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CONTENTS

Routine Proceedings

Sechelt Indian Government District Enabling Act (Bill 4). Hon. MR. Rogers

Introduction and first reading –– 48

Boundary Act (Bill 3). Hon. Mr. Strachan

Introduction and first reading –– 48

Dentists Amendment Act, 1987 (Bill 2). Hon. Mr. Dueck

Introduction and first reading –– 48

Oral Questions

Wedeene River Logging Ltd. Mr. Miller –– 48

Strathcona Park boundaries. Mr. Gabelmann –– 49

Moneys under ERDA. Ms. Edwards –– 49

Indian heritage centre. Mr. Long –– 49

Impact of free trade on agriculture. Mr. Rose –– 49

Liquor policy review. Mr. Lovick –– 50

Doman Forest Products Ltd. Mr. Williams –– 50

Meeting of Forests ministers. Mr. Williams –– 50

Man in Motion campaign. Mr. Mowat –– 50

Presenting reports –– 50

Throne speech debate

Mr. Mercier –– 51

Mr. Jones –– 52

Mr. Messmer –– 54

Ms. Marzari –– 57

Hon. Mr. Dueck –– 60

Mr. Clark –– 62

Mr. Parker –– 64

Mr. Miller –– 67

Mr. Chalmers –– 70

Tabling Documents –– 72

The House met at 2 p.m.

Prayers.

HON. MR. VEITCH: We are often, in British Columbia, honoured by distinguished guests. In the members' gallery today we have His Excellency Tan Sri Datuk Thomas Jayasuriya, the High Commissioner for Malaysia, and Mrs. Jayasuriya. Accompanying His Excellency is Mr. David Johnston, the consul of Malaysia in Vancouver, and Mrs. Johnston. I'd be honoured if His Excellency would stand. I'd be further honoured if the House would bid him welcome.

MR. ROSE: Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the loyal opposition, I welcome our guests from Malaysia and comment that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting next August is in Kuala Lumpur. It is usually attended by representatives of this House. If anyone doesn't want to go, would they turn in their names to me?

MR. BARNES: Mr. Speaker, we have a very special 19-year-old guest in the gallery this afternoon — your son Rob Reynolds, a student at Purdue. He's six foot six, 270 pounds, and I'm sure that when I get a chance to see him personally I will be saying "Sir." Will the House please make him welcome.

HON. MR. REID: It gives me a great deal of pleasure to introduce to the House today Mr. Mike Allan in the members' gallery, a former administrator of the corporation of Delta, one of the best administrative leaders in the province of British Columbia. He's now retired, but he did represent the fine community of Delta.

MR. MILLER: Mr. Speaker, it's my pleasure today to introduce to the House my mother Mrs. Evelyn Weeks and her friend Mr. Wilf Tomer from Nanaimo, in the Speaker's gallery; as well, my wife and my helpmate, Gayle Ballard, who is with them. I'd ask the House to join me in making them welcome.

HON. MR. STRACHAN: Mr. Speaker, here we go again. If March 11 is your birthday, you're intuitive, a natural teacher, possess extrasensory perception, can determine trends, cycles and public moods. You'll travel this year and you could also gain weight, and popularity will be on the rise. Would you please extend many happy returns to the Minister of Advanced Education and Job Training (Hon. Mr. Hagen).

MR. LOVICK: Mr. Speaker, I have just noticed with some delight the arrival of two of my constituents from Nanaimo, Mr. and Mrs. Owen Kennedy, and I would ask the House to join me please in welcoming them.

MR. MERCIER: Mr. Speaker, the first World Cup of Rugby competition will commence in May of this year in Australia and New Zealand, the co-host countries. Canada is one of only 16 countries invited to participate. As a person active in that sport, though not as active as before, I would ask the House to congratulate the 20 players from British Columbia named yesterday to the 26-player team chosen to represent and play for Canada in this first-ever world rugby championship. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to join with me in wishing these great ambassadors for Canada every success.

[2:15]

MR. JONES: Mr. Speaker, I'm sure all members would agree that one of the great benefits of political involvement is some of the wonderful, unselfish and dedicated people that you get to meet. I would like to introduce to the House some of those people here today from North Burnaby. I'd like to introduce Mrs. Anne Smith, with her sons Howie Jr. and Doug; I'd like to introduce Mike Pelsar and Pat and Ernie Beaucamp; and I'd like to introduce my constituency assistant and a school trustee from Burnaby, Susan Reimer.

As well, I'd like to introduce somebody who I thought was taken out a minute ago, but who I think should be a symbol for this House of the future of our province and the tremendous work we have to make this a better place in which to live. I'm speaking of Emery Andrew Hart Jones, born December 9 last year. And with him, nourishing and nurturing him as she has done me for many years, my wife Jennifer. I'd like the House to welcome them.

HON. MR. HAGEN: It is indeed a pleasure for me to have a couple of introductions this afternoon. The first one is to welcome to this House — and I'm sure the rest of you will want to join me — a gentleman by the name of Bill Maximick, who was born and raised in British Columbia and has spent many years working on tugboats and in the logging camps on the B.C. coast, and now spends his time painting the scenes. He has become a very successful artist and has his works on display at the Emily Carr gallery and as part of the Royal Bank of Canada display. Please join me in welcoming Bill Maximick from Courtenay.

Also, it is a great pleasure for me to have in attendance the members of the Student Financial Assistance Review Committee which I appointed a couple of months ago. I would like to list quickly those names for you: Dr. Les Bullen, the chairman, Mary Browning, Robert Clift, Erling Close, Byron Hender, Don Holubitsky, Jim Reed, Heather Dickson, and Harvey Oram. Would you please make them welcome also.

MR. MESSMER: I am very honoured to be able to introduce the mayor of the city of Penticton, Her Worship Dorothy Whittaker, and the administrator, Mr. George Paul. The mayor was elected in the December 1986 election and is here on municipal business.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to introduce my wife, Marge, who for the past 32 years has supported me in all my business ventures and also my political endeavours.

Would the members please welcome them.

MS. MARZARI: Mr. Speaker, may I introduce to the House a friend and neighbour from Point Grey, Mrs. Clara Robbins, who is a former director of Victoria's own crisis centre.

MR. BARNES: Mr. Speaker, I would like to beg leave of the House to associate myself with the introduction put forward by the member for Burnaby North (Mr. Jones) when he introduced his son, Emery Andrew Hart Jones. The remarks he made are certainly ones I would like to be associated with, to welcome his three-month-old son — thereabouts — to the

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Legislature. He certainly has the right name, and I know he'll do well.

MR. VANT: Mr. Speaker, it gives me a great deal of pleasure to introduce two very distinguished gentlemen in the Speaker's gallery. Mr. Tom Mason is the former mayor of Williams Lake. Indeed, he was the mayor of Williams Lake when it first became incorporated as a city, so it would be proper to introduce him as the first mayor of the city of Williams Lake. With him is Mr. Arne Bryan, who is the founder and national director of Prayer Canada, an institution dedicated to upholding in prayer every person throughout Canada who holds public office in every level of government. I know the House will join me in welcoming these two very distinguished gentlemen.

MR. RABBITT: Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to introduce two former colleagues of mine from the great constituency of Yale-Lillooet: the Merritt city administrator, Leo den Boer, and alderman and deputy mayor Tom Newell. Would the House please give them a warm greeting.

Introduction of Bills

SECHELT INDIAN GOVERNMENT
DISTRICT ENABLING ACT

Hon. Mr. Rogers presented a message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Sechelt Indian Government District Enabling Act.

HON. MR. ROGERS: Mr. Speaker, there is a traditional period of about two minutes when I can make some introductory remarks on this particular bill. Members may be aware that a federal act involving the Sechelt Indian band was passed in June of last year. This is concurrent legislation that we have introduced today, which will cover those areas of provincial jurisdiction. The federal law anticipated a complementary provincial legislation, and that's what we're introducing.

Under this bill, British Columbia will recognize the band's council as the governing body and ensure that the various provincial laws that are normally applied to municipal governments apply to their government. The bill also provides for the phasing out, under certain conditions, of provincial taxation of non-Indian Act occupiers of band property in favour of district-imposed taxes to provide local services. It provides for the establishment of an advisory council, to be elected of all residents of the Sechelt lands.

Negotiations are expected to take place with the band in the next few months, and a precise package of municipal benefits and provincial legislation that will apply to the band will be brought forward under this bill.

Bill 4 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.

BOUNDARY ACT

Hon. Mr. Strachan presented a message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Boundary Act.

HON. MR. STRACHAN: Mr. Speaker, this Boundary Act replaces the former Boundary Act of 1979 and is consistent with section 43 of the Canada Constitution Act. The Canada Constitution Act says, in part, in section 43 that any alteration to boundaries between provinces must be made by proclamation issued under the Governor-General's seal of the Great Seal of Canada; as well, by authorization of the legislative assembly of each province to which the amendment applies.

This does not change boundaries, Mr. Speaker; it simply puts into Canada Constitution language our ability to set those boundaries and to resurvey them.

I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now.

Bill 3 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.

DENTISTS AMENDMENT ACT, 1987

Hon. Mr. Dueck presented a message from His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Dentists Amendment Act, 1987.

HON. MR. DUECK: To give a short explanation, Mr. Speaker, this act would make various amendments to the Dentists Act, which empowers the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia to regulate the practice of dentistry in this province. These amendments are the result of full cooperation and consultation between my ministry and the college. The amendments would give the college a wide range of specific rule-making powers to deal with all aspects of administering the Dentists Act; in the current act those powers are derived from the very general provisions.

Bill 2 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.

Oral Questions

WEDEENE RIVER LOGGING LTD.

MR. MILLER: I gave notice of my question to the Minister of Forests earlier this morning. Some three years ago, Wedeene River Logging was given a licence to cut 125,000 cubic metres per year of timber, conditional upon a sawmill being built in Prince Rupert. That mill was supposed to open last year. It didn't. It was supposed to open in February this year. It didn't. Could the minister give me some assurance as to the fact that that mill will open and provide some much needed jobs in Prince Rupert, and that we can begin to process some timber on the north coast instead of exporting it all?

HON. MR. SAVAGE: I'd like to thank the hon. member for Prince Rupert for the extension of the question ahead of time — the courtesy extended to me. Wedeene's forest licence requires that they construct a timber processing facility at Prince Rupert, as you have stated. It also provides for reasonable extension privileges in order to meet this requirement. To date, construction of buildings and installation of whole-log chipper has taken place. Two extensions have been

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granted beyond the original deadline. In the meantime, Wedeene is exporting logs offshore.

The regional manager in the Smithers area has recently advised Wedeene that a processing facility producing lumber and chips must be operational by August 1, 1987, or their licence will be subject to cancellation.

MR. MILLER: Mr. Minister, the fact is that we've passed two significant deadlines, and I wonder if the minister can give any more assurance to this House that we won't pass a third deadline on this project.

HON. MR. SAVAGE: I wish to take that question on notice.

STRATHCONA PARK BOUNDARIES

MR. GABELMANN: I have a question for the Minister of Environment and Parks, notice of which I gave to him in the hallway yesterday. Late in January, cabinet passed and the former minister announced a decision to change park boundaries in six provincial parks. In its recommendations concerning Strathcona Park last year, the Wilderness Advisory Committee recommended that public hearings be conducted prior to any boundary changes. In August of last year the former minister, the now member for Omineca (Mr. Kempf), also promised in a letter to me that public meetings would be held before boundary changes. In September of last year another former minister, the current first member for Dewdney (Mr. Pelton), also promised me in a letter that public hearings would take place prior to boundary changes. In a letter to a member of the Friends of Strathcona Park dated November 18, 1986, the last former minister, the current Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (Hon. Mr. Rogers), also promised that public meetings would take place prior to boundary changes in Strathcona Park. Will the current minister assure this House that prior to implementation of any boundary changes in Strathcona Park public hearings will take place?

HON. MR. STRACHAN: Mr. Speaker, as the member stated, government policy was set with respect to boundaries in the latter part of January. I have not seen fit to change that government policy; the boundaries are set. However, I can advise the House and the member for North Island that there will be a full series of public hearings, beginning in May, regarding management within those established boundaries.

MONEYS UNDER ERDA

MS. EDWARDS: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Culture. It deals with a cultural subagreement to the economic and regional development agreement between Ottawa and the province. As I understand it, there was an agreement in principle that $34 million be made available to the province under this agreement. That was done last summer, Mr. Minister, and as I understand it, that agreement has not yet come to fruition. Will the agreement be signed so that the province of British Columbia will be able to have access to that $34 million?

HON. MR. REID: Inasmuch as the member hadn't consulted me in the hall, I wasn't aware the question was going to be asked. I'll take it on notice.

[2:30]

INDIAN HERITAGE CENTRE

MR. LONG: I would like to ask a question of the Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Culture with regard to an article in the Vancouver Sun which reads: "Native Leaders Spurn Heritage Centre." Is it your intention to proceed with this heritage centre for our first citizens?

HON. MR. REID: To the member for Mackenzie on his first opportunity in the House to ask a good question: the question of a native Indian heritage centre in the province of British Columbia is certainly a high priority within my ministry. I was, to say the least, a bit surprised at the comments made in the media this morning. I don't have it officially, only by transmittal of the newspaper, and that's sometimes not absolutely correct. So I'll wait until I get an official statement that relates to that, because I don't think our ministry intends to withdraw our process of encouraging a native heritage centre in the province of British Columbia.

MR. ROSE: I think that the first time he's heard a good question.... He's entitled to a good answer.

IMPACT OF FREE TRADE ON AGRICULTURE

I have a question for the Minister of Agriculture. It concerns a reference in the Speech from the Throne to free trade and how the government is solidly behind it. I think the minister is well aware that while the government may be lusting after free trade, some of the commodity groups under the umbrella group of the Federation of Agriculture, especially those in supply management, are not quite as enthusiastic. They don't see a net benefit. They see their industry at risk by this. I wonder if the minister has had a chance to do any studies — or have them done — that show a net benefit to B.C. agriculture from free trade. If so, will he table those in the House?

HON. MR. SAVAGE: The question that the hon. member asks is: have we done any studies? A number of studies are under-way relative to agricultural trade as it relates to the bilateral agreements with the United States that we're trying to draft on the tables in Ottawa and Washington. Let me assure you that not only the supply management products.... We have a very grave concern relative to what happens on the trading table to a number of commodities that you referred to. It is very inherent in the discussions that if we put them on the table, even so the hon. Prime Minister of this country has indicated some supply management products or commodities will not be put on the trading table. We are still very cognizant of the fact that the U. S. may well ask that they be put on. So we're very up to speed on what is going on around us, and we're going to be on top of all issues as they relate to either supply management products or those in ordinary commodity trade.

MR. ROSE: Well, I'm really pleased and relieved that the minister is up to speed. But it's interesting to me that the decision to proceed with free trade has been a policy of this government, as announced in the throne speech, before the studies are completed, which is — to use an agricultural expression — putting the cart before the horse, I would think.

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Would the minister assure the House that he will not proceed or pursue the free trade option unless he has full cooperation and agreement from the basic commodity groups that operate in British Columbia?

HON. MR. SAVAGE: Mr. Speaker, I would say no. What we are doing is going through discussions with the commodity groups, as I said to you just a few minutes ago. The program we have to deal with is the time-frame in the trade talks. We will constantly be in contact, through the SAGITs across this country as well as within the province. So that is the procedure we are following.

MR. ROSE: I wonder if the minister would mind repeating that. He said that unless he gets agreement from all commodity groups, he is prepared to go ahead anyway, even without their agreement, or a net benefit. Is that it? The minister nods, but it is hard to get a nod in Hansard.

HON. MR. SAVAGE: I answered no,

LIQUOR POLICY REVIEW

MR. LOVICK: Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Labour and Consumer Services. It is regarding the liquor policy review commission recently announced by that ministry.

We all listened with enthusiasm and eagerness to the throne speech references to open and consultative government. If my memory serves me....

Interjections.

MR. LOVICK: I realize the question may be a little complex, but please bear with me, members opposite. Attention span may be a problem, Mr. Speaker, but I would ask them to please bear with me.

My question concerns whether they will be consistent with the message given in the throne speech, namely to accept good ideas from whatever source and allow the spokesperson on consumer services from the opposition to sit on that committee.

HON. L. HANSON: Mr. Speaker, to the hon. member for Nanaimo, first, the review that is going on is a cooperative review between the two ministries, certainly mine and the Ministry of Finance. But second of all, the committee has already been struck, the agenda has been struck, and we certainly would invite any of the members of the opposition to make submissions to that committee for their consideration.

MR. LOVICK: I'm sorry, Mr. Speaker, but perhaps my question was indeed more complex than I had anticipated, given the answer. What I was asking was simply whether the minister will give us assurances that to be consonant and consistent with the point made in the throne speech they will change the terms of reference for that committee and let an opposition member serve on that committee.

HON. L. HANSON: Mr. Speaker, the commission is already formed, and that is the commission that is going to continue with that process.

DOMAN FOREST PRODUCTS LTD.

MR. WILLIAMS: Mr. Speaker, a question to the acting Minister of Forests. In view of his answer to the member for Prince Rupert (Mr. Miller) on the question of non-performance by Wedeene in the Prince Rupert area, could the minister indicate whether he will take action with respect to the Doman operation? Ten years of non-performance on the central coast is the case in terms of the lack of a pulp mill at Duke Point. Could the minister indicate that similar deadlines and requirements have been made of Mr. Doman?

HON. MR. SAVAGE: Mr. Speaker, I will take that question as notice and bring an answer forward.

MEETING OF FORESTS MINISTERS

MR. WILLIAMS: That's good news, Mr. Speaker. I should have asked the question of the member for Omineca (Mr. Kempf).

A further question of the Minister of Forests, Mr. Speaker. This Monday there was a major meeting of Ministers of Forests in Ottawa with respect to the transfer of the export tax back to the provinces in the form of stumpage — an important meeting. Could the minister explain to the House why his meeting in Delta was of higher priority than the meeting in Ottawa?

MAN IN MOTION CAMPAIGN

MR. MOWAT: Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation and Highways. As we know, Rick Hansen, who has been traveling around the world, will be entering British Columbia on approximately March 20, and I'm wondering what provisions the minister has made to ensure that there will be safe, clean highways for Mr. Hansen when he comes in at the Alberta border.

HON. MR. MICHAEL: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question, and I can assure him and all members of the House and all residents in the province that a directive has gone out to senior staff in all regions in which Rick Hansen will be traveling to keep the road both clear of snow and sand and gravel.

Presenting Reports

Hon. Mr. Couvelier tabled the 1986 Assessment Appeal Board annual report; the B.C. Educational Institutions Capital Financing Authority financial statements and auditor's report for the year ending March 31, 1986; the B.C. Housing and Employment Development Financing Authority financial statements and auditor's report for the year ending March 31, 1986; a statement detailing the amounts remitted or refunded under section 23(l)(2) and 23(l)(3) of the Taxation (Rural Area) Act; the annual report of the liquor distribution branch for the period ending March 31, 1986.

Hon. L. Hanson tabled the annual report of the Labour Relations Board of British Columbia for the year 1986.

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Orders of the Day

SPEECH FROM THE THRONE
(continued debate)

MR. MERCIER: Mr. Speaker, just prior to the adjournment of debate yesterday I said that in comparison with most parts of the world, our government services are tops. It is a fact that the people of this province have, for most of the past 34 years, elected Social Credit governments. Consequently and notwithstanding opposition claims to the contrary, the vast majority of excellent legislation for providing health, education and social services for our people was developed and passed by Social Credit governments. Our Premier has said in the throne speech that this government shall continue that excellent record.

With the upward swing of forestry, mining and other resource industry products, we can increase the funding of the previously mentioned ministries and programs. We know there is, in everything we do, room for improvement, but by comparison with the vast majority of countries in the world we will be fine-tuning excellence. It is a challenge that we remain at the forefront amongst the developed nations, a challenge this government shall meet.

The greater challenge will be met in the area of encouraging the manufacture of export products for sale at a profit to world markets. We will also encourage the manufacture of products directed at reducing imports to retain that spending in our province. This government believes that management and labour in British Columbia have the ability and the resolve to increase productivity and wealth. The government is determined to provide the stability and services required to assist those objectives. For instance, the government can assist producers by coordinating the promotion of British Columbia products in a specific market, such as California, whose purchasing power is immense and whose 1984 gross national product has been quoted as ranking just behind Great Britain and seventh in the world, compared to Canada's gross national product which ranked tenth in the world. Therefore one of the largest markets in the world lies just a long drive to our south.

The social, health, education and similar programs in place are dearly valued by myself and our Social Credit government members. With respect to projects that have become of special interest to me in Burnaby-Edmonds, there are cooperative programs with the Burnaby Association for the Mentally Handicapped, housing and community centres for seniors, programs for the learning disabled, the Kenneth Gordon School for dyslexic children, the continuing expansion of hospital services at the Royal Columbian Hospital, and extended care facilities in the lower mainland. All of these and many others are receiving and will continue to receive the enthusiastic financial support of our government. I am pleased the throne speech indicated even greater support for independent schools in our community such as Kenneth Gordon School.

[2:45]

While we talk of economic matters, it is clear the objects of our affection and the sole reason for developing the provincial wealth is to support this government's social programs I have mentioned. Apart from maintaining law and order, why else would we be here? It was the enthusiasm of the Premier that drew me from a five-year retirement from politics to want to serve with him and the Social Credit members in this House.

Everything is fresh and new, especially to those of us who are rookies. We feel we have the potential to do well. We have an excellent team in place to accomplish the tasks ahead. Like the formula for most winning teams, it will be the extraordinary effort by individual members of the team, coupled with outstanding leadership, that will result in achievement of the goals that have been set by the Premier in the throne speech.

The opposition has claimed that only they understand or are concerned about youth unemployment, welfare recipients and the poor. That is not so. The Social Credit governments of the past have an impressive record with respect to programs to help those in need. Those Social Credit policies have been endorsed, as the opposition must surely notice, by the resounding victory of the Social Credit Party at the polls October 22 last. As indicated by the Premier in the throne speech, this government intends to continue and increase assistance to those in need.

I have interest in certain of the programs, based on past personal experience. Firstly, my mother as a single parent many years ago required and received government assistance to raise her young family of three children that was helpful and appreciated. I am happy, therefore, that the throne speech has announced greater assistance for single-parent families. I know that it is an important program. Secondly, when my friends and I graduated from high school in 1957, it was just in time to be part of the unemployed youth in the recession which I recall lasted for a few years after 1957. We have heard in the throne speech that the youth today have every reason to be optimistic. The youth today can go on with diligence and hard work to achieve their goals. The government has, in the throne speech, set a positive scene for our youth to move ahead, with a particular emphasis on reward for individual initiative,

With respect to earlier opposition comments regarding multiculturalism and the ethnic communities, let me say that our Social Credit government will treat every resident in our great province with great respect, and in every respect equally.

In conclusion I wish to again thank the constituents of Burnaby-Edmonds for electing me to serve them. I also wish to share some closing thoughts with you. It has been currently reported that a significant archaeological find has been made in British Columbia which provides evidence of visitors, perhaps from New Mexico, hunting mammoth and bison in northeastern British Columbia perhaps 100,000 years ago. As an aside, I would guess that those hunters must have been our first tourists.

Nevertheless, that historical find makes our allotted time for service seem insignificant. In terms of the life of this province we have only a minute time to make our contribution, but we must do what we can to make a better life. There are indications that we are on the threshold of improved opportunities. It is our responsibility to grasp those opportunities and properly manage them. I don't, and I'm sure many in this House don't, expect to be considered a great person for having the privilege of serving, but I do hope the service we all provide will make British Columbia an even greater place to live. That is the objective of our Premier and this government.

Thank you to the members for permitting me the opportunity to speak my thoughts in this House.

[ Page 52 ]

MR. JONES: I would first of all like all members present to know how very proud I am to be replying to the throne speech here today. It's an opportunity to tell you some of the brief political history of my riding, some of the problems that my constituents face and some of the problems that we share with the rest of the province.

I'm very proud also to speak in this chamber, with its long traditions and history in our democratic system. I'm proud to be here too with my colleagues, who belong to a party that also has long history and traditions of fairness, equality, social justice, honesty and integrity.

But I'm most proud to be here representing the citizens of North Burnaby — all the citizens of North Burnaby — and serving those people. I want to assure them that I'm going to do everything possible in my power to serve them well. North Burnaby is the community that I grew up in, that I've lived in for 40 years, and I hope to continue to live in it and raise my family there.

I'm very proud as well, Mr. Speaker, to follow in the footsteps of a most significant British Columbian, who coincidentally, like me, was a schoolteacher and a school trustee prior to becoming the MLA for Burnaby North. I'm speaking, of course, of Eileen Dailly, who served Burnaby in elected office for over 30 years. She was our MLA since the inception of that riding in 1966. She was elected at a time when the political and economic opportunities for women were much less than they even are today. In six elections as a New Democrat, she was deemed to be the best choice to speak on behalf of the citizens of North Burnaby.

In addition to her long record of service and electoral success, she will also be remembered as Minister of Education and Deputy Premier, serving as Premier in the absence of Dave Barrett. I've had the opportunity on a number of occasions to review the record of Mrs. Dailly as Minister of Education. I'm always amazed when I do at the tremendous amount that was accomplished in such a short period of time.

I would like to take this opportunity to share some of those accomplishments with this House. Mrs. Dailly and her New Democratic colleagues, in their desire to increase the individual attention for students in this province, reduced the pupil-teacher ratio from one of the worst in Canada to one of the best. Unfortunately, because of the cutbacks in the last five years, we've seen that PTR slide back to one of the worst again.

She restored collective bargaining rights and automatic membership in the BCTF for teachers, and this reduced the tremendous amount of confrontation that existed prior to 1972. But sadly, we see the collective bargaining clock rolled back again. Now, thanks to the review of the Minister of Labour (Hon. L. Hanson) and the agreement of trustees and teachers around this province, the government has a great opportunity to bring some sanity back to the collective bargaining system.

Eileen Dailly removed operating and capital referenda, the construction freeze and budget restrictions that were tremendous barriers to the appropriate funding of education in this province. But here too we see the clock being rolled back, with an arbitrary over centralized budget process in Victoria. As minister, she increased local autonomy to school boards in allowing them to hire local superintendents, to have local choice of textbooks and to introduce locally developed courses for the students.

Mrs. Dailly and her New Democratic Party government assumed 100 percent of the capital costs for community colleges and provided for the introduction of colleges in all regions of this province. They were colleges that had board members who were locally elected. This is a structure, I would suggest, Mr. Speaker, that a government interested in decentralization would definitely reintroduce.

She introduced new programs of financial assistance for post-secondary students. This increased the access of students, their ability to attend post-secondary institutions, and it also prevented the tremendous debt load we see students facing today. Unfortunately, those grants were eliminated in 1984, and I hope the Minister of Advanced Education (Hon. Mr. Hagen) listens to the pleas of those students and reinstitutes that program for all post-secondary students.

[Mr. Pelton in the chair.]

As well, as Minister of Education Mrs. Dailly enhanced the public school system of education by encouraging alternatives within the system to meet the tremendous variety of needs that our students have. She restructured the boards of governors of universities around this province to make them more democratic by introducing student and faculty representation on those boards.

Mr. Speaker, she also established the Universities Council of B.C. In order to depoliticize and decentralize decisionmaking in the planning and funding of our universities. This government has seen fit to abolish that without any meaningful consultation, and I'm sure the university presidents in this province are unhappy to have their job descriptions changed so they now include lobbying the minister for funds.

As Minister of Education she provided increased assistance in many areas: in work-study and work-experience programs, in libraries for students with learning disabilities and for native Indian children. The list goes on and on and includes so many things that we take for granted now and are proud of in our school system.

But there are three other areas where I think Mrs. Dailly showed the greatest vision and the greatest leadership in her role as Minister of Education. One is the establishment of the first native Indian school district in this province, the Nisgha School District. This was a great advance in the education of our native Indian children, and it is a travesty that so little has been done since 1975 to meet the needs of native Indian children.

Another provision Mrs. Dailly allowed for was the provision of kindergarten to all five-year-olds around this province as a regular part of the school system.

Thirdly, Mr. Speaker, one of the greatest accomplishments of Mrs. Dailly was the abolition of corporal punishment in our school systems to remove violence from that system. This was an outstanding record of achievement in her three years as minister, the kind of record that a government can achieve when it cares about education, when it views it as an investment in the future of our children and an investment in the future of our province. She believed in an education system that was humanistic, universally accessible and responsive to the needs of all people in society, and I know all members will join me in wishing her well in her retirement. She kept the public in the public system, she put the community in the community colleges, she made universities accessible to all people in British Columbia, and will be remembered as the best Minister of Education this province ever had.

[ Page 53 ]

Mrs. Dailly represented Burnaby North well, and it's such an attractive riding to represent. Rich in its ethnic and cultural diversity, nestled by the North Shore and Burrard Inlet between Vancouver and Coquitlam, it has dramatic geographical features like Capitol Hill and Burnaby Mountain, home to Simon Fraser University and my home.

But it is not a riding without its problems. The topography that I just mentioned makes it particularly prone to air pollution. This is a serious problem in North Burnaby, because we are home to the petroleum industry. Within the last year, residents in my community were exposed to an explosion at one refinery; at another, to a malfunction in a catalytic cracker that spewed white dust in a large area of the riding; and experienced serious discomfort in the cleaning of some storage tanks. All of this was followed by a summer of extreme discomfort due to the loading of sour crude at the Westridge terminal in Burrard Inlet. Oil spills in Burrard Inlet also kill birds and foul the water that I swam in as a child. In addition, there is a serious potential health danger due to the ozone created by nitrous oxides emitted by the Burrard thermal plant,

[3:00]

I raise this, Mr. Speaker, in the expectation that the Minister of Environment (Hon. Mr. Strachan) and the Minister of Municipal Affairs (Hon. Mrs. Johnston) will institute stricter standards in this province and more rigorous monitoring methods and enforcement of pollution permits. Let's forget all this business about getting the government off the backs of industry; let's adopt a pro quality-of-life attitude on the environment in this province and follow Ontario's lead in cracking down on polluters.

I would like to raise two other concerns on behalf of my constituents, one of health care and one of traffic congestion. The Minister of Health recently visited the Burnaby hospital, and I commend him for that; but I doubt he heard many of the concerns of ordinary citizens which they have expressed to me. For example, when the minister viewed new equipment at the hospital, like the CAT scanner, was he told that no new staff was hired to operate this new equipment? Was he told that it appears there are adequate numbers of management staff, but that the hospital is tremendously understaffed in terms of nurses? Was he told that in the last six months five head nurses have quit due to the heavy workload, a heavy workload that sadly has produced documented cases of errors in dispensing of medication? I doubt the minister was told of many of the shortages in some of the basic necessities of the hospital, such as pillows and pyjama bottoms. I'm sure the minister wants to do a good job in his portfolio, and I'm hopeful he'll look into those shortcomings and see that they're rectified.

I would like too, on behalf of my constituents, to ask the Minister of Transportation and Highways (Hon. Mr. Michael) to end the disruption of our quiet neighbourhoods in North Burnaby by commuter traffic. The municipality of Burnaby has done all they can to deal with this problem, but the minister's predecessor dragged his feet on one possible solution: that is, the implementation of the Cassiar connector, one of the busiest intersections in Canada. I look forward to working with the new minister to expedite these solutions and to find ways somehow to solve the congestion of the freeway north of the Port Mann Bridge, one of the longest parking lots in this country. He should also look into completing the improvements starting on Hastings Street so that they go right through to Sperling Avenue.

Also, the minister and his government should be more creative and look at less expensive solutions, such as implementing a commuter rail system on the CPR line along the Burrard Inlet. I know that Mr. Rose has raised this matter in the past. I look forward to a fresh start from this government and will be pursuing this matter in the future.

The residents in my community pay among the highest property taxes in this province, and they should not have to put up with the danger and the pollution that reduces their quality of life. Nor should my constituents have to put up with the tremendous problems of commuter traffic cutting through their neighbourhoods, when it's within the power of this government to rectify those matters.

Mr. Speaker, I'm sure all members see daily in their constituency offices the tremendous number of British Columbians who are hurting today: the unemployed, the poor and the elderly. However, a number of constituents that I'm concerned about are not elderly; in fact, they're not even old enough yet to vote, particularly in this province with a voting age of 19. You know, we all value, in our families and in our personal lives, the young people, but when we extrapolate this caring in our families to the province, what do we see? We see that we ignore the need for improved day care; we cut back on our school system; and we make it more difficult for the young to participate in our post-secondary education system.

Because of past government policy, Mr. Speaker, it appears that British Columbians value their children less than other provinces in Canada. I believe all of us want to see as much individual attention as possible for our children in school. I think we might agree that a number like 25 might be a reasonable expectation for a classroom in British Columbia. Can you imagine 25 young people in your living room, trying to have them accomplish some task? And yet the secondary school not two blocks from my constituency office has 80 percent of their English classes with over 25 students. That's over 1,400 students not getting the individual attention they need in their English class. Over half of the social studies classes in that school have over 30 students. The history and consumer education classes have as many as 37 and 38 students, and teachers teach as many as 247 students.

The first member for Vancouver-Point Grey (Ms. Campbell) was right on when she said recently that education isn't consumption funding; it's investment funding. The government will get the money back from increased taxation that will flow from extra industry and commerce. This is an investment in our future leaders, an investment in our pool of skilled labour for industry and an investment in the people we will be relying on in the future to keep us in our old age.

There is, as well, Mr. Speaker, a tremendous shortage of availability of vocational programs for the mentally handicapped in North Burnaby. As institutions such as Woodlands are closed, replacement services must be made available in the community. This is a serious matter, and I have written the minister, as has the Mayor of Burnaby, and I expect that my colleague from Burnaby-Edmonds has as well. And I hope our pleas in this matter are not falling on deaf ears.

There are other serious matters affecting young people in my riding. Simon Fraser students are suffering in many ways. Enrolment is increasing at a tremendous rate, and unfortunately the university's funding is not increasing at a commensurate rate. There is a tremendous overcrowding, with some classes having over 400 students in them. The university appears to be looking into land development as a

[ Page 54 ]

method of paying for much-needed facilities on campus. The board of governors has just increased student fees, which were already among the highest in Canada.

The economic plight of students is so serious that some of these young people are living in tents in the woods in Burnaby Mountains and are using the food bank. Mr. Speaker, these students are merely trying to better themselves and better this province, and they're forced to assume staggering debt loads of between $10,000 and $13,000. One in five new cases handled by the debtor assistance program involves student loans. This is a disgraceful way to treat those people we will be relying on for leadership in the future. The president of that university is quoted as saying that if we are to remain a highly accessible university, then we really have to get planning and funding commitments from the provincial government. It's my hope that these commitments, as indicated in the throne speech, will be forthcoming in a significant way.

I believe that even more critical than those students in school are those young people who have fallen through the cracks. Although my district of Burnaby does a good job in prevention and retention, in this province in 1985 there were 250,000 young people between 13 and 18 — 14,000 of these dropped out of school and 8,600 failed to complete grade 12. We know many of these young people came from homes that could be characterized by adjectives like "poor," "welfare," "non-stable," "non-supportive," "minority," "single-parent" and "native Indian." They are parents who in general are not active in lobbying government for their children, because many of them are too busy trying to put food on the table. But we know that every year 10,000 of these teenagers are charged with crimes; 9,500 run away from home; 5,000 attempt suicide; and 12,000 are injured in car accidents, often where alcohol is involved — and this figure is going to be much higher if this government decides to sell liquor privately in grocery stores. We also know, sadly, that 200 of these youngsters die.

Each youngster who drops out of school costs us approximately $200,000 in lost taxes and social services. It's about time we began to practise preventive medicine. We can educate ten young people for the price of keeping one in jail. The throne speech was shockingly silent on the problems of youth in B.C. today. Nor does that speech indicate any intention to replace the thousands of staff who worked with young people in education and in social services. These are staff who were dismissed in the last couple of years and are much needed today, Mr. Speaker.

Nor is there any attempt being made to seriously address the problems of youth employment. It is incredible that in the province of British Columbia we can accept an official unemployment rate for young males between 15 and 24 of 27 percent and, I submit, a real unemployment rate for youngsters between 15 and 17 of 70 percent. When youth unemployment in Ontario hit 14.7 percent — half of what we see in British Columbia today — Ontario recognized the gravity of that situation and decided to focus on youth unemployment by increasing expenditures, introducing new youth-in-training programs and creating a new position, the Ontario youth commissioner. They appointed Ken Dryden to that position, to coordinate and oversee these and other youth programs. We need to follow Ontario's example and stop the exodus of our young people from this province.

We know these young people, Mr. Speaker. They are the last hired and the first fired; they can't get a job without experience and they can't get experience without a job. They have the energy and they have the enthusiasm. They have been asked since they were very, very young: "What are you going to do when you grow up?" Their self-esteem, their self-worth and their attitude to society is on the line, and the future well-being of this province is on the line. Last year the Leader of the Opposition proposed to this House a constructive alternative, the youth guarantee. It was not a radical proposal; it was not a proposal that had not been done successfully in other jurisdictions. This is the kind of proposal that this government should adopt to get young people back on track again in this province. If we do one thing in this session, let's do that. Let's begin to get the young people back on track. Let's give them some hope — some hope that they are not worthless and useless, some hope that there are avenues for them to take their place in society.

Mr. Speaker, we have a great opportunity in this session to address the problems of young people in and out of our school system; a great opportunity to improve our education system, as Eileen Dailly did; a great opportunity to address the multicultural nature of this province; and a great opportunity to solve some of our urban problems, such as traffic congestion and pollution. I want to believe that there is a new spirit of cooperation in this House and a political will to tackle some of these problems. But frankly, Mr. Speaker, in these important areas I see little hope for British Columbians in this throne speech.

[3:15]

DEPUTY SPEAKER: Just before we proceed, hon. members, I would like to bring something to your attention.

Over the past couple of days on a number of occasions references have been made to sitting members of this House by name. This is something we do not do; we do not refer to sitting members by name in this House. I am not meaning to chastise anybody. But I can recall very clearly, as if it were only yesterday, the first time that I stood to say something in this House and how nervous one is. So this is just a general reminder that we just don't do that in the House. If you would be really interested as to one of the reasons why, you might one day take a look at standing orders 19 and 20. Now we will continue with the address and reply.

MR. MESSMER: Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of pride and honour that I rise to speak to this House today.

As a newly elected member for the constituency of Boundary-Similkameen, I know that all of us who are here today on both sides of the room have come to listen, to learn, to work and to do the very best for British Columbia and its people. I would like to extend my greetings to all members of this distinguished assembly. Let me begin, Mr. Speaker, by congratulating you on your election as Speaker of the House. I would also like to extend those wishes to the first member for Dewdney (Mr. Pelton) on his election to the position of Deputy Speaker.

This is indeed a day for respect and gratitude, an opportunity to commend those individuals who have worked so hard so that we could be here today. First, I would like to thank my constituents, the people of Boundary-Similkameen, for supporting me and for entrusting me with the responsibility of representing them in this House. I want to assure them that this is indeed a responsibility I assume with great pleasure and dedication.

[ Page 55 ]

I want to thank my colleague, the first member for Boundary-Similkameen (Mr. Hewitt) and to congratulate him on his re-election. I was proud to have served as his campaign chairman during the 1975 election when he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly. The first member for Boundary-Similkameen has earned an excellent reputation in our constituency, and we will continue to work together to give our constituents the best representation possible.

To my tireless campaign workers and to my ever-patient and supportive family and friends, I also say thank you. In fact, none of us would be here today without the support of our friends and neighbours, our constituents and the people of British Columbia. The people of British Columbia have very clearly expressed confidence in our Social Credit government's pledge of a strong, positive future for B.C. Our citizens believe in and want the fresh start for British Columbia to which our Premier is committed.

This brings me to a most important point, Mr. Speaker. I want to congratulate our Premier for the strong mandate which British Columbians have given him and our Social Credit government. His strong leadership is providing all British Columbians with a renewed confidence in the future of this vast and great province.

[Mrs. Gran in the chair.]

I am very proud to live in and represent the Boundary Similkameen. The riding covers 13,246 square kilometres, from Summerland in the north to the American border and from Hedley in the west to Christina Lake in the east. It is a riding with a diversified economy as well as a diverse landscape. In the Okanagan Valley the major industries are tourism, agriculture and forestry. In the Hedley, Grand Forks, Greenwood and Midway area, the forest industry, mining and agriculture predominate.

Boundary-Similkameen is one of the major tourist areas in British Columbia, which we fondly refer to as the Hawaii of Canada. Tourism plays a very major role in our economy. We offer year-round playgrounds. Apex near Penticton and Mount Baldy near Oliver offer excellent skiing in the winter. The warm spring temperatures and the outstanding displays of blossoms delight visitors in the spring. The summer offers endless sunshine, inviting warm lakes, ripe fruit and numerous community and cultural events. The fall offers ripe apples and exciting fall colours — truly Utopia.

I would like to encourage all of you to take in some of the exciting community events which take place throughout the year. Keremeos, the fruit-stand capital of British Columbia, has the Keremeos Rodeo. Osoyoos offers the Cherry Festival. Oliver welcomes you to its Oliver Fairview Days celebration; there's also the Rock Creek Fair and the Summerland Action Festival. Penticton offers the Peach Festival, the Iron Man Canada triathlon and the Square Dance Jamboree, where people come from all around the world to square dance in the streets, at the convention centre and of course in the lake.

The Okanagan Summer School of the Arts is an established institution which also draws people to our area during the summer. Grand Forks and Greenwood will be hosting special events this year as they celebrate their ninetieth birthday. Of course, we should not forget that Christina Lake near Grand Forks is an excellent resort and one of the finest lakes in British Columbia. While we have many excellent golf courses in our area, Christina Lake's new 18-hole course is one which is a must to play on your tour.

All of the communities which I have mentioned above have hundreds of events going on during the summertime. I would like to point out that all of the events that I have mentioned are produced by volunteers in cooperation with Tourism and the private enterprise operations within Boundary-Similkameen.

I am very pleased that the Ministry of Tourism is promoting Boundary-Similkameen in a number of advertising campaigns, including the "Inside B.C." advertisements, which encourage home-made vacations and a number of circle tours such as the Valley Vineyard Tour, the Kettle Valley Railroad Tour and the Border Circle Tour.

The Peach Bowl in Penticton has been a major attraction for conventions and host for large local gatherings since it was first built in 1967 by the taxpayers of the city. The people of Penticton were very pleased to have received an Expo 86 legacy grant which will enable the Peach Bowl to be doubled in size during the 1987 year.

When the project is completed, Penticton will have the second-largest convention centre in the province next to Vancouver, but we will continue to be number one in hospitality. The enlarged convention centre will be able to attract more conventions, which will, in turn, benefit the economy of our whole constituency. Expo legacy grants are also assisting in other communities in Boundary-Similkameen, and we take pride in having people at the local community level working with the provincial government to make these projects possible.

We have just experienced the results of the greatest invitation ever made to visit British Columbia — Expo 86, a successful world's fair that invited the world to our doorstep. I want at this time to offer my congratulations to those who were involved, and especially to the government of the day. The majority of our summer tourists come from the lower mainland, and many stayed home to see Expo and to host their own visitors. I am sure that this summer all of our usual visitors from the lower mainland will return to Boundary Similkameen, and they will be joined by many from the United States and other parts of Canada who will come to experience a little more of our B.C. hospitality.

I urge the Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Culture (Hon. Mr. Reid) to continue his fine work in our area, and I look forward to working with the minister to promote the Okanagan-Boundary area and to invite tourists to the greatest holiday adventure that they have enjoyed since Expo. As I have already mentioned, agriculture is one of the major industries in our riding and also one of the reasons tourists are drawn to our area. Boundary-Similkameen is blessed with the warmest, driest climate in British Columbia, and the conditions are ideal for the early crops of vegetables, tree fruits and grapes, as well as cattle ranching.

Our agriculture potential was realized as early as 1863, when apple trees were planted by Father Pandosy at the Okanagan Mission, and by the turn of the century private orchards were bearing fruit on ranches scattered throughout the valley. These early settlers quickly dubbed the Okanagan "the California of Canada" and formed new communities with names like Summerland and Peachland. We produce an enviable supply of quality ground crops, including potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons and corn. Vineyards from Osoyoos to Naramata produce some of the finest table grapes available for fresh market and supply top-quality grapes to

[ Page 56 ]

our wineries. We are quickly becoming known and recognized as the Napa Valley of Canada. I'm sure that all of you are familiar with the fine-quality wines produced by wineries in Boundary-Similkameen, and I would like to remind you of the Okanagan Wine Festival, which will take place from October 2 to October 16 this year.

I'm also very pleased that the American Bus Association has recognized the Okanagan Wine Festival as one of the top 100 events in North America for 1987. I would encourage all of you to attend the wine festival or to enjoy a wine-tasting tour of our wineries and sample some of the award-winning products produced right here in our province.

From the day in late June when the first cherries are picked for market in Osoyoos, to the time when the last apples are picked from the trees in October, the orchards provide fresh fruits for our markets, jobs for our constituents and a lure for our tourists. People often mistakenly think of orchardists as working only during the summer months, but I appreciate their hard work throughout the year, from pruning during the winter, fruit-thinning during the spring and cleanup during the fall.

I want to say loud and clear that the farmers of this province: are hard-working individuals who make an outstanding contribution to this province, and they deserve our support.

The decision this February by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (Hon. Mr. Savage) to increase the maximum limit of agricultural land development assistance program loans was good news for the farmers of Boundary-Similkameen. Farming is an expensive proposition. To produce a good-quality product, farmers must constantly rejuvenate plant stock, make improvements to their land and keep up with technological innovations. The increased ALDA loans will enable many farmers to undertake a broad range of projects which they may not have been able to afford, including the development of a farm water supply, upgrading and replacement of existing irrigation and drainage systems, orchard replanting, grapevine removal, improvements on Crown range land, manure storage reservoirs and single enterprise floriculture and nursery operations.

I intend to work with the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries to pursue new markets for agricultural products produced in our valley, and to develop and encourage new products. I applaud programs such as the food industry development program, which encourages the use of B.C. produce and food products in restaurants, hospitals and other institutions, and which encourages the expansion of food-processing capacity in the province.

I am pleased that plans are already underway for Food Pacific '88. Thanks to our government's efforts, Canada's first international trade show on food — Food Pacific '86 — was a tremendous success with over 13,000 registered trade visitors representing more than 60 countries as exhibitors, buyers or guests. Food Pacific '86 opened up new markets for agricultural products, improved trade relations and provided a boost of more than $122 million to the economic output of Canada.

The retirement industry plays a very important role in the South Okanagan, Mr. Speaker. Our area is often referred to as one of the finest places in Canada for retirement, due to the dry, warm climate, excellent retirement centres, affordable housing and top-quality hospital facilities. I believe that our constituency has one of the highest percentages of retired people in British Columbia. The 1981 census figures show that the provincial average percentage of the population aged 60 or over is 15.25, compared with 40 percent of the population in Oliver, 31 percent in Osoyoos, 34 percent in Keremeos, 23 percent in Grand Forks and Greenwood, and 25 percent in Penticton.

[3:30]

I appreciate the role our senior citizens have played in building this province, and I am proud to be part of a government which is committed to enhancing the independence, health, and well-being of B.C.'s senior citizens. This January, I was very pleased to announce that the Haven Hill Retirement Centre in Penticton will receive $350,000 to cover 50 percent of the cost of upgrading the 76 beds to current intermediate-care standards. This kind of cooperation between the government and private enterprise will ensure that we meet the housing needs of our senior citizens, whether they require long- or short-term care.

I've just mentioned that the excellent medical services offered in Boundary-Similkameen are one of the reasons the area is considered a retirement haven. I'm very pleased that health care continues to be our government's number one priority — that we are committed to preserving B.C.'s medicare system and to ensuring that every British Columbian, regardless of income and geographic location, has access to medical treatment. I support the Minister of Health's decision to discontinue hospital user fees for acute care as of March 31. The well-being of our seniors in long-term care will also continue to be protected. Our province provides excellent extended and long-term care facilities which are second to none in Canada.

While we are on the subject of health care, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a few words about a subject dear to the heart of my constituents: locating the province's proposed third full-service cancer clinic in Penticton. In 1985 the Ministry of Health asked for submissions on locations for the establishment of a cancer clinic outside of the Vancouver area. As mayor of Penticton at the time, I was pleased to work with the Penticton Regional Hospital in presenting the province with a brief entitled "Penticton as a Site for the Third Full-Service Clinic in the Province of British Columbia." We believe, because of the environmental concerns within our valley, and it's a very tight valley, with a shortage of available land, that this project is ideal for our riding and could become a major economic boost to the stabilization of our economy. Due to better cancer recognition and diagnosis and better overall treatment, as well as an aging population, there are increasing numbers of people requiring cancer therapy. Penticton's "Third Full-Service Cancer Clinic" committee has shown that this clinic would serve 500,000 people in the interior of British Columbia. The clinic would also attract the Canadian Red Cross blood donor depot and the blood-storage facility.

The city of Penticton and the Penticton Hospital Society jointly own 2.7 acres of land designated for medical use which is located next to the hospital. They are prepared to offer this land, with an appraised value of $355,000 in 1985, to the Cancer Control Agency of British Columbia for the purchase price of $1. This project would provide needed jobs for the people of Boundary-Similkameen, as well as providing a needed service to the people of the interior without requiring them to travel to Vancouver or Victoria. I intend to work hard to ensure that when plans go ahead to build a third cancer clinic, the Minister of Health will give Penticton's proposal his full consideration.

[ Page 57 ]

Mr. Speaker, I consider our educational system to be second in importance to health. Our government has a fine record for providing all British Columbians with the opportunity for acquiring a quality education and developing their individual potential to the fullest.

I support our Premier's decision to combine all educational training and employment programs under the newly formed Ministry of Advanced Education and Job Training. I believe I speak for my constituents when I say how pleased I am that the provincial government has been able to provide the necessary funding for a permanent campus in Penticton. The Minister of Advanced Education and Job Training (Hon. Mr. Hagen) announced in December 1986 that approval had been given for the planning of a new $2.5 million campus. The new campus will enable the college to expand and improve its services to the community.

Although my riding is served by Okanagan College, it is still difficult for some of my constituents to attend a postsecondary institution on a full-time basis. I would like to commend the government for their foresight in creating the Open Learning Institute in 1979 and the Knowledge Network in 1980. By bringing quality education into the home, every British Columbian can now reach their educational goals.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the Premier for his efforts to foster a spirit of cooperation and consultation in our province. The Premier has personally demonstrated his commitment to a new spirit of openness and frankness in government through his monthly open-line shows, his series of town meetings, his Vancouver meeting with 400 local government representatives in January, his efforts to improve relations with the official opposition and by remaining accessible to the public and the media.

I would also like to commend the government for taking the consultation process to the local level. Examples include: the recent hearing into the Labour Code amendments; the first provincial-municipal committee on decentralization; and the formation of a Cabinet Committee on Native Affairs.

I am very pleased to see the concept of decentralization of government being discussed. The Premier's Conference on Decentralization which took place in Vancouver this January resulted in the formation of a joint provincial-municipal committee on decentralization. I agree with the Premier's view that greater local autonomy and efficiency will result from this sort of consultative process. Having been the mayor of Penticton for six years, I found that local governments with local employees are able to fulfil the needs of the public and still work on a balanced budget, even during difficult economic periods. I believe that matters such as taxation are best handled at the local level, and I applaud the efforts to decentralize government.

I would also like to express my support to the Minister of Labour (Hon. L. Hanson) for taking the issue of Labour Code changes to the people through a series of hearings in January and February. The fact that hundreds of briefs were received from business, labour and other interests demonstrates the interest throughout our province in creating a positive labour climate. I feel that the review of labour legislation which is taking place is a positive step toward resolving one of the most important issues facing our government. By involving labour, employers and the public, we can work out an effective way to reduce the number of strikes and lockouts in our province and to shorten the duration of conflicts when they occur. It is senseless to have long crippling labour disputes which directly hurt the people forced to walk the picket line, their families and their employer. It is not just those directly involved in a labour dispute who suffer. The community often suffers, particularly small business, who may be forced into bankruptcy, and the province suffers because investor confidence is affected.

Single industry communities, such as Midway in our constituency, which depend almost solely on the forest industry for employment, will take many years to recover from the latest labour conflict. If we are to establish ourselves as a place to do business, then we must improve our labour climate in order to bring continued labour peace to British Columbia. We must work together to create a positive investment climate and tell the world that our province is the place to do business.

We must work together to create a positive future for British Columbians. The Minister of Labour will be introducing changes to the Labour Code during this session. I strongly urge all Members of the Legislature to support changes that will allow us to have a stable workforce.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I believe in a strong economic future for our province under the leadership of our Premier. I support the efforts being made to bring industry, labour and all levels of government together in order to create jobs and further economic development. I look forward to my new duties as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. I believe my most important duty is to serve the people of Boundary-Similkameen responsibly and effectively. I promise my constituents that I will do my best to fulfil that mandate. My remarks have addressed just some of their concerns. I am looking forward to the opportunity to address the hon. members of this House again.

MS. MARZARI: Madam Speaker, may I be the very first person to congratulate the very first woman Deputy Speaker in this province. It changes my speech around quite substantially.

In examining the throne speech I find myself turning to its intended purpose in an effort to rescue that venerable ritual from being reduced to mere rote. It is customary that the throne speech is a general and not especially detailed statement by the government of its aspirations, its directions and, in perhaps even broader terms, its legislative plans for the people of British Columbia in the months to come. The danger, of course, is that such a discourse can easily degenerate into vagueness, vacuous good wishes and florid rhetorical flourishes. In fact, Madam Speaker, as you know, it is almost a part of the tradition that the opposition criticizes the throne speech for its impossible vagaries, its failure to provide a detailed plan to save us from ourselves, and its stubborn refusal to immediately table an easily debated legislative package.

The throne speech ought to be a statement of the government's general philosophical positions and how they apply in the present and medium terms to the real problems faced by the people of British Columbia. We should be able to look to the throne speech, and subsequently to the budget speech and the legislative package, to spell out at first, and increasingly in concrete proposals, how we will go about providing opportunities in British Columbia at a time when more than 200,000 of us are unemployed and less than two out of ten of our young people are enrolled in advanced education. We seek from this procedure reassurances of security for British Columbians in a period when the use of the term "recovery" as applied to the economy has become a parody of reality.

[ Page 58 ]

Our concern encompasses the protection and disposition of our resources and lands. Equally, it addresses the quality of individual and family life as expressed in policies that ensure care of our children as well as guard our dignity as we grow older. Thirdly, we expect from these proceedings a clear demonstration of the commitment to integrity in public life and public institutions.

It is the task of the opposition to indicate those areas where we find ourselves in philosophical agreement with the directions charted by the throne speech, and where consequently the government can expect cooperation in the passage of legislation. Equally, it's our duty to signal areas of philosophical disagreement and to offer good reasons to our hon. colleagues and to the people of British Columbia for our differences. This opposition will go further, Madam Speaker. It will, as it develops its own legislative agenda, be presenting positive directions to the House.

[3:45]

There is a tendency on the part of politicians to want to bypass fundamental intellectual work in favour of attending to the more pressing or more spectacular issues of the day. Our collective failure to debate fundamental principles, I believe, accounts for much of our present situation — whether we're talking about the precarious fiscal state of northeast coal, the crisis in education, the decline in investment or the now admittedly confused state of development at B.C. Place.

What I and my constituents in Vancouver-Point Grey are looking forward to, Madam Speaker, is a system of competent and thoughtful public administration. Now that we have formally embarked upon the session, we expect from the government a basic respect for the public process. It's our belief that there must be respect for this House, that it must be regarded as the appropriate forum for public accountability. There must be respect for the civil service, whose record during particularly trying times has been admirable. And there must be respect for public intelligence.

We are sympathetic to the government's efforts toward openness, public consultation, and availability to the media. However, we must caution that the press scrum is not the forum for decision-making, and that consultation with the public is not the place to exacerbate uncertainty by suggesting that the government's policies will be explosive and controversial; that openness ought to be the occasion not for the mutual blowing off of steam but for the creation of opportunities for participation.

Point Grey, the constituency I represent, understands participation. For example, in ten years of an open planning process, Point Grey has come to a consensus plan on the boundaries for the University endowment lands regional park. It has taken a long time to arrive at this consensus, Madam Speaker, and I would ask that the government proceed with haste to ensure that the park, as it has presently been agreed to by both sides of this House and by the cabinet in the last session, be promoted and signed over to the GVRD parks branch for its twentieth birthday, in May of this year, intact.

If there is one area of fundamental philosophical disagreement between ourselves and our hon. colleagues, it concerns the value we place on education. From the evidence available in the throne speech, there is little indication that the fundamental differences between us that developed during the ill-fated restraint program will be significantly modified. Let me serve notice, Madam Speaker, that it will be my responsibility this session to bring this matter to the attention of the House, on behalf of Point Grey, and to offer alternative proposals in those instances where the policies of government fall short. From our perspective the provision of adequate educational opportunity is the foundation of a democratic society. I offer this not as a shibboleth to which we can merely not assent or offer lip-service; rather, I present this proposition as one of fundamental philosophical importance, It is in that sense qualitatively different from the provision of this or that government service.

During the lengthy period of restraint the government of the day made clear that philosophically it regarded education as equally or more subject to ferocious fiscal cutbacks as any other operation of government, irrespective of priorities. The sorry results of that policy are now plainly visible in my community.

Since my election I have made it my priority to visit the schools in my constituency. I have seen the damage. I shall not offer simplistic remedies. It is not simply a matter of budgetary allocation. We have to take into account such sociological complexities as this: even in those schools located in districts of the highest socio-economic status, where an image of social stability often prevails, it is estimated by professionals that as many as a third of the students are from recently troubled families or families in transition. When we look at how we spend the moneys we allocate, such facts must be fully appreciated. If we take away child-care workers from the schools, as we have, we are but contributing to real grief and disarray that exists in families, in kids, in classrooms. Some teachers in Point Grey have even suggested that the child-care workers were as important as class size, so dependent are they upon the helping professional to deal with kids in grief and in trouble.

Last week in Kamloops, when the human services committee of our caucus went to visit with community agencies, I was told by a doctor, when I visited the E. Fry Society, that a seven-year-old boy had been expelled from school in Kamloops. I could not believe it. Our next stop on our tour was a stop at the school board, where I asked a school trustee, who knew of the child involved, and said that the teachers could not carry any more load. The class sizes are unbearable, and the child was removed from the class. When I went to the child development centre and asked what could be done, I was told the child development centre handles children to the age of six. When I asked where the psychologists were, or other helping professionals, I was told there was a waiting-list of five months before this child could see somebody. That evening, when I met with the child-support worker from the Ministry of Social Services, I was told that unless the child was in need of protection, unless the child was being abused in some way, Social Services could do nothing. A seven-year old child in Kamloops has been expelled from school.

What we are witnessing is the gradual transference of Social Services treatment services to juvenile services for court — children not treated in the community but treatment at the juvenile services centre serving the court. This is because the money available for treatment comes through the federal government under the Young Offenders Act. That should be our court of last resort; it has, in effect, become the place where kids can receive treatment — in other words, the first place they receive a helping hand.

From my experience in surveying our schools and my conversations with administrators, teachers and students, it's clear that budgetary uncertainties have brought havoc upon

[ Page 59 ]

the system and that much of the responsibility lies with us in this House. We're faced with the demand for computer literacy as a necessity for living in the technological world of the immediate future. Yet may I remind this House that to have computer literacy we must first have literacy. Literacy, I'm told by professionals in this field, is at least partially a function of class size. Hon. members, Madam Speaker, this is job one.

In my riding the largest public institution is the University of British Columbia, which, as you know, has just held a successful three-day open house attracting thousands of British Columbians to its campus. Yet that university and the rest of the post-secondary system are in desperate straits. I'll hold most of my specific comments for more appropriate elaboration when we're discussing the budget, but let me offer these preliminary observations. What I see in our universities, especially in lower division, undergraduate education, where hundreds of first- and second-year students are jammed into amphitheatres, verges on scandal. This is clearly a result of our present inadequate and skewed funding policies.

I welcome the government's intention to increase funding for our post-secondary, and I'm looking forward to the elaboration of that commitment in the budget. But a necessary corollary to increased funding is a funding formula that is founded on a systems basis that takes into account the actual core needs of our universities and colleges. What we have now is a system that is skewed in a number of directions, as federal funds are earmarked, or pet projects are undertaken, without full consideration of their real costs in the overall budgetary picture. I want this House to give serious consideration to the direction and coordination of provincial and federal funds meant to support and enhance our post-secondary institutions, whether that be from CEIC or whether it be from the National Research Council.

I applaud the establishment of a Premier's science and technology council; it is long overdue. We might find some coordination in that body. More needs to be done, and I would encourage the Premier to consider a series of provincial conferences devoted to our vision for post-secondary education. We must also pay attention to the regional importance of colleges, paying special attention to regional needs and accountability. This House must finally attend to the needs of British Columbia's students.

It is with some apprehension that I observe the government does not address in the document before us the real crisis in student aid. The current loan program is a major obstacle to educational opportunities. The conclusion is well documented, Madam Speaker, in the recently concluded review conducted by the student aid task force — which was here today, by the way. In fact, the Canadian Federation of Students is also here today, and I introduce them- with your leave, Madam Speaker. Klaus Mulert, Marg Fartaczek, Paul Keet and Rob Clift, all the executive of the Canadian Federation of Students, are here, and they have brought me literally thousands of postcards from thousands of students — this is one-tenth of what I could bring up from the office — asking and expressing concern about debt load that students are faced with under the present loan program. Considerable effort has gone into developing these and sending these, and I think that we cannot let this day go by without drawing attention to the literally thousands of students.

Madam Speaker, it has now become a matter of common wisdom to view our post-secondary system as a long-term economic investment, to see advanced learning as a productive unit in an overall economic development strategy for the 1990s. This is all in its way well and good, and if that's the context in which the system must be seen in order to move this government to recognize the priority of education, so be it. But perhaps more important, what I want to impress upon this government — you will hear this from me again and again — is the question of values: the value of education as a fundament of democracy whose importance is not simply encompassed by economic discourse. If this is not appreciated, then, as someone has noted, we will be a society that passes from barbarism to philistinism without ever experiencing civilization.

It's clear from the throne speech and from the remarks made in the last two weeks that this government intends to make the term privatization its new buzzword, much in the manner that restraint and recovery were used on previous occasions. Since this is proposed as a philosophical cornerstone by the government, it cannot be passed over in silence. Other speakers preceding me and several who will follow will no doubt examine the concept, but there are two observations that seem pertinent here.

The New Democratic Party is not, in principle, opposed to the general concept of privatization where it can be demonstrated that the public is better served by the provision of goods and services through the private enterprise sector and where such privatization is beneficial to the public interest and public finances, an issue that we regard as seriously as anyone in this House. Our cooperation can be expected. But what is worrisome to the public is the troubling manner in which the government has seized upon this notion.

[4:00]

If privatization is merely an enthusiasm or is offered as a cure-all intended to distract us from solutions to our real problems, then British Columbians will be ill-served. It is imperative in a matter of such potentially weighty consequences that the government display a sensitivity to the philosophical and practical dangers inherent in the ideology of privatization. At its core, it threatens the removal from the public forum of consideration of matters, whether goods, services or policies, that belong in the public realm. The solution to the problems raised by public issues is not to make these issues conveniently disappear.

Secondly, even if we can come to agreement about what's appropriate in this area, haste, instant policy and a game show atmosphere in the order of "Let's Make A Deal" cannot serve as a substitute for sound planning. I can only hope that privatization is not simply a substitute for concrete action which supports and encourages business enterprise. Business, especially small enterprise, has specific requirements. Please forget the one-stop shop. Entrepreneurs are very grownup and brave and aggressive people. They want equity. They need capital, not one-stop shops. The federal government has tried that and failed.

The priority is the need for equity, for guarantees, for the kinds of risk-taking the big five banks won't tolerate here in British Columbia — but they tolerated it in Ontario very nicely. It would be tragic if the government was paralyzed by its own anti-government rhetoric. Get on the backs of small business; give them what you give to the big guys and the foreign investors.

Earlier I touched on the matter of integrity and the case of the B.C. Place project. I believe I see an instance where the

[ Page 60 ]

concerns I have voiced about privatization converge with our interests in maintaining standards of integrity in public life.

Again, Madam Speaker, I must serve notice that it is not our intention to allow this matter to go unexamined. Because of earlier miscalculations about this project by the government, B.C. Place — by the minister's own admission — has been allowed to slip into a state of fiscal disarray. To make matters more serious, serious allegations have been brought before the courts that the debt load of this Crown corporation has been artificially inflated by the transfer of debts incurred by another government operation. This has raised doubts about the fiscal integrity of both operations.

In the midst of understandable speculation about the issue, the government has announced its intention to restructure this corporation and to relocate the unexamined debts into a holding company for which taxpayers will be directly responsible. Mr. Speaker, can there be any surprise that in the wake of this sleight of hand there is public criticism and suspicion of these operations, especially when the chairman of the Expo Corporation's finance committee is now chairing the review panel which is creating the new enterprise? Can there be any doubt that the prudent course in this matter is a public inquiry, as we have advised? We will reiterate our call for a public inquiry from a concern for maintaining the integrity of public administration in British Columbia.

Similarly, with respect to B.C. Place, we must voice our concerns about the future of this project as indicated by the government in the throne speech. I will return to the matter at the appropriate time, but now let me alert the government to questions in the public mind. B.C. Place is an opportunity for public-spirited, planned development that will recover debt for the province if properly handled, and answer the city of Vancouver's dream for a well-designed residential and commercial extension to its downtown core. Will it be reduced to a chance to make a few quick bucks?

Finally, Madam Speaker, I wish to identify one more area that has been touched on in the throne speech and which you have raised yourself. This is a question of the family, a matter close to the hearts of hundreds of thousands of our citizens. The family is directly affected by what we in this House do about providing opportunities. for employment and education and is dependent upon our ability to ensure security for its members. It's inseparable from the great issue of the status of women in our society. The question of the family, it will be appreciated, raises philosophically complex issues, because of the intense interrelationship of the elements. A common error made in approaching the question,"What is a family these days?" is to mistake the changes and transformations of the modem family for its decline. Ironically, many who most insist on the abstract value of family do so without taking that institution fully seriously.

No better example of this can be pointed to than the neglect of the last decade with respect to the provision of adequate, affordable child care in British Columbia. The astonishing formulation of child-care needs contained in the throne speech strikes me as a parody of logic. Clearly our direct concern and responsibility must be for the well-being of our children. Some 137,000 children are being cared for outside the family dwelling on an almost daily basis in this province, and we currently provide licensed spaces for a mere 19,000. That is the simple reason why adequate, affordable child care ought to be a government priority.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

In light of initiatives currently underway at the federal level there can be little doubt of the relevance of introducing good child care now. Mr. Speaker, I call on the government to take the initiative and take advantage of new federal programs which will be announced at month's end, and to set a realistic goal of universal, affordable child care within 36 months. Do it now. Seize the opportunity.

In sum, Mr. Speaker, I understand your government's efforts to wrap old pioneer rhetoric around new and emerging values, but its efforts to define a list of objectives that can be ticked off like notches on John Wayne's gun miss the point. I want to remind the government that complex people living complex lives do not always fit into the simple categories of public or private or economic versus social or revenue versus expenditure. It's not a question of getting government on or off the backs of private sector people; rather we must be prepared to pioneer new ways of planning to deal with the very real needs of real people grappling with unemployment, changing family structures, poverty and aging. If we persist in looking to the economic language of the past, we will miss the opportunity to be pioneers of the future. As new pioneers we can be stewards and managers of a mixed and versatile economy. We can marry the hierarchical structures of our bureaucracies and our committees and make them match real people in real communities.

There has never been a greater need for this House to think big and think comprehensively and think compassionately, using the tools and the mandate given us by twentieth-century management and the people to create opportunities, develop economic and social securities, and maintain the integrity of our democratic values. Our future well-being depends on it, and a seven-year-old in Kamloops depends on it as well.

HON. MR. DUECK: Hon. members, I am proud to be a Canadian. My father, when I was just a little boy, decided to come to this country because he taught school, and taught geography and history, and he had heard and learned about the freedoms of this country. My fortune was that he came to this country to live.

But that's not all, Mr. Speaker. I am also proud that I am a British Columbian, where we have beauty, tremendous climate, natural resources. We have everything that anyone in the world would wish for and would like to live in. So it is my pleasure that I live in British Columbia, the best province in the world in the best country of the world.

But there is more. The Central Fraser Valley, which is a rural community, is however close to the city. It has all the amenities of a city, and yet we live in the country with fresh air and the lifestyle that goes with a community of that size. So I am very fortunate to be a resident of the best constituency in the best province of the best country of the world.

But there is more still, Mr. Speaker. The people in this community in this constituency are traditional-lifestyle people, family-oriented, frugal, loving and caring for their neighbours, and I am so proud to represent the people of the Central Fraser Valley. So I represent the best people in the best constituency of the best province of the best country in the world.

I must say also that these people in my constituency are very intelligent. They generally vote the right way. There are very few that ever vote funny, although this time they may have had their discernment impaired when they voted for me. However, I won't hold that against them.

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Mr. Speaker, I am both pleased and proud to be able to speak to you today, both as the MLA for Central Fraser Valley and also as the Minister of Health. Let me begin by reflecting on the community and the people that I have been elected to represent. The Central Fraser Valley and its people are my roots. An understanding of my origins and my community will go a long way towards explaining my philosophy and vision for our health system.

The Central Fraser Valley is a beautiful part of British Columbia nestled between metropolitan Vancouver and the rugged countryside of the Fraser Canyon. It is a rural area with country fairs, fresh air, rolling fields and farm-fresh produce, and yet it has also thriving cities and towns with quality shopping, excellent restaurants, first-class schools and accessible medical and hospital services. But it is the people of this area that are the real strength of this community. They are tremendous, hard-working and industrious people, but always with enough time for family, friends and enjoyment of life. They are self-sufficient, but always willing to lend a hand to those that need help to become more self-sufficient. They are responsible and frugal in handling their money, and yet exceptionally generous to those that are less fortunate. While fiercely independent as individuals, there is a harmony and cooperation which always puts the community first. They are established families with many generations of history in the Fraser Valley, and they are also recent immigrants wanting to plant seeds in their new homeland.

But the really common thread which is woven through the fabric of Central Fraser Valley is the belief in basic values: belief in the family, belief in honesty and integrity, belief in each other. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be the MLA for this area, because it stands for all of those values which I feel are important to our society.

[4:15]

What does all this have to do with the health care system in British Columbia? The health care system is a complex, dynamic system on the one hand; yet fundamentally its cornerstone will always be one individual humanly caring for the needs of another individual. It is high tech, but it is still high touch. It is an expensive $3.2 billion-a-year business, supporting over 70,000 jobs. Yet it is a system that would not be what it is without the thousands of volunteers who make such a major contribution at all levels: on community boards and on hospital auxiliaries; neighbours helping elderly neighbours in their homes; support groups for cancer patients and heart/stroke victims. Not only do these volunteers represent a critical and valuable component of our health care system, but they also dramatically illustrate that people do not want government to do everything for them; they want to do things for themselves, with government acting as a safety net for those times when it is really necessary.

I am rapidly learning more and more about this health care system. While it is a business, there are some aspects of the system which are unlike any other business that I have been involved with in the past. Where else do you find a consumer totally isolated from the financial consequences of receiving a service? Even British Columbia's long-standing tradition of hospital user fees, which provided a small reminder of health care costs, has been removed in response to the federal government's Canada Health Act. The service providers are also isolated from the financial consequences of their decisions to order services. Providers of care do not compete with each other in an economic fashion. I'm raising these points for two reasons: first, because I think they help to shed some light on why the system has become expensive; and second, to point out that traditional solutions may not always be appropriate. We have to be creative and innovative in our approach to solving health problems.

As a new Minister of Health, I'm also becoming more and more aware of the limitations of our health system. Despite its being a first-class system which ranks favourably with any in the world, it can only go so far in contributing to our goal of good health for all British Columbians. The fact of the matter is that some of the major determinants of good health are beyond the control of the health system. For example, a healthy lifestyle, with plenty of exercise and sensible eating habits, is crucial to good health. Similarly, a smoke-free environment and responsible use of alcohol are tremendously important. Of course, heredity plays an important role in our ability to maintain good health. I am mentioning these facts because, on the one hand, they provide a healthy, balanced perspective on the responsibilities and limitations of any health care system and, on the other hand, they provide some clues as to future directions of the system.

Mr. Speaker, earlier in my presentation I asked about the basic values held by the people of Central Fraser Valley, values which I proudly share. Well, despite the complexities of this health care system, I'm convinced that those values have just as much meaning and application in my new role as Health minister, and to some degree I have shaped my vision of the health care system on these values. I believe strongly that people want to be self-sufficient. They want to be responsible for their own physical and mental well-being. We must encourage people to be responsible for their own health. Not only do they want to have control over their own lives, but also, such personal responsibility leads to a judicious and efficient use of our health care system, so that there is a more accessible and high-quality service for those truly in need.

We must continue to support and encourage the informal part of health care, the volunteers at all levels of our system and the day-to-day helping and support of our neighbours. I believe that people genuinely want to help and enjoy helping others, and receive great satisfaction from the rewards of their activities. Such people are the unsung heroes of health care. They teach us daily that we can and do solve so many problems on our own without professional help and without government intervention.

With dozens of competing interests, different professions, different kinds of agencies, different levels of service delivery, it has amazed me how remarkably well our service works. I believe the reason for this is the unifying goal of quality health service for all British Columbians. I would like to promote even better cooperation and coordination among all sectors of the health system. To this end, my personal objective is to obtain open and honest two-way communication between the ministry, health service providers and the community at large. I may not always agree with every viewpoint, but I will do my best to listen with an open mind and to try to understand the other person's perspective.

In addition to people and groups communicating with the ministry, it is equally important that these groups and individuals communicate among themselves. Nurses should be talking with doctors and physiotherapists about common problems, doctors and chiropractors should openly discuss any difference they might have, and so forth. As a former trustee of an acute-care hospital, I know that communities have a genuine interest in decisions that may impact on them. We should make maximum benefits of the services, knowledge

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and energy that exist in every community in British Columbia. Local people and groups are in an ideal position to identify health issues in their own community and to suggest solutions which reflect the unique characteristics of that community.

You may have noted that I have made very little mention of words Re cost-saving and efficiency. This is not to say that they are unimportant to health care. On the contrary, they are vitally important to its ongoing survival. But if we steer the health system in the directions that I have described, then an efficient and effective system should be a natural byproduct of these directions. As you may be aware, my ministry, at the request of the Premier, is conducting a review of all its programs and services. With this review scheduled for completion by this summer, it is difficult for me to provide detailed specifics on priorities for the health system, but let me share with you some of my preliminary thoughts.

First and foremost, I can assure everyone that this government will continue to make health care its number one priority. While professional revenues may not always be at the levels that we would like, residents of British Columbia can be sure that essential health care services will not be cut or eliminated.

In addition, we must attempt to improve the distribution of services and manpower in this province. In many cases we have an oversupply of health practitioners in metropolitan areas and other desirable parts of this province; concurrently, we sometimes have great difficulty in recruiting and retaining manpower in northern and isolated communities. People in these communities are no longer accepting traditional inequities and are demanding that government take positive action in rectifying these differences.

We must learn to effectively harness new technology and use it to optimum benefit, rather than becoming a slave to it. I believe we can do this by introducing new technology in a careful and systematic manner, ensuring comprehensive evaluation before we introduce such technology as a permanent feature of the health system. Such a strategy in no way compromises our position among the leaders in Canada in technological advances.

We must continue to emphasize the importance of prevention in our health programs. One way that we might do this is to place a high priority on services to children. This has to start with high-quality prenatal programs and early childhood screening and detection programs, through to immunization programs, treatment programs, no-smoking programs, programs aimed at minimizing substance abuse. Unquestionably, this is an area where we should get our biggest bang for the buck.

We must, in cooperation with other ministries, support programs aimed at strengthening the family unit. This might include measures to minimize child abuse and family violence, or it might include support to family care-givers who are caring for an elderly parent or grandparent. I have not tried to be exhaustive, but simply to give some of my own views on areas that should be among our priorities.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, let me state very clearly that I'm becoming increasingly aware of the tremendous complexities, issues and challenges that face the health care system of British Columbia, and I would in no way attempt to minimize them. However, like any of our successful enterprises, I believe that you must be clear on what constitutes your core values before you can even attempt to tackle the problems. In this regard I feel particularly fortunate in coming from a community and family which has provided me with a clear sense of values, personal responsibility, helping others, working cooperatively with others and communicating openly and honestly with all concerned. I believe that these values will help us to maintain and improve our firstclass health system.

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Speaker, and the Deputy Speaker, and I would like to congratulate the MLAs on both sides of the House. I would like to congratulate the cabinet ministers for their appointments. I would like to congratulate my colleague the second member for Central Fraser Valley (Mr. De Jong). I would like to congratulate the Premier for winning the, election, and I believe our Premier will go down in history as one of the finest that this province has ever seen.

MR. CLARK: Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this throne speech debate of the thirtyfourth parliament. I am thankful that so many of my colleagues could attend as well.

As I begin my first speech in these chambers I am conscious of all those in Vancouver East who have gone before me. My riding has been represented by truly great individuals, truly great socialists, who were dedicated to advancing the cause of social justice and economic democracy, from Dr. Lyle Telford, the city of Vancouver's first progressive mayor, to Arthur Turner, Harold Winch, Dave Barrett, Alex Macdonald, and now of course the current and very able first member for Vancouver East (Mr. Williams). The people who have been elected for the NDP and the CCF before it in Vancouver East have served not only as critics; they've also helped to build this province by developing constructive and imaginative policies which have contributed to the wealth of this province.

I would like to make special mention of Alex Macdonald, my immediate predecessor. Alex was clearly the best Attorney-General this province has ever seen. But I think one of the most significant contributions was the creation of the B.C. Petroleum Corporation. That agency gained for the Crown a share of the revenue generated by the natural gas industry. We — the people — are the owners of that resource and we deserve a share. It earned for the province millions of dollars, and ironically, this government now seems poised to abolish this agency. I think that would be a tragedy, and as the energy debate leader for the NDP I'll have more to say about that later.

Mr. Speaker, I've lived in Vancouver East my entire life. I'm proud of the outstanding tradition we have had, and I am conscious of the burden on me to follow in that tradition and in those footsteps. I am indeed honoured to represent the constituents of Vancouver East. My constituents are working people. They are confident people and self-reliant. They have consistently supported the New Democratic Party, because they believe that this great province of ours can be managed infinitely better. They believe that the tragedy and waste of unemployment need not continue, and they have hope for the future.

[4:30]

Mr. Speaker, there are many issues I could discuss today, but I'd like to concentrate on the problem that is most on the minds of my constituents: the economy of British Columbia. It is really hard to believe how inept the government of this province has been over the last ten years. This rich and

[ Page 63 ]

magnificent province now has an unemployment rate only equalled by Atlantic Canada. The latest unemployment figures demonstrate the severity of the problem. In January over 220,000 British Columbians were without jobs. That's over 15.3 percent of the workforce. Some regions of the province are worse than others. In the Kootenays, the Okanagan, the southern interior, and of course in Vancouver East, unemployment ranges near a staggering 20 percent. Perhaps even worse, however, is what is happening to our young people. As the youngest member of the Legislature, I feel a special need to speak out on their behalf. There are over 69,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 out of work. That represents over 24 percent of the youth in our province; a quarter of the young people are out of work. Among young men the figures are a shocking 27 percent.

The throne speech says nothing to young people who are unemployed and who have lost hope of finding a job. The statistics have been cited so often that many people become bored with them. Certainly members of the government seem bored with them. The press have heard them so often that they're barely newsworthy. The problem is that these statistics represent real people — real human beings that want desperately to work and contribute to society. As I walked door to door during the last election, the human face behind the statistics became clearer to me. In my riding alone there are over 8,000 households that contain someone on social assistance. Think about that. If they live side by side, that's the equivalent of 400 city blocks. It's like going from the University Endowment Lands to Surrey.

I encountered in my door-to-door travels single mothers trapped in poverty — the overwhelming majority of social assistance recipients; proud men who, at the age of 50 and after 30 years in the sawmill, were suddenly thrown out of work; new immigrants who are struggling to adapt to a strange country with a strange language; and young people back living with their parents and slowly giving up hope of finding a job. In my riding today, nearly one out of every two houses has someone on social assistance or unemployment insurance.

What happens to a society that allows such high levels of unemployment to continue? We face a lost generation of young people, lost to productive work and doomed to a life of poverty. The human waste of unemployment, in terms of lost potential, is enormous. The social costs of unemployment are evident all around us: family breakdown, emotional strain, suicide, alcoholism. Recently in Vancouver East we've had a couple of very tragic incidents that highlight the kind of strain that unemployment and poverty bring to people in this province. The economic costs, in terms of lost production, is like an anchor holding back the potential of the province.

Unemployment is a provincial scandal sapping the natural strength of British Columbia, and I believe, Mr. Speaker, that it is fundamentally immoral. I would like to quote the head of the Catholic Church, Pope John Paul, who said: "It would be false and deceptive to consider the distressing problem of unemployment as a product of passing circumstances or as a purely economic and socio-political problem. It is really an ethical problem, a spiritual problem, because it is a symptom of a moral disorder existing in society when the hierarchy of values is broken." He goes on to say: "The state must not resign itself to having to tolerate chronic high unemployment; the creation of new jobs must constitute for it a priority." Well, I fully agree with those remarks.

The problem we have today with this government is that it places other values above those of work. It promotes the accumulation of capital by a few. It wants to reduce government regulation in business. It constantly confuses private and public business. This is the moral disorder the pope refers to. Taking those words, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops have tried to translate that message into the Canadian context, and they argue for two overriding moral principles to guide government.

The first principle concerns the priority of labour. Human work gives special meaning, dignity and worth to life, as Bishop Remi de Roo of Victoria has stated. It is through the activity of work that people exercise their creative spirit, realize their self-worth and develop their personalities. By interacting with their fellow workers in a common task, women and men participate in the development of their society and give meaning to their existence as human beings. In this context the tolerance, and indeed acceptance, of continued high unemployment by this government is immoral.

The second principle the bishops talk about has to do with the preferential option for the poor and the oppressed. This means that the needs of the poor take priority, or should take priority, over the desires of the rich. This does not simply mean more handouts. In my view, it calls for a more equitable distribution of wealth. Mahatma Gandhi once said that he judged every government program or initiative by how it would help the poorest of its citizens. On that basis again, I think this government fails, and the throne speech really does nothing to deal with the problem. There are few concrete government initiatives to create jobs, and there is clearly no commitment to full employment. In this rich province unemployment cannot, should not and need not be tolerated. The government should, in my view, use as a basis for formulating policy the two moral principles articulated by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

But, Mr. Speaker, what is the Social Credit solution to unemployment and to the sorry state of the B.C. economy? It's not a new solution but rather a very old one, and one that simply never worked: it is, put simply, to follow the Holy Grail of the private market, to get on their knees and genuflect to Milton Friedman, to remove government regulation and reduce taxes to corporations. But this is precisely the direction followed by the Bill Bennett government. It's the same old story: the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. That saying has been around for a while, and it sounds a bit trite, but I think it's the reality in British Columbia.

Let me demonstrate. Taxes have been cut to corporations for the last couple of years by several hundred million dollars. The tax burden has shifted dramatically in this province away from corporations and onto individuals. In 1979, 38 cents on every dollar received by government came from taxes on people, primarily from personal income and sales taxes. In 1985, however, such taxes accounted for 49 cents of every dollar received by the province. In the same period corporate taxes fell from an already low 8.5 cents of every dollar collected to an even lower 6 cents. Natural resource taxes dropped from 23 cents to 9 cents.

We all know that the rich don't pay their share of income taxes. In fact, there were a thousand wealthy families in British Columbia which paid no income tax last year. It is hard-working, ordinary British Columbians who pay the taxes in this province — people like those in my constituency of Vancouver East. So the tax burden has shifted away from

[ Page 64 ]

corporations, away from the natural resource sector, and onto working people.

This government says in the throne speech that it wants to further reduce this already-too-light burden on the corporations. This trickle-down theory of economic growth has not worked. If it was going to work, surely it would have worked by now. Surely we would have seen some evidence that the unemployment rate would have come down with these massive tax cuts to corporations.

What's even worse, Mr. Speaker, is that the government doesn't only want to give a free ride to B. C. business, but it is pursuing a strategy of promoting foreign investment. Let's give them a free tide as well. What was the first thing that the Premier did when he got elected? The first thing the Premier did was turn down a request by Sylvia Russell of the Vancouver food bank because he was too busy. What did he do? He met with Glenn Babb, the South African ambassador. He said: "We want money from South Africa. We want investment." It doesn't matter that everywhere around the world governments have severed ties with this racist regime. It doesn't matter that the Canadian government has applied sanctions against South Africa. We want their investment, and we are prepared to take that kind of money. I think we're a national embarrassment when it comes to South Africa. It is appalling that in this rich province the government has resorted to begging for investment from an apartheid regime.

The next thing the government did was intervene to assist the Hongkong Bank to take over the Bank of B.C. While Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, an institution required by law to invest only in B.C., was attempting to purchase the bank, the government made it clear that they weren't neutral on this but in fact supported an offshore bank. No new jobs were created, and now the profits made on British Columbians' savings will flow out of the province.

Thirdly, Cominco has announced its attention to sell West Kootenay Power and Light to an American company, UtiliCorp United Inc. of Missouri. The Minister of Energy (Hon. Mr. Davis) has indicated he sees nothing wrong with the sale. I think the members on that side of the House from the region should be ashamed of the government's position on this matter. They should speak up before it's too late and stop that sale.

The NDP is unequivocally opposed to this sale of our natural heritage. We do so for two reasons. First, this American company is bidding $20 million more than WKPL is worth. There is no question that that will result in increased power rates to the consumers of the region. No company pays $20 million without getting a rate of return on it.

Secondly, and most importantly, we believe that electric power represents a key element in the economy of the region and should be controlled locally, and, in my view, by the public sector. Control over the production of electric power automatically involves a degree of control over the structure and future direction of the economy as a whole. Private utilities develop their own corporate strategies, which fundamentally are to maximize their profits. These are not always in harmony with public development goals.

Mr. Speaker, government strategy is very clear: exclusive reliance on the private sector, a shifting of the tax burden away from corporations and natural resources and onto working people, and promotion of foreign ownership. The NDP's approach is fundamentally different. Like the Catholic bishops, we believe first and foremost in full employment; that that should be the job one of government. How would we create jobs now in British Columbia? We wouldn't rely exclusively on the private sector, because that doesn't work. We would work with the private sector and provide leadership.

We would move now to restore our aging infrastructure. In Vancouver East we have had two occasions where water pipes have broken, and as a result residents have been without water for a time. These should be upgraded. There should be an ongoing process to review the kind of municipal infrastructure problems that we have. We have horrendous traffic jams at Hastings and Cassiar; we would get on with the job and build the Cassiar connector. The government has been stalling for too long on this important question. We would move now to build the Grandview Cut roadway to alleviate the truck traffic that is spilling over into our neighbourhoods. All of this would create thousands of needed jobs in the construction industry.

We would move now with help for the shipbuilding industry — assisting the industry in this critical period, the 18 months while they are waiting for the Polar 8 icebreaker. We would, for example, as my fellow member for Esquimalt has mentioned, build another Seabus to create jobs now in the shipbuilding industry and to improve transportation. We would move now with a really significant reforestation program designed to replant those thousands of acres of land that have been logged and forgotten by successive Socred governments. We would move now with a specific program targeted for young people to get invaluable work experience. We would require natural resource companies to buy more British Columbia equipment. We would work with the mining and forest industries to end the importation of over 50 percent of the machinery used in those sectors.

But most of all, Mr. Speaker, we wouldn't rely on foreigners to develop British Columbia, or on foreign ownership. We take the opposite approach — what Quebecers call "maitres chez nous," which means masters in our own house. Let's become masters in our own house in British Columbia. Let's use the tremendous wealth of the natural resources in this province, and the tremendous talent of our own people, to build British Columbia.

Let me end by saying that the hope for this province lies in its people: not in its corporations, not in foreigners, not in foreign investment, but in the strength of our own people. Let's give them a chance for a change.

[4:45]

MR. PARKER: Mr. Speaker, I bring you and the members of this House greetings from the great constituency of Skeena. Our diverse electorate is most pleased to be part of the government side of the Legislature; I am most honoured to serve them, and serve them I will, sir. It is a proud and wonderful time to be part of the Premier's team and part of the fresh start for British Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my congratulations to you and to our Deputy Speaker upon attaining your ancient and honourable post in this House. I am certain we can all look forward to productive times in this House through your capable adjudication. I congratulate my friend and my leader, the Premier, on his fantastic success at the polls and look forward to working with the Premier and our caucus in our new government. I congratulate all members of the Legislative Assembly upon being selected a part of this, our thirty-fourth Parliament.

[ Page 65 ]

I am most grateful for the loving support of my wife, Dawne, and our children, Jennifer and Michael. Their personal sacrifices make it possible for me to serve in this House.

None of us, Mr. Speaker, would be present were it not for a substantial group of tireless workers on our campaign teams. I am most grateful to our incredible team in Skeena for their confidence and support and very grateful to the people of Skeena for their confidence and support. I wish to acknowledge the service rendered the people of Skeena during the thirtieth and thirty-first Parliaments by the Hon. Cyril Shelford and to express my appreciation for his continuing wise counsel to me.

The constituency of Skeena is an incredibly beautiful region of British Columbia, stretching from the mouth of the Douglas Channel in the west through to the headwaters of the Skeena River in the western slopes of the historic Omineca Mountains and to the lovely pastoral region of Smithers in the lower Bulkley River Valley in the southeastern reaches of the constituency. Skeena encompasses some 6,041, 900 hectares or, for us old people, 23, 309 square miles. Skeena has extensive forest lands, diverse mineral opportunities and agricultural opportunities and untold recreational and tourist opportunities.

We are peopled by many people, by native families, by peoples from all over Canada and, indeed, all over the world. We have a large number of native Indians living in Skeena and many of these constituents have been frustrated in becoming masters of their own destiny by the bureaucracy of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs and the stonewalling of past provincial governments, including that experiment in socialism back in the seventies. I am pleased and proud that this Social Credit government, under the leadership of a capable and caring Premier, has provided the means for meaningful discussions with all of our native people on matters of mutual interest. This means of discussion, Mr. Speaker, is directly to the lawmakers through a committee of cabinet ministers responsible for native Indian affairs. We're talking; we're communicating. I look forward to the day when we have resolved the issues of the past and can proceed together with the issues of the future of British Columbia.

We rely on a number of industries in Skeena for our economic well-being. Pulp and paper, aluminum smelting, and methanol and ammonia production are the bases to Kitimat. Sawmilling, tourism, regional services of the commercial services industry and the federal and provincial governments are the foundations for Terrace. Sawmilling, agriculture, tourist services, support services to the mining industry and guide-outfitting industry support the other communities of Skeena, such as Smithers, Hazelton and Kitwanga. Small industries are becoming established in our constituency, Mr. Speaker — industries such as wood stove manufacturing, various metal fabricators and lumber remanufacturing. And a remarkable new building material has been developed by some enterprising young men in Terrace. At this time they're fine-tuning their product, and what they have developed will ultimately have a worldwide impact. They will be announcing further information on that product in the near future.

We are looking forward in Skeena to the opening this year of the unique Westar sawmill at Carnaby, near South Hazelton. This sawmill is of unique design to deal with the particular timber of our region and to produce lumber products primarily for offshore markets. This new sawmill will complement the other two Westar sawmills at Kitwanga and South Hazelton, thereby providing greater lumber recoveries from a diverse and decadent timber resource. The timber resource over much of my region, Mr. Speaker, is over mature and very defective. Conversion plants must be able to deal with this resource effectively if they are to survive. Westar's new Camaby mill is designed to do just this, and West Fraser Mills' Terrace sawmill is set up as well for maximum recovery. Skeena Cellulose is looking at major renovations to both their Terrace sawmill and their Port Edward pulp mill. All these plants will render the best forest products recovery that current technology can supply.

Alcan's Kitimat works are constantly improving their smelter operations by reducing emissions, improving production and improving product quality. Alcan's new homogenizer, which will produce a very pure ingot, will permit them to meet the most stringent customers' specifications, as Alcan also moves into the Pacific Rim markets for their products.

Ocelot Industries' methanol and ammonia plants, after experiencing some difficulties, are. producing in excess of design at this time; and better still, Ocelot has sourced markets for all of their production.

Skeena has been in the vanguard of silvicultural activity. Silviculture is the science of growing timber crops. Like agriculture, silviculture begins with the soil and its care, through crop establishment, weeding, thinning, fertilizing, protecting and harvesting. I am pleased to see, in this coming season, that we will have some 200 million seedlings to be planted throughout British Columbia this year, Mr. Speaker.

I am also pleased to see the Ministry of Forests and Lands presently reviewing the efficiency of our silvicultural programs. Our programs have expanded substantially in the past seven years, and a review is most timely and certainly in the best interests of the public. The silvicultural programs review will have input from all of the players and will help to ensure an acceptable return to future generations for the substantial investments being made today.

The economy in Skeena is on the upswing. Improvements to our industries are helping to stabilize employment and stabilize our economy, helping to identify secondary manufacturing opportunities and encouraging tourist industries and retail businesses.

We in Skeena encourage and support the extension of the British Columbia Hydro power grid north to the municipality of Stewart and to the Mount Klappan anthracite coal-mine project. This power infrastructure, together with a steadily improving highway system, will encourage enterprises in the northwestern region of British Columbia, including the constituency of Skeena, and I am pleased to be a part of the government that can make these good things happen.

[Mr. Pefton in the chair.]

These are good times, and with strong leadership and a capable team we will be seeing even better times. I was very pleased and honoured when the Premier had the confidence to appoint me to the post of Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Environment and Parks and of Forests and Lands. Of course, the first action I took was to promptly close my forestry consulting business. I didn't want to have any possibility of conflict of interest.

[ Page 66 ]

AN HON. MEMBER: How blind is the trust?

MR. PARKER: No trust; I'm clean.

As a professional forester, these two ministries are of great interest to me, and my concerns in these two ministries are focused on land use policies. As our population grows and as world interest in British Columbia grows, so will grow the demands on our land base. We must solidly establish Crown land use policies which integrate the various demands. Single-purpose land use can be a most regressive use policy. Our land resource is finite. The demands on our land resource constantly increase. I strongly support an integrated land use approach, and that is my personal objective in my post as parliamentary secretary to these two ministries.

Over the years I have served in the Forest Service and in the forest industry — in wood preserving, in lumber, plywood and pulp manufacturing — and I have had the privilege of knowing and working with a number of employees in both ministries. There is a great deal of talent out there, and I enjoy working with them toward a goal of top service to the people of British Columbia. I worked in the forests of this magnificent province for more than 25 years, from the southwestern coastal region to the Liard River valley in the northeast, from the Flathead River valley in the southeast to the Iskut and Atlin regions in the northwest. I understand probably better than any member what silviculture is and what techniques need to be followed in the very diverse forest regions of British Columbia. I am therefore very pleased that the Ministry of Forests and Lands is pausing in its very aggressive silviculture programs for a quick review of the effectiveness of the delivery of these programs. This review being undertaken by the Forest Service includes the forest industry, and this is responsible stewardship of the forests and forest lands — and it is responsible fiscal stewardship.

The opportunity to serve as a liaison between the Minister of Forests and Lands and the Minister of Environment and Parks is a welcome opportunity. I am very concerned about maintaining the integrity of our environment — of the air, the water and the land. Fish and wildlife management is within the purview of the Minister of Environment and Parks. From time to time issues arise among the parks branch, the fish and wildlife branch and the Forest Service as they all pursue their mandates. As parliamentary secretary to both ministers, I hope to help find suitable common ground for satisfactory resolution of such issues.

As I mentioned earlier, our land base is finite and our use demands seem infinite. We must adopt a rational approach to integrated use of our many unique natural assets.

I am proud to be part of this government and proud to be part of the fresh start for British Columbia. We promised a fresh start, and our throne speech has chronicled our Premier's blueprint for a fresh start and the effective management of the affairs of British Columbia. I was pleased to have been part of the Premier's first town hall meeting, which was held in Skeena in the town of Kitimat on January 26, 1987. This was a clear, positive demonstration to all of us in Skeena and, indeed, the province of our Premier's commitment to open, responsive and caring government.

The Speech from the Throne further assured us of continued open and consultative government. In fact, I believe this throne speech to be the cornerstone of the social and economic reconstruction of British Columbia. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be part of a team that has as its objective the goals set forth in the throne speech.

[5:00]

Some of the economic goals which are particularly exciting from the viewpoint of Skeena are in the private sector growth opportunities and the goals set forth in the throne speech for the removal of barriers at all levels of government, so that the private sector has the opportunity to move, to create jobs and to create a future for our young people. Furthermore, the removal of these obstacles and the reduction of red tape will create many opportunities for small businesses; and we have many such opportunities in Skeena, Mr. Speaker.

An exciting opportunity for Skeena will be the implementation of the mining task force recommendations — or any part thereof, for that matter. Mining and the support of the mining industry from the communities of Skeena is part of our life blood. We welcome that commitment in the throne speech.

Support for cottage industries, as indicated in that speech, is most encouraging. Cottage industries give every person, regardless of what handicap, if any, opportunity for the establishment of a business and meaningful employment.

Another point in the speech was the goal of the extension of powers of credit unions. In many small communities the credit unions play a very significant role.

Skeena is one of the most beautiful regions of British Columbia, and its tourist opportunities are many. The tourism initiatives presented in the throne speech, Mr. Minister, are going to create numerous jobs in Skeena, and numerous opportunities for private enterprise.

As everywhere in this province, reforestation is a priority in Skeena; and I'm glad to see that that commitment was made in the speech, as well.

Aquaculture has many opportunities in Skeena. There are a number of fjords, a number of protected waters. And the aquaculture opportunities aren't limited merely to the ocean regions; we have some fish farms in the interior regions of Skeena, and we look forward to seeing more of these enterprises. The support that this government has for the aquaculture industry will encourage more fish farms.

As I mentioned before, for Skeena a most meaningful move is the establishment of the Cabinet Committee on Native Affairs — a very positive item.

What augurs well for Skeena is the review of the trucking industry regulations, so that we can dovetail with the federal government and with the other provincial government regulations to make it much simpler to move between provinces and across the border into the United States.

The commitment to education financing I find particularly exciting: the scholarship programs, and particularly the education savings plan. I look forward to encouraging my own son, who is in grade 8, to excel in his studies to build those credits towards the day that he can enroll in one of our fine universities. We have an excellent educational establishment in Terrace in the Northwest Community College, which outreaches to all the communities in the northwest region of British Columbia. I'm pleased to see that we have a commitment to increase funding to colleges and other post-secondary institutions.

But I guess what's most encouraging to me is our commitment to the improvements in the labour relations and the immense opportunities that affords all of British Columbia, as well as Skeena.

[ Page 67 ]

These and all the goals set forth in the throne speech, Mr. Speaker, are a magnificent blueprint for our government team, for our British Columbia. What is even more exciting is that all of these goals can be readily attained, while demonstrating capable fiscal responsibility. These are good times. The people of British Columbia have recognized that strong, positive leadership is what will carry us successfully into the nineties. That kind of leadership is provided by our most capable Premier, and that is why he received such overwhelming support on October 22.

Our Premier has vision and substance and has built a capable and constructive cabinet from a caucus of substantial talent. I am honoured to serve with my Premier and our Social Credit caucus team as we move into a brand new era — a fresh start for British Columbia. British Columbia is a province that has the finest assets of any place in the world. Our opportunities are limited only by our imaginations, and for our Social Credit government, a government of immense imagination, that means no limits. We have the team and we have the talent to carry British Columbia beyond the nineties and well into the twenty-first century.

In summary, Mr. Speaker, I am eager to proceed with this session and look forward to a positive, productive and progressive session. I intend to conduct myself in such a manner. I intend to be a credit to my constituents and to continue to earn their support and respect. I will be working diligently to represent their interests and goals, and I intend to be a credit to this House.

MR. MILLER: Mr. Speaker, at the outset I would ask special leave to introduce my daughter, Laura Miller, who is now in the gallery.

Leave granted.

MR. MILLER: I did not prepare a long dissertation on the geographic boundaries of my constituency or the climate or anything else. Some members may be thankful for that, but I can't pass up the opportunity to note that there are some misconceptions about the area, and in the last couple of days it has been the hot spot in British Columbia.

However, I am pleased to take my place in this assembly, and I am aware of the people who have gone before me, and of the contribution that they have made to this assembly. I hope I will be equal to the task.

With regard to my constituency, it has long been my contention that the name is not an accurate reflection of the geographic area. We have a very large chunk of that constituency — the Queen Charlotte Islands. As has been noted in the throne speech, it's one of the most beautiful areas in this province and surely worthy of a national park and increased emphasis on tourism. It is my contention that the name of this constituency should be changed to Prince Rupert and the Islands.

However, that matter can be dealt with subsequently when we deal with a much larger question of electoral reform, which most people in British Columbia agree is badly needed. I would remind the House that the number of members on the government side is clearly not a reflection of the results of the October election, if you look at percentage terms. Certainly my colleague the first member for Victoria (Mr. G. Hanson) has been persistent in calling for electoral reform.

We have been promised a fresh start by the Premier, although I must say that in my experience a fresh start can some times come to a rather abrupt end, particularly if you haven't obtained prior consent. The Minister of Finance (Hon. Mr. Couvelier) may wish to confirm this with regard to his recent dealings with his federal counterpart.

However, we expect electoral reform to be high on the agenda of this government. Electoral reform is far more than just riding boundaries. It is proper enumeration so we don't have those long lineups of section 80 voters lined up at the polls, and some of them not able to vote. It is limits to spending so that those free campaign offices and those free plane rides and those free helicopter trips have to be included as election expenses by every candidate.

Mr. Speaker, the success of a government depends in large part on how well it listens to regional concerns. I would like to be somewhat parochial and tie specific issues in my constituency into the need for overall changes in government policy in several key areas. I realize that all situations are not completely analogous, and vary from region to region, but there are common problems that require common solutions.

Certainly education has been identified and remains a top priority in the need for change. British Columbia is facing a tough, competitive world as we approach the end of this century, and we must realize that education of our young people is the key to our economic survival. We simply cannot afford short-sighted, short-term savings on education spending. Washington state Governor Booth Gardner, in announcing a half-billion-dollar program to upgrade that state's education system, said: "I'm here to appeal to your economic sense. If education is neglected, society is going to pay for it over and over again."

Two issues in the north concern me particularly. The first is access to post-secondary education by northern students. I was pleased that a member opposite raised that issue as well, as being of concern. Northern students and rural students are faced with enormous burdens in terms of the cost of transportation and accommodation, as well as ever-increasing tuition costs. Much more should be done to counteract the extremely low university participation rate among B.C. students from small towns. Enrolment of students from rural areas is about two and a half times lower than the overall B.C. average, the lowest in Canada. I'd like to offer a quote from the University of Victoria president, Howard Petch, who in my opinion has played an outstanding role in supporting the rights of students from rural areas to attend university: "To me it seems outrageous that a young person growing up in Duncan or Fort St. John should have so much smaller a chance of getting to university than someone whose family comes from an urban centre." I think all members should agree with that, and I'm looking for positive action by the Minister of Advanced Education and Job Training (Hon. Mr. Hagen), in restoring a better system of loan and grant programs that recognize and deal with this inequity.

Briefly dealing with teachers, teachers in my constituency and other rural areas in the province have been discriminated against by the compensation stabilization program. Historic salary advantages have been eroded by this rigid bureaucratic program, which should be scrapped.

[5:15]

There's no applause! Get on the ball, you guys! {Applause.] You've got to give them the cues.

I know the Minister of Education (Hon. Mr. Brummet) is aware of the problem, and I hope he gets support from his

[ Page 68 ]

cabinet colleagues to end this discrimination. You know, it has become fashionable of late for this government to engage in fed-bashing, to point out that B.C. Is not getting its fair share as a partner in Confederation. Well, if the government is capable of that analysis, then surely they are capable of understanding the discrimination that exists against students and teachers who do not live in the lower mainland.

I don't want to leave the issue of education without stressing the need for improvements in our system of apprenticeship training. None of us in this chamber are politicians because we went to school to learn our trade, and this fact may become clear as events unfold in this House. However, we all have the opportunity to learn by doing, and this is the beauty of the apprenticeship system. Young men and women can learn a skilled trade and then can enjoy the benefits of relatively well-paid and rewarding jobs. I know this to be true, because I served an apprenticeship in a pulp mill and I'm a millwright by trade. And I suppose I should add that only time will tell if I'm as good a politician as I was a millwright.

AN HON. MEMBER: Who knows you're a good millwright?

MR. MILLER: I do.

There has to be much greater emphasis on apprenticeship opportunities. Industry in this province has an obligation to train people, and government has an obligation to encourage and assist in this process. It is my firm belief that if industry is unwilling to fulfil their obligation then it is up to government, through whatever means, to compel them to do so, This should not be difficult; in fact, it is normal practice in almost every European democracy. Given the extremely high unemployment rates in the 15- to 24-year-old age bracket, I fully expect the government to initiate positive action in this regard.

I would also say, dealing with labour, that as a worker and an active union member I categorically reject the notion in the throne speech that somehow workers' democratic rights have been eroded. The second member for Cariboo (Mr. Vant) made reference to his background as a boilermaker, I believe, and I appreciate that there is another member in this House who has been in the same environment that I've been in, although I confess that I never in my life worked eight months without a day off. But for all of my working life I've been aware of the anti-union bias of successive Social Credit governments, and this one appears to be little different.

Moving now to transportation, I've watched with dismay the transportation needs of rural British Columbia being almost totally ignored on all fronts. Highway 16, the northern transProvincial, an important link between the four western provinces for the movement of goods and people, requires upgrading in some key areas. We were told by the Social Credit candidate during the last provincial election that nothing would be done unless we elected a Socred. Obviously the voters rejected that odious notion of democracy. Then I noticed that the Premier in public statements also seems to reject that notion. If that's the case, then let's get on with it. The need is there, it's well documented, the member for Skeena (Mr. Parker) and I met with the minister, the Premier says it's a priority, and I fully expect to see funds included in this year's budget for completion of those sections of Highway 16. And I agree with the Minister of Transportation (Hon. Mr. Michael): the $50 million federal cost-sharing program does discriminate against British Columbia. Since 48 percent of that highway is in British Columbia, we should get 48 percent of the money. But let's not use that as an excuse not to proceed with the upgrading of that highway this year.

I am deeply concerned that the government has not moved to protect the public interest with respect to the takeover or the merger of Canadian Pacific Airlines by Pacific Western Airlines, or with respect to the federal bills currently before Parliament, Bills C-18 and C-19, to deregulate the transportation industry. It does not take a stroke of genius to understand that parts of rural B.C. are going to suffer a decrease in service levels and an increase in costs as a result of these moves. Particularly disturbing to residents of northern communities such as Sandspit, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Smithers, and Prince George is that the minimal protection offered to northern communities in the proposed new legislation is not going to be given to them because the current federal legislation defines those communities as being in southern B.C. I will be calling on the Minister of Transportation to approach the federal government to change that designation. In effect these communities are now being served by an unregulated monopoly, and I submit that that's totally foreign to our long history of regulation in the transportation industry, and in terms of the protection of the public interest.

I view with some concern the announcement in the throne speech that this government intends to proceed with complementary legislation to deregulate the trucking industry. Those regulations have been built up over time by various governments for good reason. Certainly review is a constant necessity to ensure that regulation is not stifling business expansion or competition, but serious consequences in the form of loss of jobs and business instability could be the result.

I would like to turn now to the subject of health and social services that are all too often not available to residents of northern communities. At the outset I would like to point out that I am not a believer in the theory that government can solve everybody's problems, but neither do I believe that government should abandon its responsibility to provide a basic level of service and, beyond that, to do what they can to allow groups and individuals to work cooperatively together to solve their problems. The Ministries of Health and Social Services and Housing should be aware by now through correspondence from me and other concerned people that we have an enormous problem in the north. The problem was alluded to by my colleague from Atlin. Programs and skilled professionals are all too often lacking to deal with the range of social and health problems in our communities. Basic services such as audiology and speech pathology are either nonexistent or only available on a periodic basis by having to travel vast distances.

I thought I did rather well by saying that — speech pathology.

People in the field tell me we have a severe problem with instances of sexual abuse and a disproportionate amount of street kids on the streets of Prince Rupert. Yet programs are not in place to deal with this. The restraint program of the early eighties severely damaged northern communities. I expect this government to redress these imbalances that have been created as a result of previous economic policies of this government.

The Minister of Social Services and Housing (Hon. Mr. Richmond) was instructed early on by the Premier — the Premier gave out a lot of marching orders early on — to

[ Page 69 ]

review policies, with particular emphasis on services to families and children. I've asked him to come to Prince Rupert. The school board has asked him to come to Prince Rupert. The city council has asked him to come to hold a meeting, to talk to those people who don't have those services. He's declined, and I'm sorry for that. I'll continue to press him, and hopefully he will come to Prince Rupert.

Finally, dealing with health care, the time is long overdue for our basic medical coverage to include the cost of transportation and lodging when individuals are required to seek the care of medical specialists not available in their communities. This is becoming a very standard item in most labour contracts in my community and, I'm sure, in other northern communities, where workers who have the power to band together can negotiate with their employer for this kind of insurance plan. Believe me, I don't want to be a bleeding heart or go on and on about it, but I've seen some very severe instances of suffering by people who have had to make many, many trips to the south.

The throne speech made mention of the government continuing to offer world-class health services. That's certainly not true in the north. If you accept the premise that the basis of medicare is to provide quality health care to all in this country, regardless of their means, then I don't see how we can continue to allow this glaring inequity to exist.

I listened to the Minister of Health (Hon. Mr. Dueck) on CBC recently, saying that this problem should be handled through the generosity of the community; in other words, through charity. Well, charity begins at home, and B.C. Is our home, whether you live in Dawson Creek, Port Clements or Vancouver. We all should be prepared to contribute medical premiums to institute equal access to medical treatment in British Columbia. This House should be aware, and I am very pleased that my leader, the member for Alberni (Mr. Skelly), has made a commitment to that effect.

Once again I hear the Premier and others in cabinet talk about B.C. not getting its fair share from the federal government. Well, if you can recognize the east-west discrimination, you should have no trouble recognizing the north-south discrimination. I pointed to its existence in education, in transportation and now in health care. I hope this government is prepared to put as much energy into dealing with that problem in British Columbia as they have been putting into dealing with the east-west discrimination in Canada.

Perhaps I'm somewhat biased. I've made my living working in forestry, and I think the real wealth of this province comes from taking our natural resources and manufacturing them into more valuable export commodities. There's an enormous amount of wealth in the north: logs from the Queen Charlotte Islands; pulp and fish processed in Prince Rupert; lumber from Terrace and the interior. And we do not get our fair share in return for the wealth that we produce. Perhaps we have been too silent. Perhaps former members have not raised this issue strongly enough. If that's the case, I would ask all northern members to join me and speak out for fairness for the people who live in the largest geographic region in this province.

I want to deal now with the state of our forests, and to start out by paying some tribute to the acumen of the first member for Vancouver East (Mr. Williams), who told me quite some time ago — back in 1975 — that the biggest issue of the coming decade would be our abysmal record in managing our forest resource. I don't think anyone would dispute that statement today. I refer specifically to the recent comment of Peter Pearse in his address to the truck loggers' convention in mid-January: "In spite of the rhetoric since the 1945 Sloan report on sustained yield, we have never really been following sustained yield policy." In spite of overwhelming evidence that we have a problem to be addressed, this government has not developed clear policies to resolve this problem.

I'm amazed that forestry was given such short shrift in the throne speech, a document that all members on the other side of the House seem to be so proud of for its detail. Where's the beef? The incredible uncertainty created by the tariff war is only intensified when the Minister of Forests and Lands announces a $30 million seedling program in 1986, then appears to scrap the deal in February 1987, only to be apparently overruled by the Premier a few days later. That problem was part of what's called the steady state program. I think it should be called the sorry state program.

If we recall that it was the comment of the Minister of Forests last fall — that we were not getting enough revenue for our timber — that added fuel to the U.S. lumber lobby's contention that stumpage fees were so low they constituted a subsidy, it is somewhat amazing that the forest management review released in mid-January failed to address the issue of stumpage. These shortcomings cannot be ignored and I am sure will be the focus of considerable debate in this House.

[5:30]

I want now to discuss the question of aboriginal title and native land claims; again, a subject that was raised most eloquently by my colleague the member for Atlin (Mr. Guno). On a positive note, I wish to commend the former Minister of Intergovernmental Relations for his comments and for the apparent shift by the government in their position. The minister is quoted in the Vancouver Sun of January 10 as saying that the government has hidden for too long behind its legal position that aboriginal title does not exist in B.C., when it could have set aside that position in many cases and negotiated Indian agreements.

I'm not convinced, however, that the motive for this change is completely altruistic. In fact, it appears to be a recognition that the courts are prepared to deal with this matter if the politicians are not. Certainly the comments of the former assistant deputy minister, Mr. Exell, would lead one to that conclusion. It may be why he has gone, and I hope it is not an indication of the government's position. However, given that it is more important to learn from the past than to dwell on it, my hope is that there has been a genuine shift in policy and that we can begin to resolve the legitimate concerns of native people in this province.

If you have read any excerpts from the McKenna McBride commission back at the turn of the century, you will understand the feelings of frustration that have existed within the native community for many years. I'm not a stranger in B.C.; I was born here, but like most people I can only trace my ancestry back one or two generations. In many instances, B.C. natives have become strangers in their own house, denied access to economic opportunities which many off us take for granted. As my friend Charlie Bellis, a very outstanding Haida man from the Queen Charlotte Islands, put it to me, we are suffering from a form of economic slavery, dependent on handouts from government for our existence.

Native reserves are plagued by extremely high unemployment and the consequent social breakdown that occurs in any community where this exists. Native people have demonstrated that they are prepared to go to the wall to improve their position. Surely the events of Lyell Island and in other areas

[ Page 70 ]

of B.C. are ample proof of this. But they also have, in Mr. Exell's words, an ability to make realistic concessions. The resolution of native claims remains one of the most difficult and unresolved issues of our times. I will be watching the government closely to ensure that there has been a genuine change of position on their part and that the door to resolution, having been opened a little bit, continues to open wider until no barriers exist.

Referring back to Lyell Island, I would like to urge the government to get on with the job of negotiating with the federal government the establishment of a national park in the South Moresby area of the Queen Charlotte Islands. And it is clear that Lyell Island must be included within those park boundaries. I must say I was generally pleased with the references in the throne speech to negotiating with the federal government, as well as with references to increasing and tapping the enormous tourism potential of the Queen ' Charlotte Islands, and I applaud the government for that submission in the throne speech.

I have touched on some basic issues which from my vantage point are of concern to my constituency and to the province as a whole. There are many more issues that I have not had time to include in this debate, and I will be raising them at the appropriate moment.

As a new member, albeit with some experience at the provincial and municipal levels, it is my desire to be an effective spokesman for the needs of my constituency and an active member of this Legislature. In that regard, I fully expect the government to institute and use a full committee system involving all members of this House. Not to do so will perpetuate the political process that has been plagued by acrimony and division. I look forward to engaging in spirited debate, but I also look forward to participating in a committee process that, while not defusing our differences, allows us to play a productive role.

There is a clear difference between our two parties, and I would not be here today if I did not believe the New Democrats offer sound, realistic options for the future of this province. As the MLA for Prince Rupert and the islands, I will endeavour to offer positive, constructive suggestions and criticisms for the benefit of my own riding and the province as a whole.

MR. CHALMERS: It's a pleasure indeed for me to rise to speak to the Speech from the Throne. I've been waiting for this moment with a great deal of anticipation. I'd like to begin, sit, by offering you my personal congratulations on your re-election as member for West Vancouver-Howe Sound, and especially for your election to the position of Speaker of this Legislature. I know you will serve the House well, as you have your constituency in the past and will continue to in the future.

To the first member for Dewdney (Mr. Pelton), I would like to extend my congratulations on his appointment as Deputy Speaker, as well as his re-election as MLA.

It is with pleasure that I offer my sincere best wishes and congratulations to our Premier for his personal victories: first of all, for his tremendous win during the most exciting leadership convention the Social Credit Party has ever had; and secondly, of course, for his decisive October 22 election victory and his own re-election as MLA for the fortunate riding of Richmond.

Our Premier has an incredible ability to inspire those around him and to offer new hope and confidence to all the people of British Columbia. It is through the desire to fulfil their own personal dreams that we will ensure the future of this great province. If I may add, I'm glad that he is our leader.

I would also like to commend the Premier on his choice of members to the executive council. We have a strong cabinet. I would like to congratulate each and every one of them for their appointment and wish them well in their duties in government as well as in their personal lives. My best wishes go out to all the members who, like myself, have been appointed as parliamentary secretaries and to those who have been made part of the various governmental committees and Crown corporations.

I would like to congratulate all members of this assembly for their personal victories at the polls last fall. I say all members: both my colleagues in the Social Credit caucus and members of the New Democratic Party. I would like to wish the members of the New Democratic Party well in their upcoming leadership convention. I'm sure they will make a wise decision when they choose their new leader, because strong opposition will help ensure strong government. Mr. Speaker, I hope you'll forgive me if I add that I wish them well in their role as opposition for many, many years to come.

I would like to make special mention of my running mate, the first member for Okanagan South (Mr. Serwa). I would like to thank him for his support during the last election and to say that I look forward to working with him in the future as together we represent the great riding of Okanagan South.

The Okanagan Valley is without question one of the brightest jewels in the crown of British Columbia. It is as if God, when He created the earth, found that He had the best parts left, and in his wisdom put them in the Okanagan Valley. The riding of Okanagan South is located in the centre of the Okanagan Valley, beginning just south of the community of Winfield; it includes the area of Rutland, the city of Kelowna and the community of Westbank, and ends just south of that beautiful community of Peachland.

Mr. Speaker, I would sincerely like to thank all of the people of Okanagan South for placing their faith and trust in me to represent them as one of the Members of the Legislative Assembly. I promise that I will do all in my power to see that they are represented well and that the faith and trust of those who voted for me will never be misplaced.

I must confess that I have aspired to run for this office for some time, but as you can appreciate, there have not been many openings in Okanagan South. As a matter of fact, since the beginning of time only ten MLAs have ever been elected in our constituency, and that includes the first member and myself. Okanagan South was very well represented in the past 45 years by two former Premiers, Hon. W.A. C. Bennett and, of course, his son, Hon. Bill Bennett. That's a fact that we in Okanagan South are proud of.

I would like at this time to say a few words about my predecessor, Hon. Bill Bennett. I've had the good fortune to be aware of a side of Bill Bennett that very few outside of the Okanagan have ever seen. Most people know Bill Bennett, the Premier; I knew Bill Bennett, the man. He's a man of vision and compassion. Like his father before him, he loved this province dearly. I believe that he led us through one of the most difficult times that we have ever experienced since the Great Depression. His many accomplishments will remain forever part of his political record. I will always admire him, not so much for his tremendous record of accomplishment during his tenure as Premier but for his inner strength and the

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political will to always do what he felt was right, often in face of great opposition. I'm proud to have supported him for many years and to be able to call him a friend.

We have an exciting new government, with strong leadership that will accomplish much during the next few years. The people of British Columbia have placed their confidence in our Premier. I have certainly talked to many, both in and outside of my riding, since the October election, who feel that we made a wise choice. He has very rapidly developed a reputation for following through with his promises. He offered the people of British Columbia a new approach to government — an open government. As we all know, there are many risks that go along with an open form of government, and it has taken a great deal of courage on the part of our Premier to lead us in that direction. I am proud indeed to be part of the new team, the class of '86. I'm sure that we all share our Premier's desire for a fresh start in this assembly and that all of us, on both sides of the House, will strive for positive, effective debate. I know, Mr. Speaker, that you will contribute a great deal to ensure our success, through your impartial handling of the proceedings. The Speech from the Throne further demonstrates this government's sincere intention to fulfil election promises.

I am proud of the initiatives that the government is making to improve the economic well-being of this province. As a free-enterpriser, Mr. Speaker, I realize that the private sector is the key to the economic future of this province. That is why I'm so pleased to see that this government is encouraging the private sector to take the lead in economic development. We want to encourage a vibrant private sector, and we want to attract entrepreneurs and investment to British Columbia.

I am pleased that we are going to move towards a system of taxation for job creation industries that is based on profit rather than fixed charges. We are going to let business get down to business.

It is time to re-evaluate the role of government in this province. I've always felt that the best government is less government. The proposal by the minister responsible for privatization to appoint a private sector task force to work on privatization of Crown corporations is the first positive step in this direction. I am pleased that we will be examining ways to retire the debt carried by the Crown corporations. We will not mortgage our children’s' future.

[5:45]

Our educational system is the key to preparing our children to face that future and to helping build a new economy. I am very encouraged by the creation of a royal commission on education, and I look forward to its recommendations. Our province offers young people an excellent education, and I feel that by consulting with the various components of our system we can make it even better. I support our government's plans to make post-secondary education more accessible to everyone. The introduction of a tax-deductible registered educational savings plan will help parents plan for our children's future. The scholarship credit plan rewards the hard work of grade 8 to grade 12 students with high academic standards by allowing them to earn credits toward the cost of their post-secondary education.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Consultation and cooperation are essential to the future of this province. Our government will be consulting not only with those in our education system, but also with the private sector and all levels of government. We will encourage business and labour to work together to bring long-term stability in labour-management relations. By working together we can create a positive economic climate in this province.

I am also pleased that the post-secondary education will be increased. With the rapid rate of technological change in the world today, our colleges, university and technical schools must have the necessary tools to teach the new skills and new education programs that this change demands. We have an excellent education facility right in our own constituency, Mr. Speaker. I speak of the Okanagan College, and I'd like to commend the individuals who teach and administer Okanagan College, because they are responsible for the Okanagan College's fine reputation. I am looking forward to working with the Minister of Advanced Education and Job Training (Hon. Mr. Hagen) to ensure that its facilities will continue to offer top-quality programs which meet the needs of the students, the staff and the community as a whole.

Our government offers a strong leadership to build a better future. The Premier has demonstrated this leadership by pressing for a fair share for B.C. from Confederation and by demonstrating that he is prepared to work hard to find ways to cooperate with the federal government to achieve his goals. I know that I and all of my colleagues in caucus share the Premier's great desire for this province to move forward. It is our turn to get a fair share from Confederation, Mr. Speaker, and we all look forward to doing what we can as MLAs to assist our Premier in his effort to obtain all that is due British Columbia.

I believe that the private sector is strong and very capable of supplying many of the tasks and services now delivered by government, with greater efficiency and at much less cost to the taxpayers.

There is much that can be gained by taking advantage of our natural resources, our talented business sector, our highly skilled workforce and our vast markets in the United States and the Pacific Rim countries. We must, however, first satisfy our world customers and investors that we have lasting labour peace in our province. By improving our labour climate, we can provide increased and lasting employment for our people.

In an attempt to see that we do improve our labour situation, the Minister of Labour and Consumer Services (Hon. L. Hanson) has just completed his review of the Labour Code. Review of the Labour Code has always been a delicate issue in this province. But the minister has established his credibility very early with all parties affected by the possible change. The minister has sought considerable input and guidance from people throughout this province before preparing his recommendations to the Premier. It is my hope that we in this House will enter into the debate that will follow the introduction of the minister's legislation with a spirit of cooperation and a sincere desire to improve our labour record.

Like some other areas of this province, the central Okanagan has suffered from higher than average unemployment rates. It is important to all of my constituents that this government continue to do all it can to instill confidence in our workforce and our investment community. We in Okanagan South have much to gain. Our potential is unlimited. We have been blessed with a wealth of talent and experience in all sectors of our economy. This can be attributed largely to the fact that the climate and natural beauty of our valley is like a huge magnet that has been drawing people from all over

[ Page 72 ]

Canada, North America and for that matter throughout the world to live in our area and enjoy a lifestyle that is second to none.

Our tourist industry, for example, has tremendous potential for expansion. Our lakes are world-renowned; they provide a vast playground for the boater, the sailor, the sunbather and the fisherman. Because people travel from all over Canada and the U.S. to visit us in the summer, it places a great deal of pressure on our parks. Because public space is so important to us in the Okanagan, I intend to do all I can to see that additional lands are placed into the provincial parks system to meet this growing demand.

Within a short drive of Kelowna we have some of the finest ski facilities and conditions in the world. Yes, our skiing rivals even that of Whistler, whether it be downhill or cross-country.

Our golf courses match the best that Canada has to offer — courses like the Kelowna Golf and Country Club and the Gallaghers Canyon course. They have delighted golfers from all around the globe. They have been responsible for attracting many people to visit Kelowna, and in many instances these people have returned to our area to retire and to start a business. We also have smaller courses such as Central Park, Mission Creek, Shannon Lake Golf Course and the Ponderosa Golf and Country Club, and they are all continuing to make improvements to ensure that they will provide firstclass golf for our residents and our visitors alike.

We in the interior will benefit greatly from the spinoff of that great world's fair, Expo 86. There were millions of visitors, including tens of thousands of business and industry leaders who were so impressed with what they saw that many will want to return to experience what the rest of the province has to offer. Okanagan South will be working very hard to ensure that we get our share of this tremendous business opportunity. We will not be sitting back and waiting to be discovered. Our local tourist association, chambers of commerce and business people will be aggressively marketing the Okanagan and all that it has to offer.

HON. MR. REID: Right on.

MR. CHALMERS: The quiet Minister of Tourism, Recreation and Culture is to be congratulated for the many programs such as Partners in Tourism and "Inside B.C." promotions that are designed to help communities like ours for help themselves. I would like to thank the minister for taking the time to visit my riding recently, where he addressed the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. He left a very positive and timely message that was well received by his audience.

He talked about all the benefits that we can derive from Expo 86, and the legacy will live on all over B.C. We in Okanagan South will benefit directly through the Expo legacy fund.

The Provincial Secretary and Minister of Government Services (Hon. Mr. Veitch) also visited our riding recently to meet with municipal leaders. During his stay, he announced a grant of $420,000 towards the building of a new community hall for Peachland. [Applause.] It gets better. He also announced a grant for $1.5 million towards the construction of a new multi-purpose facility in the city of Kelowna. Not to forget our community of Westbank, a previous announcement was made for a $500,000 grant for the building of a new swimming pool complex. All three of these projects will provide much-needed facilities for the use of the people in my riding.

I would like to pass on to the minister the appreciation of His Worship Jim Stuart, mayor of the city of Kelowna and chairman of the Central Okanagan regional district, and that of His Worship Mayor George Waldo of the municipality of Peachland, on behalf of all of the people of all of those communities. I would also like to add my personal thanks to the minister for his assistance and that of his committee.

My riding enjoys a mixed economy which, for the most part, has been a stable one. We are well known for our fruit and grape-growing. As well, the processing of fruit and the making of wine have created many jobs for many years.

I have much more to add, Mr. Speaker, but at this time I would like to move adjournment of debate until the next sitting of the House.

Motion approved.

Hon. Mr. Reid tabled the 1985-86 annual report of Tourism British Columbia.

Hon. Mr. Strachan moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 5:55 p.m.