[ Page 4217 ]

CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Speech from the Throne –– 4217

An Act to Perpetuate a Parliamentary Right. Hon. Mr. Williams.

Introduction and first reading –– 4221

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1980

The House met at 2 p.m.

This being the first day of the third session of the thirty-second Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia for the dispatch of business, pursuant to a proclamation of the Hon. Henry Bell-Irving, Lieutenant-Governor of the province, dated December 4, 1980, hon. members took their seats.

Prayers.

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. MR. BELL-IRVING: Mr. Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly; it is again my pleasure to deliver' the Speech from the Throne to Members of this Assembly.

It is with great sadness that I must open these proceedings within such a few days of the funeral of the Right Honourable Jules Leger, the former Governor-General of Canada. He was a courageous man and a prestigious Canadian whose passing leaves our nation a little poorer.

I ask you to cast your thoughts back to an event that occurred while you were last gathered here to examine and discuss my government's programs.

A young British Columbian, Terry Fox of Coquitlam, performed an act of unprecedented courage. Himself suffering from cancer, he earned world-wide admiration for his selfless attempt to jog across Canada from coast to coast to raise money for medical research on this disease.

All of British Columbia's sentiments were expressed when the Premier, on behalf of all of us, awarded this modest yet highly principled young man British Columbia's highest honour, the Order of the Dogwood.

His Excellency Governor-General Edward Schreyer also bestowed the Order of Canada upon Mr. Fox in national recognition of his brave struggle. Mr. Terry Fox, all of us are so very proud of you.

During the past nine months, we were honoured by visits of many distinguished persons. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales again came to British Columbia in March and April where he visited Vancouver and chaired a meeting of the International Council of United World Colleges at Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific on Vancouver Island. Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, in her capacity as Colonel-in-Chief of the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) attended events in Victoria and Nanaimo during April and May.

His Excellency the Governor-General and Mrs. Schreyer visited British Columbia in July to conduct a cruise in HMCS Kootenay and to invest B.C.'s well-known track and field athlete, Mr. Percy Williams, with the Order of Canada in August. During that month, His Excellency visited Victoria, Vancouver, Chilliwack, Cranbrook, Kimberley and Invermere.

Other distinguished persons who graced our province included Prime Minister Ohira of Japan, who was mourned by all as his untimely passing occurred shortly after his return to his homeland; the Honourable Peter Lougheed, Premier of Alberta, with members of his cabinet; Vice Premier Bo Yibo of the Peoples' Republic of China; the Right Honourable Brian Talboys, Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand; and many ambassadors and high commissioners from countries throughout the world.

As Canadians, we share the continuing concern of all free people for the American hostages still being held in Iran and continue to pray for their deliverance to their families. Our concern is heightened by the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and Iraq. These events, and the unwarranted threat to world peace in the face of the invasion of Afghanistan, are grave matters. It is our fondest hope that the cause of world peace will prosper in the coming year.

I would now like to reflect on the affairs of our nation. All of us born in Canada are brought up to recognize our country as something unique in the world. We are taught to see it as a federation of regions and provinces, each sharply different from the other, sprawling across the top of the North American continent. Our vast and thinly populated country, the second largest in area in the world, is a country fortunately endowed by nature and one where freedom of choice has been and is a most important ingredient in our lives.

We are no longer a cluster of colonies. We are a nation, a federation of regions, of provinces that in the past, each in its turn, sought greater freedom by entering into a Canadian partnership. We believe our choice will always be to remain together as Canadians, and that is the commitment of my government.

We are a deliberate mosaic. We believe that this diversity working in harmony is one of the main strengths of our Canadian federation and of our Canadian system of federal democracy. Canada is, always has been and must continue to be a fundamentally good place to live, a place where individual citizens in each of our provinces can seek their own destinies and a destiny for their province within the Canadian nation and in accordance with its traditions.

At present, the government of Canada is in the process of seeking a fundamental change in the basic principles of the Canadian federation. The federal government is unilaterally asking the House of Commons and the Senate to request the British Parliament to enact a series of changes and amendments to the British North America Act and other imperial statutes touching upon Canada, by way of patriating the Canadian constitution.

My government has objected to this method of constitutional revision. It is without provincial agreement, which in the view of my government is contrary to Canadian convention, custom and practice and Canadian law.

My government has twice asked for additional round-table constitutional discussions with the federal government concerning proposed amendments to the constitution of Canada. Building on the summer's round of federal-provincial talks and the near agree ment at the subsequent first ministers' talks, my government is firmly of the view that some further days of public and private ministerial discussions could well resolve the major differences between the 11 governments.

My government will recommend the unanimous support of this Legislature for a resolution that requests the federal government to confine its request to the British Parliament to the simple patriation of the BNA Act without unilateral amendments.

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The BNA Act, section 109, states in part: "all lands, mines, minerals, and royalties belonging to the several provinces of Canada...and all the sums then due or payable for such lands, mines, minerals or royalties, shall belong to the several provinces...in which the same are situate or arise, subject to any trusts existing in respect thereof, and to any interest other than that of the province of the same."

This has been interpreted for more than a century as stating that those people who choose to live in a province of our country shall have perpetual ownership and control of all of the province's natural resources. This division of powers has worked well and has benefited all our provinces, as well as our nation, for more than a century.

During the summer's round of ministerial meetings on the constitution, and later in the House of Commons, the federal government indicated that it would confirm the ownership and control by the people in each province of all their non-renewable natural resources in their provinces and of one renewable resource, the forests. The federal government has not indicated that it is prepared to confirm the continuation of ownership by the people in the provinces of all other renewable natural resources. These renewable resources include such things as game and other wildlife, fish that spend their lives in fresh water, fresh water itself, plus other less well recognized renewable resources.

In our thousands of lakes and rivers, our province at present owns about 8 percent of the world's total volume of accessible fresh water. This vast resource is already highly important to the well-being of British Columbians for the production of energy and food, and this importance to us will continue and expand in the years to come.

My government will recommend that this Legislature give its unanimous support to a resolution asking the federal government to confirm that the ownership and control of all renewable and non-renewable natural resources in British Columbia remain in the hands of those who can best manage them — the people who live in the province of British Columbia.

My government believes that, as Canada's third-largest province, a strong provincial economy in British Columbia is important for the strength of our nation as a whole as well as for the well-being of those of us who live in B.C. British Columbians supported this concept when they elected my government five years ago and gave it a specific job to do. This job was to return our great province to its traditionally sound financial basis. My government has now accomplished this; but notwithstanding, it always will strive to do better. The economy of British Columbia is healthier now than it has been before.

The process of returning our province's economy to its traditional soundness has not been an easy one. However, all the actions taken by my government to achieve financial security were necessary and in the public interest for the good and well-being of all British Columbians, both for now and for the future. This difficult task has been accomplished in spite of the external forces of inflation and recession that are pressing on us from outside our borders.

We still have inflation in British Columbia; as a province that lives by external trading, it cannot be completely avoided. My government will continue to pursue financial policies that will keep our rate of inflation among the lowest if not the lowest in North America, while at the same time developing our economic capacity.

As the goods we must consume every day rise in price, primarily through pressures from outside our province, the only way to counteract this is to continually strengthen our economy. My government is doing that now that it has established a firm financial basis on which to build our future and, as a major Canadian province, the future of all Canada.

My government believes that it is time to progress to the next phase of building the truly good life in British Columbia. It is time to adopt formally an overriding philosophy that has as its goal the general betterment of the quality of life of all British Columbians. Already the quality of life of those Canadians and landed immigrants who live and work in British Columbia is admired and often envied throughout the world. But as good as it may be in comparison with other regions, my government believes it can still be better.

My government believes individual British Columbians have six basic aims in life: to enjoy the best possible health; to be protected by an even-handed, fair system of justice; to attain personal financial security; to live in a healthy environment; to enjoy equality of opportunity and treatment; and finally, to have the freedom to lawfully pursue their individual lives without undue interference from either the state or their fellow citizens. My government believes that the sum of degrees of achievement of these six basic aims determines the quality of life for each individual British Columbian. The greater the degrees of achievement, the better the quality of life. In pursuing this goal of bettering the quality of life for all British Columbians, my government plans to turn the six aims into a general guideline, to be used as an important part of all government planning processes.

I am advised that the British Columbia economy remains strong and its prospects remain good, in sharp contrast to the Canadian economy generally, and to that of the United States. During the past 12 months, the British Columbia economy was able to create 65,000 jobs, an increase of 5.6 percent. This compares to the Canadian average of 2.2 percent. The number of new companies incorporated in British Columbia totalled 20,600, a one-year increase of 17 percent. The investment in British Columbia totalled $11.4 billion, up 22.4 percent. This compares to an increase of only 13.6 percent for Canada as a whole. British Columbia's rate of real economic growth for this year is expected to increase by 1.8 percent, compared to a decline of 1 percent for Canada and a decline of 1.4 percent for the United States.

Our economic success has attracted and is still attracting thousands of newcomers a month to British Columbia, and they are welcomed by my government. However, this same success has created an urgent problem for many: a housing shortage that is driving prices beyond reasonable limits. The heart of this problem is that the building of dwellings is not keeping pace with the province's steady increase in population. This is a situation that is, unfortunately, mainly the result of policies again determined beyond our borders.

My government was able to help relieve this problem by encouraging building this year through the innovative program of making $200 million available last winter for mortgages for residential construction. This program resulted in a total of 5,078 additional dwelling units.

During this coming year, my government will continue to conduct intensive studies into this very serious problem and is planning further innovative actions both in relation to home ownership and in the rental field. My government also plans to lessen the impact of residential property value increases in 1981 assessments.

Next year has been proclaimed International Year of the Handicapped by the United Nations. During 1981 my government, under the direction of my Minister of Education

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(Hon. Mr. Smith), will initiate regulations pursuant to certain sections of the Human Rights Code of British Columbia to specify a handicap as a characteristic in which discrimination in services, facilities, accommodation and employment is unequivocally prohibited.

Major positive initiatives to improve opportunities and access for the handicapped will be undertaken by government ministries with social mandates, notably Health, Labour, Human Resources, Housing, Education and Municipal Affairs. These initiatives will include the proposal of a home modification grant program for severely handicapped persons who have need for home modifications, and my government will be taking a leading role in implementing the recently formulated national elevator standards for the handicapped.

My Minister of Environment advises me that he will be introducing a new waste management act to replace and update the Pollution Control Act. That is part of a general review of all ministry legislation. It is also my government's intention to publish for public comment a White Paper concerning proposed revisions to the Wildlife Act. Acquisitions of critical habitat areas for fish and wildlife under the conservation fund are now under consideration and this project will be fully functional next year. Studies are continuing in a number of environmentally sensitive areas, including the Fraser River and estuary, and the cleanup program initiated this year will be ongoing.

I am advised by my Minister of Labour that the positive collective bargaining atmosphere in British Columbia is continuing. For the first ten months of 1980, working days lost due to industrial disputes in the provincial jurisdiction totalled only 339,852, a continuation of the downward trend from 1975, when 1,516,010 working days were lost due to industrial disputes in the provincial jurisdiction. Mediation services of the Ministry of Labour have contributed significantly to the harmonious collective bargaining climate in British Columbia. In addition, it is my government's intention to implement a preventive mediation service, which will assist labour and management in analyzing and resolving day-to-day problems and improving attitudes and communications.

The priority of my government on manpower training and development is evident from the special initiatives for critical trade shortages, which enable the youth of our province to be given the opportunity to obtain required training.

As an integral part of this activity, a women's office has been established under the Employment Opportunities Programs Branch to ensure that the women of British Columbia receive assistance and encouragement in taking their rightful place in our workforce. An increased emphasis is being placed on opportunities for women in the skilled trades area and on expanding the women's apprenticeship training program.

In addition, a manpower-needs forecasting capability has been established under the policy and planning branch of the Ministry of Labour to provide the basic data with which to forecast requirements and to anticipate supply of manpower, especially in the skills area.

My government's continued commitment to ensuring safety for British Columbians will reflect itself in the introduction of legislation concerning boiler and pressure vessels, electrical and gas safety, and building safety standards.

The provision of health services to rural or isolated parts of British Columbia has been under serious review by my government. During this session, this assembly will be provided with details of the creation of a B.C. rural health corps. It will be an agency that will assure primary health care in all areas of the province.

My government is dedicated to ensuring that all communities in British Columbia receive a basic television service, including education, entertainment, and British Columbian, Canadian and world news. Satellite technology now makes it possible for isolated B.C. communities to receive appropriate television signals. However, federal administrative and regulatory obstacles stand in the way. My government will announce policies and programs to assist British Columbians to obtain satellite and other television services.

I am also pleased to announce that the Knowledge Network will next month commence a major provincial educational television service. It will appear on many community cable systems. This is in addition to inter-institutional closed-circuit television services and interactive educational programming by satellite. These accomplishments provide tangible evidence of my government's commitments to provide improved television services to all the people of British Columbia.

I am pleased to note that, in keeping with the commitment of my government to develop science policy, Discovery Parks are under construction near the B.C. Institute of Technology and on the campus of Simon Fraser University. It is my understanding that further Discovery Parks will be under construction in the future.

My government will participate with the federal government in building a new ultra-modern research-extension facility to serve the agriculture and food industry in the southern interior of our province. Construction will commence at Summerland late this year, to be completed in 1982.

An accelerated knapweed containment program, to be undertaken jointly by the Ministries of Agriculture and Food and Forests, is planned for 1981 to prevent knapweed from spreading further over provincial range land.

In the field of energy, so crucial to the future of our province and our country, my government has been and will continue to be active in pursuing policies and developing programs which will help bring about energy security and continuing economic prosperity for British Columbia and for Canada.

The initial concern of my government is security of supply of ample stocks of appropriate energy for British Columbia. Another, equally important, concern is British Columbia's commitment to make available surplus stocks of energy at fair prices to other provinces when the need arises.

In approving the export of energy, which has been deemed surplus to British Columbia's needs, my government's prime objective is to bring maximum benefits to the people of British Columbia, who are the owners of these resources. This is also the objective behind my government's encouragement of the development of energy-based industry in this province.

My government has established the Energy Development Agency, which has the mandate to identify areas of new energy technology deserving further research. Coal liquefaction is an example of one such area. The agency is working under the direction of the Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources on several projects in various fields, exploring energy alternatives for British Columbia's future with energy security in mind.

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My government has vigorously embraced its mandate of energy stewardship in order to meet the challenges and take full advantage of the opportunity for an energy-secure future in British Columbia by developing a clear, logical and comprehensive energy policy. However, I regret to say that many of my government's efforts in working toward energy security, particularly those designed to encourage British Columbians to switch from oil to natural gas, are being seriously hampered by the policies and action of the federal government.

Various taxes have been imposed by the central government on the people, the industries and the energy export revenues of British Columbia. These are making it increasingly difficult for my government to implement effective energy policy, to encourage the orderly development of our province's energy resources and to gain the support of individual British Columbians for energy conservation and substitution, thus allowing all British Columbia to work together toward the nationally beneficial goal of energy security.

My government has every hope that agreement can be reached in energy taxation and other matters which will be fair to all concerned and which will create the right climate for energy security in this province and right across Canada.

The Ministry of Universities, Science and Communications is now operating some vehicles on compressed natural gas. It is anticipated that fleets, and possibly even members of the general public, will soon have the opportunity to utilize compressed natural gas as an alternative fuel.

It is the intention of my government, through my Minister of Industry and Small Business Development, to continue to pursue a course of active economic management and assistance to maintain a strong economy in British Columbia. He will continue actively to seek new markets for products produced in British Columbia. He will further seek the removal of constraints and restrictions to foreign market access for our goods, thus ensuring continued growth for British Columbia firms.

My minister, through his small-business policies and programs, will again aid in the upgrading of skills necessary for successful performance in the business world, plus assist new and established small businesses, particularly in the area of secondary manufacturing, to create new enterprises or expand existing ones. New programs designed to assist further the small entrepreneur, who is the backbone of our business community in British Columbia, will be put before you for your consideration.

Finally, my Minister of Industry and Small Business Development will be taking an active role with the national government to ensure that federal policies of national scope, as well as any new economic initiatives, operate in harmony with the already well-established and successful economic policies and practices introduced by my government for the well-being and future prosperity of our economic community and the people of British Columbia, and indeed our nation.

Members of this House will recall that earlier in the year the new Ministry of Tourism was ' established as a separate portfolio, as recognition by my government of tourism as an increasingly important B.C. Industry, and mindful that its growth must be province-wide, year-round and in harmony with the lives and environment of our citizens. The industry was declared and holds the status of a basic resource, a declaration that has caught the attention of many other countries.

This year the number of visitors from overseas reached a new peak, while our fellow Canadians responded to the first ever spring and fall promotion by coming to our province more than ever before. The number of international conventions the ministry has helped bring to our province for the next few years indicates the aggressive marketing approach that has been taken in this and other specific travel-related fields. The feature film promotion office, this year alone, has succeeded in bringing 11 productions to date to the province. The ministry will continue to place special interest on developing exciting package tours and all-inclusive travel opportunities.

My Attorney-General will be proposing for your scrutiny the Provincial Court Act which would restructure the Judicial Council of the provincial court and define the role of the chief judge of the court. Also proposed will be a general update of the 70-year-old Court of Appeal Act.

My Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs will put before you the Securities Act, which will bring British Columbia legislation into conformity with new legislation introduced in Ontario and in other western provinces. This act will contain special provisions to encourage the formation of risk capital and makes provisions for junior resource securities.

You will also be asked to consider amendments to the Company Act and the Credit Union Act concerning provisions for equity share capital.

During the past year my government has researched the need and feasibility of a fixed-link transportation system between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The information obtained will certainly be of great value during future considerations. Additional studies will be taken to secure our transportation links to Vancouver Island. But at this time my government has recommitted itself to the expansion and improvement of the B.C. Ferry Corporation fleet, adding to the passenger and vehicle capacity available. Recently, Mrs. Audrey Bennett, wife of our Premier, christened the Motor Vessel Queen of Surrey, and Mrs. Barbara Smith, wife of our Minister of Education, christened the Queen of Oak Bay. These new vessels are the largest double-end ferries in the world, carrying 362 vehicles and 1,500 passengers.

In addition, a contract was recently awarded to a British Columbia shipyard to greatly increase the carrying capacity of the Motor Vessels Queen of Vancouver and Queen of Victoria. Also, for the first time in our province's history the British Columbia Ferry Corporation will be providing a regularly scheduled passenger and vehicle ferry service to our citizens on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

My government realizes the great importance of transportation to the well-being of our province and will continue with the largest highway construction and improvement program in our history. Work continues on the new third highway access to the Pacific coast, the Coquihalla Highway, and construction has been initiated on the Annacis crossing of the Fraser River which will serve so many of our citizens in the lower mainland.

My government will continue the highly successful and popular Local Airport Assistance Program which has greatly enhanced the airport system throughout our province. Many communities and local airport committees will be assisted again this year in a cooperative program to provide greater transportation facilities to our citizens.

In 1978 my government created the Urban Transit Authority to develop a province-wide public transit policy and thus bring an end to the confusion and duplication of effort in

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providing urban transit services throughout British Columbia. Through a cost-sharing program with its municipal partners — the most generous in Canada — the UTA funds between 65 percent and 75 percent of all transit operating deficits. To cover our province's contribution to future transit capital requirements, $55 million was set aside in the previous legislative session.

The next transit initiative of this government will be a financial commitment to the establishment of a major system for the lower mainland that will improve traffic flow and conserve energy.

This initiative is expected to coordinate with another program by my government concerning its registration of Transpo '86 as a world's exposition to be held in Vancouver in 1986, the year that city marks its hundredth anniversary. This exposition, having to do with transportation on land, sea and air, will be held in cooperation with the city of Vancouver and the government of Canada.

My Minister of Forests has informed me that my government's commitment to a five-year, $1.4 billion forest management program, which was announced in the March 1980 budget, has been well received by the forest industry of the province. The industry's confidence in the future of this crucial sector of the B.C. economy is reflected in massive capital and repair expenditures and a partnership between government and industry on revitalizing our forests. By 1984-85, 100 million new trees a year will be planted on Crown land, generating directly about 1,125 man-years of employment annually.

In conclusion, I ask your most careful consideration of these matters and various others that are to be placed before you, and of the budget to follow. I further pray that Divine Providence may guide your deliberations.

Mr. Speaker and Honourable Members, I leave you now to discharge your legislative duties on behalf of the people of British Columbia.

His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor retired from the chamber.

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

Introduction of Bills

AN ACT TO PERPETUATE A
PARLIAMENTARY RIGHT

Hon. Mr. Williams presented a message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled An Act to Perpetuate a Parliamentary Right.

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. MR. BENNETT: 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 introduction of bills, and except consideration of the following motion of which notice of motion has been given this day: namely, that we the members of the Legislative Assembly the province of British Columbia, reaffirming our allegiance to the Crown, a commitment to a united Canada within the Canadian Confederation, and asserting the sovereign status of Canada as a free and independent nation, support (1) early patriation of the constitution of Canada from the United Kingdom, and (2) a formula for the amendment of the constitution of Canada in respect of matters affecting federal-provincial relationships with the consent of the Legislatures of all the provinces and of the Parliament of Canada, until disposed of.

MR. HOWARD: Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask an uncomplicated question of the Minister of Intergovernmental Relations in his capacity as government House Leader, and also to say in passing that it seems to me that unanimous consent of the assembly should have been sought to introduce this particular motion in the form that it is introduced, because it imparts into it something unusual and unprecedented. It's been practice to give precedence to the Speech from the Throne over every other item of business except the introduction of bills. That has by practice been done without leave and without unanimous consent; but there is now brought into it something additional, and I think unanimous consent should have been obtained. However, the motion is before us, and I don't raise it by way of any point of order. What I wanted to inquire of the government House Leader was whether he can now make a commitment to the House as to when this particular notice of motion might be dealt with and, if not, whether he can make the commitment that he will give the House advance notice of a day or two as to when the matter might be brought forward.

HON. MR. GARDOM: In response to the hon. House Leader of the official opposition, insofar as leave and notice are concerned we have very carefully checked the rules and it appears that is not required. We have precedent for that. As a matter of fact, in March of this year there was an addition to the precedent motion during budget to deal with interim supply.

Insofar as your second question is concerned, it's indeed a very valid question. We will be informing, following a meeting between the Whips — which I hope can take place today or tomorrow morning — when the debate and the motion will come up. I would anticipate that it will be next week, and before the end of next week, prior to termination of the Speech from the Throne. There's every indication that the Speech from the Throne — subject, of course, to the wishes of all the hon. members — will take the usual time that is allotted it under the rules of the House.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. WOLFE: I move that the votes and proceedings of this House be first perused by Mr. Speaker, 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. BENNETT: I move that the select standing committees of the 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;

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(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), and by leave the said committee to be composed of Hon. G.B. Gardom, Hon. E.M. Wolfe, Hon. P.J. Jordan and Messrs. Brummet, Hyndman, Howard, Gabelmann and Cocke.

MR. HOWARD: I rise briefly to enter a few comments with respect to the motion, similar to those....

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please, hon. member. Leave was required, so we'll ask for leave first and then we'll entertain the debate on the motion.

Leave granted.

MR. HOWARD: As I said, I rise just to make some brief comments, similar to those which were made at the opening of the last session, relating to standing committees beyond those which are set out in the motion. Last session, as Your Honour will recall, we moved an amendment to establish a committee on fair election practices, which was accepted by the Premier on behalf of the government. I propose to do something in the same vein after conclusion of my remarks now.

I think it should be noted that, even though the government accepted the motion to establish a committee on fair election practices during the last session, that committee was not permitted to meet, did not meet, didn't even meet in the normal course of events to elect a chairman and a secretary. The convener, the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs (Hon. Mr. Nielsen), I know, in his heart, wanted to call that meeting together to organize it and to have a chairman and secretary selected and to be prepared to undertake whatever business the House might refer to it. But it's obvious that the Premier and the Deputy Premier, not being in favour of fair election practices, prevented the Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs from proceeding in that direction.

This time I have an amendment to move, seconded by my colleague, the hon. member for Shuswap-Revelstoke (Mr. King). If I could ask someone to give it to Your Honour, and distribute it to other hon. members, I'll then hope the government will have courage, if they object to this amendment, to say so and vote against it, rather than accept it and allow the thing to die an unnatural death.

I would like to move, seconded by the hon. member for Shuswap-Revelstoke that the motion be amended by adding after the word "resources": "(9) On fair election practices; (10) On investment policies of British Columbia Resources Investment Corporation;" — which I note was absent from the Speech from the Throne, and I wonder why — "(11) On insurance rates of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia." So the effect of that would be to add, following the numerical enumeration of eight standing committees, numbers (9), (10) and (11).

MR. SPEAKER: The amendment appears to be in order. Is there any debate on the amendment?

HON. MR. BENNETT: Speaking for the government, we reject the amendment at this time. The government and this assembly can from time to time set up committees at need. We reject this amendment.

MR. BARRETT: Mr. Speaker, I wish to rise to express my disappointment at the government's changing its policy of a year ago. They accepted a committee a year ago. Rejecting the amendment today indicates that they had no real conviction to go ahead with that committee last year. The House adopted the establishment of a fair election practices committee, with the belief that the government would pursue with vigour that responsibility intended to be delegated to the committee.

Since that committee did not receive its responsibility last year, we asked that that committee be structured again this year. The government has said no. Along with that, we asked for two new committees: one on ICBC — which is of grave concern to the citizens of this province — and, of course, one on the British Columbia Resources Investment Corporation. The flat rejection of this amendment is clear indication that the government wishes to control all committees before even allowing the opposition or independent members to set them up. This is a very grave step backward, Mr. Speaker, and I regret this very much.

Amendment negatived on the following division:

YEAS — 26

NAYS 29

Division ordered to be recorded in the Journals of the House.

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HON. MR. GARDOM: Mr. Speaker, seconded by the hon. member for Skeena (Mr. Howard), I move that Walter Kenneth Davidson, Esq., member of Delta electoral district, be appointed Deputy Speaker for this session of the Legislative Assembly.

Motion approved.

HON. MR. GARDOM: Mr. Speaker, before moving the following motion I would draw to the attention of all members that the times referred to will be insofar as the Throne Speech is concerned. I have had discussion with the House Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Howard) on different times and they'll be subscribed to when we return in the spring.

I move that on each Tuesday and Thursday of this session there shall be two distinct sittings, one from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and one from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; and on each Monday and Wednesday one sitting from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.; and on each Friday there will be one sitting from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., unless otherwise ordered.

Motion approved.

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

Motion approved.

HON. MR. GARDOM: Mr. Speaker, before moving adjournment of the House, on behalf of all members of the House, I would like to draw to the attention of the many guests we have here today that usually every day before we commence the session we bid welcome to the many people who come to these quarters to see their representatives in action. Therefore I bid special welcome to the many guests we have present today from all across our province. We thank you very much for coming and we indeed wish you the best over the holiday season.

MR. HOWARD: I have just a brief statement to supplement and agree with the comments of the Leader of the Opposition...

Interjections.

MR. HOWARD: I'm just looking into the future, Mr. Speaker, that's all.

...and to welcome the guests here. I'm sure that if they would have had the opportunity to vote, perhaps that amendment of mine would have been carried.

Hon. Mr. Gardom moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 3:07 p.m.