Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1992

Volume 1, Number 7

[ Page 115 ]

The House met at 10:06 a.m.

Prayers.

A. Warnke: I would like the House to acknowledge the presence of my wife, Geraldine, from Richmond.

Hon. G. Clark Tabled the 1990-91 public accounts report of the auditor general.

Hon. G. Clark: I ask leave of the House, hon. Speaker, for the selection committee to meet at 3:30 p.m. in the Douglas Fir Committee Room as opposed to the advertised 10:15 this morning.

Leave granted.

Orders of the Day

Throne Speech Debate

(continued)

U. Dosanjh: Hon. Speaker, let me begin by congratulating you on your election to the position of Speaker, and follow that by congratulating perhaps the tallest member in the House, the longest-serving member in the House, the member for Vancouver-Burrard, for his election as Deputy Speaker. I was only four years old in terms of my Canadian life when he was first elected to the House here. That was in 1972, and I had arrived in Canada in 1968. It's been a pleasure knowing him. His warm and large handshake works as an embrace on you, and you never forget that.

I'm honoured to be elected as the new member for the new riding, or constituency, of Vancouver-Kensington. It is in the heart of Vancouver; it's perhaps the most central Vancouver riding. It touches on the south Vancouver-Fraserview, on the east and north Vancouver-Kingsway, and then Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and then Little Mountain and then Langara. So I'm right in the middle of all of the members, some of whom are in cabinet, others in the opposition and others sitting with the government caucus.

I'm honoured to follow in the footsteps of Grace McCarthy, the member for Vancouver-Little Mountain. A substantial portion of my riding comes from her old riding. As we all know, she served this province with distinction over the years -- and, of course, Mr. Mowat, who also served this province. I also have to recognize Stephen Rogers and Russ Fraser, as I ran against them in '83 in Vancouver South, and a portion of that constituency falls in my present constituency as well. They both have served this province well over the years.

At the heart of my constituency is the Kensington Community Centre, whose name has been used to carve this riding out. It sits right in the centre of the constituency, and I've had the privilege in the past of acting as counsel to the Kensington Community Centre Association. They're doing a wonderful job in serving the needs of that particular area. There are three other community centres that this constituency serves: the Killarney Community Centre on the east and the Riley Park Community Centre on the west. There is another institution worth mention in my riding, and that's the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House. It sits near 49th Avenue on the boundary of Vancouver-Fraserview and my constituency. There is another neighbourhood house -- Little Mountain -- which sits on Main Street near King Edward. That neighbourhood house also serves many people in my constituency. I'm making that point simply to say that it's important to strengthen and support those institutions which serve people in their own neighbourhoods.

In my constituency people live harmoniously with each other, and they or their ancestors have come from all areas of the globe. There is one thing that stands out, in terms of the constituency that I'm honoured to represent, and that is that there is a large percentage of persons whose mother tongue is Chinese. They form at least 30 percent of my riding. The Chinese Canadians, and Chinese British Columbians in particular, have been here since the 1850s and have contributed to building this province to what it is today. I'm honoured to represent that particular riding, which boasts the largest percentage of Chinese-speaking people in the province.

I might say something about that group of individuals. All of us come from civilizations that are ancient and important. I want to make this point about the kind of civilization, culture and enrichment that the Chinese community brings to this province. I'm now quoting John Gunther's Inside Asia. He says, referring to the Chinese civilization:

"...the longest civilization known to mankind. They have uninterruptedly existed as a political and cultural entity for well over 4,000 years, a record no country in the world can match. The Chinese were old when ancient Greece was young; they produced Confucius centuries before Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar.... Chinese history goes back at least to 2800 B.C. The birth of Solomon, the death of Socrates, the birth of Jesus, the death of Charlemagne, the birth of Newton, the death of Bismarck all took place while China was the same nation.... They have always been there. They seem older than the rocks."

[10:15]

Over the last four or five months I've had the privilege of being involved in many events in and out of my constituency, and there are a few I would like to mention. There have been a series of meetings in the downtown east side-Chinatown area, initiated in the Premier's constituency, dealing with inner-city problems. Meetings have been initiated with respect to the establishment of a community policing project in Chinatown. I had the privilege of being part of those meetings. I'm delighted that our Attorney General saw the establishment of that policing project in Chinatown through, so that our city would be a safer place and the policing would come closer to the grass roots in the community.

[ Page 116 ]

Talking about the Chinese community, I want to dwell on it for another second. It's important to remember that it was at the urging of British Columbians several decades ago that the Chinese head tax was imposed by the federal government. It had been attempted by British Columbians themselves, but the attempts failed. Eventually the Chinese head tax was imposed by the federal government.

That has been an unjust historical reality that needs to be dealt with. I have placed before the House a notice of motion -- first in the printing -- which deals with that, and perhaps we may get to that sometime in this session. It's extremely important for the federal government, and I urge the federal government -- and I'm sure members of the House would join me in asking the federal government -- to expeditiously deal with this matter, correct this historical injustice and provide a reasonable redress for that injustice so we can get on with life and with building a better, more prosperous and harmonious British Columbia.

What of the issues? My constituents are concerned about the same issues as all other British Columbians. Perhaps being in the city they may be concerned more about transit than many other British Columbians, but they are concerned about, in addition to transit, health care, child care, human rights, employment opportunities, jobs, education, ESL and post-secondary education.

There is a large immigrant population in the constituency I represent, and I have a special attachment to the institutions that surround my constituency. To the north of my constituency on Broadway between Knight and Fraser Streets sits the Vancouver Community College King Edward Campus, whose predecessor is where I taught English to new Canadians years ago when I was going to law school. My wife currently teaches English as a second language to adults in that particular facility, and my constituency is home to many students who attend that institution.

At the other end, situated in the constituency of Vancouver-Langara, is Vancouver Community College, Langara Campus, where I had the privilege of actually doing my first two years of a BA. That's where I met my wife. We married, and we live half a block away from that particular place at this time. Incidentally, my oldest son is presently attending Langara. So in a sense I have a family attachment to the institutions of education around the constituency which I represent.

Since my constituency is home to many immigrants for whom English is a second language, I applaud the initiatives that this government has taken with the immigrant settlement program, funding for ESL and their general policies on better education and better access to education for all.

This government has taken, or promised, many important initiatives in many of those areas that I have mentioned. The most recent announcements have been regarding the provision of health care to all women. Incidentally, if I might add, my constituency is home to the first Everywoman's Health Centre in British Columbia, and I'm proud to have that in my riding. This government has launched a school meals program. There is the Working Opportunity Fund to create jobs, the Land Commission, the panel on the Family and Child Service Act and many other initiatives that one can go on discussing.

What I really want to say is that this government has taken a mix of initiatives which aim at job creation and wealth creation, as well as addressing the needs of the disadvantaged, the poor and those in our society who need assistance from the government. This government has not shied away from creating jobs and opportunities on the one hand and addressing the needy and their needs on the other.

I want to quote, perhaps very appropriately, the well-known economist John Kenneth Galbraith. It's important that we deal with this issue, because in the past, in British Columbia particularly, while we have talked about creation of wealth, free enterprise and jobs, whenever a voice has been raised on behalf of the needy and the disadvantaged it has been looked down upon. At least, an attempt has been made to muzzle those voices that have attempted to speak on behalf of the disadvantaged and the needy. In his forthcoming book, The Culture of Contentment, an excerpt from which was published in Harper's of March 1992, John Kenneth Galbraith talks about the contented class in America, which is the majority population, and indicates that both Democrats and Republicans address the needs of that particular class. He goes on to say that while the needs of the disadvantaged and the poor have occasioned quite a bit of comment over the years, and there have been social, law enforcement, drug, housing and health problems resulting from some of those issues, the contented class has occasioned much less comment. He goes on to say about the contented class:

"The income of this favoured community, or much of it, is in turn made relatively secure by a variety of public and private reinforcements: private pension funds, social security, publicly and privately sponsored and supported medical care, farm income supports and, very expensively, guarantees against loss because of the failure of financial institutions, banks, and the now greatly celebrated savings and loans associations.

"The substantial present role of the government in subsidizing this well-being deserves more than passing notice. Where the impoverished are concerned, government support and subsidy is seriously suspect because of its adverse effect on the morals and working morale. This, however, is not true of the government support to those of comparative well-being. No one is thought to be damaged by social security payments or their prospect, nor is a depositor, by being rescued from a failed bank. Nor if one is employed in the defence industry. The comparatively affluent can withstand the adverse moral effect of being subsidized and supported by the government; not so the poor."

I think that that's an important point, because over the last many years government in this province has been always trying to denigrate those who stood up and spoke on behalf of the needy and the disadvantaged in British Columbia. It's important that this government has injected the sense of realism, that, while we need to create wealth, we need to address the needs of the poor, the disadvantaged and the underprivileged in this society. Otherwise we would have a lopsided development, which would be no good for anyone in this province or this country.

[ Page 117 ]

Let me say something about what I've been doing for the last few months with other members of this House: the work of the constitution committee. It has been an eye-opener. It has been pleasant at times and inspiring at others, while still shocking at other times, to hear the views of British Columbians. Despite the tensions and the disparities that exist in the views across British Columbia, one thing has become clear to me, and I'm sure it has become clear to other members on the constitution committee: British Columbians want us to keep the country of Canada, as we know it, together for centuries to come. Despite the fact that we don't want to award any special status to Quebec and despite their concerns about the rights of the English-speaking in Quebec, there is a large reservoir of goodwill about Quebec and about the natives in British Columbia.

I want to say that the natives obviously have suffered over the centuries in British Columbia, and it's important that we redress that wrong not only by recognizing self-government but by putting in place programs and policies that would ameliorate the conditions that we as a society have forced them into.

I want to read to the House one paragraph from the distinguished Thomas Berger's book, A Long and Terrible Shadow: White Values, Native Rights in the Americas. Just one paragraph -- I don't mean to bore you all. Talking about the history of the natives in the Americas, he says:

"It is important for us to know something about that history. In 1992 we commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's landfall and the triumph of the European enterprise in the New World. The history that we will celebrate is the history of the progress we have made. That progress has been made at the expense of the Indians; for them that history is one of suffering, of massacre, disease and devastation. Europe has cast a long and terrible shadow over the native people of the New World. Today they are emerging from beneath that shadow, and they have a tale to tell not only of subjugation but also of survival, for they still live among us, and they have a claim on our consciences, a claim that we should honour the principles by which we profess to live."

My friends, members of this House and hon. Speaker, that principle is the principle of self-government. And there is sentiment across Canada, more particularly across British Columbia, to extend that right to the natives. I applaud that sentiment both in this House and across British Columbia, because it's about time we dealt with that particular issue, so that the natives can get on with being the fullest possible citizens in this great country of Canada, and as British Columbians we can move on to better and bigger things together.

I will try to be brief, since I can't see the Speaker's lights. Let me tell you something about myself; I thought it might be important to do that. I came to Canada in 1968. Before then I was in Britain for three and a half years, where I laboured in many jobs and went to school part-time. Before then I was born and raised in India. I came to Canada in 1968, joined the lumber mill industry as an industrial first-aid attendant, broke my back, went back to school at nights at the old King Edward campus that burned down -- the old landmark -- and then went to Langara, Simon Fraser and UBC. In the meantime I married. I have three sons, and my wife is my constant political companion. In fact, she organizes, and I disorganize sometimes.

As part of that work history, I became aware that institutions like WCB need to be made more responsive to the needs of the working people that they are ensured to protect. The needs of the farm and domestic workers should be uppermost in our minds. Both the farmworkers and the domestic workers are the people who literally put food on our tables. The farmworkers grow and reap it from the fields, and the domestic workers cook it and put it on our tables in many homes across British Columbia. Those are the kinds of people, if we want to move ahead as a civilization with dignity and equality for all, whose needs have to be addressed. I'm sorry to say that the federal government has not paid much attention to the needs of the domestic workers. This government has made a commitment to address the needs of both the farm workers and the domestic workers in the upcoming legislative review, and I applaud that effort.

[10:30]

The other issue I want to touch on is the human rights issue. When I was going to law school, I had the opportunity of teaching English to new Canadians while working as a liaison with the human rights branch between '72 and '75 for a couple of summers. I became aware of the needs of the people and the problems they faced, and I'm proud to say that I was partly responsible for the first equal employment opportunities program at the city hall in Vancouver. That's why the issue of human rights is important to me, and that's why I applaud the initiatives that have been announced in the throne speech with respect to human rights. It's very important that we deal with those issues.

I actually have a connection with this province which is much older than myself. It may be a bit of a stretched connection, but let me tell you how it is, since I think it is important for you to know who I am and where I come from. My maternal great-grandfather's brother was in Canada in 1914 in the days of the Komagata Maru. A few days after the Komagata Maru was forced to leave Canada, he left for India voluntarily because in Canada he had breathed a sense of freedom that others enjoyed while he didn't. He had seen a sense of dignity that others enjoyed while he couldn't. He went back to that country to struggle for the freedom of India, which he loved. In March 1916 he gladly went to the gallows for the sake of freedom, justice and equality in that country.

My maternal grandfather was a resident of Shanghai, China, for a while. He was a wrestler and a security guard. He was invited to Canada by his brother. My grandfather thought that he might leave for India to see the family and then come to Canada. When he went to India, he got embroiled in the struggle for the freedom of that country and never made it to Canada until the seventies, when he was invited here by us. He spent 18 years behind bars in British jails fighting for equality, liberty, justice and fairness for the people of India, and he fought against the British with his life.

[ Page 118 ]

My mother was a political activist. She and my father never agreed on things. My father belonged to the nationalist movement; she belonged to a leftist movement; so there were two camps in the household. I'm proud to say that I was educated, in my elementary and high-school education, in schools founded by my grandfather. The elementary school was initiated by my grandfather, and I was the first student in that school, where my aunt taught me. The high school from which I graduated was founded by four friends of my father's -- my father being one of the founders of that school, where he taught until 1962.

So I have a certain political heritage that I come from. I have a commitment to a sense of fairness, justice, equality and openness -- all of the issues and principles that this government is committed to. That's why, when I came to this country, the New Democratic Party was a natural home for me to walk into; and I walked into it easily, because it had open doors. I thank the New Democrats and British Columbians for that opportunity to participate in the development of this province with which I had connections in the past.

In the next few months, as legislators, British Columbians and Canadians, we're going to face the question of national unity, the question of the renewal of Canada, and the new constitution. We're all concerned about that.

Let me end by reading to you from an essay on politics by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Before I read this, let me just customarily say -- although I say it from the bottom of my heart -- that I look forward to working with members on all sides of the House to make British Columbia a better place for us to live.

Let me read from Emerson:

"In dealing with the State," -- I'm talking about the constitution and the unity of the country that we all love -- "we ought to remember that its institutions are not aboriginal, though they existed before we were born; that they are not superior to the citizen; that every one of them was once the act of a single man;" -- this is dated, obviously -- "[that] every law and usage was a man's expedient to meet a particular case; that they all are imitable, all alterable; we may make as good; we may make better."

B. Jones: I ask leave to make an introduction.

Leave not granted.

G. Brewin: It is indeed an enormous pleasure to rise to make my first speech in this august body.

May I, as others have done, acknowledge some wonderful things that happened in the last five months? First of all, it's important to say to you, Madam Speaker, that your personal election is an important one for all of us, and that your unanimous selection by this House to be our Speaker was indeed a wise and sensible decision by this House. I know you will be a superb Speaker, and you will join the first woman Speaker, Nancy Hodges, to go down in history as making some wise and sensible decisions. I congratulate you for that.

I'd like also to add my congratulations to the members of this House for their election in 1991, just five months ago. We have in this House 51 new government members, including the Speaker. We have 19 women in this House -- the first time in the history of this House and of others that we have had so much excellent representation -- with, I have no doubt, more to come. We also have in this House 49 brand-new members. This is very exciting for all of us in this province, as we are all launched on a very rapid learning curve, and we launch into our new duties with some real excitement.

I'd like to say to the members of this House and to those of you from other parts of this wonderful province of ours: welcome to Victoria-Beacon Hill. In view of the fact that this House is situated in Victoria-Beacon Hill, I know that many of you are living in this riding, and I'm pleased to know that. I'm pleased to know that I have such wonderful new representatives and that you will be after me to do good things for Victoria-Beacon Hill. I'm also very conscious of the fact that this is your secondary residence, so I probably don't really have to worry about you -- since you will be voting in your regular ridings. But to those of you who have come and brought your families, I applaud that and I encourage all of you to do that many more times. Victoria-Beacon Hill -- indeed, the whole of lower Vancouver Island -- is a magnificent place. It's a very family place. It's a very manageable place. I know that you have enjoyed it in the past and will continue to enjoy it in the future.

It is a community that has many landmarks, not the least of which is the very prominent building that we are now in. This Legislature and these legislative buildings have been here for a very long time and were built by one of the very famous architects in British Columbia. We also have many other buildings in this community that you will see as you walk and travel around. St. Ann's Academy is a very important building, and we will be discussing that, I suspect, in the days and months ahead.

We also have a very important downtown which is part of Victoria-Beacon Hill. It's also, of course, very much a part of the community of Victoria and also of the capital city of British Columbia. You will notice that part of what makes it distinctive and I think unique is its heritage values, which I know this province appreciates, the people of this community appreciate, and you as visitors here and as new residents also appreciate very much.

We also have some very significant geographic landmarks. Again, if you are out and about and you want to join me at 7 o'clock some morning along the Dallas Road waterfront, I'd be glad to point out some of the other merits to you: a wonderful waterfront, some magnificent parks. Beacon Hill Park is a gem in our whole parks planning for the whole of the province, and we are honoured that it is within our community. And of course, we have a vibrant harbour. Much work is being done to preserve it to make sure that it stays a working harbour, and we're pleased that that's happening.

One of the significant things about Victoria-Beacon Hill that I've often enjoyed and will continue to enjoy in the future is the people who live here. We are a diverse group. We are a very energetic group. We are a very 

[ Page 119 ]

involved group. And the people in the neighbourhoods of James Bay and Fairfield and Fernwood and Jubilee and downtown are as protective and concerned about their downtown and their communities as any that you could find across this province. They are not loath to let us know when things are not going the way they ought to be going. As the former mayor, I know only too well and appreciate very much their earnestness and their commitment to this community in order that they build a better community for all British Columbians.

We are indeed the capital city, and I'm delighted that you are all here to appreciate our capital city and to help us build this capital city so that it is indeed a treasure for the whole of the province, and so that it indeed fits in with the traditions of this whole community for you all to enjoy. It is also the home of the 1994 Commonwealth Games -- an event that we are all looking forward to. In the days, months and years ahead we will be planning for and looking forward to them with some anticipation.

I'd like to move to another traditional area. I think it is very important for all of us to acknowledge the work and the dedication of previous Members of the Legislative Assembly. It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be here standing in the footsteps -- if you like, in the shoes -- of Gordon Hanson, who retired just before the last election. He was first elected in 1979 and was subsequently re-elected in '83 and '86. I think the most significant thing about Gordon Hanson's contribution here was a particular bill that he introduced. He initiated a native languages bill, and it was passed by this Legislature.

It was significant, in my view, because I think it launched the beginning of a changed attitude towards our native aboriginal peoples in this province. By preserving their language and by saying that this mattered enormously to all of us in British Columbia, we were sending out the signals that we will be responding and working with our native communities to build for them the kinds of communities they have always had, that they have lost and that now will be found. Language comes first in all of that. I honour Gordon Hanson and his work in this field and look forward, with some difficulty, to filling those shoes.

I'm not sure whether this is entirely appropriate. Victoria was a dual-member constituency and has now been turned into two ridings, so I feel an obligation -- and with some pleasure -- to acknowledge the other member for Victoria, who is now the member for Victoria-Hillside and is also the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Housing. He also has presented some difficult shoes to fill, particularly in the areas of housing and tenants' rights. With his energy and persistence, he made some major gains for those groups in our community. Again, they will be hard shoes to fill, but it is a challenge that I am energetically looking forward to.

[10:45]

I'd like to mention two other things at this time. Within the last six months a very important and significant woman to British Columbians, and indeed to the whole of Canada, passed away. Grace MacInnis was the daughter of J.S. Woodsworth, the founder of the CCF, the forerunner of the New Democratic Party. She and her family made a major contribution to achieving social justice and some economic equity for the people of this country. We will be forever grateful for the role and contribution that she made to us in British Columbia and to this country of ours.

The name Michael Dunahee was mentioned in our prayers this morning. One year ago today this community became frozen and shocked to learn of the abduction of this small four-year-old boy from a very public park in our community. Rallying to the cause of Bruce, Crystal and young Caitlin, the city, the community and the police services in this whole area poured out their hearts, energy and commitment to help locate young Michael Dunahee. Today he is five years old, and he has not yet been found. Today, on the first anniversary, we all wish the Dunahee family hope and strength and good wishes that we may find Michael Dunahee very soon.

Let me turn now, if I may, to the throne speech and a number of items in it that I believe are very important to all of us in this province. The speech was very comprehensive. It was balanced and fair, and I believe it responds to the needs of B.C.ers. It represents a caring philosophy of this government and a managing-better approach for this province.

Initially I'd like to refer to four particular ones that are of significance to me and to the people of Victoria-Beacon Hill. First of all, on women's equality, I want to offer my congratulations to the ministers of Health and Women's Equality for the actions that have taken place to date. First of all, just last week, access to abortions for women in this province was widened and broadened. The commitment was made earlier; the commitment was carried through. I am very proud of that fact.

Hon. Speaker, on International Women's Day we also had grants to women's centres from the Minister of Women's Equality. The Status of Women Action Group in Victoria-Beacon Hill was very grateful for the dollars that will be presented to them over the next 18 months. That, again, represents a commitment made by this government to women's centres. It is just a beginning.

I also want to acknowledge, as I have earlier, that heritage is a very important issue for us in the capital city, but it also is for the whole of the province. I look forward to hearing some new legislation in that field.

The previous speaker mentioned human rights issues, and I won't elaborate on those. They are mentioned in the Speech from the Throne. We as a government recognize that antidiscrimination legislation must be in effect for groups that suffer because of ageism, family status or sexual orientation. For too long these rights have not been properly recognized, and many of these people have suffered mightily for that. I look forward to legislation that will protect those groups and those people.

Fourthly, I look forward to the work that will happen in the health care field around the Seaton report, which I compliment. We know that an enormous amount of public consultation will be taking place with regard to that report, and I welcome and look forward to that. The people of Victoria-Beacon Hill are very much concerned about those kinds of issues.

[ Page 120 ]

I would like to commend a suggestion to the minister and the ministry that came from a constituent of mine just two days ago. As we are looking at more community-based health care services, we should consider different kinds of clinics, and one would be a foot-care clinic. There are many people across this whole province who have some major concerns about their feet. Mine are fine right now, although my knees are a little shaky at the moment. I would commend to the minister some thoughts about that.

Let me turn to three major issues that I think are of importance to this province and to Victoria-Beacon Hill. First of all, tourism. Tourism is, in my belief and understanding, the second-largest industry in this province. In 1990 overnight visitors brought to this province some $5 billion. That is serious money and presents to us the challenge to take this important industry very seriously. To that end the government has developed a plan of action which I applaud and look forward to. We are developing and will continue to develop an inventory of our natural and cultural tourism resources, which will help us provide a sustainable tourism future in this province.

In the throne speech we heard about some legislation that will be emerging in the next while that will help us build a framework for the tourism industry across the whole of the province. Some of the features that will be contained in that will provide opportunities for some really serious planning, which I think has been lacking in the past while. It will build in some opportunities for encouraging investment. That's very important. Equally important is that tourism and the energy put behind it is provincewide. It isn't just the large centres or the particularly historically noteworthy centres; every community in this province is in a position to benefit and build on its own tourism strengths. That will happen, and I look forward to it.

Most important of all, consultation with the communities will be a feature point in the development of tourism across this province. That has happened in many other ministries, and it will be happening in health care. This is very important to Victoria. In the last year we have received a record number of visitors to this city, some 3.15 million visits, producing revenue for this whole community of some $750 million. That is very important to our community. We in Victoria have developed -- and I think other communities have too -- a particular kind of model for the delivery of those tourism services. There is a partnership of government, the private sector and the tourism industry people themselves. It is working very well, and I commend it to other parts of the province.

Important for this area and Vancouver Island is that the government is struggling mightily to encourage and facilitate the reappearance of a car ferry between the United States -- Seattle in particular -- and Victoria and Vancouver Island. I'm sure that as soon as is practically possible, we will have such a service available to us. I think it's a very important one.

What we're saying in terms of tourism, and what I believe, is that we have a message to all the communities in British Columbia -- not just Victoria -- that tourism is indeed an important aspect of our communities. It can be, and should be, community-based. It should add value to the tourism experience of our visitors. By building on our strengths, we can achieve those goals. We are serious about this, and we want to work with and facilitate the success of all communities in British Columbia in the tourism area.

Let me turn to housing. I mentioned earlier my strong interest in this in response to the needs of the people in Victoria-Beacon Hill. Housing is a very serious matter. Nearly 70 percent of the people of Victoria-Beacon Hill are renters. We have had, for the last five years, a 1 percent vacancy rate. What that has meant has been a very tight market for both rental and purchase, with little opportunity to discuss some of the issues in the rental field, such as landlord and tenant disputes. This has had a serious effect on many young singles, on families and on seniors, because the supply is limited, the prices are going up, and rental tenure, particularly for seniors, is far from secure.

In the throne speech we heard about an initiative that suggests to our communities that they include in their community plans ideas and concepts that affordable housing, rental and special needs housing will indeed be welcomed in all the communities of British Columbia. I think that that's an important acknowledgement, an important message to be sending to the communities, to the people who need affordable housing and to the industry, that this is going to happen all across this province.

Latterly, hon. Speaker, the problem has been exacerbated by the federal government, which has chosen housing, among many things, to look at in terms of deficit reduction. We have a deplorable situation, then, on the backs of those who can least afford it, in that we are going to lose housing, and many people are going to suffer.

We will be seeing an end -- it's been announced -- to the very successful co-op program. It has meant that many people have been able to begin a kind of home ownership that has led them into permanent home ownership, which has opened up spaces for others as they come along. But worse still, hon. Speaker, have been the cuts to the social housing programs. Sixty percent of the present programs will be cut over the next two years. That is just not good enough at all. The fundamental issue of housing is important for all of our people. That this unconscionable action should be undertaken by the federal government will just not do. I'm very pleased that our minister has been speaking out loudly and vociferously on that topic. I look forward to working with him and other members of this Legislature to do whatever we can to get those programs back in shape and, in fact, to build some of our own.

Let me turn to another topic: seniors. In Victoria-Beacon Hill, 31 percent of the population are seniors over the age of 65. In two of our communities, Fairfield and James Bay, the percentage reaches close to 50 percent. This is a very high margin. There are other communities in this province that have equally high and higher percentages. It suggests that issues concerning seniors are very important for us, and we ignore them at our peril. The people who built British Colum-

[ Page 121 ]

bia know that they have a right to live in dignified, comfortable and enjoyable retirement. They shouldn't have to worry about adequate income, secure housing or quality health care. Many of them worked very hard for a long time to achieve the goals that they have, and to have those wiped away in their later years by government action is something that we must be vigilant doesn't happen here. We New Democrats have always placed a very high emphasis on meeting the needs of seniors, and we know -- as I mentioned earlier -- that Grace MacInnis and her father J.S. Woodsworth worked extraordinarily diligently to produce for us in Canada some of the basic tenets of our community now, our community of Canada. Those are old age pensions, the Canada Pension Plan, medicare and many other issues of that sort.

In spite of all this progress, however, many older British Columbians still face serious hardships. Statistics show that about 43 percent of unattached individuals over the age of 65 and 20 percent of all senior citizens live below the poverty line. Older women are twice as likely to be poor as men are. The situation is especially serious for widows and single women. This is a deplorable fact, and it is an unacceptable situation. In the days, months and years ahead, I am certain that all members of this House will want to join in pursuing and searching for adequate appropriate solutions to this fundamental issue and these fundamental needs in all our communities. I look forward to participating with members of this House in that regard.

As I draw to my conclusion, let me turn to some more personal observations. Like the previous speaker and others in this body, I too come from a political background. I was reminded on the day just a week ago, when we were walking into this chamber for the first time, of the sense of excitement, of awe and of responsibility and the real concern for myself about: "Can we really do this?" But as we think those kinds of thoughts, we also are aware of those who went ahead of us and those who will come after us.

[11:00]

This is a very significant body, and it is a major moment in my life that I am here participating on this floor, because 48 years ago my father ran -- unfortunately unsuccessfully -- for the first time for the CCF in the province of Ontario for that provincial government. He ran five more times, equally unsuccessfully. His commitment, his beliefs, his understanding of the needs of the community, his concern for the workers of this country and his concern that fairness happens for people were part of what I grew up with. My mother was very involved in politics. She herself ran for local council for one year and then decided that her best role was playing campaign manager to his candidacy.

[E. Barnes in the chair.]

So I grew up canvassing and knocking on doors. I can remember at age 10 knocking on doors and being accused of all sorts of dastardly deeds because I was representing the CCF. It wasn't easy being a CCFer in the forties and the fifties in this country, particularly I guess in Ottawa. But I knocked on those doors, and it was the kind of commitment that my father, my family and the people around him had that said to me that this is important; these are important things to me. These are important values that I share, and if I can participate in any way, then I would want to do that.

In 1944 to our house came one Stanley Knowles. He came for one term in the House of Commons, and he stayed for 38 years. So I have that influence in my life as well.

So today I stand here with a full heart, a head full of memories of sitting in many galleries and many legislatures in this country, a passion for politics and an enormous respect for the institutions of our parliamentary democracy -- except perhaps the Senate, but we will deal with that on another occasion. But basically, for me this place represents a very special role in the community and in history, a very special moment in time and a significant challenge, for which I am very grateful to many people, including the voters and the campaign workers in Victoria-Beacon Hill.

In conclusion, British Columbia and Canada is a very good land. It is a prosperous country. It is a generous country. We are a people of diverse faiths and traditions. We, in this Legislature, are charged with many duties, but perhaps most important of all is that we maintain those Canadian traditions of tolerance, sharing and understanding. It is my wish for us, in British Columbia and in this country, in the days, years and months ahead, that we maintain those ideas as we look forward to building new constitutions and building a new government in this province.

J. Dalton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I didn't want to fall into the trap of misaddressing you.

It is certainly a pleasure to rise and address this House for the first time. I would say that I feel like I'm in a holding pattern over an airport. Just last Thursday I happily joined the Select Standing Committee on Justice, Constitutional Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, and I'm very pleased to be following the first two speakers, who are also members of that committee. By the list of addresses in reply today, I note there will be several other committee members also speaking. I say, in a sense, that I'm in a holding pattern, because I was initially slated to speak last Thursday. That's the day I joined the committee -- I caught up to the committee late. In the meantime, they had already toured the Interior and had some very good sessions. At least I've had three full days with the committee in hearings, and certainly appreciate the comments of all British Columbians. Last Thursday I was put in a holding pattern. I didn't get back to the House until yesterday, when I anticipated I would again be on the list. In fact, my name was on the list, but other duties called again. I went over to the constitutional sessions held in the convention centre here and finished up those deliberations. Finally, here I am, on my feet and ready to go.

I know I share with all the members, both the incumbent and the new.... There are 49 of us who are new, including, of course, my immediate colleagues in the official opposition -- many new faces on the government side; new faces, as well, on the third-party 

[ Page 122 ]

side. I say that we all share the same sense of expectation and cooperation that, hopefully, this House will demonstrate. I say that because last October 17 British Columbia made a real statement, the statement being that they wanted a change. It was certainly the impression I got consistently in my riding as I was campaigning last year. Obviously the results of the October 17 election supported that. But it's a change that must prove to be beneficial to all British Columbians; not just a change for change's sake, but a change that will demonstrate to all British Columbians that we have a sense of responsibility. I know that we all do and that we will all exercise that properly.

I know it is traditional in the inaugural address to comment on one's riding, which I am going to do, and probably the more traditional approach would be to comment on the geography and the people and things of that nature, which I will get to. But firstly, I must comment on the name of my riding, because I can tell you, it's caused a lot of confusion and still causes some confusion. God knows, during the election it was a very disturbing thing for people to try and appreciate what West Vancouver actually encompassed.

Some of you will be familiar with the geography of the North Shore across from the inlet in Vancouver. The Capilano River, which is world-famous, runs down the centre of my riding. On the west you have the municipality of West Vancouver, and on the east is the city and the district of North Vancouver. My riding therefore actually encompasses, as it turns out, three separate municipalities, or parts thereof. However, West Vancouver, of course, is the first part of the title of the new riding, and naturally many people feel that the riding is simply and strictly a West Vancouver-based riding. I can assure you that that is not the case.

In fact, I discovered during the actual election campaign itself that there are more registered voters in the North Vancouver district than there are in West Vancouver itself, as part of my riding. I mention that because during the campaign there was a lot of confusion about the makeup of the riding and where one was running. There are now four ridings on the North Shore. Mine was carved out of two previous ridings, and rightly or wrongly, the electoral changes brought in this overlap between the municipalities on either side of the Capilano River.

I see one of my colleagues across the floor, the member for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, and perhaps he has had some sense of the partial confusion created by the names assigned to these ridings. We did suggest before the changes became final that perhaps West Vancouver-Capilano should take on another name, such as Lions Gate, strictly Capilano or something else, to get away from the potential confusion of assigning a municipality's name as the title to a riding which, as I've already explained, covers more than just that municipality. However, the change did not occur, and we are stuck with the name -- or, I guess, I'm stuck with it.

Let me tell you some of the real confusion that has occurred. I have been addressed on occasion as the member for North Vancouver-Capilano, which is the name of the previous riding and where I currently reside. Sometimes the riding has been described as West Vancouver-Howe Sound, which is the name of the previous riding that encompassed all of West Vancouver. Sometimes the riding is simply referred to as Capilano, sometimes simply as West Vancouver. I've even had a reference to Capilano-Howe Sound, which is the name of the federal riding.

On that same note, I've had some correspondent referring to me as a Member of Parliament, an MP. Well, I think people are rushing things, if nothing else. I want to get this job straightened out before I worry about any aspirations to serve in Ottawa. So those are some of the names that have surfaced.

I still remember that before the actual campaign started -- that is, the official campaign called on September 19th -- one of my Kiwanis members in North Vancouver -- I do belong to the Kiwanis -- turned to me one evening at a meeting and asked why I was not running in my own riding. He knew I lived in North Vancouver, and he was under the false assumption that I had jumped the Capilano River and was now running in a riding that was not my actual home riding. I assured him, as I have many people before and since, that I am, in fact, a resident of my riding, and happily so.

I should add that I am a life-long resident of the riding. I grew up in West Vancouver on the west side of the Capilano River, and now reside, as I've already mentioned, in North Vancouver. So I feel very comfortable in the riding. It's one in which, hopefully, after 49 years -- I know I don't look it, but I am in my half-century year -- I have grown to know the people well, their aspirations and concerns. As the member for that new riding, I have those concerns expressed to me many times in letters, comments and phone calls -- all the things that you people experience as well.

I should mention, just before I move on to some other aspects of the riding and other concerns that should be addressed, that my riding -- as far as the North Vancouver part -- is north of the Upper Levels Highway only. That is where the member across the floor for North Vancouver-Lonsdale takes over. His riding and mine adjoin each other as far as the North Vancouver part, and then to the east of both of those ridings is the riding of North Vancouver-Seymour, and I see my other colleague in that regard. To the west of the riding is West Vancouver-Garibaldi, which is represented by the House Leader of the Opposition. His riding goes all the way up to Pemberton and beyond, so he has a very extensive riding to deal with.

I feel very guilty sometimes when I speak to people about the makeup of my riding, because it's very condensed. I could literally walk around the perimeters of my riding in half a day -- or at least run around it if I get the opportunity. For other people it takes them over half a day to get to their riding, let alone move throughout it.

Let me come to some more descriptive aspects of the riding itself, the people that live in it and their concerns. I have already mentioned the confusion between the municipalities on either side of the Capilano River. It's rather unfortunate that the obvious boundary between North and West Vancouver -- which should be the 

[ Page 123 ]

Capilano River and for the most part is -- has been toyed with somewhat. It causes confusion in my provincial riding, and it certainly causes confusion in the municipalities as they are structured.

For example, one part of North Vancouver is located west of the Capilano River -- that's the Woodcroft area, a large apartment complex. That area of Woodcroft also happens to be in my riding. In West Vancouver, parts of it are east of the Capilano River. For example, there's an area called Klahanie Park, which is right at the north end of the Lions Gate Bridge, and I am sure many of you have travelled across the Lions Gate Bridge. If, instead of going around the cloverleaf into West Vancouver you were to drive your car off the cloverleaf, you would end up in Klahanie Park.

[11:15]

I refer to Klahanie Park for three reasons. First, it is part of West Vancouver, even though it's east of the river. Secondly, it is the home -- I'm very proud to say -- of my rugby club. I do have some bad habits, and I guess that is one of them. I should mention at this point that on Sunday I had an opportunity to play a game for the first time in several months. I have been rather busy, as I am sure all of you have, with other activities. I had occasion on Sunday to play against a former member of this House, Mr. David Mercier. David and I shared a refreshment afterwards, and David gave me some very good advice, which I will share with all of you and hope you will all take it to heart: never discuss politics on a Sunday. That was David's advice, and I said: "Right on. I will take that back to the House with me and certainly share that with my colleagues." It was not that I was discussing politics; he was simply indicating his congratulations to me, and he cautioned me: "Don't talk politics."

Now that's another reason why I mentioned Klahanie Park -- my connection with that area. I should also mention once again that my colleague from North Vancouver-Lonsdale is actually the member who represents that particular area. Even though it is in West Vancouver, the area of Klahanie Park and the residential neighbourhood that surrounds it, which is also in West Vancouver, is all part of the new provincial riding of North Vancouver-Lonsdale. If that doesn't confuse the issue, we can probably think of other examples that may do so. But that makes it kind of fun in a way, because it becomes a challenge as to where your boundaries are. I can recall several times getting phone calls and correspondence from people, and the first thing we had to do was go to the map and ask ourselves: "Are these people our constituents, or should they be directed elsewhere?" Not that I'm discouraging people from corresponding with me, but it is important that people do appreciate who their member of the Legislature is, and not to allow that potential confusion to go on.

I've previously mentioned that I am a lifelong resident of the riding. As such I wish to comment on some issues. Some have certainly been drawn to my attention recently, but many others I've been conversant with over the years. I should also comment a bit on my family life and my background. My parents grew up in West Vancouver on Sentinel Hill, the little bump behind Park Royal that overlooks the Lions Gate Bridge. They were true pioneers in Sentinel Hill. They built there in the late thirties just as the bridge was opening, and I grew up on that hill. My mother still resides there. She's fortunately able to maintain the family home, and so I still have the opportunity to visit the home in West Vancouver where I actually grew up. Later I did cross the river, and I have now joined the North Vancouver side of the riding, where I reside with my wife and three children.

The two previous speakers commented on the political side of their families. I can assure you that my wife is anything but political. In fact, my wife would rather that the whole thing of politics went away, although we did discuss, in detail, before I even made the decision to run, the implications if I were to be elected. But my three children are quite keen on politics, and they were very helpful to me during the campaign. They are all in elementary school in North Vancouver, so they've got lots of energy. Those of you who have young children will know of what I am speaking. They would go out with me on rainy days and sunny days and any other days that I could keep them away from their many other activities, and they would go door to door with me, or just deliver brochures.

I can remember two incidents in particular. One day my son Steven, who is now 13, and I went out to do a poll in North Vancouver, and I was just doing my usual sauntering down the road talking to people, and not being in a great rush. After about ten minutes, my son Steven was two blocks ahead of me charging from door to door trying to get those brochures delivered as quickly as possible. So I told him to slow down a bit, there wasn't a great rush, and we would accomplish everything in time.

I also remember another incident with my seven-year-old daughter, who is also quite keen on going out and talking to people, doing the door-to-door routine. On one doorstep -- and I sort of tested her.... I was going on my own and she was next door, I saw her talking to somebody and then she pointed at me. It turned out the person was asking who she was calling on behalf of, and she said: "Well, it's my father who is the local candidate." She called me over, and I was able to have my front person, as I called her, provide the introductions to somebody who was actually interested in speaking with one of the candidates.

On some other aspects of my riding and the North Shore in general, I should certainly comment and will do so now on some of the previous members of the Liberal Party who have served the North Shore ridings. I refer, in particular, to Gordon Gibson Sr., the famous "bull of the woods," and Gordon Jr., who was my MLA back in the 1970s. I guess I should add that Gordon Jr. was the last sitting Liberal member before last October. As well, I'll mention Ray Perrault, now Senator Ray Perrault, who is a member for one of the North Shore ridings, and Dave Brousson and Barrie Clark. Many of you will know these names quite well.

In particular I would like to comment on Gordon Gibson Jr. As I've already mentioned, he was my MLA back in the seventies. I helped on two of his campaigns -- the initial campaign and the by-election in 1973. In 

[ Page 124 ]

December of that year -- a typical rotten December in the greater Vancouver area -- we all went out dutifully in very bad weather. If you can remember some of the harsh winters that we've had -- not the last one obviously, but previous winters -- it was probably one of the worst: a combination of ice, snow, wind, rain and the rest. We worked hard and campaigned hard and, happily, were successful. If I recall, Gordon won that by-election by 50 votes, so certainly all the hard work that was put in by many people was rewarded, but in a very close election. Gordon was subsequently re-elected in the general election in 1975 and served as the leader of the Liberal Party during those years.

West Vancouver-Capilano is for the most part comprised of single-family homes. It's a makeup of young families, empty-nesters -- I guess we would describe them as -- and many retired people, such as my mother, whom I've already referred to. Other than the single-family homes, there are some apartment complexes in the riding, in particular along the West Vancouver shoreline from Ambleside to 22nd, the boundary of my riding. The apartments, of course, carry on beyond that. The other apartment area of note is the Woodcroft area, which I described earlier, the part of North Vancouver that is actually located to the west of the Capilano River.

For the most part, the riding is made up of single-family homes, so there's a real consistency across the riding. I must say that when I first saw the makeup of the new riding, I had some apprehension about running in a riding that was going to cross two significant municipalities. Initially, I thought I would be more comfortable in sticking to the North Vancouver side where I had lived for many years. But on second thought, I realized that I should feel equally comfortable in West Vancouver, given the fact that I grew up in that community, and it certainly had many roots in and established features of North Vancouver. So I certainly have grown to know the makeup of the riding. As I say, I obviously know the people and their concerns.

This riding of mine has many world-famous features in it: the Capilano River, obviously; the Cleveland Dam and the Capilano Lake behind the dam; the fish hatchery located along the Capilano River; Ambleside Park in West Vancouver; Grouse Mountain. I could go on and on. I don't want to detail the House with all of the fine features of the riding, but I just mention some of those names because they are world-famous. I should mention one other: the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which is located just a few blocks from my home and is, of course, a world-famous attraction. When I'm back in my neighbourhood, I regularly see people getting off buses and arriving by car to visit that world-famous feature.

I've already mentioned that the residents of the riding are typically a mixture of young families, empty-nesters and senior citizens. There is a consistency, even though sometimes the age gaps are there. The concerns of the riding are quite typical of most if not all ridings in this province. People are concerned about the quality of education. Health care is certainly a priority item in my riding, as is housing for seniors and transportation issues. Protection of the environment is naturally a concern of everyone.

The quality of education is probably the most important topic on the minds of people in West Vancouver-Capilano. There are two very fine school districts within my riding: the districts of West Vancouver -- or a part thereof -- and North Vancouver. Quality of education has always been paramount within both of those districts. The only comment I would make is that given the constraints of budget-and cost-cutting -- and I presume that on Thursday we will get some more specifics on that topic -- hopefully the maintenance of those quality education districts will be maintained. It's certainly something that I personally am going to continue to press for. The communities of North and West Vancouver are blessed with fine school districts, but that doesn't just happen by accident; it's something one has to keep pressing for -- keep demanding that the system itself be properly funded and cared for. I have every assurance that the Minister of Education will maintain those services at the appropriate level.

Care for seniors is certainly an important issue within my riding, because there are many seniors who live within West Vancouver-Capilano. My seniors expect both proper maintenance of health care and of housing. I will comment on both topics. Seniors certainly deserve the best of care. After all, they've put in their years of service. It's certainly their due and more that excellent health and housing standards be maintained. I and the Liberal Party will certainly endeavour to ensure that both of those very important social programs be maintained and, where necessary, improved. This would involve more emphasis on community-based care, including home care, which is certainly an important thing for seniors. If I can refer to my mother's example, she is in reasonably good health and is doing her best -- and doing a very excellent job of it -- to stay in the family home. Home care is certainly an important component of that. Our senior citizens deserve that sort of service and emphasis.

[11:30]

Housing needs for seniors are also very important within my riding. I'm pleased to state that there are many excellent projects within the boundaries of my riding, and elsewhere on the North Shore, involving seniors' housing. I'm referring in particular to volunteer associations, such as the one I've already referred to, my Kiwanis Club of North Vancouver, and Rotary Clubs and Lions Clubs, which are doing an excellent job of providing housing projects on the North Shore. My particular club in North Vancouver has three housing projects that it operates, and a fourth is being planned in the riding of North Vancouver-Seymour. The West Vancouver Kiwanis Club has an excellent housing project just within the boundaries of my riding, near 22nd Street in West Vancouver. They just recently opened a very fine new complex of 65 units for seniors. It's not only a fine complex, but it fits into the neighbourhood very well. It's very well designed. Architecturally it has some real style to it. It's not like some of these horrible pyramid-style things that seem to crop up throughout the Vancouver area. It's a 

[ Page 125 ]

complex that truly fits into the style of the neighbourhood, and of course offers a very fine service for the people who occupy it.

I should also mention while I'm on the topic of service clubs -- and not just dealing with housing but other projects that go on -- the North Shore is very blessed to have many service clubs that provide excellent services to seniors, to young people -- all of the various projects that I'm sure you're all familiar with, which are funded and sponsored by service clubs. I think I should give some special recognition -- because this event I'm going to refer to is becoming almost world-famous in a sense -- to the North Vancouver Rotary Club, which is the sponsor of the now-annual duck race, which goes down the middle of my riding, down the Capilano River that I've talked of previously. The duck race was held just two weeks ago. If any of you had the opportunity to witness it, it's quite an exciting event, with 30,000 yellow duckies all dumped into the river at the highway, and they all come flowing down the river. The river is lined with literally thousands of people, and when I say thousands, I'm not exaggerating. I'm not known to exaggerate, of course. Everyone is down there to have a real festive time. It's an excellent fund-raising project. It gives a real profile to the club itself, and it has become a true community-based event.

I must address some of the environmental concerns I referred to earlier, which certainly people on the North Shore, as elsewhere, are concerned about. West and North Vancouver are situated in probably one of the most beautiful settings in the world, with the ocean at the front, the mountains as a backdrop, and rivers and streams flowing down the mountains through the riding. There are many excellent recreational facilities within the riding and elsewhere in the North Shore. Grouse Mountain is one example of a private facility; Cypress Bowl and Mount Seymour Provincial Park are examples of public parks. There's a lot of pressure, naturally, placed on those areas, and we have to be ever vigilant to ensure that the environment is not abused in any way. That is certainly something that many people have commented on, and I will continue to press for....

Deputy Speaker: Hon. member, I regret to inform you that under standing orders, the time allotted for your reply has expired, and so I must ask you to now take your seat.

F. Jackson: Hon. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to respond to the Speech from the Throne on behalf of the people of the Kamloops-North Thompson constituency.

I would like to begin by adding my congratulations to the Speaker to the many others which have been received from members of this Legislature. And I would like to congratulate you as Deputy Speaker. To keep coming back here year after year for 20 years shows courage and fortitude and a commitment to the people of British Columbia that deserves special appreciation, and I thank you.

I would also at this time like to congratulate all the members of this the thirty-fifth Legislature. Hon. Speaker, I don't know if you're aware that in the 125 years since British Columbia became a province, there have only been 733 people elected to the Legislature. That averages out to fewer than six per year, and that makes us a unique group of people. All of us have a right to be here. The voters of British Columbia gave us that right. We came here by way of a process that has taken centuries to evolve, so that ordinary women and men can have some control over their lives today and can take part in forming the society of tomorrow for their children. This process will continue to evolve because this Legislature is part of our lives.

Along with the right to be here comes a very heavy and sometimes sobering responsibility. We deal mostly in words. We must always be aware that every time we speak a word or write a word, there is potential in that word to change the world around us. It may change the balance between jobs and the environment, the route of a highway or access to education for some, or it may help the underprivileged to escape the cycle of poverty which binds so many. It may change for good or for bad. We in this Legislature must strive to ensure that these words form the base for constructive dialogue which will enable us to properly carry out the business of this House.

Hon. Speaker, the theme of the last election campaign was change. Since election day, and in the throne speech, this government has shown that it intends to make that change for the better. The voters of British Columbia gave us the right to be here; they also gave us the responsibility that goes with that right.

One of the first and most important steps this government has taken towards responsible government has been the establishment of the Ministry of Women's Equality. It is just not possible to claim responsible government when the rights of the group that makes up the majority of the population are ignored, downgraded and, in some cases, denied.

At the beginning of my speech I mentioned that 733 members have been elected -- only 44 of them have been women. If there is any joy in that situation at all, it is that in this session there are 18 women, seven of whom are in cabinet. If that trend continues, they will soon have equal representation, at least in this chamber.

A ministry is a start along the road to the point where women's rights are a matter of course, not a constant struggle. It is also a start towards helping some of those who most need our help. Women who are abused sexually, physically or economically, especially those who still have children in their care, are the most vulnerable people in our society.

Women's resource centres play an important role in helping those in need of help. It was with great pleasure that I shared in the announcement from the Minister of Women's Equality that core funding would be made available for these women's centres. I have watched the commitment of people in my constituency such as Diane Wardrop and Doreen Ligertwood, as they worked on a shoestring budget to help the women of my constituency. Those women and their work were ignored for far too long. It is with pleasure that I join in this government to share the commitment and their priorities.

[ Page 126 ]

The throne speech has also shown that this government will take action to restore confidence in politicians, politics and government. A major theme of the last campaign, both in my constituency and in the province as a whole, was integrity, and I'm pleased to see priority given to this issue in the throne speech. The government is committed to bringing in the toughest conflict-of-interest legislation in the entire country, and I'm quite sure that before very long other jurisdictions will be following our lead. The legislation to provide access to information will open up the workings of government so the citizens of British Columbia will be able to see how the government collects and spends money. The setting up of an independent body to review MLA salaries, benefits, pensions and the severance package is probably one of the actions I spent the most time talking about during the election campaign, and I'm pleased to see a commitment to that in the throne speech. At this time I would also like to say that ethics and integrity are not partisan issues, and cleaning up government will benefit each and every one of us. I'm sure we can all work together to restore the trust between the people of British Columbia and their elected representatives.

Another area that received attention in the throne speech was the area of economic development. This government recognizes a fundamental fact for a sound economy: we must end conflict and let all people and regions share in the economic future of this province. Without stability and fairness British Columbia can never achieve it's full potential. This government has acted to end conflict. It has committed itself to introduce a new labour relations act, to a full review of the Employment Standards Act and a fair wage policy. As well, the government has indicated its intention to introduce greater fairness into the tax system, and such an initiative is long overdue. I would like to add my full support to that.

[The Speaker in the chair.]

Forestry is another area where we must end the conflict that has divided the people of this province for far too long. The government has sought consultation on land use so our forest industry will become sustainable over the long term. It is in no one's interest to continue to fan the flames of conflict. We must find a common ground. A major step the government has taken towards reaching that common ground is the establishment of the Commission on Resources and Environment. I don't think there is anybody in this chamber or, indeed, anybody in the province who will question the objectivity and the fairness of Stephen Owen.

The government has also taken steps to end the conflict between aboriginal people and other citizens of this province. It will not be easy, but this government cannot and will not ignore the tough issues, and I believe this will be the tough issue. Achieving stability, whether in the area of labour relations, land use or aboriginal affairs, is essential to the future economic health of our province. These are not issues where there are winners and losers. When conflict is ended, we all win.

[11:45]

The voters gave us the right and the responsibility, but most of all, they have allowed us the privilege of standing up to speak in this historic place. The people who allowed me that right are the constituents who live in Kamloops-North Thompson constituency. It seems to be the norm to praise one's constituency, and I don't intend to be different.

Hon. Speaker, I have been halfway around the world, from the Trucial Oman states in the Persian Gulf to Skagway on the Pacific coast. I have visited various parts of Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, a fair bit of western Canada and the western United States. I believe at this time that I would rather live in Kamloops-North Thompson than in any other place in the world, although I must admit to a growing affinity toward this beautiful city.

The constituency of Kamloops-North Thompson was carved out of the old Kamloops constituency by the Fisher commission. There is a significant urban component within the city boundaries and a very large rural component which stretches 40 kilometres east of the city and about 280 kilometres up the North Thompson valley. The constituency was served previously by Bud Smith and Claude Richmond, both of whom served the people well, but decided to move on to other things. Mr. Richmond has used experience gained here to become a spokesman for the forest companies and, I believe, as of yesterday Bud is now looking after the mail. Rafe Mair, of course, has acquired fame as a radio personality. Gerry Anderson was the MLA in the previous NDP government under David Barrett. Gerry, of course, was a giant-killer who knocked off our most famous representative, Flying Phil Gaglardi.

We have some of the best of the province. In the south end of the constituency we have almost constant sunshine, which makes for very pleasant living, while at the north end there is high precipitation, which is ideal for growing trees. It is almost a rain forest. We have helicopter skiing in Blue River, downhill skiing at Tod Mountain and excellent cross-country skiing around Clearwater. For those of us who like to throw fishing lines in the water, there is the famous Kamloops trout, which lives in most of the lakes of the area. We also have some lakes where it is just nice to putter around in boats -- in fact, a perfect place for tourists.

Hon. Speaker, I would like to acknowledge the work this government has done to place a priority on tourism, and I would like to assure my constituents that I will work hard to promote tourism in the area of Kamloops-North Thompson. And, of course, what is most important in the constituency are the people. I really believe that people who live in small-town British Columbia are the nicest people in the world.

We also have some of the problems of the province. Kamloops-North Thompson is facing some major challenges. The employment patterns are changing because of technological changes in the railroad industry and in the forest industry, and this is causing downsizing. This, of course, has led to other reductions in services and employment, such as policing, banking and the 

[ Page 127 ]

retail industry. Unemployment and economic displacement are serious problems, but they are not so serious that we cannot overcome them. It is my intention to make sure the problems of the constituency are now being addressed by this government and will continue to be addressed by this government, as shown by the contents of throne speech.

Hon. Speaker, I respect the right for all of us to be here. I will share in the responsibility for what we do in this chamber, and I will continue to believe that it is a privilege.

M. Farnworth: Madam Speaker, I'd like to congratulate you on your election to the chair of Speaker. You and I have known each other for a number of years, having served on local councils together. I'd also like to compliment my colleague from Vancouver-Burrard upon his selection as Deputy Speaker. He has served this Legislature and his constituency over the past 20 years, and they have every right to be proud of him. I'd like to thank the people of my riding of Port Coquitlam for placing in me their trust on October 17 and sending me here to Victoria to represent their concerns and their interests in this government. It is indeed a great honour and privilege to be one of 75 in a province of three million.

I'd like to thank my family as well. I don't have a large family. Like many in this country, we're an immigrant family. I have three brothers, a sister and my father watching today. As well, I know that my mother, who died some 16 years ago, is also watching.

I'd like to pay tribute to my predecessors from the riding of Port Coquitlam. They include some of the most notable political figures of this province: the first New Democrat Premier, Mr. Dave Barrett; a Provincial Court judge, Stuart Leggatt; and an individual who served this province and our country and whose wisdom and sense of humour endeared him to both sides of this House here in Victoria and in Ottawa, Mark Rose.

I'd also like to congratulate each one of you who serve here and represent your constituents. As we are all finding out, it is not an easy task.

I'd like to talk for a few minutes about my riding -- its geography and history and some of the things that make it unique. It's not the largest riding in the province, and it's not the smallest. But it's very typical of ridings in the province and in particular the lower mainland. It was shaped, as was much of this province, by the forces of glaciation some 8,000 years ago. The glaciers carved the major geographic features of my riding: the Pitt Valley, the Coquitlam Valley and Indian Arm. It created the glacial moraines upon which now rest most of the residential subdivisions and some of the largest sand and gravel reserves in the province, which are sometimes a source of controversy in my riding.

It's bounded on three sides by the Pitt River, the Fraser River and the Coquitlam River. The city of Port Moody is to the west and the vast reaches of the northern Coast Mountains are to the north. It's a beautiful riding at this time of year, dominated by Burke Mountain and the snowcapped Golden Ears. To me it's home. It's where I grew up, went to school and served my community on council. It's where most of my family lives, and it's a place where I feel very comfortable.

My riding's made up of two communities: the city of Port Coquitlam, which makes up two-thirds of the riding in population, and one that's much larger in population, but I get one-third it. The Westwood Plateau development will be familiar to many of you. It's one of the fastest-growing areas of the lower mainland with, over the course of this decade, some 15,000 dwelling units. It's bringing about some significant changes.

The community of Port Coquitlam was founded in 1913, when it seceded from the district of Coquitlam, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. It was an industrial town. It was set up as a railway town on the CPR line, the band of steel that unites our country. The largest railway yards west of Winnipeg grew up in the Port Coquitlam area, and they are still, to this day, the largest private employer in my riding. In fact, there are many third-and fourth-generation railroad families still living in my community. For many residents of my riding it was their first employment opportunity.

The district of Coquitlam, which I represent, was formed in 1891, but the area I represent is somewhat newer, having really experienced dramatic growth in the late seventies and early eighties. Its economic footings rest basically on the massive Coquitlam shopping centre and the construction of new residential areas.

As I said, my riding is a reflection of much of British Columbia, and perhaps the most important reflection is that of growth. Since 1986, coming out of the last recession, we've averaged growth of over 5 percent a year. Over 25 percent of my riding's population is not under the age of 19; it is under the age of 14. It's a riding of young children and young families. We have half the provincial average in terms of seniors. Our riding is growing so fast that of the 16 schools slated to be constructed in district 43, 14 are in my riding.

Growth is the single biggest issue facing the constituents of my riding, and it's something that this government will be tackling in concert with the local councils that serve my riding -- local councils that ably look after their communities, under the direction of Mayor Lou Sekora in Coquitlam and Mayor Len Traboulay in Port Coquitlam. I have an interesting challenge, because the two communities often compete for the same grants. In fact, they often talk about amalgamation. It never comes to anything, and I'm glad, because each community has its own unique characteristics.

Port Coquitlam has the second-oldest May Day in the province -- every year since 1913. Coquitlam takes pride in its unique French-Canadian heritage in the settlement of Maillardville.

My riding has unique problems, which it is looking to this government to address. They can take heart in the throne speech. They can look and see the direction we intend to go over the next four years.

[ Page 128 ]

On October 17, British Columbians voted for change. They threw off the yoke of economic mismanagement, freed the province from the shackles of government inaction and charted a new course -- a course that I believe focused on an overwhelming desire to restore their faith in this chamber, respect for our institutions and confidence that our government will consult, listen and work in partnership with people.

The people of my riding -- and, I believe, of this province -- don't expect miracles, but they want to hear straightforward talk on what we can and can't do. What are our limits? What are the challenges, and how do we intend to address them? The throne speech sets out a plan of action. When I talk to my constituents and they raise the issues that are important to us, I can point to the throne speech and say that we are going to be addressing these things.

[12:00]

As I said before, my riding is a rapidly growing one. We are prepared to take on that growth, because we're not a riding filled with agricultural land. There is some; there are some very important pockets. But basically we are a riding that can accommodate the growth of the lower mainland and the influx of people not only from across Canada, but from the Pacific Rim countries.

In accommodating that growth, we realize that we are protecting the agricultural land in this province -- but it brings with it some unique problems. I've heard members talk about transportation and transit. There is no single issue in my constituency that is viewed as more important than this. Other ridings have bridges; they have SkyTrain; they have roads which, in comparison to ours, work. I invite any one of you to come out to the northeast sector during rush hour to experience what true gridlock is. To go out to Mission or Maple Ridge, anywhere on the north side of the Fraser, you have to pass through Port Coquitlam, and there is only one way -- over a bridge. To get to that bridge, you have to take the Mary Hill bypass and go through a bottleneck. The construction of these things was done with shortsightedness, not long-range planning. The rate of growth dictates that we cannot continue to build freeways, that we must look to other innovative solutions. I hear discussions on other areas of Vancouver -- for example, they have debates over this route or that route, or what form it should take. In the northeast sector of my riding there is no debate. Whether it's called SkyTrain, commuter train or mule train, the residents of my riding want a train -- just not the gravy train.

I can see that I'm competing against the members' lunch. That is not an easy act to do, and I take from hints that perhaps I should adjourn debate until after lunch, when I will enlighten you all on the other issues facing my riding.

M. Farnworth moved adjournment of the debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. G. Clark moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

The House adjourned at 12:04 p.m.

[ Return to Legislative Assembly Home Page ]

Copyright © 1992, 2001: Queen's Printer, Victoria, B.C., Canada