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CONTENTS

Afternoon sitting

Routine proceedings

Speech from the throne (Hon. W.S. Owen) 1

Perpetuities Act (Bill 1). Hon. Mr. Macdonald.

Introduction and first reading

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1975

The House met at 3 p.m.

This being the first day of the fifth session of the 30th Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia for the dispatch of business, pursuant to a proclamation of the Hon. John L. Farris, Administrator, dated January 9, 1975, Hon. Members took their seats.

His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, having entered the House and being seated upon the throne, was pleased to deliver the following gracious speech.

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE

HON. W.S. OWEN (Lieutenant-Governor): Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly:

I extend warm greetings and a sincere welcome to each of you to the fifth session of the 30th parliament of this province.

My government is pleased to report that much has been accomplished since August, 1972, in developing and implementing new policies to improve the economic and social conditions of the citizens of British Columbia. However, there is a renewed sense of commitment to seek out new solutions to emerging problems and to strive for even greater achievements in the future.

During 1974 British Columbia was honoured by official visits of heads of state and distinguished persons, including Their Excellencies Governor-General Jules Leger and Madame Leger; His Excellency Chang Wen-chin, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Canada, and his wife, Madame Chang Ying; Their Majesties King Hussein and Queen Alia of Jordan; His Excellency Sir John Johnston, KCMG, KCVO, British High Commissioner to Canada, and Lady Johnston; His Excellency Kakuei Tanaka, Prime Minister of Japan; Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden; and later in the year the Premiers of the Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba during their participation in the annual Western Premiers' Conference.

On Tuesday, April 9, Governor-General Leger, during the course of his visit, officially opened the lower causeway promenade in Victoria Inner Harbour. The causeway development, funded through the Capital Improvement District Commission, is one of the many beautification projects in the capital precinct area initiated by the commission since its inception in 1956.

My government wishes to acknowledge with sincere appreciation the gift of land in the Clayoquot district for provincial park purposes made by F. Armour Ford and Helen Jessop Ford, the gift of land in the Yale district for provincial park purposes by the company, Pope and Talbot Ltd., and the gift of land at Dawson Creek to the Department of Education by F.W. Gardner.

Absent from this Legislative Assembly today is E.K. DeBeck, who served this assembly faithfully and well during his period as Clerk and later as Clerk Consultant. He was beloved by all and will be greatly missed.

My government was deeply saddened at the news of the passing of Senator Arthur Laing. Senator Laing served this province and the country with integrity during his long, distinguished public career.

Notwithstanding the slowdown in economic activity in Canada, the British Columbia economy has performed well, particularly in relationship to other provinces.

Due to extensive reliance on our export markets, my government is keenly aware of the problems that downturns in specific resource sectors can produce, and it has already taken action in a number of cases. To create additional employment my government is planning the introduction of an employment programme in the forest industry.

My government is deeply concerned about a number of federal-provincial matters. No national comprehensive energy policy is being developed, as reflected both in the federal-provincial resource taxation dispute and the recent submissive position taken by the federal government in regard to multinational corporations on the Syncrude project.

My government continues to make strong representations to the Government of Canada to seek alternatives with the United States government to the proposed Alaska oil-tanker route through the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca.

Legislation will be introduced to provide for a British Columbia financial institution responsive to the needs of the people of British Columbia.

As opposed to the present eastern-based financial institutions, the new British Columbia financial structure will provide services throughout the province, particularly in northern and rural areas, and specifically in matters such as mortgages for families.

The year 1975 has been proclaimed by the United Nations as International Women's Year, during which time there will be new and intensified departmental activities to promote equality among men and women. My government is pleased to join in support of these efforts. Policies will be implemented to continue to improve employment opportunities for women in the British Columbia public service and to increase the number of women in management positions. In addition, legislation will be introduced to eliminate existing discriminatory legislative provisions applicable to women.

In order to reform our electoral system and provide greater opportunity for people to exercise their rights in a democracy, a new Provincial Elections Act will be brought forward which will emphasize, in particular, the areas of election

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financing and disclosure.

My government has initiated policies over the past year to stimulate further the agricultural industry of British Columbia.

The Land Commission has furthered, and now virtually completed, the establishment of agricultural land reserves throughout the province. Continued refinement of these areas and a policy of purchasing farmland, when appropriate, will be followed in 1975, with acquired lands available to farmers on a leasehold basis.

A new dimension to British Columbia farm production was introduced in 1974 with the Income Assurance Programme. Commercial operators in the dairy, tree fruits, field tomato, and swine sectors may now confidently plan production and marketing schedules without risking their income levels. Plans for extending coverage to other production areas are under way.

In 1974 my government initiated innovative financial programmes to stabilize market returns for farm products and to make additional credit available to primary producers.

You will be asked to make amendments to the Farm Products Industry Improvement Act.

Financial programmes will be further expanded to assist in the development of agricultural lands and to help with the credit needs of the agricultural industry and processing facilities.

My government has assisted a number of our citizens by implementing the Allotment Garden Programme and Farm Vacation Programme. These programmes afford participants the opportunity of getting on the land to grow their own vegetables or of visiting a working farm operation. These programmes will be further expanded in 1975.

My government is prepared to share our good fortune in the face of present world food shortages. The suffering of peoples in such places as Bangladesh demands both a provincial and national commitment of aid to world areas left in chaos by natural disasters.

British Columbians will be allowed this year to express their concern with new proposed legislation.

In 1974 my government appointed a Minister responsible for northern affairs. The Minister has since travelled throughout the north, meeting with local government bodies, special interest groups and individuals, and has received excellent cooperation from all departments of government. A series of public workshops have been initiated in northern communities to provide a forum for local residents to outline plans for their communities.

Northern residents have long felt that government decisions affecting them are made away from the north and their needs and aspirations have been overlooked in the decision-making process. My government, since receiving its mandate, has adopted a planning approach to resource development in the north and during the past year has moved to achieve a more significant record of public involvement in the activities of the north.

In the coming year there will be increased efforts to broaden education, health and social services in the northern areas of the province.

The various sections of the new Labour Code which were proclaimed during 1974 were successfully tested in a major bargaining year that included a marked increase in the labour force. The number of man-days lost through labour-management disputes declined a dramatic 28 per cent, from a high of 2.1 million in 1972 to 1.5 million in 1974.

To improve and rationalize labour standards legislation, there will be amendments to the Hours of Work Act, Annual and General Holidays Act and the Payment of Wages Act.

Amendments to the Workers' Compensation Act contained in the 1974 legislation that provided for wide-ranging reforms have nearly all been brought into effect and the provisions relating to hearing loss will be completed this year.

A cooperative venture by the Department of Labour, other provincial departments, the federal Department of Manpower and Immigration, and Babine Forest Products Ltd. will lead to construction of a sawmill at Burns Lake to be operated by and for the native peoples of the Burns Lake area.

An agreement signed by the Ministers of Education and Labour established a joint government committee to implement co-ordinated manpower training programmes in the province.

Programme plans for public education, developed during the year by the Human Rights Commission, will initially involve a campaign to inform the general public about human rights and to encourage respect for persons, whatever their race, religion or sex.

My government in 1974 emphasized community involvement and responsibility in the planning and development of social services. At the same time, we have assumed greater financial responsibility by reducing the municipal share of social assistance programmes from 15 per cent to 10 per cent.

In recognition of the needs of our citizens, we implemented the first Pharmacare programme in Canada, continued improvements to Mincome — our guaranteed income programme for people over 60 years — and provided additional assistance in the areas of day care, special services for children, foster homes, nursing homes and private hospitals.

A priority area this year will be increased emphasis on the development of community-based services for the mentally retarded.

Amendments will be brought forward this session to the Social Assistance Act.

Seven hundred and thirty-seven new acute- and extended-care units were provided in 1974, which, together with renovations, cost approximately $23

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million. My government's increasing concern with the need for intermediate-care facilities has been demonstrated through the provision of 500 new beds for this purpose in Burnaby, Kamloops and Vancouver.

As of July 1, 1974, residents of the province became entitled to emergency ground ambulance transportation under the new emergency health services legislation.

Provision has now been made for community Human Resources and Health centres in the Queen Charlotte Islands, Grand Forks–Boundary, Houston-Granisle and James Bay, Victoria. These locally planned and operated centres will enable doctors, nurses, social workers and other professional staff to work with the community to provide comprehensive and integrated services. Expansion of these centres and home-care programmes are planned for this coming year.

To improve health services in the province, amendments will be brought forward to the Medical Services Act, the Hospital Act, and the Dentistry Act. In addition, legislation will be brought forward on the Community Care Facilities Licensing Act.

My government last year authorized capital and construction costs totalling $91 million for community colleges, and nearly $3 million for vocational and technical training.

The importance of the quality of education has been recognized with the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio throughout the public school system by 1.74 over the past year.

My government intends to continue its long-term policy of alleviating the burden of rising educational taxes.

During 1974, major new ecological reserves were established in the province and an accelerated search has begun for Crown land suitable as home-building lots in rural, semirural and suburban areas.

Despite the substantial decline in lumber market prices, the total harvest of forest products in 1974 exceeded 2.5 billion cubic feet.

Although reduced lumber markets put independent sawmills in jeopardy, this situation was greatly eased by the lowering of stumpage rates to their statutory minimum and by the passage in the Legislature of the Timber Products Stabilization Act, which is providing the sawmills with higher prices for pulp chips.

My government is pleased with the reforestation programme under which nursery production has exceeded the initial goal of 75 million seedlings established for 1975.

Adjacent tree farm licences have been awarded to the towns of Smithers and Burns Lake which will enable the local people to develop the licences with due regard for resource potentials and values. Similar community tenures will be pursued this year,

Following a number of studies on the forest industry, my government will ask that a legislative committee consider terms of reference for an inquiry into forest-tenure policy in the province.

My government is proud of the accomplishments of the British Columbia Petroleum Corporation in the natural gas area and of the dynamic success of Columbia Cellulose Co. in the forestry sector.

Highly successful programmes in industrial development have been completed this year by my government, including the hosting of a number of British Columbia's international customers and the mounting of trade missions to Europe, Malaysia, Australia, Latin America, Japan and Indonesia. Initial sales attributable to these trade missions are in excess of $5 million, The British Columbia Development Corporation, established in 1974, is providing financial assistance to smaller business concerns. In addition, the corporation is active in land assembly with two major industrial parks being planned through purchases in Delta and Prince Rupert.

A new Outdoor Recreation Act and a Wild Rivers and Wilderness Act will be brought forward for your consideration.

The Community Recreational Facilities Fund, established in 1973, has allowed over 500 grants to be made to municipal, cultural, ethnic and religious non-profit groups throughout the province for a total of over $32 million.

Through the Green Belt Protection Fund Act, 692 acres, representing four key wildlife management areas, were purchased by my government this year.

The travel industry produced another record year with an estimated revenue of $759 million as against $600 million for 1973.

The Trades Practices Act passed in 1974 is becoming the model in Canadian legislation designed to fight deceptive and unfair practices against consumers of this province. Amendments to this Act are planned in 1975.

My government established a Department of Consumer Services in 1974 and by the end of the year consumer service centres providing staff for the handling of consumer complaints, mediation and case investigation were operating in Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops and Prince George.

You will be asked to consider specific legislation on prepaid consumer contracts as well as a Personal Information Reporting Amendment Act.

The B.C. Police Commission, established by legislation since July 1, 1974, has in cooperation with the Justice Development Commission introduced a new training programme, a new discipline code, 12 police boards and the first police committees throughout the province. Policies regarding police problems in working with other departments and concerned citizens have been

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developed through a series of public meetings.

Court services are being expanded, integrated and decentralized in conjunction with careful research and evaluation of facility adequacy and administrative effectiveness.

The Provincial Court Act will be revised to bring in line existing procedures and structures of the courts.

Amendments are planned under the Sheriffs Act and the Summary Convictions Act. Legislation will be introduced on a Legal Services Commission Act.

My government will place emphasis on developing more community resources and programmes for juveniles on probation through local area management teams consisting of probation officers and social workers.

Following the report by the Hon. Mr. Justice Berger on the family law and the courts, legislation will be brought forward in this area.

A complete revision will also be made of the Credit Unions Act and the Government Liquor Act. In order to increase protection for property owners, amendments will soon be introduced to the Expropriation Act.

A rentalsman programme and a Rent Review Commission has been established to deal with landlord and tenant conflicts and matters of rent control. Further amendments will be forthcoming to the Landlord and Tenant Act.

Through aggressive land acquisition and servicing programmes over 3,621 residential lots and 1,127 mobile home pads have been or are being developed. Legislation is to be introduced to provide for the registration of mobile homes.

Substantial projects such as Burke Mountain land assembly, Victoria Highlands and major development in the Burnaby Mountain and Riverview areas were also highlighted in this past year.

My government has assisted in the creation of 2,259 rental and cooperative housing units in 1974 with another 14,323 units in the construction or planning stage.

Home ownership of moderate-income facilities is now possible through the new Leasehold Mortgage Programme that carries an interest rate as low as 5 per cent.

Amendments will be brought forward on the Housing Act, Department of Housing Act and the Strata Titles Act.

Since the passage of the Sewerage Facilities Assistance Act in 1974, $5.5 million has been paid to local governments to assist them in building sewage treatment plants and gathering systems.

Among the host of activities engaging my government during 1974 was the inception of the universal, non-profit fund for traffic accident compensation administered by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. Although its first year of operation is not completed yet, it is already apparent that Autoplan has brought benefits to all citizens of this province that include stabilizing premiums for vehicle owners, providing a rate structure that is generally the lowest among all the provinces, taking into account traffic densities and vehicular use, and virtually eliminating the severe financial problems of victims of uninsured vehicle accidents.

Further amendments to the Insurance Commission of British Columbia legislation and the Automobile Insurance Act will be brought forward this session.

To help curtail the growing number of traffic fatalities, my government has reduced speed limits on a number of provincial highways. In addition, highway maintenance programmes have been emphasized this year with an increase of $29 million in the Department of Highway's maintenance budget.

Notwithstanding substantial increases in traffic demand, the B.C. ferries continue to provide greater service with the addition of the Queen of Surrey. Contracts have been signed for three new vessels to be built in North Vancouver and Victoria yards for delivery early in 1976 at an estimated cost of over $50 million.

Government aircraft were equipped in 1974 to provide emergency air evacuations when needed. In this first full year of "mercy flights," provincial government aircraft logged 40,790 miles in both speeding stricken citizens from outlying areas to our modern hospitals and in transporting emergency supplies of blood plasma. This programme will be expanded to provide greater service in the present year.

The public accounts and the reports of the departments of my government will be laid before you, and you will be asked to grant to Her Majesty the ways and means of supply.

To these and all other matters which may come before you, I ask your most careful attention, praying that divine guidance may guide you.

Mr. Speaker and Hon. Members, I leave you now to the discharge of your legislative duties.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

MR. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, I am sorry we forgot to have prayers prior to the opening. I would ask you all now to rise for prayers.

Prayers.

MR. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, in order to prevent mistakes, I have obtained a copy of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor's speech.

PERPETUITIES ACT

Hon. Mr. Macdonald presents a message from His

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Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled the Perpetuities Act.

Bill 1 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.

HON. D. BARRETT (Premier): Mr. Speaker, I move that the speech of His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor be taken into consideration at the next sitting of the House, and that this order have precedence over all other business, except the introduction of bills, until disposed of.

Motion approved.

HON. E. HALL (Provincial Secretary): Mr. Speaker, I move that Votes and Proceedings of this House be printed, being first perused by Mr. Speaker, and that he do appoint the printing thereof, and that no person but such as he shall appoint do presume to print the same.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, I move that the select standing committees of this House for the present session be appointed for the following purposes:

1. On Standing Orders and Private Bills;
2. On Public Accounts and Economic Affairs;
3. On Agriculture;
   
4. On Municipal Affairs and Housing;
5. On Labour and Justice;
6. On Health, Education and Human Resources
7. On Transportation and Communications;
8. On Environment and Resources; which said committees shall severally be empowered to examine and inquire into all such matters and things as shall be referred to them by this House, and to report from time to time their observations and opinions thereon with power to send for persons, papers and records, and that a special committee be appointed to prepare and report, with all convenient speed, lists of Members to compose the above select standing committees of this House under standing order 68(1), said committee to be composed of the Hon. A.B. Macdonald, the Hon. R.M. Strachan and Messrs. Dent, Bennett and D.A. Anderson.

Motion approved.

MR. J.H. GORST (Esquimalt): Mr. Speaker, I move that Hartley Douglas Dent, Member for Skeena Electoral District, be appointed Deputy Speaker for this session of the Legislative Assembly.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, I ask leave to move that report No. 9 of the Select Standing Committee on Standing Orders and Private Bills adopted by this House on February 27, 1973, relating to oral questions, be adopted by this House for the present session.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, I ask leave to move that on each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this session there shall be two distinct sittings on each day: one from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and one from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m.; and on each Friday there shall be one sitting from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., unless otherwise ordered.

Motion approved.

Presenting reports.

The following papers were presented:

Hon. E. Hall (Provincial Secretary) —

Nineteenth annual report of the business done in pursuance of the Members of the Legislative Assembly Superannuation Act for the year ended March 31, 1974.

Thirty-ninth annual report of the business done in pursuance of the Public Service Superannuation Act for the year ended March 31, 1974.

Thirty-fifth annual report of the business done in the pursuance of the Municipal Superannuation Act for the year ended December 31, 1973.

Sixth annual report of the business done in pursuance of the College Pension Act for the year ended August 31, 1974.

Thirty-third annual report of the business done in pursuance of the Teachers' Pension Act, year ended December 31, 1973.

Fourteenth annual report of the business done under the Public Service Group Insurance Act, for the policy year July 1, 1973, to June 30, 1974.

A statement of receipts and disbursements from the report from the Capital Improvement District Commission.

The annual report for the year ended March 31, 1974, from the Library Development Commission.

Under the Public Inquiries Act, the interim report of the commissioners into the use of pesticides and herbicides, dated December 22, 1973.

Under the Public Inquiries Act, the royal commission inquiry into the use of pesticides

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and herbicides — the second interim report dated December 10, 1974.

Under the Public Inquiries Act, the royal commission of inquiry into Jericho Hill School, dated September 4, 1974.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry on Family and Children's Law, the fourth report of the commissioners, dated February 12, 1975.

Hon. A.B. Macdonald (Attorney-General) —

The fifth-third annual report of the Liquor Administration Branch of the Department of the Attorney-General for the year ending March 31, 1974.

The fifty-second annual report of the Fire Marshal for the year ended December 31, 1973.

The annual report of the British Columbia Racing Commission for 1974.

The sixty-third annual report of the Superintendent of Insurance for the year ending December 31, 1973.

Hon. D. Barrett (Minister of Finance) —

The public accounts of British Columbia for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1974: return submitted in accordance with section 46(2) of the Revenue Act; return submitted in accordance with section 85(4) of the Taxation Act; statement of unclaimed money deposits under authority of the Unclaimed Money Deposits Act.

The thirty-second annual report of the Purchasing Commission, January 1, 1974, to December 31, 1974.

Annual report of the Minister of Finance under section 75 of the Trust Companies' Act.

Annual report of the Assessment Appeal Board for the year ended December 31, 1974.

The annual report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1974, Office of the Assessment Commissioner.

Hon. Mr. Barrett moves adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 3:39 p.m.