2013 Legislative Session: Fifth Session, 39th Parliament

HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes

only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 41, Number

ISSN 0709-1281 (Print)

ISSN 1499-2175 (Online)

CONTENTS

Page

Routine Business

Introductions by Members

Tributes

John Nicholson

Hon. M. Stilwell

Introductions by Members

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Bill 4 — Tla'amin Final Agreement Act

Hon. I. Chong

Motions Without Notice

Permission for Tla'amin First Nation Chief Clint Williams to address the House

Hon. I. Chong

Address from the Bar of the House

C. Williams

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

Bill 5 — Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2013

Hon. T. Lake

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

One Billion Rising campaign to end violence against women

S. Hammell

Stem cell donation drive and awareness

D. Hayer

The Racket and teen band contest

D. Donaldson

Courage to Come Back Awards

H. Bloy

Contributions of lottery winner Bob Erb

R. Austin

Wrestling

M. Dalton

Oral Questions

Worker recruitment for HD Mining project and government response

A. Dix

Hon. P. Bell

S. Simpson

G. O'Mahony

M. Farnworth

Government action on violence against aboriginal women in northern B.C.

S. Hammell

Hon. S. Bond

Safe transportation plan for women in northern B.C.

K. Corrigan

Hon. S. Bond

Call for national inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women

S. Fraser

Hon. S. Bond

Early intervention services for children

K. Conroy

Hon. S. Cadieux

Pacific Carbon Trust and public sector carbon offset costs

R. Fleming

Hon. T. Lake

Reports from Committees

Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth, third report for the fourth session of the 39th Parliament

J. McIntyre

C. Trevena

Petitions

H. Bains

C. Trevena

Reports from Committees

Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, report on the 2013 budget consultation process

D. Horne

M. Elmore

Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, report on review of budgets of independent officers

D. Horne

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate (continued)

D. Donaldson

Hon. M. Stilwell

D. Routley

Hon. M. Polak

S. Hammell

K. Krueger

G. Gentner

Hon. I. Chong

Page 12785

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013

The House met at 1:35 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I'd like to call on Mike Charlie Jr. from the Songhees First Nation to lead us in prayer.

M. Charlie: On this day I'd like to thank the Tla'amin Nation and everybody in the chambers that worked so hard for the treaty to go through today. It's a big honour for me to be here. I'd like to dedicate this prayer song to the Tla'amin Nation, to the elders, to the youth — to the young and old.

[A prayer in Sencoten was sung.]

On this day I'd like to thank everybody for attending here today, for their presence. For the honourables that are well respected, I ask the Lord to look after everybody, look over them, clear their paths as they step forward. Hychka siem .

Introductions by Members

Hon. C. Clark: This is a historic occasion in the people's House today. Later today legislation will be introduced to ratify the Tla'amin Nation treaty. As you know, it is rare for someone to be invited to speak on the floor of the Legislature. However, today the government has invited Tla'amin Chief Clint Williams to reflect on this significant landmark legislation.

Chief Williams is in his third term as Chief of the Tla'amin Nation. He is a family man with two teenage children. He believes passionately in this treaty and the opportunities that it will provide for future generations.

As many of you will know, there are some Tla'amin members who do not share Chief Williams's optimism. He hopes that once they see the benefits of having a treaty, he can help to begin healing the community.

He has a vision of the future for the Tla'amin people that includes the revitalization of their culture and prosperity not only for Tla'amin members but for the region as a whole. Mr. Speaker, we all look forward to his remarks.

I would also, on this historic day, like to acknowledge some important contributors to the treaty process from Tla'amin Nation who are in the gallery with us today: chief negotiator Roy Francis; treaty negotiations manager Grace Adams; councillor and treaty negotiator Denise Smith, who, as chief at the time, signed a statement of intent to begin the treaty process; Coun. Eugene Louie, who, as a former chief, also signed the statement of intent; Coun. Vern Pielle; and other members of the Tla'amin Treaty Society — President Elaine Tom, Gary Mitchell, Leonard Bob, Cathy Paul and Terry Galligos.

[1340]

Ladies and gentlemen, we are today at a historic moment, and we are privileged to be part of it. I very much look forward to hearing from Chief Clint Williams, and I know that every member of this House will make all of the members of the Tla'amin First Nation who are with us today feel very welcome.

Tributes

JOHN NICHOLSON

Hon. M. Stilwell: Earlier this week in the throne speech we recognized many notable British Columbians who passed away over the past year. I'd like to acknowledge the passing of another remarkable individual — Mr. John Nicholson, who passed away on January 31 at the age of 92.

John had a developmental disability and at 92 was the oldest person receiving services from Community Living B.C. He was born in 1920 in Swamp Point, B.C., and his last place of residence was at Mount Nelson Place in Invermere. John spent 25 years in Woodlands School, then 13 years in Tranquille until settling in Invermere more than four decades ago when he moved to Mount Nelson Place. In 1989 he finally got his own bedroom and enjoyed spending time drawing and taking clippings from newspapers and watching TV. He loved sports, hockey and baseball, and he was also a bowler, bowling right up into his 90s.

I'm informed that John was a kind, quiet gentleman with a heart of gold, so it's not surprising that such a community would make accommodations necessary to include him in the life of Invermere. He first worked in the greenhouse at the Achievement Centre in Athalmer, later delivering mail and important papers between the Invermere Clinic and Invermere Hospital and, in more recent years, took on the security attendant role for Mount Nelson Place, making rounds every night and ensuring that all of the doors were promptly locked at nine. He seldom missed Sunday services, where he enjoyed the companionship of church and family and, I'm told, many potluck dinners.

For the past 23 years John was able to live in a wonderful environment where he gained independence and was treated not as a person with a developmental disability but as a friend, a colleague and a member of the community. My sincere sympathies to John's brother Allen, his Mount Nelson Place family and friends as well as the staff, whose loving devotion and care is surely reflected in the long life he lived.

To everyone who has made a difference in John's life, I

[ Page 12786 ]

thank you. His story will remain as a beacon of hope for all those with developmental disabilities and their families, who seek inclusion and know that their lives and those of their communities will be far better for it.

Introductions by Members

L. Reid: On behalf of Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce two special friends of his visiting from the hometown of Oliver. Would the House please join me in welcoming Bill and Francie Ross.

D. Routley: I'd like the House to help me welcome some friends, a couple of people. Cathy Wade is a longtime neighbour of mine, a former teacher in the Cowichan Valley. Cathy was a great help to us, our family, and our kids all played together for many, many years. I have introduced Cathy's son Nick in this House many times before. He's pursuing his education in Kelowna and is currently working for the NDP on election preparations — very proud of Nick as a young person who is very engaged in the community and in politics.

His dad, Alan, is a well-known counsellor and psychologist who travels internationally helping government and police agencies deal with people in crisis. Joining Cathy Wade today are Don and Judy Falder, her parents. Can you please help me make them welcome to the House.

K. Conroy: I would like to introduce some of the executive from the B.C. Seniors Living Association who are here to meet with us today. Marlene Williams is the executive director of the organization. I've had the pleasure of getting to know her in the last year and see her genuine commitment to seniors facilities in this province. Dave Sinclair is the president of the organization. He's also the chair of the Legion Foundation. He's an outspoken advocate for seniors. Dave is from Victoria.

Carole Holmes is a board member and president of inSite Housing, Hospitality and Health Services. Carole is from Kelowna, and I have had the pleasure of visiting one of her facilities in Kelowna, a beautiful place where I got to talk with many well-cared-for and happy seniors.

[1345]

Celeste Mullin is the vice-president of the organization. She is also the owner of Golden Life Management, which has a number of facilities in the Kootenays — some from my constituency, where my in-laws also spent a number of very happy years. Would the House please join me in making them all welcome.

Hon. S. Bond: Very early this morning we were joined on the steps of the Legislature by members of both sides of the House to celebrate what is, two years from now, going to be a very exciting time in northern British Columbia. For the first time in British Columbia, we will be hosting the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, and we're very excited about that.

All of us on the steps were the recipients of some fantastic, beautiful red scarves — discreetly displayed down the row here because we're not allowed to wear it, Mr. Speaker, as per your rules. Having said that, I know there is one for every member of this House as an ambassador of the Canada Winter Games.

It is also the first time that we will have a host nation for those games in the history of the Canada Games. The Lheidli T'enneh will be the host nation.

One of the people who was responsible for the team that is working very hard in Prince George is with us today. He's doing an exceptional job as the chair of the board of directors for the Prince George 2015 Canada Winter Games. He is also the CEO of Northern B.C. Tourism. I think he's a Victoria boy. I know he's doing a fantastic job, and I know all members of the House would like to thank him and wish him well and look forward to two years from now. We'll be praying it'll be snowing in Prince George on that day. Please welcome Anthony Everett.

M. Mungall: Earlier today I had the pleasure of meeting with some exceptional advocates for post-secondary education here in British Columbia. They are Michael Wicks, Jean-Bernard Ardila, Charles Boylan and Kevin Drager. They are representatives of the Education and Training Employees Association, Local 21, of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators. Please make them welcome.

Hon. B. Stewart: As it has become a bit of a custom in this House to introduce new arrivals to British Columbia, I would like the House to welcome Hazel Eliza Beth Dobbener, born on November 9 to Llane, our daughter — Ruth and myself's daughter — and Jan, Ulla and Reinhardt Dobbener from Bamberg, Germany, who have just arrived in Kelowna.

On another note, I would also like to introduce today Selena Basi, the fiancée of my ministerial assistant Terry Lalari. He'd like to wish her a happy Valentine's Day.

N. Simons: It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the official opposition, to join the Premier today in welcoming the members of the Tla'amin First Nation to this House on the traditional territory of the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations. A moving ceremony downstairs acknowledged the elders and the ancestors for the work and for the leaders and the strength of their families to get to this point today.

I know that they are inspired to make this day a good day — a good day and a beginning for a better future for the children of the Tla'amin First Nation. I just want to say on behalf of all of us in this House: congratulations, welcome and all the best for the future.

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Hon. M. MacDiarmid: I'm really pleased to say I have special guests today in the House. My mom, Betty, is here, looking forward to the respectful debate we always enjoy here — I'm certainly on my best behaviour — and my cousin Jane Dempsey. Would everyone please join me in welcoming them.

R. Fleming: From my constituency this afternoon in this precinct we have guests from an outstanding educational institution in greater Victoria. So 58 grade 11 students from Reynolds Secondary School will be amongst us this afternoon. I mentioned it to an alumnus of Reynolds Secondary, the member for Juan de Fuca, and he wanted it to be known on the record that he was the class president in '77, the captain of the basketball team, as well as an honourable mention on the soccer team from that great school.

All of that aside, I would ask the House to please make Miss Lindsay Horlor and the other staff, parent volunteers and, of course, the students welcome here in the Legislature today.

[1350]

Mr. Speaker: I think that on behalf of all members, we can wish our better halves a happy Valentine's Day, seeing that we're all here in Victoria.

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL 4 — TLA'AMIN FINAL AGREEMENT ACT

Hon. I. Chong presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Tla'amin Final Agreement Act.

Hon. I. Chong: Mr. Speaker, I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: Continue, Minister.

Hon. I. Chong: I am honoured today to introduce Bill 4, the Tla'amin Final Agreement Act. This legislation will enable the Tla'amin final agreement, British Columbia's fourth final agreement to reach the Legislature under the framework of B.C.'s Treaty Commission process that was established in 1992. These four agreements include eight First Nations: Tsawwassen, the five Maa-nulth First Nations, Yale First Nation and Tla'amin First Nation.

In addition, B.C.'s first modern-day treaty was the Nisga'a final agreement, which was negotiated outside the B.C. treaty process. Chief Williams, who was introduced a few minutes ago, has worked diligently to bring this treaty to his people. A negotiating team of Roy Francis, Denise Smith and Grace Adams has also worked on this treaty since the beginning, almost 14 years ago when the statement of intent was filed.

The Premier and I were very privileged to attend an event with Chief Williams and members of the Tla'amin First Nation earlier today in recognition of the historic day, and I was particularly moved by the children and the young people of Tla'amin who joined us. Their spirit, their enthusiasm is infectious, and I was struck by their optimism for the future under treaty and encouraged by their commitment to succeed.

The treaty removes the Tla'amin Nation from the federal Indian Act. It provides the Tla'amin Nation with self-government powers that will allow them to design and deliver programming in a way that best supports the Tla'amin community and their families.

This treaty converts the uncertainty regarding Tla'amin First Nation's aboriginal rights and titles into defined treaty rights. It establishes ownership and management of lands and resources within Tla'amin's traditional territory, and it provides land and financial resources so that Tla'amin can create economic opportunities and jobs for their families.

Chief Williams has described the treaty as a new beginning that means welcoming positive change. He says that change does not mean having to forget who we are or where we came from. It is a memorable moment for the Tla'amin people and for all British Columbians, because we all benefit when local economies flourish, when neighbours support one another and when there is stability on the land base.

I am privileged to bring this historic legislation to the chamber, and I move that the bill be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 4, Tla'amin Final Agreement Act, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Motions Without Notice

PERMISSION FOR

TLA'AMIN FIRST NATION CHIEF

CLINT WILLIAMS TO ADDRESS THE HOUSE

Hon. I. Chong: By leave, I move:

[That Chief Clint Williams of the Tla'amin First Nation be permitted to address the Legislative Assembly from the Bar of the House.]

Leave granted.

Mr. Speaker: Sergeant-at-Arms, I ask for the doors to be opened.

Chief Williams. [Applause.]

[ Page 12788 ]

Address from the Bar of the House

C. Williams: Thank you very much. Hon. Speaker, hon. Members, it is such an honour to be here on this very historic day representing the Tla'amin people addressing the Legislature.

Just some quick acknowledgments. Minister Chong, thank you for being such a good host on the day and for introducing us today — much appreciated.

Before I begin, I'd like to acknowledge the traditional territories of the Esquimalt and the Songhees for welcoming us and allowing us to do business in their territory today, and it's very much appreciated for our Songhees brother opening the day for us.

I also want to acknowledge our jeje s that have made the trip with us today to witness today's events, and our ancestors that have gone before us.

[1355]

I'd also like to acknowledge our Sunshine Coast MLA, Nicholas Simons. Great to see Nicholas today. And a special acknowledgment. I want to acknowledge Minister Mary Polak for standing with us through some difficult times leading up to our vote. So our hat is tipped off to the former Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation.

Since the beginning of time our people have lived on the lands that the Creator provided for us, provided for our ancestors. We have lived by a traditional system of governance that sustained us and our lands and resources for thousands of years.

Our society governed all forms of environmental, social and political relations through a sophisticated system of traditional laws, as is our traditional way. It is from this proud history that Tla'amin derive our inherent right to self-government. With jurisdiction and responsible leadership, we'll create economic and employment opportunities.

Our mission statement that has guided us through this process since 1994 has been to honour and respect our ancestors through the implementation of a true community-based process to negotiate a fair and equitable treaty settlement that will ensure the building blocks of good government and a foundation for the well-being of our future generations.

As we move forward in today's world, we have certainly been paying very close attention to the many movements, such as Idle No More, that have been occurring across this great country. We acknowledge and respect the visions of all of our brothers and sisters to protect this great land as we all pursue a better future for all of our people.

The Tla'amin leadership are following the mandate that our community has provided to us by first ratifying our constitution and most recently our final agreement. We truly recognize that there is a clear need to create positive change and meaningful opportunities that will sustain our people both economically and culturally.

Our treaty will provide us with the necessary tools to break free from the shackles of the Indian Act and allow our people to prosper. We will no longer be oppressed by this dreaded act that has allowed for many awful things to happen to many of our people.

With this in mind, there is still much healing that needs to take place as a result of the pain and suffering that was experienced by many of our people who attended the residential schools. We all must work together to restore our cultural identity and the pride of being Tla'amin. We will work together as the Tla'amin Nation to help our brothers and sisters with their healing journey and assure them that they can be proud of who they are and where they come from.

Our people have always been resilient in history and also in most recent times. We have set up cooperative relationships with the city of Powell River and the Powell River regional district that are unheard of in some areas of this province and across this country.

Like many others, Powell River is certainly feeling the pinch of the economic climate these days. We hope that this will lead to economic opportunities, as we move forward with our newfound independence, not only for the Tla'amin people but also the Powell River region as a whole.

I just quickly want to acknowledge former Mayor Alsgard, who was such a trailblazer for all of these relationships. He has made the trip here today, and I just wanted to mention him to pay respect for the great work that he has done, along with his council.

Our journey to this point has not been an easy one. There have been many challenges throughout this process, and there are many more challenges to follow as we continue to build the Tla'amin government. For myself, the promises of a new relationship still ring loud and clear in my head, as this was the one time that the province acknowledged that the status quo will no longer be adequate for the First Nations in this province.

This promise is acknowledged in our treaty, and we will continue to build upon this as we carry on with the work of building the Tla'amin government and working alongside the provincial and federal governments.

Čəčəhatanapɛč . We look forward to working with all of you in the near future. [Applause.]

[1400]

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, on behalf of all the members, I'd like to thank Chief Williams for his address, and I'd now like to invite the Premier and the Leader of the Official Opposition to formally greet the Chief.

Hon. I. Chong: I request a five-minute recess, a break, to allow those with other obligations to exit the chamber.

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, we'll take a five-minute recess and then return back for members' statements.

[ Page 12789 ]

The House recessed from 2:01 p.m. to 2:08 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Introduction and

First Reading of Bills

BILL 5 — PROTECTED AREAS OF

BRITISH COLUMBIA AMENDMENT ACT, 2013

Hon. T. Lake presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2013.

Hon. T. Lake: I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion approved.

Hon. T. Lake: This bill contains amendments to the Protected Areas of British Columbia Act. The amendments implement government commitments made through land use planning processes and government-to-government agreements with First Nations, establish new protected areas on lands that were acquired by the Ministry of Environment and enable provincially significant economic initiatives to proceed.

This bill realizes the vision set out in three land use plans. First, the establishment of the Ne'ah conservancy will implement recommendations from the Dease-Liard sustainable resource management plan and the Kaska strategic land use plan.

Second, the establishment of the Hanna-Tintina conservancies will implement recommendations from the Nass South sustainable resource management plan and the Gitanyow Huwilp recognition and reconciliation agreement.

Third, the establishment of 17 new class A parks in addition to five existing class A parks in the Cariboo-Chilcotin region implements the results of the Cariboo-Chilcotin land use plan, goal 2, protected areas process.

[1410]

This bill will also establish two new class A parks — Denman Island and Gerald Island — and add lands to Mount Maxwell Ecological Reserve and Boyle Point Park.

Key government economic initiatives are supported by this bill by removing small areas of land at Elk Falls Park and Inkaneep Park. The boundary amendment at Elk Falls will allow B.C. Hydro to proceed with the replacement of the existing John Hart generating facility, and the lands removed from Inkaneep Park will enable Shared Services B.C. to construct a secondary access road to the planned correctional centre near Oliver.

Minor changes to the boundaries of three other parks are proposed to correct administrative areas. This bill also cancels Truman Dagnus Locheed Park, which is being transferred to another authority for park purposes.

On an administrative note, Mr. Speaker, I want to point out to all members of the House that the Office of the Clerk will be provided with very large copies of the official plans for their review. These will depict the boundaries of the new parks and conservancies and most of the amended parks and the conservancies.

I move that this bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Bill 5, Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2013, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements

(Standing Order 25B)

ONE BILLION RISING CAMPAIGN

TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

S. Hammell: We're all aware that today is Valentine's Day, a day that people and their loved ones everywhere celebrate their mutual love and respect with chocolates, flowers and gifts. Although it's a joyous day for many, the reality is that this joy is not shared by all.

Mr. Speaker, did you know that approximately 60,000 women in British Columbia experience domestic violence each year? One in three of every women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and statistics are higher for our First Nations women. These staggering facts only indicate reported cases, and the number grows exponentially to one billion women and girls across the world.

I want to acknowledge that millions of people today are joining together to stop gender violence. Today marks V-Day's 15th anniversary of their One Billion Rising campaign, which is held every year to raise funds and awareness to end gender violence.

In B.C. alone there will be 50 of these One Billion Rising events. In fact, there will be one right here in downtown Victoria, and then, in addition, there will be a flash dance near my home at Surrey's Holland Park this afternoon.

I encourage everyone to participate in any way you can and take a stand to actively raise awareness on this issue. Gender violence impacts the lives of everyone — men, children and women — regardless of age, culture or religion. We are the leaders here in B.C., and we must show our fellow citizens that we refuse to accept violence against women.

I hope everyone in this House will join me in rising up against gender violence.

STEM CELL DONATION DRIVE

AND AWARENESS

D. Hayer: Happy Valentine's to all of the spouses. I agree with the statement from the member for Surrey–

[ Page 12790 ]

Green Timbers.

On Wednesday, February 20, the OtherHalf–Chinese Stem Cell Initiative and Simon Fraser University lead group students, with support from the South Asian community, and in collaboration with OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network of Canadian Blood Services, will be holding a community stem cell registry drive at the Simon Fraser campus of Surrey.

Stem cell donations are life-savers. I know from personal experience, because my son Alexander Hayer, who was diagnosed with leukemia the day after his 19th birthday, ten years ago, is alive today because of stem cell donation from my daughter Sonia Hayer.

I should point out that the stem cell drive is taking place and looking for, particularly, young males from diverse backgrounds to register, as they apparently make the best choice as donors. In fact, the donations of stem cells to fight leukemia and other horrific cancers are so important that British Columbia has proclaimed February 20 to 27 Community Stem Cell Awareness Week.

I understand from my heart — and those of my family, my friends and my colleagues, such as former MLA Sindi Hawkins — the life-saving contributions that stem cell donations can make.

[1415]

I congratulate all the volunteers for organizing the community stem cell registry drive, which is in honour of the recipients and the patients Winnie Szeto and Gurjeet Brar, who are currently searching for stem cell donors. They are looking for unrelated stem cell donors for themselves.

It is only through the efforts of those in the stem cell registry drive that we encourage greater participation in the wonderful and deeply personal gesture to save the lives of others. It doesn't cost you anything. It's not painful. But at the same time it's a free gift of life you can give to either your family member or a stranger. I ask everybody to register for the stem cell drive.

THE RACKET AND TEEN BAND CONTEST

D. Donaldson: The racket, the racket, the racket. Some might think that's a description of the atmosphere about what could be following us here in question period, but what I'm talking about here is The Racket. It's a dynamic band composed of Hazelton teenagers Eli Larsen and Simon Stockner, in their senior year at Hazelton Secondary School, and Stephen deWit, who recently graduated from Smithers Secondary.

The Racket has made it to the final group of ten competing in B.C.'s Best Teen Band Contest run by the web-based youthink teen magazine. Eli is on vocals and guitar, Simon is the drummer, and Stephen plays bass. I know them all well and have heard them play often. They're playing gigs across northwest B.C. with what they describe as rock, blues and total originality. And like any good teen band, they have at least one parent who is a dedicated roadie.

The Racket shows that there is an exceptional musical talent in small, rural communities across B.C., particularly in the northwest. This budding talent needs support for individuals to reach their full potential, and that is why increased resources for school districts for music programming is fundamental and restoring funding cuts to community arts organizations in rural B.C. is so important in providing mentoring opportunities.

The Racket needs your vote. You can vote on line once a day every day until February 18. Google their Facebook site, The Racket Hazelton, to find out how, or visit youthink.ca. You can also check out a video of the live performance of one of their original songs on that website.

Coming up very soon in this chamber, you may think to yourself, "I can't stand the racket," but in this musical case, The Racket is a good thing and getting better. I encourage everyone in this chamber to vote on February 18 for The Racket.

COURAGE TO COME BACK AWARDS

H. Bloy: It's estimated that 20 percent of all Canadians will be affected by mental illness at some point in their lifetime. This stat doesn't just bear the economic cost; it bears a social cost as well. One's mental illness affects one's family, friends and colleagues. Coast Mental Health, led by Executive Director Darrell Burnham, was created to address the needs of people recovering from serious mental illness. They are there to ease the transition to recovery.

Each year Coast Mental Health hands out six Courage to Come Back Awards, which recognize individuals who have not only overcome their illness or adversity but have used their experience to inspire others to do the same. People like Kamal Dhillon, a 2012 reward recipient who at the age of 18 married the man who nearly killed her. For almost 12 years, through the births of her four children, she was sexually, mentally and physically abused with such ferocity that she came close to death numerous times. The physical abuse she suffered was so bad she had to undergo several reconstructive operations and now lives in constant pain.

But today Kamal is free from her abusive marriage and is an advocate for change, providing a voice for women in similar situations. She holds workshops throughout the world, teaching everyone from police officers to college students to recognize and prevent domestic violence. It's people like Kamal who give hope to others and prove that recovery is possible.

It is Lorne Segal's incredible passion that is a driving force behind the Courage to Come Back Awards fundraising gala every year that helps to bring these dreams to reality. Thank you, Lorne, for all that you do for British Columbia.

[ Page 12791 ]

This year's awards ceremony will take place on April 25 in Vancouver. The money raised will provide food, homes and jobs to people across the Lower Mainland who struggle with mental illness. To all the past award recipients and to everyone at Coast Mental Health, thank you for the great work you do.

[1420]

CONTRIBUTIONS OF

LOTTERY WINNER BOB ERB

R. Austin: Last October Terrace resident Bob Erb was travelling on Highway 16 when he popped into the Chevron in New Hazelton to purchase his lottery tickets, as he had done for many years. Dean Paranich, the manager, accidentally punched in more than he had asked for, but Bob said not to worry. He'd buy the extra ones. Neither of them knew that one of these extra tickets would make Bob Erb $25 million richer — and Dean $20,000 richer, as one of the first people that Bob decided to thank for selling him that lucky ticket.

One can only dream about what we would do if we were in Bob's position. Here's a little of what he chose to do. He determined almost immediately that he didn't need $25 million and that it had to be shared not just with family and friends but with the whole community of Terrace, his home for over 40 years.

Bob has given money to numerous charities and community groups in Terrace such as the Happy Gang Centre for Seniors; Ksan House for helping women seeking safety from abuse, as well as the homeless; Choices, which operates group homes for adults with developmental delays; and a Terrace soup kitchen providing daily meals for those in need.

Individuals also got help. He bought seven brand-new vehicles for people he knew that needed them. But perhaps his greatest gift, however, is the $3 million he has set aside for a foundation that would generate dollars for years to come, which will assist Terrace charities, school groups or other worthy causes.

Bob has also set aside $1 million to be used to generate what he hopes will be an adult conversation here in B.C. and across Canada around the issue of marijuana laws and the way in which we use RCMP resources and the judicial system to maintain those laws. This cause is dear to his heart, and as such, he's the main backer of the Sensible B.C. program.

Now, those who have known Bob for a long time say this is nothing new. He always gave stuff away; he just does it on a bigger scale now. Bob grew up in the Prairies. In fact, his uncle Walter was the Minister of Health in the Tommy Douglas government of 1959, who introduced the bill that brought in public health care to the province of Saskatchewan. So thinking about the welfare of others comes naturally to Bob.

Bob's generosity will leave a lasting legacy for the people of Terrace, and I'd like members of this House to join me in thanking him for all he has done.

WRESTLING

M. Dalton: Arm drags, bear hugs, headlocks, gut wrenches. Though there is the occasional verbal spar in this chamber, I anticipate decorum will prevail and members won't be engaging in these techniques anytime soon during question period.

But for 2,600 male and female athletes, coaches and officials of the British Columbia Wrestling Association, these moves are a way of life and fun. Across the province you'll find hundreds of young and older people grappling and throwing. In my constituency Maple Ridge Secondary and Westview Secondary schools are part of the B.C. School Wrestling Association. After classes you'll find student wrestlers straining and sweating under the watchful eyes of Bill McRae or Greg Brock.

Wrestling has a rich tradition in British Columbia, with a good number of our top-tier athletes competing at the international and Olympic levels — wrestlers like silver medallist Bob Molle and Hazelton's own Carol Huynh, the first Canadian freestyle wrestler to win Olympic gold.

Then there's Daniel Igali, coming to Canada from a poor village in Nigeria and winning a gold medal. Many of us will remember him dancing around the Canadian flag and kissing it in his victory. I got to know many of these elite athletes while working in the equipment room in the bowels of the SFU gym while doing my studies.

Wrestling is an ancient international sport that has been part of the Olympic Games since their modern-day inception. It is relished in many countries such as India and among our Indo-Canadian community. It has therefore come as a shock worldwide that the IOC has recommended not to include wrestling at the 2020 Olympics. Mr. Speaker, wrestling is a sport that has stood the test of time, and it will doubtless stand through this test also.

Oral Questions

WORKER RECRUITMENT FOR HD MINING

PROJECT AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

A. Dix: My question is to the Minister of Jobs. In 2011 the government met with officials from HD Mining about its plans for the Murray River project a total of four times. The Premier and the Minister of Jobs were involved in at least one of those meetings each.

Why did the Premier and the Jobs Minister not make local employment a priority during those meetings?

[1425]

Hon. P. Bell: Local employment is the priority of this government, and that's been clearly demonstrated

[ Page 12792 ]

through detailed plans not in one but in eight different sectors in this province.

The Minister of Energy and Mines recently set a goal a year and a half ago of having eight new mines and nine expanded mines open over a period of time. We're halfway there, and we haven't even touched on the time frame.

I'm hesitant to take advice from the Leader of the Opposition and members opposite because of their dismal record of job creation in the 1990s. In fact, I was looking at some comments from the member for Fraser-Nicola, my favourite member of the opposition, who provides me with numerous opportunities for quotes. When the member opposite was talking about how great employment was in the 1990s, I looked back at the city of Kamloops, because I thought that would be interesting. It's the general region the member comes from. When he left government in 2001, the unemployment rate in Kamloops was 13.1 percent. Today it's 5.6 percent.

I don't think that we need to take any lessons from the members opposite.

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

A. Dix: Well, the minister will recall, because it was only November, in this matter, he asserted and defended HD Mining for not hiring British Columbians. He said: "They placed ads in virtually every paper, all of the Internet-based services, the Mining Association website — literally every place that a miner would look for work — and had no uptake…at all." This was the minister responsible informing British Columbia about what happened.

Now, we know what he said then did not prove to be the case. So I'm asking the minister responsible in this case, who had multiple meetings, whose staff had multiple meetings, the Premier had multiple meetings…. They attacked people who raised questions when he made that assertion. They attacked them personally.

I guess the question for the minister responsible for jobs is: why didn't he raise those issues when it mattered?

Hon. P. Bell: You know, I just find it absolutely ironic that the members opposite continue to raise issues of employment. Our record is very clear on the employment front.

Again, inconvenient facts or uncomfortable facts for the members opposite. I think this is uncomfortable fact No. 7 or 8. I forget. Uncomfortable fact No. 7 or 8 for the Leader of the Opposition: when they were in government — in fact, when they left government in 2001 — unemployment rate in Canada, 7.2 percent. Interesting part of that is that the unemployment rate in Canada for last year, for fiscal 2012, was actually 7.2 percent. The difference, though, was when the NDP was in government, the unemployment rate in B.C. was half a point higher than the national average. Today it's half a point lower than the national average. That's our record.

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

A. Dix: The government of British Columbia and the ministers opposite left this House vacant for 8½ months. The minister made assertions on behalf of British Columbia, assertions that in this case there was "no uptake on it at all." The Premier made those assertions. That was their response to British Columbians. They said that clearly and categorically.

The minister apparently now is saying that he didn't know, but in fact he claimed he did know, and there was no uptake at all. How could the minister have been so wrong about the specific issue which matters to employment in British Columbia?

Hon. P. Bell: You know, it's interesting that the Leader of the Opposition raises the question of employment in the mining industry. In the 1990s the employment in the mining industry was irrelevant from a foreign or domestic perspective, because there was no mining industry in British Columbia.

Inconvenient fact No. 9 for the Leader of the Opposition. Recently, in the year 2012, the mining exploration in British Columbia was $680 million — a brand-new record.

[1430]

The inconvenient fact for the Leader of the Opposition is that in the entire decade, in the ten years that the NDP was in government, the entire exploration spending for that entire ten-year period — $642 million, $38 million less than one year under our government.

S. Simpson: This minister wants to talk about inconvenient facts. The facts are that in the 16 months of his job plan 37,000 jobs were lost in the private sector.

That's your record. And what does the federal government tell us? You say that unemployment is down? That's because almost 20,000 people have lost hope and quit looking for jobs because they don't trust you to produce them. Those are the facts.

The debacle over how this government has mismanaged temporary foreign workers is astounding. B.C. has demonstrated a complete failure in protecting resource jobs for British Columbians.

On January 30 the Vancouver Sun quoted the minister, and what did the minister say? Neither he nor the Premier was told during their visit to China in 2011, when the Chinese coal investments were announced, of the full extent of the company's plans to use foreign workers.

Well, in November 2011 a briefing note was produced for the Premier and this minister that clearly said half

[ Page 12793 ]

of the 400 jobs would go to temporary foreign workers. The minister and the Premier and this government knew that the first 200 jobs were for temporary foreign workers. What else did the Premier and the minister agree to that forced them to defend this failed program so vigorously?

Hon. P. Bell: Mining has rebounded in an exceptional way over the last 12 years in British Columbia. In fact, in my community of Prince George I recall an unemployment rate of 14.1 percent under the NDP for an entire year. Last month — 4.5 percent. The month before that — 4.3 percent.

I heard the Leader of the Opposition weave this fable yesterday of how the economic performance of the government during the 1990s was actually exceptional, much better than our government during that same period of time. I was astounded by the tale that the member opposite was weaving in his speech yesterday, because if you look back at the clear statistics, during the 1990s B.C. saw a GDP growth 0.22 percent less than the Canadian average. Under our government — half a point greater than the Canadian average.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

S. Simpson: The people of this province want to know why this government doesn't put British Columbians first when it comes to jobs. People across this province are angry at this government, and it starts with this minister's own people in Prince George. They're angry, and people across this province are angry.

The reality is this. HD Mining claimed that none of the 300 Canadian applicants were qualified. The Premier and the minister defended that assertion by the company. The minister claimed in the media that the company had done an exhaustive search, and then he chastised the unions for raising the concern.

We now know that many of those applicants had extensive experience in underground mining. Only when the resumé information was released, did the minister back-pedal on the position he had defended from day one.

How does the minister, who is supposed to be leading us on jobs in this province, explain doing so little due diligence on protecting jobs until he had to back out because he got caught?

Hon. P. Bell: You know, the member opposite, being a member of opposition, has the luxury of being able to use only selected pieces of information that he chooses, from time to time, to roll out. As a government minister, as a minister of the Crown, we have the obligation of hearing all the facts before we come to conclusions.

[1435]

But I'll tell you what I know. Inconvenient fact 10: during the era of the NDP British Columbia for the first time in history, the only time in the history of British Columbia, became a have-not province — the only time that has ever happened in all of Canada. That's the economic performance of the NDP.

Inconvenient fact 11 for the NDP: seven consecutive credit downgrades under the NDP, five credit upgrades under us. We've got a triple-A credit rating. This province is excelling economically, and we're proud of that record.

G. O'Mahony: The minister might have gotten to the parade late, but that clearly hasn't stopped him from jumping into the front of it.

It was representatives from labour who revealed that there were hundreds of British Columbians who were qualified to do those jobs. Meanwhile, there were allegations early last fall that the same company was charging foreign workers a recruitment fee to work in Canada.

It's been nearly four months since those allegations were brought forward, and the minister promised to investigate. Will the minister update the House on the status of that investigation, or is he waiting again for someone else to do the investigating for him?

Hon. P. Bell: Inconvenient fact 12. Speaking of parades, the only parade I recall during the 1990s was the parade of U-Haul trailers, all going to Alberta.

The member opposite needs to improve her research and her clipping service, because it's already been reported that the investigation is complete. The allegations were found to be unfounded.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

G. O'Mahony: I'm happy that the minister has proven that he can count, but let's talk about the facts at this moment. These are serious allegations that workers are being charged money for the right to work in mines in B.C. The minister promised an investigation months ago. Yet today we learned that his so-called investigation didn't include a single interview with anyone in China, and these alleged violations are believed to have taken place. How is this a credible investigation?

Can the minister explain how any investigation that doesn't go to the place of the alleged problems can possibly arrive at a meaningful result?

Hon. P. Bell: I think that the member opposite spent too much time over the Christmas holidays watching Skyfall and contemplating how James Bond might be able to investigate these allegations.

The statutes of British Columbia clearly limit the investigative ability of any branch to within the province of British Columbia. The member opposite should know that.

M. Farnworth: The inconvenient truth is this. The minister met with HD Mining. The Premier met with HD

[ Page 12794 ]

Mining. On every occasion they failed to stand up for the interests of British Columbia workers. The inconvenient truth is that now when the minister and the government are pressed to be accountable, they are unable to do so.

My question is clear. Will the minister stand in this House, be accountable for once and tell why both the minister and the Premier failed to stand up for the interests of British Columbia workers when they met with HD Mining?

[1440]

Hon. P. Bell: Just because the member insists upon ramping up his tone throughout the question, it doesn't mean that it's any more accurate or reflective of the facts.

It is the responsibility of myself, of the minister responsible for mines, and of the Premier to meet with proponents of large projects on a regular basis. If we don't, I'd be surprised, actually, that the member opposite doesn't think that's part of our responsibilities and duties. Clearly, that is exactly what we should be doing is meeting with these proponents.

What I find very interesting is that while the mining industry virtually fled from the province during the NDP era, it has come back and become a key part of our overall economic structure, last year amounting to $10 billion in economic activity, about 5 percent of our GDP.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON

VIOLENCE AGAINST ABORIGINAL WOMEN

IN NORTHERN B.C.

S. Hammell: Today marks the 22nd year of the Women's Memorial March for the missing and murdered women. It is also the 15th anniversary of One Billion Rising. Today is the day to take action.

There have been numerous reports on violence against women and particularly northern aboriginal women: the 2004 Amnesty International report, Stolen Sisters ; the Highway of Tears Symposium in 2006; the 2012 Oppal report on missing women; and yesterday another disturbing report from Human Rights Watch. The issue of violence against northern aboriginal women has been in front of this government for a decade.

My question is to the Attorney General. How many reports does this government need before they commit to taking real action on violence against northern aboriginal women?

Hon. S. Bond: The member opposite is correct. Today across British Columbia there are people, and women in particular, expressing their concern about the loss of women who have been marginalized in British Columbia. I can assure the member opposite that every single member on both sides of this House wants to work to find ways to ensure that that kind of horrific situation in British Columbia never occurs again.

That's why when the missing women's report was released, immediately we asked a former Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, the Hon. Steven Point, to be a champion for that report, to ensure that the voices and the lives of those women are honoured by the actions that will take place today and moving forward.

SAFE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

FOR WOMEN IN NORTHERN B.C.

K. Corrigan: We have had report after report and promise after promise from this government. This report is the latest in a whole series of reports that document horrific allegations of violence against women, including by the very people who are supposed to be protecting them. It demonstrates how fear and a lack of faith in the police can keep vulnerable women, particularly aboriginal women, from coming forward.

In the Missing Women Inquiry report, Wally Oppal called on the provincial government to implement recommendations from the 2006 Highway of Tears Symposium, which specifically called for a shuttle bus along the notorious Highway of Tears. In December 2012 the minister committed to this, stating the Minister of Transportation was developing a targeted consultation plan to identify safer transportation options with northern communities.

My question for the minister is: where is the transportation plan? Where is any plan to address the really serious safety issues facing women and girls along the Highway of Tears and throughout northern British Columbia?

Hon. S. Bond: What happened to women in British Columbia was tragic and appalling, and all of us need to work together. What I would encourage the member opposite to do is stand up with me today and urge the writers of the last report, Human Rights Watch…. A report was published. The member opposite is correct.

[1445]

Yes, there is fear when people are wanting to move forward and speaking to the police. But there are very, very serious allegations in that report. We need to urge the researchers and writers of that report, the people who went and spoke to women who live along a highway where I live, to step up, to urge a third party to investigate those allegations. It's important that that's the kind of non-partisan action all of us in this House need to take to ensure that women in British Columbia are treated with equity and respect every single day.

CALL FOR NATIONAL INQUIRY

INTO MISSING AND MURDERED

ABORIGINAL WOMEN

S. Fraser: We must take action on the multiple reports that have come out about missing and murdered aboriginal

[ Page 12795 ]

women in British Columbia. However, we also need to recognize that this is a bigger problem — that aboriginal women and girls all across the country are faced with the same problems, the same threats.

Key amongst the Human Rights Watch report is a call for a full national public commission of inquiry on missing and murdered women in Canada. iIn November of last year, on November 1 and 2, the third annual National Aboriginal Women's Summit was held in Manitoba. An open letter to the B.C. Native Women's Association states that the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation — our Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation — stood in opposition to the principle of a national inquiry at the summit.

Since the letter was released, we've seen nothing to contradict it. So to the minister, is it true that she, as minister, and this government oppose a national inquiry on missing and murdered women in Canada?

Hon. S. Bond: What is true is that, in fact, British Columbia was asked by jurisdictions across the country to lead a working group of ministers and provinces and territories. We have been leading a national agenda to deal with the issue of missing and murdered women since 2006.

In fact, we have looked at 52 recommendations that are being implemented across the country — looking at things like investigations, prosecution and how we deal with missing women's issues across the country. So to suggest that British Columbia hasn't stood up and been a leader in dealing with these issues at the national level would simply be inaccurate at best.

In addition, we've just received, after 18 months' work, a commission of inquiry that has laid out a series of recommendations that we believe have the opportunity to shape a response across this country. That information has been shared directly with the commissioner of the RCMP and the federal minister. We believe that the work that has been done here in British Columbia can form the basis for looking at how we deal with this horrific issue right across Canada.

EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES

FOR CHILDREN

K. Conroy: Vulnerable children in the Interior now have to wait 18 months to two years for early intervention and supported child care services. This is unacceptable. Taking into consideration that this government has spent millions and millions of dollars on partisan, pre-election ads, can the Minister for Children and Families please explain why they are telling families that require these critical early intervention services that they are out of luck for up to two years?

Hon. S. Cadieux: This government is committed to supporting children with special needs across the province and providing them and their families with the supports they need. Those supports and services are a priority for this government. We invest over a billion dollars annually, and we have more than 90 different services and supports for children with special needs and their families.

The funding has nearly doubled since 2001, from $153 million to $288 million, for children and youth with special needs services. We are committed to ensuring that that system is working as best as it possibly can for those families.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

[1450]

K. Conroy: Lorena Andersof, a mother from Grand Forks, and her daughter Trinity had to wait eight months for early intervention services, and she still isn't getting all the support that she needs in order to thrive. Trinity's mother said: "Early intervention and supported child care services have not received an increase in funding in the West Kootenay–Boundary area for almost eight years, yet the number of children with special needs continues to increase every year." That is far from a priority.

Can the minister explain why Trinity has to wait eight months for partial services and is still waiting for other critical services that she needs because of this Liberal government's inability to keep up with the demand of special needs?

Hon. S. Cadieux: I can certainly understand how frustrating it would be for a parent of a child with special needs to be waiting for services. We know that early interventions are incredibly important, especially for children with autism.

We are working to ensure that services across the province are working as well as they can. We are looking at how those services interact with one another and how we approach services around the province, and we want to ensure that we are able to provide the best services we can within our existing resources.

PACIFIC CARBON TRUST AND

PUBLIC SECTOR CARBON OFFSET COSTS

R. Fleming: Today we were again reminded that carbon-neutral government under the B.C. Liberals is a legislated monopoly scheme that scrapes tens of millions of dollars from the public sector and gives it to profitable forestry and oil and gas companies in British Columbia — subsidies to big business, courtesy of cash-starved hospitals and colleges, while the Pacific Carbon Trust sits on a pile of surplus cash, which the minister said today he may use as a slush fund to shore up the Liberals' debt.

My question is to the Minister of Environment. Is he

[ Page 12796 ]

really suggesting that the Pacific Carbon Trust will become nothing more than a greenwashing scheme to hide his government's red ink?

Hon. T. Lake: I'm happy to talk about the real action that we've taken on climate change here in British Columbia under the B.C. Liberal government, world leaders on climate action policies — every one of which that member and his colleagues voted against yet are upheld around the world as leading policies to combat climate change.

The carbon-neutral-government policy of this government is about leadership. It's about demonstrating that we walk the walk. In fact, investments in the public sector save over $12 million each and every year in energy savings. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it's good for the environment, and it's good for the bottom line.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

R. Fleming: Perhaps the minister missed his own government's throne speech a couple of days ago, which mentioned the environment exactly twice. Apparently, the green facade is completely gone.

This scheme, the Pacific Carbon Trust, has been widely criticized since day one. The minister knows it. In part, that's because its financial reporting has not been transparent.

Under this monopoly scheme the Pacific Carbon Trust gets $25 a tonne from hospitals and colleges for offsets worth sometimes less than $10 a tonne in the emissions market. After years of incomplete reporting, the province has promised to finally release the figures on how much money is spent. Expect it on a late Friday afternoon, Mr. Speaker.

Again, to the minister. This program has been under continual piecemeal review since it was first established. Will the minister finally listen to all the experts in the public sector, the senior administrators and the VP of sustainability and direct the Pacific Carbon Trust to make real climate progress within the public sector, invest in low-carbon, green public buildings across British Columbia for hospitals, for schools, for universities in B.C. today?

[1455]

Hon. T. Lake: The member opposite, I think, should get around the province a little more. If he went to Simon Fraser University, he would see that money from the PSECA fund has helped to contribute to their energy centre — $4.7 million in funding to look at campus needs for heating, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Maybe he wants to go to the University of Northern British Columbia, with the biomass centre, where they save $500,000 each and every single year. He could go to the school district of Delta, where an innovative geothermal district heating system saves that school district $500,000 every year.

We will not take any lessons from the NDP on climate action. Their policy is all over the map. In fact, we have just seen that Google is making an app for their position on climate change.

[End of question period.]

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Reports from Committees

J. McIntyre: I have the honour to present the third report of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth for the fourth session of the 39th Parliament.

I move that the report be taken as read and received.

Motion approved.

J. McIntyre: I ask leave of the House to permit the moving of a motion to adopt the report.

Leave granted.

J. McIntyre: I move that the report be adopted, and in doing so, I wish to make some brief comments.

This annual report summarizes the activities of this committee from November 2011 to October 2012. During that time, the committee reviewed several reports by the Representative for Children and Youth. The committee also completed the first statutory review of the Representative for Children and Youth Act. This included a call for public submissions and several meetings with expert witnesses, including the representative and the hon. Ted Hughes, whose 2006 report called for the creation of this committee.

The committee released the unanimous — and I repeat, unanimous — report last year containing seven recommendations for enhancing the legislation.

As Chair, I think I speak for all committee members when I say that this committee successfully carried out important work over the past year. We did this by collaborating and working together in a non-partisan way, in a way Mr. Hughes initially envisaged.

I hope that this committee continues to serve as a constructive forum for discussion of vital issues that are facing B.C. children and families, particularly the most vulnerable.

I have had the honour of serving as Chair of this committee over the past three years. As I'm not running for re-election this year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the members that I've had the pleasure of working with during that time, including the two Deputy

[ Page 12797 ]

Chairs — the member for North Island and the member for Esquimalt–Royal Roads.

After 30-plus years in business prior to politics it's been an eye-opening experience developing a better understanding of the social pressures and the issues in our province. It's had a powerful and lasting impact on me.

At this time I would also like to extend special thanks to the Representative for Children and Youth and her staff, as well as the deputy minister and the senior officials and staff in the Ministry of Children and Family Development. British Columbia children and families are well served by their collective dedication and hard work. The relationship between the ministry and the representative's office has improved immeasurably and has made the committee work more productive.

It has been a privilege serving as Chair and working with such dedicated professionals.

My last round of thank-yous is to the Clerk's office — to Kate Ryan-Lloyd and her staff, including Byron Plant, who have provided invaluable advice and support to our committee throughout. I will miss this work, and all of you, as I step down.

C. Trevena: I would like to echo the comments made by the member for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky. We have worked very well, I believe, as a collaborative committee working across partisan lines to try and find resolutions to some issues and to hear the reports from the representative and the ministry's response to them.

[1500]

I would like to thank the Chair as she steps down and she moves onto other adventures in life after this. It has been a pleasure working with her. She has led the committee admirably and, I think, has really helped us work together collaboratively.

As she mentioned, in this last year the significant part of our work was the statutory review of the Representative for Children and Youth Act. We're hoping that, since we completed this work back in May, it will be seen to be enacted in legislation very shortly. It is very much outstanding, and as a non-partisan committee, I believe that that is something we really hope the rest of the Legislature, the rest of the House, will move on.

I also thank the Clerk's office and Hansard for their support in our work, and I hope that the House will accept this report.

Motion approved.

H. Bains: Mr. Speaker, I have petitions to present.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

H. Bains: I have 1,120 petitions collected by Canadian Auto Workers, urging us to act immediately to ensure TransLink has enough funding to improve bus, SeaBus and SkyTrain service to reduce overcrowding and lack of service.

C. Trevena: I have two petitions to present. The first is from people across British Columbia who are calling on the Premier and the Minister of Children and Family Development to act immediately and effectively to deal with child poverty.

A second petition I have is from people from my constituency who are concerned about access to health care products.

Reports from Committees

D. Horne: I have the honour of presenting two reports from the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services respecting the 2013 budget consultation process. I move that the report be taken as read and received.

Motion approved.

D. Horne: I ask for leave of the House to suspend the rules, permitting the moving of a motion to adopt the report.

Leave granted.

D. Horne: I move that the report be adopted, and in doing so, I'd like to make a few brief comments.

This report covers the work of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services in regard to the Budget 2013 consultations. This year's public consultations took place over a five-week period in September and October 2012. The consultation process included 19 public hearings, video conference sessions and a public call for written and on-line survey submissions.

Overall, some 811 submissions were received by the committee on a wide range of topics relating to Budget 2013. The report summarizes the public input received and makes 29 recommendations for next year's provincial budget. They include support for a goal of balancing this budget for 2013, measures to enhance B.C.'s economic competitiveness and preparing to return to the PST system on April 1, 2013.

The committee also recommended ways to facilitate natural resource development and improve infrastructure to get British Columbia goods to market. Other recommendations target strengthening health care, education, community service, social services, as well as addressing the skills shortages and training. I'm very pleased to note that the recommendations were approved unanimously by the committee and would like

[ Page 12798 ]

to thank the Deputy Chair and member for Vancouver-Kensington for her and other committee members' work.

As was just mentioned by the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth, I have to say that while there are times and places for us to highlight the differences between ourselves and the opposition, I think that within the committees, working together on a constructive basis — actually making the committee work and doing the work of the province of British Columbia that the people expect us to do — works well. I want to thank very much the Deputy Chair for the great work we did.

M. Elmore: Speaking to the report, I'd also like to appreciate the effort of the Chair and all the members of the Finance Committee. I think that we had exhaustive hearings. We had a very busy schedule, travelled to many communities, heard from a wide range of stakeholders and heard many presentations, and adopted a unanimous report.

Certainly, one of the main themes was the need to improve skills training across the province. I'm very pleased that we were able to adopt all recommendations unanimously. I think it's also a tribute to the collaborative nature, working with the Chair, and all the hard work put in by the committee. I just recognize and thank the support from the Clerk and the staff.

Motion approved.

[1505]

D. Horne: I'll now proceed to move a motion relating to the report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, respecting the review of budgets of independent offices.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the report be taken as read and received.

Motion approved.

D. Horne: I ask the leave of the House to suspend the rules to permit the moving of a motion to adopt the report.

Leave granted.

D. Horne: I move the report be adopted, and in doing so, I'd like to make some brief comments.

This report summarizes the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services' review of the budget proposals and annual reports and service plans submitted by eight independent legislative officers. Careful consideration was given to the budget request coming up to fiscal year, and I am pleased to say the committee unanimously agreed to all of its recommendations for the office's budgets for 2013-2014.

In closing, I would like to thank each of the statutory offices for the important services they provide to British Columbians. I'd also like to thank the committee members for their hard work and contributions in this important process. It was a pleasure serving as the Chair of the committee, and as I said before, I think we worked very, very well.

I'd also like to mention one other member of the committee, and that is the member for Surrey-Whalley, who is also the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. We've talked before, I think, on the importance of working together. The collaboration and working in a non-partisan fashion really allows for the work of this House to be done and the committee's work to be done. I think it's another example of that great work.

Motion approved.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: Mr. Speaker, continued debate on the Speech from the Throne.

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

D. Donaldson: Thank you, hon. Speaker, for having this debate continue, and my comments from this morning continue into this afternoon on a response to the throne speech.

[L. Reid in the chair.]

This morning I touched on a couple of items in the budget speech that I thought were deserving of praise — the aspect of highlighting the bullying issue and the fact that mining was mentioned in the throne speech. Now I would like to talk about something that I found interesting yesterday when the Minister of Finance reacted to criticism of the B.C. prosperity fund in the throne speech, saying he was surprised by that and taken aback by that criticism that was out there in the public.

I'd like to give the Minister of Finance a little bit of background around why people in Stikine might be a bit skeptical about this government's proposal around the B.C. prosperity fund. There has always been a "next big thing" presented to the people of Stikine by various governments, and it leads to skepticism until something can be proven in their minds.

It started back in the 1860s with the Collins overland telegraph. That was supposed to be the next big thing, and it never happened, after a transatlantic cable got laid on the Atlantic. Then there was the Omineca gold rush. It was going to be the next big thing, and it didn't turn out to be nearly as big as the Klondike or the Barkerville gold rush or the 1849 gold rush in California. Then the next

[ Page 12799 ]

big thing was going to be the completion of the Grand Trunk Pacific, which happened in 1914, but the Chicago of the north never did get built.

So there has been a good history of people looking upon announcements by various external sources to Stikine that the next big thing is on its way. Same thing with the B.C. prosperity fund. People view this with skepticism. It might have some merits. There might be some good aspects to it, but it's something that's touted by the government as the next big thing, something that will have benefits 30 years out.

People in Stikine obviously believe that there could be a role, an important role, for natural gas and LNG production across the north, but putting all the eggs in one basket, in the economy, as this government did in the throne speech, is again concerning for people in Stikine.

[1510]

They've seen that happen in other aspects of the economy, and when it either doesn't happen or doesn't pan out, the people are left with the horrific socioeconomic conditions that I described earlier this morning.

Of great concern in the throne speech was the aspect of putting all the revenue-generation eggs in one basket in the province. Instead of that, what people in Stikine would have liked to see is a little bit more balance. Talk about forestry, for instance. Talk about agriculture, for instance. Talk around tourism, around film and TV. They either weren't mentioned or were barely mentioned in the throne speech.

I think about what we've seen in forestry with raw log exports being at all-time highs and not an emphasis on the part of this government to encourage value-added facilities, even with the market picking up. We heard earlier from our forestry critic around the market picking up in sawlogs and the market picking up in pulp, yet there was nothing in the throne speech about how to take advantage of that.

We heard from the Auditor General about the horrible conditions of the inventory on the forest land base under this government — yet nothing in the throne speech about that. This is an important part of the northern economy, about the economy of Stikine — yet barely a mention in the throne speech.

Agriculture. We on this side of the House have plans to increase local markets for local produce and local agricultural products, yet again in this throne speech agriculture had barely a mention. In Stikine this is an untapped potential for the economy, and spreading out different areas of revenue generation in Stikine is an important part because then you're not solely dependent on one industry.

This happened in an earlier part when the forestry went down and the prices weren't good and we had too much emphasis just on forestry. People are still suffering from that in Stikine. If the approach is to put all your eggs in one basket with the B.C. prosperity fund or LNG, then that's overdependence on one sector.

Tourism. Again, with tourism in Stikine, there are some very, very strong parts of the economy, especially in the sport-fishing industry, steelhead fishing, but other aspects, too — yet again, no mention of tourism in the throne speech. Of course, the tourism in Stikine is dependent on proper management of the land base, and that wasn't addressed either.

Finally, I'll just touch on film and TV. I was at the Mineral Exploration Roundup annual conference that was held in Vancouver in January, and 7,000 different people attended that. One person came up to me who has a camp business, supplying outfitting camps. He now makes a large part of his income in the film industry. Smithers is a destination for certain types of filming — no mention of that important aspect in the throne speech.

Again, the balance was disappointing. The overdependence and…. No wonder it's viewed with some skepticism. There's a major credibility gap in the public on this government's record. The throne speech mentioned balanced budgets, year after year. Well, seven of the last 12 years this government has been in deficit — a deficit budget. Again, a credibility gap.

The HST, a credibility gap. The promises around not selling B.C. Rail, a credibility gap. You can at least cut people a little bit of slack, I say to the Finance Minister, regarding their skepticism about this government's plans for a B.C. prosperity fund.

I'll try to wrap up here with talking about rural communities. Greg Halseth, a professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, likens what has happened in rural communities, especially in the north, as the rural communities being like a bank. If you continually withdraw from the bank and don't reinvest, then the banks go bankrupt. In other words, communities have a hard time sustaining themselves. Without healthy, rural communities in the north, in Stikine, it's very difficult to have the full advantage of the resources that are out there and for people to take full advantage of those resources.

[1515]

Services have been stripped in northern communities by this government. There's a long list, but let's just take a look at DriveABLE — seniors having to drive four to five hours or transport themselves even longer distances in order to get a DriveABLE test. I mean, that's an example. Home care, health, education are all services that are declining in rural areas under this government.

We have to have a plan if we want to see the proper exploitation of natural resources in the north. We have to have a plan about how communities are going to be able to adjust to that kind of development. We have examples from other areas in the northeast where this government has not been supportive of those kinds of plans and has not helped communities in that.

Also, on the First Nations front. This throne speech talked a lot about First Nations, yet the First Nations,

[ Page 12800 ]

many of them in the area I represent — the Gitanyow, the Gitksan, the Wet'suwet'en — are looking forward yet to government-to-government meaningful consultations on northern gas pipelines across their territories. That hasn't happened yet. Again, it's another reason for having justified skepticism about the government's plans on LNG.

I'll finish off and talk about the rural, northern way of life. I mentioned at the start the importance of stewardship of the land, the importance of moose. Some members of the Legislature might have wondered why I spent so long talking about moose at the start of my response to the throne speech. Well, that's just a reality of where I live and where people need that resource, good moose populations, in order to feed themselves. It's a way of life — moose and wild salmon.

We can sustain and keep that way of life valid, and we can keep it robust. We can have development, as well, but not under the plans that we've seen in the throne speech and not under the plans of this government. We need to address these in a better way. That way, people of Stikine will be able to continue with a valid rural way of life and still be able to contribute to the provincial revenue stream and the provincial economy through the development of resources in their own backyards. Thank you very much for this opportunity, hon. Speaker.

Hon. M. Stilwell: It's a real pleasure to rise and speak in favour of this year's throne speech. Four years ago I arrived in this House as one of the new kids on the block — a newbie. To say it was a bit of a culture shock would be an understatement. I left the medical system where I started my career as a physician, a system where I knew my way around and how to get things done.

Coming to Victoria and this Legislature was completely foreign. The culture, the people and the way it all works definitely took some time to get used to. I have to tell you that sitting in the House for the very first time was a real eye-opener. To be perfectly honest, I realized very quickly that I had a lot to learn, particularly if I was going to give my constituents the representation they deserved.

But, Madam Speaker, this House has been a terrific teacher, and so have been my colleagues on both side of the House. For all that, I'm particularly grateful. When I look across the House to both sides of the aisle, I see women and men who arrived here after the last election with the same objective — to build a better British Columbia for our constituents and their families.

As everyone in this House knows, it's not always easy. Sometimes we're blind to the obvious. Sometimes we forget the common sense we were born with. Sometimes the pressure to do what's easy rather than what's right is a challenge, and sometimes the small-p politics get in the way. But after four years, when every day brought new challenges and opportunities, I can say I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

The chance to be here in the people's House and do their business is an honour and a privilege. If my constituents believe I've done a good job, I'm looking forward to being back after May 14. I'm looking forward to returning to this House after the election, because I know there's still work to do. Our work is not done. Equally important, British Columbians are counting on us to continue to build this province. They are counting on us to keep the economy strong, and they're relying on us to ensure that their kids have the kind of education and training to compete with the world.

They're counting on us to keep their taxes low and keep more money in their pockets. Families right across B.C. know a strong economy is key to making sure we have the money to invest in education, health care and social services. Even more important, British Columbians know that a strong economy does not happen by accident. It happens because we make decisions today for tomorrow. That's the approach our government has taken in the throne speech.

[1520]

Government, any government, has an obligation to prepare its people and province for the future. Failing to do that means leaving opportunities on the table untouched.

If we learned anything from the international recession that captured headlines and decimated economies around the world in 2008, it is that change is inevitable and that economies at home and abroad are more connected than ever before. Equally important, it showed that no economy anywhere in the world is immune from the international ties that bind countries and provinces together. That's particularly true for British Columbia, which is a small open-trading economy.

Our job as government is to make sure that British Columbia and British Columbians are prepared for a future that is going to look and feel quite different from today.

A government that can't see beyond a single fiscal year, a government that can't lift its head to see the changes taking place in Europe, Asia and the United States, or a government that refuses to take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities that can shape B.C. for the better — those kinds of people don't deserve to govern.

This throne speech is about facing the future and building a better British Columbia. While there are many important things in the throne speech, I want to focus on the fact that we are at a crossroads when it comes to the economic future of our province and our citizens.

Everyone in this House and British Columbians across the province know we are a province rich in natural resources. Those resources are ours. They belong to each and every British Columbian, and together we will decide the future of those resources and how they will be used for British Columbians.

The decision we make today is whether we reach out and grab the opportunity that is liquid natural gas or

[ Page 12801 ]

stand aside and watch other parts of the world seize this opportunity. It's an opportunity that has captured the attention and imagination of investors who look at British Columbia's LNG potential and are prepared to stand with us and join in developing the economic energy and fuel that come with this unique opportunity.

Since last year over $6 billion in investments have been made for the development of LNG export, and this government is committed to having three LNG facilities up and running by 2020.

The easiest thing in the world is to stand on the sidelines, but B.C. is really at a crossroads, one that demands the attention and support of every one of us. Each of us was sent to this House to build a better British Columbia. We were sent here to demonstrate leadership. We were sent here to demonstrate a vision for this province, and that vision underlines this throne speech.

Here in B.C. we are blessed with an abundance of natural gas, the cleanest of the non-renewable fuels on the planet, and over 30 years, the economic impact adds up to a staggering $1 trillion. That's not the only number to remember. Up to 39,000 full-time construction jobs over a nine-year construction period and, when they are in full production, some 75,000 new annual full-time jobs.

The potential is tremendous, and if you don't believe me, just ask the companies who are prepared to spend billions of dollars — their dollars — to bring this industry to the forefront of our economy. Their investment support speaks volumes about the potential, and that potential means making decisions today, not tomorrow.

It also means planning ahead, and that's what the basis is for the new prosperity fund. It's a stream of provincial revenue from the LNG royalties that can top $100 billion over the next 30 years — $100 billion in 30 years. If you think 30 years is a long time, remember that Expo 86 was just 27 years ago.

The fact is that 30 years goes by in the blink of an eye. The prosperity fund ensures that generations of British Columbians can enjoy the benefits of LNG production today the same way Albertans have benefited from their oil industry's heritage fund for nearly 40 years.

I've heard some say that the prosperity fund is nothing more than pie in the sky or it's counting your chickens before they are hatched, but whatever they say, I want to remind the skeptics that British Columbia was built on vision. Premier W.A.C. Bennett had the vision to build highways and hydro dams that would open up this province long before they were actually needed. He was right, and we are all the better for it.

Premier Bill Bennett saw the benefits of Expo 86, northeast coal and the Coquihalla Highway long before they were opened or built. He was right, and we're all the better for it.

Premier Glen Clark knew that bidding on hosting the Olympic Games would showcase B.C. to the world, and he recognized that long before we actually won the games or brought the torch to Vancouver. He was right, and we're all the better for it.

[1525]

Premier Gordon Campbell saw the future of British Columbia and our need for more and better infrastructure today so that we could take advantage of tomorrow's opportunities. The result was the Canada Line, the Sea to Sky Highway, the Port Mann Bridge, hospitals, schools and so much more. He was right, and we are all the better for it.

Today Premier Christy Clark has seen what LNG can mean to the future of this province, including new jobs, new investments, new revenues and a prosperity fund that will reduce our debt and give British Columbians choices for their future. She is right, and we will all be the better for it.

Madam Speaker, government means having vision. It means seeing beyond the end of your political nose. Without that vision of a new and better future, you get trapped in the mundane of day-to-day and you let others seize the opportunities that slip between your fingers. Opportunities that can belong to British Columbians. Opportunities that are here today and gone tomorrow, if we ignore them.

Frankly, to the naysayers, I have this advice: if you are afraid of the future, if you don't believe that British Columbians are up to the task, if you doubt our potential and capacity to succeed, then you have learned nothing from W.A.C. Bennett, Bill Bennett, Glen Clark, Gordon Campbell or Christy Clark.

Interjections.

Hon. M. Stilwell: The Premier — apologies.

This is no time to stand on the world's sidelines. The LNG is real. It's there. International companies are already investing in us. It's time to believe in ourselves, because frankly, if we don't, who will?

LNG will not happen by itself. We are in competition with the world. This throne speech has spelled out in no uncertain terms that this is one of those important moments where you either step up or shut up. As the saying goes, it is time to lead, follow or get out of the way.

Madam Speaker, I'm for leading, and so is this government.

Deputy Speaker: I thank the minister but would caution all members on the use of first names in the chamber.

D. Routley: It's my pleasure to rise in the chamber and respond to the throne speech of 2013. I believe it's the ninth throne speech that I've replied to in the almost complete two terms that I've had the honour of serving in this building — maybe ten, if you include a radio address.

We all have the pleasure and the honour of being able to stand as members and speak to the legislation and the

[ Page 12802 ]

actions of government in this House and represent those people who have sent us here.

We owe thanks to those people but, in particular, to our families, of course. As many members have pointed out, they make a great sacrifice on our behalf and, therefore, on the behalf of our constituents.

I would also like to thank my constituents in Nanaimo–North Cowichan for having the faith to send me to the House and to represent their important views to the province of British Columbia.

On this day, Valentine's Day, I have the pleasure of being able to stand in the House and wish my sweetheart, Leanne Finlayson, a very happy Valentine's.

Those are great benefits that we enjoy as MLAs — being able to stand in such a tremendously splendid place, in a province whose motto is " Splendor sine occasu " — which is "Beauty without limit." It is an awesome responsibility and an awesome honour to walk up to this building every day.

There isn't a day that goes by when I don't walk up to it and look at it and marvel at the importance of it. It's not because of the building or because of the elevation of those of great stature, but it's the importance and elevation it gives to the interests of the public of British Columbia and our great province.

I serve a constituency that has a fine legacy of representation: two recent MLAs and dear friends of mine, Jan Pullinger, the first Minister of Women's Equality ever in British Columbia; and Dale Lovick, a former indigenous affairs minister and also a former Speaker of the House. I stand in the same place they did, in a sense, and represent the same areas that they did. I'm very honoured to do that. I count their friendship among the most important relationships in my life.

[1530]

I also have had the pleasure of serving alongside members on both sides of the House who will be leaving after this election, leaving by choice — there may be some who would be leaving by other means — those who are retiring.

I would like to extend a thanks and respectful wave of the hand to many of them, including my colleague from Parksville-Qualicum, a member who is retiring after this election. I consider him a friend, a gentleman and someone who has served Vancouver Island and his communities with dedication and honour. He's a fine gentleman, and I appreciate his friendship.

All the members on our side who have decided not to run. It's almost like the end of a school year in grade school, when you're not sure exactly what the mix will be next year. Some of your best friends may in fact be leaving for another school or another life altogether.

Some of the members…. The member for Delta North and the member from Maple Ridge behind me are both leaving — dear friends. I'm going to miss them dearly, although I hope to see them regularly. But in this place, as colleagues, we will miss them. B.C. is a better place for all of their service.

On to the throne speech. The throne speech is meant to be a declaration to the people of the intention of a government, its legislative agenda for the years to come — not necessarily 20 or 30 years out but the immediate years. It's what people can expect that the government will do in order to solve some of the problems and the challenges that the people are facing in the province today. It is the chance for a government to show that it has listened to the people and has heard their priorities and is responding.

[D. Black in the chair.]

That is the unfortunate part of this throne speech this year. It's clear, through the lack of specific measures to deal with the issues that confront our communities, that this throne speech is lacking in the content and vision that people would expect from their government, particularly after such a long absence from this House. It's been 8½ months since the House has sat.

So many things have faced British Columbians in terms of challenges in the economy, challenges in our society and challenging questions around our environment, yet the throne speech really did not respond in any meaningful way to those challenges.

When I think of my constituency, I first think of the accomplishments of the people in my constituency; the students and teachers in our schools; and the volunteers in community organizations — the South Wellington and Area Community Association, the South End Community Association in Nanaimo — people who are dedicated volunteers who every day, not just once or twice a year but on and on, deal with the problems that confront them in their communities.

They are working together in a spirit of cooperation for the betterment of our communities. That, I think, is what they expect us to do in this building. They expect the throne speech to address exactly that kind of spirit, and I think they are disappointed by what they've heard.

I think of the business leaders in my community. There's ABC Precast, a cement company in my constituency that now is competing on a global level, exporting and manufacturing products that are really leading in their technology, in their field.

I think, again, of the teachers that are dedicated to our children. They all face challenges. They all have an expectation that government will hear their need and hear their call for the government to address those challenges.

But the throne speech has in fact ignored those priorities, locally, regionally and provincially. Schools and boards that face school closure, face deficit, face a lack of resources and the challenges that come with that heard nothing in the throne speech to address their problems. Those people in my constituency who are concerned with

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the water quality and the rivers and the aquifers of our constituency heard nothing in the throne speech to reassure them that the government was hearing their concerns about the environment.

Our coastal communities are so ferry-dependent. Our marine highway is so challenged with fares that have increased to the point where people and communities are effectively cut off. Nothing in the throne speech addressed that growing concern.

[1535]

Many British Columbians, including those in my constituency, who are so concerned about B.C. Hydro, which was the crown jewel of Crown corporations, and its overwhelming challenges…. It has been burdened by the debt loaded by this government onto B.C. Hydro — the increasing rates, the debt and the roughshod way the smart meters were imposed on this province without consideration, without the oversight of BCUC, even after this government had promised that BCUC would review that program.

My constituents are concerned about these issues, but the throne speech has failed to address any of those issues.

The number one role of government in the economy is preparing citizens. The education and training commitments of this government were a failure before the throne speech, and the throne speech failed to address that.

The Drummond report in Ontario, which recommended to the Ontario government what programs must be cut in order to salvage the Ontario economy during the recent economic crisis, singled out skills training as the one area that the Ontario government should not make any cuts to — in fact should add investment to in order to prepare Ontario and increase its competitiveness and its productivity.

In fact, that is the only area that this government has cut, in nominal terms. That is a failure to invest in the people and the future of the province.

The throne speech, again, failed to respond to what people are calling for. That is for the government to hear that the vision of British Columbians includes them in the equation, includes them being uplifted in any way the government can provide in order to meet the challenges of the future economy and society that bring new challenges that we must prepare for.

The number one priority for the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, in fact, is skills training. All industries are calling out for increased investments in skills training and apprenticeships.

The forest industry — not a fantasy but an industry that we already lead the world in, that we already have. We already have the mills. We already have the product. We already have the markets. Yet that is the number one challenge of the forest industry, confronted in the near and medium future: to replace their aging workforce.

Skills training. This is an absolute crucial priority for government that was not reflected in any way in the throne speech. This is a tragedy.

In fact, what the throne speech said about skills training was that B.C.'s people must be the first in line for these jobs, referring to the hope for liquid natural gas and other plans of the government.

This is cruelly ironic after the HD Mining affair, where the government supported the position of HD Mining that they must import 200 foreign workers in order to staff their mining plans. Then, after the resumés of the workers who applied domestically were released, it was clear that HD Mining and this government had ignored qualified British Columbians who were prepared to work and put others in front of British Columbians.

So it's cruelly ironic that the throne speech should call that people in B.C. must be first in line for jobs.

In fact, what the B.C. Liberals have done in failing skills training and apprenticeships, with apprenticeship completions at a dismal 38 percent, is create a situation where small communities in rural B.C. can see the jobs on the hillside, but they can't take those jobs because they aren't trained for those jobs. That is something that I think British Columbians reject as a mass, as a whole, across all political lines.

The throne speech denies that obvious failure — less than a 40 percent completion rate — but then claims to have a two-times, 100 percent increase in registrants. Well, registrants in the system hardly equate to successful outcomes when the completion rate is a dismal 38 percent.

Small business. Well, small business was worthy of only cursory remarks, recommitting to plans made in previous throne speeches but never really fulfilled. Ninety-seven percent of B.C.'s enterprises are small and medium businesses. They need real measures to encourage startup financing, capacity and resource development, support for market development and connection development, not merely words. A few words, a vague commitment — that is what the throne speech delivered.

[1540]

One hope: liquid natural gas. Yes, we support the development of a liquid natural gas industry in this province.

Interjection.

D. Routley: Yes, we do. And yet, we support all range of other industries as well — like forestry, tourism, high-tech, biotech, like all the industries that were left out of the throne speech.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members. Members.

D. Routley: So what are those things that should have been in any 21st-century throne speech? They are climate change, education, tourism, high-tech, innovation, science

[ Page 12804 ]

and biotech, health care, housing. All these things were left out of the B.C. Liberal throne speech in 2013. So little was offered to this province — no goals, no ideas.

It was an exercise in campaigning. A government that has failed to govern for four years as it was preoccupied with its previous deceit around the HST and dealing with the outfall from that. A government that has failed to govern for four years, failed to offer any vision in this throne speech. Not a legislative agenda but a campaign agenda.

None of the issues of inequality were addressed in this throne speech. The key question for our society and our economy in British Columbia today is inequality — the highest levels of absolute inequality in Canada. It equals 800,000 people in British Columbia who struggle with poverty — not simply the street homeless in Vancouver but families, working families, who cannot make ends meet. They are the people who wanted to hear from this government a vision that included them now, not a dream 20 or 30 years away. They wanted solutions now.

It is clearly ironic that a government that places its one hope in an industry that will, at best, deliver results in six or seven years has run out of gas.

Not a word on open government. My critic role is critic of Open Government, freedom of information, privacy protection. Not a word on open government and democratic reform from this government. At a time when this government is in a crisis of confidence and in conflict over their treatment of an Auditor General that is widely considered to have been a great servant of the province, there was nothing to address the continuing pattern of failure to be accountable.

There was nothing to address the continuing pattern of privacy breaches. We have recently heard of a privacy breach that included five million British Columbians, reported by the government. It's more than the number of citizens in the province who are alive at this time. Essentially, everyone in British Columbia had their privacy breached by this government recently, and yet there's not a single word in the throne speech about open government, democratic process and the protection of privacy.

The consistent and continuing failures of the government to be accountable through freedom of information and that process — nothing was offered. Again, no ideas.

It's a resignation speech. It's, in a sense, resigning themselves to the fact that they can't solve these problems. They have resigned themselves to the fact that forestry is beyond their help, that high-tech is not something that they can possibly grapple with. They've resigned themselves, in this resignation speech, to only a hope that can only be judged one, two, three election cycles away. That is hardly giving hope to the people of my constituency who are grappling every day with the problems that I laid out, including today, on Valentine's Day.

The demographics of my constituency are interesting. You know, we look at Vancouver Island and often think: "Well, it's an island of retirees." But in fact, it's much more than that. The constituency I represent has some interesting dichotomies.

[1545]

Ladysmith, a community in my constituency, has double the provincial average of seniors. That kind of conforms to the stereotypical view of Vancouver Island these days. But those seniors are a dynamic lot. They have an incredible human resource. If one were to do mapping of the human potential in the Ladysmith area from those folks — energetic seniors who have retired — it is an absolute spectacle to behold.

They are waiting. They are waiting for answers around seniors care. They are waiting for answers around their grandchildren's education. They are waiting for answers that can make them feel confident that they're leaving an environmental legacy that they can feel proud of.

South Wellington, a small community in my constituency that has a very distinctive role in the history of Vancouver Island — a coal-mining community that was a thriving little town in the past and still is, in a sense — now is more or less a suburb of Nanaimo. But families who live in South Wellington have been there for generation upon generation.

The interesting dichotomy about South Wellington is that it has double the regional average of children per household. It's right beside Ladysmith, which has double the average of seniors, and it has double the average of the region's children per household. So it has other challenges. It has challenges around acquiring a playground. It has challenges around transportation to schools. It has particular challenges around the planned closure of its small school. Now that's a very challenging thing for any community to face.

It's a school district, the Nanaimo school district, that is facing a shortfall in funds that is forcing them to consider closing South Wellington Elementary School, which will be a very deep blow to the community presence and character of South Wellington — a historical community. This is, in their lives, the number one issue they would have liked to have heard be dealt with in the throne speech. But unfortunately, they didn't hear one word.

South Nanaimo. The south end of Nanaimo has some of the most income-challenged postal codes in the province. In fact, I believe one of them is the second most income-challenged postal code, after the Downtown Eastside, of any urban postal code. That tells you the kind of challenges that they deal with on a daily basis. In that challenge, in that mix, exists a wonderful organization

[ Page 12805 ]

called the South End Community Association.

They do fantastic things. They are rescuing a neighbourhood. They are doing things — simple things like art garbage cans, right? They keep the community clean, and all the garbage cans in the south end community are beautiful, because they're painted. It's a community project.

They hold celebrations to celebrate themselves and their history. They celebrate the history of the coal-mining industry. They celebrate the history of their small neighbourhood, and they celebrate today — their noble response to the challenges of today. They didn't hear a word about themselves and their challenges in the throne speech from their government. That's a tragedy.

The history of my constituency is one tied up in, first of all, First Nations. We have double the provincial average of population of First Nations in the constituency. Fantastic communities that are picking themselves up, partnering with we newcomers and finding new possibilities and new opportunities. They didn't hear anything in the throne speech that could answer their problems of today.

We have the history of the Douglas treaty that our First Nations struggle with, that our communities struggle with. We have the current-day challenges of treaty-making, very little of which those folks heard in the throne speech.

We have the history of coal mining. It's a wonderful legacy, but it's also a challenging legacy, because some of our beaches are almost irrevocably poisoned by the coal deposits that were left by the industry. We didn't hear a thing from the government about the rehabilitation of orphaned industrial sites and legacy pollution issues for the environment.

[1550]

We have fantastic historical societies. The Morden mine historic park is a provincial park but lacks the funding to save one of the only two remaining reinforced concrete coal tipples in North America. The only other one is in West Virginia, and it receives considerable funding from the U.S. government as a tourist attraction. It's recognized by the region and its communities as a vital historical asset, as is the Morden mine tipple, but unfortunately, it failed to be recognized as such by this government in the throne speech. We didn't hear a thing.

Nanaimo, the south end of Nanaimo. Part of the coal-mining history is the Colliery dams, which create this wonderful little park — two little lakes where people fish and swim, walk their dogs in the park along its many trails. Since the dam safety authority has come to town, we've been told that they have to be dismantled or reinforced. Dismantling will cost $7 million. The people who would be inundated by any flood from these dams — since we're having to plan for a one-in-10,000-year event now — are crying out to the government to hear their plea to save their park.

Saving the park would probably cost less than dismantling the dams, yet the government didn't mention anything about historical preservation. It didn't mention anything about the parks. It didn't mention anything about my community and its concerns around the Colliery Dam Park.

B.C. and its people, its resources demand care and stewardship that is considerate, that is conscious, that is responsive, and none of that was offered by the throne speech.

The throne speech was essentially a resignation to today's problems. It was essentially saying, "Forget about what's happening now. Look at what might happen in the future. Aren't we wonderful? We're giving up on the forest industry. We're giving up on the people and training. We're giving up on today, but we're making some pretty big trillion-dollar promises on tomorrow" — a 20- and 30-year tomorrow.

That is a failure of vision that is unfortunate in the extreme.

Our environment. The throne speech speaks of natural gas without addressing the environmental issues of water protection around the fracking process. How can British Columbians have a conversation about liquid natural gas and the development of that industry without also having a conversation about the environment?

This side of the House is proposing a made-in-B.C. environmental assessment process that will protect the interests of British Columbians and their environment. That side of the House wants to talk about future promises — $100 billion revenue to government, a $1 trillion industry — without talking about the environment.

We can't discuss forestry or mining or development of any kind without discussing the environment. It was mentioned twice. I think it was deserving of one sentence in the throne speech — one sentence. So it is a failure.

Another failure. More people rallied to save the film and television industry in Vancouver recently than actually work in it directly, yet the throne speech didn't mention it. It seems impossible.

One hope, one plan — only LNG, and even that was done poorly. No talk about the power that will be required. No talk about the environmental impact — not even mentioned in the throne speech.

When our communities on Vancouver Island see more than 40 percent of their timber harvested being exported in raw log form…. There was not a mention of the timber export review committee or the exceptions that have been allowed to occur and increase the export of raw logs, overruling that committee. None of that was mentioned — not forestry, not education, not tourism.

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B.C. deserves a bigger, broader, more comprehensive vision, and we on this side of the House will make positive proposals around a vision for the future immediate — banning partisan ads, bringing in a seniors advocate. We

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will agree when the steps of this government are positive.

People in British Columbia and in my constituency are worried that their children will inherit less than they did in terms of opportunities. I think that's a tragedy. The throne speech has ignored their concerns.

The throne speech did not speak to the priorities of British Columbians. British Columbia deserves better.

Hon. M. Polak: Earlier today we witnessed a very historic occasion in this chamber. The legislation to ratify the Tla'amin final agreement was tabled in this House, and we saw the rare event where Chief Clint Williams from the Tla'amin people came to the Bar and spoke to this chamber.

I was particularly gratified to see the conclusion of that work that has gone on these many years because of previous involvement that I had had in working with the Tla'amin people as a former minister. I certainly congratulate the current minister and previous ministers responsible. It's been a long time.

But it struck me that on a day when we are debating the throne speech, we really are talking about a vision. Isn't it coincidental, on that very day when we are debating a vision, that we have an emissary from another place in our province talking to us about the tremendous vision it took for the Tla'amin people to get to this final agreement?

It's a vision that began long before the treaty process, a vision that began at a time in the distant past when First Nations welcomed, for the most part, visitors to their shores, believing that at some point in the future we could all work together, live together, have prosperity together, share the wealth. That was the attitude of First Nations people when Europeans first arrived.

I wonder just how many ancestors dreamed, year over year, generation after generation, of a time when those hopes would be fulfilled. I wonder how many of them faced the regular opposition and skepticism from people in their community who said: "It will never happen. It can't be done."

I was there. I was present at some very, very difficult discussions within that community. They knew that in constructing this vision, they were doing something that would have a dramatic impact on their children, on their grandchildren, on generations to come. They knew that there was a choice in front of them.

Many people among the Tla'amin advocated for the status quo and were understandably nervous about the many changes that would come, the responsibilities that would now rest with a First Nation that had self-government. It's understandable that they would be frightened of that change, that they would be nervous about what it meant.

There were others who stood up courageously, who spoke, as Chief Williams did, about the opportunities that self-government could represent, the opportunities that a treaty and establishment of a nation outside of the Indian Act could mean. They motivated the youth. The youth captured the vision. We heard many of them speak at the event today.

All of those people had to believe, over generations and generations, in the treaty process. They had to believe for well over a decade, and I'm sure there were many times when they felt like losing heart. I know there were. I was present at some of those discussions.

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But at the end of the day, they captured that vision. The fact is that they reached out. They grasped it, in spite of fears. They took heart. They took courage. They saw what they could do. They captured it, and they were here today. I look forward to the chance we will have to support the treaty going forward.

That kind of fear of change or uncertainty as to whether we can accomplish what we set out to accomplish is something we talk about a lot in this chamber. I was reflecting on some of the other big visionary goals that we have set for ourselves as a province and where we've ended up with them.

The Tla'amin treaty is a really good example of what happens when the goals of the new relationship start to bear fruit. When the new relationship was first talked about, it certainly met with tremendous skepticism — understandably from First Nations communities, maybe less so from those in this chamber who often mocked the idea that we could achieve anything with the new relationship.

"What's a new relationship, anyway? It's just words. It's just empty promises. Nothing's going to happen." It's a story we've heard repeated. Some of us might feel that we're hearing it repeated a little bit here today. Maybe it will be repeated in the coming days.

Madam Speaker, those who believed in that vision of a new relationship, First Nations and non-First Nations alike, persevered — persevered in spite of skepticism, persevered in spite of sometimes looking at a task that seemed far too daunting. When the Tsawwassen final agreement was ratified and was brought to this House — and ultimately, when they came to their implementation date and were able to tear up the Indian Act in their territory — we saw what happened when a new relationship was engaged.

We've seen it across the province in other areas too. We've seen non-treaty agreements that were the direct result of work done under the new relationship. We've seen non-treaty agreements flourish across this province — well over 100 in forestry, multiple more in other resource sectors — where First Nations are finally having a chance to grasp the economic benefit that comes from the land in their territory.

We're the first province in Canada to have mining revenue-sharing opportunities for First Nations. When I was minister, I had ministers from other provinces asking: "How on earth do you do this? Talk to us about it."

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All of these things were only imagined at the time the new relationship was announced.

Those who were critics said: "It's just words. It will never happen. Why are you talking about it? It's just an announcement, and it's empty."

Well, Madam Speaker, we can see from the results around this province for First Nations that those words were not empty. Sure, they were difficult. Sure, it was a goal and a vision that was challenging to reach. Sure, there were times when even those who supported that vision felt disheartened and discouraged. And we're not 100 percent of the way there yet.

If we hadn't started on a new path with First Nations many years ago, we wouldn't be in the place we are today. We wouldn't have Chief Williams standing at the Bar and telling us about this new nation, the Tla'amin Nation. That took vision beyond the immediate. It took vision that went out even beyond the time we're in now and imagined what we could achieve, maybe even in the next ten to 15 years — how many more treaties, how many more First Nations active in their economy.

There was another big vision that I can recall that met with, from time to time, derision in this House, maybe some little mocking comments — certainly, opposition for integral parts of it. That was the announcement of our focus on the Asia-Pacific gateway. There were numerous opportunities for the opposition to support that vision, numerous opportunities when the opposition instead took positions opposed to free trade, took positions opposed to the Port Mann Bridge, took opposition to the South Fraser perimeter road. On and on it goes.

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At the time, when the government of the day announced that it was our intention to move away from reliance on trade with the U.S., to move to a place where we diversified our economy, diversified the partners with whom we're trading, it was scoffed at. "It's words. It's an announcement." Every once in a while they'd get tired of hearing Pacific gateway. Eyes would roll. But look wha