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British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Third Session, 39th Parliament official rePort of Debates of the Legis Lative a ssemb Ly (hansarD) the honourable bill bari Soff, SPeaker iSSn 0709-1281 Wednesday, April 27, 2011 Afternoon Sitting Volume 20, Number 8

Pro Vince of britiS h colu Mbia (entered c onfederation July 20, 1871) lieutenant -Go Vernor h is h onour the h onourable Steven l.

Point, obc Third Session, 39th Parliament SPeaker of the leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y h onourable bill barisoff eXecutiVe council Premier and President of the executive c ouncil .............................................................................................................. h on. c hristy c lark Deputy Premier and Minister of finance ............................................................................................................................h on. k evin f alcon Minister of a boriginal r elations and r econciliation ...........................................................................................................h on.

Mary Polak Minister of a dvanced e ducation .................................................................................................................................h on. n aomi Y amamoto Minister of a griculture ........................................................................................................................................................... h on.

Don Mcr ae a ttorney General ........................................................................................................................................................... h on. barry Penner, Qc Minister of c hildren and f amily Development ................................................................................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Minister of c ommunity, Sport and cultural Development .................................................................................................. h on. ida c hong Minister of e ducation .........................................................................................................................................................h on.

George a bbott Minister of energy and Mines and Minister r esponsible for h ousing.........................................................................h on. r ich c oleman Minister of environment ....................................................................................................................................................h on. Dr. t erry l ake Minister of f orests, l ands and n atural r esource o perations......................................................................................h on.

Steve Thomson Minister of h ealth .................................................................................................................................................... h on. Michael de Jong, Qc Minister of Jobs, t ourism and innovation ................................................................................................................................... h on. Pat bell Minister of l abour, citizens' Services and o pen Government .............................................................................. h on.

Stephanie c adieux Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General .................................................................................................................h on.

Shirley bond Minister of Social Development and Minister r esponsible for Multiculturalism ............................................................ h on. h arry bloy Minister of t ransportation and infrastructure ................................................................................................................h on. blair l ekstrom leGiS latiVe a SSeMbl Y l eader of the official o pposition ......................................................................................................................................................a drian Dix Deputy Speaker .................................................................................................................................................................................... l inda r eid a ssistant Deputy Speaker .............................................................................................................................................................c laire t revena Deputy c hair, c ommittee of the Whole ...................................................................................................................................Douglas h orne c lerk of the l egislative a ssembly...................................................................................................................e.

George MacMinn, obc, Q c c lerk a ssistant ..................................................................................................................................................................................r obert Vaive c lerk a ssistant and l aw c lerk................................................................................................................................................. ian D. izard, Qc c lerk a ssistant and c lerk of c ommittees ............................................................................................................... craig h.

James (on leave) c lerk a ssistant and a cting c lerk of c ommittees ................................................................................................................. k ate r yan-l loyd Sergeant-at-a rms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary l enz

alP habetical liS t of MeMberS a bbott, h on. George (l) ........................................................................ Shuswap a ustin, r obin (nDP) ................................................................................ Skeena bains, h arry (nDP) ....................................................................Surrey-n ewton barisoff, h on. bill (l) ............................................................................Penticton barnett, Donna (l) ................................................................ c ariboo-c hilcotin bell, h on.

Pat (l) ..................................................... Prince George–Mackenzie bennett, bill (l) .............................................................................k ootenay e ast black, Dawn (nDP) ................................................................n ew Westminster black, iain (l) .............................................................. Port Moody–c oquitlam bloy, h on. h arry (l) ............................................................burnaby-l ougheed bond, h on.

Shirley (l) ...........................................Prince George–Valemount brar, Jagrup (nDP) ................................................................ Surrey-fleetwood c adieux, h on. Stephanie (l) ................................................Surrey-Panorama c antelon, r on (l) ..............................................................

Parksville-Qualicum c handra h erbert, Spencer (nDP) ................................Vancouver–West end c hong, h on. ida (l) ..................................................... o ak bay–Gordon h ead c houhan, r aj (nDP) ........................................................... burnaby-e dmonds c oell, Murray (l) ..............................................Saanich n orth and the islands c oleman, h on. r ich (l) ........................................... f ort l angley–a ldergrove c onroy, katrine (nDP) .............................................................. k ootenay West c oons, Gary (nDP) .........................................................................n orth c oast c orrigan, k athy (nDP) ..................................................... burnaby–Deer l ake Dalton, Marc (l) ..............................................................

Maple r idge–Mission de Jong, h on. Michael, Qc (l) .............................................. a bbotsford West Dix, a drian (nDP) ............................................................Vancouver-kingsway Donaldson, Doug (nDP) ......................................................................... Stikine e lmore, Mable (nDP) ................................................... Vancouver-kensington f alcon, h on. k evin (l) ..........................................................Surrey-c loverdale f arnworth, Mike (nDP) ............................................................

Port c oquitlam fleming, r ob (nDP) .......................................................... Victoria–Swan l ake f oster, eric (l) .......................................................................Vernon-Monashee f raser, Scott (nDP) ............................................................a lberni–Pacific r im Gentner, Guy (nDP) .........................................................................Delta n orth h ammell, Sue (nDP) .................................................... Surrey–Green t imbers h ansen, c olin (l) ............................................................

Vancouver-Quilchena h awes, r andy (l) ............................................................... a bbotsford-Mission h ayer, Dave S. (l) .................................................................... Surrey-t ynehead h eed, k ash (l) ................................................................ Vancouver-fraserview h ogg, Gordon (l) ............................................................... Surrey–White r ock h organ, John (nDP) .......................................................................

Juan de f uca h orne, Douglas (l) ..............................................c oquitlam–b urke Mountain h oward, r ob (l) .....................................................................r ichmond c entre h untington, Vicki (ind.) ..................................................................Delta South James, c arole (nDP) .........................................................Victoria–b eacon h ill k aragianis, Maurine (nDP) ........................................e squimalt–r oyal r oads k rog, l eonard (nDP) ........................................................................... n anaimo k rueger, kevin (l) ............................................... k amloops–South Thompson kwan, Jenny Wai ching (nDP) ...........................

Vancouver–Mount Pleasant l ake, h on. Dr. t erry (l) .....................................k amloops–n orth Thompson l ali, h arry (nDP) ..........................................................................f raser-n icola l ee, r ichard t . (l) .......................................................................burnaby n orth l ekstrom, h on. blair (l) .......................................................

Peace r iver South l es, John (l) .........................................................................................c hilliwack l etnick, n orm (l) ........................................................k elowna–l ake c ountry MacDiarmid, Dr. Margaret (l) ......................................... Vancouver-fairview Macdonald, n orm (nDP) ....................................c olumbia r iver–r evelstoke Mcintyre, Joan (l) ..................................................West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Mcn eil, h on. Mary (l) .................................................Vancouver–f alse creek Mcr ae, h on.

Don (l) ................................................................... c omox Valley Mungall, Michelle (nDP) ..........................................................n elson-creston Penner, hon. barry, Qc (l) ....................................................c hilliwack-h ope Pimm, Pat (l) ..........................................................................Peace r iver n orth Polak, h on.

Mary (l) ...............................................................................l angley Popham, l ana (nDP) ...................................................................Saanich South r alston, bruce (nDP) ................................................................

Surrey-Whalley r eid, l inda (l) .............................................................................r ichmond e ast r outley, bill (nDP) .................................................................. c owichan Valley r outley, Doug (nDP) ............................................n anaimo–n orth c owichan r ustad, John (l) ........................................................................... n echako l akes Sather, Michael (nDP) ......................................... Maple r idge–Pitt Meadows Simons, n icholas (nDP) ...................................

Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast Simpson, bob (ind.) .....................................................................c ariboo n orth Simpson, Shane (nDP) .....................................................Vancouver-hastings Slater, John (l) ..............................................................boundary-Similkameen Stewart, ben (l) ..................................................................... Westside-kelowna Stilwell, Dr. Moira (l) ......................................................... Vancouver-l angara Sultan, r alph (l) .....................................................

West Vancouver–capilano Thomson, hon.

Steve (l) ........................................................k elowna-Mission Thorne, Diane (nDP) .................................................c oquitlam-Maillardville Thornthwaite, Jane (l) .......................................... n orth Vancouver–Seymour t revena, c laire (nDP) .................................................................... n orth island van Dongen, John (l) .............................................................a bbotsford South Y amamoto, hon. n aomi (l) ................................. n orth Vancouver–l onsdale Y ap, John (l) .......................................................................r ichmond-Steveston Vacant ...............................................................................Vancouver–Point Grey liS t of MeMberS bY riD in G a bbotsford-Mission .......................................................................r andy h awes a bbotsford South .....................................................................John van Dongen a bbotsford West ......................................................h on.

Michael de Jong, Qc a lberni–Pacific r im ..........................................................................

Scott f raser boundary-Similkameen .....................................................................John Slater burnaby–Deer l ake ................................................................... k athy c orrigan burnaby-e dmonds ......................................................................... r aj c houhan burnaby-l ougheed ...................................................................h on. h arry bloy burnaby n orth .............................................................................. r ichard t . l ee c ariboo-c hilcotin ........................................................................Donna barnett c ariboo n orth ................................................................................ bob Simpson c hilliwack ...............................................................................................

John l es c hilliwack-h ope .......................................................... h on. barry Penner, Qc c olumbia r iver–r evelstoke .................................................. n orm Macdonald c omox Valley...........................................................................h on. Don Mcr ae c oquitlam–b urke Mountain .....................................................Douglas h orne c oquitlam-Maillardville...............................................................

Diane Thorne c owichan Valley ................................................................................ bill r outley Delta n orth ......................................................................................Guy Gentner Delta South ...............................................................................Vicki h untington e squimalt–r oyal r oads .....................................................Maurine k aragianis f ort l angley–a ldergrove ...................................................h on. r ich c oleman f raser-n icola........................................................................................ h arry l ali Juan de f uca .....................................................................................John h organ k amloops–n orth Thompson ............................................ h on.

Dr. t erry l ake k amloops–South Thompson ...................................................... k evin k rueger k elowna–l ake c ountry ...............................................................n orm l etnick k elowna-Mission .............................................................. h on.

Steve Thomson k ootenay e ast ....................................................................................bill bennett k ootenay West ............................................................................ k atrine c onroy l angley.......................................................................................h on. Mary Polak Maple r idge–Mission .....................................................................

Marc Dalton Maple r idge–Pitt Meadows ........................................................Michael Sather n anaimo ......................................................................................... l eonard k rog n anaimo–n orth c owichan ......................................................... Doug r outley n echako l akes ..................................................................................

John r ustad n elson-creston ........................................................................Michelle Mungall n ew Westminster ..............................................................................Dawn black n orth c oast....................................................................................... Gary c oons n orth island .................................................................................. c laire t revena n orth Vancouver–l onsdale ........................................h on. n aomi Y amamoto n orth Vancouver–Seymour .................................................

Jane Thornthwaite o ak bay–Gordon h ead ............................................................ h on. ida c hong Parksville-Qualicum ..................................................................... r on c antelon Peace r iver n orth ................................................................................Pat Pimm Peace r iver South ...............................................................h on. blair l ekstrom Penticton................................................................................... h on. bill barisoff Port c oquitlam ..........................................................................Mike f arnworth Port Moody–c oquitlam ...................................................................... iain black Powell r iver–Sunshine c oast ................................................. n icholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie .............................................................h on.

Pat bell Prince George–Valemount ...................................................h on. Shirley bond r ichmond c entre ............................................................................ r ob h oward r ichmond e ast ................................................................................... l inda r eid r ichmond-Steveston ..............................................................................John Y ap Saanich n orth and the islands .....................................................

Murray c oell Saanich South ................................................................................ l ana Popham Shuswap ...............................................................................h on.

George a bbott Skeena .............................................................................................. r obin a ustin Stikine ........................................................................................Doug Donaldson Surrey-c loverdale .................................................................h on. k evin f alcon Surrey-fleetwood ...............................................................................Jagrup brar Surrey–Green t imbers ..................................................................Sue h ammell Surrey-n ewton ................................................................................. h arry b ains Surrey-Panorama ........................................................ h on.

Stephanie c adieux Surrey-t ynehead ........................................................................... Dave S. h ayer Surrey-Whalley.............................................................................. bruce r alston Surrey–White r ock ....................................................................... Gordon h ogg Vancouver-fairview ................................................ Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid Vancouver–f alse creek ........................................................ h on.

Mary Mcn eil Vancouver-fraserview ........................................................................k ash h eed Vancouver-hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-kensington .................................................................Mable e lmore Vancouver-kingsway..........................................................................a drian Dix Vancouver-l angara .................................................................Dr.

Moira Stilwell Vancouver–Mount Pleasant ..........................................Jenny Wai ching kwan Vancouver–Point Grey ...............................................................................Vacant Vancouver-Quilchena ................................................................... c olin h ansen Vancouver–West end ...............................................Spencer c handra h erbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................eric f oster Victoria–b eacon h ill .......................................................................c arole James Victoria–Swan l ake.........................................................................r ob fleming West Vancouver–capilano ............................................................. r alph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ........................................................

Joan Mcintyre Westside-kelowna .............................................................................ben Stewart Party Standings: l iberal 48; n ew Democratic 34; independent 2; Vacant 1

CONTENTS Wednesday, april 27, 2011 a fternoon Sitting Page Routine Business introductions by Members ..................................................................................................................................................... 6409 t abling Documents ................................................................................................................................................................. 6410 office of the a uditor General, Follow-up Report: Updates on the Implementation of Recommendations from Recent Reports office of the r epresentative for c hildren and Y outh, issue report, Phallometric Testing and B.C.'s Youth Justice System office of the c onflict of interest c ommissioner, Annual Report 2010 introduction and first r eading of bills ................................................................................................................................ 6410 bill 4 — h armonized Sales t ax (hS

t) i nitiative Vote and referendum a ct h on. b.

Penner Statements (Standing order 25b) ......................................................................................................................................... 6410 c ancer Society Daffodil Day D. barnett M. f arnworth c anadian Sport t ourism a lliance conference in r ichmond r . h oward Prevention of violence against women and children k. c orrigan r ural b.c. role in political process b. bennett c ommunity of South Wellington D. r outley oral Questions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6412 c ost of government information on harmonized sales tax a.

Di x h on. k. f alcon impact of harmonized sales tax on home care for seniors a. Di x h on. k. f alcon k. c orrigan h armonized sales tax low-income credit b. r alston h on. k. f alcon r eport recommendations on services for developmentally disabled persons n. Simon s h on. h. b loy S. Simpson M. k aragianis J. h organ Grant's law and protection for workers r . c houhan h on. S. c adieux k elowna Women's r esource c entre M.

Mungall h on. i. c hong Motions Without notice ......................................................................................................................................................... 6417 a ppointment of Deputy c hair, c ommittee of the Whole Membership of Special c ommittee of Selection h on. r . c oleman

Orders of the Day budget Debate (continued) .................................................................................................................................................6417 M. MacDiarmid J. kwan J. r ustad l. k rog D. h orne n. Macdonal d J. Y ap S. Simpson n. l etnick

6409 WeD neSD a Y , aPril 27, 2011 The h ouse met at 1:36 p.m. [Mr. Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers. Introductions by Members L. Krog: i have two introductions today. firstly, i'd like the h ouse to make welcome, from Parksville, Gail Murray and f rank r owe. They're in the gallery today. Secondly, exercising that privilege that's awarded to grandparents: grandchild n o. 3, a lasdair h adrian Douglas irving, on March 11 — 8 pounds 1½ ounces. The whole family is doing very well. Hon. S.

Cadieux: i have the honour today to introduce someone i've known for many years since the sidelines of the football field in high school. Dale Saip is here in the l egislature this afternoon with his daughter Victoria. i am pleased to say that Victoria will have her tenth birthday on f riday and that this is her first visit to the l egislature. Will everybody please make her welcome. J.

Y ap: i have two introductions. first of all, about 3½ years ago, i rose in this h ouse to announce the arrival of the world's most beautiful baby girl, a lyssa Joyce r obertson, a granddaughter of my con- stituency assistant Paige r obertson. Well, the r obertson clan has grown. t wo more grandchildren have recently arrived for Paige and her husband, Jamie.

Their grand - son, Mason c harles t errence r obertson, was born five weeks early on o ctober 12, 2010, weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces, born to Geoffrey and kat. a granddaughter and sister for a lyssa, Sophie a nn r obertson was born a week ago on the morning of a pril 20, weighing seven pounds, born to ben and brianna. i ask the h ouse to please help me welcome them. Mr. Speaker, if i may, i also have an introduc - tion of some students from my favourite high school in r ichmond-Steveston, McMath Secondary School, which my daughter and son attended a few years ago.

We have 175 grade 11 students who are in the precincts, and about 40 of them will be joining us sometime soon for question period, led by a number of teachers and chaperones, including teacher a ngela Sommerfeld. i'd like the h ouse to welcome them, and i know we will all provide them with a very vibrant display of democracy in action here in the h ouse. L. Popham: i have four visitors in the h ouse today visiting from the independent l earning c entre, school district 63, in Saanich. i have three grade 11 students — a mellia Pearson, evan r eimer and evan Wingerter — and their teacher, Will Moore.

Please make them welcome. [1340] Hon. B.

Penner: With all this talk about babies, i can't let the occasion pass without informing all hon. members that since we last met, my wife and i have be - come the very proud and delighted parents of fintry k atherine Penner. fintry was born on f ebruary 20 at 11:21 in the morning — i won't soon forget that experi - ence — weighing in at 7 pounds 6 ounces. a nd for those that are wondering, fintry is also the name of a small provincial park in the o kanagan which has been re - ferred to as b.c.'s Garden of e den. f or those that are also further wondering, r anger the cat is getting along quite well with the new addition to the Penner household.

D. Routley: i'd like the h ouse to help me welcome my 15-year-old daughter, Madeline, and after this i'll ask the security how they separated her from her cell phone coming into the gallery, because i haven't been able to do it. it gives me great pleasure to have my daughter visit us, along with her boyfriend, Zach c annon. Please make them welcome. M.

Coell: i have a good friend visiting the l egislature today for meetings with the Premier. i first met Mel c ouvelier 30 years ago, when he was the mayor of Saanich. h e served for many years on Saanich coun - cil before coming to this chamber and was the finance Minister a number of years ago. h e's served his whole life in community service. i would like the h ouse to please make him welcome. Hon. G. Abbott: it appears we're on the cusp of a solu- tion to the demographic challenge of society, based on the introductions here today. a s you know, Mr.

Speaker, i've always been deeply envious of you and other mem - bers of the grandparents' club here in the l egislature. So it is with some pleasure that l esley and i would like to advise you — along with the other new proud grandpar - ents, t ed and k aren f uller of Victoria — of the birth of r aiden a ndrew f uller, who is our first grandchild on both sides. h e was born a pril 20 to my daughter Megan and her husband, brent. i'd like the h ouse to please make welcome our newest british c olumbian. J.

Les: With all of the introductions of recent births this afternoon, i felt i should get up and do my little bit. i'm very pleased and proud to announce to the h ouse that my latest grandson, branson James l es, arrived on f ebruary 20 — another son for my son a lan and his wife, e lena. f ebruary 20 has already been mentioned earlier today. a s a matter of fact, he was born, i think, about

british c olumbia Debates6410 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 two hours after the aforementioned fintry Penner just down the hall at the c hilliwack General h ospital. in any event, branson is doing just fine. h is little sister emily is proud as punch. i know that the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has been keeping very careful track of exactly how many grandkids that is. it's 15, Mr. Speaker. L. Reid: i am delighted to welcome back to this place our former Mla for the n orth c oast.

Mr. bill belsey has joined us on the floor. h e is joined by his wife, l onie belsey. i'd ask the house to please make them both very welcome. Tabling Documents Mr. Speaker: h on.

Members, i have the honour to present the a uditor General report Follow-up Report: Updates on the Implementation of Recommendations from Recent Reports , the r epresentative for c hildren and Y outh issue report Phallometric Testing and B.C.'s Youth Justice System, c onflict of interest c ommissioner Annual Report 2010. [1345] Introduction and First Reading of Bills bill 4 — har Moni Ze D Sale S ta X (h St ) initiati Ve Vote an D referen Du M act h on. b. Penner presented a message from h is h on- our the a dministrator: a bill intituled h armonized Sales t ax (hS

t) i nitiative Vote and referendum a ct. Hon. B. Penner: i move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now. Motion approved. Hon. B. Penner: i'm pleased to introduce the h armonized Sales t ax initiative V ote and r eferendum a ct. The purpose of this bill is to cancel the initiative vote on the hS t that is currently required by the r ecall and initiative a ct to be held on September 24 of this year.

That vote will not be necessary, as it is being replaced by a mail-in refer- endum under the r eferendum a ct commencing this June, which should save taxpayers at least $18 million com - pared to a traditional "walk up to the polling booth" vote. This bill also makes clear, for certainty, that the r ecall and initiative act does not apply to that referendum. Mr. Speaker, i move that the bill be placed on the or - ders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. bill 4, h armonized Sales t ax (hS

t) initiative Vote and r eferendum a ct, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the h ouse after today. Statements (Standing Order 25B) cancer Societ Y Daffo Dil Da Y D. Barnett: it is my pleasure to be here today in honour of Daffodil Day. The c anadian c ancer Society, british c olumbia and Yukon Division, continues to be a leader in cancer research funding, prevention, advocacy and patient support.

Daffodil Day is a positive move to raise awareness of the ways that people can reduce their risk of developing cancer. c ancer affects every one of us in one way or another. With an alarming one in three british c olumbians de- veloping some form of cancer in their lifetime, our government shares the society's commitment to improve cancer and treatment options. in fact, b.c. has some of the most favourable outcomes in n orth a merica, with the lowest mortality rates for all cancers combined.

This is thanks to a strong and dedicated network of cancer care across this province. h owever, an estimated 50 percent of all cancers are preventable. by living a healthy lifestyle — not smoking, getting enough exercise, eating healthy and controlling weight — your chances of getting a chronic disease are reduced by up to 80 percent. Thank you to all the volunteers, donors and people that have made this campaign a success, and thank you to each of you for being here today. e ach one of us here has the power to make a difference in the fight against cancer. M.

Farnworth: a pril 27 is Daffodil Day in british c olumbia and across the country. a ll of us in this cham- ber are wearing a daffodil. it's a symbol of the c anadian c ancer Society. it's a symbol of the fight against cancer. it's something that's touched every single one of us in this h ouse.

There's no doubt about that. f ormer mem- bers and current members have been cancer survivors. i myself lost my mother, when she was 38, to breast can - cer. t oday the survival rates for breast cancer are a lot better than they were back in 1976. a s the member from c ariboo has just stated, we have significant outcomes in this province that are better than just about anywhere in the country.

The trouble is that good outcomes aren't good enough, and that's why we wear this yellow daffodil: to send a message that we will not rest in the fight against cancer until we have got a cure for cancer. t oday we can treat skin cancers in a way that was never done before, but there are other cancers that strike fear into people because their survival rate is still very abys - mal, pancreatic cancer being one of them. five percent

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6411 of people have a chance of living five years later. That's not good enough.

That's why we wear this yellow daffodil: to stand in support with those who are fighting cancer and to send a strong message that we will not rest until the battle against cancer is won. i come from Port c oquitlam, the hometown of t erry f ox. h e did probably more than anybody else alive to bring awareness about cancer not just to c anadians but around the world. i think that's a legacy that all of us want to ensure continues until the day arrives when we've defeated cancer once and for all. [1350] cana Dian SPort touri SM alliance conference in richM onD R.

Howard: i am pleased to rise today to talk about the latest success for r ichmond's tourism and sport in - dustries. r ichmond has won the right to host the annual conference of the c anadian Sport t ourism a lliance, cS ta for short. r ichmond beat out nine other cities in c anada for the right to host this prestigious conference, which will run from a pril 18 through 20 in 2012.

This conference, called the Sports e vents c ongress, is the cS ta's flagship event. n ext year marks the first time ever that it will be held in western c anada. it is c anada's largest annual gathering of sport tour - ism professionals and event management firms, with more than 300 delegates expected to attend. This honour is a direct result of the shining role r ichmond played in the 2010 Winter o lympic and Paralympic Games and the outstanding facilities infrastructure that are their legacy.

The iconic r ichmond o lympic o val now of - fers over 47,000 square metres of meeting rooms, sports courts, ice rinks, reception areas and running tracks, and it will now host selected congress events. The award-winning Vancouver international a irport and the c anada l ine are two major reasons that r ichmond was able to win the right to host the cS ta's annual gathering. Mr. Speaker, the 2010 Winter Games gave r ichmond the chance to shine on the world stage, and we made the most of that opportunity. With our partners we are harvesting the afterglow of the 2010 Winter Games.

Through strong partnerships with our government, the city, t ourism r ichmond, the r ichmond c hamber of c ommerce, the r ichmond Sports c ouncil and others, we are firmly on the map as a premier destination for tourism, convention and sport. Pre Vention of Violence a Gain St Wo Men an D chil Dren K. Corrigan: This month marks two important weeks, the n ational Victims of crime a wareness Week and the Prevention of Violence a gainst Women Week.

This year about 20,000 women and children in b.c. will be ex - posed to physical, psychological or sexual abuse, and 12 percent of all homicides in british c olumbia are related to family violence. f amily violence cases constitute the second-largest case type for crown counsel after im - paired driving.

Y ou only have to open the newspaper to see horrific stories of women, children and families vic - timized in our province today. l ack of support for vulnerable families, relative pov - erty, lack of social housing, lack of access to the justice system and education, lack of access to support services for women and children have left thousands of women and children in b.c. vulnerable to violence.

The provincial government has a major responsibility to play in legislation and targeted programs and policies that will both prevent and protect women and girls from violence. u nfortunately, over the past decade many sup- ports, including legal aid, have been deeply cut. We must invest in social supports such as safe houses, legal assist- ance, child care and skills training to help women and children escape violent family relationships and rebuild their lives. While it's vital that we invest in protection for sur - vivors of violence, it's equally important that we focus on prevention.

We must confront gender stereotypes and challenge attitudes, customs and practices that per - petuate violence. We must cultivate a healthier attitude towards women and girls and advocate relationships based on equality if we hope to build safer environments in the family home, workplace and community. Violence occurs across all ethnic, religious, age, social and economic lines. e very one of us has a responsibil - ity in confronting and ending violence against women and children. rural b .c . role in Political ProceSS B.

Bennett: it's good to be back in this place. i'm as honoured to be an Mla today as i was ten years ago when i first got elected — perhaps a tad more seasoned than then. o ver the past six months i was given the gift of time to reconnect with my constituents, to travel the k ootenay region and, for that matter, to travel all over rural b.c. i believe that with our new leader — and i would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new Premier — rural british c olumbians are seeing that the door to meaningful dialogue with the provincial government is now wide open, and the welcome mat is there for all to see. i'm particularly proud of the important role that rural british c olumbians played in choosing our new leader. cranbrook, Williams l ake, t errace, Mackenzie, Dawson creek, l illooet, Grand f orks, c omox, c ampbell r iver —

british c olumbia Debates6412 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 sounds like a country-western song. british c olumbians from every rural niche and cranny had as much to say over the choice of our new leader as voters in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria, and that's something to be proud of. it's something that rural british c olumbians noticed and are grateful for. [1355] a s elected people, we have choices. We can stay with the status quo and be left behind by the people we're trying to represent, or we can change how we do things.

Discarding the old one-member, one-vote sys - tem that favoured the big cities was the right thing to do. encouraging rural british c olumbians to participate in the democratic process, in the knowledge that their vote will count, was also the right thing to do. a gain, congratulations to the new Premier. n ow let's get some work done. co MMunit Y of South Wellin Gton D. Routley: i rise today to speak of a beautiful area south of n anaimo — the community of South Wellington, originally named a lexandra camp.

South Wellington formed around its first coalmine in the late 1800s, grew to include several stores, a hotel, a sawmill, a shoe repair, a c hinese laundry, a dance hall, three schools, three churches, a bank and eventually a total of five coalmines. in 1950 the last coalmine closed.

South Wellington, the beautiful community that it is, survived the Depression, mine disasters, strikes, wars, fires. it produced outstanding football teams and mine rescue teams, as well as first aid teams. its May Day pa- rade was supposed to be a sight to behold with the South Wellington brass band leading the community. a fire in 1914 left most of the community in tents. f rom the past to the present it's people who have been the key to keeping that community and all com - munities alive and thriving. South Wellington and a rea c ommunity a ssociation is now the heartbeat of that community.

The South Wellington and a rea c ommunity a ssociation — with k rista Seggie; barb e hmig; Doug c atley; e ve r einarz; Gillian butler; a ndrea bonkowski, also a n anaimo school trustee; Susan t oth; Debbie Gregson — works to keep the community alive through events like their c hristmas breakfast with Santa. f ormal stakeholder to the n anaimo regional district area a official community plan, SW aca is a partici - pant, defending South Wellington e lementary School from closure year after year. c urrently South Wellington is represented by a beautiful exhibit at the n anaimo Museum entitled t reasures of South Wellington.

The work of artist c lare Singleton, a story artist, along with artifacts, is educating the people of n anaimo about its heritage around coalmining and the beautiful commun- ity of South Wellington. i invite all members to attend that exhibition, which shows until May 14, and i'd like to personally thank c lare Singleton, the artist, for letting her pictures adorn the walls of my office. Oral Questions co St of Go Vern Ment infor Mation on harM oniZeD SaleS taX Mr. Speaker: The l eader of the official o pposition. [a pplause.] A. Dix: Well, thank you very…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. A. Dix: h on.

Speaker, just to be clear to the Minister of e ducation, i had him down for the first heckle. interjection. A. Dix: o h yeah, the Deputy Premier is a distin - guished statesman now. a very simple question for the Minister of finance to - day: how much public money did the government spend on advertising and promoting the hS t last year, and how much public money does the Minister of finance — and surely he knows the answer to this question — plan to spend in advance of the referendum date? Hon. K. Falcon: first of all, let me congratulate the member for his new position as l eader of the o pposition.

That will be the first and last time the member hears nice things coming out of my mouth with respect to him. interjections. Hon. K. Falcon: My colleagues are highly skeptical, of course. interjections. Mr. Speaker: c ontinue, Minister. Hon. K.

Falcon: one of the criticisms we have quite rightly been accused of is not at all communicating facts and information with respect to hS t to the public of british c olumbia. [1400] We are, in fact, going to ensure that there is a fulsome, informed debate about hS t , which is one of the most im- portant public policy decisions the public will probably have in perhaps many decades in british c olumbia. So we have provided $1.7 million to ensure that there's $250,000 each for the pro- and the anti-hS t side, that

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6413 there's $500,000 under the aegis of the universities and colleges to sponsor debates in every region of the prov - ince and that there's $700,000 made available for a voter guide to ensure there will be free, full and totally com - petitive debate about a very important public tax policy. Mr. Speaker: The l eader of the o pposition has a supplemental. A. Dix: l et me say this for the Minister of finance. h e sure is unrepentant. h e sure can't help himself. i mean, he campaigned — all the b.c . l iberals campaigned — against the hS t .

Then they brought it in. Then they printed $800,000 in leaflets to promote the h St . They threw those in the garbage can. They did radio ads last year. They won't tell the public how much they spent, and the minister didn't tell the public how much they spent just now. n ow the minister has appointed himself — not since the refereeing in game 6 have we seen anything like that — the arbiter of fair debate in this campaign. Why doesn't he put away his slush fund and let the public decide, let the public make their decision, in their refer - endum about the hS t? Hon. K.

Falcon: Well, that's exactly what we are going to do. That is exactly…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Hon. K. Falcon: in fact, we have committed…. n ot only will they get that decision and that choice; we have made sure it will be a simple majority and not a two-thirds requirement, as was under the old r ecall and initiative a ct. o ur new Premier has moved that date forward to en- sure that british c olumbians, by the end of June, will have the opportunity to have their voice heard. but i want to be clear about something.

We are abso - lutely unapologetic about the fact that we are going to make sure it is an informed debate. This is an important choice for british columbians, and i will happily engage in the debate with the l eader of the o pposition about whether the harmonized sales tax is the right way to go or the l eader of the o pposition's preferred choice to go back to a sales tax, the provincial sales tax of british columbia. bring on the debate, Mr. l eader of the o pposition. Mr. Speaker: The l eader of the o pposition has a fur- ther supplemental. iMPact of harM oniZeD SaleS taX on ho Me care for S enior S A.

Dix: it's fair and balanced. What is it? — $250,000 for opponents of the hS t , $200,000 for t om Syer to or- ganize the government's campaign, unknown amounts in radio ads. Y eah, it's a fair campaign, but there's one thing that's going to even it out. The people of british c olumbia know that they were misled in the last elec - tion campaign. The people of british c olumbia know this is a $2 billion tax shift onto them, and they're going to defeat the hS t . Matt f oley and his sister k erry are caring for their elderly mother.

She desperately wants to stay at home, but the doctors say she needs 24-hour medical care. They contracted a home care provider for that service. They are, in fact, draining their bank accounts because they love their family. That's what they're doing. They are go- ing to pay $10,000 in additional costs this year because of the hS t . Does the Minister of finance think that's fair? Does the Minister of finance think that soaking a burnaby family for an extra $10,000 reflects families first in british c olumbia? Hon. K.

Falcon: u nder the hS t , as the member should well know, 1.1 million lower-income british c olumbians receive a rebate four times a year from the government to reflect the fact that there may be addi - tional costs associated with hS t . [1405] n ow, to put that in perspective, this member, the l eader of the o pposition, wants to go back to the PS t . h e said, in fact, he will campaign on it.

So i ask that member a similar question. f or the single mother with three children that today is receiving $920 a year in hS t rebates, why does the l eader of the o pposition want to go back to a provincial sales tax where that single mother with three children gets absolutely zero? That's what i'd like to know from the l eader of the o pposition. K. Corrigan: There's no rebate for the f oley family. Matt f oley told me that for nine months he and his sib - lings took turns sleeping on the couch in their mother's home to look after her.

They are now draining their family resources with 24-hour nursing care in order that they can respect their mother's wish that she not be moved out of the family home and from her neighbour- hood, where she feels safe and comfortable. The b.c. l iberal hS t is hitting this family for an addi - tional $10,000 a year. The question Matt f oley asked me and i ask the minister: does this make any sense at all? a nd is it fair? Hon. K.

Falcon: i'm happy, if the member oppos - ite will get the information to my office, to look into a specific situation for her. but again, i want to be very clear what the choice is, particularly for low-income british c olumbians. The l eader of the o pposition and the nDP want to go back to the provincial sales tax. The provincial sales tax pro - vided a $75 rebate for adults only if you earn up to

british c olumbia Debates6414 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 $15,000 in income or if your family income is $18,000. That's it. nothing for children — nothing at all. u nder the h St , as you know, there's $230 for every qualifying individual, including adults and children. That is a very significant amount of money. i can tell you, as the Minister of f inance, that single parent in k amloops or that single parent in burnaby that has several children that is currently receiving almost $1,000 a year in h St rebates deserves to know that the n DP's preference is to go back to a provincial sales tax where they get zero.

The reality is this. a ll over the world, in 140 countries, the reason why they have moved to value-added taxes or harmonized sales taxes is because they are more ef - ficient, they grow the economy, they're less duplicative, and they require less administrative overhead and cost. Those members want to go back to a system of sales tax that not a single country around the world has looked at in 35 years. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. K.

Corrigan: f or trying to respect their mother's wishes to stay in her home and for keeping her out of the health care system, the f oleys are having to pay an additional $10,000 a year. it's clear that the b.c. l iberals broke their word on the hS t . it's clear that families like the f oleys are paying more because of it. When will the minister come clean and admit that the hS t is a massive tax shift hammering b.c. families and benefiting their corporate friends? Hon. K.

Falcon: a s i've mentioned to the mem - ber, i'm happy to look into the f oleys' situation. if the member would provide that information, my staff and i would be happy to look into it. but i think there is a larger debate that is taking place here.

The larger debate is whether we move from a sales tax system that requires an administrative cost to gov - ernment of $30 million a year and 300 civil servants to operate, or we move to a harmonized system that gets rid of 300 civil servants and $30 million a year, that elimin - ates $150 million a year of cost imposed on small business to comply with two different sales taxes, and move to a unified tax.

That is a very legitimate debate to have. a s i say, under the hS t , not only does it grow the economy and grow revenues, but it provides 1.1 million british c olumbians, low-income british c olumbians, with a significant financial rebate four times a year. That helps families. [1410] harM oniZeD SaleS taX lo W-inco Me creD it B.

Ralston: The Minister of finance — and he's re - peating it again today — has tried to scare low-income british c olumbians by inaccurately saying that when the h St is defeated in the referendum, they will get no tax credits at all. h is example, which he's given again here today, is a single parent with three children and an an - nual income of only $24,000 a year — a tribute, i suppose, to the l iberals' low-wage policy of the last ten years. h e said that currently she receives $920 a year in hS t credits, but nothing if the hS t is defeated. but in fact, in the absence of the hS t credit, the family would still receive $893 in federal GS t credits and other credits — not nothing, as the minister just claimed.

Will the minister admit that he was wrong and make a commitment to end this distortion in future public statements? Hon. K. Falcon: a ctually, the member is wrong that the provincial rebate going back to those individuals, the hS t rebate, is $230 per individual. it is separate from the GSt rebate. That is $920 for any individual earning up to $20,000, or any family, a family income up to $48,000, which reduces over time after $25,000.

Those are uncomfortable facts, maybe, for the member opposite, but they are facts. it is important that as low- income british c olumbians — 1.1 million who receive almost a quarter billion dollars worth of rebates under h St — they understand what the choice is really all about. That is information that is making sure they have accurate information, which we will ensure they do. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. B. Ralston: The minister promised factual and un - biased information in this debate. c learly, he's not prepared to live up to that commitment.

Y ou can't re - ceive an hS t rebate and a GS t rebate at the same time. When the hS t is defeated, those families will receive the GSt rebate. Will the minister not tell the public the truth about what will happen when the hS t is defeated? Hon. K. Falcon: What is really unfortunate is that the f inance critic apparently doesn't understand his own role. The finance critic does not understand the basic ele- ments of the h St rebate. That's what is of concern to me as the finance Minister. h e should look into it. i'm happy to arrange a briefing for the finance critic opposite.

The fact of the matter is clear. u nder the PS t , if you are a single individual earning up to $15,000 a year, as an adult you get a $75 credit — period. if you are a family or two adults with a family income up to $20,000, you get $150 — period. n othing for children. it's a $75 credit for each adult. That is it. u nder the hS t , we provide, the province provides, a rebate of $230 for each adult, for each child, to reflect the fact that we know that there are some additional costs imposed as a result of harmonizing the provincial sales tax and the GSt .

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6415 i suggest that the finance critic get his facts straight before he asks questions in this h ouse. rePort reco MMenD ationS on Ser ViceS for De Velo PMentall Y DiSableD P erSonS N.

Simons: f amilies in this province have suffered under this government, but none more than families caring for a family member with a developmental dis - ability. a $22 million cut has resulted in cancellation of day programs, the elimination of programs that provide supports to employment and has actually forced the closure of 33 group homes in this province. i'm asking the minister responsible: what's he going to do to ensure that the supports are there for families with members with developmental disabilities in this province? [1415] Hon. H.

Bloy: o ur first priority as a ministry and as a government is to look after individuals with develop - mental disabilities. clbc's budget has been increased every year for the last five years. We are committed to helping families. We are committed to helping fam - ilies with disabilities. We have gone through a review with clbc. it's been positively received by many of the members. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. N.

Simons: t oday a report was released by the c ommunity l iving a ction Group warning that the $22 million cuts and the other cuts violate the rights of people with developmental disabilities. The response that was just provided does not adequately meet the needs or the concerns of people with developmental dis- abilities, their families, their advocates, their caregivers — anyone in this province. What is the minister going to do to ensure that this violation doesn't continue and that adequate supports are in place for people with developmental disabilities? Hon. H.

Bloy: t o the member across from me, i'll re- peat: the budget has been increased, and we're serving more members every year. clbc supports over 13,500 individuals with developmental disabilities, and we do this with some great staff and 3,200 contract employees. S. Simpson: The report that was released today by the coalition…. Thirty-three group homes closed — that's the reality. The previous minister who had this file assured us in a pril of last year in estimates that no one would be forced out of their homes. That's simply not the reality.

The executive director of the b.c. coalition of disabilities in to- day's report said: "Many group home residents have lived together as families for years. t ragically, however, over the last year some group home residents have been forced to move, and their families have been torn apart." Will the minister tell those families just what this is about with families first? Who came first with this deci - sion to make these cuts? Hon. H.

Bloy: i can assure you that there have been no cuts to clbc and that in fact, it's increased every year since 2005. clbc impacts thousands of lives of b.c. citizens every year with funding services and support for adults with developmental disabilities. i can tell you that advocates express high levels of satisfaction with the work that clbc is doing. Y ou know, clbc has started personalized support initiatives intro - duced in f ebruary 2010 to help individuals. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. S. Simpson: The reality is this.

The minister might call it a system redesign to not call it a cut, but it's a cut. What are those community groups saying? Well, what did the executive director of the b.c . a ssociation for c ommunity l iving say about this government's action? "We know that service redesign is not an answer to ad - dressing the funds needed for those who are waiting for service. it is a shortsighted, poor and harmful excuse for fiscal planning, and it is completely unsustainable." That's what the community thinks about this position. h on. Speaker, 600 more people coming every year into this service.

Wait-lists are growing, and the govern- ment is cutting back and not funding. Will this minister tell the h ouse why it is okay to fix your fiscal mess on the backs of the most vulnerable people in british c olumbia? [1420] Hon. H. Bloy: i have to remind the member again and again that the budget is up for clbc. clbc impacts the lives of thousands of b.c. citizens by funding services and supports for their staff.

Self-advocates continue to express their support of the redesign and changes that we've done within this ministry. clbc supports over 13,500 individuals with developmental disabilities, and 93 percent of clbc's budget of over $700 million goes towards programs for services for individuals with de - velopmental disabilities. M. Karagianis: Thirty-three group homes closed and more to be closed this year, vital and critical services for vulnerable individuals gone, no consultation with fam - ilies, and this minister has the audacity to stand here and try and defend that position?

That is unconscionable. if the minister would avail himself of this report, it very specifically says they are calling for an independent prov- incial advocate to provide oversight for the c ommunity

british c olumbia Debates6416 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 l iving b.c. program. Will the minister agree today to adhere to this report's recommendations? Hon. H. Bloy: l et me reassure the members and the members across from me again that the budget has not been cut. o ur first priority as a ministry has been to look after the individuals. clbc remains committed to innovative approaches.

We're committed to being able to help more individuals within this province, and we're committed to being able to do it within budget. in fact, we have increased our budget every year, and clbc has a budget of well over $700 million a year. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. M. Karagianis: The continued claims here that there are no cuts are absolute nonsense. We know that group homes are closed. We know that there are great waiting lists. The question to the minister is regarding this re - port that's come out today. Will the minister support the report's recommendations? Hon. H.

Bloy: a gain i'll remind them each time. There have been no cuts. There's been a redesign process that we've gone through, and we're doing it with individ- uals for better services to individuals. e very individual has had a choice of where they want to live. n o one has ever been moved…. interjections. Mr. Speaker: Members. Members. c ontinue, Minister. Hon. H. Bloy: if i can remind the member, our budget's been increased every year. J. Horgan: c an the minister confirm that he supports the closure of 33 group homes in british c olumbia? Y es or no — do you support that? Hon. H.

Bloy: There've been redesigns around this province. There's been a large consultation process of well over 18 months. n o one has ever been removed from a group home in the province of british c olumbia without their explicit choice. Grant'S la W anD Protection for WorkerS R. Chouhan: in 2005 Grant De Patie was dragged to his death while trying to stop a thief. a s a result, a law was proclaimed, Grant's law. Grant's law offers protec - tion for workers by requiring either two workers on site at night or an installation of a protection barrier for a lone worker.

The law is there to protect workers, but the provincial government has failed to follow through on enforce - ment. on top of that, the l abour Minister is now calling for a review of Grant's law. Will the minister commit to- day to protecting vulnerable workers by scrapping the review and ensuring stronger enforcement of the law in order to avoid tragedies like this in the future? [1425] Hon. S. Cadieux: indeed, the death of Grant De Patie was a tragic, tragic loss of life, and that's why government did work with WorkSafe b.c . to bring in Grant's law. This was the first prepay gas regulation in canada.

The member, in fact, is incorrect, though. h e is con - fusing two separate regulations. Grant's law has been in place since 2007, and there is in fact very high compli - ance. Since the regulation was implemented, the number of gas-and-dashes in Vancouver went from over 200 in 2007 to just one in 2010. kelo Wna Wo Men 'S re Source centre M. Mungall: a fter 25 years of service the k elowna Women's r esource c entre is closing its doors today, all because of the failure of the b.c. l iberal government to provide stable, predictable funding as well as their topsy-turvy approach to b.c. gaming grants.

The centre has helped women in k elowna access services for them- selves and their families, including helping hundreds of single mothers to file their tax returns so they could ac - cess supports like the child tax credit. My question is to the Minister of Social Development. h ow is this uncaring government's disregard for services like the k elowna Women's r esource c entre putting families first? Hon. I. Chong: first of all, let me say that the gam - ing review process, which the Premier announced, will be underway shortly.

We're going to have an independ - ent judge, or someone of that stature, take a look at our gaming grants, the charities, the non-profits and the interaction we have, because we believe there's an im - portant role that our non-profit organizations provide throughout all of our communities. What's really important was that when the Premier made an announcement that $15 million would be re - stored and returned, we followed through on that. on March 31, $15 million was added to $120 million — $135 million to non-profits throughout the province. Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental. M.

Mungall: Well, the truth is that $15 million was too little and too late for the k elowna Women's r esource c entre. So my question again to the Minister of Social Development is: does he support women's centres in

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6417 this province and the good work that they do for fam - ilies of b.c.? Hon. I.

Chong: Since 2001 our government has pro - vided the largest amount of dollars for our non-profit organizations, through our gaming grant process, ever in the history of british c olumbia. a s a result, when the review is undertaken and when we have the options provided by that panel, we are go - ing to be able to ensure that we have the ability to work with our non-profit sectors, who provide vital services throughout every community in the province of british c olumbia. [end of question period.] Motions Without Notice aPPoint Ment of DePut Y chair, c o MMittee of the Whole Hon. R.

Coleman: by leave, i move, seconded by the member for Juan de f uca, the o pposition h ouse l eader, that Douglas h orne, member for c oquitlam– burke Mountain electoral district, be appointed Deputy c hair of c ommittee of the Whole for this session of the l egislative a ssembly. Motion approved. MeMberS hiP of SPecial co MMittee of Selection Hon. R. Coleman: by leave, i move that bruce r alston, Mla, be substituted by John h organ, Mla, as a mem - ber of the Special c ommittee of Selection. Motion approved. [1430] Orders of the Day Hon. R.

Coleman: in this h ouse this afternoon i call continuation of budget debate. [l. r eid in the chair.] Budget Debate (continued) M.

MacDiarmid: Madam Speaker, i am pleased to rise to speak in favour of budget 2011. before i do that, i would like to extend my warmest congratulations to two people: firstly, to our new Premier and also to the newly chosen l eader of the o pposition. both of these leaders engaged with british c olumbians as they cam - paigned for the leadership, and both campaigned with energy and enthusiasm. both have spoken of offering british c olumbians a clear choice with respect to how our province will be governed. The l eader of the o pposition is known as a tireless worker.

We will not always agree, but i know that he is dedicated to his constituents and to public service, and i look forward to what will no doubt be spirited debates in this h ouse. o ur Premier is committed to a new families-first agenda. h er fresh, positive, open and energetic ap - proach is resonating with british c olumbians. We're focused on working with and for all people who live and work in every part of this great province.

We'll build on the successes of the past decade as we move forward with her leadership. it's an exciting, positive time for our province. i'd like to take a moment to thank the people of Vancouver-fairview who put their trust in me by elect - ing me as their Mla in 2009. it's a great honour to represent them and to serve as the Mla for this diverse, vibrant part of b.c. a ll of us who are Members of the l egislative a ssembly recognize the honour and privilege that it is to serve as Mla s. We all choose this work because we want to make a positive contribution.

We want to make a differ- ence, and that is what we have in common. e ven though our approaches may be very different, each of us here wants to serve the public and do our very best for our constituents and for british c olumbia. [1435] i'd also like to take some time to thank the many people who support me in many different and valuable ways. in my office in Vancouver-f airview i have three superb constituency assistants. a drian, chantal and Joanne take their work very seriously, but they do their work with a smile on their face.

They're always eager to help not only our constituents but really anyone who calls. They deal with issues that are often under municipal, federal or other jurisdiction, and they make great efforts to help, problem-solve, troubleshoot and really support both in- dividuals and organizations that ask us for assistance. They are fantastic, and i'm extremely grateful to them for their diligence, their creativity, their compassion and their total can-do attitudes.

They rock. i also want to thank the many volunteers who helped with my election process and who continue to support and assist me in many ways — far too numerous to name, but i'm deeply thankful to each and every one of them. Since being elected, i've had the opportunity to work with many civil servants, and i've been amazed and inspired by the dedication and tremendous skill and ef - fort that these public servants bring to their work every day. We have many unsung heroes working here for the people of british c olumbia and actually all around the

british c olumbia Debates6418 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 province, and we're very fortunate to have them. My thanks to all of them. i also want to thank my friends and my family. being an Mla does have its challenges, and without the love and support of these people, i would not be here. i'm especially thankful for all of the help, the hours of lis - tening, and the acts of generosity and kindness from my friends and family. i want to particularly thank my mom, betty; my brothers — John, Don and a ndy — and their families; and my husband, r obert.

My husband is a true gem. a more supportive and loving partner does not exist anywhere. i mentioned Vancouver-f airview earlier as a vibrant, diverse part of b.c. This riding is a wonderful place to work, live, shop and play, to attend school — really, to do almost anything. it's a great part of the province. it's home to an astonishing array of organizations, from the h eart and Stroke f oundation to the c anucks a utism n etwork and various others — many other organizations.

There are literally hundreds of non-governmental organizations that are enriching the lives of british c olumbia in many ways. i've had the opportunity to meet representatives from many of these groups, and it's actually impossible for me to do justice to the work they do and the difference they make to people every day. i'm proud that we are able to provide support for many of the groups with government funding and that we have such good working relationships with so many of these groups. l et me give just a few examples of work that is go - ing on in Vancouver-f airview today, work that benefits british c olumbians in many parts of the province, not only just in our neighbourhood.

The c anucks a utism n etwork is making a difference for families and individuals affected by autism spectrum disorder. in 1996 the lives of Paolo and c lara a quilini changed forever when medical professionals told them that their son had autism. Since then they've experi - enced triumphs and trials with their son, who's now a teenager. one of the things they found very difficult was the fact that their much-loved son could not participate in some activities that children without autism simply take for granted.

They searched for ways to support families with autism, and it's their profound desire to enhance the quality of life for families living with autism in b.c. With this vision, they founded the network. The c anucks a utism n etwork is supported by the Vancouver c anucks. a nd how about those c anucks? The c anucks f or k ids f und provides support for the a utism n etwork, and there are many other donors or - ganizations as well as a lot of volunteers.

The network works to provide high-quality recreational sports and vocational development programs for individuals and families living with autism. a s well, through their work, the network is helping to raise public awareness and promote understanding of what autism is and how it af- fects those with the diagnosis and their loved ones. it's really an inspiring organization. a nother great organization is the Stroke r ecovery a ssociation. Since 1979 this association has been pro - viding information and programs for stroke survivors after they leave hospital.

There are now 37 branches all around this province, with a provincial office which is in Vancouver-fairview. n ow, this organization has a simple, profound mes - sage: never give up hope, and never stop trying. They provide support, education, information and programs for stroke survivors and their families as well as care - givers. They focus on quality of life, and much of their work is done by dedicated volunteers. They're making a difference to the lives of people all around b.c., and it's another organization to inspire us. [1440] There are so many organizations like this which all have some common features.

They have hard-working volunteers who are truly dedicated and making a difference through their contributions, and these organ- izations are also working hard to provide support for the people they serve, really focusing on helping with the quality of people's lives. e ducation and outreach are also common features, including public education. in the case of organizations that deal with some health issues and conditions, there's often a huge effort to educate the public so that these conditions can be prevented or the difficulties associ - ated with the condition can be made less. n ow, these organizations come in all sizes, and one of the largest in Vancouver-f airview is the b.c. and Yukon

chapter of the c anadian c ancer Society. t oday, of course, is Daffodil Day, and we've heard about this earlier from a number of members. it's a great time to talk about the work of the c ancer Society. We know that two out of every five of us will be diag - nosed with cancer sometime in our lives, and one out of every four will die of cancer. These are sobering statis - tics, and they're very real for all of us. it's unlikely there's a single person present here today whose life has not been touched by cancer in some way.

There are a number of Mla s who have firsthand knowledge of cancer and the challenges that come with it, myself included, and we've lost colleagues and friends. We think of former Mla Sindi h awkins today and re - member her great contributions, her depth, her strength and the legacy she's left, and we remember what fun she was. There's a great deal of work to be done without ques - tion, but we should not forget that we have much to be optimistic about and many reasons to be hopeful. b.c. has a tremendous group of health care providers, re - searchers and volunteers who together are a powerful team.

We have the best cancer outcomes in c anada and,

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6419 indeed, some of the best in the world. More and more people are living longer with better quality of life, and many people are being cured of cancers that would have taken their lives not long ago.

The message of the daffodil is simple: to demonstrate support to those affected by cancer and to say to them: "Y ou are not alone." This is another example of an organ- ization that is making a difference each and every day, and i would like to thank the c anadian c ancer Society and especially to thank the many volunteers who make such a great contribution here in b.c.

The organizations i've described so far would be called health not-for-profits. a nother organization based in Vancouver-fairview would not be called a health organ - ization, and yet it's making a contribution to the health and welfare of those it serves. This is the Jewish Seniors a lliance of Greater Vancouver. o ur government pro - vides financial support to the JSa, and i met with their president Serge h aber earlier this month.

The JSa has as its core values information, education, advocacy and research. its purpose: to respond to the needs of all Jewish seniors in the l ower Mainland and the organizations that serve them. They provide infor - mation, and they disseminate it on seniors issues and provide valuable linkages with other organizations. They have workshops, and they have a spring and fall forum every year.

This year the spring forum was called Sex in the city, and it was a huge success and open to all mem - bers of the public. it included an education session with Dr. l arry Goldenberg about men's health and another session with Meg h ickling on the birds and the bees — how to talk to your grandchildren about sex. People came, they learned a lot, and they had fun while they were learning.

The JSa is a wonderful organization that reminds us of the respect that we should have for our older citizens as well as demonstrating the great power of volunteerism. in addition to my role as Mla for Vancouver-fairview, i'm also the parliamentary secretary for seniors to the Minister of h ealth. Since this recent appointment i've been able to meet with a number of seniors groups as well as having informal meetings with seniors in Vancouver-fairview and elsewhere in the province. o ur older citizens are a diverse and fascinating group.

Some define seniors starting at age 55, which means this group goes from age 55 to well over a hundred, so it's no wonder they're so diverse and they really defy any kind of definition. Seniors in b.c. have contributed to building this province into the great place that it is. in fact, some have called it the greatest place on earth.

Many of them con - tinued to work well beyond the age of 65, and as well, they do many hours of volunteer each and every week in this province. [1445] n ow, some of our seniors are described as frail, and some are less able to get around and become isolated. a s a family doctor i learned long ago from my older patients that they wanted to be as independent as pos - sible and wanted to grow old in the home of their choice. Some people call this aging in place.

The conversations i've had as parliamentary secretary have certainly re - inforced that knowledge, and our government has made and continues to make efforts to assist our seniors to do just that — grow older in the place of their choice. british c olumbia is a fabulous place to live, and many c anadians have figured this out. Many of them choose b.c. as a place to retire. We have a rapidly growing population of people over the age of 65, and we need to thoughtfully prepare for the reality of the demographic changes ahead.

We will do best if we talk with and listen to our seniors and those who support them — family members and other informal caregivers — and we're certainly paying careful attention to this now. o ur Premier clearly values seniors.

She chose to have a parliamentary secretary for seniors because she wanted to make it clear that seniors are part of the families-first agenda. f amilies include seniors as grandparents, aunts and uncles. f amilies are not exclusively young par - ents with children. in a province as diverse as british c olumbia is today, families are many different things, but seniors are an important part of our families. i'm proud of our government's record with seniors. one of our most significant accomplishments is dra - matically increasing affordable housing for seniors both in my hometown of Vancouver and right across the province. h ere are just a few examples of our investments in housing. in September the province provided a $2.2 million grant for the renovation of Three l inks Manor, providing 39 apartments with integrated support ser - vices for low-income seniors in Vancouver, and a similar project, another $2.8 million grant for the renovations of Grandview t owers, and this provides 55 apartments. a new assisted-living development for elders and sen - iors in Duncan brought 50 new affordable apartments to that community. c owichan e lders is a $15.4 million development that will bring together affordable housing with services like light housekeeping and meals, creat - ing a place where seniors who need some assistance can live independently.

Seniors in burnaby have more supportive housing op- tions with the opening of the Poppy r esidences, a new $18 million building providing 70 one-bedroom apart - ments, again with support services for seniors. in 2010-11 our government will invest over $562 million to address a range of housing needs from home- lessness to affordable housing and home ownership, and we've done work in other important areas that benefit seniors. in 2008 we legislated new protection for sen - iors to ensure that rrSPs are protected from creditors

british c olumbia Debates6420 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 during bankruptcy proceedings. We continue to lobby the federal government to advance or eliminate the cur- rent rules requiring seniors to convert their rrSPs when they turn 71. in conjunction with the federal government and prov- inces, b.c. is working to find innovative solutions for pension reform to ensure that middle- and low-income british c olumbians have suitable retirement income. We expect to spend over $2.44 billion on home and com - munity care this year for seniors, which is an increase of 56 percent since 2001 and up $873 million.

We've increased spending on residential care and assisted living by more than 47 percent since 2001, in - creasing from $1.1 billion to more than $1.7 billion. o ur investment in home care and home support has in- creased by more than 79 percent since 2001 from $402 million then to almost $725 million today. u nder our government, the Premier's c ouncil on a ging and Seniors issues was brought together, and we followed through on their key recommendation to elim- inate mandatory retirement, providing choice for those who want to continue working. f or the first time since 1993, we increased the homeowner grant to $845 and raised the property value threshold to $1.05 million, and now there is no threshold for low-income seniors.

We've expanded the shelter aid for elderly renters, the Safer program. We now have more than 15,760 seniors households who receive a monthly rental assistance pay- ment. That's 3,600 more seniors than back in 2001. h ere are some other areas where government spend - ing is making a bigger difference. We've reduced median wait times to access residential care to less than 90 days today, compared to up to a year in 2001, and the number of publicly subsidized hospice beds in b.c. has quin - tupled from 57 in 2001 to almost 300 today.

That's an increase of 419 percent. [1450] in the 1990s the government of the day limited sen - iors care options to home support and residential care. o ur government has added supportive housing and assisted-living units to the continuum of care to provide seniors with more options. This is what they've told us they want: more choices, including being able to grow older in the place of their choice. it's important for us to realize that many of b.c.'s sen - iors are healthy, active individuals.

Some of them need just a little support to remain independent, and some do need more help and require specialized assistance and even assisted living. but we recognize that people want to re - main living in their communities for as long as possible. u nderstandably, they want to remain out of hospital where possible. They want access to primary care providers. in 2009 our government released Seniors in British Columbia: A Healthy Living Framework , which out - lines our action plan to support seniors in living healthy, active, independent lives.

There are some who speak very negatively about the demographic changes ahead for us in this province. by 2031 the number of british c olumbians over 65 will double. by then, one in four of us will be over 65. That'll be about 1.3 million people. The reality is that this is an exciting time for us. We are all living longer, healthier lives. The seniors healthy living framework focuses on the great contributions and the important roles of older people in our society.

We can and do benefit from the experience and wisdom of our diverse older population. n ow, preparing for this demographic shift requires the involvement of many provincial ministries as well as provincial agencies, along with the federal and mu - nicipal governments, the business sector, community organizations and individuals. t o do our best for and with our older citizens, we all need to work together, and we need to include them as well. a gain, we are doing this. This work is well underway.

The seniors healthy living framework is a framework for action to support our older citizens over the coming years, and it has four cornerstones: to create age-friendly communities, mobilize and support volunteerism, pro - mote healthy living and support older workers.

This framework is supported by the Seniors h ealthy l iving Secretariat, which is part of the Ministry of h ealth. i'd like to briefly elaborate on just one of the corner - stones, and that is volunteerism. h ere are some interesting facts. b.c. seniors spend more time volun - teering than any other age group in the province — over 44 million hours in 2004.

Volunteering among seniors has been linked to improved quality of life, stronger social networks, increased levels of physical activity and lower mortality rates. a lmost everyone who has ever volunteered says very clearly that they received much more than they gave. Volunteering is a power - fully positive thing. one important role of the seniors secretariat is to en - gage with stakeholders. t o that end, it has established a Seniors h ealthy l iving n etwork to engage citizens and stakeholders. The network includes 13 members from a whole host of sectors and communities.

There is representation from aboriginal and multicultural com - munities, researchers from organizations that deliver services to seniors and from volunteer and business organizations. a lso, the secretariat is exploring some in- novative models to provide non-medical home support services. h ow can we work to develop models that are sus - tainable partnerships? c ommunity a ction for Seniors independence, or ca Si, is the name given to the pilot projects which are underway today in five b.c. com - munities.

This is a partnership between the government of b.c . and the u nited Way of the l ower Mainland. e ach of the pilots is unique, reflecting the unique commun - ities that they are happening in. f ocused on the service priorities identified by the seniors, activities and services

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6421 vary greatly and include such things as a walking club, provision of yardwork, housekeeping and transportation services. We know that just a little help with simple tasks like housekeeping and yardwork can make all the difference in helping older people to remain in their own homes and communities. Many of these initiatives are possible because of our increased investments in health care. budget 2011 fo - cuses new funding on health care and social services.

Specifically, it provides the Ministry of h ealth with $605 million of increased funding in 2013-14. [1455] The new funding provided in budget 2011 builds on the funding increases in past years so that the Ministry of h ealth budget will be increasing by almost $2 billion over three years. These are substantial increases and continue our investment in our public health care sys - tem that we all so greatly value.

The Ministry of h ealth is changing and adapting in a number of ways to meet the needs of all british c olumbians. a n important initiative is working to - ward making sure that all british c olumbians who want a regular family physician will have one by 2015. investments in primary care over the last few years are really making a difference, especially for people who have complex health needs. a nother Ministry of h ealth provincial initiative that's making a difference is called Patients as Partners. i had the privilege of attending an event celebrating Patients as Partners earlier this month, where their first annual report was released.

This group includes patients and caregivers, along with providers and non-governmental organiza - tion partners. They've been exchanging ideas and sharing their experiences, and i can tell you that after attending that conference, their experiences are powerful. a key goal for the ministry is to support quality health care through patient-centred care. This means that the patient and their family are at the centre of all that we do.

Patients as Partners is an initiative that works to engage patients and their families in their own health care, increasing and developing their knowledge and their skill to self-manage their health care and become partners in their own health, working along with their health care provider. This is a shift in thinking and a shift in the way of providing care for many providers. r ather than the pro- vider seemingly being in charge and directing care, they become something of a coach and a mentor.

We're working toward providing patients with a meaningful voice across the entire primary health care system, and patients around this province are becom - ing active participants in their own health and seeing improved health as an outcome. They're also becom - ing involved in their communities and in the health system. We are fortunate here in british c olumbia to have one of the best health care systems in the country. c ertainly, our outcomes for cancer care and in other areas are the very best in c anada.

With the work we're doing, we're continuing in our quest to make sure that we are con - tinuously improving our system and that we're providing the best possible care for british c olumbians. budget 2011 demonstrates our government's commit- ment to prudent fiscal management at a time when our economy and the global economy are recovering from one of the worst economic downturns in decades. it is a fiscally prudent budget while at the same time clearly providing increased funding for the vital public services that we all depend on.

The funding promised for the implementation of full-day kindergarten is there, and this program will be available for all kindergarten students in british c olumbia as of September 2011. f ull-day kindergarten provides a strong foundation for our youngest students in a creative, play-based environment. if you ever go into a full-day kindergarten classroom, you'll see what fun they're having as they learn.

We have funding in our budget for increased educa - tion, social services and health care. a t the same time, we're continuing to keep taxes low for our citizens, small businesses and corporations. o ur businesses large and small are the places where british c olumbians work. in fact, some people refer to them not as businesses but as small and large employ - ers, because that's what they really are. o ur favourable personal and business tax rates mean that b.c. is an at - tractive place for new investment, and that means more jobs for british c olumbians.

This budget supports vital services and moves us closer to eliminating our deficit. We are working hard with british c olumbians to keep our province strong, to support economic growth and to encourage job cre - ation. i'm pleased to have had this opportunity to speak in favour of budget 2011. J. Kwan: i have to say it is great to be back in the h ouse — after a long hiatus, i might argue. in fact, back in f ebruary…. it seems like a century ago that we were back in this h ouse, and we only sat for four days in this year of 2011.

We're heading into the fiscal year-end — right? — as we're days away from actually having the fiscal year-end coming to its closure. [1500] So what's happening now? We sat for four days in the month of f ebruary, and essentially, after those four days the h ouse pretty well stopped functioning after the government tabled a do-nothing budget. in fact, members of the h ouse would remember that the former Minister of f inance said that he was happy to deliver what he called a status quo budget. That is code for a do-nothing budget.

british c olumbia Debates6422 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 t oday with a new Premier…. With much fanfare from the government side, there is a new Premier, and what are we doing? We're back in the l egislature since f ebruary debating exactly the same budget that the for - mer Premier, Gordon c ampbell, had tabled on his way out the door. There's where we're at. So it's kind of like the earth stood still. i think there was a book called that. f or this government, the budget stood still. e ven though the Premier left…. Gordon c ampbell walked out the door and didn't come back to this chamber.

We now have a new Premier installed in the province of british c olumbia, and guess what. We're exactly at where we were back in f ebruary debating the very same budget that Gordon c ampbell had tabled. This is notwithstanding the fact, according to the for - mer Minister of finance, that the budget gives the new Premier "flexibility" to bring in initiatives that she wants to support. but on budget day it was reported that the budget gives the new Premier $2.55 billion in flexibil - ity.

This includes contingency funds over the next three years — $600 million, $450 million and $450 million — and a forecast allowance of $350 million in each year for a total of $2.55 billion in flexibility. Y et on this first day back of the l egislature since the four-day sitting of the h ouse in f ebruary, you would have thought that the new Premier would take this op - portunity to bring in a throne speech to outline to british c olumbians her vision. n ot so.

Y ou would have thought that the Premier would take this opportunity to table a budget to show british c olumbians where her spending priorities are. n ot so. instead we're back here at this very place debating the same old do-nothing budget that was tabled by Gordon c ampbell — the same budget that the former Premier, Gordon c ampbell, had tabled back in f ebruary. n ow, why would that be? i just wonder: why would that be? is it (a), that the b.c. l iberals are out of gas — that there are no new ideas, no new direction, no matter who is at the helm? c ould that be the reason? or is it (b), that the new Premier is really just a carbon copy of the old Premier with the same old bag of tricks, only she pre - sents it with a smile that makes you feel very nice and warm and fuzzy on the inside? or heck, maybe it's just the combination of both. i don't know. i have to say that the new Premier wants you to be - lieve that she's new.

She wants you to believe that she's different from Gordon c ampbell, that she really cares about you and your family, and she says that for her the priority is — yeah, you've all heard it a thousand times now — family first. We've all heard that slogan over and over and over and over again.

Well then, Madam Speaker, let's just review her rec - ord for a moment, shall we. l et's just take a look at what this new Premier has done, both her record when she was the Deputy Premier right here in this chamber with Gordon c ampbell at her side. c an it be that this is the same Premier that, when she was the Deputy Premier and the Minister of e ducation, saw 120 schools close across british c olumbia? a nd as if that's not enough to put a notch on her belt, to be proudly saying, "h ey, i closed 120 schools across british c olumbia…." [1505] a s if that's not enough, Vancouver had faced an edu - cation funding crisis not very long ago, and this Premier in fact wanted to see the schools in the east side of Vancouver close as well — that more schools needed to be added to that list of 120 that she saw closed when she was Deputy Premier.

The school board was struggling with these potential closures in the east side of Vancouver. The Premier was a talk show host at the time on the airwaves, and she was on the public record as saying that these schools should close. These schools could close, of which there are three designated inner-city schools. t wo of them are in my riding, Seymour and Queen a lexandra. one other inner-city school is in my colleague's riding of Vancouver-hastings, Macdonald School.

These schools — in fact, all the schools slated for clos - ure in the east side of Vancouver — provide a base, an anchor for some of the most vulnerable kids in our com- munities. The closure of these schools would have been devastating for the families and the children in those communities. Many of them are low-income; many of them live in poverty; many of them are immigrants from a different community, from a different country. Many of them are struggling on a day-by-day basis.

Many of them are aboriginal children. but for Premier c lark, i guess those kids and those families don't fit into her families-first agenda, because the closure, for her, of those schools would have been just fine — just like how she closed 120 schools when she was the Minister of e ducation, when she was sitting here in this chamber. i guess for her it really depends on whose families you are talking about. f or the nDP , we on this side of the h ouse, those kids and families are very much part of our agenda.

That is why we fought tooth and nail to keep those e ast Van schools open. i went to rallies; i held community forums. i spoke at the school board meetings not once but sev - eral nights, over and over and over again, and brought the message to the school board. Thank goodness the Vancouver school board listened and listened well to the citizens of british c olumbia. in spite of the fact that they were faced with a funding crisis, they managed to keep those schools open. n ow, it is only temporary. it is only a temporary measure. i expect that the agenda potentially could come back for these school closures.

Y ou know what? With this Premier sitting at the helm who wants to see the schools close, i actually don't get any comfort at all that our education system would be protected. i have no sense of comfort that those families

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6423 that rely on these schools would be deemed and would fall into this Premier's families-first agenda, because i think that those children, those families, would simply be forgotten by this Premier. c onveniently, they'll be forgotten. l et me turn for a minute to talk about another issue. i wonder where these families are at with respect to Premier c lark's families-first agenda. a s we speak today, in Vancouver housing advocates — the c arnegie a ction Project, the Downtown e astside n eighbourhood c ouncil, Van.act! and the c ouncil of Senior citizens — are com - ing together to fight for shelter spaces for the homeless.

They're trying to save these shelters, of which there are five: on c ardero Street, the c ardero shelter; the f raser Street shelter on e ast broadway; the h owe Street shelter on h owe Street; the fir and 7th Street shelter run by the mental patient advocates that already closed; and the Stanley n ew f ountain, also slated for closure. [1510] These five shelters are slated for closure, and they're providing some supports to some of the most vulner - able people in our community. They are people without a home.

They are fighting this fight, raising the awareness, call- ing the government to action, putting a shout out to the broader community to ask for help. This is what some of the people at the shelters have to say. "i can't go to an S ro ," said c hase from the c ardero Street shelter. "i'll go crazy and just end up back on the street. if this shelter closes, i guess i'll head to the Super Valu park - ing lot.

That's where we came from before they opened this place." a nother homeless person says: "i f i lose this place, these regular meals and my guaranteed slot here, then i'll go back to selling drugs to survive." a nother homeless person from the f raser Street shel- ter said: "t wo women near iGa on broadway got me to come here about a month ago. i've been outside a long time. i guess if they close this i'll be in the doorways, back lanes and behind restaurants." f rom the h owe Street shelter: "i f this closes, i'll find an abandoned house. i'll have my c oleman stove. i hope nobody will notice me. if this shuts down, the govern - ment will spend more money on c orrections.

People here will be panhandling, living in the alleys. Y ou would think they would rather we stay in the shelter." These are the direct words of the people who are home- less, staying at these shelters. a nd yet these closures are going to happen. Why, Madam Speaker? because we're in this h ouse debating a do-nothing budget, a budget that will not support these shelters. o thers have written to my office about the closure of these shelters. l et me just put some of their words on the public record here.

Someone speaking directly about the Stanley n ew f ountain shelter that is in my riding…. on a pril 6 the person wrote to me. "i do some janitorial jobs in the Downtown e astside. i can tell you for a fact that many doorways no longer have one to two people sleeping in them, trying to get warm and dry. People should not be treated like dogs. k eep the shelters open. e ven the least of our brothers and sisters need respect and warmth." a nother person wrote, March 29: "Politicians closing shelters puts our must vulnerable citizens at risk — our girls and women.

Please consider your negative actions. it could be your mother or sister. Would you allow clos- ure then?" a nother note that was sent to my office. l et me quote this and put it on the public record. "i've not been in this shelter long, only for about a week now. When i arrived here in V ancouver, i was very worried about where to go. i've never collected government assistance, and i was very hesitant to go on welfare. a ll i required was an opportun - ity to get back on my feet, to feel secure and to get my life back on track again without worrying about where i was going to stay each night.

This facility provided just that. "i'm able to rest in the evening, and during the day i can look for job opportunities. Without this facility i would be forced to go on welfare or sleep on the streets. i'm certain that neither is the goal of this government. This facility is an absolute necessity, for it provides the intrinsic dignity that each and every one of us requires to sustain ourselves in this complex society.

"h ere we are given the absolute necessities: a small, basic meal — nothing extravagant; a mattress with proper bedding; and a bathroom where we can keep clean. r emember, this is a tran - sitional stage for all of us here, a necessary part of our commun- ity, enabling us to move on and be productive to the c anadian economy." Those are the direct words of these folks who are staying at these shelters, who are homeless at the moment. There is a cry out for community advocates, housing advocates, calling for help.

Somehow these families and their needs are not being heard. [1515] These individuals, to put a face on it, are somebody's son or daughter. They are somebody's brother or sister. They are someone's mother or father. They may be name- less or faceless, but they are part of our communities, and they are someone's family members somewhere.

So i ask this question of the new Premier: do they factor in with the Premier's family-first agenda? i guess not, because this is the same Premier that presided as the Deputy Premier that cancelled over 1,700 units of af- fordable housing in the l iberal government's first term as government. a s a result, i dare say, we saw home - lessness skyrocket in the province of british c olumbia, particularly in Metro Vancouver. in my own riding of Vancouver–Mount Pleasant in the Downtown e astside i literally had to step over people to make my way across the street.

There are days where i see people littered all over the sidewalks in the streets of the Downtown e astside. i talked to people who told me about how the homeless fought to get a space under an awning to stay dry, and in that fight to vie for that little space, the police had to be called to break up the fight.

british c olumbia Debates6424 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 That's how desperate people were, and that happened at a time when the current Premier was the Deputy Premier in the province of british c olumbia. The l iberal government knew darn well the impact of the gutting of the social safety net, the cancellation of affordable housing programs in our communities throughout, yet they went ahead and did it. The Deputy Premier then didn't speak up one whit to say, "Wait a minute. We cannot do this.

This is not acceptable in our democratic society," and they barrelled on ahead and made these cuts. n ow here we are today, many years later, because that was back in 2001. We're now in 2011. t en years later, a decade later, the Premier has an opportunity to do some- thing about the closure of these shelters. The Premier could stand up and act today and say: "n o, we're not go- ing to repeat the mistakes of the past. We're not going to allow for these closures to happen.

We're not going to throw these homeless people out onto the streets again, albeit that all they're accessing at the moment are tem - porary shelters, but we will not let that happen." The Premier has the opportunity to do that. She could act today and say that she will fund these shelters with the flexibility in the budget that the former Minister of finance had identified. She could do that. She could say that in her family-first agenda these families actually matter — it matters to her and to her government — and that no one would be left behind. She has that choice.

The opportunity is here, and i call on her to do exactly that today. in fact, i challenge any member from the government side to stand up in the budget speech today and to say that these shelters should be saved, that the homeless people living in these temporary shelters should not be thrown out into the alleyways and parking lots and that they should be allowed this temporary haven, i guess — if you would call it that — and to save these shelters now. i look forward to listening to the speeches from the government side, for someone to get up, to have enough courage to say to the new Premier that those individuals who are homeless today matter in the eyes of the l iberal government and they are part of this family-first agenda. i open that up for any members on the other side to take up this challenge. [1520] n ow, i read in the papers today….

There was an arti - cle, actually, by Seth k lein, who talked about the issue of poverty, and he states that poverty reduction is mis - sing in this federal election. Poverty is nothing new. The issue of poverty is something that all levels of govern - ment should address. Where does that fit in with this new Premier? Did you know that for seven years in a row b.c . had the highest child poverty rate in all of c anada? i'm not making this up. This is actually a fact.

Did you know that seven prov- inces and two territories have poverty reduction plans in place or in development? a nd did you know that b.c . is not amongst them? l et me repeat that. b.c . is not amongst them. We do not have a poverty reduction strat- egy or plan in place, nor do we have one in development. Y et we are the province with the highest child poverty rate in all of the country not for one year, not for two years, not for three years but for seven years in a row.

Did you know that the 2010 child poverty report card released by first c all found that in the year 2008, 14.5 percent, or 121,000 children in b.c., lived in poverty? it's not a made-up figure. Just imagine. We had today, when we opened the h ouse, many an- nouncements of wonderful births. Deputy Speaker: Member, may i ask you to take your seat. is the member rising on a point of order? R. Sultan: Point of privilege, Madam Speaker. i would like to reserve an opportunity to respond to the asser - tions about childhood poverty in british c olumbia at a later date. interjection. Deputy Speaker: Members.

The member will have the opportunity to engage in debate. Please proceed. J. Kwan: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. indeed, it's not a point of privilege at all, and you would think that the member would know the rules by now. but hey, then, what do i know? o kay, so let me just continue on with my budget speech. The 121,000 children living in poverty — that was what was reported out from first c all. They used the statistics from c anada's low-income before-tax cutoff. The after-tax child poverty rate in b.c. was the highest in c anada — the highest in c anada.

So i ask this question: how about those children and those families? Do they count for this Premier in her families-first agenda — the 121,000 children living in poverty? Y es, i was saying that there were many announce - ments, wonderful news of children and grandchildren being born, and all of those children and grandchildren, i assume, would have opportunities in their future. i want that for my children. h opefully, one day i'll be like the member for c hilliwack and have 15 grandchildren.

Y ou know, maybe that will happen. i doubt it. but hey, you know…. i've got to say that the point here is this — that for all the children we know in our lives, we want them to have opportunities. i was a child that grew up in poverty, so i know what it's like to not have some basic necessities. We enter

british c olumbia DebatesWednesday, april 27, 2011 6425 into public life to do better not just for ourselves but for others. That certainly is one key reason why i'm stand - ing here today, speaking to this budget. [1525] So i ask this question of our current Premier, Premier c lark: what is she going to do about these children liv - ing in poverty today in our communities? Do they count for her families-first agenda?

Will she finally, after a dec- ade, put in a poverty reduction strategy with specific targets and goals that would be met in a tangible, prac - tical, realistic way? i don't want to hear words about how the priority is families first, and yet we have a do-nothing budget and a do-nothing poverty strategy in place. i don't want to hear from the Minister of c hildren and f amily Development saying that closing some 33 group homes for children with disabilities is somehow a good thing and that somehow it's being re-engineered as part of the government's plan to meet the needs of children.

That, to me, is not meeting the needs of children. That, to me, is not placing families first. The risk of poverty is over three times greater for fe - male lone-parent families, and on average, poor female lone families live $12,600 below the poverty line. Poor two-parent families were $8,200 below the poverty line. o ver half of the children who were poor — that's 55 per - cent — have been poor for at least four out of six years. o ver half of poor children — that's 55.7 percent — lived in families where at least one member of their family had a full-time job.

So that means these families are working families trying to make ends meet, and they cannot make ends meet. That's the reality. Six provinces, six governments across the coun - try — n ewfoundland and l abrador, n ova Scotia, n ew brunswick, Quebec, ontario, Manitoba — have commit - ted to poverty reduction plans for their own jurisdictions. So are these children — the 121,000 living in poverty here in british c olumbia — in Premier c lark's families- first agenda?

Premier c lark. i ask her if she will commit to a pov - erty reduction strategy that is more than just words. i challenge the members on that side of the h ouse to get up and to say to their Premier that it is time, long over - due in the province of british c olumbia, for us to have a poverty reduction strategy and plan with solid targets and timelines in place. i ask the Premier to commit to that today. i ask the Premier to amend this do-nothing budget to improve the living conditions of the children and fam - ilies today that are living in poverty in our very province. or if the government doesn't do that, is it the govern - ment's message, then, to say that those families don't count in her families-first agenda?

Premier c lark saw the gutting of our social safety net for the most vulnerable families in b.c . back in 2001 when she was the Deputy Premier to Gordon c ampbell. She was part of a government that took away children's main- tenance support for single moms on income assistance. i was right here in this chamber debating that legis - lative change, and i could hardly believe it. it took my breath away. What are maintenance support dollars for single moms? We're only talking about a measly $200 of support for children, literally for children who are of single parents on income assistance.

This l iberal gov - ernment and this Premier, when she was the Deputy Premier, said, "n o, you do not deserve that $200, new baby in british c olumbia with a single parent living on income assistance" — literally took that money away from those families and clawed back every single cent of those family maintenance support dollars. She was part of a government that eliminated funding for women's centres.

Y eah, 47 women's centres across the province of british c olumbia had their funding reduced and eliminated because of that, and today we heard, as well, of the resource centres losing their funding. [1530] So i ask this Premier to do something, if families first is in fact her priority. J. Rustad: it's a pleasure and an honour to have the opportunity to respond to the budget and to be back in the h ouse. i know that may sound strange to some people, but i'm one of those people that are very pas - sionate about the job that we do down here.

Just before i get into my comments, i do want to talk just briefly about the previous member for Vancouver– Mount Pleasant and her comments.

There's no question that we have done more as a government and the Minister of e nergy and h ousing has done more for homelessness than any other government has done in b.c.'s history. if the member from Mount Pleasant isn't interested in taking my word for it, maybe she can listen to a former colleague of hers, the current mayor of Vancouver, in his praise for the work that we are doing for the homeless. f urthermore, on child poverty i find it interesting that the member speaks so passionately about that, and she doesn't recognize that we have had the steepest decline in child poverty in b.c. of any jurisdiction in c anada. a s a matter of fact, our current child poverty rates are below the 1980 levels.

There has been more done for child poverty in this province than by any previous government, and that is without having a child poverty reduction plan. That's because we have tried very hard in this prov - ince to set the right economic conditions to be able to create jobs and employment and opportunities to raise living standards. t o that end, the average hourly wage in this province is now $23.12. That's up 27½ percent since 2001, when we first took power. back to the budget. The people in my riding have been very optimistic about our future.

When we laid out the budget, we laid out a stand-pat budget that went

british c olumbia Debates6426 Wednesday, april 27, 2011 ahead, that raised money for health care spending by over $600 million, that raised money for education to now having over $8,357 per student, that raised money for social services by over $65 million — all of that at a time when we're fighting our deficit and trying to re - duce our spending. That's a tough challenge to be able to balance those things. of course, one of the reasons why we had a stand-pat budget is because we've had leadership races.

We have a new leader now for the b.c. l iberal Party, a new Premier. i want to congratulate c hristy c lark on her win and her vision in bringing forward. i look forward to working with her on a family-first agenda and moving this prov - ince forward in a positive and energetic way. i also want to congratulate the member for Vancouver- k ingsway on his recent victory for the nDP . it's no small feat to be in public service, but certainly, to lead a party, whether it's in opposition or government, is a real chal - lenge. i want to thank him for stepping up to the plate and doing the work that he's doing. h aving said that, though — as the Minister of finance said earlier — there won't be too many other words of praise coming forward in the near future.

The one thing i did notice about the l eader of the o pposition and his policy and his strategy coming forward….

The nDP used to be known for the n and the P standing for "no policy," but he has clearly decided to focus on the D, which is going to be "divisiveness and destruction." i very much look forward to how this debate will be going over the future and listening to the various poli - cies coming forward. in particular, it reminds me of a quote that he had from a little ways back — this was in particular reference to corporations, but it won't end there — and that is that people need to pay their fair share. in other words, he wants to tax; he wants to spend; he wants to redistribute; he wants to interfere in people's lives. h e wants to divide people from various categories.

That will be the strategy coming forward. it should be quite entertaining to see how it goes. one of the things that i'm very proud about is what we've been able to do to set the right economic condi - tions for this province and in particular for my riding, n echako l akes. The people in n echako l akes are very optimistic about the future, and i just want to touch on a few things, a few reasons why. [1535] The economic situation in b.c. has changed quite dra - matically. We have seen over 45,000 jobs created in 2010.

We have the highest confidence rate from anywhere across the country — for consumers, that is. c orporate taxes have been reduced. We're going from 16½ percent down to 10 percent. Small business taxes are scheduled to be eliminated. What i mean by divisiveness is that their side would like to reverse those. They want to increase those taxes. Why is that important? because of job creation. Study after stu

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	H0427pm 08
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	H0427pm 08
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	e3d6fcea810f48b32e0139c1af8d9e30417f15e9

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