chaffee. "It's us learning about you." On the agenda were items that affect the first nation as well as surrounding municipalities, including the Gateway program, TransLink projects and the Coquitlam River salmon enhancement.

The band has worked hard to revive the salmon run in the Coquitlam River. Last September, 15 salmon swam up the Coquitlam River diverter into a trap. They were then placed in a tank, driven up the road and released into the lake behind the Coquitlam dam. This success was a direct result of hard work and determination by band members who are hoping the stream, which has been cut off by the dam since 1905, can be provided with a permanent fish ladder.

[1525]

Other projects being pursued by the band include a bike rental business offering scenic tours through

[ Page 14609 ]

Colony Farm Regional Park and the salvage of cedar trees to build war canoes. The canoes will be between 50 and 60 feet long, and the cedar removal process and the carving are being filmed in order to pass the information down to future generations. I'm sure the House would join with me in congratulating the Kwikwetlem band for their perseverance. I'm so pleased that they are making progress on so many fronts.

Before I close, I want to talk a bit about my role as opposition critic for Housing and consumer protection. The many challenges facing people seeking affordable and decent housing in this province have not changed in the past year — in fact, hardly in the past four years since I have been in this House.

I hear constantly how affordable housing is virtually non-existent. This government must make an immediate commitment to build non-profit housing and to have a comprehensive housing plan for British Columbia — all of this for low- to medium-income families in British Columbia. There was a time where we were only talking about low-income families needing housing. Over the last year or so, we have come now to where medium-income families have joined that group and also need our help.

In 2001 the government cancelled Homes B.C., a program which had built around a thousand affordable housing units each year. If this program had been maintained, we would not be in such a dire situation today.

In the throne speech the government promised it would be ramping up spending on housing and homelessness, and these words caused a flurry of excitement in Calgary, where almost 700 delegates of the National Housing and Homelessness Conference were gathering on the day the throne speech was delivered.

But when the budget was delivered the following day, it became clear that this was merely hollow rhetoric. In fact, the spending on housing is going to shrink in B.C. over the next few years, even though housing insecurity and homelessness are deep and persistent in the Lower Mainland and many other parts of the province.

From the 2008 revised budget estimates to the budget for 2009 to 2010, total funding for housing has dropped by 15 percent or $69 million. This cut is actually larger than it appears because women's transition houses and shelters are also now included in the same funding envelope.

Next year's budget for the residential tenancy branch has been cut by $787,000. The provincial contribution to B.C. Housing has been cut by $97 million, or 23 percent. This is contrary, totally contrary, to the throne speech commitment to expand "supportive housing." Furthermore, the B.C. Housing service plan shows that funding for non-profit and co-op housing will drop by $97.8 million and that funding for public housing will drop by $13.7 million.

This budget contains virtually no funding for the 12 social housing sites promised by government in November 2007. We're now being told that six housing sites are being considered and should appear any year now, but not the 12 that were promised in 2007 and not when they were needed, which was at least a year or two ago.

The wait-list for social housing still has 10,000 people on it, and the average time on the wait-list is unacceptable. The rental assistance program has provided marginal assistance, but because of the shortage of affordable rental housing, this program has been a huge disappointment to the Minister Responsible for Housing who continues to put his faith in the free market system, which continues to let him down.

Non-profit housing and cooperatives, on the other hand, are partnerships where all involved have an interest in making them work, and they are community assets, long-term investments that benefit everyone. The sooner the members across the way acknowledge this, the sooner we can achieve real improvement in providing affordable housing in British Columbia.

The rates paid to seniors under the SAFER program desperately need to be adjusted to reflect the rental rates of the different regions in this province. My office often hears from seniors who are living hand-to-mouth because their rents are being increased regularly, and SAFER is just not keeping up.

Renters who are fortunate enough to have housing also face many issues with their tenancy. Since 2001 this government has reduced services to tenants and landlords, creating wait times for information and arbitration hearings that are generally unacceptable.

[1530]

This government has also failed to take action on loopholes in the Residential Tenancy Act that often allow legislated annual rent increases to be circumvented.

Section 49 of the Residential Tenancy Act, which states that landlords can end a tenancy to do renovations or repairs that require the unit to be vacant, is being used to get rid of tenants in order to increase the rent. Tenants who challenge these evictions often find the process intimidating and inaccessible, and often lose under

section 49.

Fortunately, upon appeal to the B.C. Supreme Court, several groups have had their loss overturned, with critical comments provided by the presiding justices. For example, Justice Williamson stated: "The purpose of

section 49(6) is not to give landlords a means for evicting tenants." He went on to say that it could surely not have been the intent of the Legislature to provide such a loophole for landlords.

In response to this situation, I introduced a private member's bill in the 2008 spring sitting, which, if supported by the government, would have protected tenants from eviction by renovation.

Based on recent Ontario legislation developed in response to the same issue there, my bill included the right of first refusal and more notice before eviction.

[ Page 14610 ]

It is regrettable that this government's inaction allows tenants to continue to be harassed and threatened with eviction if they don't agree beforehand to exorbitant rent increases.

In May of this past year I visited a number of manufactured home parks in the Interior and the Okanagan, where many homeowners are facing financial ruin, as in other areas of the province. More and more of them are seeing the property that their home sits on being sold for redevelopment.

Changes made to the Manufactured Home Park Tenancy Act by this government did not deal with the real issue of providing full compensation for these homes, and that has enabled park owners to raise pad rentals above the prescribed limits as well. The government ignores the real problem of keeping this land available for affordable housing, whether this is through strata title or cooperative.

In 2007 the then Solicitor General, the member from Chilliwack, publicly ridiculed my private member's bill which called for needed regulation in the home inspection industry. However, it was gratifying for me to see the current Solicitor General begin to recognize the need for the licensing of home inspectors. I'm proud to have initiated this legislation, which should lead to increased consumer protection for prospective homeowners.

But I also have to say today that I'm a bit disappointed that the government did not go all the way and bring in one provincial standard for the education and practical experience that would be required by home inspectors. This would have curtailed what could possibly be, and likely will be, future consumer confusion over standards when they are trying to hire a home inspector.

Consumer protection in the housing industry continues to be lacking teeth in other areas. Presale homebuyers have been waiting for substantial government action for more than two years, while presold developments flounder because of market fluctuations. Changes to FICOM by the Minister of Finance appear to have done nothing to adequately protect presale buyers.

These days the Homeowner Protection Office appears to be doing anything but protecting homeowners. They are pulling back from assisting leaky-condo owners by bringing in policy changes that deny assistance to desperate homeowners. The problem of leaky condos does not look like it's going to disappear anytime soon.

[K. Whittred in the chair.]

Recent comments by the Housing Minister finally bring him and his government in line with the 1998 Barrett Commission of Inquiry, which found that the poorly interpreted building code was partially responsible for the leaky-condo fiasco, as was a lack of provincial monitoring to ensure accurate

interpretation of the code. Also troubling to the commission was the fact that the construction industry appeared unaware of how to employ appropriate technology or else "deliberately failed to ensure that construction was of an adequate quality."

[1535]

In a recent response to a Times Colonist editorial on leaky condos, the Minister of Housing said that "these problems were not the result of the building code." These problems, I repeat, were not the result of the building code. I'm quoting the Minister of Housing: "They were caused by deficient materials and installation which did not comply with the building code."

If the minister really believes this, then why hasn't he taken steps through the Homeowner Protection Office to regulate builders and ensure consumer protection in the future? A study commissioned by the HPO showed that an overwhelming majority of housing units repaired due to water penetration problems were made of wood.

In view of these findings, the minister's decision to change the building code as of April 6 this year to enable developers to go beyond the current floor limit of four-storey wooden buildings is extremely disturbing. Obviously, the industry's poor record in putting up mid-rise wood buildings leads to the conclusion that this change will result in an increase in the number of leaky condos.

Fire personnel across the country, including the Victoria fire chief, are also very concerned about fire and other safety issues associated with higher wooden buildings and believe the change is being rushed through too quickly.

Thank you for letting me bring forward the views of my constituents today.

Hon. I. Chong: Let me begin my remarks by first of all saying that it's always an honour to rise in this chamber to respond to the budget speech. As I was reflecting back to the first time I entered this chamber in 1996 and counting the number of budgets that I have seen come forward as a result of election years, this would make this particular budget the 16th budget that I have responded to.

Quite a record, I know, but I have to say that in each and every one, there have been issues that needed to be brought up, whether I was in opposition speaking clearly about those things that I disagreed with or whether they were budgets that our government had brought forward that I certainly felt were visionary and leading.

Before I enter into my remarks, though, I think it's incumbent on all of us to take some time to reflect on the fact that we know we have limited time here in these chambers to give thanks to those who have assisted us this past term or in past terms.

I want to begin by thanking the staff in the constituency offices I have in Oak Bay and in Gordon Head — two very capable people, Matt and Maureen, who have been with me for a number of years. I've had others

[ Page 14611 ]

before them, but in this particular term Maureen and Matt have been there each day, ensuring that the access that my constituents have to me or to government programs was always done in a very fair and courteous way.

As well as the fact that we have staff here that support caucus, government caucus…. I certainly understand that in the opposition caucus you have your research staff. You have your communications staff who assist you with your MLA report, your constituency report. Those are very important as well, and they spend a great deal of time putting those together, ensuring that we are able to convey to our constituents the important work we do here.

There are staff who, as well, help me in my minister's office, and I have my assistants who help me with my scheduling and, of course, ensure that they answer the phones in a very polite and courteous way. That would be Katie Reynolds and Linda Carey. Of course, my ministerial staff — my executive assistant Martina Kapac and my ministerial assistant Debbie Smollett, who I rely heavily on, on the matters that come before me in the office — keep my life straight.

There are also staff here who keep this precinct in good and proper running order. They ensure that when we arrive here, the doors are open, and when we leave at night, they're securely locked. That means the security staff as well, making sure that everyone who enters these buildings can do so feeling safe.

[1540]

We want to also acknowledge the pages and the Sergeant-at-Arms, people who work in here. Pages bring us our water, making sure that our every need is taken care of and, as well, deliver the notes that we take back to our office and who deliver to us our computers and other information that we need here.

I know there has been a longstanding history that the pages who serve here come from a school not in my riding but in another riding adjacent to mine, and that is Reynolds School. I know they have sent a number of children here in the past, who have gone on to be very responsible adults. At the beginning of the term usually they're shorter than me, but by the end of the term they've actually grown a foot taller than me. So I know they have learned much while they have been here.

The staff in the dining room, of course, keep us well fed and make sure we can have our food in a timely way. I just wanted to make sure that I took some time to really pay my respects and thanks to all those who allow members of the Legislature to have a somewhat orderly life, whether we're here in the precincts or we're back in our constituencies — especially away from our family.

In responding to this budget, Budget 2009…. Certainly, there'll be no question that I will be supporting Budget 2009. But I want to really highlight what Budget 2009 actually speaks to. It speaks to our government's renewed focus on the economy and on jobs.

For the last number of months we've all been terribly concerned not just for ourselves but for our constituents, for our family members not just here in our own hometown but around the province and around the country, because we have family across the country. I know many of us do — worried about them, worried about their jobs, worried about the sectors they're involved in.

We have a unique privilege as legislators — 79 of us here in British Columbia. After May 12 there'll be 85 of us. I've always said how privileged we are that there are over four million — I believe it's 4.2 or 4.3 million — people in this province, and there are only 79 of these jobs. We, each one of us here, have the honour to have one of those 79 jobs.

So we have a distinct role to play. We are able to pass legislation. We are able to act in a way that protects not just our own community but that we can affect other communities in a positive way. In today's economic climate, that is what we need to do. With the economy on everyone's mind today, with the thought of a job loss on everyone's mind not just for themselves but perhaps a family member — a father, a mother, an uncle, a brother, a sister, a child — what we can do as legislators is everything possible to find ways to provide confidence and stability. That's what Budget 2009 does.

It focuses on the economy. It focuses on jobs. If members opposite would just listen and dig deep into this budget, they will see that this stimulus in Budget 2009 — the measures that have been introduced — will and in fact can move British Columbia forward in a way that shows the rest of Canada that we are leading. And we are leading.

Budget 2009 touches on many areas that I am deeply committed to. Many will know that I come from the small business sector. I believe, as I know my colleagues do, that a healthy small business sector is vital. It's vital to the growth of our economy. We also know there are opportunities in the global green economy.

We know, as well, that in order to move forward, trade is important. Canada is a small trading jurisdiction; British Columbia, even smaller. Trade with the rest of Canada, trade with the rest of North America, trade with the rest of the world — in particular, Asia Pacific — is critical if we move forward. Budget 2009 provides that base, that investment in our economic base, which we need so dearly now. As we invest in our province's economic future, what we must also do is adapt. We have to adapt to the rapid changes in the global economy.

[1545]

When I look at the budget and how it was formulated, when I see how the Minister of Finance — with his very professional staff in the ministry, many who have been there 20 and 25 years — put forward a credible budget, I can say I'm very proud to be part of a government that was able to bring in a budget that speaks to our economy, that speaks to the job creation and that also speaks to

[ Page 14612 ]

ensuring that we maintain a triple-A credit rating as we go forward and to stimulating our economy.

It's about sound fiscal management. It's about long-term investment. Our government is enhancing that stability and providing that opportunity in this province. Budget 2009 helps British Columbia to pursue the opportunities of the future.

As I mentioned earlier, small business is a critical component of our economy. In 2007 all but 2 percent of the businesses in the province were small business — 98 percent. They employed over a million people. So when we develop policies, when we legislate changes, where there are tax measures, and where there is streamlining of regulation and red tape, it is about protecting jobs for those million people.

It is about those small businesses. I've heard members opposite, some of them, say that they've come from a small business background. If they truly did understand small business, they actually would be applauding the various tax changes we've introduced for small businesses.

The 4.5 percent up to the first $400,000 for small businesses has now gone down to 2½ percent — a 44 percent decrease. Can we expect members opposite to support that? It's hard to know, when they've not supported previous budgets that we've brought forward — previous budgets that had introduced tax relief.

Small businesses that employ people with less than 50 employees account for nearly half the jobs in British Columbia. So there are many small businesses. But we know there are also many small businesses in the smaller communities that employ as few as ten people. We should be proud because we have more small businesses per capita here in British Columbia than any other province, and we've been a national leader in small business growth over the past five years.

In fact, from 2002 to 2007 the growth rate was nearly double the national average. So you have to ask: why is that? Well, it's because our government recognizes the value of a healthy small business sector. Budget 2009 maintains a competitive tax regime for small business. As I've indicated, the 44 percent reduction is substantial. It sends a message. It sends a positive message forward. And if there's one way to send a negative, job-killing, investment-killing message forward, it's for the members opposite to say they don't support that.

That's what I'm hearing, and that causes concern to people in my constituency. That causes concern for people throughout British Columbia. That actually causes concern right across Canada.

The other area of small businesses has to do with provincial sales tax exemptions, and they're another way that Budget 2009 is helping B.C. businesses. We're waiving the provincial sales tax on energy-efficient products like commercial boilers and devices to reduce idling and improve the aerodynamic performance of highway trucks. We're supporting business in making decisions that are also good for our environment.

We look forward to working in continued partnership with small businesses in British Columbia. As the minister responsible, I'm very proud of the fact that we have a permanent Small Business Roundtable that was established back in 2005, which the MLA from Kelowna-Westside started when he was minister and the now Minister of Community Development continued on with. Now I have the pleasure, as well, of bringing that along.

I've met with the members, and they remain excited to this day — after four years of having meetings and consultations around the province, providing us with recommendations — seeing those recommendations actually implemented. They're very excited because they know there is still work to do to help the small business community. They are ready to roll up their sleeves and work with us, which is what we're asking people around the province to do, to manage through this difficult economic time — to roll up our sleeves and work together in partnership, not to divide the province as members opposite would have us do.

[1550]

I also want to make comments regarding research and innovation, because I heard the member for Victoria-Hillside offer his disparaging remarks. It is really hard, I know, for members opposite to somehow grasp facts. The facts are that since 2001 we have committed $1.7 billion to research and innovation — a substantial amount, an important amount, an investment that has put British Columbia as one of the top leaders when it comes to funding research and innovation.

This year we'll see even more funding invested in developing technologies for clean energy and biotechnology, in cancer research. You've heard it before. You've heard it from other people that cancer affects so many of us, so many of our friends and families. If you are to develop a cancer, the best place for treatment, the best place for research is here in British Columbia.

That reputation did not happen overnight. That reputation was built on a partnership with our government and the cancer research community. We have supported them in the past, and I know we will continue to support them in the future. It's very discouraging when you hear members opposite fearmonger out there and spread information that is just incorrect.

I'm also excited about the new wood innovation and design centre that will be established in Prince George. We understand what the mountain pine beetle has done to our forests. We know, with the Minister of Forests, that there is a new opportunity that has arisen from that wood waste. We also know that there are people who want to put their talents, their creativity to work. Where better to establish a wood innovation and design centre than in Prince George?

[ Page 14613 ]

It will, of course, be affiliated with UNBC, the University of Northern British Columbia, building on that university's strength. It will be promoting new expertise in advanced building systems, engineered wood products and interior wood design, because we all know wood is good. That's why our government has a wood-first policy.

The Premier has worked with other Premiers across the province. He has spoken to the Prime Minister to ensure that we do not forget that our forest industry still has importance and that our forest industry can still provide those products available.

I want to speak about clean energy as well. British Columbia is a global leader in fuel cell, compressed natural gas and hydrogen technologies, and we're well on the way to leading the world in other forms of clean renewable energy. Budget 2009 continues the innovative clean energy fund, the ICE fund, and we're working hard to harness clean, abundant and alternative energy sources like sun and wind. We'll also use forests killed by the mountain pine beetle to transform our forest industry by using that wood to create clean, carbon-neutral bioenergy.

I mentioned trade, and trade is important. That's why our government recognizes that British Columbia must look beyond traditional markets, particularly for our forest products. There are huge potentials in Asia. China is already British Columbia's second-largest trading partner, and in 2007 that trade was worth $10.8 billion, which is nearly four times what it was in 1998. One of the things that will help it continue to grow is promoting our products and our expertise.

Just as one example, the Shanghai government has formally approved a B.C.-designed roofing system as part of a plan to renovate 10,000 city apartment buildings in the lead-up to World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. That means B.C. wood producers now have access to a market for as many as 10,000 new roofs over the next two years. I know that our Shanghai trade office has been very involved in this project.

You will know, as was announced, that we've opened two new trade offices in China, in Beijing and in Guangzhou. Just the other day I announced that our Bangalore office will be up and running by late summer. Our trade and investment representative has been contracted. These are overseas trade representatives who bring proven, local, on-the-ground connections and expertise that will help B.C. firms, small and large, connect with potential partners.

[1555]

Partnerships — that is what it's about. These partnerships will promote British Columbia as a destination for investment and trade. They will showcase our products, they will showcase our resources, and they will spread the word that our province is a leader in research and development. In short, they will help us seize our unique advantage as Canada's gateway to the Asia-Pacific.

As well, closer to home we can still work on improving our trade and the trade barriers that we have. You will know that very soon the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement with Alberta will take effect. TILMA grew out of a historic joint cabinet meeting with Alberta several years ago. This agreement is expected to generate 70,000 jobs here after it comes on stream. The sad

part is that the members opposite reject it. They're rejecting 70,000 new potential jobs.

Just recently British Columbia hosted the first joint trilateral cabinet meeting with Alberta and Saskatchewan. Out of that meeting came an agreement that the three provinces will begin discussions to create a new western economic partnership that will encompass Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. We're one country. We're ten provinces and three territories, but there are opportunities to partner together to build on that framework so that our citizens can benefit. It would sound like the NDP opposition would reject that.

Budget 2009 invests $14 billion in infrastructure projects that would create tens of thousands of jobs in every part of British Columbia. Again, it sounds as if the NDP opposition are going to reject $14 billion of infrastructure spending, some 80,000 jobs around the province. I don't understand how they can choose to have their communities not receive that kind of assistance.

I want to share with you, hon. Speaker, what some of the infrastructure and government programs that we've instigated over the number of years have done for my community of Oak Bay–Gordon Head. Both in Saanich, in the Gordon Head part, and in Oak Bay, I have seen those communities take advantage of the LocalMotion grants.

These are providing more accessible walkways, pathways connecting community to community, allowing for people to choose a more friendly way to commute and choose to lead a healthier lifestyle. They have received these dollars, and they have been grateful for them.

I hear members opposite ask where the dollars are in their communities. You know, they have made remarks. Th