British Columbia Hansard — Monday, May 11, 2015

20150511am-Hansard-v26n1

British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)

Fourth Session, 40th Parliament OFFICIAL REPORT OF DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (HANSARD) THE HONOURABLE LINDA REID, SPEAKER ISSN 0709- 1281 (Print) ISSN 1499-2175 (Online) Monday, May 11, 2015 Morning Sitting Volume 26, Number 1

PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Entered Confederation July 20, 1871) LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR Her Honour the Honourable Judith Guichon, OBC Fourth Session, 40th Parliament SPEAKER OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Honourable Linda Reid EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Premier and President of the Executive Council .............................................................................................................. Hon. Christy Clark Deputy Premier and Minister of Natural Gas Development and Minister Responsible for Housing ......................Hon.

Rich Coleman Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation ......................................................................................................... Hon. John Rustad Minister of Advanced Education ............................................................................................................................... Hon. Andrew Wilkinson Minister of Agriculture ........................................................................................................................................................ Hon.

Norm Letnick Minister of Children and Family Development ....................................................................................................... Hon. Stephanie Cadieux Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development ........................................................................................... Hon. Coralee Oakes Minister of Education ..................................................................................................................................................... Hon.

Peter Fassbender Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Core Review .....................................................................Hon. Bill Bennett Minister of Environment ..........................................................................................................................................................Hon. Mary Polak Minister of Finance .................................................................................................................................................. Hon.

Michael de Jong, QC Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations......................................................................................Hon. Steve Th omson Minister of Health ............................................................................................................................................................... Hon. Dr. Terry Lake Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for Asia Pacifi c Strategy and Multiculturalism ..................Hon.

Teresa Wat Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour ...................................................Hon. Shirley Bond Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business ....................................................................................................Hon. Naomi Y amamoto Minister of Justice ...............................................................................................................................................................Hon.

Suzanne Anton Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation..............................................................................................Hon. Michelle Stilwell Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services ................................................................................................ Hon. Amrik Virk Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure ......................................................................................................................Hon.

Todd Stone LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Leader of the Offi cial Opposition ...................................................................................................................................................John Horgan Deputy Speaker .............................................................................................................................................................................Douglas Horne Assistant Deputy Speaker ...............................................................................................................................................................

Raj Chouhan Deputy Chair, Committee of the Whole ............................................................................................................................................ Pat Pimm Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ................................................................................................................................................... Craig James Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees .................................................................................................................................

Kate Ryan-Lloyd Sessional Law Clerk ............................................................................................................................................. Loredana Catalli-Sonier. QC Sergeant-at-Arms ................................................................................................................................................................................. Gary Lenz

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MEMBERS Anton, Hon. Suzanne (BC Liberal) .............................. Vancouver-Fraserview Ashton, Dan (BC Liberal).....................................................................Penticton Austin, Robin (NDP) ................................................................................ Skeena Bains, Harry (NDP) ....................................................................Surrey-Newton Barnett, Donna (BC Liberal) ............................................... Cariboo-Chilcotin Bennett, Hon.

Bill (BC Liberal) ...................................................Kootenay East Bernier, Mike (BC Liberal) ................................................... Peace River South Bing, Dr. Doug (BC Liberal) ................................ Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows Bond, Hon. Shirley (BC Liberal) ........................... Prince George–Valemount Cadieux, Hon. Stephanie (BC Liberal) ................................Surrey-Cloverdale Chandra Herbert, Spencer (NDP) .................................Vancouver–West End Chouhan, Raj (NDP) ...........................................................

Burnaby-Edmonds Clark, Hon. Christy (BC Liberal) ........................................ Westside-Kelowna Coleman, Hon. Rich (BC Liberal) ...........................Fort Langley–Aldergrove Conroy, Katrine (NDP) .............................................................. Kootenay West Corrigan, Kathy (NDP) ..................................................... Burnaby–Deer Lake Dalton, Marc (Ind.) ......................................................... Maple Ridge–Mission Darcy, Judy (NDP) ..................................................................New Westminster de Jong, Hon.

Michael, QC (BC Liberal) .............................. Abbotsford West Dix, Adrian (NDP)............................................................Vancouver-Kingsway Donaldson, Doug (NDP) ......................................................................... Stikine Eby, David (NDP) ..........................................................Vancouver–Point Grey Elmore, Mable (NDP) ................................................... Vancouver-Kensington Farnworth, Mike (NDP) ............................................................ Port Coquitlam Fassbender, Hon.

Peter (BC Liberal) ................................... Surrey-Fleetwood Fleming, Rob (NDP) .......................................................... Victoria–Swan Lake Foster, Eric (BC Liberal) .......................................................Vernon-Monashee Fraser, Scott (NDP) ............................................................Alberni–Pacifi c Rim Gibson, Simon (BC Liberal) ............................................. Abbotsford-Mission Hamilton, Wm.

Scott (BC Liberal) .................................................Delta North Hammell, Sue (NDP) .................................................... Surrey–Green Timbers Heyman, George (NDP) .................................................... Vancouver-Fairview Hogg, Gordon (BC Liberal) ............................................... Surrey–White Rock Holman, Gary (NDP) .......................................Saanich North and the Islands Horgan, John (NDP) .......................................................................

Juan de Fuca Horne, Douglas (BC Liberal) ..............................Coquitlam–Burke Mountain Hunt, Marvin (BC Liberal) ....................................................Surrey-Panorama Huntington, Vicki (Ind.) ..................................................................Delta South James, Carole (NDP) .........................................................Victoria–Beacon Hill Karagianis, Maurine (NDP) ........................................Esquimalt–Royal Roads Krog, Leonard Eugene (NDP) .............................................................

Nanaimo Kwan, Jenny Wai Ching (NDP) ........................... Vancouver–Mount Pleasant Kyllo, Greg (BC Liberal) ........................................................................ Shuswap Lake, Hon. Dr. Terry (BC Liberal) ....................Kamloops–North Th ompson Larson, Linda (BC Liberal) .........................................Boundary-Similkameen Lee, Richard T. (BC Liberal) ......................................................Burnaby North Letnick, Hon.

Norm (BC Liberal) ..............................Kelowna–Lake Country Macdonald, Norm (NDP) ....................................Columbia River–Revelstoke McRae, Don (BC Liberal) ............................................................ Comox Valley Martin, John (BC Liberal) ..................................................................Chilliwack Morris, Mike (BC Liberal) ..................................... Prince George–Mackenzie Mungall, Michelle (NDP) ..........................................................Nelson-Creston Oakes, Hon.

Coralee (BC Liberal) .............................................Cariboo North Pimm, Pat (BC Liberal) .........................................................Peace River North Plecas, Dr. Darryl (BC Liberal) .............................................Abbotsford South Polak, Hon. Mary (BC Liberal) .............................................................. Langley Popham, Lana (NDP) ...................................................................Saanich South Ralston, Bruce (NDP) ................................................................ Surrey-Whalley Reid, Hon.

Linda (BC Liberal) ..................................................Richmond East Reimer, Linda (BC Liberal) ........................................ Port Moody–Coquitlam Rice, Jennifer (NDP) ........................................................................North Coast Robinson, Selina (NDP) .............................................Coquitlam-Maillardville Routley, Bill (NDP) .................................................................. Cowichan Valley Routley, Doug (NDP) ............................................Nanaimo–North Cowichan Rustad, Hon.

John (BC Liberal) ................................................ Nechako Lakes Shin, Jane Jae Kyung (NDP) ...............................................Burnaby-Lougheed Simons, Nicholas (NDP) ................................... Powell River–Sunshine Coast Simpson, Shane (NDP) ..................................................... Vancouver-Hastings Stilwell, Hon. Michelle (BC Liberal)............................... Parksville-Qualicum Stilwell, Dr. Moira (BC Liberal) ........................................ Vancouver-Langara Stone, Hon. Todd (BC Liberal) .........................

Kamloops–South Th ompson Sturdy, Jordan (BC Liberal) ..................................West Vancouver–Sea to Sky Sullivan, Sam (BC Liberal) ...........................................Vancouver–False Creek Sultan, Ralph (BC Liberal) ..................................... West Vancouver–Capilano Tegart, Jackie (BC Liberal) ............................................................Fraser-Nicola Th omson, Hon. Steve (BC Liberal) .......................................Kelowna-Mission Th ornthwaite, Jane (BC Liberal) ..........................

North Vancouver–Seymour Th roness, Laurie (BC Liberal).................................................Chilliwack-Hope Trevena, Claire (NDP) .................................................................... North Island Virk, Hon. Amrik (BC Liberal) ............................................. Surrey-Tynehead Wat, Hon. Teresa (BC Liberal) .............................................. Richmond Centre Weaver, Dr. Andrew (Ind.) .......................................... Oak Bay–Gordon Head Wilkinson, Hon. Andrew (BC Liberal) ........................ Vancouver-Quilchena Y amamoto, Hon.

Naomi (BC Liberal) ................ North Vancouver–Lonsdale Y ap, John (BC Liberal) ......................................................Richmond-Steveston LIST OF MEMBERS BY RIDING Abbotsford-Mission ......................................................................Simon Gibson Abbotsford South ..................................................................... Dr. Darryl Plecas Abbotsford West ...................................................... Hon. Michael de Jong, QC Alberni–Pacifi c Rim ..........................................................................

Scott Fraser Boundary-Similkameen ................................................................ Linda Larson Burnaby–Deer Lake ................................................................... Kathy Corrigan Burnaby-Edmonds ..........................................................................Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Lougheed .............................................................Jane Jae Kyung Shin Burnaby North .............................................................................. Richard T.

Lee Cariboo-Chilcotin ........................................................................Donna Barnett Cariboo North .................................................................... Hon. Coralee Oakes Chilliwack ......................................................................................... John Martin Chilliwack-Hope ....................................................................... Laurie Th roness Columbia River–Revelstoke ..................................................

Norm Macdonald Comox Valley.....................................................................................Don McRae Coquitlam–Burke Mountain .....................................................Douglas Horne Coquitlam-Maillardville........................................................... Selina Robinson Cowichan Valley ................................................................................ Bill Routley Delta North .........................................................................Wm.

Scott Hamilton Delta South...............................................................................Vicki Huntington Esquimalt–Royal Roads .....................................................Maurine Karagianis Fort Langley–Aldergrove ...................................................Hon. Rich Coleman Fraser-Nicola.................................................................................... Jackie Tegart Juan de Fuca .....................................................................................John Horgan Kamloops–North Th ompson ............................................ Hon. Dr.

Terry Lake Kamloops–South Th ompson ..................................................Hon. Todd Stone Kelowna–Lake Country ..................................................... Hon. Norm Letnick Kelowna-Mission .............................................................. Hon. Steve Th omson Kootenay East .......................................................................... Hon. Bill Bennett Kootenay West ............................................................................ Katrine Conroy Langley.......................................................................................Hon.

Mary Polak Maple Ridge–Mission ..................................................................... Marc Dalton Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows ........................................................ Dr. Doug Bing Nanaimo ........................................................................... Leonard Eugene Krog Nanaimo–North Cowichan ......................................................... Doug Routley Nechako Lakes ........................................................................ Hon.

John Rustad Nelson-Creston ........................................................................Michelle Mungall New Westminster ............................................................................... Judy Darcy North Coast......................................................................................Jennifer Rice North Island .................................................................................. Claire Trevena North Vancouver–Lonsdale ........................................Hon.

Naomi Y amamoto North Vancouver–Seymour ..................................................Jane Th ornthwaite Oak Bay–Gordon Head ...................................................... Dr. Andrew Weaver Parksville-Qualicum .......................................................Hon. Michelle Stilwell Peace River North ................................................................................ Pat Pimm Peace River South ............................................................................Mike Bernier Penticton............................................................................................

Dan Ashton Port Coquitlam ..........................................................................Mike Farnworth Port Moody–Coquitlam ................................................................Linda Reimer Powell River–Sunshine Coast ................................................. Nicholas Simons Prince George–Mackenzie ............................................................. Mike Morris Prince George–Valemount ................................................... Hon. Shirley Bond Richmond Centre ......................................................................Hon.

Teresa Wat Richmond East ..........................................................................Hon. Linda Reid Richmond-Steveston ..............................................................................John Y ap Saanich North and the Islands .................................................... Gary Holman Saanich South ................................................................................

Lana Popham Shuswap ................................................................................................Greg Kyllo Skeena .............................................................................................. Robin Austin Stikine ....................................................................................... Doug Donaldson Surrey-Cloverdale ....................................................... Hon. Stephanie Cadieux Surrey-Fleetwood ........................................................... Hon.

Peter Fassbender Surrey–Green Timbers .................................................................. Sue Hammell Surrey-Newton ................................................................................. Harry Bains Surrey-Panorama ........................................................................... Marvin Hunt Surrey-Tynehead ......................................................................Hon. Amrik Virk Surrey-Whalley..............................................................................

Bruce Ralston Surrey–White Rock ....................................................................... Gordon Hogg Vancouver-Fairview ..................................................................George Heyman Vancouver–False Creek ................................................................... Sam Sullivan Vancouver-Fraserview ......................................................Hon.

Suzanne Anton Vancouver-Hastings ....................................................................Shane Simpson Vancouver-Kensington .................................................................Mable Elmore Vancouver-Kingsway..........................................................................Adrian Dix Vancouver-Langara .................................................................Dr. Moira Stilwell Vancouver–Mount Pleasant .........................................

Jenny Wai Ching Kwan Vancouver–Point Grey .........................................................................David Eby Vancouver-Quilchena ................................................ Hon. Andrew Wilkinson Vancouver–West End ...............................................

Spencer Chandra Herbert Vernon-Monashee ...............................................................................Eric Foster Victoria–Beacon Hill .......................................................................Carole James Victoria–Swan Lake.........................................................................Rob Fleming West Vancouver–Capilano ............................................................. Ralph Sultan West Vancouver–Sea to Sky ..........................................................Jordan Sturdy Westside-Kelowna ................................................................

Hon. Christy Clark Party Standings: BC Liberal 48; New Democratic 34; Independent 3

CONTENTS Monday, May 11, 2015 Morning Sitting Page Orders of the Day Private Members’ Statements ................................................................................................................................................. 8225 Local tourism opportunities D. Ashton D. Eby Access to justice L. Krog L. Th roness Assistive technology D. McRae J. Kwan Child labour M. Elmore L.

Larson Private Members’ Motions ..................................................................................................................................................... 8234 Motion 16 — Investment and export diversifi cation M. Hunt B. Ralston J. Th ornthwaite J. Shin S. Gibson N. Macdonald G. Kyllo L. Popham D. Bing S. Chandra Herbert J. Yap

MONDAY , MAY 11, 2015 Th e House met at 10:03 a.m. [Madame Speaker in the chair.] Routine Business Prayers. Orders of the Day Private Members’ Statements LOCAL TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES D. Ashton: Let me ask: where in the world can you golf, ski, swim, sail, climb a mountain, catch a salmon, watch whales or fi nd dinosaur tracks, among the other thousands of things that you can do? Th e answer, my friends, is right here under our noses in super, natural British Columbia. [R.

Chouhan in the chair.] All of the marketing slogans apply to our province, because as we all know, we live in a four-seasons play- ground, which is the envy of the world. As I like to say about my region in the South Okanagan, we’re a lot more than peaches and beaches. [1005] I may be biased, but with respect to my good friend from the Shuswap, his area is nice, but boy, you sure can’t beat the Okanagan during the summertime. Th e truth is that each of us in this House has the right to boast about the recreational, cultural and tourism op- portunities off ered in each of our ridings.

We in British Columbia are very lucky . W e have no reason to go be- yond our borders when there is so much to see and do right here. Tourism is big business in B.C. and is getting bigger. In 2013 tourism generated $13.9 billion in total revenue in British Columbia. Th at’s up 40 percent in the last ten years. Th e United Nations World Tourism Organization predicts that tourism will double over the next two dec- ades. While B.C. residents know how good we have it, so does the rest of the world, but they have a lot more to learn about what we have to off er here.

We are seeing signifi cant international growth in the tourism sector. In 2014 we had a 5.3 percent increase in international visitors over the previous year, almost a quarter of a million more people. Th e value of the vis- itor economy impacts communities all across British Columbia. Tourism helps drive a range of benefi ts, in- cluding increased trade and investment, international education and immigration. Th ese international visitors represent the tip of the iceberg for the investment that is coming to British Columbia.

For example, two wineries in my area on the Naramata Bench are now owned by Chinese invest- ors, and the Lake Okanagan Resort in Kelowna on the west side of the lake is now also Chinese owned. Why? Because these off shore investors and many like them recognize that B.C. is a special world-class place with an incredibly bright future in so many ways, including tourism. It may surprise some to learn that one in every 15 jobs in British Columbia is in the tourism sector, and those workers are paid $4.5 billion a year in wages, a yearly in- crease of 3.8 percent.

Th ere are more than 19,200 tour- ism-related businesses in British Columbia, and more than 17,000 of them are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees who hire and buy locally and keep their profi ts in British Columbia. In 2010 industry projected the number of jobs in the tourism and hospitality class sector would increase from 256,000 to 300,000 by 2020, adding about 44,000 new jobs to the B.C. economy. Over the same period of time industry expects there will be more than 57,000 job openings in the tourism and hospitality sector as a result of replacement needs.

Industry, therefore, projects that the total number of openings by 2020 will be more than 101,000. Th at’s 10 percent of all of the expected job open- ings in the province by that year. Our government invests $90 million annually in the tourism sector. We will keep supporting it, and tourism operators can continue to contribute as they always do to our local economy and our economic growth. Part of that government investment is in aboriginal tourism. In 2008 we provided $8 million in funding to the non-prof- it Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia.

Today there are more than 200 aboriginal businesses in British Columbia, an 85 percent increase since 2006. I am proud to point to a very successful aboriginal tour- ism operation that’s located in the South Okanagan — Nk’Mip resort near Osoyoos, which is home to North America’s fi rst aboriginal owned and operated vineyard and winery. Across British Columbia overnight visitors spent an estimated $45 million on aboriginal tourism activities in 2013, which is double the amount spent in 2006 — an indication that this level of spending will con- tinue to grow. Tourism in British Columbia takes no holidays.

It’s a year-round industry. From the Victoria Day weekend, which is quickly approaching, most British Columbians are gearing up for their summer getaways. Th ere are endless possibilities at home in British Columbia for a staycation. I want to encourage everybody in this House and everybody in British Columbia to experience something new in our home province this year. Go off the beat- en path and visit a heritage site like Barkerville or Fort 8225

British Columbia Debates8226 Monday, May 11, 2015 Steele. Stay at a guest ranch and go horseback riding in the Chilcotin-Cariboo. Experience the unspoiled gran- deur of Haida Gwaii or follow the footsteps of the dino- saurs in Tumbler Ridge. In recognition of the first-ever Canadian camping week on May 19 to 24, sit around a campfi re at one of our spectacular provincial parks or forest service sites. And this is important to remember.

Please leave your camp- site as you found it, and please protect those forests that are so valuable to us. [1010] Tourism benefi ts all regions in our province, and it contributes to a more diversifi ed economy and builds much, much stronger communities. Y es, the tourism sec- tor is big, and with Destination B.C., we are working very hard to ensure that it gets bigger. D. Eby: I have limited time to respond to the mem- ber’s claims during his speech.

Certainly, we’re all ex- cited about British Columbia, those of us that have had the chance to travel around the province, including the member’s area of Penticton — a beautiful, stunning area. I imagine we have some people up in the gallery who are tourists visiting British Columbia as well. For the member to take credit for the return of the American economy to prosperity, the emergence of the middle class in China, as growing tourism, I say good for him. Good for him. But let’s look at the track record of this member. He’s the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

I want to tell you just one story about one tourism agency in B.C. where this member could make a real diff erence but has chosen not to. It’s called Tourism Vancouver. It’s a small industry group in Vancouver that receives the hotel tax that’s charged on rooms when tourists stay in the city. Now, when that hotel tax was put in place, the government told the hotel operators: “Th is money is going to fund tourism in the city of Vancouver, and you’re going to benefi t from this. ” Th ey said: “Great. ” In recent years it’s brought in as much as $10 million. Th at’s a lot of money.

When this government built their convention centre in downtown Vancouver and they went over budget — not a little over budget, but a lot over budget; they spent almost $1 billion on it — they asked Tourism Vancouver to help them cover that. Th ey asked for $100 million from Tourism Vancouver, and Tourism Vancouver said: “Y es. We’re going to benefi t from this. We’ll kick in some money. We’ll kick in the $100 million. ” It seemed like a reasonable deal. But man, oh man, did they make a bad deal with this government. What should have been a break-even loan…. Th e government borrows money at 4, 4½ percent.

But they charged Tourism Vancouver 6.1 percent on this loan. So the province is actually making as much as 2 percent profi t on Tourism Vancouver. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it amounts to $2 million a year taken out of Tourism Vancouver and tourism opportunities in Vancouver and put into general revenue for this government. As the secretary for the Minister of Finance, what does this member do to respond to the fact that Tourism Vancouver has paid $7 million against our $100 million loan? Now the loan is $109 million. It’s going up. It’s not going down. How did he propose to fix this?

Well, he and the Minister of Finance brought forward an amendment that “provides the opportunity” for Tourism Vancouver to in- crease the hotel tax from 2 percent to 3 percent. He didn’t lower the interest rate on this loan. He allowed them to collect more tax, which means more money will fl ow into general revenue for this government from the loan that they made to Tourism Vancouver. Now, because the government gets to pull one-third of all this hotel room tax from Tourism Vancouver, that’s an increase from $4 million a year that they pull from Tourism Vancouver to $5½ million a year.

I see the Minister of Jobs over there whispering in the member’s ear. He is the secretary who is responsible for this deci- sion. One would have hoped she would have done this before this change was put in place. However, debt is abstract. A $100 million debt at 6½ percent — what does that mean? Let me tell what you it looks like.

Globe and Mail headline, October 10, 2014: “Vancouver’s New Y ear’s Eve Festivities Cancelled Due to Lack of Funding. ” It says: “Plans for a family-friend- ly New Y ear’s Eve celebration in Vancouver have fallen through because organizers were unable to raise enough money. ” How much were they looking for — $100 million? No, $100,000 is what they were short of their $300,000 budget. Why wasn’t Tourism Vancouver able to help them make that up so we could have a family-friendly New Y ear’s Eve in Vancouver? Because this member decided to make 2 percent profi t on the hotel tax in Vancouver.

Deputy Speaker: Member, let’s not direct your com- ments to individual members. D. Eby: I think that shows more than enough about this government’s track record on promoting tourism. [1015] D. Ashton: Well, good morning again. I just want to thank the member for Vancouver–Point Grey for his input. Some of these things are probably best left to esti- mates, but when I take a look around at what Vancouver has to off er, what Vancouver brings in on tourism — it’s usually on the footstep to the rest of the province — I can’t say enough about what transpires there.

Anyway, in British Columbia — I want to speak on something else very quickly — we have an incredible park system that is the envy of the world. We have over 1,029 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservan-

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8227 cies, ecological reserves and protected areas in British Columbia. So many people that come through Vancouver stay in Vancouver a few nights, move to the Interior or move up to the north on their tourism areas and get to enjoy these incredible vistas that we have. Together, these cover more than 14 million hectares, or 14 percent of the provincial land base. Over the past fi ve years B.C. Parks has invested ap- proximately $60 million in park facilities and $700 million in investments in infrastructure and required maintenance.

To help pay for these investments and maintain these high levels of provincial parks, in March we announced an increase in the camping fees. It might not help the member from across the way, but I have to tell you, this is the fi rst system increase in fi ve years. Th is increase comes aft er years of investing and de- livering capital projects aimed at attracting young fam- ilies and off ering new recreational opportunities and increasing the attendance in these incredible parks.

Fee increases are nominal to ensure that camping remains aff ordable for families and visitors visiting B.C. ’s world- class park systems, which is one of the largest protected areas in the world. While the fee

schedule varies, the vast majority of provincial campsites will see a $2 a night increase. While others will see a slightly larger increase to a maximum of $5 a night, the increase is expected to generate $1.3 mil- lion this year for B.C. ’s protected areas and the systems that they represent. All of the revenue from the increased fees will be put back into maintaining and enhancing this park system. User fees at B.C. Parks are generally lower than most of the private campsites in the province and competitive with the public sector campgrounds in other jurisdic- tions. For an example, camping at Cultus Lake Provincial Park will cost families $35 a night for a campsite with up to four adults,

whereas a nearby operator charges $35 to $45 for a tenting site for two adults with a $10 charge additional for each adult. A private operator in the Shuswap will charge $30 to $60 a night, and B.C. Parks charges $32 to a night for up to four adults. Our province has one of the largest park systems in the world and a highest percentage of land space dedicated to parks in all of the Canadian provinces. B.C. ’s prov- incial parks generate more than 21 million visits every year. More than 133,000 reservations were made through Discover Camping. I’ll end on that, but what a wonder- ful place for a vacation.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE L. Krog: Access to justice. I couldn’t phrase it better than the words from the West Coast LEAF report, where they said: “ A justice system that is not equally accessible to everyone is not a justice system at all. ” Back when the present government came to power in 2001, they cut the money for the Legal Services Society, which administers legal aid in this province, by 40 per- cent.

Notwithstanding population growth, notwithstand- ing inflation and notwithstanding all of the changes that have occurred in society in British Columbia in the last 14 years, we are still well below the actual raw-dol- lar number that was provided to Legal Services Society some 14 years ago. With the budget announced, we know that’s not go- ing to change this year. Th e grim reality is if you are poor in this province, your access to justice is, in many cases, nonexistent. Even if you qualify for legal aid, it’s extremely limited.

For example, a referral to a legal aid lawyer is only provided in the case of a serious family problem. Th at must include the need for “an immediate court order to ensure you or your children’s safety and security. ” Even then, you’re going to get only 25 hours of general help. What that means is, if you face a spouse on the other side who has access to better income, they obviously take the very wise tactic that everyone does. Y ou sim- ply run up the clock, wasting the legal aid hours on your spouse’s side. When they’re done, they’re going to be without counsel.

To give an example, if you’re just one person up against your spouse, your net monthly income in order to qual- ify for legal aid is $1,480. In other words, you’ve got to have had a net income less than $18,000 annually. For a family of four, it has to be below $36,000. [1020] Th e reality is that legal aid, as it was known in this province, particularly on family law matters, is essential- ly nonexistent. Does that represent the values of British Columbians? I don’t think it does in practice.

I think it’s very interesting that the mandate letter directed to Tom Christensen, who was chair of the legal aid board, dated January 15, 2015, said in one of its paragraphs: “One of our government’s core values is respect for the taxpay- er’s dollar. ” Everyone in this chamber respects the so-called tax- payer’s dollars, although I think it would be preferential to talk about the citizen’s money rather than taxpayers only. Y ou may be a taxpayer this year, and you may be a recipient next year of government funds. But the reality is that we are all British Columbians.

Surely, the oppor- tunity to access legal aid in a reasonable way is appropri- ate, is what we expect in our society. When you’ve cut the budget that much, and when you haven’t restored it and you’ve seen the changes, you come to understand the gravity of the problem. It wasn’t just that legal aid offi ces throughout British Columbia dis- appeared. It was also that community law offi ces, which delivered some of those services and provided assistance to all sorts of people facing other issues — poverty law questions, questions around receipt of unemployment

British Columbia Debates8228 Monday, May 11, 2015 insurance, assistance to deal with the Ministry of Social Development if you were denied access to social assist- ance — all of those services essentially disappeared. Now we see thousands and thousands of British Columbians struggling on annually. Now, if you’re part of that elite group, the people who can’t aff ord any possible increase in income tax — those people making $150,000 a year or more — I suppose the provision of legal aid, particularly in family law matters, won’t be of much importance to you.

Aft er all, the gov- ernment has such a sympathetic ear for you that, when you complain about paying a modest extra 2 percent of your substantial income, they’re prepared to listen to you, just as the government happily listened to the char- tered banks of this country who were concerned, some- what, about the corporate capital tax on large fi nancial institutions. We could give them a break. We can give the richest taxpayers a break, but the very poorest people who need access to justice in our family court system — somehow, their priority isn’t the government’s priority.

Th e report went on to say that British Columbia has veered way off course when it comes to ensuring access to justice and family law. Th e biggest and the most urgent crisis in B.C. ’s justice system is the lack of public family law services and the consequent exclusion of women from access to justice. Th e statistics bear it out as well, and it’s getting worse. It’s not getting better. Th e best and simplest statistic is this. Judges have expressed their concerns around this issue a number of times. What we know is that in 2013, 38 per- cent of litigants involved in family law matters at the B.C.

Court of Appeal — the airy stratosphere of the B.C. Court of Appeal, where the vast majority of British Columbia lawyers never actually appear; this is where you expect good and able counsel to appear — were self-represented. In 2014 that number is up to 44 percent. Nearly half of the family law litigants in this province are going be- fore the province’s highest court without benefi t of coun- sel. If that is access to justice, one really has to question it. I think it’s no better summarized than in the CEDAW West Coast LEAF report.

Th at’s the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. I’ll read the teacher’s comments, because aft er all, I come from a generation where report cards were so important. Under teacher’s comments: “Crises, shortfalls and chronic underfunding continue to plague the legal aid budget, lead- ing to serious injustices for thousands of unrepresented liti- gants, particularly women in family law cases. ” On the subject of women and access to justice, what did the government get? We’ll use the old letter grade system; that’s what they’re using in this report. It got an F .

An F in a province that brags about a balanced budget, that has promises of eliminating the provincial debt, that glorifi es the possibility of liquid natural gas paying off our provincial debt and making everything so much bet- ter for British Columbians. On access to justice, British Columbia got an F . [1025] L. Th roness: It’s a pleasure to speak in support of more access to justice in B.C. Of course, we have one of the best justice systems in the world. I think that’s an obvious thing. But there are strains on the system. Th ese strains are national, and they are long-standing. It’s not confi ned to B.C.

In the Askov case in 1990…. It was a Supreme Court case about unreasonable delay, and 50,000 cases were thrown out of court in Ontario alone. Th ey were thrown out across the country. Way back in 1990, 25 years ago, there were problems with backlogs in the courts. We’ve added to that, since then, the duty of disclosure. It has added a huge burden to the courts. Let me give an example. For the Pickton trial, 1.2 million pieces of evi- dence were disclosed in that trial. We could add to that the proliferation of types and amounts of evidence, in- cluding expert witnesses.

In the Pickton trial, for example, there were 600,000 DNA tests done and 3,000 witnesses were interviewed. When you add to the growing size and scope of trials, we add to that multiple people being accused at the same time and tried at the same time. It makes trials even more complex, diffi cult, long and expensive. Back in 2007 the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court spoke about these very real issues that are inhibiting the search for justice in Canada. Of course, they continue to persist. But we are making signifi cant improvements.

Askov delays, or systemic delays in Provincial Court, are down to 15 in 2014 from 109 in 2011. Th at’s an 85 percent de- crease. Justice reform measures that we have put in place to support this reduction have been tough drinking and driving laws that have resulted in 6,000 fewer cases every year. We’ve appointed 31 new judges to the Provincial Courts since 2012. But what is the long-term answer to this issue? Th e long-term answer is not to build an ever-larger bureau- cracy.

It’s to triage justice, something like we do in health care, to handle less serious matters in a less bureaucratic way, leaving the traditional courts to deal with more ser- ious matters. An example is residential tenancy disputes. We’ve dealt for decades with residential tenancy disputes through an administrative tribunal, and that has worked well for people of all incomes. We want to add to that. Family disputes, strata disputes, other kinds of lower-level con- fl ict — stream them to administrative tribunals that are cheaper and faster and less formal.

In particular, we want to encourage self-resolution of disputes. I’m going to give you two examples. In March of 2013 the B.C. Family Law Act came into force. It allows agree- ments, it allows mediation, it allows parenting coordin-

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8229 ation and, fi nally, arbitration, rather than long-running, expensive disputes played out in the courts. Th e other example is from this session. On April 21, Bill 19, the Civil Resolution Tribunal Amendment Act, was passed, mainly to deal with small claims and also with strata disputes, which before now could only be heard in B.C. Supreme Court. Th is will now be a web- based tribunal. It’s the fi rst of its kind in Canada.

It will be a website that requires on-line resolution of strata dis- putes, although it will still off er an option, as a last resort, for access to the courts. We spend over $100 million every year on access to justice, $74.6 million on legal aid, 21 family justice cen- tres, three justice access centres and the family mainten- ance enforcement program. We’ve provided the Legal Services Society with $2 million a year, starting in 2014- 15. Th ere are fi ve innovative legal aid pilot projects. I don’t have time to go through them all, but I could give them to the member if he wishes.

We’re focused on providing an innovative, 21st-cen- tury justice system that helps British Columbians to navigate their legal issues more quickly and easily, giv- ing them the tools that they need for access to justice 24 hours a day, seven days a week. By off ering venues like administrative tribunals, we’re going to increase access to justice and better our already world-class system of justice for all British Columbians. L. Krog: Well, I’m fascinated by the response from the member for Chilliwack-Hope, talking about the criminal side of legal aid, when I’ve been talking about the family law side.

Regardless, I do want to address just a couple of remarks in response, specifi cally, to what he had to say. I think the most interesting turn of phrase he used was that the courts were now stuck with the “burden of dis- closure. ” What an interesting concept — that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which is designed to protect the very liberty of our citizens, is now a burden of disclosure on the court system. [1030] Th at is a very interesting attitude.

It’s particularly in- teresting that we heard it expressed here this morning in light of what has come out around the Ivan Henry case, which ended up in the Supreme Court of Canada, which is now giving Mr. Henry the right to sue the Crown over the way his prosecution was handled. If the so-called burden of disclosure had existed in the way it does today at the time that Mr. Henry found him- self charged with the most serious crime available under the Criminal Code, Mr. Henry might well not have spent, essentially, his lifetime in jail. How shall I say it?

Th at burden of disclosure would have relieved the taxpayers that the member is so con- cerned about, and certainly the Attorney General, in her mandate letter to the Legal Services Society, is so con- cerned about. It would have eliminated the enormous bu- rden of the taxpayers keeping Mr. Henry in jail all these years, paying for the prosecution and defending this mat- ter all the way up to the Supreme Court of Canada. But that aside, I want to bring us back to my point this morning, and that is around access to justice for people facing family law problems in British Columbia. Th at’s the focus of my remarks.

Mark Benton, who has been the CEO of the B.C. Legal Services Society for a number of years, said it best. I’m going to give two short quotes. “We’re refusing very, very high numbers of people. ” Th at’s a statement of fact. “Two out of three people who come through the door for a family problem are refused legal aid right now. ” I quoted already, in my remarks earlier this morning, the fi nan- cial qualifi cations that are involved and then the limited number of hours you receive. Either access to justice is a public value worth de- fending in this province, and worth supporting, or it’s not. If the B.C.

Liberals believe that it’s not worth sup- porting, then let them say so directly instead of continu- ing to underfund a system that, though not perfect, once functioned at a far better level. Th e reality is that spend- ing on legal aid in this province is way below many other provinces in this country. We need to reform it. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY D. McRae: Th e world is evolving, and while many choose to concentrate on the negative, I think it is so important to say that it is getting better. In fact, I was reading a report just the other day talking about North America.

When is the best time to live on the continent? Th ere were many milestones dates. I think 1965 was one, and ’45 was another. Th e vast majority of individuals said the best time to live in North America is today. I’ve had the honour to serve in elected offi ce both in this chamber and in the communities for now 13 years. I would say by far the most impactful experience I’ve had was my time working with the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation.

It’s an opportunity to really make sure you understand how people’s lives are impacted, the challenges they face and also the oppor- tunities that they have. I think it would be very important to raise in this chamber that persons with a disability, as a group, are oft en some of the most underemployed or unemployed people in British Columbia, in society, in North America. It is about 18 percent lower than the average population. I think many individuals would also be surprised to fi nd out how large this group is. By some measures, whether it is self-identifi ed….

It could be as many as 550,000 in one study, up to 700,000 in another. In context of how large that population is, that is larger than the ethnic groups, according to StatsCan. It is larger than everybody who self-identifi ed as being of East Indian descent or aboriginal descent in British Columbia. In fact,

British Columbia Debates8230 Monday, May 11, 2015 if you take those two ethnic groups together and combine them, it is about the same number of individuals who self- identify as being a person with a disability. I know, because I look around this chamber today, many individuals who attend today attended some of the consultations that Social Development and Social Innovation did in regards to the disability paper. I know one of the things, a common thread, that appeared in every single meeting we went to is that people who par- ticipated said they want to be included. Th ey want to take

part in social activities, recreational activities, and they want to make sure they contribute to the commun- ity, whether it’s through work or volunteer opportunities. [1035] Th is is a great message to hear. It’s a message for gov- ernment, for employers, for families and for educators. Now, we have talked in this chamber — and outside of this chamber…. Th ere are one million job opportun- ities coming to British Columbians in the next ten years.

It has also been said that those opportunities will be for B.C. residents, and it’s an opportunity for persons with disabilities to take their rightful place in our society and make sure they have an equal opportunity to participate in this new job environment. One of the great myths that oft en is encountered in the disability community is that prospective employers say it’s going to cost too much. Th ey don’t do it from a place of knowledge, necessarily. Oft en it’s a place of ignorance or a lack of experience.

On average, the cost to accommodate a person with a disability is under $500, and most people are surprised that to accommodate about 50 percent of persons with disabilities, it won’t cost a thing. For about 30 percent to 40 percent of individuals, it will be approximately $500 to accommodate. Th e last 5 percent or 10 percent — yes, it can be quite expensive, but this is not a bad investment. About two years ago I had an opportunity to meet an amazing individual, one that I think that many of us in this chamber have encountered. He’s an individual by the name of Mark Wafer.

Not a British Columbian — he’s from Ontario. So not all of Ontario is for naught — ex- cept for the Maple Leafs. Sorry, my apologies to those Maple Leafs fans in the chamber. Mr. Wafer owns a number of franchises in south- ern Ontario. I think that he owns about nine or ten of them and has a fairly large workforce. Twenty-fi ve per- cent of his employees are persons with disabilities. He’s very quick to say that one of the most — if not the most — important elements is making sure you pair the right individual with the right job. Y ou want to make sure it’s a success for all. He uses an example of….

He had a younger person who wanted to work as a baker in his organization. His franchise is a Tim Hortons. Obviously, doughnuts are something that need to be baked on a regular basis. Th e problem was this baker was oft en told: “Well, it’s hard to work in the kitchen because you can’t hear the buzzer when things are ready. ” Th e baker said: “Th at not neces- sary. First of all, I know how long I put the timer on for, and there’s always a light on these industrial ovens. I can do the job. ” Well, they explored, and that being said, soon thereaft er, this person was working for Mr. Wafer.

He does it for a couple of reasons. He does it because it’s the right thing to do, and he does it, believe it or not, as a business person, because it’s good for business. And he uses this as his fi nancial model. In southern Ontario the average person works in the restaurant franchise business as an employee for approximately nine months. Well, Mr. Wafer has experience that when he hires a person with a disability, a person who is rightly paired to the right job, he will have that person for an average of fi ve years.

Th e absentee rates for persons with disabilities are oft en lower, if not much lower, than the general popula- tion. And when he gets to hold onto an employee for an extended period of time, he saves signifi cantly in train- ing. Each time he does this — each time he has to retrain an employee — he spends about $4,000. If you factor it out over four or fi ve years, well, he could be saving any- where from $15,000 to $20,000. It’s the right thing to do. Now, technology is changing in the world, and as we look around, I know many people in this chamber will have experience with things like 3D printers.

With new polymers, we have the ability to share code across the country, across the world, and create adaptive technolo- gies that will assist individuals. Sometimes these technol- ogies might be $25 or $45 and maybe take only an hour to construct. When someone designs the code in the Comox Valley or Victoria, that can be shared with some- one on the other side of the world. And these 3D printers and the polymers that they use continually evolve. I’m sure in a few minutes the opposition will have a chance to talk about some of the great opportunities for assisted technologies going forward.

But aft er they have a chance to comment, I would like to make sure we have an element to raise some awareness about three recent announcements, just made in this building and beyond, that have made sure that persons with disabilities have a chance to better integrate into society, have a full life and integrate into the workforce — and making sure that they have equal opportunities to participate in our soci- ety, contribute to volunteer and make sure that they and their families have a better quality of life. J.

Kwan: Th ere’s no question, as the member says, that the stories about people with disability and the courage in tackling all the challenges they face every day are in- spiring. [1040] In my period as an elected offi cial — and prior to that, as a community legal advocate — I have come across many, many people who have shown me and inspired me with their incredible personal stories. To that end,

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8231 I’ve also come across many people who face incredible challenges and who actually could use some supports for them to succeed. Like everybody in this chamber, like everybody in our communities, what do people want? Th ey want to be able to fully participate in society. In some instances, and particularly for people with disabilities, it means that sometimes there needs to be some support that needs to be provided to them. In fact, I will comment on this to the member.

When he was the minister, there was a government program in place, and it was called the Equipment and Assistive Technology Initiative, EATI. Th at program was actually successful. It was a joint initiative with the federal-prov- incial labour market agreement, which provided some $19.5 million to spend on providing assistive technology to people with disabilities. In fact, in British Columbia some 2,000 people ac- cessed that program. It enabled them to get into the workforce in some instances; to get back to school in some instances.

But generally speaking, it simply allowed for people to live a fuller life and fully participate in the community. Sadly, though, that program came to an end in August of 2014. In spite of the fact that many people needed the program and continued to advocate for that program, they weren’t able to access it. Why? Because the funding ended. Th e member was the minister at the time, with this program coming to an end, and he says that he supports it and he wants to see the program come back. Th ere was a process in the community in terms of consulta- tion.

People did raise this as a key issue, and there were promises made that the program would eventually be brought back. So I’m looking forward to hearing the member speak aft erwards about the program coming back to support the various people that are needing to access this program. I should also mention that the program was delivered by the B.C. Association for Individualized Technology and Supports for People with Disabilities, and they did a very, very fi ne job indeed. Aside from this program coming to an end….

Some 90 percent of the people, the participants, who had access to this program stated clearly they were happy with the program. Nonetheless, the funding ended. So I’m look- ing forward to hearing about the continuation of this pro- gram, one that I’ve been advocating for, for a long time and one that I know that the community has been advo- cating for, for a very long time. Aside from that, I’m very, very much hoping that this other program that has been on the chopping block be- cause, again, the funding ended…. It’s the Giving in Action Fund, the family fund.

Th is was an important program to provide to people with disabilities so that they can renovate their homes, so that they can move back home and live in the community with their fam- ilies. It was, again, another wildly successful program; some 1,200 families in 113 communities across British Columbia had access to this program. Th is program also ended its funding, and the com- munity has been advocating for the reinstatement of this program as well. In that time, $42 million was injected into this program in terms of job development, into our economy.

It provided some 150 contractors and vendors in terms of employment opportunities. It’s a sound pro- gram that was delivered by the non-profi t sector in part- nership with government. In fact, in my tenure here in this Legislature, as well as when I was formerly in the non-profi t sector…. Some of the best programs in their delivery are, in fact, those kinds of partnerships, where government stepped up and facilitated and gave the capacity to the non-profi t to do what they need to do and to deliver the various programs to our community. I’m looking forward to hearing the member’s com- ments. [1045] D.

McRae: Seldom am I so opportunistic as to take ad- vantage of introducing the member opposite to the evolu- tion of the EATI program. She asked what was happening. Well, I assume that she must have missed the announce- ment that was made in this very building just one week ago. In fact, it was just one fl oor below us in the rotunda. Assistive technology is essential to help persons with disabilities achieve their employment goals. Th at’s why I was so pleased last week to see the Minister of Social Development and the Minister of Advanced Education announce a new partnership with the Neil Squire Society.

Now, for those of you not familiar with the Neil Squire Society, it has been in existence for over 30 years. It is the only not-for-profi t organization in Canada with a track record spanning — get this, Mr. Speaker — decades that combines technology and knowledge to empower Canadians with physical disabilities. In their existence they’ve helped over 30,000 Canadians, persons with dis- abilities, benefi t from this work — an unbelievably great organization with great people in it.

Under this new partnership between the Neil Squire Society and government, $3 million a year for the next three years, for a total of $9 million, will be invested to support employment opportunities for persons with dis- abilities through — and, again, to the member opposite and for anybody else at home watching — a program called technology at work. Technology at work will pro- vide mobility supports; assistive devices such as alterna- tive keyboards, voice inputs equipment and hearing devices; and workplace modifi cations.

One other thing that is also really important is not only do they have the experience with technology, but they will also complement programs that now exist working with the employment program of British Columbia. Technology

British Columbia Debates8232 Monday, May 11, 2015 at work, with the Neil Squire Society, will be an invaluable supporter that will provide employers and organizations with information and connect them with assistive technol- ogy to help them better support their employees.

As well, the member opposite, since they may have missed the technology at work announcement, might have also missed the announcement of $1.2 million of government funding to be provided to post-secondary institutions to assist in developing training and resour- ces for post-secondary students with a disability who are pursuing training in in-demand areas. Th is work is not just being confi ned to one small institution in a cor- ner of the province. In fact, it’s being off ered to over 20 institutions.

From Selkirk College in the east to North Island College in the west to BCIT and in northern British Columbia, it’s an opportunity for post-secondary institutions to develop resources and programming and training that will better support persons with disabilities. It was funny. I was driving down this morning from the Comox Valley aft er celebrating Mother’s Day with my family yesterday.

I was pleased to see that the Minister of Health was there making announcements for more in- vestments in technology at an organization based in this very community, in Victoria — the University of Victoria, which has done amazing work and produces amazing graduates across the province. One of the things that they were talking about today was the organization CanAssist. CanAssist has the oppor- tunity to work with technology and to provide $3 million this year to increase their ability to provide adaptive tech- nology.

Th is government will continue to work to make British Columbia the most inclusive place in Canada. CHILD LABOUR M. Elmore: B.C. has the dubious distinction of being a province, a jurisdiction, with one of the most neglectful child labour laws, not only in North America but, indeed, in the world. We compare ourselves…. We oft en think…. British Columbia and Canada like to hold ourselves in high esteem, but, in actual fact, countries such as Afghanistan and Haiti have more protective laws on their books.

Th ere’s a need for the B.C. government to immediately raise the work-start age from 12, which it currently is, to comply with the minimum age standard and other pro- tections set out in the United Nations convention on the rights of the child in order to better protect B.C. ’s chil- dren from further risks related to workplace injuries and exploitation.

If we were to do that in B.C. — amend the employment standards and raise the minimum work- start age to 15 — we would actually be joining over 156 countries around the world who have signed on to such an international treaty that bans the employment of chil- dren under 15 and requires signatories to raise the min- imum age to 16 when conditions permit. When we look back, how does British Columbia…? In 2015, how do we fi nd ourselves in this place of the juris- diction with the worst protection for children and work- ing?

We have to go back to 2003, when the government of British Columbia passed Bill 37, which amended the Employment Standards Act and eliminated the require- ment for employers to obtain a permit to employ children between the ages of 12 and 14. [1050] The amendments also removed the role of the em- ployment standards branch in the Ministry of Labour in predetermining the suitability of a worksite for a child employee in the same age group. A permit is still required to employ a child under the age of 12.

Current legislation requires only that children under 15 years have written permission from one parent or guardian in order to be employed at a particular workplace. These amendments establish B.C., as I mentioned, as the jurisdiction with the youngest work-start age in North America and, in eff ect, place parents in charge of determining worksite safety. Two subsequent studies have found that, beginning in 2004, a year aft er the law was changed, WorkSafe B.C.–ac- cepted injury claims began to increase in all age groups under 15 years.

Prior to 2005, accepted injury claims for all age groups, 14 and under, 15- and 16-year-olds, fl uc- tuated between 1998 and 2004. No particular trend was visible. For all age groups, injury claims were signifi cant- ly higher aft er 2005 than they were at any previous time. No government agency, including WorkSafe B.C., the employment standards branch or StatsCan, tracks the participation of under-15s in the workforce.

Th e only data we can look at to see when, where, at what tasks and in what industries children are working are surveys and interviews with young children themselves and accepted injury claims when a child’s workplace injury is reported to WorkSafe — they’ve seen it — and a claim is approved. Both reports made numerous recommendations to gov- ernment that have not, to date, been implemented. We can see that by placing few protective limits on the hours and the kinds of work employers can demand of children as young as 12, this puts children in an explicitly vulnerable situation.

Adding to that is, hand in hand, the problem that the new self-regulated system is complaint- driven and that government offi cials are informed only aft er the fact of instances of injury or exploitation. Th is is clearly not acceptable. We need to ensure that children and youth have protection in the WorkSafe.

Indeed, we can cite any number of international conven- tions and treaties, including NAFTA ’s side agreement on labour, where Canada, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to maintain the standards of their respective domestic em- ployment laws, which explicitly mentions upholding cur- rent restrictions on labour by children and young people. Now we’ve moved away from that to having the lowest child labour standards in North America. In addition, problematic with this, hand in hand, is

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8233 that the B.C. government has transferred the role of as- sessment and supervision of B.C. ’s employers to parents. Certainly, it’s an understanding and I think a social con- tract of the role of government and the responsibility of government to oversee employers and the workplace and to be proactive in determining and assessing the safety and the appropriateness of industries and employment and, in particular, to have an additional responsibility of ensuring that children are protected.

It should not be left up to indi- vidual parents who, although well-meaning, of course…. All parents have the best interests of their children at heart, but it can hardly be expected that parents have the experience and the know-how to assess and go on site and determine the suitability of a manufacturing plant or a restaurant and have the expertise to determine if it is, indeed, a safe worksite. Th is is certainly an area that is left up in the air, and it’s putting children at risk.

We’re seeing that in terms of the injuries, the rate of in- juries that have been reported that have been on the rise and that are increasing — that that goes hand in hand. We have in our society…. I think British Columbians would agree that child labour should be strictly limited. We’re not talking about, you know, certainly, opportun- ities for children to make extra money on the side or par- ticipate in some capacity, to volunteer.

But when we’re talking about entering into industrial worksites, into dan- gerous occupations, these are areas that need oversight and need to be regulated to ensure the safety of children. [1055] Fundamentally, it should not interfere with schooling, and children have the right to time for play and relaxa- tion. Children are not little workers, and that is a col- lective responsibility that we share. We need to see this changed, we need to see improvements made and we need to see a commitment to ensure that children are safe in our province. L.

Larson: Y oung workers have the same protections under occupational health and safety as any other worker in British Columbia. B.C. ’s employment standards require parental consent before 12- to 14-year-olds can work. It also prohibits working during school hours and requires adult supervision at all times. Employers who violate the regulations face penalties of $500 to $10,000. Children under 12 still require a permit to work in B.C. In 1989 my husband and I moved out of the city to a rural community and purchased a corner store.

Our three daughters, aged 17, 15 and 13, reluctantly settled into life in a small town, and all three became part of a very de- manding small business. Th ey worked aft er school and on weekends. Th ey learned customer service, basic math and met other young people who became their friends, giving them a positive connection to the community. My granddaughter went to work at 15 at the same busi- ness under a new owner, and my grandson at the age of 14 at the local golf course.

I live in an agricultural area that, for generations, has had entire families, from the very young to the very old, all participate in the businesses of running their farms, and they continue to do so. Th ese generational farms are the backbone of our agricultural industry. Th e friends of my grandchildren all work for and with their families on their farms or in other related businesses aft er school and on weekends.

We all know of instances around the world where child labour takes on a very diff erent face, stories about chil- dren in factories and fi elds who are there not with the sup- port of their families but out of basic necessity for their own food and shelter. However, this is not the case in B.C. Th e regulations created in 2003 protect young workers by requiring parental consent, limited hours and adult supervision. Worker safety is paramount in B.C.

For the last ten years, WorkSafe B.C. has focused on young work- ers, using a comprehensive approach to injury prevention through partnerships with schools, employer associa- tions, organized labour, parents and the community at large. One injury is too many. In 2007 WorkSafe B.C. introduced new orientation and training regulations for new and youth workers. High school students throughout B.C. learn to stay safe each year with WorkSafe B.C. ’s Right to Know campaign, and two websites are devoted to young worker health and safety — the Y oung Worker Portal at WorkSafe B.C. and raiseyourhand.com.

Th e current injury rate for those under 15 is less than the average, and injuries in the under-15 age group have dropped dramatically, from 47 in 2009 to 11 in 2013. [D. Horne in the chair.] Parents are primarily responsible for their children, and they decide whether it is appropriate for their 12- to 14-year-olds to work. Th eir explicit permission indicates that they approve of the location of work, the hours of work and the type of work to be performed.

To help parents make informed decisions, the employ- ment standards branch has an on-line guide that outlines issues for parents to consider when making this decision. Assistance is also available over the phone and in person. We need to encourage and support our youth entering the workforce by ensuring that their fi rst experiences are positive and injury-free. All of these young people are gaining social skills and work ethics that will follow them all their lives, creating good employees and the great business leaders of the future of British Columbia. M.

Elmore: Th e response from the member is not good enough. Certainly, when we hear, wanting to self- righteously draw the distinction: “Well, child labour in British Columbia is not quite the same as child labour in developing countries…. ” [1100]

British Columbia Debates8234 Monday, May 11, 2015 Well, I’ll tell you what. It’s not the same, because B.C. has the distinction of having the worst protection for child workers, not only in North America but around the world in some of those developing countries. Th at’s the reality. When we talk about: “Oh, child workers have the same protections and rights under employment stan- dards…. ” Well, when we look at the ability of children — of a 12-year-old, a 13-year-old, a 14-year-old — to be able to speak up about their rights in the workforce, to know what their rights are, to have….

As well, many of the members have children in their teens, and British Columbians. Unacceptable. Children are more vulnerable. Th ey are not as know- ledgeable about their rights. It is not good enough that there are on-line websites that children can go to or that parents can call. Part of the problem is that we lack a regulatory and legislative framework to ensure that children are pro- tected in our province. We also have an abdication of responsibility, of employment standards being com- plaint-driven.

We need a proactive system so that par- ents and citizens of our province, British Columbia, can be assured that our government takes seriously and re- spects children and ensures that they’re safe not only in their homes but at work. It’s a shame. It’s a disgrace. It’s marked by the callous nature of this government in terms of having…. We’re seeing it. Th e proof is that we have seen injury rates sky- rocket — critical injuries — ten times… Interjections. Deputy Speaker: Members. M. Elmore: …since these changes have come in place.

It’s unacceptable and clearly a distinction between valu- ing and respecting children and their right to be children, to enjoy their childhood, to be safe and protected in the workplace. It’s a shame. We need to ensure that children are protected, that we bring back protections for children and ensure that there’s proactive monitoring in place to ensure that they are safe, free of injury. We have seen the trend, and it’s continuing. It is on this government — feeling and ex- periencing, with children seeing more injuries…. Th is is not a joke. Smiling from the Minister of Transportation.

It’s not a joke for children being injured. We need to see a commitment to protect children in our province. Hon. T. Stone: I now call private member’s Motion 16. Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, unanimous consent of the House is required in order not to disturb other mo- tions on the order paper. Leave granted. Private Members’ Motions MOTION 16 — INVESTMENT AND EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION M. Hunt: I move: [Be it resolved that this House recognize the importance of inter- national business investment and export diversifi cation in grow- ing a strong economy.] I love to use the example of Endurance Wind Power in Surrey.

I use that because Endurance has sold over 1,000 wind turbines worldwide and actually holds a 75 percent market share in the U.K. small wind market, which is ma- chines that are dealing with 50 to 100 kilowatt hours of power. Endurance has a factory in Surrey as well as one in Worcestershire, England, and employs 150 employees, 75 of whom are in Surrey, another 75 over in the U.K. Th e interesting thing is that this company has expanded now in opening a new offi ce in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and is continuing to grow and expand their business which is here in British Columbia.

Th e reality is that I believe there is not one commercial wind turbine that operates in the Lower Mainland, yet we have this business functioning and fl owing there. Th ey import parts from China and also from Europe. Th ey assemble them, manu- facture them here in British Columbia. Why? Because British Columbia’s attractive fi scal climate, our business incentives and our diversifi ed economy off er signifi cant opportunities for growth and investment for businesses. [1105] British Columbia’s trade relationships have a direct impact on the growth of family-supporting jobs here in our province.

Th is is why we are committed to the expan- sion and the diversifi cation of our markets through over- seas trade missions, growing our trade and investment networks and working new partnerships and memoran- dums of understanding. We’re committed to working hard to attract invest- ments that create jobs and grow the economy. Th is is why we are supporting trade agreements that benefi t the province of British Columbia. Trade and investment with Asia is critical in ensuring that we continue to grow the B.C. economy. Our government is focused on building stronger rela- tionships with Asia, and we are using the B.C.

Business Network and our expanding international trade and invest- ment networks to connect export-ready B.C. businesses with opportunities to fi nd new markets for their products. Maintaining, of course, our triple-A credit rating sends a powerful message to investors that B.C. is a safe harbour for investment and that we’re open for business. British Columbia’s proven track record for fi scal prudence and meeting our fiscal targets over the past ten years, as well as the province’s large, diverse economy, have all be praised by Moody’s as part of contributing to B.C. ’s strong credit rating.

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8235 Our trade missions are an important part of B.C. ’s international engagement and to support the economic growth that is happening through the B.C. jobs plan and meeting those objectives. Missions secure B.C. ’s entry into priority markets and provide the momentum re- quired to leverage partnerships and international invest- ments and to expand potential trade deals. Export markets are fiercely competitive, and what oft en sets us apart in these types of deals is that relation- ship that we have with these people, especially in Asia.

Trade missions give us an upper hand in bringing face- to-face meetings with key stakeholders as we continue to nurture our existing connections and develop new ones. Th e badge of government is what supports these B.C. trade and investment objectives, and it’s crucial for opening doors for B.C. businesses overseas, especially in highly competitive export markets. Our missions are designed to work in key priority areas, such as Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan, India, Europe and, of course, the United States.

Th ese trade missions have been part of promoting B.C. ’s competi- tive advantage to increase our exports and trade in key areas, such as energy, agrifoods, clean technology, digital media, life sciences, international education and resource development. Th e groundwork in Asia is leading to increased trade and investment in job creation for British Columbians. Trade missions are a very cost-eff ective way of our B.C. businesses being able to participate in these discus- sions within these export markets on a fi rsthand basis.

Recently the Minister of International Trade travelled to China and Indonesia to build successes on previous trade agreements. B. Ralston: Well, one always has to chuckle when one hears the words “export diversifi cation” from the mem- bers opposite, because it was not that long ago — in fact, maybe a year ago or a year and a half — that the Premier was focusing with a laser-like focus on LNG. Diversifi cation is something that the B.C. Liberals only seem to have discovered by default. While they talk about global markets, they didn’t seem to understand the global market for LNG.

Certainly, there may be some fi nal in- vestment decisions. We shall see. But in terms of the laser-like focus of the Premier, clearly she set back any strategy of diversifi cation. It’s nice to see that they’ve re- vived the word “diversifi cation” and are starting to think about their mistaken priorities that they pursued from 2013 until fairly recently. Th e members opposite talk about and trumpet what they claim are their successes, but let’s look at what a more objective observer might say.

One of the measures of export success is what’s called export intensity — that is, ranking the provincial economy, the value of exports, per capita. [1110] Jock Finlayson, B.C. Business, in a piece, July 31, 2013, asked the question: how does B.C. stack up as an export- ing powerhouse? He said: “Th e answer is that our record is mediocre at best. ” Th is is not a New Democrat or God forbid…. Th is is the research analyst for the B.C. Business Council, the leading business organization in the province.

While the Liberals are trumpeting their success, here’s what an ob- jective observer is saying: the “record is mediocre at best. ” Certainly, in order to pursue our competitive advantages, more eff ort is required. Th e member opposite talks about Endurance Wind Power. I’ve toured the Endurance Wind Power plant. Th e CEO is perhaps a little bit more candid with me about some of their challenges in this jurisdiction and also uses that as an example of why we’re going to penetrate Asian markets.

Y et, ironically, the example is that they were do- ing very well in the United Kingdom, and that’s their pri- mary export market. Th ere are other companies in Surrey. Singer Valve is one. I toured a wholesale business called Kitply just re- cently with the Surrey Board of Trade. Th ere’s a whole group of companies somewhat below the surface in Surrey that are pursuing export opportunities. But they’re not doing that with any particular assistance or support from the provincial government.

We know that the member has talked about trade missions, for example, and calls them a “cost-eff ective mechanism” for promoting British Columbia in foreign jurisdictions. I think one of the most recent trips of the Premier cost $750,000 for ten days. Is there any account- ability? Are there any details forthcoming? Can you get them through estimates? Can you get them through FOI? Can you fi nd out what that money was spent on? A fl ight to Tokyo and Korea return may be a thousand bucks in the low season — maybe $1,300 or $1,400 in the high season. Th en a hotel….

Probably, most people could do the trip for a couple thousand bucks. But no — $750,000 for the Premier and her entourage to travel. I don’t think it’s a very cost-eff ective way. We’re not being told what the Premier is doing there in any great detail. It’s very diffi cult to assess the effi cacy. In fact, academic experts suggest that perhaps the trade mission route…. I know it’s the favourite of the Premier, and perhaps there are reasons for her to be absent from the jurisdiction as much as possible, but I’m not sure.

But certainly, this is not a cost-eff ective way to pursue trade opportunities for the citizens of British Columbia. Th is is not only a problem in our traditional export industries, because there has been expansion of wood products — for example, lumber, plywood, veneer and raw logs. Certainly, the market in China has expanded, but it’s a very traditional form of British Columbia ex- ports particularly, although with a huge expansion in raw logs to China. Th at’s a change, but not necessarily the most eff ective one.

British Columbia Debates8236 Monday, May 11, 2015 With that, I conclude. J. Th ornthwaite: I’m pleased to stand and support the member for Surrey-Panorama. “Be it resolved that this House recognize the importance of international busi- ness investment and export diversifi cation in growing a strong economy. ” I’ d just like to comment on the member for Surrey- Whalley. I can assure you that our Premier is our big- gest supporter and our biggest salesperson for British Columbia, and that is why she does these trade missions.

British Columbia’s trade relationships have a direct impact on the growth of family-supporting jobs in the province. Th at is why we are committed to the expansion and diversifi cation of our markets through overseas trade missions, growing our trade and investment networks and working new partnerships and memorandums of understanding. Th e trade missions are an important part of British Columbia’s international engagement strategy to sup- port economic growth in priority sectors and the B.C. jobs plan priorities.

Th e missions secure B.C. ’s entry into priority markets and provide the momentum required to leverage partnerships, international investments and ex- pand potential trade deals. Th ey give us an upper hand by bringing us face to face with key stakeholders so we can continue to nurture our existing connections and develop new ones. [1115] B.C. is focusing on diversifying markets in Asia, like in the fi lm industry, TV industry and digital media.

In fact, last October in India, the Premier and the Minister of Advanced Education travelled to New Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh, where they focused on a number of strategic areas, including fi lm and digital arts. While there, the Premier announced the appointment of Arjun Sablok, a special envoy for fi lm to India to help promote British Columbia to one of the largest fi lm-pro- ducing countries in the world. Arjun, a Canadian who has lived in Mumbai for the past 25 years, takes on the unpaid role as ambassador for the B.C. fi lm industry.

B.C. ’s fi lm and entertainment companies, North Shore Studios and Vancouver Film Studios, signed MOUs with India-based fi lm and entertainment giant, Ramoji Film City. Both parties agreed to promote each other in India and British Columbia and support each other for the purpose of shooting and productions. At the B.C.

Film and Digital Roundtable in Mumbai, the Premier con- gratulated international fi lm special-eff ects giant Double Negative for its decision to open a new state-of-the-art facility in Vancouver, gaining the city even more recog- nition as a digital hub and paving the way for more well- paying jobs for British Columbians. Th e industry has advised us that 2015 will continue to be a busy year for fi lm and TV production and anima- tion in visual eff ects in B.C. Last week all the members of the House were at a special event celebrating the launch of B.C. Creates.

Th ere we had an event where the indus- try stakeholders were showcasing their green screens and other digital animation events at the Legislature in the ro- tunda. Some people attended the screening and reception of the B.C. Creates Canada fi lm day. On May 2 and 3 the Digital Days Conference and Expo for fi lm and animation at Capilano University was also celebrated in that week.

Th e proclamation that our Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training presented at that event said: “B.C. ’s fi lm, television, music, book and magazine publishing, and digital media creative industries employ thousands of skilled B.C. professionals in industries that produce a wide range of products and services, many of them inter- connected and all highly innovative, employing cutting edge technology. ” I can tell you, Mr. Speaker — an event that I attended last Friday at Capilano University, where the dean, Bill Th umm, was retiring. He was happy and sad for two rea- sons.

One, that he had a great amount of people there from faculty as well as students that were celebrating his retirement. But he was sad because there were a lot of his students that couldn’t attend that event. Why? Because they were currently working on Steven Spielberg’s adap- tation of the Roald Dahl children’s book, Th e BFG — or Big, Friendly Giant — currently being fi lmed in British Columbia. Th at’s good news that, in fact, they couldn’t attend the party because they were working.

Our fi lm industry in British Columbia continues to be successful in part because of these wonderful trade mis- sions that the Premier has been involved in, in the past. J. Shin: Th anks to the member for Surrey-Panorama for his motion for this House to “recognize the import- ance of international business investment and export di- versifi cation in growing a strong economy. ” As always, it is my pleasure to rise in the House to participate in this debate on behalf of Burnaby-Lougheed.

I’m happy to support this motion, with my colleagues on this side of the House, and I have been calling on the government to do just that since the election, to balance its all-eggs-in-one-basket infatuation with the LNG in- dustry and, of course, lend a fair share of their support for the other dimensions of international economic ac- tivity, such as tourism, immigration, trade and services, foreign investment as well as transportation. As we are all aware, British Columbia is a trading prov- ince with a wealth of natural resources.

But not just that — we also have agricultural goods, technological and pro- fessional services from all regions of this province avail- able for export. We also have our geographical advantage to capitalize on as Canada’s natural Pacifi c Gateway. Of course, there is no arguing in that we should be seeking strategic opportunities globally for international business investments and diversifi ed export markets. [1120]

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8237 What we should be reminded of is that, while exports are a highly coveted part of any economy. With new rev- enues coming into the jurisdiction and, of course, associ- ated industries typically performing above-average with productivity levels and paying better wages and benefi ts, B.C. is still not the biggest exporting province in Canada, with our merchandise exports representing the smallest share of GDP of any province.

Much of this is attributed to, of course, the years of feet-dragging that we saw — which put us behind Europe, America, Australia — the diverse industries in B.C. having been sidestepped, over LNG, by this gov- ernment in its previous budget. Th e latest report from the Business Council of B.C. confi rms just that.

Th e fact is that our province, as much as it likes to tout, in the recent months, of its diversifi ed orientation, still has an export base that remains heavily tilted toward resource- based products, with 72 percent of merchandise exports being related to the province’s wood products, coal and metallic minerals.

I am certainly delighted to see, and I’m sure the stake- holders are relieved likewise, the government’s change in tune and acknowledging that B.C. ’s services and non-re- sources export sector are becoming increasingly import- ant, with the expansion of the enterprises now off ering fi nancial business and professional services, research and development, educational services and tourism. Th ey proved their resilience without much in the way of sup- port from this government in the recent years.

I do want to touch on our tourism sector which has not kept pace with the rest of the economy, with its growth well below the average of other industries, even though the industry started recovering since the down- turn. Considering that more than a third of our GDP in accommodation, food services and transportation is generated by tourist spending and that the tourism industry is considered to be one of the export markets — and, of course, one in 15 British Columbians depend on jobs in this industry — we should be more sensitive to the businesses right here on our soil.

Th eir livelihood depends on steady and growing international traffi c, as well as the providing of the provincial infrastructure and resources needed to cater to the growth, beyond just taking credit for the lowered Canadian currency lend- ing a temporary boost to this industry at the moment. We all know that the contribution of the high-tech sec- tor to the economy of this province is also paramount. While it is great that the sector has seen growth steadily over the last few years, we still import four times as much as we export.

We still have a relatively small market share compared to all other provincial and American jurisdic- tions, so our potential is really far from being fully realized. Th e stakeholders in the industry have long called for investment in local initiatives so that we can grow the domestic market as well, so that we can have the kind of economic scale required to compete with the U.S. juris- dictions that have nationwide market access, as well as local usage and export opportunities.

Really, what this motion is calling for, be it to advance our export markets abroad or to strengthen our domes- tic consumption locally…. It’s going to boil right down to our labour readiness with the trained workforce. With B.C. having the worst young adult employment rate — with one in fi ve of 25 to 29 year olds not working or studying — and a record high rate of people leaving the province that doubled since the ’90s and the number of temporary foreign workers in the last six years being double the national average at 29 percent, we need to make sure we focus more on supporting our local labour market. S.

Gibson: Good to be here today to have a chance to speak in support of the following motion, proposed by a colleague from the riding just across the way, from Surrey-Panorama: “Be it resolved that this House recog- nize the importance of international business investment and export diversifi cation in growing a strong economy. ” I know families in my riding support a growing econ- omy and job security, so it’s very easy for me to be en- thusiastic about this. Most of us are familiar with the difficulties facing Alberta. Ninety percent of Alberta’s exports go directly to a single market — the United States.

And virtually all of Alberta’s exports are a single commodity — petroleum products. Th e sudden and surprising drop in oil prices plunged the Alberta government into a very serious eco- nomic situation. Indeed, the defi cit problems in the order of billions of dollars are problematic. [1125] Alberta is now forced to borrow just to provide vital services such as health care and education. Th e British Columbia advantage — I even have that underlined on my notes here. Recently the Bank of Montreal predicted that British Columbia will lead all provinces in economic growth in 2015 and 2016.

A young person might even say that British Columbia rocks, and we couldn’t agree with that and could not say: “Wow. Th at’s the way to speak about our economy. ” Th ere are several reasons why. B.C. has balanced its budget three years in a row by controlling public spend- ing. We have maintained a triple-A credit rating. B.C. has expanded its horizons and is now no longer dependent on a single market, which I noted earlier. In 2001, 70 percent of B.C. ’s exports went to the United States.

By 2014 the U.S. still remains an important trading partner, but trade with Asia has expanded to account for over 39 percent of all B.C. exports. Trade missions are an important segment and component of our government. Numerous trade missions have been led to specifi c sector support of our economy, including agriculture. For example, in 2014 the Minister of Agriculture was joined by his federal counterpart and led an important

British Columbia Debates8238 Monday, May 11, 2015 trade mission to China. B.C. industry representatives were Christine Dendy of the Cherry Association of British Columbia; Debbie Etsell of the B.C. Blueberry Council, one I take a particular interest in, given the availability and in signifi cant crop of blueberries — I might note that the member from Pitt Meadows–Mission will also be very excited to hear about that trade mission, as it went very well — and Donald Leung of Donald’s Fine Foods.

Th e trade missions had some specifi c objectives which are important to note here: reinforcing B.C. as a reliable supplier of a diverse range of high-quality agrifoods products to Chinese buyers, distributors and importers; highlight brand awareness and increasing demand for B.C. agrifood products in the Chinese market; collecting market intelligence from sellers, buyers and others and importers for opportunities for B.C. agrifoods products to China; and demonstrating the important liaison co- ordination between federal and provincial government collaboration.

Th is is very important as we look internationally into Asia. Th e result of one particular trade mission was spec- tacular, and I want to just record that here for the record: an agreement between the governments of Canada and China that will lead to full, unimpeded access for fresh B.C. cherries into China. In 2013 B.C. shipped $3.9 million worth of fresh cher- ries to China for the fi rst time.

With the new agreement, B.C. cherry growers will estimate up to $20 million in new revenue annually in the next few years — very good news indeed for the cherry growers, especially of the Okanagan region of the province. Ongoing progress towards fresh B.C. blueberries being approved for sale in the Chinese market. We’re aware that China has a real appetite and a real interest in receiving our blueberries. It is estimated that B.C. growers could be looking at up $65 million worth of exports a year once the agreement is fully implemented — tremendous news for our province.

Th e trade mission built on the already successful part- nerships across the agrifood sector, including pork, beef and value-added products, such as syrups, concentrates and sauces. Th ank you very much. It was good to speak to this today. N. Macdonald: I just want to say to begin with that Monday mornings, I think, should be used to debate pri- vate members’ bills. If we were going to make use of this time, I would suggest that that would be better use of the time.

Burnaby-Lougheed, Delta South, Saanich South — there are all sorts of good ideas that come to this House from backbenchers and from opposition members. Th ey should be debated properly. I just want to put that on the record fi rst. Th at would be a better use of this time than doing this. Th e motion that we have in front of us basically par- rots the latest B.C. Liberal talking points on the economy. Let’s be clear about that. It is what…? “To diversify trade” is the new term you’re using. [1130] It does, however, contradict the B.C. Liberal talk- ing points that were in place the last four years, right?

Because previous to the collapse of the idea on LNG — right? — it was all LNG, all of the time. Th e talking points, then, for the past four years were one thing. Now we’re onto something else, and we’re going to talk about it for the morning. Let’s just remember what the talking points for LNG were. It was about the 15 or so LNG plants that were going to be built — the fi rst one this year, by the way, and up and operating, 2015. Th at was a promise. We had a $100 billion prosperity fund, which I haven’t heard as much about.

A $100 billion prosperity fund — that’s what members were up talking about with the previous talking points. Now we’re on to this, diversifi ed trade. We had $168 billion in debt gone. Th at was the talking point then. Now we’re talking about this. We had sales tax eliminated. We had 100,000 jobs, somehow, that were go- ing to be put into place and a trillion dollars in economic activity. We have a parliamentary secretary for LNG lit- eracy. Did I miss anything? I’ll ask that parliamentary secretary. Did I miss some of the things that were on the table the past four years in sessions Monday mornings?

Now we’re talking about diversifi ed trade. I guess this is how the B.C. Liberals spin the failure on LNG. “Th is is how we do it. Now it’s diversifi ed. ” As the member for Surrey- Whalley put it, it’s sort of by default, right? “Good thing the LNG failed because now we’re diversifi ed. We don’t have that incredibly strong LNG sector to worry about. ” What is diversity, and what is actually diversifi ed here? We sell, in British Columbia, raw resources to richer countries, who use them to manufacture goods. Th at could be a description of the economy 100 years ago.

It could also be an accurate description of what happens now. Th at’s what we do. China — a planned economy, by the way — is grow- ing economically at an incredible pace. Even as it slows down, it is still at an incredible pace. We have India. We have the more developed economies of Korea, Taiwan and, of course, Japan. When the U.S. economy collapsed in 2008, com- bined with a strong Canadian dollar, our trade patterns changed. Y ou had massive growth in Asia, and you had a combination of factors in the United States. Not surpris- ingly, the trade exports from B.C. changed a little.

Did B.C. and the B.C. government have anything to do with that? No. We are a small, small jurisdiction swept around by whatever happens in the world economy. Y ou know what’s going to happen now? And I guess, get ready to take credit for it. American imports of our goods are going to increase because the B.C. economy is impacted tremendously, especially in forestry, with the strength of the Canadian dollar. As it weakens — in the

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8239 Interior, especially — we’re going to be able to sell more into the States. Will the B.C. government have anything to do with that? No, but I’m sure you’ve got people ready there to spin it, and we can maybe have a Monday talk- ing about that, when that happens. What we do control in B.C. here is the ability to get fuller value for the natural resources that we sell. Th at is how we get full benefi t for a public resource. Th at is how we get family-supporting jobs. Th e Premier has the worst record for job creation in 50 years.

Th at’s the truth of it — the worst record for job creation in 50 years. Th at’s Statistics Canada, by the way. Between 1991 and 2001 the average monthly job growth was 3,000 jobs added on average per month. For this Premier, between 2011 and now, the period this Premier has been in charge, it’s 900 jobs. Other countries, other provinces, would do things diff erently. So should we. G. Kyllo: I think what’s predictable is the continued negativity from the opposition. B.C. has a great history of a diversifi ed economy.

Th e B.C. jobs plan focuses on eight sectors — defi nitely diversifi cation as well as di- versifying our markets. We’ve done an awful lot over the last 13 years to grow markets with Asia. [1135] Our exports. Th e GDP used to be 71 percent to the United States. We’ve been very fortunate and successful in actually reducing that to just 51 percent — again, by fo- cusing on the opportunity of growing exports with Asia.

It’s defi nitely a pleasure to rise today in support of the motion put forth by my colleague from Surrey- Panorama: “Be it resolved that this House recognize the importance of international business investment and export diversifi cation in growing a strong econ- omy. ” Opening new markets for B.C. ’s goods and ser- vices and expanding existing ones, particularly in Asia, are pillars of the B.C. jobs plan. Part of that plan is also to attract investment to expand British Columbia’s pri- ority sectors. In the jobs plan our government made the commit- ment to double B.C. ’s international presence.

Since the jobs plan was released in September of 2011, our inter- national network has grown to 11 trade and investment offi ces and 64 people that are based in priority markets across Asia, Europe and the United States. We now have more people to support B.C. companies and commun- ities to attract investment to grow exports. Despite the criticism that was identifi ed regarding trade missions by the member for Surrey-Whalley, you can’t build relationships on the end of a telephone line.

Y ou have to actually take the time and actually invest and meet with folks in order to grow business opportunities for British Columbia. We believe that expanding our access to priority mar- kets such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States gives B.C. businesses and communities the potential for immense growth and an opportunity to strengthen local economies and provide jobs. We’re nego- tiating trade deals. We’re forging agreements and partner- ships and expanding and diversifying exports in support of all the B.C. jobs plan sectors.

We’re also attracting inter- national investment that supports job creation, economic expansion and increased competitiveness. Looking at the progress that’s been made under the B.C. jobs plan, we supported more than 460 inbound and outbound trade missions since April of 2011, including three major missions by the Premier to Asian markets that resulted in business deals and partnership agree- ments valued at more than $1.8 billion.

In our government’s most recent trade mission at the end of March and early April of this year, the Minister of International Trade travelled to China and Indonesia to build on the successes of previous trade missions, to further strengthen B.C. ’s long-standing relationships with key Asian markets and to open doors for new ones. For example, we strengthened B.C. ’s relationship with Jiangsu province through signing a memorandum of under- standing on economic cooperation in the tech sector.

Th is trade mission also served as an opportunity to connect B.C. tech companies with Chinese companies through a number of seminars and networking events. Our government has created a major investments of- fi ce to support international projects that deliver signifi - cant economic benefi ts to B.C. We’ve attracted 37 foreign head offi ces to B.C., including Sony Imageworks, which will create up to 700 new jobs. We’ve removed 170 bar- riers that restricted trade opportunities for business. We’re also contributing to new trade agreements with South Korea and the European Union.

B.C. ’s international trade reputation stands out in a number of areas. Th ere’s a growing recognition that B.C. is a North American trade hub and the most multicul- tural jurisdiction for Asia-Pacifi c business. B.C. ’s special representative in Asia advances trade and investment pri- orities on behalf of government and gives investors high- level access to an offi cial representative on the ground. B.C. is an open trading economy, with one in fi ve jobs and 20 percent of our annual economic benefi t generated through exports.

Our west coast location is pivotal, giving us enviable access to Asia’s growing markets. We’re well positioned to be North America’s hub for international trade, with advantages including a stable economy, a busi- ness-friendly climate, shorter shipping times to Asia from Vancouver and Prince Rupert compared to our American counterparts and a multicultural, highly skilled workforce. Th e changing nature of global trade investment means B.C. must be ready to take full advantage of growing op- portunities.

In particular, initiatives such as the Trans- Pacifi c Partnership and integrated trading blocks such as the European Union will benefi t B.C. by opening up access to new markets. More foreign investment is neces- sary to create new jobs in B.C.

British Columbia Debates8240 Monday, May 11, 2015 L. Popham: It’s an interesting topic today. I think we’ve heard a lot of examples of why having a diversifi ed export market is very important. I completely agree. [1140] It’s interesting to listen to the members across the way talk about trade missions and how important they are. Basically, what they do is they go over to a diff erent country, and they say: “Hey, we’ve got some stuff . Do you want to buy it?” Well, have I got a deal for them. I have got probably the least expensive trade mission that they can buy into.

Instead of $750,000 to get over to Asia, I’ d even lend them $2.50 to catch a bus out to Abbotsford. Instead of going over to another country and asking them if they want to buy our stuff , we have countries that want to buy our stuff . Th e example that I mean is the B.C. hazelnut industry. If you want to diversify your industry, there’s one indus- try that is begging for support so that they can go out and they can be in the international market. Most of the members in this House know about the B.C. hazelnut industry, because the B.C. hazelnut industry sent us all a package of hazelnuts last week.

We all enjoyed them, and we all were able to read their strategic plan which they’ve developed. In case some of the members in this House ate those nuts but forgot to read the plan, I’m going to just give them the highlights of that plan. Th e B.C. hazelnut industry has existed in this prov- ince since the 1930s. It works very well with our climate. Unfortunately, there has been a disease problem with the hazelnut industry. Eastern fi lbert blight has kicked in, and it is destroying the crops that we currently have, but there’s a plan to replant those trees.

Th e reason why we want to replant those trees is be- cause the nut market is increasing globally. It’s an incred- ible opportunity that we have, and it’s quite inexpensive — $1.2 million over the next fi ve years. How could any- body walk away from that sort of investment? Th ere’s a seven-point plan that the industry developed. In 2015 industry studies…. Th e hazelnut industry develop- ment plan shows the hazelnut industry can survive and it can thrive. Th e B.C. hazelnut industry is under threat of a disease, eastern fi lbert blight.

It is clear the industry needs to follow an industry development transition plan. Many in agriculture understand what these are. Th ere are oft en problems that come into diff erent sectors of agriculture and if you don’t have a transition plan to get out of them, then you’re not going to survive. Th at’s the state that the hazelnut industry is in. Th is plan was de- veloped, in part, due to a lack of formal B.C. policy on eastern fi lbert blight. With these seven actions, the in- dustry can be rebuilt. Th e fi rst part of the plan is to rebuild the B.C. supply base of hazelnut orchards with EFB resistant trees.

We are very fortunate that there has been some development of EFB resistant trees in Oregon state. We have a nurs- ery here in B.C. that is growing a stock. But, of course, they need support as well. We have orchards that need to be ripped out and replanted. Th e stock that’s being de- veloped right now is part of that plan. Build hazelnut grower awareness and promote the in- dustry. Th e hazelnut industry has not been that well or- ganized up until now, but they are now very organized. I think they’re on fi re. Understand world markets and how to access these markets.

Th e world market for nuts is really an interest- ing topic. Th ere are many countries in the world where hazelnuts grow. It’s actually concentrated in Turkey, Spain, Italy and the U.S.A. Th ere are about 30 other coun- tries growing smaller quantities. Now, when you look at how many nuts the average Canadian eats…. Th e hazelnut industry has given those statistics. If you look at 2007, the consumption Canada- wide was about 3,200 megatons of hazelnuts. In 2010 that went up to 7,885. Th at’s an enormous jump. Th en in 2011 we’re over 10,000 megatons of hazelnuts.

So as you can see, just in Canada the amount of hazelnut consump- tion is increasing. We all know that Ferrero Rocher is an international company that uses hazelnuts in its products a lot. Th ey are currently investing in hazelnut farms just so they can secure their marketplace and have the supply that they need as the demand for their products increases. I think we’re also very familiar with Nutella. [1145] D. Bing: My constituents of Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows want a secure and prosperous economy.

Th at is why I am pleased to support this morning’s motion put forward by my colleague from Surrey-Panorama: “Be it resolved that this House recognize the importance of international business investment and export diversifi - cation in growing a strong economy. ” We have a mature and diversifi ed economy here in British Columbia. Th at means we have deep roots with well-established markets for our traditional industries — forestry, mining, fi shing and agriculture. Th ese sectors have been the mainstay for the B.C. economy since we joined Confederation in 1871.

Just within the last 13 or 14 years, our provincial econ- omy has evolved dramatically. It marks a distinct de- parture from our reliance almost exclusively on North American markets to a modern, highly diversifi ed and global economy. It is the policy of this government to encourage further diversifi cation, because it protects our economy from sudden price shocks. In 2001 more than two-thirds, or 69.8 percent, of B.C. products were exported to the United States.

Our second- largest trading partner was Japan at 12.8 percent, and our third-largest trading partner was China, with 2.3 percent of B.C. exports going to that country. Our provincial economy was quite vulnerable because our eggs were, es- sentially, all in one basket. Any downturn in the U.S. econ- omy would reverberate throughout British Columbia.

British Columbia DebatesMonday, May 11, 2015 8241 However, a change of government in 2001 ushered in a strong commitment to help business expand to new markets. By 2014, exports to Japan, China and other parts of Asia now account for 39.5 percent of British Columbia’s exports. While the United States remains an important trading partner, we are no longer reliant on a single customer. By contrast, as the member for Abbotsford-Mission said earlier, Alberta’s share of exports remains almost com- pletely reliant on U.S. markets, at 90 percent in 2014.

We have seen how the dramatic drop in oil prices has plunged Alberta into a serious defi cit position. Th is situation poses signifi cant challenges for any jurisdiction, especially since Alberta will now have to borrow just to cover operating expenses, such as providing health care services. British Columbia, on the other hand, is in a much more enviable position. Because of diversifi cation, we are less vulnerable to sudden price shocks. Over the past three years we have balanced our budget.

While virtual- ly every member of the G20 has struggled since the eco- nomic meltdown of 2008, British Columbia has worked hard to keep public spending in check. A balanced budget means that we can focus on social priorities and begin helping British Columbians most in need. It also means that British Columbia maintains its triple-A credit rating. Since November 2004, British Columbia has received seven credit-rating upgrades. British Columbia continues to maintain the highest cred- it rating possible with Moody’s, Standard and Poor’s and Fitch.

Strong credit ratings signal that British Columbia is a great place to invest, and this helps to create jobs and spur economic investment. A balanced budget, coupled with a triple-A credit rat- ing also sends a strong signal to investors that British Columbia is a great place to do business. Th at is, essen- tially, the message that the Premier and other members of this House send during trade missions abroad. Export markets are fiercely competitive, and what oft en sets you apart is the strength of your relationships.

Trade missions secure B.C. ’s entry into priority markets and provide the momentum required to leverage part- nerships, international investments and expand poten- tial trade deals. In conclusion, I think it is worth noting that the Bank of Montreal is now predicting that British Columbia will lead the country in economic growth in 2015. By balan- cing the budget and keeping public spending on track, there is no reason why B.C. will not continue to lead the country in the years to come. S. Chandra Herbert: “Some look at things that are and ask why.

I dream of things that never were and ask: why not. ” Of course, that was George Bernard Shaw. It’s some- thing that we as legislators all need to keep in our minds. When you go back to the creation of this place, the creation of this province, what were some fundamental industries? Well, of course, forestry, mining, fi sheries, agriculture. Y ou’ll see those in this building, illustrated.

What you don’t see, but what has happened since, what has been dreamed of and come into creation since those days, of course, is our creative economy. [1150] B.C. ’s creative sector, whether it be in book publish- ing, the music industry, fi lm and TV , digital entertain- ment, technology, magazines, theatre, dance — on and on you go — we are an incredibly creative province that punches above our weight in terms of the content creat- ed, in terms of the creativity and in terms of how it gets exported around the world. I mention this because traditionally we’ve focused on natural resources.

Th at’s all the government has talked about. Really, lately, the only one is…. Gas has been the main focus of this government, while largely ignoring other sectors that are vital for exports. Now, how vital is the creative economy to B.C., and how much should we pay attention to it? Well, at a min- imum it’s 85,000 jobs — generally well-paying jobs, good jobs, good for the soul, good for the spirit. It’s about $4 billion in our gross domestic product, if you use that ac- counting fi gure — so roughly in the same ballpark, in terms of jobs, as forestry, mining, fi sheries.

It was not something dreamed of at the time this prov- ince was created. It came into being because of artists, because of entrepreneurs, because of innovators. I think about something Liz Shorten and Bob D’Eith, who work with Creative B.C. and who work with the Canadian Media Production Association and Music B.C.… Th ey said to me, when we started meeting early around Creative B.C. and this idea, that we should bring together our fi lm commission. We should bring the other creative industries t

Document details

Collection	British Columbia — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	20150511am-Hansard-v26n1
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	20150511am Hansard v26n1
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	fda5855305233dc0ad5cc7329d3d77e21caa74b7

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