2001 Legislative Session: 2nd Session, 37th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes

only.

The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2001

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 2, Number 7

CONTENTS

Routine

Proceedings

Time

Introductions by Members

Oral Questions

Budget and air quality protection

measures

J. Kwan

Budget and child care funding

J. MacPhail

Immigration services funding

R. Nijjar

Tabling Documents

Vancouver Board of Trade task force

document, Investing in Our Children Is Good

Policy

Budget Debate

J. MacPhail

Hon. S. Santori

P. Sahota

P. Bell

T. Christensen

B. Locke

R. Nijjar

D. Hayer

G. Trumper

A. Hamilton

W. McMahon

E. Brenzinger

Hon. S. Bond

Royal assent to bills

Supply Act (No. 2), 2001 (Bill 6)

[ Page 149 ]

TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2001

The House

met at 2:02 p.m.

Introductions by Members

MacPhail: It's my pleasure to welcome a former MLA from the seat that I now

hold: a former Attorney General, Alex Macdonald, who has joined us in the

chamber today. I would ask the House to please make him welcome.

Hon. R.

Neufeld: It is my pleasure today to introduce a gentleman who spent quite a

bit of time in this House. Mr. Tom Waterland, from 1975 to 1986, held the

portfolio of Energy and Mines and a number of others. I would like the House to

make him truly welcome.

Hunter: Today is my first opportunity to introduce a guest from the fair

city of Nanaimo to this sitting of the Legislature: Ms. Delphine Charmley, who

is an expert in foster parenting. I'd like the House to make her very welcome.

Chong: Last week the member for Vancouver-Hastings made a brief introduction

with regard to the provincial Little League championships held in Trail. Today

I'd like to make an announcement that the winners of the provincial championship

are the Gordon Head Little League, in the riding that I represent. I know we

wish them well as they proceed to the Canadian championships. Two years ago they

did win the Canadian championship and went all the way to the Little League

World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I hope the House will please send

them on their way with good and hearty congratulations from all of us.

Penner: I have the privilege today of making two introductions. First of

all, joining me today for lunch was a constituent of mine, Mr. Clint Marvin from

Chilliwack. Also, I would like to join the opposition member in welcoming Alex

Macdonald, QC, to the Legislature. I think many people know he has made a

significant contribution to British Columbia. He served as a member in this

House from 1960 to 1986, and he frequently reminds me that I have many more

years to go until I reach his total years of service of 26 years. Will the

House, again, please make these two people welcome.

[1405]

Hon. L.

Reid: I have two lovely young women visiting in the gallery today. One is my

niece Michelle Greig, and she's accompanied by her friend Carrie Stewart. I'd

ask the House to please make them welcome.

Mayencourt: It is my pleasure to introduce several guests in the gallery

today. First, Mr. John Kerr, a resident of Vancouver, a mining engineer who has

been responsible for introducing me to that industry very well. I am also

introducing Mr. Alan Johnson, the president of the Zero Emission Coal Alliance

and a former president of the Canadian Coal Association. In a previous

incarnation Mr. Johnson was the Member of Parliament for Calgary North. I also

want to welcome Mr. Warner Gruenwald of Vernon, a geologist, and his wife Mrs.

Gruenwald. Would the House please make them welcome.

Hon. G.

Halsey-Brandt: It's a great pleasure for me to introduce a couple of guests

in the gallery this afternoon. The first is Hilda Ward, who has been the

executive assistant to the mayor of Richmond for a number of years and remains

as such; and secondly, Mr. Willie Laurie, who was with the RCMP in Richmond and

is now with E Division in downtown Vancouver. Please welcome them today.

Hamilton: It's my pleasure to introduce Jim King, a member of the Esquimalt

council. I would ask the House to make him welcome.

Oral Questions

BUDGET AND AIR QUALITY

PROTECTION MEASURES

J. Kwan:

Recently the provincial health officer released a report that said clean air was

critical to the health of British Columbians. The BCMA agrees, and last June

they called on the government to reduce air pollutants. Yesterday this

government made a big deal around tax cuts that cause the most pollution,

including SUVs. At the same time, they cut funding for programs to reduce fossil

fuel pollution. To the Minster of Water, Land and Air Protection — which

actually sounds like "earth, wind and fire" protection….

In the

election campaign the Premier promised a scientifically based, principled

approach to environmental management. Can the minister tell British Columbians

on what scientific- and principle-based approach their government has decided to

cut programs to reduce fossil fuel pollutants?

Hon. J.

Murray: There is a difference between the approach of the previous

government and this government to environmental protection, and I would

characterize….

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order. Order, please.

Hon. J.

Murray: There were layers of red tape, bureaucracy and paralysis. In my

government, we're looking at results-based…and an approach that's based on

science.

I want to

point out that the previous government did nothing to prevent the Sumas 2 power

plant. They ramped up the Burrard Thermal to record levels. Your government gave

a $25 million loan to a company to

[ Page 150 ]

place a theme park in Burns Bog. Your government believed in environmental

management by rhetoric and press releases, and my government believes in real

action and real results.

Mr.

Speaker: The member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant with a supplemental.

[1410]

J. Kwan:

Actually, minister, your record from yesterday's budget does nothing for the

environment. What it does is promote SUVs, pollutants, when everybody else

across the province, across the country, except for Mike Harris…. Yes. Today

our Premier and the Premier of Ontario had a private meeting. I wonder if they

discussed the air quality crisis in Toronto that has resulted from the cuts by

that government to the environment, which we're emulating right now in British

Columbia.

Yesterday

the government also cut greenhouse gas emission programs that are the principal

cause of global warming. Just last week 180 countries had signed off on the

Kyoto agreement. We're moving in a world trend to ensure that there is reduction

in air pollutants. Can the minister please explain to British Columbians why the

province is moving in the opposite direction from the rest of the global

community by increasing fossil fuel pollution and cutting climate

change–pollutant programs?

Hon. G.

Collins: I'd encourage the member opposite to continue reading the great

news that came out in the economic and fiscal update yesterday. The minister is

correct, because this is a government that works and delivers, and doesn't just

talk and chat and advertise. The programs the member refers to — talk about

more talk, more talk, more talk. If she turns to page 72, she'll find out that,

in fact, what we did in this budget was double the tax rebate for low-emission

vehicles in British Columbia from $500 to $1,000 and from $5,000 to $10,000 for

low-emission buses as well.

If she

reads a little further down the page, she'll find out that we actually provide

an exemption for PuriNOx to reduce particulate matter from diesel fuel by a huge

amount. We're delivering; we're doing real things. She just wants to talk about

it.

Mr.

Speaker: A further supplemental for the member for Vancouver–Mount

Pleasant.

J. Kwan:

What the government is not telling us about, in the budget book, are the

programs that they have cut. We're talking about in comparison to tens of

thousands of dollars that they have made reductions in, in terms of

environmental programs and promoting SUVs, the most significant air pollutants

for British Columbia.

Clearly,

this minister is not listening to those concerned about air quality and climate

change, and science isn't playing a role in the decisions that affect our

environment. To the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection: who is really

making the decisions that affect our air quality? Is it the Automobile Dealers

Association, whose previous president is now the secretary to Treasury Board? Is

it the oil and gas industry? Is it the vehicle manufacturers? Can the minister

tell the House what commitments she's made to big polluters, many of whom are

top Liberal donors, to further reduce environmental standards and increase

fossil fuel pollution?

Hon. G.

Collins: Actually, I took the advice from the member for Nelson-Creston —

not the current one but the previous one, Corky Evans — who used to wax poetic

in this House about all sorts of issues. I'd like to quote for the members

opposite what he said about the surtax on vehicles in British Columbia. He spoke

of the party becoming urban-based and lower mainland–based, losing touch with

its once-close regional ties. He illustrated the point by saying: "The

government spends millions on subsidizing SkyTrain in Vancouver while putting a

luxury tax on pickup trucks that people in the north and other areas of the

province depend on to get to work."

There's

more, Mr. Speaker. There's more. It goes on to say that he promised to get rid

of the tax if he was elected Premier. That's another broken NDP promise. We're

delivering what they promised.

[1415]

BUDGET AND CHILD CARE

FUNDING

MacPhail: Eventually this government is going to have to come clean about

its own actions. They no longer will be able to turn back the clock and refer to

matters that they take completely out of context.

Let's refer

to a matter that only they can be accountable for, no one else. This is entirely

the making of the B.C. Liberals in the last day. Today the Minister of State for

Women's Equality had the dubious responsibility, probably was forced, given

the job, to explain to families with kids why her government decided to put

child care completely at risk in the budget, to cut child care. Can the Minister

of State for Women's Equality stand up and give us a very specific answer —

it's a technical answer; it's not a political answer — and inform the House

how much the expansion of child care that they cut would have saved a family

earning $60,000 a year with one child, one toddler, and how that compares to the

tax cut that the same family gets from this budget?

Hon. L.

Stephens: Yesterday we saw the fiscal update, and it was very, very clear

that this province has to get its financial house in order. The previous

government's child care initiative was simply too expensive, and it was simply

unsustainable. This government is committed to child care. Our new-era

commitment is very clear: we're going to target child care funding to the

families who need it the most.

We are

going to be going out and consulting with parents and with child care providers

across the province, not just in the lower mainland, to determine

[ Page 151 ]

what plan and what program should be put in place that will address the

serious issues that parents and child care providers face in this province.

We're going to be looking at early intervention, and we're going to be looking

at the infant and toddler programs that are the most expensive and the most

difficult to access. I will be working closely with my colleague the Minister

for Early Childhood Development, and we are going to be formulating a plan that

is integrated and suits the needs and certainly addresses the issues that face

parents and child care providers in the province.

Mr.

Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition with a supplemental.

MacPhail: When the minister does that, she'll find all that work has already

been done, and every single family in this province who has children in child

care says that child care is their number one priority.

The

minister didn't answer the question, but the fact remains that families with

children in day care lose big-time in this budget. Let me provide the answer for

her: the child care programs that this government sacrificed to pay for a

corporate tax cut would have saved a family earning $60,000 a year with a child

in toddler care $500 a month. That same family's savings from this government's

tax cut is about $95 per month. It seems to me that as a result of yesterday's

budget, that family has lost about $405 per month because of this Liberal

government's budget.

Will the

minister rise today and admit that middle-income families with children who

require child care are worse off financially as a result of the Liberals'

budget?

Hon. L.

Stephens: The member opposite just doesn't get it. What we have done is not

follow through with the funding for this year's budget in child care. That

funding has been reallocated to early childhood development programs.

What I

would suggest to the members opposite is that they do their homework and that

they come into this House prepared to ask the questions that are relevant to the

people of British Columbia.

[1420]

Mr.

Speaker: One further supplemental, the Leader of the Opposition.

MacPhail: If the minister won't actually answer my question or those of the

citizens of British Columbia who have children in child care, maybe she'll

answer the question to the people that they feel absolutely compelled to

represent, the board of trade. She said earlier today that child care was too

expensive for government. But even the Premier's friends, the board of trade,

have gone on record in support of universal child care — not targeted child

care, not for the poor and the disadvantaged that they feel compelled to

patronize, but universal child care…

Interjections.

Mr.

Speaker: Order, please.

MacPhail: … is what the board of trade says, because they recognize it as

a critical investment in our economy. How is it that universal child care that

benefits everyone equally…

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order.

MacPhail: …and is good for the economy — so says the board of trade…?

How is it that that's too expensive for this government…

Interjection.

Mr.

Speaker: Order.

MacPhail: …but a tax cut for big corporations is affordable?

Hon. L.

Stephens: This government has been accused of being in bed with big business

for some time. I think we have shown quite clearly that when it comes to the

services for people in the province — particularly those parents who provide

and depend on safe, affordable and flexible child care — this government is

prepared to act in the best interests of those parents and the child care

providers to find the best solution for the families in British Columbia.

IMMIGRATION SERVICES FUNDING

Nijjar: My question is for the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's

Services. The federal government has cut funding to immigration settlement

services by $3.8 million for this fiscal year. People in my riding of

Vancouver-Kingsway and in the ridings surrounding it were greatly affected by

such cuts. My question is to the minister.

Will he

confirm today that such cuts will definitely have a negative impact on the

immigrants in B.C., and what exactly will those negative effects be?

Hon. G.

Abbott: The question is an important one. About three weeks ago I had an

opportunity to meet with immigration services providers and ESL providers from

throughout the province. This is a very important and very difficult issue for

them. Certainly I can confirm that the federal grant for these services has been

cut by $3.8 million for the current year. That is a reflection of British

Columbia's proportion of Canadian immigrants going down. I think there are a

couple of people here, among others, we can thank for that — for reducing the

economic climate here in British Columbia.

So it is a

difficult problem for them. I am going to work with those immigrant service

societies and ESL providers to find a solution. Fortunately, the consolidated

revenue fund has assisted by picking up $1.8 million of the shortfall.

[ Page 152 ]

[End of

question period.]

Tabling Documents

MacPhail: I'd like to table a document from the Vancouver Board of Trade

task force on early childhood development and child care, Investing In Our

Children Is Good Public Policy .

Leave

granted.

Orders of the Day

Hon. G.

Collins: I call budget debate.

Budget Debate

(continued)

Hon. G.

Collins: By prior agreement, the member for Vancouver-Hastings gave up her

spot this morning after adjourning debate yesterday. I'd like to offer leave of

the House to grant her the right to speak at this point in time.

Leave

granted.

[1425]

MacPhail: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I adjourned my remarks yesterday, and I

appreciate the opportunity to continue those remarks.

I hope the

members of the Legislature can recall the comments that I started with

yesterday, wishing them well in their task as they move forward on their very,

very ambitious plan for the economy.

Today is

the completion of the first full day of contemplation of the Liberal budget. I

think it's important that we examine how it stands up to what was promised to

British Columbians over the course of the last several months, perhaps even the

last several years, by this now-government.

I think

it's safe to say that most British Columbians examined the Liberal New Era

document and believed the document when it suggested it would take a balanced

approach to everything it has done. The Premier in early days of office also

promised a balanced approach. He was challenged greatly on this as he went

through appointing his various committees that were really unrepresentative of

the public at large. The Premier promised: "Even though I'm seeking advice

from a narrow range of people, I promised a balanced approach. I will take it

upon myself to have that balanced approach."

I think

this budget yesterday, the Liberal budget…. Even though they want to resist

this terribly, Mr. Speaker, from now on they must take responsibility for their

actions. Let's look at what was actually promised. Will it now be a new era of

prosperity for everyone? Will the new era have everybody all on an upward trend

toward a better quality of life? Will the trickle-down economics upon which this

budget is completely based serve everyone fairly and equally?

Well, I

hope so, but there are those that might suggest otherwise. I know it's hard to

accept so early on in the days of this Liberal government, but there were

substantial notes of concern after yesterday. There were questions raised about

the budget and the direction of the government — surprisingly so, because we

all acknowledge that this government received an overwhelming mandate.

Why were

there questions raised yesterday? Why were there people raising concerns about

what this budget may bring about? Why were there even some suggesting that the

budget exposes the Liberals' real three Rs, that the budget is risky, radical

and reckless? You know, maybe even their own words contributed to the three Rs

that are arising out of the budget.

Maybe

people out there who are saying the budget is risky, radical and reckless may

have come to that conclusion because of the words of their own members. I'll

just read one or two quotes about why the public became so intensely concerned

about deficit financing, why the public believes that deficits are bad and why

yesterday's $1.5 billion deficit raised concerns around the three Rs — risky,

radical and reckless.

From March

30, 1998: "I think the members opposite should pay attention to this one.

Let's start with the principles which the people of Alberta expect their

government to follow. 'Remain fiscally responsible. Don't ever run a deficit

again.'" That was from the current Minister of Finance. That was what he

promised British Columbians in 1998. Those were his words that I just quoted.

[1430]

Let's hear

what he said about two years later. This is the current Minister of Finance

addressing the budget of the day:

"Those

are the kinds of choices this government has made over the last number of years,

and British Columbians — you have to understand — are very upset when they

see a budget that's going to increase the deficit by well over…$1

billion….Total debt is going up by almost $3 billion — $3 billion in new

debt this year. People ask themselves: 'Are they spending the money wisely?' If

the past is any indication, clearly they haven't been spending the money wisely,

and it's unlikely that they will in the future."

So here we

are, Mr. Speaker. Well, you know what?

Interjections.

MacPhail: Just wait, because it may not be exactly the message that you

think you're going to receive. I have said clearly, and say again today, that I

wish you well, and I do. But the fact of the matter is that the whole public was

set on a tone — one on which I actually didn't disagree with the minister

opposite now — that you should only spend what you have and that increasing

debt needs to be managed.

The current

minister said that a billion-dollar deficit is awful, and increasing debt by $3

billion in one year is awful. Well, what's changed? What's changed in the

ideology of the Liberal government — that deficits are okay now? What's

changed that increasing debt by $3

[ Page 153 ]

billion is okay? That's just a question that the Minister of Finance will

answer to the public over the course of the coming months — just a checklist

for us to keep in mind as the success of this budget, a made-in-Liberal-caucus

budget, unfolds over the course of the coming months. It's just a question for

the public to have in their mind — that's all.

I think we

can probably set up a checklist, as we wish this government well as they move

forward. Let's set up a checklist of what we can look for in improvement. What

can we look for that we'll see as indicators of success? I'm going to propose a

checklist that British Columbians can use, that they can take with them and

watch over the course of the coming months, that they monitor the budget by.

The first

one I've mentioned is the deficit. The forecast of growth for the year 2002 is

3.8 percent. Pretty much everybody said yesterday that that was very optimistic.

I certainly hope it's what's delivered — 3.8 percent. It's much beyond what

the fiscal review panel and the Economic Forecast Council offered. It's much

beyond what eminent economists like David Bond and Michael Levy have suggested

is possible. And it certainly is much beyond what one would expect, given the

growing concern around the U.S. economy.

You may

remember that just as recently as last Friday, the first-quarter growth for the

U.S. economy on an annualized basis was 0.7 percent. Fifty percent of our trade

is with the U.S., so that's a concern that we need to watch. Certainly, if we

watch the Asian economies, the downturn in Southeast Asia, Japan and China….

The economic forecasts are on the downturn. Again, we do about 30 percent of our

trade with the Asian economy. We'll just have to keep that in mind. The

optimistic forecast…. We'll see whether that actually proves…. Of course,

the deficit itself will disappear as the economy grows. So says the Minister of

Finance. We'll just have to keep a very close watch on the optimism.

[1435]

I know that

the Minister of Finance is very familiar with optimistic forecasts, because he

challenged past forecasts with a vitriol that was exceptional. He never turned

out to be right — his challenges never turned out to be right — but he

certainly was extremely concerned about overly optimistic forecasts and what

that meant in terms of fudging numbers and all of that. He always turned out to

be wrong. So I'm hoping, Mr. Speaker, in this particular case, that he doesn't

once again turn out to be wrong, as he has in the past.

There is

another way to monitor deficits, and that's by leaving the current Budget

Transparency and Accountability Act on the books. It's a much stronger piece of

legislation than what was introduced yesterday. It actually requires

governments, each and every year, to reduce the deficit — no choice. It

actually says that next year the deficit has to go down — the year after that,

the year after that. Instead, that legislation is being repealed and replaced by

a piece of legislation that was introduced yesterday by the Campbell government.

It is called — let's just get it correct — the Balanced Budget and

Ministerial Accountability Act.

Now, even

though the government currently has a balanced budget before it, it's not

promising to balance its own books until the year 2004-05. That means, I

guess…. What? Is it February of 2004 or February of 2005? Anyway, it's a long

way down the road, Mr. Speaker. They're going to repeal the legislation that

actually requires them to reduce the deficit each year. In fact, British

Columbians could be faced with deficits of a magnitude of $1.5 billion, $2

billion, $3 billion each and every year until the year 2004, because they've

replaced solid, substantive legislation with the watered-down, weak version that

allows them to run deficits for another three or four years.

Certainly,

we can't use that legislation, the new Liberal legislation, to monitor deficit

reduction, which is unfortunate. I think British Columbians, when they

understand the legislation, will feel worse off as a result of that.

The next

area on our checklist that we can monitor is investment. I really do hope that

the capital strike that did occur in this province ends. It was even

acknowledged by the Vancouver Sun that the doom and gloom of the Liberal

then-opposition every single day contributed to a capital strike and to a

smaller growth of investment than perhaps if they hadn't had such doom and

gloom. But let's use investment in the province as a checklist for how well the

budget will serve us.

I know that

investors in Chicago, Montreal, New York and Toronto worry greatly about several

things in this province. They didn't worry about the debt. They worried about

the uncertainty in the province, first and foremost, around land use. When one

actually travels the thousands of miles away from British Columbia to New York,

the investment houses don't take into account the terribly partisan sniping of

an opposition that did everything they possibly could to destroy the economic

outlook in a province, when the Liberals were in opposition. They don't worry

about that. What they do worry about is the certainty that's brought forward by

a government.

[1440]

What they

asked each and every day was: "When will you settle land claims? How is the

treaty process going?" We would give an update on that, and they would say:

"Okay, that's good. There is a process in place, land use plans are in

place, and land claims are high on the agenda — a priority for

settlement." As we monitor investment, Mr. Speaker, we will watch the

uncertainty that is brought forward. The risk and ambiguity that this government

is advertising as the state that the province will be in is risk and ambiguity

brought upon by themselves. On the one hand, they offer no hope through

partnership with first nations, and on the other hand, they challenge first

nations at each and every turn about their right to have land use certainty in

this province.

I predict

that this unbelievable, intransigent insistence by this government to proceed

with the referendum on minority aboriginal rights will do more

[ Page 154 ]

to drive away investment than anything could have in the previous ten years,

but I'm willing to put it on the checklist. Let's just add it to the checklist

of how we can judge the Liberals' budget: investment in this province.

Another

item on the checklist should be disposable income. That's one that the Liberals

themselves have touted. We'll look at disposable income as it unfolds. We'll

look at a family who just today is down $405 per month if they have one child,

and if they have two children they're down almost $1,000 per month because of

the cuts this government has made to universal child care. Even when you take

the tax cuts given to families who earn $60,000 a year….

You say:

"Here's your tax cut, Mr. and Mrs. Sidhu. But you know what? Your

toddler…. I'm sorry. We're going to take back that $500 a month that the

previous government gave you for your child care costs, so you know what? You're

actually going to have to reach into your pocket, Mrs. Sidhu, and put $425 more

of your own money out on expenditures." That's as a result of this Liberal

budget. Let's see how it unfolds, and we'll keep disposable income on the

checklist.

The other

part of disposable income that we can look at is energy costs that families pay

in their homes. Let's see what's going to happen to those energy costs. I know

that this government has promised major reform to B.C. Hydro, and we await it.

Certainly there was nothing in the budget yesterday. I expect that as open and

accountable as this government promises to be, we'll see something about what

their plans are, because they have the whole world aflutter about how they're

going to change B.C. Hydro. So let's see what that does to the energy costs of

the average family.

And let's

see what happens to car insurance. Families in this province have had their car

insurance rates frozen and in some cases reduced over the last six years —

each and every one of the last six years. But we know that this government is

going to open up ICBC to greater competition. The business community is all agog

about what that will mean for them. It may be great for private insurance

companies offshore, but let's see what it means for working families in terms of

their disposable income as we monitor the budget.

Housing

costs. We have certainly had a crisis in housing in the lower mainland and in

Victoria because of the leaky-condo crisis. I know that many, many families in

the greater Vancouver area and the greater Victoria area have suffered greatly

because of the leaky-condo crisis. I know it's the one area that Premier

Campbell couldn't criticize us for during the election and said that the New

Democrats had done a good job of — the leaky-condo crisis. Of course, that's

because he didn't want to offer any greater solutions of his own, so we can

fully expect that there'll be absolutely nothing more done for families facing

the crisis of the leaky condos.

[1445]

More

importantly, we'll have to monitor it to see whether the gains made by families

facing the crisis of leaky condos are taken away — whether the homeowner

protection office is destroyed by this government — or radically reduced.

Maybe that's why people think the budget was so radical. So we'll have to

monitor that too, Mr. Speaker.

Another

item I would add to the checklist to see the progress of this government is

quality of life. Earlier the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant asked a

question of this government, which they refused to answer, about the provincial

health goals and how this government, with its actions in the budget yesterday,

was in any way going to be able to deliver on provincial health goals when they

were cutting environmental protection programs and when they were really

increasing the use, or misuse, of SUVs.

I know that

the Minister of Finance stood up and said: "My gosh, we doubled the tax

credit for fuel-efficient vehicles to $1,000 from $500. Isn't that wonderful

news?" In fact, there will be maybe a couple of hundred thousand dollars

returned to owners of fuel-efficient vehicles. What will be returned to car

dealers in the way of reduced taxes on SUVs and gas-guzzling vehicles is tens of

millions of dollars.

It's not a

mixed message; it's not a mixed message at all. They have clearly sided with Mr.

Paul Taylor, now chair of Treasury Board, former head of the Automobile Dealers'

Association, who lobbied vigorously to have less tax paid on gas guzzlers. Now

he's in charge. He got his way: tens of millions of dollars in tax reductions

for large gas-guzzling vehicles. And the Minister of Finance stands up and says:

"Oh, but look at the good work we did on the maybe $100,000 we'll return to

people who drive fuel-efficient vehicles."

Let's

monitor that. Maybe he's right. Maybe the great work of giving back tens of

millions of dollars — thank you, Paul Taylor — to automobile dealers will be

as balanced as the tens of thousands of dollars they return to families who buy

a fuel-efficient vehicle. So we'll put that on our checklist.

Buy B.C.

program: one of the most successful programs in all of North America not only

for encouraging the purchase of local produce but for encouraging healthy

eating. Mr. Speaker, I don't know whether you remember those ads; they were only

on just a few months ago. Those ads of Buy B.C. not only encouraged me, my son,

my neighbours, to buy locally grown produce, but they also said the reason for

doing that is because it makes you healthier. They were great. And it actually

worked.

Anyway, Buy

B.C. is gone now — gone. No encouragement for buying local produce and no

encouragement of a healthy lifestyle by eating local produce. And of course

Share B.C., the program that sustained food banks throughout the year…. That's

a program where people could actually donate when they bought groceries at

Thrifty's or Safeway or Overwaitea. The government would match that

contribution, and food banks would get that money and sustain themselves. That

program's gone as of January 2002.

It's one

that the media haven't managed to add to their checklist of cuts that this

government has made. But in January 2002, five months from now, that program's

gone, and poor people and food banks will

[ Page 155 ]

be much worse off. Let's add that to the checklist. Let's just see how food

banks survive this budget.

Other

health goals for quality of life. Positive and supportive living and working

conditions in all of our communities: that's goal No. 1. Let's see what the

government will do for working conditions for working people. I know that

they're reviewing the employment standards branch, the human rights branch, the

Labour Relations Board, the tenants' rights branch. I know all of those are

under review. We'll certainly have to watch that carefully in terms of quality

of life.

[1450]

Opportunities

for all individuals to develop and maintain the capacities and skills needed to

thrive and meet life's challenges and to make choices that enhance health. Well,

isn't that interesting? One of the cuts that was hidden yesterday — but that

we know about even though this government refused to announce it — was to

programs that moved people from welfare to work, which were very useful for

young people. So there's goal No. 2 that we'll have to watch very carefully,

because the cuts to this government seem to undermine that goal.

Goal No. 3:

a diverse and sustainable physical environment with clean, healthy and safe air,

water and land. Well, isn't that interesting? Yes. Yesterday we saw cuts to the

climate change programs. I felt sorry for the Minister of Water, Land and Air

Protection. Her responsibility is to defend the environment, to protect the

environment. All the real programs have moved over to the Minister of

Sustainable Resource Management.

Really, the

Minister for Sustainable Resources is responsible for making sure that mining

and forest companies have access to the land. Her responsibility is to defend

the environment, and what does she do? She stands up, and she looks backward in

complete error because there's no better record for environmental protection

than B.C. until yesterday. What does she do? She stands up, and she looks

backward because she can't give a justification of why she cut the green economy

programs that would move our economy forward in a sustainable way, and she can't

give justification of why climate change programs were cut either.

Kyoto

protocol — years and years and years of work.

Interjection.

MacPhail: Oh, I'm sorry. That's an exaggeration. The Kyoto protocol only

came in, in the mid-nineties, so my apologies. There's the Kyoto protocol that

was at great risk for not coming to fruition. People across the world went to

Bonn, Germany, and spent two weeks hammering out the way that they're going to

implement the Kyoto protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The

entire world signed on. In fact, Canada was a leader, much to the credit of the

federal government and the environmental groups that went there.

They stayed

at the table and worked out an agreement that would have the entire world sign

on to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, except for one country. That's George

W. Bush's country. The same guy who thinks that tax cuts in Texas's trickle-down

theory would help working people, and it turns out he was dead wrong…. Now

this government is joining with George W. Bush once again and saying:

"Climate change isn't important. We're not going to do a gosh-darn thing to

reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, that program's out the window."

That's how they're going to sustain a physical environment with clean, healthy

and safe…. We'll just add that to the checklist as we watch this.

effective and efficient health service system that provides equitable access to

appropriate services. Well, I guess if people want that, they're going to have

to rely on the very optimistic forecast of the Minister of Finance, who has been

wrong throughout his career on that matter, to gain increases in health care

spending.

[1455]

Nurses are

certainly going to have to look elsewhere than to this government for meeting

their needs. Nurses that I talk with each and every day are leaving this

province directly as a result of this government's actions. They can't look to

anyone else except this government to send nurses fleeing the province. Nurses

in Trail in the dozens are resigning. They're either leaving the workforce….

Actually, dozens is an underestimation. Nurses in the Trail Hospital are leaving

in the dozens. They're either leaving the workforce or fleeing the province. So

anyway, we'll monitor that goal No. 4 in the health goals for British Columbia.

[J.

Weisbeck in the chair.]

Here's

another one. Improved health for aboriginal people is provincial health goal No.

5. There was dead silence yesterday in this budget for aboriginal people. There

was lots of news for big corporations, lots of news for car dealers, lots of

news for mining companies. There was no news for small business, that's true,

but for everybody else on the corporate side there was big news. There was not

one iota of hope for aboriginal people, certainly not in the area of health or

education. This government can't utter the words "better health and

education for aboriginal peoples."

It is

absolutely true that much more needs to be done. I stand here today and admit

that much more needs to be done for first nations and aboriginal people in

health and education and the economy. There was much progress made. The great

strides that the province had made on behalf of aboriginal people were

recognized by all first nations throughout the election. But we New Democrats

recognized that more needed to be done, as did first nations. All of that ground

to a halt with the election of this government and with the tabling of this

budget yesterday. There was not one word of how trickle-down economics will

improve the health of aboriginal people.

[ Page 156 ]

Goal No. 6:

reduction of preventable illness, injuries, disabilities and premature deaths.

Yes, preventive health care is the best. The goal goes on to explain how good

health that has everybody eating and sleeping and clothed and housed properly is

the way to reduce our health costs. So what did this government do? They managed

to cut the programs of people who need the income the most: welfare, social

housing, moms that require child care. So not only do they not live up to goal

No. 6, but they directly attack the underlying premise of goal No. 6.

Quality of

life. We'll look at the provincial health goals and monitor those to see how

this budget stands up.

I think the

other item that we should have on the checklist is environmental sustainability.

We had a response today from the Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection that

basically said: "We're not going to do anything for environmental

sustainability." Basically she said: "Oh my gosh, the NDP government

was so awful in the past, and you should hang your head in shame. Anything that

we do would be better."

We'll see.

Let's add that to the checklist. Let's see how cutting climate change

programs…. Let's see how restoring the grizzly bear hunt helps environmental

sustainability. Let's see how firing the endangered species conservation

specialists in the province helps environmental sustainability. Let's see how

offshore oil and gas drilling helps environmental sustainability. Let's see how

deregulating the Forest Practices Code, which requires a balanced approach to

land use, helps environmental sustainability. These are just issues that we'll

add to the checklist to monitor this.

[1500]

Let's add

protection of individual rights to the checklist as a way that we can monitor

the budget. British Columbia, for the last decade, has been at the cutting edge

of the protection of individual rights. Certainly there was absolutely no news

in the budget yesterday about how the protection of rights through sustained

programs would help, although we did have a hint at the future of protection of

individual rights. The Attorney General — not during the budget, but last week

— stood up and said that every single independent administrative tribunal in

this province is up for review. The tribunals that protect human rights, the

panels that protect landlord and tenant rights, are up for review. The panels

that protect employment standards rights, both for employers and for employees,

are up for review, and on and on and on he listed tribunals that will be up for

review.

Now, I hope

— and we add this to our checklist — that review isn't a euphemism for

"cut." I hope the euphemism of "review of panels that protect

individual rights" is not going to be sacrificed to pay for the big

corporation tax cuts of a quarter of a billion dollars that we saw yesterday.

We'll add that to the checklist to monitor the success of this government's

budget.

Perhaps

this will be the last item on the checklist. I could go on, but the public…. I

think a nine- or ten-point plan would be a good checklist for monitoring.

The last

one is: how does the economy in the budget affect young people? Let's look at

the future of our province through how well this budget delivers for young

people. Well, we saw yesterday that the first thing that happened was that there

were cuts to programs for moving young people from welfare to work. Let's see

how many jobs are created for young people in the province as this government

takes a very risky approach in its trickle-down theory of economics. Let's see

how access to post-secondary education improves for young people throughout this

province. I dearly hope that the new Liberal era, the new Campbell era, model

for young people is not "young people should be seen and not heard." I

hope that's not what this government does, but to date, this government has

chosen to say to young people: "You should be seen and not heard. We don't

want to hear your voices or advice on anything." So we'll monitor the

budget over the course of the coming months about how it affects young people.

I note that

the government of the day, the Campbell-led government, has put in place a

progress board, I believe it's called. I'm going to make sure that the progress

board has this checklist to monitor. The progress board, of course, has no young

people on it, nobody who earns minimal income, definitely no one who earns a

lower income. It has nobody who has a reputation for caring passionately about

the environment. It certainly doesn't have anybody who cares passionately about

working families and their right to protection in the workplace.

I'm going

to add my checklist to the progress board's checklist, although we don't know

what their checklist is, because my checklist will be very much needed in order

to have, in any way, a balanced approach to the economy in this province.

[1505]

Mr.

Speaker, I see that the Premier has written another letter to his cabinet. I

think that's probably the third letter: one to tell you what to do, one to

rescind telling you what he wanted you to do and now to give you another set of

instructions. Yikes. Open and accountable cabinet, I guess, means the Premier

directing the cabinet to do their business, each and every day, with a new

letter. I see that the Premier has given a direction for the core review. We'll

see. He's set out some tenets of review, and we will see what that means. As the

great test of the budget comes about, what will happen to social programs in

this province? What will happen to the Ministry of Children and Family

Development, which didn't receive one iota of good news yesterday? What happens

to health and education? What happens to programs for seniors? What happens to

multicultural programs? What happens to the province's responsibility for

assisting the multicultural community? What happens to environmental protection

programs? What happens to sexual assault centres? What happens to our

correctional facilities? What happens to programs for young offenders? We'll see

about all of that. What happens to our post-secondary institutions as they are

subject to the core review?

[ Page 157 ]

I finish my

remarks today where I started yesterday. I wish Premier Campbell well. I know

that the public received a great deal more information yesterday about the

radical agenda, the risky agenda, the reckless agenda of this government than

they ever received in the previous ten weeks or ten months.

New

information was revealed yesterday about the three Rs: the risky, radical,

reckless agenda of this government, as some would say. I hope that the worries

of British Columbians around the unbalanced approach taken in this budget do not

come to fruition. I hope that this government is forthright and speedy. If new

information comes out about errors they may have made in judging the strength of

the economy, I hope they'll be forthright and reveal that information

immediately and make changes in their radical and risky budget to accommodate

the softening of the economy if it does occur.

I hope that

after they do their core review, if they admit that they don't want to mislead

the public and that they don't want to cut programs, they will review their

budget and make changes. I hope, most importantly, that Premier Campbell reveals

all of his initiatives, that he tells the truth to the public about everything

he's doing, about the cuts in taxes that he's making for the corporations, about

the cuts he's making in programs for low-income, vulnerable people in this

province. That would be a balanced approach, and I will watch it with interest

and with my checklist over the coming months.

Hon. S.

Santori: Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honour and a privilege to stand before

this House today representing the constituents of West Kootenay–Boundary.

Before I begin my remarks in response to the throne speech, I want to extend my

congratulations to you for having been selected the Deputy Speaker and to the

member for Kamloops for having been chosen Speaker of this assembly.

[1510]

I want to

say that I'm also honoured to have been selected to serve on our new

government's cabinet as the first minister responsible for the new Ministry of

Management Services. Within my ministry we are taking steps to build and support

a new way of doing business in government, a new way that focuses on better

serving the taxpayer and public through an approach that looks first at public

convenience and not administrative convenience.

It's this

approach that is guiding our initiatives: to restore open tendering and fair

practices for procurement on government contracts; to involve the public

directly in helping identify and eliminate wasteful practices through our

waste-buster web site; to establish new standards of merit to guide our hiring

practices; to develop a new approach to shared services within government with

the objective of building the best public service in Canada, a public service

that will ensure the best and most efficient delivery of government services to

the public of British Columbia. We are also committed to developing a human

resource plan that will help renew our public service.

Over the

past several days I have heard or read almost all the speeches made in this

chamber. Each and every member has made reference to the beauty of their

particular constituency and their area of the province. They've talked about

what each area has to offer, its unique characteristics and its tremendous

opportunities.

When you

take the sum of what has been said before me, what I am about to say and, I'm

sure, the comments of those to follow, it will add up to one clear conclusion:

no matter where one chooses to live in this great province, one will be

surrounded only by natural beauty and afforded tremendous potential and

opportunity.

When I

think about our province — its vastness, its diversity, geography, climate and

lifestyles — I think about being in a restaurant with an enormous menu with

something to suit everyone, a menu from the exotic to just plain old good

cooking. British Columbians take pride in maintaining this diversity and

protecting the right to make individual choices.

This

diverse menu serves all of us by recognizing that we don't all have the same

taste. Sure, we all need to be fed, but the choices we make in terms of

lifestyle, access to the outdoors and size and shape of community are all

different for different reasons. I'm happy to live in a smaller community. My family has enjoyed the benefits of a small community, but I know the choice

to live in smaller communities depends on the opportunities that exist now and

in the future.

I also know

that even though potential opportunities are abundant, rural communities need

the support of this government to make the most of them. In fact, I chose to run

locally to be a strong voice for West Kootenay–Boundary, where rural

communities previously felt they were viewed as a liability to government. Not

so now. This is indeed a new era and a new government that has a strong mandate

for positive change, and its top priority is renewing our economy, something

rural communities will play a key role in.

Just as

those of us from rural communities have known for a long time, our new

government recognizes rural British Columbia as a tremendous asset to this

province. Smaller communities can and will develop opportunities and attract

investment in rural British Columbia that will provide sustainable economies,

stronger local decision-making and more lifestyle and career options for

residents, which in turn will help restore and strengthen the whole province's

economy.

Rural

British Columbia can already see that it is benefiting from the actions we are

taking. But let me make it clear this government knows that to realize its

potential and fully share in the benefits, rural British Columbia has unique

needs that must be addressed by government through specific steps focusing on

those needs.

I've been

in office for a little less than two months, and I am extremely excited about

the new direction of our government. I'm excited because we're acting on

[ Page 158 ]

our promises and commitments, and I can see that British Columbians are

gaining confidence that we mean exactly what we say. Prior to the recent

election we said that rural British Columbia would have more of a say in this

government, and less than 45 days into our mandate we've lived up to that

commitment with the creation of a Kootenay caucus committee.

[1515]

It's a

caucus committee with a Kootenay focus to help identify and address our region's

unique needs and provide our community an opportunity for valid input in

determining how their health, their education or other government services will

be developed and delivered. Perhaps just as important to having an equal share

of government services is having an equal voice in the decisions of government

and taking an active

part in creating a strong and prosperous British Columbia.

Through our Kootenay caucus, communities throughout the region will be able to

bring forward their visions for restoring the great province they helped to

build.

Now, Mr.

Speaker, I'd like you to join me briefly on a quick tour of West

Kootenay–Boundary. I think you'll find that it illustrates what I've been

saying about natural beauty, diversity and opportunity. I hope you conclude that

these communities have a key role to play in restoring the prosperity of our

province.

We begin in

the eastern part of the region, in which lies the beautiful Beaver Valley and

the villages of Fruitvale and Montrose. This truly idyllic area provides a

peaceful and remote country setting and lifestyle amidst some of the province's

most beautiful scenery.

Moving

west, we arrive in the city of Trail, situated on the banks of the mighty

Columbia River. It serves as the business and financial centre of the greater

Trail area and also for the regional health care centre in the West Kootenay,

with the largest diagnostic and acute care hospital in the West Kootenay region.

Trail is

renowned for its competitive spirit and rich sports tradition. It's home of the

world-famous Trail Smokeaters hockey club, the 1939 and 1961 world champions.

Trail's tradition of hospitality has seen it serve as host to a variety of major

provincial events — just recently, the B.C. provincial Little League

championships. It has hosted the B.C. Winter Games. It has hosted the B.C.

Summer Games in partnership with the city of Castlegar. We've hosted the B.C.

Festival of the Arts and the B.C. Seniors Games. All of these major events have

been held in this community.

In 1995 the

Babe Ruth World Series was held in Trail — the first time the event was ever

held outside the United States. This proved to be a wise decision, because in

just three days the event broke all previous U.S. attendance records.

On June 14

of this year, Trail celebrated its 100th birthday, one which we were all very

proud to be part of. It brought several thousand Trailites back together to

reminisce about the good old days, but also to look forward to a bright future.

I could go

on and on, but I won't, except to point out one item of note about Trail's

competitive spirit. In September — and I invite you all — Trail will put its

reputation on the line and its best foot forward as it strives to enter the

Guinness Book of World Records . Those who have been in Trail can appreciate

this. This is to surpass the existing world record for the largest single

serving of pasta. Our goal is to exceed the current record, the current entry

into the Guinness Book of World Records , of 800 pounds. So bon appétit , and

please visit us. There'll be plenty for everybody, believe me.

Up the

road, we move into the village of Warfield, known as the jewel of the Kootenays.

From there, we move on to the city of Rossland, a very cosy alpine community in

the heart of the Monashee mountain range. The community is famed for the Red

Mountain ski hill and is home of Nancy Greene Raine and Kerrin Lee-Gartner.

We move to

Castlegar, which is often referred to as the crossroads of the West Kootenays,

with its roots rich in Russian heritage and tradition. It serves as the home of

Selkirk College, the regional centre of educational excellence. It is also the

home of the regional airport.

We move to

Christina Lake, which offers full, four-season recreational opportunity and

boasts of attracting more than 10,000 visitors each year.

Grand

Forks, located just north of the U.S. border, is a thriving forestry centre with

a strong diversified agriculture industry and is a source of mineral resources.

Off to

Greenwood, the smallest city in British Columbia, a historic and heritage

site which recalls the area's richest mining tradition.

Midway is a

former mining boomtown and former eastern gateway to the famed Kettle Valley

Railway.

B.C.'s

biggest gold rush started in the community of Rock Creek, which today has become

a thriving livestock centre.

Off to the

small community of 350, Beaverdell, which is set in the mountains near a cluster

of 16 gorgeous lakes that attract several thousands of visitors each and every

year.

[1520]

Then we

move on into the Christian Valley to Westbridge, which too is serving as a centre

for supplying the growing outdoor recreation and ecotourism industry. Then to

Big White, which is British Columbia's highest resort and is quickly becoming

one of the leading world-class ski resorts in Canada, attracting seasonal and

year-round residents.

Last, but

definitely not least, is the small community of Bridesville, a ranching centre

perched atop the scenic Bridesville plateau, whose beauty continues to attract

visitors and new residents.

As I said

earlier, I offered this quick tour as a way of demonstrating that, even within

the West Kootenay–Boundary, as in the rest of this province, we have an

incredible range of diversity and endless choices of lifestyle. It is an area

rich in tradition and history, with communities that have a proven record of

hard work and boundless spirit, a solid foundation that lends itself to the

future growth and prosperity of the West Kootenay–Boundary.

[ Page 159 ]

Now I'd

like to focus on how our government's agenda will help not only our West

Kootenay–Boundary region but all our rural communities to achieve greater

economic prosperity. In my areas of responsibility alone we are actively moving

ahead on a number of key initiatives that are part of our 90-day commitments. We

are proceeding to ensure open tendering on government contracts and procurement.

This is a complex initiative that will see a fundamental change in how

businesses in all parts of our province access and deal with business

opportunities with government.

It will

include continuing the windup of Highway Constructors Ltd. to eliminate barriers

to open tendering of highway construction. It will repeal the Skills Development

and Fair Wage Act, which prescribes the wages that must be paid on construction

projects over $250,000. We will pursue the termination of the community social

services successorship accord. We will terminate as quickly as possible the New

Forest Opportunities Ltd. program, which applies HCL-type provisions on

silviculture and land-based forestry contracts in coastal British Columbia.

We will

immediately terminate the policy accord on government training expenditures. We

want to immediately consolidate posting of government bids on a single bid site

for easier and equal access for every British Columbian. We want to extend the

procurement provisions of the agreement on internal trade to Crown corporations,

and we want to consult with municipalities, academic institutions, schools,

social service agencies and the health sector to reduce interprovincial trade

barriers, as they are not currently subject to these provisions.

This is a

challenging set of tasks. It will take some time, but we will deliver more open

tendering and procurement in short order. Our waste-buster web site will be up

and running on August 15, so taxpayers can help identify, report and stamp out

government waste. And trust me, Mr. Speaker, the last government left us with a

lot of waste to take care of.

We are also

working on our promise to ensure that it is a professional, non-partisan public

service that serves British Columbia. I will be introducing merit employment

legislation during this session to support this objective.

We are

getting the message out that B.C. is open once again to the mining sector. This,

I know, will come as good news to the Boundary area of my region as well as to

many other parts of the province. Mining has traditionally been an important

part of our economy, and it can be again. Our government recognizes that there

are serious environmental concerns that need to be addressed, but we also

believe there is a way to allow economic development that is safe and compatible

with our economic and environmental objectives.

Communities

can use their unique perspective to develop solutions that do work. I want to

use my city of Trail as a prime example — a city that was faced with having to

make a choice between jobs, generating industry, and the environment. It rose to

that occasion, seeing it as an opportunity to change what wasn't working to

something that works extremely well today. The community knew only too well that

industry, community and environmental needs were like a tripod, ever-linked and

interdependent pieces of the same thing. As a community, we set up a community

task force that found a balance between these needs, allowing each leg of their

tripod to stand and the community to continue to thrive.

[1525]

The efforts

and achievements of this community-led problem-solving initiative are now known

throughout the world as an effective model for community-driven sustainability.

Inquiries have come from all across the world and as far away as Port Pirie,

Australia. They are now using our model, the model that was developed in the

city of Trail, to work towards successful, science-based sustainability — a

commitment that this government has made in all areas.

Our

government is taking a similar approach working together with science, industry

and communities, so even a small community such as the city of Trail can lead

change and have a significant impact on how we create successful models for

future sustainability. They can play pivotal roles in developing the

diversification needed to create sustainable economies. We're working to help

communities take advantage of opportunities like these by creating an

environment that is more conducive to economic development and investment.

Our

government wants all British Columbians to have an equal chance to participate

fully in the new knowledge economy, get our economy back on track and get our

province's fiscal house back in order. The key to this is bridging the digital

divide, the modern-day barrier to equal access for those living in rural areas.

Our government is acting on its promise to establish a Premier's council on

technology made up of technology leaders, educators and researchers who will

help guide our work to bridge the digital divide.

Although

they have yet to be put to use, there is no end to the opportunities of

efficiencies and connectivity in e-government. Tapping into them is a key goal

of my ministry, and that is to provide a single, on-line portal so that

businesses and contractors have easier access to government tenders, allowing

fair competition and, at the end of the day, significant savings for the

taxpayers.

Many small

and remote communities have telecommunications infrastructure that is vastly

inferior to that in larger urban markets. We're working to extend high-speed,

broad-band Internet access to every community in British Columbia. In the past,

rural B.C. has felt separated from its government. We'll create drive-through

electronic connections to e-government services and procurement that will shrink

the distances between people and government and make all geographic barriers

less important.

In the

past, setting up a small business in rural British Columbia was difficult. It

was hampered by too much red tape and slow process. I just want to give one

[ Page 160 ]

example, because I promised this individual that I would bring it up in this

House. This was a gentleman who wanted to start a backpack, cross-country ski

operation in Midway. His quest for this new venture and investment started five

years ago. Five years and $105,000 later, because of the bureaucracy and the red

tape, that gentleman is still not in business today.

We're

actively deregulating many aspects of business: eliminating unnecessary red

tape, removing interprovincial trade barriers and providing tax breaks that are

vital to ensuring future investment in the Kootenays and other areas of British

Columbia. In order for rural British Columbia to be successful economically, we

need the basic ingredients.

I am glad

and very supportive of this government and our initiatives in providing greater

local autonomy on a number of levels. That is, providing school board autonomy

to enhance flexibility and choice in public education so we can make those

decisions that are required locally, and in the best interest; providing

multi-year funding to enhance long-term education planning; strengthening our

network of colleges and on-line learning opportunities; strengthening community

decision-making through the community charter legislation; and improving health

standards across British Columbia to ensure all citizens in all parts of B.C.

have equitable, reliable and high-quality health services.

All of

these are critical, important components to rural British Columbia to ensure

that we are on a level playing field in order to achieve what we want to in

terms of economic development. I am proud that this government will deliver on

those promises.

[1530]

Mr.

Speaker, I am very proud to stand in the Legislature today to speak in support

of the agenda of our government as outlined in the Speech from the Throne and

the extremely positive message that we received yesterday from our Minister of

Finance, the rebuilding and rekindling of this great province. I'm equally proud

of my roots in the West Kootenay–Boundary region and in the community of

Trail. I know that what's good for our rural areas and communities will benefit

British Columbia as a whole. It's time to get on with rebuilding this province,

to rekindle and recapture its tremendous potential and promise.

Sahota: Mr. Deputy Speaker, it's an honour and a privilege to rise for the

first time on behalf of the people of Burnaby-Edmonds and have the opportunity

to respond to the economic and fiscal update. First, I want to begin by

congratulating you and the Speaker for your election. We're very fortunate to

have the two dedicated members who I know will set a very positive tone for this

chamber.

At this

time, I would also like to acknowledge the work and efforts of those who

preceded me: Fred Randall, Dave Mercier and Rosemary Brown. I'm honoured and

humbled to be one of 79 democratically elected representatives in the province

of British Columbia. I would like to thank the voters of Burnaby-Edmonds and the

voters of this province for electing a B.C. Liberal government.

The people

have entrusted us. The people have given us a strong mandate. There is no

question that on May 16, British Columbia made history. It was a landmark

election which ended ten years of incompetence, distrust and decline. The

citizens spoke loud and clear. They want a government that is accountable. They

want a government that listens to them. They want a government that cares. They

want a government that understands that to have the best health care and

education system means we must have a thriving economy.

constituents were pleased to see many of our election commitments reflected not

only in the Speech from the Throne but also in the Fiscal and Economic Update

presented by the Minister of Finance yesterday. I am proud to be part of a

government that has already delivered on some of its promises. People were

looking for a signal, and I believe they got it. They got it when they saw us

deliver, on day one, a dramatic cut in personal income taxes. For British

Columbians who are struggling every day to make ends meet, the dramatic cut in

personal income taxes was a huge boost.

Again,

yesterday a clear signal was given as the Minister of Finance outlined more tax

cuts, so British Columbia can be well on its way to become competitive again. We

campaigned on that, and now we have delivered on that. Mr. Speaker, we must

revitalize the economy. We must encourage investment. We must increase the

confidence in our economy. And I believe the economic and fiscal update that was

presented yesterday will do just that.

To do

nothing was not an option for us. My constituents were not only looking for tax

relief; the range of issues that are important to my constituents reflect the

broad range of issues that also concern all British Columbians. Education and

health care remain important issues. As promised in the campaign, we will be

maintaining the budget for both.

As with

most urban centres, crime is also a huge problem in Burnaby-Edmonds. But as our

demands increase, our resources have decreased. So as these pressures build, the

question is: how do we continue to pay for resources when our economy, for the

last ten years, has been shrinking? Do we continue to spend without planning for

the future? Do we continue to waste, as the previous government did, on such

megaprojects as the fast ferries?

In a

climate where for the last ten years our forest industry and our mining industry

have been driven out of this province, where income taxes and other taxes have

risen while the take-home pay has decreased, this was no longer acceptable. But

it's not only our resource sectors that have suffered and hurt. It is sectors

like the high-tech industry which have been adversely affected due to our

increasing tax burden. Burnaby is home to many leading high-tech firms, such as

Ballard Power, Electronic Arts, Creo Products and many more leading

international firms. Burnaby has become a magnet for high-tech firms.

[ Page 161 ]

[1535]

But we're

more than that. The city of Burnaby is a diverse community with a diverse

landscape. My riding sits in the southeast corner of the city. I am very

fortunate to have three other colleagues representing Burnaby in its entirety

here in the Legislature. We are the third-largest city in B.C. We have over 100

parks, two lakes, fish-bearing streams, agricultural land, forestry firms and

thousands of small businesses. Burnaby is also home to BCIT and SFU.

Our

population is diverse. We have a growing ethnic population: Chinese, Koreans,

Spanish, Russians and Punjabis. The people are hard-working, and like other

British Columbians, they want government to do what it promises.

Like any

major city, Burnaby also has its problems: crime, poverty, drugs. I will be

working with various groups in the community to alleviate some of these

problems. I have approached and will continue to approach my cabinet colleagues

on these and other specific issues in Burnaby-Edmonds. I'm also pleased that our

new structure of government caucus committees has given all of us another venue

where we can be part of decision-making and, in turn, strengthening

accountability.

At this

point I would also like to provide some personal background and insight about

myself. My great-uncle came to British Columbia in the early 1900s, although our

country wasn't always such a welcoming place back then. There was a time when we

weren't allowed to own property or to vote. We were considered second-class

citizens.

Despite

that, we still came here. We came here because this country, this place, offered

us all an opportunity to advance. We as a Canadian society have made great

progress. We have come a long way. Just look at the Legislature today: eight

legislators that have origins in India, three of Chinese background. So when the

member for Vancouver-Hastings talks about multiculturalism and about who will

represent the ethnic communities, I encourage her to look around, and she will

see that we're all there.

My parents

came to B.C. in 1960 and settled in the small interior town of Merritt. They

decided to go back to India in the late sixties, and I was born in India. The

first ten years of my life were spent in India. In 1979 we came back to Merritt,

where we settled once again. I graduated from the University of Victoria, so it

is a pleasure to be back in the capital. I have had the opportunity to live in

many parts of this province. Now my home in Burnaby-Edmonds is located on the

same land as Sample's Boarding House, where the first council meetings for the

city of Burnaby were held. I'm proud of that.

professional background includes working in politics for a number of years and

in the forest industry. It seems that most of my family — my dad, my uncle and

my cousins — have prospered because of this industry. My father worked in the

mill. With his paycheque he was able to put all four of his girls through

college and university. We never lived beyond our means. That was one of the

great things that my parents taught us about priorities.

mentioned, I come from a family of four girls. In Indian culture, females aren't

revered as much as males. The day I was elected, my mother said to me:

"This country, this place, has given us so much. It has given my daughters

an equal opportunity to advance." For my parents and many others who have

come to this country, it is for this reason: opportunity and hope that the

future will be brighter.

At this

point I would also like to thank the many people who have been instrumental in

my political success. I would like to thank my entire campaign team and the many

volunteers who put countless hours into the campaign. Campaigns aren't

glamorous; they're hard work. Words aren't enough to express the gratitude I

feel for the people who took time out of their lives so they could elect me. You

are all truly a special group of people, so I would like to thank my entire

campaign team.

To the

Premier and assembly of elected representatives from across the province: all of

us have made huge personal sacrifices in our personal lives to serve the public

for the next four years. Let us not forget why we did it, and let us not forget

that British Columbians are counting on us to deliver.

The people

of this province want desperately to believe that parliamentary democracy can

work, but their confidence has been shaken. It is truly our duty to bring this

confidence back. It is truly a privilege to be here today among so many talented

and intelligent individuals who have all sacrificed a huge amount to be here.

Being an elected official is an incredible privilege and a huge responsibility.

I know we will not let British Columbians down.

P. Bell:

Mr. Speaker, first let me start by congratulating you on the elevation to

your new office. Also, please pass on my congratulations to the member for

Kamloops on the elevation to his office.

[1540]

I'd also

like to thank a few key individuals who've helped me and supported me over the

past year and a half. Ron East encouraged me to enter the political arena some

time ago. Mr. East is a gentleman who works quietly behind the scenes. He truly

is the type of citizen that makes B.C. a great place to live. Mr.

East needs to be recognized not only for his support of me in my campaign but also

for his role in the development of the University of Northern B.C. about 12

years ago.

I'd also

like to thank Jim Blake and Mary Chen. Both of these individuals worked

tirelessly in my campaign, and I'm proud to call them my friends. I'd also like

to thank my friend and colleague from Prince George–Mount Robson. We've become

very good friends over the past six months and certainly have had a wonderful

time throughout our campaigns.

introduction into politics can be successful without the support of one's

family. Certainly my wife, Brenda, and my three children have stood behind me

from the beginning. In addition, I'd like to thank my

[ Page 162 ]

father-in-law and mother-in-law, Clarence and Charlotte Lapp, for their

never-ending support.

Yesterday

the Minister of Finance began unfolding a new era for British Columbia. I

commend the minister on his aggressive position that he's taken to revitalizing

our economy. It's through these bold steps that B.C. will move from being the

worst to being first and regain the economic position it so richly deserves.

Like many

British Columbians, 18 months ago I was frustrated. We live in a province of

endless opportunity, but it seemed like roadblocks were at every corner. We'd

suffered through ten years of incompetence and ineffective management. It was

time for a change. Although I did not have a political background, it became

apparent to me that we needed more people with a business sense representing us.

One can choose to be part of the solution. I sensed that we had a real

opportunity under the leadership of Premier Campbell to enter a new era — a

new era of accountability, a new era of hope and a new era of prosperity.

I'm excited

about the opportunities that we're facing. We have an abundance of natural

resources like no other province in Canada. Whether it's our timber resource in

the Cariboo, the oil and gas in the Peace or the untapped mineral resources of

the Rocky Mountain Trench, opportunity is everywhere. We're done with the decade

of decline and headed into the century of opportunity.

People have

questioned our ability to execute our campaign promises. We set an aggressive

target for the first 90 days with a commitment on 21 specific actions, of which

we've already accomplished eight, with more to come in the next few weeks. On

our first day in office we exceeded all expectations by introducing a 25 percent

tax cut. Now, that's dramatic. We will complete our promises, and we will

complete them in the allotted time. People need to have confidence in their

political leadership. This will take time, given the circumstances of the past

ten years, but we must maintain our resolve, and we will earn back the

confidence of the past.

I'd like to

talk a bit about my constituency of Prince George North. Prince George North is

called home by 39,000 people. The riding stretches from the pristine wilderness

of the Muskwa-Kechika in the north to the city of Prince George in the south.

While many of the members of this House can cycle across their ridings in about

15 minutes, it takes me three hours to fly from one end to the other in an

airplane. Communities with names like Kwadacha, Tsay Keh, Bear Lake and Summit

Lake are all located in my riding, but about 70 percent of the population lives

in the city of Prince George.

My riding

is also the site of the first settlement north of San Francisco in the North

American continent, at the end of McLeod Lake. This is where Alexander Mackenzie

spent his first winter and the Hudson's Bay Company established a long-term

post. Located in Prince George are five pulp mills and six sawmills. We're

extremely dependent on forestry for our livelihood. The past five years have

seen many mill closures and downtime in the riding, leading to a decreasing

population base. It's with a real sense of optimism that we enter into a new era

of hope and prosperity. Prince George North will be a full participant in this

new era.

[1545]

I grew up

in Vancouver and attended UBC, but I've made my home in Prince George for the

past 13 years. I believe this gives me a unique perspective on how the north

perceives the rest of the province and how in fact the north is perceived. The

north has a huge base of natural resources. Collectively, the north has 45

percent of the province's timber, 69 percent of the agricultural land base, 35

percent of the hydroelectrical generating capacity and virtually all of the oil

and gas.

We are

frontier. For residents of the north, the environment is not a cause. It's not a

slogan; it's where we live. Just a few years ago the town of Mackenzie, which is

in my riding, had 43 grizzly bears wander through the community in a single

year. Now, that's living on the frontier. Forestry truly is our livelihood in

the north.

This

government has taken up the cause and prioritized this important industry. I

quote from the Speech from the Throne: "No sector is more important to our

economy than our forest industry, a sector that has been hard-hit over the last

several years. It has gone from one of the lowest-cost producers of fibre in

North America to one of the highest-cost producers. My government plans to turn

that around."

Four key

issues for the forest industry must and will be addressed by our government.

First, we must resolve the softwood trade issue with our neighbours to the

south. This issue has haunted us for many years, and we must come to resolution.

I can't tell you how excited I and my constituents were at the appointment of

the member for Abbotsford–Mount Lehman to the Ministry of Forests. My belated

congratulations to the minister. We couldn't have a better individual for this

job of resolving this critical international trade issue.

We must

also create a stumpage system that allows our industry to compete on an

international basis. Waterbedding of stumpage must go. Industry in some parts of

the province has been burdened with artificially high stumpage rates to support

areas of the province that have become uncompetitive. The Forest Practices Code

must be revised to reflect a results-based attitude. We have many professional

individuals in our industry who are capable of achieving the results we desire.

One-size-fits-all solutions don't work and must not be allowed to hamper the

competitiveness of our industry.

Finally, we

must eliminate or fix Forest Renewal B.C., a step that we have started on. For

too many years this entity has operated without a plan or a strategy. Let

industry do what it does best and be efficient with our silviculture dollars.

Right now we're facing a crisis in the northern forests. A nasty little beetle

is chewing its way through our overmature pine stands at a horrific rate. This

year the mountain pine beetle will kill 40 million cubic metres of pine, and

that number increases exponentially every year.

[ Page 163 ]

It's

important for all members of this House to understand the true size of this

problem, so I'll try and put it in some unique terms. For those of you from the

lower mainland, if you can imagine the worst nightmare of a traffic jam, logging

trucks lined up all the way from Hope to Horseshoe Bay, 161 trucks wide —

that's how much timber we're talking about. For our friends from Vancouver

Island, so they can relate as well, it would take 83,000 fast ferries to carry

all of the logs that are going to be infected this year.

Hon. C.

Clark: No kidding.

P. Bell:

No kidding.

For our

financing friends, at the cost of our previous round of fast ferries, that would

translate into an expenditure of $12.5 trillion. The Premier understands the

importance of this issue, and I, along with three of my northern colleagues, am

meeting throughout the north with local individuals who have the expertise to

solve this problem.

[1550]

I would

like to remind all the members of this House about the value of wood. Too often

we turn to concrete and steel to build our major projects and turn a blind eye

to the product that drives our economy. There are success stories, and one such

story is located in my riding. Heather Park Middle School was built as a pilot

project a few years ago, utilizing as much wood as practical. The results are

impressive. We saved $200,000 on this project by utilizing wood frame

construction. A considerable amount of wood was used as replacements for

traditional materials. In fact, if we followed this formula in all

government-funded projects where applicable, we would be able to add two

additional sawmills in B.C. due to the increased demand for lumber and decrease

the construction costs of our average projects.

I would

encourage all members of this House to consider and encourage using wood in

projects in their constituencies. Whether it be a new school or your local

constituency office, wood makes good sense and helps build our economy. Wood is

good.

The

value-added or secondary manufacturing sector is also worth mentioning.

Currently, just 16 percent of our annual harvest makes it beyond two-by-fours in

this province and represents less than 1 percent of the total value-added sector

in the United States. We're continuing to beat ourselves up trying to sell

dimension lumber to the U.S. and pay little attention to where the real

opportunities lie.

Value-added

offers huge potential, whether it's in engineered building systems, prefab

walls, edge-glue panels, cabinets, panelling or thousands of other products made

out of wood. The beauty of value-added is that the trees are still milled by the

primary facilities, but then we add jobs and value in the secondary industry. We

have several great examples of this in the north, including Brink Forest

Products.

In closing,

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to have been entrusted by the people of Prince George

to represent them. I'm committed to fulfilling the mandate we were elected with.

Four years from now I want this government to be known as the government that

did what it said it would do.

[Mr.

Speaker in the chair.]

Christensen: Firstly, let me add my voice to that of my colleagues over the

past few days in congratulating you, Mr. Speaker, on your election as Speaker. I

also offer my congratulations to the member for Kelowna–Lake Country, the

southern neighbour to my own constituency, on his appointment as Deputy Speaker.

Certainly, the people of British Columbia have provided you both with a unique

division of seats in this House. It will certainly present its own challenges,

and I'm sure both of you will handle those very, very capably.

I'm very

privileged and honoured to be in this assembly today representing the citizens

of Okanagan-Vernon. My constituents have enjoyed strong representation from

their previous MLAs, whom I would briefly like to acknowledge. Many in this

assembly had the great privilege to serve with Dr. April Sanders in the previous

parliament. She, I understand, very much earned the respect of what was then the

official opposition caucus as their caucus chair. I also understand that she was

informally the Legislature physician. I join with many residents of

Okanagan-Vernon in sincerely hoping that Dr. Sanders at some point in the future

chooses to lend her talents to some form of public office, because certainly she

displayed in the previous parliament, and she continues to display, that she has

a great deal to offer to the people of the province of British Columbia.

Prior to

Dr. Sanders, my constituency was served by Mr. Lyall Hanson, who was a previous

cabinet colleague of yours and who served the people of British Columbia in a

number of cabinet positions. Mr. Hanson continues to serve the citizens of North

Okanagan in a volunteer capacity with very many local organizations and

continues to be a very strong asset to his community.

I don't

intend to give a full history of all the MLAs who have previously served my

riding, but I do also want to acknowledge Mr. Lyle MacWilliam, who preceded Mr.

Hanson. Mr. MacWilliam was my grade 11 biology teacher — he probably doesn't

want to age himself like that — when he first sought office and was elected as

an MLA. He also then went on to serve the people of North Okanagan as a federal

MP.

All three

of these individuals have offered their support and encouragement to me in

seeking to represent the people of Okanagan-Vernon, and I am grateful to them

for that and for their suggestions along the way. While all three represented

very different political parties and different political views, they each spoke

strongly for the interests of their constituents, and I will earnestly try to

follow their example in providing strong representation for the people of

Okanagan-Vernon as this assembly faces the many challenges ahead.

[ Page 164 ]

[1555]

My ability

to provide strong representation for Okanagan-Vernon is being facilitated very

much by the progressive steps that this government is taking to include

government backbench MLAs in the legislative process. The openness and candour

of the Premier and ministers while in caucus is very welcome. The open-door

approach of the ministers and Premier is a first, and the introduction of

government caucus committees to provide input and recommendations to cabinet is

the type of inclusive approach that will set a new standard for parliamentary

democracy in Canada as well as abroad.

The 77 MLAs

of the government caucus will certainly have plenty to do in setting this

province back on track after the past ten years. Fortunately, this government is

wasting no time in starting on the path to recovery. Yesterday's economic and

fiscal update capped the actions of the government over the past eight weeks in

sending the message that this government of British Columbia is determined to

promote economic recovery and growth in this province to ensure that we can

sustain strong social programs for the people of B.C.

We all

recognize that the government's ability to provide effective health, education

and other services requires money. But beyond dollars alone, our goal must be

the development of effective and sustainable social programs that reflect the

needs and promote the independence of those in our society who are most

vulnerable. The core review process announced by the Premier is the foundation

upon which effective social programs will be developed in this province.

Before I

comment further on the economic and fiscal update, Mr. Speaker, let me take this

opportunity of my first address to this assembly to talk a bit about my riding

of Okanagan-Vernon. Many of my colleagues have suggested over the past week that

their constituencies are the most beautiful in the province, if not the world,

and I sincerely have no doubt that each of them is correct in that each of the

diverse areas of this great province has its own charm and each constituency is

a tribute to the people residing there. However, as I drove south from Vernon on

my way down here this week, along Kalamalka Lake early in the morning, and

looked to the east and saw the sun rising over the snow-capped Monashee

Mountains in the distance, illuminating the Coldstream Valley and the green

orchards and the fields there, I thought to myself that the other members of the

assembly really need to come and visit my constituency to truly appreciate the

awesome beauty that this province can offer.

constituency includes the municipalities of Vernon, Coldstream and Lumby and

Cherryville in the east. It is also home to the Okanagan Indian band. As many

members will know, Okanagan-Vernon is a four-seasons playground. It has

world-class golf facilities at a number of facilities including Predator Ridge,

which hosted the year 2000 Skins tournament. Water sports abound on Okanagan and

Kalamalka lakes in the summer. Ecotourism is becoming an increasing element of

local business as entrepreneurs recognize the potential of those pursuits in and

around the Vernon area and stretching east through Lumby to Cherryville and the

towering Monashee Mountains. In winter we enjoy unequalled downhill and

cross-country skiing at Silver Star Mountain, and the Monashees present

incredible back-country opportunities, some of which are now taking off. Silver

Star and the neighbouring Sovereign Lakes cross-country ski area provide the

finest Nordic skiing in all of North America and are host to many countries'

national Nordic ski and biathlon teams for early season training.

constituency is home to a number of festivals and carnivals throughout the year

that attract visitors from around the world. We recently concluded the annual

Funtastic event, which started out years ago as a major softball tournament but

has grown into one of the largest summer festivals in North America — the

track team participants from around the continent each Canada Day long weekend.

We also had Lumby Days in June, which showcases logger sports and the community

spirit of the people of Lumby and provides a good kickoff for the summer. In

August people can enjoy the Cherryville Festival of the Arts. In February Vernon

hosts its winter carnival, a week-long series of events which has become the

largest winter carnival in western Canada. The success and popularity of these

events are testimony to the community spirit and hospitality of the people of

the communities in Okanagan-Vernon.

I invite

and urge those members of this assembly who have not visited the North Okanagan

recently to come and see the changes. While there were few changes in the latter

part of the nineties, the dawn of the new millennium has brought more activity,

evidencing a sense of optimism and renewal in Okanagan-Vernon. Both Lumby and

Vernon are completing downtown revitalization programs to showcase the heart of

each of those communities.

[1600]

After

considerable and drawn-out debate, Vernon has gone ahead with the construction

of a new multi-purpose facility, including an ice surface to be completed this

fall. That facility will be home to the Vernon Vipers Junior A Hockey Club,

which has claimed the Canadian championship a number of times in the last

decade. It will also put Vernon in a better position to more easily host major

trade shows and conventions. At the same time, construction of a new 750-seat

state-of-the-art performing arts facility will be completed this fall. Both of

these major construction projects were approved by separate referendums during

the last municipal elections, and they are a testimony to the optimism that the

people in and around Vernon have for the future of our community.

Each of

these facilities also showcases the world-class talents of people making the

North Okanagan their home, as each was designed by a consortium of local

architects. The performing arts centre boasts a state-of-the-art sound system

provided by a Vernon company, a company that has designed and provided

[ Page 165 ]

sound systems for many of the top-end performing arts venues throughout North

America. Until the construction of the performing arts facility in Vernon, I

understand, they hadn't provided anything to a community in Canada yet.

Both of

these facilities will help to ensure that the North Okanagan retains its

position as one of the most desirable places in the world to live, offering

modern amenities to its citizens.

Notwithstanding

the many attributes of the municipalities in my constituency, it is somewhat

telling that the major construction developments are both publicly funded

endeavours. The North Okanagan, like most of this province, has suffered from a

lack of private investment over the last decade. The people of Okanagan-Vernon

are craving a change in direction for the province of British Columbia. The

economic and fiscal update delivered by the Minister of Finance yesterday, as

well as last week's Speech from the Throne, makes it clear that such change in

direction is finally here.

constituents look forward to a renewed forest economy. The village of Lumby has

faced the closing of two mills in the past five years. It's really only through

the ingenuity and the resilience of the people of Lumby that that community has

survived. They have now identified a number of initiatives to help their

community move forward and prosper. They are seeking to diversify their economy

and take advantage of the ecotourism potential of the surrounding area, as well

as to build upon their local experience in forest-related industry.

Like almost

every community in this great province, my constituency's economic well-being

depends on a viable and thriving forest industry. Our government has pledged to

pursue the fundamental changes required to create a globally competitive forest

industry renowned for its excellence in forest stewardship. That is good news to

the thousands of people in my constituency who are dependent on the viability of

the forest economy in B.C.

The removal

of the provincial sales tax on production machinery and equipment, along with

the reduction and eventual elimination of the corporate capital tax, sends a

strong message to the forest industry that we want their investment in B.C. We

want their investment in Okanagan-Vernon.

The city of

Vernon has been working hard to attract business to our municipal airport. The

reduction in the aviation fuel tax will make my community more competitive with

other jurisdictions and assist in the expansion of business at the Vernon

airport.

government that recognizes the hard work of small business and the importance of

the entrepreneur to the future prosperity of this province is good news to the

people of Okanagan-Vernon. Because my constituency offers such an ideal quality

of life, many move there and start their own business. They need and look

forward to a government that recognizes the importance of an economic climate

that encourages innovation and facilitates success.

There will

be those who suggest we can't afford the tax cuts announced by the Minister of

Finance yesterday. Given the current state of British Columbia's economy, we

can't afford to simply maintain the status quo and ignore the fact that B.C. has

not been competitive. It has not encouraged economic growth, and it has not

invited investment to our province.

A poor

economy has a very high price for the people of British Columbia. A poor economy

has very human consequences. There's a price that we have witnessed over the

past ten years as people have left British Columbia because the opportunities

have always been elsewhere.

When I

first started practising law in 1995, I spent quite a bit of time in court

chambers, which is where applications are made based on written material. As

such, many applications get heard in a day. When I first started in 1995, you'd

be up there, and you'd maybe hear one foreclosure action. Many days you wouldn't

hear any. Over the past six years I've seen that the number of foreclosure

actions in the court in Vernon has increased significantly, such that the last

time I was in chambers, there had to have been at least ten foreclosure actions

on the court docket.

[1605]

Those are

ten families that are losing their home because they can't afford to pay their

mortgage — ten families displaced because the economy of this province hasn't

been sufficiently strong to support the jobs these families need to pay their

bills. That has to change.

I was

honoured to serve as president of the Downtown Vernon Association from 1997 to

1999 and was a board member of that organization for a number of years. In that

time our board considered numerous initiatives to encourage business in downtown

Vernon and to assist small businesses to prosper. It was always nice to see a

new business move to town and open its doors, but it was equally distressing to

see some new businesses and even some well-established ones pack it in, with

vacancy signs going up because they couldn't make a go of it in British

Columbia.

The small

business people I know work long hours to make their businesses a success, but

they faced an unfriendly atmosphere of red tape and economic inactivity in this

province, an atmosphere that has made it increasingly difficult to succeed. This

government's commitment to fostering a positive business environment by reducing

red tape and lowering taxes is good news for the small businesses of downtown

Vernon and the remainder of my constituency.

No issue is

as important to the people of British Columbia as getting our health care system

fixed, so we can all be confident that our families will receive the health care

we need when we need it. We all recognize that the running of our health care

system is very, very expensive. The Minister of Finance said yesterday that the

Health budget this year would be $9.5 billion, I believe it was, an increase of

more than $1.1 billion from the previous year.

[ Page 166 ]

Apparently,

British Columbia spends near the highest if not the highest per capita on health

care of all other jurisdictions in Canada, yet the newspapers tell us that

confidence in the health care system is declining. I've spoken with doctors,

nurses and health region administrators, and all agree that the current health

system's appetite for more funding is insatiable. With the status quo we can

spend and spend and spend, as appeared to be the previous government's recipe,

but we still won't get the results we want.

The current

labour disputes in health care are indicative of what has been wrong with the

health care debate to date. All we hear about is the demands for more money, yet

that's not where the discussion has been focused when I've spoken with

individual health care workers. They focus on what they believe is necessary to

improve patient care. They are often upset that their suggestions for improved

patient care aren't being heard. They're upset that they can't access the

training they need, the upgrades they need to provide better patient care.

I don't

think anybody would argue that our health care workers — be they nurses,

therapists, technicians, doctors or otherwise — deserve fair and competitive

remuneration. But remuneration alone will not deliver the job satisfaction, nor

will it resolve the many issues facing our health care system. That's why this

government's approach is so refreshing.

This

government has said: "Let's think about the delivery of health care in

British Columbia and how it can be done better. Let's involve our health care

professionals and the public in finding solutions." Finally, British

Columbians have a government that will bring some longer-term thinking and

planning to government.

The

division of responsibilities between the Minister of Health Services and the

Minister of Health Planning will ensure that while we deal with the current

delivery of services, we're also paying attention to the long term to ensure

that we have a sustainable, quality health care system. That long-term planning

is critical to ensure that we are building hospitals as necessary, equipping

hospitals as necessary and training the health care professionals we need.

I've sat on

the board of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital foundation for the past four years,

until very recently, working with others in my community to raise funds to buy

equipment for our local hospital because government hadn't planned sufficiently

to purchase needed equipment improvements. The foundation should be raising

funds for the frills, not for the necessities, but that can change with improved

longer-term planning.

This

government is planning for the longer term in many other ways as well. I'm very

encouraged by the naming of a Minister of State for Early Childhood Development.

The minister spoke passionately in this House last week about the need for focus

on early childhood development. She emphasized the importance of children

getting a good start in life, the need to identify and deal with special needs

at an early age to ensure that we're providing children with an ability to reach

their full potential from an early date.

I'm the

proud father of two young children. In fact, I'm the first member of this

thirty-seventh parliament to welcome a new child, as my daughter was born the

week after the election. [Applause.] I can't take that much credit for that.

[1610]

Like any

parent, my hopes and aspirations for my children are limitless. I want them to

grow up in a supportive environment that identifies and responds to their needs

to allow them to pursue whatever dreams they have. I want them to grow up in a

province that offers them great opportunity. I don't want my children to be

forced to leave this province just to get a job when they grow up. I'm no

different from any other parent in wanting British Columbia to offer the

absolute best future for my kids.

Thankfully,

I've got many years before my children will be making choices about their life

path. Many British Columbia children need those opportunities now, and it is

therefore encouraging that this government is acting decisively to take the

steps necessary to rejuvenate our economy and usher in a new era of opportunity

for British Columbians.

Mr.

Speaker, I was born and raised in Vernon. My family has been a part of the

fabric of life in that community and in the North Okanagan since the beginning

of the last century. My great-grandfather worked on the construction of the Grey

Canal, which was instrumental in the development of the fruit industry in the

North Okanagan. My other great-grandfather was a cowboy and later a foreman on

Lord Aberdeen's Coldstream Ranch, which is still in operation today, although

not owned by Lord Aberdeen's family anymore.

grandfather started the Maple Leaf Grocery in Vernon and together with my

grandmother spent his working life expanding his grocery business in Vernon. He

was also a very active community member, devoting his time to the Boy Scouts, to

the volunteer fire department and to many other community activities. My

maternal grandfather was a key player in the Okanagan fruit industry in Kelowna

and its development. My father has practised law in Vernon for the past 35

years, and he too has devoted considerable time to making his community a better

place by volunteering on too many boards to name — certainly in very many

fundraising campaigns and in political activities over the years. He was

actually a candidate for the B.C. Liberal Party in the 1972 election. Obviously,

his timing was off a bit.

My mother

has been a nurse, a schoolteacher, an orchardist and a college instructor.

Somewhere in there she actually managed to raise my brothers and me. She is now

retired and being a full-time grandmother and a part-time volunteer within the

community.

The reason

I tell you all this, Mr. Speaker, is that my family, by their example, has

taught me the importance of being involved in the life of your community. I am

proud of the commitment that members of my family have made in the development

of the North Okanagan

[ Page 167 ]

and to making my constituency a better place over the past century. It is

that heritage that brings me to this place, and it's that commitment to the

North Okanagan that will drive me to provide strong representation for the

citizens of Okanagan-Vernon.

I'm not

motivated by a particular pet project. Thankfully, it's not some personal

circumstance that has driven me to seek public office. Rather, Mr. Speaker, I am

motivated by a desire to serve my community, to help as best I can to make this

province a better place. I, like my government colleagues, have recognized that

the path this province was following was not sustainable and was leading us to

ruin. Thankfully, we're now on a different path that recognizes the need for a

vibrant economy marked by a competitive tax structure and disciplined,

responsible and progressive government spending.

British

Columbia is embarking upon a new era of prosperity and hope. I am thankful to

the people of Okanagan-Vernon for entrusting me to represent them in that

journey. I very much look forward to the debate ahead, as we all strive to make

this province a better place. Finally, let me express my thanks to

the many volunteers who dedicated their time to my election campaign and who all

shared a vision of a better British Columbia.

I also want

to acknowledge and thank in particular my wife, Jennifer, for her support and

encouragement and for her courage in embarking on this path with me. As all

members of this House know, our spouses pay a heavy price for our political

involvement, as I'm recognizing more and more all the time — and as I'm sure

she's recognizing more and more all the time, particularly with a new baby —

and I'm certainly ever grateful to mine.

Locke: It is with pleasure that I rise in this most impressive and imposing

precinct today. Congratulations to you, Mr. Speaker, and to the Deputy Speaker

on your appointments. Your duties in this House are an important part of our

British Columbia heritage and critical to the democracy that we cherish as a

province and a country. I know that you will guide all of us here in our duties,

ensuring that decorum and respect for all members is maintained.

[1615]

Congratulations,

too, to all of the new and renewed members and the cabinet. Congratulations

particularly to the Premier. We know that his leadership will make this

parliament productive and positive for all the people of British Columbia.

The throne

speech and the economic and fiscal update outline a very ambitious agenda for

this government, an agenda that was supported by the citizens in the

constituency that I represent, Surrey–Green Timbers, along with an

overwhelming mandate by the citizens of this province. That mandate carries with

it a great deal of responsibility. Actions always speak louder than words, and I

am confident that the government's actions to date are indicative that this

government is dedicated to fulfilling its 90-day commitment to the citizens and

returning B.C. to fiscal prosperity so that we can provide health care,

education and social services in a responsible and caring manner.

As a new

member, I am both proud and humbled by the grandeur of this place. This building

is both historical and visionary, as we can honour our past — at least some of

it — and create a future that will usher in a new era of hope and prosperity

for everyone in this province. Although discussions may be varied, contrary and

even heated, all members bring the commitment to do the very best for their

constituents.

It is my

privilege to tell you a little bit about the area of Surrey I represent. Green

Timbers is in the heart of the city of Surrey. Like my predecessor, Sue Hammell,

I am proud to represent the men, women, children, families and seniors that make

our community great. We are a middle-class community that is very rich in

cultural diversity. Like all middle-income families, we understand the need for

fiscal responsibility. The money put back into my constituents' pockets by the

recent tax cuts will be used to buy goods and services that will enhance their

quality of life.

Of special

pride to the citizens of my riding is the Green Timbers Urban Forest. The forest

is a natural, second-growth reserve of some 600 acres right in the middle of the

city of Surrey. One of the few urban forests in our province, Green Timbers was

the first place of reforestation in British Columbia. This park is truly a

tribute to the thousands of volunteers who, over many years, have committed to

making this oasis in our city centre.

This

government honours the dedication of volunteers in our communities. Our urban

forest is a great example of the selfless work of volunteers like Wady Lehman

and Dale Denny. Without their commitment and the work of so many others, our

forest would simply not exist.

We are also

pleased to share Surrey Memorial Hospital with the greater South Fraser region.

Again, because of the incredible work and contribution of so many Surrey

citizens, from children in a small day care to the commitment of Sherrold

Haddad, Surrey's Citizen of the Year, the dream of a new children's wing in our

hospital was realized.

But our

community is not without its challenges. The many seniors in Green Timbers are

in need of health care that meets their somewhat different needs. I am so

pleased that this government has recognized their contribution to our society

and made a special commitment to the seniors in our province. Long-term care as

well as other seniors issues will now be given specific attention by the

Minister of State for Intermediate, Long Term and Home Care.

[1620]

In my

constituency work I have met and talked with many people who have been ignored.

These are people with mental illness and/or mental disabilities. I am sure that

each and every British Columbian has had a personal experience, or a friend or

family member that has suffered the stigma, frustration, heartbreak

[ Page 168 ]

and loneliness of mental illness. I am so pleased by this government's

commitment to people and families that have sometimes been forgotten. The

creation of a special Minister of State for Mental Health will ensure their

voices are heard.

Education

for the children of Surrey, the largest school district in the province, is very

much an issue with the thousands of families in Green Timbers. Parental

involvement and choice in our schools and enshrining children and parents as the

key stakeholders in the education system are important steps in delivering a

first-class public education system. Further, giving more responsibility,

coupled with accountability, to school boards will put more confidence and

flexibility in a quality public education system.

Unfortunately,

we have one very specific and growing problem in our community, a problem that

must be aggressively dealt with. That is the growth of the sex trade on King

George Highway and on 104th Avenue in Surrey. I have had preliminary meetings

and discussions with Surrey council and the RCMP. I look forward to working

closely with the Solicitor General and the Attorney General to develop a

solution to keep our children and everyone in our neighbourhoods safe. It is

simply not acceptable that the children in some of the schools near these two

corridors are subjected to needles, condoms, inappropriate acts and very unsafe

conditions on a daily basis.

I do want

to commend Surrey citizen Linda Taylor for her leadership on this very serious

problem, and I commit to working with her to deal with this completely

unacceptable situation in our community.

On a

positive note, I have recently had the honour to participate with over 800

legislators from throughout the Pacific Northwest at the PNWER conference in

Whistler. I am so pleased that I was able to move a motion that was subsequently

passed by PNWER, which gained support from all the members of PNWER and CSG-West

— including California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Washington State, Alberta, the

Yukon and Alaska — supporting our 2010 Olympic bid for Whistler and Vancouver.

So many

volunteers and businesses have already committed to this dream. The additional

commitment and enthusiasm by this government and all the states and provinces

will make the dream a reality. The 2010 Olympic bid will put B.C.'s tourism

industry on the world stage. The signal sent to B.C.'s tourism industry, indeed

all B.C.'s businesses, by the Premier and the Minister of Finance was clear:

"B.C. is open for business once again."

On a

slightly smaller scale but very important to the city of Surrey is the 2001 B.C.

Seniors Games. We are very proud to be hosting 2001 in the city of Surrey.

Thousands of athletes and volunteers will be participating in the games this

August 22 through 25. Sport and competition are certainly alive, with the

organizers, volunteers and hundreds of seniors participating in these games.

In closing,

I would like to thank the people of the Surrey–Green Timbers constituency for

the honour of representing them in this House and in our constituency. I would

also like to thank all of those people that supported me in this endeavour. And

very special thanks to my family: my husband, John; my children, Ashley and

Katie; and my mom.

[1625]

Nijjar: Mr. Speaker, may I first show my respect for the position you hold

and the seat in which you sit.

This is a

beautiful, majestic building — a Legislature that is probably the most

beautiful of all the Commonwealth. Its grandeur shows the respect and dignity

for our constitution and our parliamentary democracy. It saddens me that so much

hypocrisy has taken place within these walls over the past several years. I do

not use that word lightly; I know it is a strong word. But I feel very

passionate about that. This throne speech and our new era that the Premier has

outlined so clearly for so many months are about changing that way and that

culture which have evolved within these walls. This beautiful building and this

beautiful province deserve more, and that is exactly what our caucus shall

deliver.

I would

like to congratulate those members who sit here with me for the first time. The

responsibility is great; the privilege is great — the seat we shall always

remember to respect. I shall also pay tribute to the incumbent MLAs on the

government side, who have set the way before us, who have fought the battles

when so few stood beside them and who have made it possible for us to be here

today to usher in for British Columbians this throne speech and the new era. I

would also like to thank the Premier. Ultimately, it is the Premier who has

created the blueprint and the focus with which we work today.

I would

like to thank those back home in Vancouver and the lower mainland who made it

possible for me to stand here before you: my campaign manager, Keith Frew; the

undying, loyal support of Dinesh Khanna, his family and his son Amit Khanna;

Surinder Singh, who has advised me and stood by my side; to my family, of

course, and especially my sister, who fought so hard throughout my nomination

and my election and for whom the nomination victory was just as much hers as

mine; to my brother-in-law Joe, who has done everything for me; to Ruby, and of

course, to she who sits in the gallery today, Kavita.

Most of

all, I would like to thank the voters of Vancouver-Kingsway. They have made this

possible for me. They have given me the opportunity to represent them. It makes

me most proud, because Vancouver-Kingsway was NDP longer than any other riding

in British Columbia, other than New Westminster. It is now….

Hon. G.

Plant: That's amazing.

Nijjar: It is amazing. Many years ago they said it was impossible, and I am

proud to stand here today to say that we have made it possible.

[ Page 169 ]

Vancouver-Kingsway

is a working-class riding. The people of Vancouver-Kingsway have made it very

clear. They do not want political rhetoric; they do not want social engineering.

They want what counts for them: go