1987 Legislative Session: 1st Session, 34th 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)

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1987

Afternoon Sitting

[ Page

91 ]

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Oral Questions

Southeast coal. Ms. Edwards –– 92

Meat-processing plant. Mr. Rose 93

B.C. Enterprise Corporation. Ms. Marzari –– 93

Tabling Documents –– 94

Ministerial Statement

Nuu'Chah'Nulth agreement. Hon. Mr. Richmond –– 94

Mr. Cashore

Throne speech debate

Ms. Campbell –– 94

Mr. Harcourt –– 98

On the amendment

Mrs. Boone –– 101

Mr. Rabbitt –– 104

Mr. Lovick –– 107

Hon. S. Hagen –– 108

Ms. A. Hagen –– 111

Mr. Long –– 112

Division –– 113

Mr. Long –– 114

Mr. Lovick –– 114

The House met at 2 p.m.

Prayers.

HON. MR. VEITCH: In the members' gallery today — there's a

first for everyone, and I guess it happens to most people in the

fullness of time that they get to visit the gallery — we have the

former Provincial Secretary of our government. For 23 years he was a

serving member for Columbia River — a city slicker all the way. He won

seven consecutive elections; they almost couldn't get rid of him, Mr.

Speaker. One thing that the hon. opposition House Leader will note is

that when that member was here you always received very crisp, very

cogent answers; now you have to satisfy yourself with very broad

generalities. Please welcome Jim Chabot.

MR. ROSE: On behalf of the opposition I would like to welcome

Mr. Chabot, the old pro, to the members' gallery. Certainly, he was

very cogent and often he was more than cogent; he was ferocious. I'm

really pleased to see him up in the gallery. We've been trying to get

him there for years. We welcome him.

HON. MR. STRACHAN: Will the members join me and the member

for Prince George North (Mrs. Boone) in welcoming to British Columbia

and to our fair city the seniors' curling championships for Canada.

They're being held in Prince George this week, and it's a great turnout

and a great event for our city. Thank you.

MR. PARKER: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to introduce my guests in

the gallery today to you and through you to the members of the House —

my wife Dawne, our daughter Jennifer, our son Mike and our friend Sean

Sherwood. Please bid them welcome.

HON. MR. REID: I'd like the House to make welcome Mary and Peter Neufeld from the vibrant, dynamic community of Cloverdale.

MR. VANT: Mr. Speaker, it gives me a great deal of pleasure

to introduce three prime supporters in the Speaker's gallery, from the

great Cariboo constituency: my good wife Jeanie, my daughter Pamela and

my son Timothy. Accompanying them is Mr. Ron Redden, who is a placer

miner from Quesnel. I know the House will join me in welcoming all of

them.

MS. MARZARI: Mr. Speaker, I'd like to recognize someone who

is not sitting in the House or in the gallery today, but who is a

constituent of mine and the newly elected president of the second-most

popular political party in this country. I'd like to recognize Johanna

den Hertog, the second consecutive woman in the presidential post.

HON. MR. RICHMOND: I would like to welcome to the House Mr. Mike McCarty,

who is general manager of the B.C. Livestock Producers' Cooperative Association

and a good friend and a good supporter. He and his son Ryan are in the galleries,

from the great constituency of Kamloops, and I'd like the House to welcome

them.

MR. R. FRASER: Mr. Speaker, in the gallery today is the

managing director of the engineering association of B.C. In introducing

him I would like to point out that 1987 is a very important year for

engineering. Not only is it the centennial of engineering in Canada,

but in fact, in Vancouver this coming May will be the World Federation

of Engineering Organizations congress, the first time that this

organization has met in Canada, and probably as a result of Expo. Would

the House make welcome Harry Gray.

MR. MERCIER: It gives me great pleasure to welcome to the

precinct a group from the Burnaby-Edmonds district, the 48th Troop

Burnaby Girl Guides. There are 19 in the group, including their

leaders, Mrs. Darryl Golding and Mrs. Lorna Goodridge. They are

visiting the parliament buildings as part of their study of government

in action. Would the House please give them a warm welcome.

HON. MR. SAVAGE: Mr. Speaker, it gives me a great deal of

pleasure to introduce, from the great constituency of Delta, my

executive assistant, Barbara Logie. Would the House please welcome her.

MR. MERCIER: Mr. Speaker, I have a second announcement to

make. It gives me great pleasure to advise the House that the Cariboo

Hill Chargers from Cariboo Hill Secondary School in my Burnaby-Edmonds

constituency won the provincial championship, boys' single-A high

school basketball tournament, winning all their games in a spirited

tournament involving schools from throughout British Columbia. I would

ask the House to congratulate the Cariboo Hill Chargers and their head

coach, Mark Prinster, for their outstanding effort, which gave our

Burnaby school their first ever B.C. senior boys' single-A high school

basketball championship.

HON. S. HAGEN: Mr. Speaker, it gives me a great deal of

pleasure today to welcome to this House a group of people, and you may

recognize some of the names: from New Westminster, my mother, Mrs.

Sigrid Hagen and my uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hagen; from

Langley, my sister, Mrs. Diane McConnell; from Courtenay, my wife, Mrs.

Judy Hagen, my daughter, Ruth Hagen and her friend, Rick Doberstein;

from Prince George, my cousin, Mr. Ralph Hagen; and from Qualicum

Beach, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bates.

[2:15]

MS. A. HAGEN: Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my namesake

from across the House, the hon. member from Courtenay, in welcoming

constituents from New Westminster, and to thank them for very often

taking phone calls for me. Sometimes Hagens do get mixed up in the

world.

I would also ask you to join me in welcoming Ms. Lorna Kirkham and

members of her community social services worker program class at

Douglas College. Thirty members of that class are in the precincts

today, and some of them are joining us in the gallery. Would you please

join me in welcoming members from this fine community college program.

MR. LOVICK: Mr. Speaker, I'm delighted to see we have a cast

of thousands here today. I'm even more delighted to note that two of

those are from my constituency of Nanaimo. I would ask you to join me

in welcoming them. The first is my

[ Page 92 ]

friend, my confidante and my best critic — take

note, members opposite — my wife Lorraine. The second is the president

of the Nanaimo-Duncan Labour Council, Mr. Bill Duncan.

MR. RABBITT: On behalf of the member for Chilliwack (Mr.

Jansen), who is absent doing an excellent job on the liquor review

commission, I would like to introduce two residents from Chilliwack:

Jack and Kay Dowding. From my riding of Yale-Lillooet we have with us

today five former residents who have joined the House: Peter and Gladys

Malach, Ken and Joyce McLaren and Ida Makaro. Also visiting from

Merritt are Pat and Adelaide Lean. Pat is a retired government agent

and a local historian. We also have with us from Merritt, Jerry Sanders

and his daughter Kirsten. From Ashcroft we have Fran Helland, Lyle

Ferguson, Gordon Berdan and Amy Brydon. I'd like the House to give them

a hearty welcome.

MR. CASHORE: Mr. Speaker, I think all the members of the

House will agree that it is time women's athletics received the same

degree of attention as men's athletics. So I invite the members of the

House to join me in congratulating the members of the Coquitlam

Centennial Centaurs women's basketball team on winning the provincial

tournament this past weekend.

Oral Questions

SOUTHEAST COAL

MS. EDWARDS: Mr. Speaker, my question is addressed to the

Premier. Our Premier went to Ottawa last week to meet with Deputy Prime

Minister Mazankowski and the Premiers of Ontario, Alberta and

Saskatchewan to discuss coal sales from southeastern British Columbia

to Ontario. The Premier said: "No one wants transportation subsidies."

He accepted the status quo, which clearly favours eastern Canada in

freight costs. Since this means continuing 25 percent unemployment in

the coal industry in southeastern British Columbia, I want to ask the

Premier if he is prepared to reconsider, to speak out to address the

unemployment in the Elk Valley and demand equitable treatment for our

coal producers in the freight rates going from west to east comparable

to the rates that go from east to west, and therefore addressing the

issue of unemployment in the Elk Valley.

HON. MR. VANDER ZALM: Mr. Speaker, I think most members of

the House certainly would agree that subsidies and government

interventions haven't been the answer to all of the problems that we've

suffered in the economy. As a matter of fact, many of the problems we

suffer from are directly attributable to subsidies, government

interventions. In fact, we should be working towards equity and

fairness, which for a good part might address the problem that the

member raises with respect to the shipment of coal.

I agree that there is an inequity between the freight rates charged for freight

from the east to the west and freight from the west to the east. In order for

a fair system to be established, it might be that government should look at

the whole of the freight rate system and look towards providing a sort of equity

that would assist the coal industry, or other industries established in British

Columbia. I'm very pleased to say that the committee established by the

Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Don Mazankowski, and also including the Premier of

Ontario, the Premier of Alberta and the Premier of Saskatchewan, will be looking

at all aspects of making it possible for coal to be marketed in eastern Canada

— whether it's freight rates, whether it's through technological change

or research — and assisting to ferret out whatever markets might exist that

we perhaps could best approach over time. All of that will be considered by

the committee. I foresee — while it will take some time, unfortunately — that

positive changes will come through this process.

MS. EDWARDS: Supplementary, Mr. Speaker. If in fact nothing

is going to be done immediately about freight rates, what is going to

be done that will get some coal moving to Ontario in the immediate

future?

HON. MR. VANDER ZALM: Mr. Speaker, Ontario Hydro is

potentially a very large customer for coal. They do have existing

contracts, most of which run until the year 1992. This information is

readily available; so for anyone particularly interested in that, I'm

sure they could find this out very easily for themselves. Similarly, a

lot of the industries that might be perhaps potentially good customers

do have existing contracts. We can't tell the industry where to buy the

coal, and obviously in all of this we must consider as well that the

states that are sending the coal are oftentimes very good customers for

products produced in eastern or central Canada, which doesn't help us

in western Canada. This is why this committee, headed up by the Deputy

Prime Minister, will hopefully help put on the necessary pressures

wherever possible in an effective and fair way to see that we develop

these markets. But we don't have answers without at least a little more

information being gathered, which is the process ongoing now.

MS. EDWARDS: The Premier has also made the suggestion that in

order to move coal to Ontario at the point when we could sell coal to

Ontario, there be a spur line of an American rail line put into

southeastern British Columbia. This, of course, could mean the

additional loss of some 300 to 400 jobs in southeastern British

Columbia. My question is: is the Premier going to pursue this issue and

ask that we have American rail lines put a spur line into southeastern

British Columbia so that the jobs of transporting the coal will go to

American workers?

HON. MR. VANDER ZALM: Mr. Speaker, the member emphasizes the

point she made earlier that in fact there is a considerable difference

between freight from east to west, as opposed to freight from west to

east. I never did make the statement that I would be asking to see a

spur line put to Sparwood. What I did say is that in fact if somehow

there were a spur line, the coal could be shipped via the U. S., and it

might be that we would in fact be competitive back east since freight

rates in the U.S. from west to east are a lot less than what they are

in Canada from west to east. In fact there is a major industry, as you

are aware, near Cranbrook which ships wood to the eastern U.S. and they

do use a loading facility in the U.S. and ship by American rail, which

apparently helps to make that particular industry a whole lot more

competitive, and they appear to be saving a lot of money using the

American rail line. That certainly doesn't speak well for our system or

our rail system and freight rates, and this is the very thing we want

to see addressed.

[ Page

93 ]

MEAT-PROCESSING PLANT

MR. ROSE: I would like to welcome the Premier home. I have a

couple of questions associated with the packing plant for beef and hogs

in the north sometimes called Westfleisch North. I would like to ask

the minister if he is aware that European communities subsidize their

beef at the rate of 70 to 80 cents a pound. There's a huge surplus

there, something like 600,000 tonnes. I wonder what size subsidy, since

the Premier is opposed to subsidies, he is considering or has decided

upon to get beef production to a level in B.C. that will supply an

interior plant so that we can competitively put B.C. bratwurst on West

German tables.

HON. MR. VANDER ZALM: I'm very pleased to see that the

message we've been attempting to give for a long while appears to be

getting through. There are now members on the opposite side who are

obviously thinking too that subsidies are not the answer and government

intervention doesn't work. The point's well made. It hasn't worked in

Europe. They have immense surpluses and are having real problems in

their agricultural community.

We are having discussions with the people who are proposing to put

the meat plant in the northern part of British Columbia. We have not

had a request for any particular type of subsidy. We do know that they

would like to see us provide support for the farming community in order

that they might provide sufficient beef to keep the plant rolling on a

regular schedule. So we don't know just exactly what the details are.

But I concur with the member: we are not for subsidies, if that's the

point being made. While we try and assist some of the industry from

time to time, we look for every other way that would eliminate the need

for a subsidy.

MR. ROSE: Supplementary. I note that the minister left the

door open slightly — just a crack — when he said "perhaps" a subsidy.

So he may not be quite as purely ideologically straight on that subsidy

as he might appear to be on the surface.

I'd like to ask the Premier, since we all want jobs in British

Columbia: just last weekend.... One hundred and eighty workers are

being laid off in B.C. simply because there just isn't enough beef

production in the province. All across Canada packing plants are

shutting down. Or if they're not shutting down, they are working far

below capacity. Since his return from Europe, has he had a really good

look at the figures? Has he looked at the supply problem, the subsidy

problem, the transport problem and all these things necessary to make

this plant a success and provide those jobs in the interior? If he

hasn't, I wonder if he'd care to tell the House why he proceeds on what

appears to be, to many, a kind of a half-baked plan on announcements

before he's done his homework.

HON. MR. VANDER ZALM: Mr. Speaker, I can simply answer this way: some

people see everything as a problem, and some people see everything as an impossibility

or see things as though they couldn't be accomplished or there would be

so many things in their way that there's no need of proceeding. We've

seen it with Expo, we've seen it with ALRT, and we've seen it with any number

of projects that became a reality in British Columbia. I would instead like

to view this as an opportunity, and I intend to pursue it on that basis. I can't

guarantee that member or any member that we'll always be successful, but

I can assure you that a loss or a miss or a failure won't discourage me

from trying again another time.

[2:30]

MR. ROSE: Mr. Speaker, a final supplementary. We agree that

all the people with the big ideas — the Expo ideas, the southeast coal

and the northeast coal ideas and the packing-plant ideas — are all

sitting over there. They're the happiness boys. They've got all the

ideas; and then when the debts come in, the public of British Columbia

picks up the debts.

B.C. ENTERPRISE CORPORATION

MS. MARZARI: Mr. Speaker, I have a question to the Minister

of Economic Development about the fudging of the books. The minister

has admitted that the Expo books were doctored somewhat, and I notice

with some interest that in the formation of the B.C. Enterprise

Corporation the name of Peter Brown pops up again as an appointed

member of the review panel which restructured the B.C. Place debt. Is

this the same Peter Brown, I want to ask, who was chairman of the

finance committee of Expo, which was responsible for fudging the books

in the first place — a procedure which has resulted in a lawsuit by the

chief financial officer of Expo? How can the minister justify

appointing the same person who was ordered to fudge the books with the

job of restructuring the debt load?

HON. MRS. McCARTHY: Mr. Speaker, first of all may I say that

the framework in which the question was asked was not only a disservice

to the person to whom the member of the Legislature referred, but it's

also a disservice to this House. We all know that we have immunity in

this House from remarks that are made, and in terms of anybody

"fudging" or attributable for mismanagement of finances, surely the

member either speaks from inexperience or lack of knowledge in terms of

her question. I am very pleased to answer the question, which seems to

infer that there was some "fudging of the books." Let me say this to

you: Expo 86 Corporation had on its board of directors a finance

committee, which the B.C. Place corporation also has. During the time

Expo 86 Corporation was active, to ensure that when their landlord,

B.C. Place, was to have buildings placed on that land.... A board

resolution was passed by all the members of both boards that if there

were going to be permanent buildings or legacy buildings built for Expo

86, the difference between the cost of temporary buildings used for

Expo 86 — which brought 22 million Expo visitors to our province — and

the cost of the permanent buildings would be borne by the B.C. Place

corporation.

In addition, during the downturn in the economy the long-term assets

of the B.C. Place corporation built, for example, the Whistler

convention centre and complex for $23 million, with a golf course and

conference facility; a stadium for $100 million — which we still see as

an economic impetus.... There are many hundreds and thousands of land

acquisitions which they hold, and they have been responsible for

keeping people in jobs during a recession.

When the member asks about the chairman of the finance committee, I

want you to know that that chairman served without any pay for all of

the time to make sure that that was a very effective corporation. And I

have to say this to the

[ Page 94 ]

member for Vancouver East, who keeps interrupting:

those kinds of intimations of wrongdoing would not be said outside this

House, or he would find himself in court for such intimations.

The only burden, if you like, that B.C. Place, the landlord of Expo

86 Corporation, carries is the amount of money that was spent, the

difference between temporary buildings and permanent buildings. We

today enjoy, and will continue to enjoy, those permanent buildings as

legacies of Expo. We have, by the way, in respect to that, the ability

to use that legacy for the betterment and well-being of our people

today.

MR. SPEAKER: Question period is over. We have been doing so well, but if members would just take out their Standing Orders and read standing order 47A (b), I think it would make question period work a little better for both sides.

MR. D'ARCY: Mr. Speaker, on a point of order. I was wondering

if the former member for Columbia River had indeed come down from the

gallery and taken his place. [Laughter. ]

Hon. Mr. Couvelier tabled a statement of payments made under the

Crown Proceeding Act during the fiscal year 1985-86; a copy of the

annual report of the compensation stabilization program for the year

ended December 31, 1986; and a statement of unclaimed money deposits

for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1986, as required by

section 3 of

the Unclaimed Money Act.

NUU'CHAH'NULTH AGREEMENT

HON. MR. RICHMOND: Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of

pleasure that I rise today to make a ministerial statement on an

agreement that was struck November 7, 1985, between the Nuu'chah'nulth

tribal council representing native bands on western Vancouver Island

and my ministry. We signed an agreement for the provision of child

welfare services. The Nuu'chah'nulth tribal council and the federal

Department of Indian Affairs reached an agreement for funding of the

project on February 28, 1987.

This is the first initiative of its kind in British Columbia and

reflects this province's cooperative attitude towards native child

welfare matters. The Family and Child Service Act of 1980 is intended

to support and strengthen families. This agreement strengthens the

native initiatives to maintain and restore the integrity of the family.

The safety and well-being of children is the foremost principle.

The act gives the superintendent of family and child service the

authority to investigate allegations of child abuse and to take

protective action if required. The act requires that the band must be

notified when a native child has been apprehended and the court has

determined that the child is in need of protection. This ensures that

the band is involved in the planning for the child. The superintendent

of family and child service can delegate his authority under the act,

provided he is satisfied that the safety and well-being of children

will be ensured.

The Nuu'chah'nulth tribal council has worked closely with our

ministry at the local, regional and provincial levels to work out an

agreement for the delegation of authority. This is another example of

this government's cooperative effort in working with native people.

This agreement is a major initiative and a positive step in native

people's efforts to regain the authority to manage their own affairs.

My ministry's staff will continue to work closely with the tribal

council as they begin to implement their program. We have assigned a

liaison worker to work out the details of the working relationship

between the Nuu'chah'nulth tribal council and my ministry.

My ministry shares a common interest with all bands and native

groups in ensuring the safety and well-being of children. This is

reflected in this agreement.

MR. CASHORE: I think that all members of the House can be

pleased when progress is made in such a direction. We in the New

Democratic Party have been calling for initiatives for many long years

that would bring some support to those who are deeply involved in

children's issues with regard to native Indian people.

I would hope that in addition to the kind of initiative we're

hearing about here today, we would also be hearing about initiatives

that would make it possible to put financial and personnel resources in

the hands of native Indian communities all over this province so that

we can see an end to the numbers of children leaving the area of their

heritage; so that it may be assured that they are able to continue to

participate, to learn to be proud of their roots and to see themselves

as first-class citizens within this country. So while I think this is a

beginning, there are many initiatives that are begging for action and

which remain to be taken.

Orders of the Day

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

(continued debate)

HON. MR. STRACHAN: Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Energy, Mines

and Petroleum Resources (Hon. Mr. Davis) adjourned debate on Thursday,

when we met last. The minister defers to the first member for

Vancouver-Point Grey.

MS. CAMPBELL: Mr. Speaker, I rise to address this House, and

like many of my colleagues who have preceded me in this session, I am

overcome by a sense of awe at the opportunity to speak in this chamber.

I am very mindful of the history that has led to our being able to

speak this way for the public of British Columbia and am very grateful

for the opportunity to take my place here.

As the government House Leader said, I am speaking in the place of

the hon. Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, and so I

was not anticipating speaking in this particular time slot. I'm

reminded of Paganini, who used to give concerts where he would break

three strings on his violin in order to show his virtuosity on one

string. I hope that my lack of preparedness will inspire me, like

Paganini, to heights of address.

I'd like to begin, as those who have gone before me have done — and

with great sincerity — by congratulating you on your election to the

very important position of Speaker of this House, and by congratulating

also the first member for Dewdney (Mr. Pelton) and the first member for

Langley (Mrs. Gran) for the confidence this House has reposed in them

in making sure that these debates are carried on in a responsible

fashion.

[ Page 95 ]

I would also like to pay tribute to my predecessors in the riding of

Vancouver-Point Grey, which I am pleased to represent: Patrick McGeer

and Garde Gardom. As the members of this House will know, Garde Gardom

has been appointed our province's agent-general in London. I can think

of no one who will carry out that position with more aplomb, more grace

and more bonhomie. I'm sure he will accomplish great things for us

there.

To the former Minister of Universities, Science and Technology, Pat

McGeer, I also wish to pay tribute. As many members will know, our

government played host last week to a meeting of ministers of science

from across this country, including the Hon. Frank Oberle, federal

Minister of State for Science and Technology. At that dinner we

honoured Pat McGeer, because a great deal of what has become our

science policy and our thrust towards science and technology in this

province is a result of his vision and his very hard efforts, working

to create that vision and that promise for British Columbia's future.

[2:45]

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to begin by saying a few words about the

riding I represent, Vancouver-Point Grey. I think there are many

misapprehensions outside of the city of Vancouver in particular about

Point Grey. There are many who appear to feel that Vancouver-Point Grey

is an affluent riding, a cake topped with the icing of the University

of British Columbia. But it is a much more complex area than perhaps

beaches of Spanish Banks, Jericho Beach, Kitsilano; it goes south to

the Fraser River; its eastern boundary is roughly approximate to

Arbutus Street. At the south end of Vancouver-Point Grey fishing boats

tie up at the docks at the B.C. Packers plant, which will soon be sold,

I understand.

There is heavy industry in Vancouver-Point Grey: the Ocean Cement

plant, a Canfor mill and large warehousing operations. The Musqueam

Indian reserve is in Vancouver-Point Grey. Also there is a variety of

residential areas, such as Southlands, where large tracts of land still

house Vancouver's equestrian population — I don't know they voted in

the last election. In addition, there are many single family areas in

Point Grey, from the most affluent to the most modest. Point Grey is

also experiencing densification in some of its neighbourhoods, in

particular Kitsilano and Kerrisdale.

There is a broad range of incomes and occupations in Point Grey and

many different ethnic groups, the largest perhaps of which is our Greek

community, which adds so much flavour, both literally and figuratively,

to life in Point Grey. There are a number of major retail and

commercial areas in Point Grey — Kerrisdale, Dunbar, 10th Avenue, 4th

Avenue and Broadway — that attract shoppers from all over the lower

mainland. At the westernmost end of Vancouver-Point Grey is the

University of British Columbia campus and the University Endowment

Lands forest. The latter is a de facto park, Mr. Speaker, and I am

working very hard to have that park status confirmed, a project which

has occupied residents of Vancouver-Point Grey for a number of years.

The University of British Columbia campus is home not only to a

first-class university, Mr. Speaker, but to research facilities, such

as TRIUMF, B.C. Research, Forintek and others.

I think you can see, Mr. Speaker, that there is an enormous variety of activities

in Point Grey, and therefore there are many areas of the throne speech which

are of interest to residents of Point Grey. I'd like to talk, first of all,

about the issue of education. This is of great interest to people in Point Grey;

they are deeply concerned about education. Since I have been elected I have

visited 19 schools in the riding, and I've been very impressed by what I

have seen. It is extraordinary to see the variety of schools, the variety of

philosophies of education, that can work successfully in educating our young

people. In Vancouver there are open boundaries between school areas which enable

parents to seek those schools which most closely approximate their children's

needs.

So I'm very glad to see the recognition given to the importance of

education and to the quality of our public education system in the

throne speech. Many very fine things are happening in Vancouver

schools. The schools themselves are very different from what they were

in my day. This isn't just because of social changes or because of

different interests in the curriculum. It's because many young people

who in my day, the day of the baby boom, were excluded from the

mainstream of public school education are now part of that experience;

and that is something which I believe our government and our province

can be proud of.

I have seen in the schools in my riding the integration of hearing

impaired students, visually impaired students, mentally handicapped

students and physically handicapped students. In previous times these

students had two disabilities: the physical or the mental disabilities

that they had to cope with and will have to cope with all their lives,

but also the disability of being segregated from the mainstream of

society; the difficulty of dealing with a society that didn't know

them, didn't understand them and didn't appreciate their potential.

Now, Mr. Speaker, we are not only offering these young people the

chance to be part of the mainstream of society, to benefit from the

challenges which are present in the public school system for all

children, but we are also educating a broader public to an

understanding that there is great potential among disabled people; that

they are part of the mainstream of society. Mr. Speaker, I am very

proud of that, and I am very proud of the job that the schools in

Vancouver-Point Grey are doing to make those young people part of

society.

There are some who focus on the problems of education, and I suppose

being in opposition provides a luxury that's not available to

government in that respect. Governments often must take difficult

decisions. Over the years there has sometimes been great hostility and

confrontation surrounding education. We've seen such things as the

following newspaper report — I quote an

article from the Vancouver Province :

"About 1,000 school teachers from Surrey demonstrated in

front of the legislative buildings Friday morning, demanding more provincial

funds for education in their district.... Education minister Eileen Dailly and

Provincial Secretary Ernest Hall met the teachers' executive and later the

entire group, but their promises did not convince the teachers that the quality

of education in their district would be maintained, let alone improved, during

the coming years."

Mr. Speaker, the responsibilities of government are great in the

field of education. Governments cannot evade the serious decisions that

must be made, and I am proud of our government's recognition of and

commitment to education, as stated very clearly in the throne speech.

The same is true in the area of post-secondary education. The throne

speech recognizes the excellence of our post-secondary institutions and

their vital role in society in a

[ Page 96 ]

number of ways. As MLA for the constituency which

includes the University of British Columbia, I am delighted to see the

commitment to increased post-secondary funding. I am delighted to see

the commitment to increased and imaginative programs for post-secondary

student aid.

I wish to compliment the establishment of the Premier's science and

research council. The involvement of universities in developing our

science and technological strategy is a recognition of their excellence

and of the vital role they have to play, and I know, Mr. Speaker, that

that recognition is very much appreciated in the university community.

Our throne speech has made very clear that science and technology are

major growth areas for this province. The commitments we have made to

increase research and development in aerospace, microelectronics, ocean

industries and others are commitments which build upon outstanding work

already being done in this province. It's already taking place, and

it's very important that the people of British Columbia know what

excellence is within their midst — what there is in this province that

holds promise for future economic growth and development.

I'd like to talk for a few minutes about some of the exciting things

that are taking place in my riding on the University of British

Columbia campus. Many members are aware of the existence of the TRIUMF

research facility on the University of British Columbia campus. TRIUMF

is an internationally renowned research facility. To describe its

activities simply, TRIUMF is a facility in which matter is accelerated

to produce subatomic particles, and people come from around the world

to set up experiments at spigots where they receive those subatomic

particles and study the very deepest nature of matter.

I have to confess that when I tour the TRIUMF facility my

understanding of the intricacies of what's going on there ends about

where I made my description, but the potential for advancing knowledge

that exists within this province, right here in British Columbia — the

TRIUMF facility — is remarkable and world-renowned. Not only is there

the potential to push ahead the frontiers for physics, but there is

very exciting research being done there and treatment being offered in

the health area. Experimental treatment of inoperable tumours is taking

place at the TRIUMF facility, where small subatomic particles called

pions are injected into tumours as a result of very advanced imaging

techniques that have been developed at TRIUMF to make their targeting

absolutely precise, and they perform like depth charges, not damaging

the surrounding tissues but at the targeted depth and location

exploding with small bursts of radioactivity to try to attack tumours

which hitherto have been inoperable.

Mr. Speaker, this treatment hasn't even undergone clinical tests —

the kind of tests that usually are undertaken before treatment is

approved — and yet already doctors are considering that treatment the

treatment of choice for many inoperable tumours not only of the brain

but of the abdomen. This is happening in British Columbia. This is

world-class medical research taking place in our province at the

University of British Columbia campus.

Mr. Speaker, if the kaon factory is built at UBC, this will enhance

the ability of TRIUMF to carry on its research. The building of the

kaon factory accelerates the particles even more greatly. I won't

pretend to understand the profound physics of what that means, but it

will expand what is already happening at TRIUMF and will create ongoing

jobs and opportunities for the young people of British Columbia in

research and development. The opportunity to develop a health care

services industry surrounding the facilities at TRIUMF is also very

challenging, and the facilities of TRIUMF work very closely in the

health care area with the University of British Columbia medical

school, which is already a world leader in neurological imaging and

research. Also on the UBC campus, Mr. Speaker, are the laboratories of

B.C. Research Council, where day in and day out applied research is

carried out for the benefit of the economy of British Columbia; where

small businesses and small industries may go to have top-notch

scientists resolve their technical and process problems. It is perhaps

one of the most unsung components of our economic structure, Mr.

Speaker, but it is absolutely vital and it provides a service to

British Columbians that is essential.

Also on the UBC campus is Forintek, which performs research in the

area of forest technology and development. There is much more, Mr.

Speaker, and I haven't even begun yet to talk about the university

itself. Through the throne speech, the University of British Columbia

will become a major partner in developing the economic strategy of

British Columbia's future. That university is one of which I am very

proud. I started as a freshman there in 1964. I did my bachelor's

degree there and came back and taught in the department of political

science in the mid-seventies, and in the 1980s I came back and did a

law degree there. So my association with the university has been very

close, and I have enormous respect for the people who work there and

the students who study there.

The Asian Centre is a model, Mr. Speaker, and will become a vital

part of our approaches to and closer economic ties with the Pacific

Rim. Our business school has scholars of international stature. That's

very important for training the young entrepreneurs, managers and

strategic thinkers in business for the coming years. Our faculty of

medicine receives $25 million to $30 million a year in research grants

and has already become a world leader in a number of fields; as I

mentioned before, particularly in the area of neurological research,

but in many others as well.

The technical spinoffs from those disciplines are also very

important. Not only are our medical and other scientists doing pure

research but they are also developing techniques and technologies which

can be manufactured and marketed abroad.

On Friday of last week I attended the Vancouver awards, which was a

celebration to recognize outstanding Vancouverites in many fields of

endeavour. It was a wonderfully glitzy affair, but the recognition and

the intent of the celebration were very serious. A number of

distinguished Vancouverites were recognized, and many of them play key

roles at the University of British Columbia. Among them were Jack

Shadbolt, one of British Columbia and Canada's leading artists and

teachers, a long-standing figure at the University of British Columbia;

Dr. James McEwen, a biotechnologist who has developed robots to be used

in surgery, Mr. Speaker; Dr. Wah Leung, the founding dean of the

university dental school, and a great community worker; and Dr. Earle

Birney, a poet and a great teacher of literature at the University of

British Columbia.

Many of the other recipients were graduates of the university or

former students of the university, and I think that underlines the very

important role that the University of British Columbia has played not

only in the community of Vancouver but in British Columbia as a whole.

I want to

[ Page

97 ]

emphasize when we are talking about the university,

the importance of the arts and the humanities. It is sometimes the case

that social critics make us cross, but they are a vital part of our

social and cultural development. Businesses are recognizing the

importance of training in the arts and humanities. No less a company

than AT&T did a study a number of years ago which identified arts

graduates as better managers than engineering graduates, because they

had the discipline of creative thought, careful expression and they

were responsive to human concerns. I believe that it is not just the

business value of the arts and humanities that should be recognized but

the role they play in contributing to the vitality of democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to see the initiatives in the throne speech with

respect to native peoples: the commitment to a new and mutually productive relationship

with native people. We can see this through a special cabinet committee which

has been established to deal with native questions; the commitment to assisting

the Sechelt and other bands in self-government; and the commitment to establish

a centre to preserve native cultural heritage. In my riding, Mr. Speaker, the

Musqueam band have their reserve. I recently met with Wendy Grant, who has

been elected as the chief of the Musqueam band, the first woman to hold that

position. She is a dynamic and forward-looking woman, and we spoke at great

length about her aspirations for her people. She has been working to revive

the art of Salish weaving, which is in danger of being lost to her people.

[3:00]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has indicated that he doesn't

approve of the approach we are taking with respect to dealing with economic

and social issues with native bands on a band-by-band basis. He said that we

should unilaterally resolve land claims, even though he knows — or ought to

know — that the issue of land claims is one that must be resolved by the federal

government, and one on which British Columbia has always taken the position

requiring the commitment by the federal government to economic responsibility

before we can participate, a position which was taken by the previous NDP government

as well. It must be great to be in opposition. You can indulge yourself in flights

of fancy and death-defying leaps in logic, but the responsibility of the governments

of British Columbia has led them to the same conclusion since we entered Confederation.

So I won't take the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. I won't

turn my back on native peoples. I won't refuse to work on a project-by-project

basis in the area of economic and social cooperation. And I was very pleased

to see the statement made today by the Minister of Social Services and Housing

(Hon. Mr. Richmond) that the agreement with the Nuu'chah'nulth band

has been concluded in the area of social services.

In December I attended a meeting of the Native Indian Homemakers of

British Columbia and heard some very impassioned presentations about

the concern of native people over the apprehension of their children.

Among the suggestions made was one that there was a great deal of

misunderstanding on the part of non-native social workers who dealt

with native bands as to their own cultural norms and values. It struck

me that there was a great deal that could be accomplished simply by

bringing together those of our public servants who deliver social

policy and those who are the clients, particularly in the native

community.

So I have pursued this. I have met with the two regional directors of social

services in my riding, particularly in the area that deals with the Musqueam

band, and have obtained a willing agreement to talk to members of the Musqueam

band for greater understanding of their particular concerns and greater cooperation

in the future in delivering provincial government policy to that group of people.

I am also hoping to meet on Wednesday of this week with Chief Grant and a representative

of the Minister of Tourism (Hon. Mr. Reid), because there are projects of mutual

interest to that band and to our ministry which will be of great assistance

to the Musqueam band in their economic development.

That, I think, is the approach that we should be taking in dealing

with our native people. I believe we should be working to provide the

native people with as much opportunity as it is within our jurisdiction

to provide, recognizing that whatever the outcome of Indian land claims

may be, they will have to face the same problems in economic and social

development as face any other British Columbians.

I mentioned having met with public service employees working for the

Ministry of Social Services and Housing, and I am very pleased that the

throne speech has recognized the fine quality of work performed by

members of the public service in this province. In my meetings with

people from that particular ministry, I have been very impressed with

their dedication. Many of them work in very difficult and

soul-destroying areas. I met the team that was working with difficult

children, with child abuse and with street children. They are a

dedicated and hard-working group, and I am extremely gratified that

that has been recognized in our government's throne speech. We are well

served by our public servants.

There is a great deal in the throne speech relating to business,

both large and small. The initiatives in forestry, in international

marketing of our products and many others will be of interest to the

large businesses in my riding. But Point Grey also has great small

business. It is one of the most significant aspects of the economic

structure of the riding. The throne speech encouragement of small

business will be very well received. Marketing and management support

are very important to people who are trying to create businesses of

one, two or three people.

The opportunity for employee participation and investment will, I

think, also be well received, and I am looking forward to bringing that

message to my constituents.

I am also particularly gratified to see the commitment that

government pension fund programs will be revised to channel capital

into B.C. companies. I believe that this is a long-awaited approach to

the problem of capital shortage for B.C. small business.

I'd like to say something very briefly about my own background,

following in the footsteps of my seatmate, the second member for

Cariboo (Mr. Vant). I was born at an early age in the town of Port

Alberni, raised in Burnaby for the first six years of my life and then

in Vancouver. I was brought up in Vancouver-Point Grey and went to

school there, with the exception of one year in Victoria. I was

educated at the University of British Columbia and the London School of

Economics. My first job was as a political science lecturer at the

University of British Columbia. I then went on to take a degree in law

and practised law in Vancouver. But, Mr. Speaker, I have also had the

opportunity to work at a fish packing plant in Prince Rupert — I'm

still unable to consume halibut. I've had the opportunity to work on an

assembly line in a Kraft plant and to perform many other jobs which

have taken me around this province.

[ Page 98 ]

In addition, last summer I had the great opportunity to be a

candidate for the leadership of my party. That was also an education,

giving me the opportunity to travel all over this province and once

again renew my sense of the greatness of British Columbia. I often say

to my constituents and fellow city members in Vancouver-Point Grey that

the skyscrapers that are built in downtown Vancouver are built largely

on wealth earned in the non-urban areas of this province, earned in the

resource industries. I'm very quick to point out, when I hear

city-dwellers complain about the amount of money spent on roads to what

they describe as from nowhere to nowhere, that those roads are the

vital arteries which enable people around this province to do business,

which enable them to receive goods and services which are very easy to

take for granted in an urban area.

But I've also heard reference in this House to city slickers, and I

want to remind my rural colleagues that a great province requires a

great city; it requires great cities. In that sense I feel I am very

fortunate to represent Vancouver-Point Grey, because certainly the

activity that takes place on the University of British Columbia campus

belongs not to the residents of Vancouver-Point Grey; it belongs to all

the people of British Columbia. It is a provincial resource, and it is

in many ways a national resource.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I want to say how important it is for all of

us sitting here in this House to take a provincial perspective. Those

of us who have not had the opportunity to travel this province and

understand firsthand the greatness and the beauty that exists not only

in the resources, not only in the business, but in the people around

this province should take that opportunity at the first chance, because

we are a great province. The variety of our cities, the variety of our

environments, is what makes us great, and I do not want ever in this

House to be influenced by an argument for something that would only

benefit Vancouver-Point Grey. I believe we must all look on a

provincial perspective, because if we do so we will all benefit.

Mr. Speaker, the throne speech has started us on a very productive

path. I think all of us here are eager to get into harness to work to

make those commitments a reality for the people of British Columbia.

Thank you.

MR. BLENCOE: I ask leave to make an introduction, if I may.

Leave granted.

MR. BLENCOE: Would the House welcome 17 young boys from the

Second Fort Boy Scouts troop of Victoria who are visiting the precincts

this afternoon learning all about parliamentary democracy in this great

city of Victoria. Would the House please welcome them.

MR. HARCOURT: Mr. Speaker, may I also congratulate you on

your unanimous election as the Speaker of this Legislative Assembly. I

think it's catching on. We have just completed a federal New Democratic

Party convention at which the leader was unanimously re-elected, and

the president of the federal New Democratic Party, Johanna den Hertog,

who co-chairs my leadership campaign, was also unanimously elected to

the position. I hope that trend continues right through to the

provincial New Democratic convention April 10 to 12.

This is my first time in the thirty-fourth parliament, as a rookie

with lots of company. But as I look around I see a number of members

who come with the finest of training, the finest of experience, as

members of municipal councils, school boards and hospital boards; who

have had great experience in being accountable and in being accessible

to their particular voters.

I'd like also to take this opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to thank the

voters of Vancouver Centre for the privilege of representing them, and

in particular I'd like to show my appreciation for the senior member

for Vancouver Centre. Not only is he one of the most experienced and

longest-serving members of this Legislature, but I also want to let the

members of this Legislature know that the second member for Vancouver

Centre (Mr. Barnes) has just recently announced that he is going to be

getting married this July. As well, Mr. Speaker, I'm sure you're

familiar with my predecessor from Vancouver Centre, a man with a rapier

wit — quick humour. I'm sure that he will be missed, particularly by

some of his favourite targets who are seated across here in the

Legislature.

As is the tradition in this Legislature in our maiden speech, Mr.

Speaker, I'd like to tell you a bit about Vancouver Centre, which is

the heart of the city of Vancouver. It is a riding that is diverse in

its functions, its communities and its people. It has five distinct

neighbourhoods, most of which members of this Legislative Assembly have

an opportunity to visit, and also the central business district. Those

five communities are Strathcona, the Downtown East Side, the West End,

Mount Pleasant and Grandview-Woodlands. They are each quite distinct

and have their own characteristics and problems. But there are issues

that are common to all. They are all inner-city neighbourhoods where

unemployment, traffic, the ever-present problem of street- soliciting

and crime are major concerns. Also, it is a riding with a very large

immigrant population, with a tremendous interest in education, race

and for adults.

Strathcona is a community where I started as a storefront lawyer and

community worker with my colleague the second member for

Vancouver-Point Grey (Ms. Marzari) to work with the members of the

Chinese community, to stop the freeways and the urban renewal schemes

that were going to destroy Chinatown and Strathcona and create a city

that we would not be proud of. We were able to stop the whole madness

of freeways and urban renewal schemes and start an emphasis on public

transit, neighbourhood preservation and heritage preservation. We were

able to stop Gastown and Chinatown from being destroyed.

It is a community with many people on low incomes. It's the first

home to many immigrants who come to our country. The oldest community,

of course, is the Chinese-Canadian community. The newcomers are the

Vietnamese-Canadian community. We're very proud of them and their

accomplishments as good citizens of our province and country. Their

needs are very basic and straightforward, including affordable housing,

particularly for seniors and families. Education is a major concern,

strong family commitment to quality education.

[3:15]

There is a major concern among the citizens of Strathcona, though, about the

savage effects the cutbacks in social

[ Page

99 ]

services and health care have brought to this

community. There are also concerns with traffic and the need to

complete the Great Northern cut. I'll be following through with the

Minister of Highways and Transportation on the need for linking Highway

I from Boundary Road through the Great Northern cut and onto the

Georgia Viaduct to take traffic out of the east side of Vancouver.

Unemployment is a major concern, and I'll be bringing forward some

measures with the Minister of Economic Development to see if we can get

our young people employed, particularly the new immigrant families.

Prostitution, as I said, is an area on which I have had to deal with

the Attorney-General. It's a matter of some urgency, because street

soliciting is creating a most unlivable community in Strathcona. I'll

be following through with not just the Attorney-General but the

Minister of Social Services and Housing to develop programs for young

people to get out of this very unfortunate activity. Crime again

relates back to youth unemployment, and we require some programs for

young people to deal with this inner city unemployment.

The downtown east side is another great community in Vancouver

Centre. The Gastown area is where Vancouver started in 1886. In that

first election, I'm sure members of the Legislature would be interested

in knowing, there were some 170-odd eligible voters and Mayor MacLean

was elected in that fairly fought election by the margin of 245 votes

to 228 votes. We have improved our electoral machinery since that

period, and there are many more voters in the city.

The downtown east side — Gastown — is the home of many elderly

people who are on low or fixed incomes. As a matter of fact, many of

them are 20 percent or more below the poverty line. They are

predominantly male; these are the people who made our forests, our

fishing industry, our mining industry, our agricultural activities go

in this province. In some cases they suffer from disabilities; there

are a lot of war vets. Eighty percent of the population are these

mostly elderly males — very high unemployment. Although there's a high

transiency rate, it's got the second most stable population after

Dunbar.

The downtown east side area also has a significant number of native

people, who come from all over British Columbia, as well as a number of

elderly Chinese Canadians. Their needs are straightforward: housing. I

will be trying to have this government finally bring in proper

rooming-house standards, and to include the people in these

rooming-houses under a decent landlord and tenant act and a rentalsman

so that finally we have some protection for tenants in British

Columbia. They have suffered from social services being cut, from the

lack of an increase to people on social assistance for the last four

years. It is a desperate time for a lot of the people who live in the

downtown east side.

As well, Mr. Speaker, we face a unique problem: the deinstitutionalizing of

mental health facilities. Some very sad, unfortunate and tragic people are wandering

the streets of the Downtown East Side, people who have serious problems with

schizophrenia and other debilitating disease, without the proper resources for

these poor souls to receive a dignified form of treatment. It is a scandalous

situation in the health care of this province. I will be dealing with the Minister

of Health (Hon. Mr. Dueck) on this matter in the very near future, along with

the second and senior member for Vancouver Centre (Mr. Barnes). There are two

immediate problems; also the lack of treatment programs for alcoholism.

There's a surplus of liquor outlets. We need tougher regulation of

the number and types of these outlets. I'm going to approach the

Attorney-General once again for some legislation to control people

walking around the streets with huge knives which they say are for

self-defence and are really for carving up other people, usually after

some drinking, usually involving a strong-arming of some sort. It's

causing a huge amount of insecurity to the law-abiding citizens in this

area of Vancouver.

The West End has 38,000 people in a one-square-mile area; 10 percent

of Vancouver's population, Mr. Speaker. It has a very transient

population — a 90 percent turnover of tenants every year. So you can

imagine what it's like to keep tabs on supporters lists in an area like

that in preparation for an election, which should happen in

approximately 1,000 days.

There are a number of single people and seniors. Seniors are nearly

20 percent of the West End population. Although they have the amenity

public amenities, they also suffer from incomes that are well below the

city's average. Their concerns again are for affordable housing, for

bringing back the rentalsman, for some form of rent regulations to stop

the usurious rent increases that some of the landlords in this area

have tried to inflict on our most vulnerable citizens.

Again we come back to the inadequacy of pension income, and that has

been mentioned in the throne speech. There is a long way to go for

people to have a living standard that meets the dignity we expect for

our citizens in Canada.

There is also a tremendous need for services for seniors who are

alone, homemaker services which have been restricted. And health care.

Mr. Speaker, we have St. Paul's Hospital, which is one of the finest

referral hospitals anywhere, except it has this huge hole sitting there

on the west side of the hospital, and it is akin to the much-promised

west Trail approach, which for three elections has been promised to the

people of Trail. Well, we have been waiting for this new addition to

St. Paul's Hospital through three different elections. It has been

promised each time and that hole sits there, becoming a gigantic water

hole that is becoming quite dangerous too. This is something that I'm

sure the Minister of Health is embarrassed about and will rectify in

the near future by finally agreeing to the regional district's approval

to build the next stage of the St. Paul's Hospital.

Again, the citizens of the West End are also concerned about the

return of prostitutes and street life that revolves around that. I know

the Attorney-General (Hon. Mr. Smith) was helpful in bringing in the

legal action that he did to help the people in the West End, but it is

a major concern, Mr. Attorney-General, of the people of the West End

that they may drift back into the West End once again. I will be

talking to you about measures that we can bring forward to help the

people in the West End and throughout the riding.

Two other communities are Grandview and Woodlands, which is an

attractive family neighbourhood, the Commercial Drive area. The incomes

there are slightly below average; 70 percent of the people are renters;

21 percent are Chinese-Canadian; the Italian population is about 10

percent and of course shows its unique culture and the flavour of the

Italian community along Commercial Drive. Twenty percent of the

families are single parent, so there's a tremendous need for child

care, for proper housing and other services like that.

[ Page 100 ]

Concerns: I keep coming back to them — youth unemployment; the fear

of street soliciting; traffic — again, the Great Northern Cut. To the

Minister of Social Services and Housing (Hon. Mr. Richmond), who is not

here at the present time: your office has been closed down by an arson

fire, and it needs to be replaced as early as possible for our citizens

to have some decent services and access to the Human Resources

department.

Mount Pleasant, the last community that I'm going to talk about, is

where our constituency office is located, and, of course, the Vancouver

City Hall. It is a mixed family and singles neighbourhood where 80

percent rent, again, requiring the return of the rentalsman and of the

rent regulations to prevent usurious rent increases in tight markets.

One concern of the residents of Mount Pleasant is, again, the street

soliciting. It has completely disrupted and demoralized the

neighbourhood and is a huge concern of many residents, who in their

frustration sometimes have to resort — very dangerous for them — to

threatening behaviour to try to deal with the fact that they haven't

slept for four or five months.

The Great Northern Cut, which the city of Vancouver has put $2

million towards in its last capital plan to design and put together, is

something I'll be taking up with the Minister of Transportation and

Highways (Hon. Mr. Michael), as I'm sure the hon. members for Vancouver

East will be trying to finally get the Cassiar connector completed so

that we can deal with this traffic infestation of the neighbourhoods on

the east side of Vancouver.

The downtown of Vancouver, which houses B.C. Place, is a downtown

that belongs to all of the province, and that is something we're very

proud of. Vancouver has facilities which are available to all the

people of British Columbia, whether it be the Canada Harbour Place,

B.C. Place, the art gallery, the Orpheum, Stanley Park. All of these

are facilities which are accessible to the people not just of

Vancouver and Vancouver Centre but of British Columbia.

We regard our downtown as the engine for economic development, with

Canada's major port, which creates over $2 billion worth of economic

activity for our country and our province. And, of course, the major

new push is on to the Asia Pacific area. Many of the traders and many

of the businesses that are involved are found in the offices in

downtown Vancouver. We have made it very clear, as the members for

Vancouver Centre, that there's a need for Vancouver to cooperate with

the other cities and regions, not just in the lower mainland but

throughout British Columbia, to create employment. What we're after,

Mr. Speaker, very simply, in Vancouver Centre and throughout B.C. is to

cooperatively help create once again a stable and prosperous British

Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, I have been making a leisurely tour of British

Columbia, visiting 35 cities in 50 days. During that visit throughout

British Columbia, which I'll be continuing, I have found that there are

many more similarities than dissimilarities between Vancouver and the

other regions of British Columbia: the same problems of unemployment,

the same challenge of job creation. Vancouver now has the highest

jobless rate of any major centre in Canada, including St. John's,

Newfoundland — an unemployment rate of 14.3 percent. Our people are

suffering, as British Colombians throughout this province are suffering.

I have had reinforced over and over again, as I have visited Trail,

Williams Lake, Nanaimo and many other areas, the need for cooperation

of public and private capital, talent and resources; for not creating

conflict and disparaging situations between government and the private

sector, but creating cooperation, bringing all those talents together

to create a larger pie by enlarging our development infrastructure, by

bringing forward a regionally based economic development strategy.

Because I have discovered, as we all know, that British Columbians are

ready to light our own candle, instead of cursing the darkness, to get

on with what we need to do to recover from the depression which we are

suffering through.

What we lack, and it's sad that I have to say this, is a cooperative

vision, a will to govern, an ability to tackle the major problems that

are holding up a prosperous and a stable B.C., and to recognize the

tremendous unemployment problem that we have — to get actively involved

in a cooperative way with job creation, to restore the integrity of our

educational system, to finally make sure that women have an equal role

and place in our society, to make sure that our native people don't

continue to have to be frustrated by this government's inability to

show some political will and leadership in the resolution, politically,

of the native land claims issue, and to make sure that we don't talk

about labour problems — that we talk about labour-management

cooperation. This emphasis on labour being a problem has got to stop.

[3:30]

I don't have much confidence that this government will tackle those

problems, that they will do anything but collect taxes to pay off an

ever-increasing debt. I think it's worth reminding the people of

British Columbia that this government is not squarely facing and owning

up to the last ten years. In 1976 the unemployment rate in this

province was 6.5 percent. It is now 13 percent plus. There were 70,000

people in 1976 on unemployment insurance; there are now over 200,000.

On welfare there were 90,000 people in 1976; there are now over 230,000

people — almost half a million British Columbians and their families.

The debt was $4 billion. Most of that was from the dams and from the

B.C. Rail extensions that happened in the 1960s. It was not New

Democrats who created that debt. It is now approaching $19 billion.

That ten-year track record should be a sobering reminder of what's

happened and how far this province has to go.

There is also the inability to recognize that B.C. is not for sale.

Well, let's just go and see what has been sold: MacMillan Bloedel, B.C.

Forest Products. BCRIC sold off a bunch of prosperous Crown

corporations that New Democrats were able to make work. They got sold

off; the stock has now sunk so far that it wouldn't even fit into the

bottom of the hole by St. Paul's Hospital.

We've lost Block Bros.; we've lost Daon; we have lost Sandwell; we

have lost Swan Wooster; we have lost Pacific Western Airlines; we have

lost CPR. There's nothing left to sell in the private sector with their

headquarters here. You see, that's why now everything in the public

sector is for sale, because there is nothing left in the private

sector. We're now going to tax-gimmick our hospitals, our schools, our

universities and our profitable Crown corporations.

What we need in this province is what the people of British Columbia

were able to put together 45 years ago, when they were able to sit

down, whatever the party differences, and go throughout British

Columbia and prepare a post-depression rehabilitation task force. The

Postwar Rehabilitation Council is an example of the kind of cooperation

that the New Democrat caucus has been trying to bring before

[ Page

101 ]

this House, and I think it's important for us to

try to cooperate, to do a similar sort of a rehabilitation council for

our sick and desperate economy. This was a cooperative committee

chaired by the Hon. H.G.T. Perry. It had on it the hon. member for the

Okanagan and previous Premier of British Columbia, Mr. W.A.C. Bennett.

He worked cooperatively with Miss Nancy Hodges and people like Tilly

Rolston, Dorothy Steeves and Harold Winch.

When we ask for our amendment to allow a committee or a task force

like that to be set up, we feel that we would be able to create

employment for all the people of British Columbia in the kind of

cooperation that was talked about in a few words in the Speech from the

Throne, and which the government refused. We need the political will to

tackle our unemployment tragedy so that we can cooperatively create

jobs throughout British Columbia with the resources of the private and

public sector in the forest industry, agriculture, mining, tourism and

many other areas of opportunity.

I think it's a tragedy when the young people of our province cannot

find work, cannot afford to go to school. People of my generation — as

I did — could longshore and pull broke in the pulp mill in Port Alice.

We could work as dining-car waiters in the CPR. If they couldn't go to

school, they had a chance of working on the tugs, working at Eburne

sawmill, working throughout the province. None of those options are

available for our young people.

This is the tragedy of present-day British Columbia. We want to

create those opportunities so our young people have the same

opportunities that we had for a decent way of life in British Columbia.

We are committed as a caucus — and that is why we are putting forward a

motion — in the spirit of cooperation, to try to bring a political will

together in this Legislature. With the rejected jobs task force and

committee, we are still going to be too scattered. We are prepared to

use the existing committee as a New Democrat caucus, and we therefore

put forward a motion that the motion "We Her Majesty's most dutiful and

loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, in

session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious

speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the

present session" be amended by adding the following:

"That this House regrets that the speech of His Honour was

silent on job creation, job training opportunities and the reduction of poverty

with special emphasis on youth, women and visible minorities and therefore this

House urges that these serious matters assume top priority consideration by

the Select Standing Committees on Economic Development, Transportation and Municipal

Affairs; and Health, Education and Social Services."

Then, Mr. Speaker, we can cooperatively start to have British Columbia be once

again a prosperous and stable place in which to live and work.

HON. L. HANSON: Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to introduce a guest.

Leave granted.

HON. L. HANSON: I would like to introduce a friend of mine,

Mr. Speaker, who for I guess the last 30 or 40 years has been well

known to me. He's an ex-resident of Vernon, now a resident of Victoria.

He and I performed for a number of years on the Vernon Volunteer Fire

Department. I'd like the House to make welcome Mr. Melbourne Vye.

On the amendment.

MRS. BOONE: Mr. Speaker, I also ask leave to introduce several guests in the gallery.

Leave granted.

MRS. BOONE: I would like to introduce, Mr. Speaker, my mother

Anne Chudley from Delta; my two daughters, Tanis and Sonia, also from

Delta; a very old and dear friend of mine, Mary Gregory and her two

sisters, Lorna Shaw and Kathleen Stenson, and Kathleen's husband Bill

Stenson. I'd also like to introduce a longtime family member from

Delta, Mae McQuatt, and the treasurer of the Prince George New Democrat

association, Bob Martin, and his daughter Mrs. Vaneck.

Mr. Speaker, I second the motion of the first member for Vancouver

Centre. I am proud to be here to represent my riding of Prince George

North, which covers the area north from Prince George to Fort Ware,

Mackenzie and Ingenika. It includes many small communities such as Bear

Lake, Chief Lake, McLeod Lake, Summit Lake, Nukko Lake and Salmon

Valley. As you can see, we are an area very much aware of and dependent

upon our lakes and rivers.

Mr. Speaker, I am especially proud to be here as the first New

Democrat to represent Prince George North since Alf Nunweiler was the

minister of northern affairs from 1972 to 1975, and I believe that I am

the first woman from the provincial party ever elected from the north.

I'm really proud to be here, but let me tell you, I'm not the last.

Prince George is the geographic centre of B.C. We are crossed by CN

Rail and B.C. Rail. We are the mid-point of two major highways and the

meeting-point of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers. There is no doubt that

we are the geographic centre, yet there seems to be some reluctance on

the part of the provincial government to acknowledge Prince George as a

regional centre. Over the past three years the citizens of Prince

George have watched local government offices close and regional offices

being moved to Kamloops, Vancouver and Victoria. We have seen Crown

corporations and private enterprise follow the government's lead and

move their regional offices as well.

Once again, the provincial government is planning to centralize its

operations and close a Prince George office. I am talking of something

that the member for Prince George South (Hon. Mr. Strachan) is aware

of, and that is the impending move of the ambulance dispatch from

Prince George to Kamloops. I thought no one could argue the technical

aspects of this move. However, recent information indicates there could

be some technical problems due to the topography of the area. But what

we are really disputing is a further closure of a Prince George

facility — the loss of jobs, the loss of families and the loss of

prestige as a regional centre. The suggested move has already had a

detrimental effect on our area. Negotiations were taking place with a

company interested in locating an air ambulance service in Prince

George. They were prepared to have a specialized plane in Prince George

on the tarmac. I don't need to tell you the positive effects that this

would have had on the delivery of emergency health services to our

area. That whole plan was put on hold

[ Page 102 ]

the minute the move of the ambulance dispatch was mentioned.

Mr. Speaker, it may seem inconsequential to you for me to be talking

at such length about the loss of six jobs However, residents of

Prince George and the surrounding areas believe that this is the final

straw, that a stand must be taken now, and that we are not going to

stand by and see a further erosion of our services and the slow

destruction of Prince George as a regional centre. I am pleased to see

that the throne speech specifically mentions decentralization. I can

only assume that earlier plans for centralization will be dropped in

keeping with your promise of an open and honest government, and that

plans to move the dispatch will also be dropped.

Mr. Speaker, the central interior of B.C. is an area that provides a

wealth of recreational opportunities. We have heard other members from

northern ridings on both sides of the House mentioning such things as

riding, fishing, hiking, skiing and camping. All of these activities

are enjoyed by many due to the numerous lakes, rivers and wilderness

areas in our area. Contrary to popular belief, not all British

Columbians are pining for the day that they can move to the lower

mainland. There are people such as myself who actually enjoy living in

the north because we like it there. We like the change of climate. We

enjoy the carefree lifestyle, and we enjoy the open space. Therefore we

are most concerned about what happens to our environment, as it affects

our lives in every respect.

[3:45]

I am very concerned when I see mining being expanded into provincial parks,

regardless of where those parks may be. I am extremely concerned when I hear

in the throne speech the words,"get the government off the back of the

private sector." Will this mean that environmental regulations will be

overlooked so companies can increase profits? Will this mean that there will

be no push by the government to improve environmental standards? More importantly,

does this mean that the smell of money that permeates my home — maybe not the

home of the member for Prince George South; I don't know — will this mean

that we will never have this alleviated? I trust that the Minister of Environment

will act on behalf of his constituency of Prince George South to ensure that

Prince George residents have the right to breathe.

Mr. Speaker, the constituency of Prince George North is economically

dependent upon the forest sector. It is therefore very disturbing to

the people who believe in their industry to see it constantly viewed by

this government as a sunset industry. We are now found with a 15

percent tariff on our lumber exports to the U.S.A. Four hundred million

dollars in revenue will be brought into the government coffers by this

tariff. There was a suggestion from the previous Forests minister that

this money be put into general revenue and none into reforestation. The

Premier contradicted this and indicated that some will go into general

revenue and some into reforestation. As 80 percent of this money comes

from the central interior, it should not surprise you that there is

considerable concern in the central interior regarding what is to

happen to this money. Should this money go into general revenue, it is

just about guaranteed that it will be channelled into supporting lower

mainland priorities rather than improving the desperate situation in

reforestation. We want assurances that the money is coming back to our

area by way of an extensive silviculture program that acknowledges not

only the need to plant trees, but also the need to nurture them in

their early years.

I'm glad, Mr. Speaker, that your government has identified the need

to replace every tree lost; however, your government must go beyond

that and set out to eliminate the backlog of not sufficiently restocked

land and set up a permanent silviculture fund so that the future of

this province is assured. It is no surprise to you, Mr. Speaker, that

jobs and employment are priorities of this caucus. An intensive

reforestation program would begin — and I'm saying just begin — to

address the outrageous unemployment level of 16.2 percent in the Prince

George region. It is unacceptable in a province as rich as British

Columbia, an area that has such potential, that the unemployment level

has been allowed to remain consistently above the provincial average

for years. It is equally unacceptable that the provincial average for

unemployment is above that of most other provinces. Whoever thought

that B.C. would be a have-not province and compared with the Maritime

provinces?

The unemployed want answers, Mr. Speaker. They want work, and it is

not good enough to say that the private sector is going to supply that.

The restraint program from which this province has never recovered was

based on the belief that if relief was given to the private sector,

jobs would be created. This never happened. What actually happened was

economic disaster. Budgets were not restrained. Priorities were

shifted, and by holding back on much-needed services and projects,

development and incomes were reduced, business was lost and the private

sector suffered.

I find it difficult to understand the philosophy behind the phrase

"get the government off the back of the private sector," when the

private sector is so ready to be carried by the government. The

waferboard plant so proudly promoted by the member from South Peace is

a prime example of private enterprise that could not exist without

government support. Need I remind this government of the Whistler

Mountain bail-out and the millions of taxpayer dollars that went into

northeast coal? The private sector I have spoken with wants action on

the part of the government to get the economy going again so that they

can flourish.

The construction industry, one of the industries hardest hit by the

recession, wants the government to prime the pump by getting on with

the many government projects that have been discussed and, in many

cases, announced. The construction association in my area has put

together a list of projects they would like to see happen immediately.

These are not just wishes that come out of the blue, but wishes that

address problems in the area, ones that have been announced in many

cases and discussed for many years; projects that would meet community

needs, provide employment and create cash flow. The first project is

highway construction. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the former Minister

of Highways did not travel much past Quesnel, as all the highways

radiating in the northeast and northwest of Prince George are in a

disastrous state. The construction association also wants the

government to get on with and build that youth detention centre. This

was announced last year, but there has been no action on it to date. We

have no facilities for young offenders and are badly in need of a

facility in the area so that our youth are not removed from their

community, their friends and their families.

The construction association also wants the government to get on

with and build the rehab pool. This was announced earlier, but so far

no action has happened on it. They want the

[ Page 103 ]

new ambulance station to be built, the B.C. Rail office to be built and a cancer clinic to be built in Prince George.

[Mr. Pelton in the chair.]

Mr. Speaker, immediate action on behalf of the government would give

a much needed boost to our economy, which has been struggling for

years. That is what the private sector wants. The government needs to

prime that pump so jobs are created, business flourishes and recovery

begins. Until the working man and woman have money in their pockets,

the private sector, so often mentioned in the throne speech, cannot

possibly thrive.

Mr. Speaker, my constituency, similar to other northern or interior

constituencies, has some desperate problems in health care and social

services. It is unfortunate that when the Minister of Social Services

and Housing (Hon. Mr. Richmond) and seven other ministers came to

Prince George with the social policy committee, they chose to devote

only six hours to listening to the needs of the entire north. However,

the concerns of communities were so great that representatives

travelled from as far as Kitimat to voice their concern about the

quality of care available in their community.

What the ministers heard over and over were pleas from the citizens

in remote areas for a fair share. I find it ironic, Mr. Speaker, that

the Premier of British Columbia is demanding a fair share of funding

from the federal government, when the very reason that I am here

representing Prince George North is that the people of the north

believe that we have not had a fair share from the provincial

government.

The ministers who were in Prince George were approached by parents

of handicapped children who are desperate over the lack of physios and

other specialists, and desperate over their inability to provide their

children with the best medical care possible. They also heard from

natives about their concerns about child apprehension, about the

inadequacies of native education and about the need for this province

to get on and negotiate Indian land claims.

Individuals from the social services field came and told the

ministers of the lack of facilities and resources that are available.

They require group homes so apprehended children are not placed in

motels or removed from their communities. They need facilities to deal

with those disturbed youth being uprooted and sent to The Maples in

Vancouver. They need more mental health personnel, psychiatrists,

psychologists and social workers. They need early intervention to

prevent family disasters and the waste of human lives.

Mr. Speaker, we have burnout in the Ministry of Social Services in

the north of such magnitude that in one office the senior social worker

was at one time a person with one year's seniority. With inexperienced

social workers, increased caseloads due to family crises, is it any

wonder that the social workers and their ministry are constantly under

fire for policy

interpretation? The fault lies not with the workers but

with an inadequate system that expects its personnel to deal with

tremendous problems, but does not give those personnel the necessary

support to do their job.

Mr. Speaker, the minister has also heard a plea for recognition of

northern climate, by way of special clothing and heating grants for

welfare recipients. They were also informed by the seniors and the

handicapped of the inadequacies of the public transit system and the

need for expanded service. Those without their own vehicles in the

Prince George and the northern areas are virtually held prisoners in

their homes on evenings and weekends, as there is no public

transportation during those times. This is a disgrace.

I urge the ministers who are with the social policy committee to

address the problems that they heard when they came to Prince George as

soon as possible. And in the spirit of cooperation promoted by the

Premier, I offer my assistance to identify areas and help develop plans

to solve these problems. I am committed to the people. I am committed

to ensuring that people in the north obtain their fair share of

services. I am willing and able to work with you to correct these

inadequacies. However, I give you fair warning that if I see no action

by this government, then rest assured that the members from the ridings

of Atlin, Prince Rupert and Prince George on this side of the House

will not be quiet. I trust that the members on the other side of the

House who are from northern ridings also will not be quiet.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk for a short time on a subject that

I feel very strongly about, and one that I promote every chance I get.

That subject is a northern university. You've heard from a number of

members on both sides of the House about the need for quality and

accessible education, education for the youth in all regions of this

province. I, too, believe in equal opportunities for all and believe

the province ought to be doing much more to promote participation in

post-secondary education by those in remote areas. The cost of

post-secondary education to all in the province right now is

outrageous. The cost to students outside the lower mainland is

horrendous. Not only do students have to bear the cost of

accommodation, but they must also pay transportation cost and the

emotional cost of being uprooted from families and friends.

Aside from the educational advantages to students, a northern

university would give a tremendous boost to the economy. The concept of

a northern university is one that has been endorsed by many in the

Prince George area as a key to the economic development of our region.

Aside from the employment opportunities provided through a university,

the spinoffs in the private sector would be considerable. I see a

university as a part of a regional plan that will work toward educating

and training our own people for those specialist areas where we have

such difficulty in attracting and keeping people. I believe that

someone who lives in the north, is educated in the north and is

employed in the north is far more likely to stay in the north. And

believe me, that's what we really need right now.

A university would assist in the attraction of new business. It is a

well-known fact that when industry is looking for a location to develop

in, they take into consideration what that community has to offer their

employees and where their company can look for future employees and

employee development. A university would provide those needs in

addition to providing cultural enrichment for the citizens in the area.

[4:00]

The idea of a northern university may sound a little radical to those who believe

that only Vancouver and Victoria should have a monopoly on education. However,

you must realize that there is an educational need to be met, that there is

a social need to be met and that there is an economic need to be met. To continue

to deny these needs and deny the development of Prince George as a regional

centre is to deny the

[ Page 104 ]

people in the north the right to equal educational

opportunities. Although the minister has already indicated a university

is out of the question, I will not give up on this issue, nor will the

people in the north.

Mr. Speaker, thousands of people in the province of British Columbia

are engaged in long and drawn-out disputes, disputes that in many cases

have ruined lives and made individuals fight for years for justice. The

disputes I'm referring to are those between the workers and the

Workers' Compensation Board. Despite what the chairman of the WCB says,

problems at the WCB are horrendous. They may have a fantastic new

building and they may have a fantastic new rehab program, but the fact

is that they do not have the desire to serve the needs of the workers.

The fact that there are so many appeals and that so many of those

appeals are found in favour of the workers indicates that far too many

are turned down at the first level. Claimants should not be made to go

through a bureaucratic nightmare to get what they deserve.

On behalf of the workers throughout the province, I urge the Premier

to do a thorough shakeup of the entire commission so that workers will

be treated with efficiency, dignity and fairness.

I was pleased to hear the Minister of Health indicate that there

would be no cuts in health and that there might be some increases. I

would like to point out to the minister, if he were here, that there

are increases in the federal transfer payment for health and education.

I would like the assurances of the minister that all of this money is

going to be put into health care and into education.

I believe we're on the brink of a crisis situation in health.

Through the restraint program we have seen the wages of the

professionals being arbitrarily kept at a level below those in other

provinces and the U.S.A. The professionals in the health field are

telling me that there is difficulty in attracting medical personnel to

our province, and that many are leaving for areas with more staff and

better wages. Just last week the paper ran a story indicating that

nurses are leaving B.C. Unless the problem of salaries and conditions

is addressed, we will lose many more professionals in the very near

future. The brain drain really is taking place in British Columbia.

My time is running out, Mr. Speaker, and as my colleague from

Burnaby expressed the needs of the public education system so well, I

will not dwell on it extensively. However, the issue of native

education is one that this government and society as a whole must deal

with. It's fair to say that our education system has failed the native

youth dismally. The native dropout rate is high, and attendance and

performance at school is poor. I admit that I do not know the answer to

these problems, but I do know that the time has come for a thorough

review of native education, and we must be open to all ideas. The

Carrier Sekani Tribal Council is developing a plan for self-education.

Perhaps that is the answer. Perhaps there are better or different

ideas. I don't know. I urge this government to work with the native

population, status and non-status, to develop an educational system

that will meet the needs of the native people — that will meet the

needs of the first citizens of British Columbia.

I'd like to end my speech with some facts that indicate some of the

areas that private citizens, companies and groups are having difficulty

in dealing with government. Since my office opened three months

ago we have had a total of 1, 217 transactions. Some were inquiries,

some were complaints, and some were just people needing assistance. Of

these transactions, the majority were related to health, social

services and WCB. I am pleased that these people feel confident that my

office will help them, but I am distressed that this number of people

find it necessary to come to their MLA to receive just treatment.

Mr. Speaker, the people of this province are looking to the

government for direction and leadership. They need to know that the

fresh start you talk about will include the youth, the elderly, the

women and the minorities. They need to know that you are serious about

tackling the problems of unemployment and poverty. They need to know

that you care. By adopting the amendment to the throne speech, you will

send them that message and you will tell them that you are willing to

put politics aside and work with the New Democrats to improve the lives

of all British Columbians. I urge you to vote in favour of this

amendment.

MR. RABBITT: Mr. Speaker and hon. members, it is with great

pride that I rise today to speak in this first session of the

thirty-fourth parliament as the duly elected representative of

Yale-Lillooet and a member of Her Majesty's government. I speak against

the amendment and in favour of the throne speech.

I bring greetings to this House from all the constituents of Yale-Lillooet.

I wish to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on your appointment to this

distinguished and traditional position. Mr. Deputy Speaker, I also wish

to congratulate you. My research has shown that this, too, is a very

important role in this parliament.

Mr. Premier, a special recognition to you. I commend you on bringing

a fresh approach to B.C. politics and congratulate you on leading our

Social Credit Party to its fantastic victory on October 22 of last

year. To my colleagues on both sides of the House, whether your victory

was large or small, I congratulate you and look forward to working with

you in this session and many more to come.

A special welcome to all the new members that are joining me in this

thirty-fourth parliament. There are a multitude of people that are

responsible in my successful election October 22. Approximately a

thousand people worked throughout my constituency to assist me in

winning the seat. Today I wish to thank them all and to recognize a few

of the organizers. Leading the team was my constituency president,

Clara Norgaard. Due to the vast size of the riding and the large number

of communities, I had approximately a dozen mini-campaigns working

simultaneously throughout the constituency. From Merritt, I'd like to

thank Jerry Sanders and Eleanor Norgaard; from Princeton, Brian Murphy

and Dennis Cook; from Ashcroft, Jean Quesnel and Tony Van Leest; from

Lillooet, Ken and Ellen Stowe and Johnder Basran; from Lytton, Chris

O'Connor; from Boston Bar, Lloyd Foreman; from Cache Creek, Chris

Berkey; from Hope, Dave Neilson and Mike Pelletier; from Logan Lake,

Joyce Wiggins; from Gold Bridge, Harold Hartley; from Spences Bridge,

Pat Alexander; and from Yale, Mary and Alex MacQueen. Also with me on

the campaign trail were Ken and Joyce McLaren and Ida Makaro, who

travelled daily with me throughout the constituency and assisted

constantly. I wish to thank my wife Eileen and my family for allowing

me to take the time necessary to be effective in this campaign, and in

various municipal campaigns and nearly a decade of active participation

in the union movement. I also wish to thank my mother and father,

Patrick and Madeline

[ Page 105 ]

Rabbitt, for always encouraging me and always supporting my political aspirations and endeavours.

Yale-Lillooet is one of British Columbia's 12 original

constituencies. It held three of the original 27 seats of the House.

Since 1871 our representatives have sat as backbenchers, cabinet

ministers, Leader of the Opposition and Premier of the province. Other

than Okanagan South, Yale-Lillooet is the only riding which has had two

Premiers among its elected representatives. In 1898 the Hon. C.A.

Semlin, owner of a ranch near Ashcroft, formed the government. Years

later, in 1924, the Hon. John Duncan MacLean formed the first

government elected under a party system. He represented the Liberals.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to break from my text and read a colourful

historical

article about events that took place in this very House over

100 years ago:

"At the turn of the century, Charlie Semlin, this

district's favourite politician and Premier of the province of B.C.,

was fired by the representative of the Queen. Semlin's firing sent

shock waves reverberating throughout the province, touched off a

constitutional crisis and led to the most bizarre spectacle the B.C.

Legislature has ever seen. When Lieutenant Governor Thomas McInnes came

to the Legislature to prorogue it after firing Semlin, the members of

the assembly began hissing him, and when he began reading the royal

decree they began shouting: 'We are the people.' Then every member

except one turned his back to the Lieutenant-Governor and rushed out of

the parliament buildings to carry the cry out into the streets. Shaking

and trembling, McInnes retreated to the safety of Carey Castle. But

outside, the elected members kept up their cry. They said McInnes had

overstepped the bounds of constitutional authority by sacking Semlin,

and began demanding McInnes himself be removed. Canada's Prime

Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, said he agreed with their views, and two

months later McInnes himself was fired."

During the past sixty years Yale-Lillooet has had four members whom

I've had the personal privilege of meeting. Dr. J.J. Gillis represented

the constituency as a Liberal from 1928 to 1952. Dr. Gillis resided and

practised medicine in the city of Merritt. Irvine F. Corbett was

elected in 1952 and represented the constituency as a Social Credit

member until 1963. Mr. Corbett, a resident of Hope, died during the

last election and was recognized by the Hon. Elwood Veitch in this

House for his accomplishments. William L. Hartley was elected in 1963

and served as an NDP member on both opposition and government sides of

the House. He served as a cabinet minister for three years. Thomas M.

Waterland was elected in 1975 as a Social Credit member and was

immediately appointed to the cabinet. Mr. Waterland retired from

politics August 5, 1986, and is now working in the private sector. Tom

Waterland served his constituency and this province well. These four

men represented three different political parties, but they were in

unison in one area. They all wanted what was best for Yale-Lillooet and

the province of British Columbia. I will continue that tradition.

Here are a few interesting firsts in the province for Yale Lillooet:

first gold commissioner in Lytton; government agent, Lillooet; the

first church in the province in Yale; first public school in Cache

Creek; the first grist mill in Ashcroft; the first railroad, Seton

Lake. Yale-Lillooet is a very diverse and challenging constituency. It

consists of just under 12,000 square miles. One can drive from

Vancouver to Calgary in less time than it takes to traverse my

constituency. It consists of 42 communities, eight of which are

municipalities. We have seven hospital boards, six school boards, four

highway districts, four regional districts, three college boards, three

forest districts and a multitude of overlapping service boundaries. In

addition, we have 28 native bands representing 276 reserves and

thousands of native Indians.

[4:15]

To the south of Yale-Lillooet lies the state of Washington; to the

west the constituencies of Chilliwack, West Vancouver-Howe Sound,

MacKenzie; to the north, Cariboo, Kamloops and Shuswap-Revelstoke; to

the east Okanagan North, Okanagan South and Boundary-Similkameen. As

you can see, this is the heart of Socred country. This is also a riding

of contrasts, from the majestic mountains in the heart of rainbow

country at Hope to the sun, sand and sage, and lands of Ashcroft; from

the rugged and awesome Fraser Canyon to the rolling grasslands of

Douglas Lake. It is no wonder that people from both near and far visit

and enjoy Yale-Lillooet's natural beauty.

The history of Yale-Lillooet, known until 1966 as the electoral

district of Yale, is as colourful as any in the province. It dates back

to the early 1800s when Simon Fraser first explored our beautiful

province. There is evidence that our native Indians have resided along

the Fraser, Thompson and Nicola Rivers for thousands of years. Fur

trade brought the Hudson's Bay Co. to western Canada, and they

established many trading posts along the way. One of the first was a

stockade at Fort Yale in 1848. Besides trading in furs, the Hudson's

Bay Co. also traded supplies for gold.

In 1858 the company shipped out 800 ounces of the precious metal

that had been collected in the Yale and Tulameen area. When the news of

this shipment was out, it created an immigration to our colony that has

never been equalled. In the summer of 1858 it is estimated that 25,000

people left San Francisco to pursue their fortunes in the colony of

British Columbia, specifically the gold-fields of Yale.

Between 1858 and 1860, four separate gold rushes took place. The

first I have already mentioned. The second was a find on Cayuse Creek

just south of Lillooet. A major find was also located on Granite Creek

in the Tulameen Valley. Granite City grew into an instant community of

approximately 5,000, only to die when the gold ran out. With the sudden

immigration came a need for law and order. Upon being sworn in as our

colony's first judge by the then governor James Douglas, Judge Matthew

Begbie was to write the Gold Fields Act, which he personally

distributed in Yale.

In 1861 ranchers moved into the Nicola and Thompson valleys with

their horses, cattle and sheep to service and feed the miners.

Vegetable and fruit farms made Lytton the breadbasket of the interior.

The governor recognized that the trails established by the Hudson's Bay

Co. were not adequate, and with the assistance of the Royal Engineers,

trails and roads were constructed. Fort Hope and Fort Yale flourished

for years, as did the steamboats that navigated the mighty Fraser.

Changes happened quickly, though. With the construction of the CPR,

the steamboats and the Cariboo Wagon Road through the Fraser Canyon

were relegated to a minor transportation role. The coal deposits in

Merritt and Blakeburn spurred the Kettle Valley Railway and the CP to

[ Page 106 ]

construct the Merritt-Spences Bridge connection.

The survival of many of our communities in Yale-Lillooet has depended

on transportation routes and their natural resources. When travelling

by land, either east-west or north-south, you will pass through my

great constituency.

We have three major rail lines and three major highways that service

our province that exist and contribute to the local economy, the most

recent being the new Coquihalla Highway, which is still under

construction. The Coquihalla Highway will be the safest highway in

British Columbia when completed.

As I mentioned earlier, our natural resources — namely mining,

forestry and ranching — have been the mainstay of our economy.

Yale-Lillooet hosts many sawmills and several major mines, one being

Highland Valley Copper, which is the largest open-pit copper mine in

Canada and one of the largest in the world. We also host the oldest

cattle industry in the province, and Douglas Lake Cattle Co. is one of

the largest ranches in the world. Our tourist industry has been small

to date, but with the assistance of the Minister of Tourism, Recreation

and Culture (Hon. Mr. Reid) and his ministry, we are going to develop

the Gold Rush Trail into the largest tourist drawing card in western

Canada.

I am presently assisting the city of Merritt in establishing a

native heritage project that has involved all three levels of

government, in conjunction with the native community, and that will

result in a first-class tourist attraction. We have several other

projects throughout the constituency on the drawing boards that we'll

be assisting and asking our province to become a partner in. I welcome

the initiatives on tourism outlined in the throne speech, and as MLA I

will work hard to make Yale-Lillooet a major tourist destination point.

I will be asking individual ministers of this government to consider

and sometimes reconsider my goals and objectives for Yale-Lillooet. I

will be working with local municipal councils, regional district

representatives and constituents, public, private or corporate in

nature.

I will be asking the Minister of Education (Hon. Mr. Brummet) to

closely examine ways of making the funding requirements fully meet the

needs of our small rural community. I will be asking the Minister of

Advanced Education and Job Training (Hon. S. Hagen) to continue

improving the funding formula to meet the financial requirements of

students living in rural ridings. I will be asking the Minister of

Health (Hon. Mr. Dueck) to take steps to provide long-term care

facilities in Hope, Merritt and Princeton. I will be requesting the

Minister of Transportation and Highways (Hon. Mr. Michael) to consider

the following projects: Ashcroft, the upgrading or replacing of the

Thompson River bridge; Hope, the addition of lighting to the Coquihalla

bridge; Lillooet, immediate construction of a railroad overpass or

bypass to the main municipal entrance — also, continued upgrading of

the Duffy Lake road; Merritt, early completion of Coquihalla phase 3;

Princeton, accelerated upgrading of the Hope-Princeton highway;

Tulameen, repaving of the Tulameen-Princeton road; Logan Lake,

construction of a 5,000-foot airport; Bralorne, paving of the

Bralorne-Gold Bridge road.

I will be asking the Minister of Intergovernmental Relations (Hon.

Mr. Rogers) to work closely with the 28 native bands in my

constituency. I will be asking the Provincial Secretary and Minister of

Government Services (Hon. Mr. Veitch) to continue to give the people in

the communities of Yale-Lillooet the fantastic support and individual

attention that we have received thus far from him. This minister has

recognized the diverse needs of my riding, and I commend him for this.

Mr. Speaker, Yale-Lillooet is truly my home and has been the home of

my forefathers. My grandfather supplied cordwood at Fort Hope to fuel

the paddle-wheelers. My grandfather worked on the construction of the

CPR throughout British Columbia. My father and son worked on

construction of the Coquihalla Highway. My grandfather was also an

entrepreneur involved in the first hotel in Vancouver, the pack train

from Hope to the interior, the purchase and operation of a Hudson's Bay

trading post at Slate Creek in the Tulameen and ranching at Tulameen.

My maternal grandfather was one of the early loggers of the province,

working all the way from the Queen Charlottes down to the southern

interior. At one time he logged Granville Street in the city of

Vancouver.

You can see, Mr. Speaker, why I enjoy expounding on the history of

this province. I was born in Princeton, raised in Tulameen, Manning

Park and Hope, and now I reside in Merritt.

I have worked in several industries: in the mining industry, both

underground and open-pit; in the forest industry as a logger and a

trucker; in the construction industry as a builder and subdivider; in

the real estate industry as a salesman and a land developer. During my

years of employment in the mining industry I became involved in the

labour movement, holding offices from shop steward to president of

Local 6523 of the United Steelworkers of America. I have also held

municipal offices, first elected in the town of Merritt in 1968 as an

alderman for three consecutive terms, and secondly as mayor in 1980 for

two terms. During these terms, I served on the Thompson regional

district and on the executive committee. I have also had the privilege

of serving for the past decade on the board of directors of the Nicola

Valley and District Credit Union. I mention these personal

accomplishments to my colleagues so that they can better understand me

and why certain things may seem important to me.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge and thank the former Social

Credit government for all the assistance and cooperation extended to me

and my community while I served as mayor. This government has served my

constituency well. I am looking forward to the future with much

anticipation.

I am pleased by the direction this government is taking, as stated

in the throne speech. Silviculture programs are vital if our forest

industry is going to remain our number one industry. I agree with the

view that our forest industry offers a wealth of potential for fresh

economic growth. I am also pleased that our government is taking steps

to deal with recommendations of the mining task force. This will be of

immense benefit to my riding.

I welcome the government's initiatives to bring stability in the

labour market. I know Yale-Lillooet will welcome more decision-making

and restoration of functions of government to the community level, and

further agree that increased attention to local autonomy is long

overdue. Agriculture is an important industry for this province and in

my riding, and I am enthusiastic about the government's plans to

encourage growth in our agricultural and our food and beverage

industries. There is much work to be done in these three areas of

forestry, mining and agriculture.

With strong leadership and hard work by this government, me and all

members of this House, we will be able to make this province the

economic power that British Columbians deserve. We have a Premier who

has a unique and

[ Page 107 ]

positive style. He is able to make decisions and

deliver on those decisions. He has picked a capable team to form the

cabinet that will carry out the theme set in the throne speech.

This government recognizes the problems of today and faces the

challenges of tomorrow by making a concerted effort to achieve a

solution. If we work as a team, use our natural and human resources,

there is no challenge we cannot overcome.

MR. LOVICK: Mr. Speaker, I think it appropriate for me to

begin my remarks by reminding the members of this House precisely why

it is I stand before you. I am standing here to speak on the amendment,

and the amendment, I would remind hon. members, has a very important

preamble. It draws our attention to the fact that this government has

been silent in the throne speech, via the throne speech, on matters of

three things: first, job creation activities; second, the reduction of

poverty; third, the provision of training opportunities.

It strikes me also, Mr. Speaker, that the other side of the House has been

quiet as clams, as mute as mollusks, on that issue also. I wonder why that should

be. I have a little expertise in the realm of debate. Indeed, the government

House Leader and I first encountered one another in the debating realm; we were

both coaches of teams. My understanding of debate is that the two sides engage;

that when we on this side of the House make a claim that the throne speech is

deficient and negligent in addressing those three fundamentally important concerns,

somebody on the other side ought to respond. Is it the case, then, that "qui

ne dit mot, consent," as the French proverb says? Is it the case that

silence is consent? Do you agree that your throne speech is silent? Because

if you don't agree, the obvious question is: where are you? Why aren't

you standing up asking to be recognized by the Speaker so that you can address

this issue?

[4:30]

The point, I think, is that all of us can recognize, if we look

closely, that whatever its good intentions, the government has in fact

been silent on those three fundamental areas.

I rise to support this amendment with mixed feelings. On the one

hand I am delighted to be standing here simply because the amendment as

presented is rational, intelligent and reasonable. It doesn't ask

anything that is going beyond the pale of moderation; instead it merely

asks the government to assume the duties it was elected to assume. But

I'm disappointed, Mr. Speaker, that I have to stand and support this

amendment, for two reasons: one, because the other side has given me no

ammunition to deal with, nothing to respond to; and second, because

really this kind of debate ought not to have to take place. It ought

not to have to take place just because if a government has one job — if

there is such a thing as something called job one — then by heaven it

ought to provide employment for the people of this province with decent

jobs at decent wages. Sadly, however, the throne speech does not

address that problem.

I do not wish to be unkind to the hon. member for Yale Lillooet (Mr.

Rabbitt), but I was interested when he began his remarks by saying that

he was standing to support the amendment, and then made one simple

statement — "I speak against the amendment and for the throne speech" —

and then we never heard another word about the amendment. That

disappoints me. I noticed also in the hon. member's remarks that he

said, "I will be asking the minister to do this good job, and I will be

asking the minister to do that good job," and there were many of them,

and they were all good things to raise. The point, though, is that each

of those things he said amounted to what? It amounted to a job creation

initiative. I wonder then if the hon. member for Yale-Lillooet was

in fact supporting our amendment. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Our amendment has as its purpose only one thing. The only thing we

are asking is that this government should begin the absolutely crucial,

fundamental process of getting people employed. That's the purpose of

the amendment. We feel the need to instruct the particular standing

committees to carry that task forward primarily because the problems

besetting our economy appear to have been, at least in the past ten

years, incapable of solution, Mr. Speaker. The predicament our economy

has demonstrated now for a considerable time is its apparent incapacity

to employ sufficient numbers of our people. High unemployment has been

with us for so long that most of us have now concluded — most

economists certainly have concluded — that it is systemic. There is

something fundamentally wrong with our system insofar as it has not

been able to generate acceptable levels of employment in this province,

nor has it done so for at least ten years.

MR. WILLIAMS: Your ten years.

MR. LOVICK: My colleague the hon. member for Vancouver East is typically

astute in what he says insofar as it has indeed been somebody else's ten

years.

We must, I'm suggesting, use the power and resources of government,

and this again is what the amendment asks us to do. It says implicitly,

insofar as it deals with particular standing committees, that we must

use the resources of government in the areas of health, education,

social services, municipal structures and transportation. Those are, if

you like, the built-in windows into the economy that we have before us

and can use. Unfortunately, as I say, the government seems to be

ideologically averse to exploring those avenues. The tragedy that

confronts us is that the throne speech does not attend to the problem I

have described, namely the problem of our economy being systemically

incapable of generating sufficient jobs for our people. The throne

speech does not do that. You know, Mr. Speaker, in a rational political

universe, a throne speech, any throne speech, ought to make it clear

that the principal concern of the government of the day, any government

of any political persuasion of any day, ought to be the welfare of the

greatest number of its people.

This throne speech, sadly, regrettably, and as I shall have occasion

to demonstrate at greater length when I address the throne speech

formally — which I am not doing now, I hasten to point out....

Interjections.

MR. LOVICK: I think what the hon. Minister of Municipal

Affairs (Hon. Mrs. Johnston) has noticed is simply that I, uniquely

perhaps, am addressing the measure before us, the motion.

The tragedy, Mr. Speaker, is that the throne speech does not attend

to those problems. The standing committees that we have already in

place are the logical, natural place for us to do that job. Thus we

have to bring forward this amendment because our earlier amendment to

establish a bipartisan committee was rather peremptorily rejected. We

have to bring

[ Page 108 ]

forth this amendment. We would indeed be negligent if we did not bring forward this amendment.

I want to appeal to members on the other side of the House to

support our amendment, and I want to do so not trying to play games or

trying to do any sort of political posturing, but rather because I want

to suggest to them that the amendment we propose is entirely in keeping

with what those select standing committees are supposed to be

accomplishing. It is a reasonable amendment. Mr. Speaker, if the

members on the other side of this House support this amendment, albeit

after the fact, albeit belatedly, albeit because we on this side of the

House told them it would be a good idea to support the amendment, then

they will at least recognize they know there is a problem with the

economy. Unfortunately, to judge from the throne speech, they don't

know there is a problem with the economy. Certainly the people of this

province will be looking to both sides of the House to address that

problem. Indeed, I would suggest they will not, nor should they, accept

any less.

HON. S. HAGEN: Mr. Speaker, I have the great honour to rise

in this House today as the newly elected m