Hansard -- Volume 3, Number 6 -- Monday, February 18, 2002

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.

Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY



CONTENTS

	Routine Proceedings
		Page

Tributes
	Hon. G. Plant	1145

Introductions by Members		1145

Statements (Standing Order 25b)		1145
	Maple Ridge arts and cultural centre	1145
	K. Stewart
	Vancouver Island Technology Park	1146
	S. Brice
	New jobs in B.C.	1146
	B. Penner

Oral Questions		1147
	Physicians arbitration agreement	1147
	J. MacPhail
	Hon. C. Hansen
	Hon. G. Collins
	Hon. G. Campbell
	Cost of Health Planning ministry severance packages	1147
	J. Kwan
	Hon. C. Hansen
	Access to legal aid services	1148
	M. Hunter
	Hon. G. Plant
	Audio book program	1148
	V. Anderson
	Hon. G. Abbott
	J. MacPhail
	Tax reductions and Medical Services Plan premiums	1149
	J. MacPhail
	Forests ministry office closings	1149
	D. MacKay
	Hon. M. de Jong

Reports from Committees		1149

Petitions		1150

Throne Speech Debate (continued)
	M. Hunter	1150
	B. Bennett	1152
	R. Masi	1154
	K. Johnston	1156
	B. Kerr	1159
	R. Lee	1163
	K. Manhas	1164
	Hon. R. Neufeld	1167
	Hon. M. Coell	1171
	Hon. G. Hogg	1172
	Hon. G. Cheema	1174

Tributes		1175
	Hon. G. Cheema

Throne Speech Debate (continued)
	Hon. G. Cheema	1175
	Hon. L. Reid	1176

Hon. G. Plant: Mr. Speaker, I have some sad news today. It is with deep regret and great sadness that I advise you and members of the House that Dennis Carson, who was the senior solicitor of the finance, commercial and real property group of the legal services branch of the Ministry of Attorney General, passed away suddenly on Sunday, February 17.

Dennis was 48 years old. He leaves to mourn his loss his wife, Jerri, and their three children: Elizabeth, Denny and Jacquelyn; his parents Frank and Mary Carson; and brothers, sisters, in-laws and many nieces and nephews. Dennis was a devoted husband, father and son. He was an avid sportsman and was well known in both the legal and the rugby communities in British Columbia. He was an institution in the Ministry of Attorney General's legal services branch, having joined the branch in 1979.

Dennis worked with the most senior levels of government on a wide variety of complex commercial and real property issues. Virtually every single significant transaction to which the provincial government was a party for the past many years has benefited from Dennis's advice and involvement, as the senior commercial lawyer to government.

His clients, his staff and his colleagues will miss Dennis's dedication to service, his sound down-to-earth approach to matters and his ready wit and good humour. He was an excellent lawyer, a tremendously valuable public servant and, most of all, a good friend to many.

The members of Dennis's practice group from the legal services branch are here today in the gallery. I know that they will miss Dennis. On behalf of the House, if I may, we extend to them and his family our sincere condolences.

H. Long: Today in the House I have two guests. They are from the riding of the Minister of Health Planning. I would like to introduce them: Jennifer Chalmers, who is in the gallery today, and Larry Chalmers as well, an ex-MLA from a previous government who, at the time, was a Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. Would you please make them welcome.

J. MacPhail: Continuing along the theme of former members visiting, I note in the gallery that Ian Waddell is present, who was a minister in a former government as well. Let's make him welcome.

B. Suffredine: Today in the gallery I have a longtime friend, Peter Tireman, and his future son-in-law Brendon Bailey. Peter Tireman and I actually went all through public and high school together, and he's still my friend. Some may find that surprising. They've come to see what we do in British Columbia. They've come almost as far as the member from Peace River does every time he comes to visit us.

D. Hayer: I'm pleased to make two introductions today. I have my friends Henry Zhao and Polly Zhang, and Zhou Jing, who is visiting here from China, with us today. As well, I have Rich Commerford, president of MacNaughton and Ward insurance company, and his wife, Linda Commerford, president of Charlton Insurance, who are with the Insurance Brokers Association, visiting today in Victoria. May the House make them very welcome, please.

I. Chong: Mr. Speaker, I have two sets of introductions today as well. Firstly, visiting from Beijing, China, are two very good friends: Ms. Nancy Lin, who was a former constituent of mine in the Gordon Head area, as well as her husband, Dr. Vincent Lin, who is a consulting IT architect with IBM China Co. Ltd. Would the House please make them welcome.

My second set of introductions is regarding a school visit to the B.C. Legislature from Cedar Hill Junior Secondary, my former high school. I see that the students are now in the gallery — 35 students with two adults, their teacher Ms. Langston and their principal extraordinaire, Mr. Keith McCallion. I would ask the House to please make them very welcome.

R. Nijjar: It brings me great pleasure to introduce a good friend of mine, Mr. Garth Evans, who is a lawyer from Vancouver of Evans Goldstein and Co. He is here with his friends visiting Victoria. Would the House please make him welcome.

J. Bray: It's a great pleasure today to introduce a transplanted Victorian who's moved up to Prince George, Sonia Manhas, and her friend Lisa Cheppell. Sonia was a former B.C. Young Liberal who worked extremely hard on my campaign and had the unenviable job of keeping me in line and keeping me scheduled. She was invaluable to the campaign, and she was invaluable to the community. I'd also like to congratulate her on her recent marriage to John Duncan, who on Wednesday will be called to the bar in Prince George. Would the House please make them welcome.

P. Bell: Visiting with us today from the beautiful riding of Prince George North is a good friend of mine, Erle Martz, who also parts his hair in a similar fashion as I do. Would the House please make him feel very welcome.

K. Stewart: Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege today to bring some good news about my community of Maple Ridge. I'd like to make an announcement of a new arts

centre for Maple Ridge. Construction has recently begun for a new arts and entertainment centre for the downtown core of Maple Ridge. This new 43,000-square-foot centre will house a 500-seat theatre, a 150-seat practice stage, three visual arts studios, an art gallery and a gift shop.

This new centre is the final public piece of a downtown core restructuring, which has provided a new heart for our community while also servicing the adjoining community of Pitt Meadows. Many components of this redevelopment are managed by the joint leisure and recreational agreement between the partners of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

Other major components of this private-public partnership redevelopment already complete include a 37,000-foot library, expansion of the city hall, expansion of the leisure centre, and the new Greg Moore Youth Centre, which the Premier had the privilege to open last fall. Also included in the project is an office tower with a number of commercial and government offices, which include the government agent's office and the local health unit, and on the street level of this complex is the local MLA's office.

All the buildings are surrounding an extended memorial park. The final commercial component is to be completed with a new hotel complex, and the final public building is a new arts and cultural centre.

Up to 900 full-time jobs have been created in this downtown core development. The arts centre funding campaign is being led by a committee of Maple Ridge residents, and already several dozen people are involved. Generous funding has also been received from both the federal and the provincial governments. Again, the kickoff for this fundraising campaign is April 13, and I'm sure this new centre will make our community very proud.

S. Brice: I rise today to acknowledge an achievement of the Vancouver Island Technology Park, which is located in my riding of Saanich South. The park is typical of many such tech parks. It offers young high-tech companies an ideal place to grow, promotes synergistic opportunities with post-secondary institutions and bridges research initiatives with local technology.

However, it differs in one remarkable way, in that every decision in its development has allowed for choosing the best solutions in design and planning that meet the dual requirements of being cost-efficient and environmentally sensitive. The Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise can attest — as he has visited the site — that every consideration has been made for economically and environmentally sound solutions.

A few examples: parking surfaces are live turf, all systems are energy- and water-efficient, and landscaping is indigenous to avoid any need for irrigation.

Now the really good news. It has been announced that the Vancouver Island Technology Park is the first project in Canada to achieve gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's rating system. The gold rating reflects the steadfast commitment of the Vancouver Island Technology Park to sustainable development and distinguishes this project as a leader in the field of green building design.

It is impressive when such leadership is shown, and it's inspiring that such leadership is acknowledged with this gold certification. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in this House to pay tribute to the creativity and professionalism of the management team at the Vancouver Island Technology Park.

B. Penner: Like the previous two speakers, I rise to share some good news with members of this Legislative Assembly. While the ongoing and unfair softwood lumber dispute has cost B.C. thousands of jobs, there is some employment growth occurring. StatsCan reported 27,000 new jobs in B.C. last month, and last week the member for Surrey-Whalley spoke of 1,000 jobs coming to her community, thanks to the establishment of a large customer service centre by RMH Teleservices.

In Chilliwack we have already recently experienced hundreds of new jobs. Last May British Columbians elected a new government, and last May a U.S.-based business called Stream International chose Chilliwack for a new customer interaction centre. In my view, those two events are not unrelated.

Without the promise of a more investment-friendly government and competitive taxes, I'm sure this good news would not have come to our community. To be candid, I was somewhat skeptical when told last year that 600 jobs would be created, with an eventual potential for up to 900 jobs. But after Stream went into operation in September and quickly expanded to occupy almost all 100,000 square feet of a massive state-of-the-art facility next to Highway 1 in Chilliwack, I'm forced to admit that my skepticism was misplaced.

As of today 1,057 people are working full-time at Stream in Chilliwack. A further 104 people are working part-time. This makes Stream the largest private sector employer in our area. I've toured the facility, and I was instantly struck by the number of youthful employees working with leading voice and Internet technologies.

Strangely, I haven't seen any mention of these new jobs in the major media, although I suspect that if 1,200 people were thrown out of jobs in one town by a single employer, we would have heard about it.

A recent KPMG study examining costs in 115 communities in Europe, North America and Japan found that B.C.'s costs are 15 percent lower, on average, than those in 43 U.S. cities. The same report shows that in key sectors like software, electrical systems, research and development, Chilliwack comes out ahead of Portland, Seattle, San Jose, and — yes, Mr. Speaker, I've been waiting years to say this — it comes out ahead of Calgary, Alberta. That's why I'm confi-

J. MacPhail: To the Minister of Health Services. We had reports over the weekend and today that the minister was in secret meetings with the B.C. Medical Association to find a way to renege on the binding arbitration agreement between the government and the doctors. Can the minister please stand and reveal the details of that secret meeting and what conclusion he came to in order to find a way to scuttle the binding arbitration?

Hon. C. Hansen: I was quite surprised to arrive home from Montreal to find out that I was, in fact, not in Montreal on Friday giving a speech, but I was actually supposed to be at some secret meeting. I was not at a secret meeting on Friday with the B.C. Medical Association.

J. MacPhail: I feel badly that there are so many things that the Minister of Health Services is out of the loop on. I don't think that's good news for British Columbians.

We know that this government has reneged on its promise to not increase MSP premiums. We know that the access to supplementary benefits has been eliminated. We know that Pharmacare benefits have been cut. We know that the government's own back bench is recommending user fees and extra billing in order to fund health care. In this report we also know that Dr. Marshall Dahl of the BCMA does not believe, also, that all services should be funded. The quote is here in the report exactly.

It also was reported in the media that the Finance minister was involved in secret negotiations with the BCMA over the last few days. Can the Finance minister stand up and tell the House what services he as, really, the de facto Health minister is prepared to delist as the BCMA past president suggests should happen — as he's prepared to delist as part of the quid pro quo with the doctors?

Hon. G. Collins: As the member opposite would know, this government actually increased the health care budget this year. And as the member opposite should also know, if she monitors the media at all, I wasn't at a Friday meeting either.

J. MacPhail: Every single increase in health care spending in this province will come directly out of the pockets of British Columbians. To the Premier….

J. MacPhail: Unfortunately, British Columbians were told that they wouldn't have to pay out of their own pockets for health care spending in this province, so to the Premier….

J. MacPhail: It was reported that the Premier met secretly with the BCMA. Can the Premier please tell us, given what the doctors say about wanting to delist services and given that there are new taxes on the horizon, what new taxes — either in the form of direct billing by physicians, which is recommended here, or increased health care fees in increased MSP premiums or user fees…? What extra money will British Columbians be paying that he promised in order to get around the binding arbitration with the doctors?

Hon. G. Campbell: Hon. Speaker, I did meet with representatives of the BCMA on Friday, as did a number of our officials. We thought it was important for us to discuss with them the arbitration award that has been put forward on an interim basis. We will continue to discuss that with them as we look to make sure that patients are at the centre of everyone's attention in B.C.'s health care system.

J. Kwan: Yesterday it was revealed that the former CEO of the South Fraser health region received a severance package worth $700,000. That's $700,000 that should go to direct patient care. To the Minister of Health Planning: how much more money has been paid out in severance? And how much more does she expect will be paid out to health regions with CEOs?

Hon. C. Hansen: I have to agree with the member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant. It is a lot of money, and it's unacceptable. I think, when she wants to find out the history of that, she might want to look to the member beside her, the member for Vancouver-Hastings, who was in fact the Minister of Health in this province when that contract was signed.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order, please, hon. members. The member for Vancouver–Mount Pleasant has the floor.

J. Kwan: The Minister of Health Planning earlier had said that health dollars should go into direct health care services, that education dollars should go into

education services and that severance packages that were high were disgusting. Those were her own words. The Minister of Health Planning said all of this before she became the Minister of Health Planning. Of course, this happened before she so helpfully presented at an open cabinet meeting on how to restructure health care in British Columbia.

So far, we know the tab is $700,000 for one person in her ministry. That's in addition to the $300,000 that…. This government themselves hired and fired their own deputy — $300,000 for five months' work. That's a total of $1 million. So my question to the Minister of Health Planning, who's becoming, quite frankly, a fast drain on health care services for British Columbians, is: how many more health care dollars are being directed away from patient care for severance packages?

Hon. C. Hansen: I want to remind the member that what we had in British Columbia was ten years of building up an administrative structure in British Columbia that was draining dollars away from patient care. What we said, when we announced restructuring, was that we were going to refocus those administrative dollars on direct patient care. We made it quite clear…

Hon. C. Hansen: …in December, when we announced the restructuring, that there would be severance costs as a result of reducing the amount of administrative superstructure that was there. There is still, at the end of the day, going to be a net saving of $20 million as a result of the reduction in administrative costs at the health authority level.

M. Hunter: My question is to the Attorney General. The Attorney General recently announced funding cuts affecting legal aid services in the province.

Mr. Speaker: Order, please. Order, hon. members. The member for Nanaimo has the floor.

M. Hunter: The Attorney General recently announced reduced funding for legal aid services. Some of my constituents are alleging that this decision will prevent the most vulnerable from accessing basic legal resources. Will the Attorney General please tell us why he made this decision to reduce funding of legal services?

Hon. G. Plant: Unfortunately, difficult times mean difficult decisions have to be made across government. Most of the ministries of government have had to reduce their expenditures over three years, and the Ministry of Attorney General was not an exception to that. We have, in British Columbia today, a legal aid program that receives more funding per capita than any provincial legal aid program anywhere in Canada. Today we can't afford the richest legal aid program in Canada when we have the one of the worst-performing economies in Canada.

Over three years we are going to be reducing the grant to the Legal Services Society. At the end of three years British Columbia's grant-per-capita in legal aid will still be the third-highest in Canada. We will maintain legal aid services…

Hon. G. Plant: …to those people in British Columbia who need them the most.

M. Hunter: I want to say that the community law office in my constituency has begun turning away individuals who are seeking legal aid. Will the Attorney General please explain what steps are being taken to make sure that this turning away of clients does not occur?

Hon. G. Plant: In fact, there's been no cut to legal aid, effective today. It's a complete mystery to me the basis upon which any community law office in British Columbia should today be turning people away.

Yes, we will be making changes. We'll be making changes in a way that ensures that people accused of criminal offences have access to legal aid, that people involved in domestic violence disputes have access to legal aid, that people who need representation in mental health proceedings have access to legal aid, that people involved in custody proceedings have access to legal aid, that people who have civil and administrative law difficulties with government will have access to the information and education they need to ensure that their rights can be protected.

There is more we can do. There is more we will do. We must seize this moment and turn this challenge into an opportunity. I'm committed to doing that.

V. Anderson: My question is to the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services. I've recently had a constituent phone me about the recent government announcement concerning the elimination of the audio book program. Many of my constituents

are concerned with this decision, since this program produced a large audio library to help educate the blind. Can the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services tell us why this program has been eliminated?

Hon. G. Abbott: I thank the member for his question. There have been some changes, certainly, since the government got in the business of producing audio books back in 1974. Back then there was no one else in the business. Government became the sole producer of that particular product. A lot has changed since then. There are now many private sector producers of audio books. In fact, across North America, including some Canadian companies, it's now a $2 billion-a-year business. There certainly are many, many titles available from the private sector.

From my perspective, it's far more important that government's role be to continue to provide access for the blind and others to these very important materials. I met recently with the B.C. Library Association. They assure me that with the continued provincial grant we will be giving them, they will be able to continue to assure access. I believe that is the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker: The member for Vancouver-Langara with a supplementary question.

V. Anderson: Over the years the audio book program built up an audio library with a collection of over 7,000 titles. Can the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services tell us what will be done with this existing collection and whether they will still be available for the blind?

Hon. G. Abbott: That might have been a suggestion that the opposition would have made. Certainly, it would be typical of them to attempt to do that.

That's not the case, Mr. Speaker. There are 7,000 titles. There are over 100,000 copies of those titles. My ministry is in discussions with InterLink to assure the recipients of these, the blind and others, that in fact those titles will remain available far into the future.

J. MacPhail: To the Premier. I have what one might call a riddle. What's the difference between a Liberal tax cut and a Liberal increase in medical services premiums?

Mr. Speaker: Would the member care to rephrase the question. It's not in order the way it is.

D. MacKay: I would start off by saying that I was not at any private meeting over the weekend.

I would like to address my question to the Minister of Forests. A number of provincial Forestry offices will close as a result of the government's restructuring plans. These offices play an important role in forestry-dependent communities like mine, by enforcing regulations, collecting information on local data and providing technical advice. Can the Minister of Forests tell my constituents and other forestry-dependent communities across B.C. how these services will continue to be provided when these offices are being closed?

Hon. M. de Jong: In fact, a number of offices are in the process of being closed down, and there is a human cost associated with that on the part of a great many civil servants who have dedicated themselves professionally to serving this province well.

There are two issues, two considerations that drive the decision. One is a budgetary structural deficit estimated in the neighbourhood of $4 billion that is a reality. The other is a realization on the part of this government that this ministry, and in fact all of government, can do things differently and can do them better. When we move from a prescription, regulatory-based Forest Practices Code to a results-based code, we're going to be able to do things better.

I want to assure the member of this: as always, the paramount concern will be to ensure that the highest environmental standards of stewardship are maintained. We're going to be counting on those professionals that are remaining in those offices. It's not going to be without its challenges, but I think it's a challenge we can meet very well here in British Columbia.

V. Roddick: Hon. Speaker, I have the honour to present the report of the Select Standing Committee on Health for the second session of the thirty-seventh parliament, entitled Patients First: Renewal and Reform of British Columbia's Health Care System.

V. Roddick: Hon. Speaker, I ask leave of the House to suspend the rules to permit moving of a motion to adopt the report.

V. Roddick: I move that the report be adopted, Patients First: Renewal and Reform of British Columbia's Health Care System.

It was an honour and a privilege to work with the dedicated members of the Select Standing Committee on Health and to serve as their Chair.

This committee has not sat since 1993-94. The province responded in spades. In fact, the committee received more presentations than any other committee before it. It is a tribute to the people of British Columbia who took the time to attend and present as well as sending in hundreds of written submissions.

All members of the Health committee who actually participated in this report worked long and hard to produce what we consider to be a real work of health. Its finding are echoed in other major studies, including the recent preliminary report by the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada. In virtually every case the need for fundamental structural changes is inescapable to save and renew our health care system.

The Select Standing Committee on Health would like to thank everyone in the Clerk of Committees office, as well as Anne Mullens, Wynne MacAlpine and Pamela Grant, for their excellent support. Patients First should be read by everyone. Our health is our life.

B. Lekstrom: I rise, Mr. Speaker, to present a petition signed by over 1,500 of the residents of my constituency. This reflects some of the anxieties my constituents have regarding the reorganization of health care provisions and the inclusion of the northern health authority.

Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, it is with great regret that I inform the House that the Deputy Speaker of the House, the member for Kelowna–Lake Country, is ill. He is in Kelowna General Hospital and will be absent from the House for some time. I'm sure he would love to hear from all of the members.

Mr. Speaker: Address in Reply continues with the member for Nanaimo. We'll just wait a minute while those who take their leave do so quickly and quietly.

M. Hunter: When Father Time interrupted me on the last business day of the House, I was talking about my concern about how the public finances of this province have become a political football. Today it's with pride and with confidence in the future of this province that I see a government that puts honesty before convenience and knows it is sometimes necessary to say no — a government that applies high ethical standards in its daily work and conducts the business of the public in public.

Nevertheless, there are individuals and families in my constituency who I know are genuinely concerned about the extent and the pace of the changes this government is introducing and the potential impacts on them, their families or their friends. To them I say that my commitment, and the commitment of this government, is to ensure that those in our community who need help the most will continue to receive it.

The changes we are making are ones that are necessary because the piper is now ready to call the tune, after a decade of mismanagement. The changes foreseen in the Speech from the Throne are the changes that will make sure we regain control of our own destiny within this province and within Canada. To those who say we are moving too fast, I respond that we have no time to lose. The world passed us by for ten long years, and we need to run hard to catch up.

Nobody should feel guilty about concerns they have about either the depth or the speed of change, because concern over change is a natural human reaction. But ask most British Columbians how they feel about our status as a have-not province, and most will tell you they are disgraced and ashamed by our new-found reliance on Ontario and Alberta. They know we have to change the way we do business here.

I regret to say, however, that there are also those who are expressing concern whose purpose is less about the public interest and more about their own. They represent organizations that are no longer in control of the government. Their opposition is based on their desire to protect their private interests, even at the expense of the public interest. Let me say to them that I am steadfast in my determination to act on behalf of the public interest, and as long as I sit in this place, the public interest will always win my support and will supersede any private interest.

I have no tolerance for those who use threat and intimidation as a means of advancing their private interests or agendas. Public life, as I'm finding out, is difficult enough and a strain on personal lives and relationships. The utterance of threats does not bode well for encouraging others to seek to take a seat here. Nor does such action bode well for democracy, a civil society or the institution of parliament.

I know that times are tough. Believe me, Nanaimo has its share of laid-off forestry workers. The decisions we must make are difficult indeed. The only way to get through this is to work together to meet our commitments that patients, students and those in need come first. The Speech from the Throne confirms this agenda that we set out with pride, confidence and conviction last spring. It confirms that the proverbial glass in Brit-

ish Columbia is half full, not half empty, as some of my colleagues indicated earlier this afternoon. The sun on our provincial flag is not a setting sun but a rising one. Let me tell this House why this is so by drawing upon the situation in my own constituency.

It's a fact that the Nanaimo region suffers serious social problems. Social indicators are, in many cases, either the worst in the province or in the top quartile — or the bottom quartile, depending on how you look at it. For example, teenage pregnancy rates and rates of access to welfare support by youths under 19 are the highest in the province. Yet the community also enjoys one of the highest rates of volunteer commitment in the province. People spend their time and their expertise to add to the taxpayers' resources that can be allocated to solve some of these problems.

Are these volunteers throwing up their arms and saying that reductions in taxpayer-provided assistance mean the end of the world? Quite the contrary. Volunteer groups are looking to redouble their efforts. They are looking for new partnerships and innovative ways to continue providing services to those in need. They understand that the public purse is not without a bottom and that the bottom is in sight, and we had better start doing things differently.

There are other solutions to the area's problems that are deriving directly from the actions this government has taken to date. Our personal and corporate tax reductions are building confidence. New investment is beginning to offer the promise of sustainable private sector employment that will more than replace the positions that will disappear from the public service between now and March of 2005. Within six months we expect the re-inauguration of high-speed passenger ferry service linking Nanaimo harbour with Vancouver harbour.

I want my colleague, the hon. Minister of State for Women's Equality and the MLA for Langley, to hear this. A commuter trip to downtown Vancouver will be 15 minutes less from Nanaimo than it is from Langley, and someone else is going to be doing the driving. Within 18 months Nanaimo will boast a new, state-of-the-art, harbourside conference centre and hotel. New investment to accommodate new visitors to our city will follow. Industrial investment plans in Nanaimo are starting to add up, and I have every confidence that the forest sector will be revived as a result of the forestry approaches set out in the Speech from the Throne.

Let there be no mistake about it: my constituency will continue to rely on the forest sector for a big part of its prosperity for years to come. We have a plan for the forest industry. It's a plan that offers real hope for renewal. It's a plan that stands in stark contrast to the last government's approach. That government knew that the softwood lumber agreement was going to expire in 2001. It knew that forestry investment was declining, especially on the coast. Yet all it could do was impose the much ballyhooed and much discredited jobs and timber accord.

The people who are out of work in my community in the forest industry know about the efforts that the Minister of Forests is making. They know my real concern, and they know we're working hard to resolve that problem with our major customer.

There are new activities that are helping to build my community as well as the ones I've referred to. The aquaculture industry already provides considerable work and income in Nanaimo. That will only increase as the industry expands under the most rigorous environmental standards. I know the decision to allow the expansion of aquaculture is controversial, but independent science is on our side, and the risks can and will be managed.

I don't want us to be fooled by all the prophets of doom and gloom who say that the traditional recreational and commercial fishing industries have seen their day. They, too, continue to contribute to my community. The commercial fishing industry is certainly a different one than the one that supported my family for a quarter of a century, but it remains, in many respects, a vibrant and successful part of coastal British Columbia.

I'm also confident that development of the coalbed methane extraction industry and the prospect of new offshore oil and gas exploration will benefit people and businesses in my constituency. We have in Nanaimo the critical mass of service and supply businesses that the new investment will need and that the new industries will draw upon.

Our tourism industry is poised for growth despite the impact of September 11. Our tourism industry in Nanaimo is driven in part by our location as the top cool-water diving site in the world and a major recreational boating centre.

We are also home to a growing, active and successful high-technology sector. That sector is being boosted by this government's commitment to the sector and by the new tax regime which makes living and working in B.C. affordable again. I was pleased to have had the opportunity to speak at a meeting of the Premier's Technology Council in Nanaimo on Friday, where that council was seeking advice from local high-tech representatives.

Our university college, Malaspina, is already a leader in the province in the post-secondary education field. Its innovative programs and the energy of its management, faculty and students are assets that this government's commitment to education will reinforce and foster.

All of this is positive news. The agenda laid out in the Speech from the Throne serves to reinforce the confidence of those who are investing in my community's future and, along with it, the future of this province.

I listened with interest to the response from the Leader of the Opposition. She was critical of the fact that this government listens to business. I, for one, look forward to seeing more businesses established in B.C., creating sustainable jobs for our people. This province, I argue, would not be badly off if there were 50, 100 or more people with the business vision and skill that a

I am also proud to be part of a government that is committed to resolving the thorny issue of aboriginal land claims. It may well be that Nanaimo will be the location of this province's first urban treaty, although there are significant and difficult issues yet to be addressed. Our aboriginal coastal citizens have expressed a desire to be part of the broader community, and I intend to continue to encourage them to do just that: to look at investment opportunities in the new Nanaimo — opportunities that, if taken, can be instrumental in resolving the generations-old problems faced by some of our aboriginal people.

I did not expect that the job that I was elected to do would be an easy one. In fact, I knew that it would be difficult. I knew that I would be called upon to use my intellect and judgment to choose amongst tough alternatives. It's obvious that many of the choices we are called upon to make are difficult, especially when they involve changing old ways and challenging the status quo.

At the end of the day, I will be accountable to my electorate. When the time comes, I will have no difficulty in saying that the agenda for British Columbia set out in this throne speech is the right agenda for the right reasons. It is the agenda that will lead us to a prosperous future, to a society that can sustain the programs its citizens desire, and that will lead us back to our proper place as a contributor to Canadian society.

B. Bennett: I rise today to provide my support to the very positive messages in the government's throne speech. When I reviewed the throne speech, I found it hard to imagine how anyone could be against the direction that was set out in that speech. I think of the three objectives that were set out there. No. 1 was to revitalize the economy in B.C. No. 2 was to restore sound fiscal management, and No. 3 was to put patients, students and people first.

Cheerleaders for the status quo are trying to characterize these objectives as being negative. That's very puzzling to me, because I can't understand what's negative about creating new jobs. I can't understand what's negative about restoring investor confidence in B.C. or about stopping the brain drain to Alberta, Ontario and the U.S. I must conclude that those folks don't understand that when our economy suffers, it's the people who pay the price.

Now, what exactly is negative about restoring responsible management of our finances in B.C.? I wonder if those who oppose our direction would prefer that we simply continue spending more than the taxpayers of B.C. can sustain. What exactly is negative about putting patients, students and people first? The former regime spawned a culture of entitlement and special interest politics. This government, based on the throne speech that we just heard a few days ago, is returning this province to all the people of B.C.

I want to get specific. What does revitalizing the economy mean to the folks in the East Kootenay, the area that I represent very proudly? Well, a good start is the fact that the Premier will be meeting with small business owners, operators and entrepreneurs. What a novel idea — a Premier that actually goes out and talks to the grass-roots people who create most of the new jobs in B.C.

I know one thing the Premier will hear from East Kootenay job creators: tourism businesses are discouraged from investing and creating jobs by an inflexible, unfair Employment Standards Act that forces inefficiency on them and on their employees. Guest ranch operators in my area are tied up in inflexible rules that force them into working conditions that don't make any sense for them. They don't make any sense for employees, and they don't make any sense for the customers.

I'll tell you something else that I'm hearing loud and clear in the East Kootenay: my constituents support the comments in the throne speech about developing the coalbed methane gas that is found in abundance in the East Kootenay. The U.S.A. produces about 6 percent of its natural gas from coalbed methane. The development of coalbed methane has great potential for the East Kootenay and for all of British Columbia.

My constituents also support the construction of the long overdue coal-fired power plant at Fording River in the Elk Valley. The province of Alberta generates 80 percent of its electricity with coal and exports most of its oil and gas. B.C. generates no electricity with coal, even though just in the East Kootenay alone we have over 100 years of high-quality, low-sulphur coal waiting to be used. The proposed coal-fired power plant at Elkford would cost $250 million to build. It would generate 160 construction jobs for three years and 50 to 60 full-time jobs.

I am committed, as MLA for this area, to make this project happen. The Elk Valley has been waiting long enough. It is time, in my opinion, that all British Columbians start to benefit from all of the natural resources we are blessed with in this province — not just those that have the current politically correct cachet.

On a positive note, there are signs that B.C.'s economy is waking from its ten-year slumber. I take these from the throne speech. Last year B.C. posted Canada's largest increase in housing sales. We also had the highest percentage increase in residential construction in Canada. Retail sales are increasing at a faster rate than the national average, and automobile sales have been strong throughout most of B.C. Many of these positive signs are evident in the East Kootenay despite a generally slow world economy and some of the challenges that we have coming from our softwood problems with the U.S.A.

In terms of the second objective set out in the speech, restoring sound fiscal management to B.C., we're going from ten years of fast-ferry economics and fiscal terrorism to a new era of responsibility. It's challenging; it's tough. You can ask the public servants in the East Kootenay who must look for new jobs. They'll

tell you it's tough, but you can also ask the thousands of laid-off forest workers in this province. It's tough as well.

I was taught a long time ago that nothing of value comes easy. We could give in, as a government, and go back to undisciplined spending. The Premier has said it very well: "It is easier to say yes than it is to say no." But this government will not refuse to do its duty.

On the other hand, during this process I think we have to be diligent to protect those in our society who genuinely struggle to make ends meet and who often do not have the material or the personal advantages that those of us in this chamber are blessed with. To this end, our government has managed to protect funding for transition houses for women and children leaving abusive relationships. We've cut personal income taxes so that the lowest two income brackets in B.C. now pay the least income tax in Canada. Even in increasing MSP premiums by 50 percent, our government did manage to reduce those premiums for 230,000 low-income British Columbians.

At the end of the day, applying restraint to our fiscal affairs is the right thing to do, and in the long term everyone in B.C. will receive the rewards of a healthy economy that can support our social programs.

You could say that in this province, we have developed a dependence on government largesse. We've become dependent, in B.C., on the succour of the public trough. That trough is almost dry, and it's been almost dry for years. That's why our provincial debt has gone from $17.3 billion in 1991 to $35.5 billion on September 30, 2001.

B.C. taxpayers are currently spending $830 million a year just to pay the interest on our provincial debt. If we had that $830 million to spend on patients, students and children of B.C., I would suggest that would be a much more positive way to spend that money.

British Columbians don't want their government to spend more than their ability to pay. That kind of fiscal mismanagement is no different from the family that everyone knows lives beyond its means but refuses to stop spending. That's why we have committed to balance our budget by 2004-05 and why this important commitment was reiterated in the throne speech.

Putting patients, students and people first is also the right thing to do. Let's review a few of the commitments on health care. This government has not reduced the budget for health care in B.C. When I hear people talking about cuts to health care, I know most do not understand this. This government actually added $200 million to the health care budget right after the 2001 election. But lobbing gobs of money at health care is clearly not the answer either. Service to patients has not improved over the past ten years, even though we're now spending 40 percent of our provincial budget on health care.

The throne speech speaks of saving and renewing health care. How can we do this without a gob of that new money? What's wrong with taking some of that existing $9.5 billion and redirecting those dollars away from non-clinical services to patient care? That's really the only thing to do, though difficult for those good people delivering those non-clinical services.

Let me say, Mr. Speaker, that it's unfair and unnecessary to demonize those workers who are impacted by this redirection of health care dollars. I don't think anyone can blame them for accepting some very generous deals from the former government. I think public indignation ought to be focused on those past governments that made those irresponsible deals.

What about education? What's wrong with finding dollars in the education budget that are being spent on things that do not directly benefit students and redirecting those dollars to students? I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I personally wrestled with the decision to bring in Bills 28 and 29. I share the teachers' commitment to class size. I know it will take innovation and leadership on the part of elected school board trustees to make this work for students. With the flexibility our government is now providing to boards, I believe that the trustees can manage their challenges.

At the end of the day, there really is no money tree outside these hallowed halls. I haven't noticed any printing presses in the basement.

I can tell you that I've actually been broke in my life. I remember that back in 1982 in the recession, not long after I started my tourism business in northern Manitoba, the U.S. economy had slowed pretty much to a stop. That's where most of my clients came from. I was out of money at the end of the season and couldn't afford to pay my suppliers. I remember going around the town of Thompson, Manitoba, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, cap in hand, meeting with each of my suppliers and asking them to be patient and to work with me while I built my enterprise into a success, which my wife and I did. At the time it was a horrible, helpless feeling not being able to pay what I clearly knew was owing.

B.C. is at the same kind of crossroads today. We can go to our bankers and borrow even more money, we can risk bankruptcy and become even more of a have-not province, or we can exercise some self-discipline and ask British Columbians to work with us, as I asked my suppliers 20 years ago, and rebuild the affordable services that patients, students and all British Columbians deserve.

In closing, let me state again my support for the direction set out in our government's throne speech. These last few months have been challenging for everyone. The next months will be no easier. Very few people enjoy the prospect of change. In fact, it's often the prospect of change, the anxiety about change and the unknowns about what the change really is that people have the most difficulty with, rather than the actual change itself.

I respect the anxiety that I hear expressed every day in my riding, but I say to the people in my riding of East Kootenay who are worried about their future: your government is headed in the right direction. Talk to me. I'll listen to you. Learn the facts. Work with us.

Help revitalize our economy. Help restore responsible fiscal management to B.C. Help your government to think and work creatively. Help us to ensure that in all of our desire to affect positive change in British Columbia, we remember the patients, the students and all those British Columbians who we must not allow to bear too heavy a portion of the challenge of rebuilding this province.

The challenge of rebuilding British Columbia, of revitalizing our economy and controlling our fiscal practices while protecting those who need our help, is immense. But it is now underway, and that is the most positive news that this throne speech could deliver.

R. Masi: Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to rise today to participate in this historic and important debate on the throne speech delivered last week by the Lieutenant-Governor, the Hon. Iona Campagnolo. Let me also say at this time that I extend my congratulations and best wishes to our new Lieutenant-Governor as she embarks on her latest chapter of dedicated and impassioned public service on behalf of British Columbia.

My thanks and best wishes, as well, to her predecessor, the Hon. Garde Gardom, who served this province with dignity, good humour and a deep, abiding love for British Columbia and its people in a career of service that spanned decades.

Mr. Speaker, we the members of this Legislature have an important responsibility to the people of British Columbia, who have elected us to represent their interests at the seat of government. In our pluralistic society we have, by necessity, many competing interests vying for scarce financial resources and attention. Our job as legislators is to balance those competing interests such that the greater common good benefits.

That requires us to be good listeners — at times actively soliciting input from segments of society which traditionally have remained silent. We need to actively solicit input from individuals and organizations which have developed specialized expertise that could be drawn upon to help shape and refine government decisions. We need to be prepared to make those decisions in a responsible and responsive manner and move forward.

That is the very essence of government and clearly underscores what we are here to do on behalf of the people of British Columbia. It is clearly what this Speech from the Throne sets out to do. This government has identified and laid out essential priorities to help guide British Columbia into a new era of prosperity and hope. With this Speech from the Throne, the government is clearly signalling to all British Columbians and people around the world that we are getting our house in order. We are committed to revitalizing the economy, to restoring sound fiscal management, while ensuring that the needs of patients, students and all the citizens of British Columbia are put first.

That our economy was in shambles when we assumed office last June comes as no surprise to the many thousands of unemployed forestry and mining workers, and I'm not just referring to the softwood lumber dispute and its very serious impact but rather the onerous restrictions and regulations imposed by the former NDP government — things such as the Forest Practices Code.

It comes as no surprise to the struggling small business owner, drowning in a sea of red tape and a crushing tax regime, or to the families who could barely make ends meet while watching the previous government splurge $463 million on fast ferries to nowhere, $1 billion on business subsidies, and on and on and on.

To add insult to injury, we just found out earlier this month that for the first time ever our province qualified for equalization payments in 1999 from Ottawa because of our poor economic performance. Frankly, that's incomprehensible. That we teeter on the brink of being a have-not province is a stunning indictment of the previous government and their relentless squandering of our precious resources.

The people of British Columbia knew that change was absolutely necessary if we were to rebuild our great province into a beacon of economic hope and prosperity for all. They knew that B.C. needed a government committed to mapping out a vision for the future that delivered on its promises, a government dedicated to restructuring, revamping and restoring economic confidence and freedom, a government which put the interests of all its citizens first, not the interests of single or special interest groups.

Mr. Speaker, that was the mandate we received from the citizens of British Columbia, and that is the mandate we are delivering on with this Speech from the Throne. If we are to harness the great potential of our economy, we need to start by revitalizing it and doing so as quickly as possible. We are committed to make our economy more competitive, diversified and attractive to investors. It is our central goal and mission as a government.

By way of example, I'll mention four of the initiatives that our government is committed to undertaking to help revitalize our economy. The Legislature will be asked to debate and pass changes to the Employment Standards Act, the Workers Compensation Act and the Labour Relations Code so as to provide increased flexibility, fairness and equality to both employers and employees. Legislation will be introduced to amend the Company Act in order to cut red tape, improve efficiency and stimulate economic growth.

The days of government being all things to all people are long over, and that's why this government will be moving forward to explore public-private partnerships. We need to leverage scarce and precious public finances with those of the private sector in areas such as transportation and highways, information technology, housing, land and resource development, health support services and facilities, and our educational infrastructure.

Let me say this: unlike the opposition, I am not timid about public-private partnerships. I believe that innovative and effective solutions to large capital-

intensive projects can and will be found with these partnerships — solutions which will benefit everyone in society.

My last point on upcoming government initiatives to revitalize the economy is this: for decades a cloud of uncertainty has hung over our entire province. I am speaking of treaty negotiations. Unfortunately, this uncertainty has hampered our abilities as a province to entice investment here. We need to bring the era of uncertainty to a close. We need to ensure that the voice of the people is clearly and succinctly reflected in treaty negotiations, thus providing the means by which we can move forward with confidence. Therefore, British Columbians will be asked by way of a mail-in ballot to provide answers to questions and to help guide the government in negotiating treaties. At the same time, we on this side of the Legislature believe that this will generate a greater public understanding of the treaty process and build support for the treaty process among all citizens.

With these initiatives and the others outlined in last week's Speech from the Throne, combined with other initiatives we have undertaken as a government since assuming office in June of last year, I believe that we are well on the road to recovery and prosperity. But we face an equally challenging problem, and that is the challenge to restore sound fiscal management to our operations as a government.

The previous government seemed to feel that tax dollars grew on trees. They spent and spent and spent like there was no tomorrow. Well, for that government, tomorrow came with a resounding crash last May.

We took office and spent months combing the catacombs of government, trying to nail down just how much the taxpayers of B.C. were really on the hook. The verdict's in, and it isn't pretty. We could be looking at a deficit of $4.4 billion or more this year, and the next year won't be that much better. This must stop. We simply cannot continue to mortgage our children's futures to the hilt, and we won't.

It's why one of the first acts we took as a government was to pass binding legislation that requires the government to balance our budget by the year 2004-05. To achieve that goal all government ministries, except health and education, will have their operating budgets reduced by an average of 25 percent over the next three years. This is not easy, Mr. Speaker. Identifying programs and services that people have come to rely on is not easy. It's tough to do, but it has to be done. Frankly, these decisions should have been taken a long time ago, but they weren't, so they are felt much more severely today.

At the same time, we need to ensure that those most vulnerable in our society are sheltered. That's why, when the government announced the MSP premium increases two weeks ago to help offset higher wage costs for workers and higher fees for doctors, we made the decision to lower or eliminate premium costs for some 230,000 low-income British Columbians. That's why the Premier announced last week that we would reverse the move to eliminate seniors' bus passes to ensure that seniors will continue to have access to the public transit system on an affordable basis. Putting British Columbians first is the final element of our three-part strategy to guide our government's decisions.

That our health care system is under tremendous pressure comes as no surprise to anyone here in British Columbia. Costs have ballooned such that our health care expenditures have tripled in just over 16 years from $3 billion in 1985 to $9.6 billion this year. In fact, the health care budget last year alone increased by 13 percent, and that doesn't include the increased wage costs for nurses' and doctors' fees.

Tough decisions are being made to deal with those pressures. We are implementing a dramatic restructuring of regional health authorities and reducing the administrative costs of the health ministry. Bill 29, passed in this Legislature a few weeks ago, will give the regional health authorities increased flexibility to reorganize health care services by transferring functions or staff to meet patients' needs. Any and all savings realized as a result of these initiatives are being reinvested in patient care.

The effects of these changes are being felt right across the province, including my own constituency of Delta North, where proposed budgetary cuts to Delta Hospital have sparked a groundswell of concern among Deltans. In fact, over 30,000 people have signed a petition calling on the South Fraser Valley health authority to moderate their proposed funding cuts, particularly in the area of emergency room funding.

Delta Hospital's strategic location relative to the Canadian-U.S. border, the ferry terminal at Tsawwassen and the industrial park at Tilbury Island — among many other factors — underscores the importance of maintaining its emergency room availability on a 24-hour basis. My colleague from Delta South and I have been working very hard with these concerned citizens to help ensure that our emergency room will continue to operate on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week.

Regrettably, we face similar challenges with funding our education system. Most members know that I continue to have a real interest in this area. It disturbs me when I see our children's education held hostage by the teachers' union, as we witnessed in the recent labour dispute which upset our education system.

Critical issues such as class size should not be the mandate or purview of a collective agreement. In my opinion, the previous government grievously failed in their responsibility to students and parents in agreeing to put class-size limits in the collective agreement. Our government made the right decision, the correct decision, to place the critical management issue of class size in legislation and make school districts responsible for determining class size within the context and parameters of the legislative requirements and district needs. That's responsible government, and that's putting the interests of students first — not special interest groups.

Nobody would deny that our teachers have an important role to play in our society, and they should be

paid accordingly. The 7.5 percent salary increase over the next three years makes our teachers the second highest–paid in the country. It's a salary increase that balances the need to pay our teachers more while delivering sound fiscal management.

At the university and colleges level, this government decided last week to return the decision of fees to the institutions — and rightly so. The artificial tuition fees imposed by the previous government had a disastrous effect on the ability of our post-secondary institutions to provide the courses and services that our students required. Why? Because the previous government, the NDP government, failed to make up the revenue shortfall caused by the tuition freeze.

Time after time, I heard from students in my constituency that they couldn't get into the classes they needed to finish their degree program requirements, so they ended up having to take an additional year. In reality, that tuition freeze was a false economy designed to curry favour for political gain rather than making responsible choices. By lifting the freeze and thereby increasing revenues for our post-secondary institutions, they will be able to offer new courses, programs and classroom spaces, and replace aging and outdated equipment that had hampered the ability of our students to get a quality education. That's responsible government, and that is putting the interests of students first.

The recent announcement that Tech B.C. will become a part of Simon Fraser University is also a reflection of this government's commitment to delivering a top-quality education for our young people while prudently managing our fiscal resources. Simon Fraser University enjoys a worldwide reputation of excellence, and there is no question in my mind that the students of Tech B.C. and all the South Fraser region will benefit greatly from this new relationship.

Once again, we saw the long arm of the meddlesome NDP and their habit of signing sweetheart deals spell the end of Tech B.C. long before the last election. The reality is that the business plan and in particular the lease arrangements with ICBC were unsustainable and would have required a massive cash infusion from the government to keep Tech B.C. afloat. After a careful review of business plans from a variety of post-secondary institutions, the government decided that the proposal by Simon Fraser best met the needs of the students of Tech B.C. and, equally important, the taxpayers of British Columbia. That's responsible government and a clear reflection of this government's determination to make decisions in the broader public interest.

I would like to speak on two other issues which are very important to the people of my constituency, Delta North, which, when resolved, can and will have an impact on all the people of British Columbia. First is the proposed South Fraser perimeter road project, which has been discussed and bandied about for more than a decade. That Delta North, the lower mainland and indeed all of British Columbia will benefit once this project is completed is an understatement.

A dedicated transportation corridor for trucks to move goods and services between the rail terminus in Surrey, Delta Port and Roberts Bank, Vancouver International Airport and the Canada-U.S. border is long overdue. Expediting the movement of cargo is important to a healthy economy. But at this time, truck traffic between these points is forced to use old River Road — up to 2,000 trucks a day. River Road was never designed to handle this kind of traffic, and as such, it has become a major disruption to the residential areas along the route and an ineffective transportation corridor.

The potential cost is some $400 million, well outside the scope of the corporation of Delta or the province to fund alone. Indeed, to make this proposal a reality requires the financial assistance of both the private sector and the federal government. Regardless, we need to move forward on this, secure the necessary funding and make the South Fraser perimeter road a reality.

Finally, I want to speak on one other issue that touches the heart of North Deltans. The preservation of Burns Bog is an issue that transcends the interests of North Deltans and captures the imagination of people throughout the lower mainland and indeed around the world. I have spoken on this issue many times before, so I won't go into all of the details of what makes Burns Bog a unique and valued asset to our community.

We know that we now have a funding envelope available to us with which to negotiate. As well, I know that these negotiations have been well underway ever since we took office in June. I'm confident that we will see a resolution to these negotiations and that we will finally be in a position to preserve and protect Burns Bog for all the citizens of this province.

I have been very pleased to participate in today's debates on the Speech from the Throne. The government's Speech from the Throne has succinctly laid out the top three priorities that will guide its decisions and our deliberations in the months ahead. I know, in talking with my constituents in North Delta, that the majority of them share our vision of hope through a revitalized economy, prudent fiscal management and placing the interests of patients, students and all British Columbians first. It's an agenda of action, it's an agenda of hope, and it's an agenda of prosperity. That, Mr. Speaker, is what we were elected to do last May, and that is what we on the government side are working to deliver to the people of British Columbia.

K. Johnston: It's a great pleasure for me to rise today and respond to the Speech from the Throne. As I'm growing accustomed to the ways and procedures of this assembly, I reflect on the thoughtful debate that I've heard over the past days. I was especially moved by the comments from the member for Vancouver-Langara, who reminded us of the role of government in caring for the most vulnerable in our society. His his-

torical perspective on the importance of the Vancouver Food Bank and what it means to people really made me reflect on our role as government.

It also made me reflect on many great, great community organizations and volunteers — organizations such as one in the riding I represent, Vancouver-Fraserview: the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House. This is a place where people come together to look after each other. I think it's the role of government to facilitate that.

Mr. Speaker, the Speech from the Throne is one of the more important documents we as members of the Legislature address in this House. It highlights our government's plans for this session of the Legislature and sets out a plan to revitalize the economy, restore sound fiscal management and put patients, students and people first. The throne speech sets the vision. Government has to ensure that economic stability is returned to the province of British Columbia.

The Webster dictionary defines vision as a mode of seeing or conceiving. The throne speech, as delivered by Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, sets that vision by conceiving a plan for the future. I am proud that our government has a plan, a vision for the future. Every ministry has a three-year service plan that will ensure that we meet our goals. We are planning beyond year to year. What a novel idea for government — to actually plan in a manner that will secure our future. Our government's vision is the people's vision — a government which is committed to act in the best interests of all British Columbians, not just special interest groups. For the people of British Columbia this is good news.

Let me talk about the priorities of the people of Vancouver-Fraserview and the people of British Columbia as a whole. British Columbians want a first-rate health care system and a first-rate education system. They want patients and students put first. But to do this, we must get the province on a sound fiscal footing so we can provide these services at the highest level. We need to get the economy of British Columbia moving and moving quickly.

I'll just give a quote from Henry Ford right now. Henry Ford said: "Don't find fault; find a remedy." The vision laid out before you in the throne speech is a remedy for what ails all British Columbians. This is what differentiates this government from the last. We will find a remedy; we will find solutions.

I know this House is a place to express one's views and opinions, and I truly respect that in this institution. I know it's the job of the opposition to hold the government accountable, but I find the objections to the new vision expressed by the opposition absolutely mind-boggling after ten years of mismanagement and sweetheart deals. After only eight months in office there are suggestions that we should change course, that we should flip-flop to the status quo, where the answer to everything is just to add more debt. The last government added more debt in one decade than had been built up in the previous 125 years of British Columbia history. The status quo failed miserably in the past. We cannot go back there.

We inherited a province in a financial mess, and the pain is being felt by all British Columbians. These are extremely tough times for many families in this province.

These are extremely tough times for many families in this province. Harry Truman said: "It's a recession when your neighbour loses his job; it's a depression when you lose your own." Many people in this province feel that we're in a depression. They have lost jobs.

After nearly a decade of ruin, where thousands of jobs were lost in industries across the province due to the prior government's ineptitude, the vision I lay before you today is the turning point towards a new future. I think all British Columbians were embarrassed a few weeks ago to hear that our province has become a have-not province. Who among us would have ever thought that could happen? I reflect, going back to high school and elementary school, that we always talked about the have-not provinces. Our teachers always taught us about the have-not provinces, and they were over on the eastern side of Canada somewhere. They weren't anywhere near British Columbia.

The revelation that we became a have-not province could have been a stunning blow to our pride as British Columbians, except that we realized why we became a have-not province after a decade of incompetence and actually inheriting a structural deficit of close to $4 billion. I'd like to remind everybody that that fact was verified by an independent review panel.

Teddy Roosevelt said: "I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart, and that is softness of head." We must use our heads, even if the decisions are tough and pull at the heart. Clearly, nobody gets any pleasure out of making the really tough decisions, but I believe we are doing the right things now to secure our future. Clearly, if we do not get our house in order, we cannot create jobs, create wealth and pay for social services. I often remind myself that there's no such thing as the government's money. It's the money belonging to each and every British Columbian.

The throne speech renews our commitment to the hard-working taxpayers of our province. We will make the decisions we feel are right for British Columbians, even if those decisions are painful to some. We were elected to restore sound fiscal management and to revitalize economic prosperity and to protect public services. It's the right thing to do, it's the only sensible thing to do, and it's what British Columbians elected us to do. You know, difficult decisions are never easy. It's not a pleasant experience to know that you are directly affecting, in some cases, friends, relatives and others, but I know these measures are essential to build a strong future.

I'd like to throw in my last quote here, because I learn from people that have gone before. I think it's important to reflect on people that have said very im-

portant things. Gandhi put it succinctly: "A 'no' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'yes' merely uttered to please or, worse, to avoid trouble." It isn't a pleasant experience saying no to constituents, saying no to worthwhile programs, but the reality is that at this point in time we are unable to pay for many of those initiatives.

The feedback I've received from many people in the constituency is to stay the course. Just recently the city of Vancouver completed a visioning process for what is called the Victoria-Fraserview-Killarney area of the city — effectively Vancouver-Fraserview provincially. It describes the kind of community that people who live and work in Vancouver-Fraserview want, what they would like to see over the next ten to 20 years. It was done through a survey process with over 3,000 people responding.

Some of the things the vision calls for are a safer community, usable schools and improved environment. The reason I bring this city visioning process into the debate is that the provincial government and the economy of the province have a huge impact on the ability of this vision to be reached at the local level. As an example, improved business climate is developed through taxation and labour policies. Increased school accessibility is created through the ability of the taxpayer to pay. Without our economy booming, we cannot reach the vision.

In Vancouver-Fraserview we have three main shopping areas: Victoria Drive, 49th and Champlain Mall. I would venture that small and medium business comprises about 90 percent of all business in that riding. In 1998 the small business sector created more than two-thirds of new jobs in British Columbia. In 1999, 392,000 people worked as self-employed.

I ask the question: are these some of the working people that are often referred to by the NDP? In fact, I've never understood that expression: the working people. I would think that just about everybody in British Columbia that is able and capable — maybe 90 percent of adults — are the working people.

Working people are not some politically affiliated group with the NDP. They are union people, non-union people, big business, small business — people of all kinds. In fact, working people includes everybody. It includes my father, who came to this country and spent his whole working life working around the mills of British Columbia and travelling; my mother, who worked two jobs to look after her family; and their eldest son, who spent his whole life running a business, meeting payrolls, facing down banks and government regulations and caring about the people he worked with. Working people are everybody. We're here for everybody.

In fact, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business outlook survey 2002 found interesting statistics. It found that family incomes of employers and self-employed are generally lower than family incomes of paid employees. Also, small business owners work longer hours. Over 80 percent of small business owners reported never working less than 50 hours a week, compared to only 14 percent of paid employees.

This is not to belittle the contribution of employees in any way. Employees are the greatest asset of any business. It's only to point out the sacrifices that most small business operators make. The reality is that employees or small business people have been betrayed in the past.

The survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business also found that the top necessary conditions for B.C. business to hire more employees above their 2001 plans are a boost in customer demand and a reduction of federal, provincial and local taxes. Reasonable tax levels and a general business-friendly government topped the list of positive attributes. The total tax burden continues to be the top concern for four out of five British Columbians. I like to remind everybody that on our first day in office, we gave every worker in B.C. a dramatic income tax cut averaging 25 percent. That was a good thing.

Other major concerns are government debt and deficit, government regulations and paper burden, and provincial labour laws. Our priority is to wrestle these issues.

The throne speech refers to the fact that the Premier will lead a series of round tables on small business. This is a very important initiative for small business, which is often called the engine room of the economy. The throne speech states that the government's central mission is to revitalize the economy as quickly as possible, to provide a sustainable framework to maximize growth and job creation.

I look forward to changes to the Employment Standards Act, the Workers Compensation Act and the Labour Relations Code that will provide greater flexibility and fairness for employers and employees alike. It is time that all parties were treated fairly and equally under the employment standards rules.

Modernization of the Workers Compensation Board will be a welcome initiative. Workers and employers alike will be better served. I think we have to get by some of the regulations of the WCB and some other organizations. I'll just quickly tell you one of my favourite stories.

The WCB inspector visits a civic public library and orders that a young woman who puts the books on the shelves wear steel-toed boots while doing that job. This is just a small example of the kind of red tape and regulation that people face. That was dealing with a civic organization. Imagine what it's like when they deal with a small business. Hopefully, we can overcome this sort of misinterpretation of regulations.

I am excited that public-private partnerships will be explored to spur more private sector investment and infrastructure. With our debt now equalling more than $9,000 for every person currently living in British Columbia, we must find alternative ways to fund capital projects.

In my prior role as a city councillor, I had the opportunity to be part of a public-private initiative, and I can tell you that it was an overwhelming success from

both the public and the private investor perspective. If done right, it works. There are organizations in the riding I represent who are excited about the possibilities of even exploring this public-private partnership. Our commitment to add 5,000 new intermediate and long-term care beds by 2006 seems like a candidate for a potential P3.

Another important initiative will be measures to boost investment and job creation in both the energy and the mining sectors. Our new energy policy will encourage billions in private sector investment.

The softwood lumber dispute has had a profound effect on the workers and communities that depend on forestry. In fact, even our urban riding, Vancouver-Fraserview, has seen its only mill, White Pine, scheduled to close, with over 600 jobs affected. I know a resolution will be found to this dispute, and the industry will become more competitive and stable.

I am hopeful that some signs of economic recovery are showing already. As previously referred to today, in January 2002 the B.C. economy gained 27,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate fell. Last year British Columbia posted Canada's largest increase in housing sales.

One of our greatest focuses in this throne speech is health care and the delivery of health care — putting patients first. I had, and have, the opportunity to serve on the Select Standing Committee on Health, and today the report was tabled by the Chairperson. The committee travelled across this great province, hearing from more than 700 people.

I must say I was disappointed that the member for Vancouver-Hastings did not feel it worth her time to attend those meetings. I would have thought the opinions of British Columbians on health care would have been of interest to her. I know the committee would have been delighted to hear her suggestions on dealing with the spiralling costs and getting the patients recognized as the top priority.

I realized fairly quickly, after being on the committee, that the health care system needs to be changed to ensure delivery of the best health care to all British Columbians. One I remember in the committee was the doctor from Kelowna who stood up and held, from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, a telephone bill for 351 cell phones that the Kelowna hospital had for all their staff. Then he turned around and said: "They can't use these phones because they affect the equipment in the hospital."

We're looking at that and saying: "What is the health care system about? Is it about 351 cell phones, or is it about actually getting the funds to the patients?" I think at that point everyone had realized the system was somewhat dysfunctional.

Another profound quote from that committee was from the CEO of the greater Trail community health council, who said: "Over the past decade the health sector has concentrated more on the rights, benefits and entitlements of workers and less on the needs of patients, residents and clients." I think that's what we are trying to address. As I said, resources for health care must be spent on patient care, not cell phones and sweetheart severance deals.

The throne speech views education as the cornerstone of our society. Vancouver-Fraserview has two major secondary schools, David Thompson and Killarney. I actually graduated from Killarney more years ago than I'd like to remember. In fact, I believe Killarney is the largest secondary school in Vancouver. With the current addition that's going on, there'll be 2,200 students attending there next year.

For the students attending those schools, I am glad the throne speech talks about initiatives like changing the School Act to improve student achievement through a better system of accountability and flexibility, providing a new school funding formula to give school districts a better chance to plan through three-year funding allocations and creating more choice for post-secondary students. We are actually putting the needs of students first.

I'd also like to say how important it is, in my mind, that the government pursue the 2010 Olympics, as we are. The throne speech refers to it. I think these games could generate such a tremendous economic benefit. The estimate has been 220,000 jobs.

More importantly, I reflect back to Expo 86 and how important that was for the people of British Columbia in terms of more than economics. It was a glue that held British Columbia together. Everybody had a common cause, a common goal. Everybody was extremely positive, and I think that moved everything ahead in British Columbia. By pursuing the 2010 Olympics, I'm hoping that spirit can be rekindled, just like Expo 86. I'm extremely happy that we are looking at moving ahead on that.

Let me close by observing that Canada's Finance minister, the Hon. Paul Martin, achieved a certain degree of respect — from those who supported him, I guess — from Canadians when he said this: "Come hell or high water, the national government would face down the deficit and create a balanced budget." Canadians knew the task would be hard, the challenges great, the critics noisy, but they also knew that it had to be done.

Well, I think it's exactly the same story for British Columbia today. We need to give tough medicine for tough times, but I believe it is the prescription that will give us a healthy future, a future that will enable us to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are protected.

B. Kerr: Thank you for this opportunity to address this assembly in response to the Speech from the Throne. Our new Lieutenant-Governor stated most eloquently the government's priorities of revitalizing the economy, restoring sound fiscal management and putting patients, students and all British Columbians first. I'll have more to say about these priorities in a few moments, Mr. Speaker, but for now I'd like to commend the Lieutenant-Governor for a job well done.

I recall clearly today when I made my personal decision to seek the nomination as the B.C. Liberal candidate for Malahat–Juan de Fuca. My wife, Elaine, and I had worked hard to build a secure life, but it was becoming frighteningly apparent that the economic legacy of the former government would mean insecurity and no options for our wonderful children and grandchildren. In fact, in my speech to the nominating committee I noted that at the rate the former government was going, my grandchildren would inherit a staggering $160 billion provincial debt — well over four and a half times what it is today. I should note that Argentina hit the wall of a full-blown crisis at $140 billion.

Now, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that you cannot continually spend more than you bring in. We know that with our household budgets, and government is no different. I was literally driven into politics because I viewed that kind of economic waste and mismanagement as fiscally imprudent and politically irresponsible. More important, as a father and grandfather, I was infuriated by the immorality of a government that would deliberately cripple future generations of British Columbians with such a legacy.

During the last eight months I've managed to survive a very steep learning curve and have some observations and progress to share with you and other hon. members. One thing I've determined is that serving as an MLA is an honour and, at the same time, a tremendous responsibility. This is particularly true in the circumstances in which we all find ourselves: namely, rebuilding our great province after a decade of mismanagement.

We were elected, Mr. Speaker, because people in communities across British Columbia were despairing and disheartened, and we as B.C. Liberals were seen as the light at the end of a very long and very dark tunnel. To quote the throne speech, we were not elected to follow the broken rut of the status quo.

Since forming government, we have worked hard to meet expectations, and I believe that we have made significant progress. We have implemented our election platform, carried out a comprehensive review and assessment of government programs and initiatives, and are making the kinds of decisions necessary to move us forward. Mr. Speaker, virtually all of us who are serving our first terms as members of this House are here for the same reason. We were absolutely compelled to seek office to stop the ruination of our great province by the previous government. We may have come to the challenge as rookies in the legislative arena, but there can be no mistaking the depth of our commitment to building a strong and prosperous British Columbia.

I'm pleased to say that the throne speech outlines how we as a government intend to do just that. As a fellow in the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a businessman, I know it is vitally important to get business back to work. Make no mistake: it's the private sector, not the government, which will create wealth in this province. And how will we do that? We'll do that by reducing regulation and cutting red tape that stifles growth. A major example of this kind of burden is the Forest Practices Code, which resulted in millions and cost the forest industry sector thousands of jobs.

We will do that by eliminating disincentives in our taxation system. These business taxes, such as the B.C. capital tax and sales tax on manufacturing equipment, penalize the very companies we are asking to invest in this province. We will stimulate the economy by leaving more money in the pockets of the workers in this province. This money will be spent on goods and services in B.C. and will leave the choice with the taxpayer as to how the money is spent

That's not all. We will eliminate subsidies to business. Business subsidies reward inefficient companies by allowing them to compete directly with the very companies whose taxes are paying for their subsidies. That doesn't make sense.

We will also encourage business by improving the Employment Standards Act. These changes will make the act more fair for both the employer and the employee.

Finally, we will improve the Workers Compensation Act and restructure the corporation so that it will improve services for both employers and workers of B.C. On that note, Mr. Speaker, I'd just like to make a comment about WCB and my constituency and, I'm sure, all the constituencies throughout British Columbia. We spend a considerable amount of time helping people through this WCB maze. Clearly, if so many people are to resort to their MLAs for this kind of help, there is every indication of a problem that must be corrected.

I've spoken about economic stimulants. I'd now like to address the other side of the equation. We saw the writing on the wall, and the message was clear. The previous government's borrow-and-spend policies coupled with sheer incompetence have reached the point of threatening the well-being of British Columbians for generations to come. I'm pleased to say that the throne speech recognizes this problem and addresses that very issue when it states that government must live within its means. It's more difficult to say no than to say yes, but our government is doing just that. You may call it tough love, but that is what is needed if we're going to get our fiscal house in order.

I feel very fortunate, because the Premier has selected tasks for me which draw upon my professional experience. I was appointed to the Premier's core review and deregulation task force which, as you know, was charged with reviewing all government services to ensure that they are efficient and truly serving the public interest. As well, my expertise as a chartered accountant was drawn upon through my appointment as vice-Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts and as a member of the Committee on Finance and Government Services and the Government Caucus Committee on Economy. In the course of my work on these committees, my worst fears about the

The core review task force is looking across the full range of government programs and services, seeking the answers to five critical questions. Does the mandate, program, activity or business unit continue to serve a compelling public purpose? Is the package of programs, activities or business units affordable within the fiscal environment? Is there a legitimate and essential role for the provincial government in this program? Are their current organizational service delivery models the most efficient way to manage and deliver the program, activity or business unit? Finally, are the current measures and reporting mechanisms the most effective way to account for program, activity or business unit measurement?

We are going to measure our performance, and we'll be accountable for our performance. It is by no means an exaggeration to say that the legacy left by the former government did not stand up to this kind of scrutiny. In the course of the reviews undertaken by these committees, it became apparent that under the former government, spending for delivery of programs and services — many of them inefficient, irrelevant or inappropriate — had reached the point where it was completely unsustainable, far outstripping the province's rate of economic growth.

That's not all. The former government also left British Columbians on the hook for well over $400 million in unfounded liability resulting from agreements reached with public sector unions outside the collective bargaining process — deals made on the side and then rolled into existing collective agreements just before the election.

Mr. Speaker, I know all government members would agree that given the situation, there were some very difficult decisions to make — difficult decisions concerning program cuts, difficult decisions with respect to departmental and ministry budget cuts, and difficult decisions about which initiatives and services are both legitimate and necessary.

The result of taking these difficult decisions, as the House knows, is an average reduction in ministry budgets, apart from health care and education, of 25 percent over the next three years. In dollar terms, the total government spending will decline by $1.9 billion, an 8 percent drop, over three years. Now, in terms of human resources, the changes will mean a reduction in the public service of about 11,000 full-time-equivalent positions, to be mitigated by voluntary departures, early retirement, attrition and reduction of auxiliaries.

For me personally, the most difficult decision of all was choosing a course of action to deal with public sector union contracts that were, at least in part, negotiated behind closed doors without the benefit of collective bargaining or public scrutiny. As a professional accountant, it's my basic nature, reinforced by training and practice, to honour contracts. Because of this, it took a tremendous amount of soul-searching on my part and a lot of thought. But I support the legislation that opened these contracts, for one very good reason. The reason is simply that the contracts signed were not sustainable. It was the same thing as paying for services with an NSF cheque bank account.

During the last election campaign I and all B.C. Liberals contracted with the people of British Columbia to put their interests first. We contracted with the people of British Columbia to put the needs of patients and students first, and that kind of contract carries a lot of weight with me. As far as I'm concerned, I made an ironclad contract for the 32,000 British Columbians of Malahat–Juan de Fuca when I was voted into office last May.

I'd like to take a moment here to thank the Premier for allowing a free vote on Bills 27, 28 and 29 — the legislative package associated with this issue. I, for one — and I'm sure my colleagues agree — appreciate the sensitivity for individual members and respect for this House he was showing by taking this position. Thank you, Mr. Premier.

We have made tough decisions, but we must stay the course we are on. It's the only course that will lead us to prosperity and economic vitality. It is the only course that will lead us to relevant, efficient and affordable government programs and services. It is the only course that will lead us away from process-driven to results-driven government. It boils down to this: British Columbians want a strong economy, health care and education they can count on, and safe and secure communities.

Last May they put their trust in B.C. Liberals to do the job. It's been a little over eight months since the last election, and much has been accomplished to earn their trust. In the first three months alone personal income taxes were cut, education was deemed an essential service under the provincial Labour Code, truth-in-budgeting legislation passed, photo radar was scrapped, and a fixed election date was set for every four years. The critical work done by legislative and government caucus committees has provided the basis for this session's throne speech and the budget, as well as for service delivery plans to guide all government ministries and agencies through the next three years.

They say wherever you travel, there's no place like home, and that's exactly how I feel about my riding of Malahat–Juan de Fuca. From the Malahat eastern boundary to Port Renfrew in the west, there is an astounding natural beauty and an environmental heritage second to no other place on Earth. The communities and economies in the riding are truly diverse. They include small farmers in north Malahat and Cowichan, dynamic entrepreneurs in Langford, fishers and forest workers in Sooke, and a tourism and ecotourism sector that is springing to life everywhere but especially on the rugged west coast from French Beach, China Beach and Jordan River through to Port Renfrew.

The concerns of my constituents are always my top priority, and my door is always open to them. In fact, it's more accurate to say that my doors are always open. Malahat–Juan de Fuca covers a huge area, so I have three constituency offices. My main office is in

Langford and satellite offices in Sooke and Mill Bay, which are open on an as-needed basis.

Within my constituency I've been working to resolve issues and concerns ranging from the WCB — as mentioned earlier — health care, human resources, social services, highways, the GSX pipeline and the future potential of the E&N railway. As well, I've responded to many inquiries concerning B and B assessments, privatization of B.C. Hydro and ICBC, and I meet with local council members, CVRD and CRD directors, first nations and other concerned citizens at any time I am requested.

I've worked to secure desperately needed road improvements and safety barriers for the Trans-Canada Highway at Goldstream Park, and I'm working with the area municipalities and capital regional district to give unincorporated communities a stronger voice in local government. I'm seeking continued funding for the women's transition house in Sooke.

A key priority for me at the present time is the promotion of tourism on the rugged west coast of Malahat–Juan de Fuca and the development of a tourist circle route connecting Port Renfrew with Lake Cowichan. This area, less than a two-hour drive from Victoria, is absolutely spectacular with unbelievable, beautiful scenery and abundant sea life and wildlife. It's truly a special place with tourism potential on a world-class level. The circle route I envision would, without question, attract visitors from all over the world and substantially improve the region's economy.

There is considerable support for this in communities throughout the area, as well as a tremendous amount of positive media interest. To attract interest, I joined Mayor Macgregor from Sooke, Jack Peake from Lake Cowichan, the Victoria media and several interested people to do a circle route cavalcade which we hope to make an annual event.

We are working with TimberWest to see if we can use their Port Renfrew–Cowichan logging road as a basis for this route, and for my part I'll be making appropriate representations to government and to the private sector to move this forward as quickly as possible.

It's an honour to be a member of the B.C. Legislature, but for me, serving the people of Malahat–Juan de Fuca is the greatest honour of all. When it comes to spirit, goodness of heart and dedication to community well-being, the people of Malahat–Juan de Fuca are second to none. That's why I'd like to take a few moments to pay special tribute to them and the contributions they have so willingly and selflessly made.

Take Langord fire chief Bob Beckett and his firefighters. After the horror of September 11, Bob and his colleagues made the trip to Ground Zero in New York to offer help and moral support. Here at home Bob campaigned long and hard and ultimately successfully for an upgrade of the Trans-Canada Highway in Goldstream Park, a section of road that has claimed dozens of lives over the years. Bob's pleas fell on deaf ears with respect to the previous government, Mr. Speaker, but I'm pleased to say that this was one of my key priorities as a new B.C. MLA and that, as previously mentioned, safety barriers and improvements are now in place and the problem has been mitigated. I'd like to thank the Minister of Transportation for her assistance in that.

The Malahat and Langford fire departments have just received the Governor General's certificate of commendation for the actions taken to prevent a propane tanker accident on the Malahat from turning into a major tragedy. All through that terrible night in July 2000 and most of the next 24 hours, these brave volunteers put their lives at risk to eliminate a significant threat to public safety from thousands of litres of highly explosive propane leaking from the twisted wreckage.

In Sooke, Judy Jamieson and the directors and the staff of the women's transition house tirelessly provide support and assistance to the vulnerable and those at serious risk from abusive relationships. The Sooke Transition House is a true safe harbour for many women who have nowhere else to turn in trying to cope with what are so often unimaginable and potentially tragic circumstances.

In Cowichan Bay, George Robbins, Richard Parker and others in the Cowichan Bay Improvement Association believe tourism is the key to the future economic vitality of the area. They have undertaken many initiatives in support of this important objective including the plans for development of a new breakwater, which I fully support. This breakwater would enable boats to come into the bay and overnight at local B and Bs on the way to Desolation Sound or, for that matter, to enjoy Cowichan Bay as a destination in and of itself.

Langford Mayor Stew Young and Sooke Mayor Ed Macgregor can be proud of all the work they've done for their communities. On Stew's watch, Langford has become a shining example of how to do it right when it comes to redevelopment and building a dynamic community spirit. Stew shrewdly welcomed the box stores that nobody else wanted, put them into a designated area in Langford and used a substantial increase in the tax base to pay for parks, trails, roads, sidewalk improvements and a brand-new fire hall. All the new economic activity in Langford has led to jobs, new investment in small business and a vast improvement in the quality of new residential housing.

In Sooke, Ed Macgregor's superb administrative and executive skills have provided southern Vancouver Island's newest municipality with a strong infrastructure to meet the challenge of future growth. It's not quite enough, Mr. Speaker, because we're continuing to work to get a sewer system in Sooke. That's something else that's going to be going on my agenda.

Thanks also are in order for Mayor Macgregor and CRD director Brian Henson, who together were instrumental in working with the CRD and the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services to give more power to smaller communities in the riding in dealing effectively with important local government issues.

All of these people I've just mentioned deserve very special merit, and I would ask the House to acknowledge their outstanding contribution to Malahat–Juan de Fuca and indeed to our entire province.

As we in the B.C. Liberal government proceed further into our mandate, I'll continue working as hard as I can to successfully represent the voters of Malahat–Juan de Fuca, and I will continue to bring their concerns forward for action. I will continue working with my colleagues in government to help ensure a prosperous and secure future for all communities in this great province.

At the beginning of my remarks I spoke of serving as an MLA as both an honour and a tremendous responsibility. The honour part is the easy part, Mr. Speaker; the responsibility is by far the greater challenge. I hope I've been successful today in demonstrating the extent of my commitment to that challenge — that is to say, the extent of my commitment to this House and to the people of Malahat–Juan de Fuca. Thank you very much.

R. Lee: It is indeed a privilege for me to address this assembly to respond to the Speech from the Throne. The throne speech was delivered on February 12, on the opening of a new session of the parliament. February 12 of this year is also the lunar new year, the beginning of the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. I wish that the Year of the Horse will bring prosperity and hope to all British Columbians through our hard work, determination and perseverance. The horse is also a symbol of health. As the Chinese saying goes, long ma jing shen. I wish all British Columbians to be as active and as good-spirited as the dragons and the horses.

In the throne speech the hon. Lieutenant-Governor paid tribute to the many British Columbians who have left their mark on our province and have recently passed away. A few distinguished British Columbians also came to my mind. I will only mention one here.

On January 4 of this year the first Chinese Canadian Member of Parliament, Mr. Douglas Jung, passed away. Mr. Jung was a veteran, a lawyer, a politician, a diplomat and a well-respected community leader. He was a native of Victoria and was named after Douglas Street, just outside the parliament buildings. After the Second World War the contributions of Chinese Canadians were recognized, and the right to participate in the political process, including the right to vote and the right to seek public office, was finally equal to their fellow Canadians. Mr. Jung played an important role to inspire Chinese Canadians to run for public office.

It has been a privilege for me to serve the people of Burnaby North for the past eight months. I value this opportunity very much.

My constituency office organizes a monthly community forum in Burnaby North. Many of my constituents have attended these community forums. It's my belief that the monthly community forum is a good channel for the public to tell me what their concerns are and how the government can effectively deliver its services. So far we have had six forums and two open houses. I'm committed to continue these channels of communication, in addition to meeting with the individual constituents and gathering information and suggestions from the public by letters and e-mails. Participation is the keystone of democracy, making sure that good ideas are given the chance to be implemented as government policy.

Last spring British Columbians indeed gave a strong mandate to this government to change the system so that government can be run more effectively and efficiently. This government has since fulfilled its 90-day commitments. The most significant of these commitments was to introduce a cut in personal income taxes. Now British Columbia has the lowest personal income tax in Canada for people in the lowest two tax brackets and the second-lowest personal income tax for those in the higher tax brackets. This reform is necessary to give B.C. a competitive edge in retaining skilled workers and professionals to work in this beautiful province.

Over the past few months British Columbians have been faced with many challenges: the softwood lumber dispute with the U.S., the aftermath of September 11, the contract negotiation with health care employees, the bus drivers' strike, the job action of teachers. Many challenges are still to come. Many of these challenges will reduce revenues and will increase expenditures to the government.

As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, the provincial debt has doubled over the past ten years, and spending pressures are tremendous, especially in health care and education. The government entrusted by the taxpayers must get its financial house in order, following the vision of the election platform, following the blueprint outlined in the throne speech and following the detailed programs being released tomorrow. This government is going to make changes which will fundamentally reduce the size and scope of government. It will cultivate an environment where the private sector can take the lead to invest in the future of this province.

I strongly agree that this government's priorities are to revitalize the economy as quickly as possible, to restore sound fiscal management, and to put patients, students and those most in need first. When the government stops doing what it should not be doing and releases the power of creativity and motivation of British Columbians, our economy will become more competitive, diversified and attractive to investment. This province, with its vast natural and human capital, will be well positioned to become the leader of economic growth in the world.

I am glad that this government is taking steps to generate public-private partnerships in transportation and highways, information technology, housing, land and resource management, health support services and facilities, and also education infrastructure.

In the last ten years B.C. has been in last place in Canada in terms of private sector investment, due to

high taxes and regulatory burdens. In fact, many large companies moved their headquarters from B.C. to other provinces. As well, many small businesses relocated to the U.S. or other provinces. We must change this situation so that we have a net gain of business instead of a net loss.

It's always a challenge to facilitate communication in such a large province as British Columbia. It's interesting to know that the area of British Columbia is 947,800 square kilometres, which is larger than the combined areas of the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. Our transportation and highway systems, as well as the information highway, need expansions and upgrades in order to serve our population better. Cooperation with other levels of government and the private sector must be explored in order to minimize the capital requirements of the provincial treasury.

I am pleased to hear that this government is moving forward to increase 5,000 intermediate and long-term care beds in the next five years. As more and more of our population goes into retirement, the need of housing for seniors will definitely increase. By making available more long-term beds with public-private partnerships, we can alleviate pressures in the health care sector.

B.C. is well positioned to explore the energy industries. We have rich resources of oil and gas, hydro power and coalbed methane, not to mention the leading-edge fuel cell and bio-oil technologies being developed in B.C.

Futurist Arthur Clarke once predicted that in 2050 the world may have only one currency, which will be in the energy unit of kilowatts. The success of a nation would depend very much on how much energy it could produce. Building an infrastructure of an environmentally friendly energy production and distribution system can lead to long-term, sustainable economic growth in B.C.

As we are all aware, the health care expenditures in 2001-02 have increased by $1.1 billion over the fiscal year of 2000-01 — an annual increase of 13 percent, which is clearly not sustainable. Studies of the effects of public-private partnerships in health care, support services and facilities must be conducted in order to fund the most effective and efficient delivery model. The government must look for ways to reduce waiting lists for critical operations by proper resource allocations so that the patients can get the necessary treatment.

Education plays an important role in the new era of British Columbia. In this century the success of a nation depends on how well the people are adapting to the world of changes. Government must facilitate more choices and flexibility to provide learning opportunities to learners of all ages. As a member of the legislative committee on education, I am honoured to be part of the team that is going to submit its recommendations to the Legislature on how to better serve our learners of this province. I'm delighted to hear that Simon Fraser University will assume responsibility for Tech B.C. students and assets, allowing students to graduate with a degree from SFU.

I feel relieved that the government will bring in new legislation to strengthen drinking water and groundwater protection. It will be allocating more resources to the monitoring of drinking water quality. Clean air and water go a long way to protect the health of British Columbians.

Our Premier and the cabinet are committed to restoring sound fiscal management in government, and I have confidence in them. In the throne speech the government reiterates that it will not break its trust with the people. Spending will be reduced in areas other than health care and education. The budget will be balanced in 2004-05, as our economy recovers. I believe that the economy will start to recover soon, as interest rates are low and the housing market has seen a substantial increase in activities over the past eight months. And 27,000 jobs were created last month in British Columbia.

In reducing expenditures, I believe that effort has been made to mitigate the impact on women, seniors, children and the most vulnerable. As a member of the Government Caucus Committee on Government Operations, as well as sitting in the meetings of some of those other GCCs, I'm aware of some of the tough decisions. The throne speech confirms that funding will be protected for vital services such as transition houses for women. It has been announced that funding for community schools and hot lunch programs will be kept.

Fees are exempted for eye examinations for seniors and children. The senior bus pass program was reinstated, and seniors under Pharmacare premium assistance will have their prescription spending capped at $200 per year.

Medical Services Plan premiums for low-income earners are protected. In fact, approximately 230,000 lower-income British Columbians will actually see their premiums decrease.

When government is going ahead with its reforms, there will be short-term pains. There will be some mistakes made along the way, along the decision process or in the implementation stages. However, if we can work together towards the overall goal, I am confident that B.C. will soon be entering a new era of long-term prosperity.

British Columbia became a have-not province for the fiscal year 1999-2000. The government must put its financial house in order and revitalize the economy. Only when we eliminate the structural deficit and lead in economic growth again will British Columbians be able to stand proud of this resourceful and beautiful land among their fellow Canadians. I'm hopeful that by April 2005 we'll have achieved this goal.

K. Manhas: It is an honour to rise today in support of our government's second Speech from the Throne, and it is an honour to speak on behalf of the people of Port Coquitlam and Burke Mountain.

I entered politics because I sincerely wanted to make a difference and because I knew that the future of this province held great promise, with possibilities of great achievements. At the same time, it is important to recognize that great achievements are often the result of hard work, sacrifice and tough decisions.

British Columbians have given this government an unprecedented mandate to bring about change. Change is difficult and oftentimes intimidating. Yet to tackle the difficult challenges that our province now faces, change is critical. As a government we will continue to make decisions that perhaps may be unpopular in the short term but in the long term will deliver prosperity.

As a province we have spent the last decade spending and living beyond our means. Even more troubling, it has been even longer since British Columbians have had a government with the courage to address deeper structural challenges in our economy and in our democratic institutions. I am very proud to belong to a government that has shown the courage to address both our fiscal challenges and the challenge of repositioning B.C.'s economy and public institutions for the twenty-first century.

As the Premier has said, we are at a crossroads. We can shoot for success and move to a position of prosperity where British Columbia becomes a leader in Canada and the world, or we can continue with the policy of mediocrity that, after a decade of NDP bungling, moved B.C. from a national leader to a have-not province.

This province started as a land of opportunity for all people who came to it to make it their home — from the earliest of settlers, our aboriginal nations who crossed the Bering and prospered in British Columbia as their home, to the seafaring nations who settled later, the British who colonized and the immigrants who came to this place from varying corners at varying times over the last 150 years and more. The reason that all these people came and stayed, the reason we all made British Columbia our home, is because of the opportunity they saw in this province.

I truly believe, as the Premier says, that we live in the best province and the best country in the world. The reason people will stay in British Columbia and the reason people will come to B.C. is because we will again have that opportunity in this province. That opportunity that built this province will continue to ensure our prosperity.

It is true that it is easier and more fun to spend than invest, but if nothing else, what I have learned from my family and my community is how important it is to invest in our future. My grandfather lived by this principle. He came to this province as a young man with nothing to his name. He worked hard and invested what he had. He invested not only in his own future with smart investments in real estate and in small business, but throughout his years he worked to ensure that his investments paid off for his family. I'm very proud and grateful for his efforts, which laid strong principles for our family to live by. Though uneducated, my grandfather became a strong believer in the value of an education and left as his legacy ten grandchildren, all with a deep respect for higher education.

With sustained commitment, our government can now help provide the gusts of change to lift the people in my riding of Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain to fly to great new heights and allow this province to soar.

Since this government has chosen to cut taxes, real estate building developments and consumer spending in the Tri-Cities have exploded. In fact, since this government decided to give people back responsibility, to trust and respect them enough to give them back their hard-earned money through cuts in personal income tax, my community has responded with nothing but positive results.

For my riding of Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain, I'm seeing the signs that our fortunes are already beginning to turn around. Already a number of investors have begun to look at the Tri-Cities as a place to do business again. I've been dealing with a number of businesses interested in investing in building operations in the area.

If we look around us, there's everything from new office and retail space in downtown Poco, to new retail shopping complexes being built in the Dominion Triangle — with interest to build more — to warehouse and distribution centres like Sears being built along the Mary Hill bypass, to industrial operations like Concord's new concrete pump manufacturing facility on Broadway. I had the honour of helping mark the opening of that just two weeks ago. It totals about 45,000 square feet and employs 40 skilled workers. They're now the third-largest distributor of this product in British Columbia, and plans are now underway to more than double the size of the facility — with the weight of increasing orders — and more than double the workforce to anywhere from 80 to 150 highly paid, skilled-labour jobs right in Port Coquitlam.

There is a boom in the construction of new homes and dwellings in every part of town from Citadel Heights and Citadel Landing along the Fraser River to housing construction in central, east and north Port Coquitlam. Housing sales are brisk in every part of town. In Coquitlam we are seeing the finishing touches on Ikea's western Canada flagship store, set to open in April of this year. Simply put, building trades are booming, business is booming, construction is up, sales are up, employment is up, and for most people in my constituency, spirits are up.

I know the election of a B.C. Liberal government has been very good for Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain. Recently the government announced a number of changes. These changes affected every area of British Columbia, and the Tri-Cities had to do their part. Some of these changes, however, will also be a catalyst for my riding.

It was in the early eighties that the province of British Columbia first looked at building a courthouse in Port Coquitlam. A decision was made in the late eighties, and a brand-new, state-of the-art facility containing

12 courthouses was finally opened in 1996. The recent decision to consolidate a number of provincial courthouses in B.C. will allow the Port Coquitlam courthouse to be finally used at full capacity after years and years of underuse.

In the years to come Port Coquitlam's downtown will feel the direct economic impact of a historic downtown breathed with new life. As offices open up and users begin to frequent local shops and restaurants, our dreams for a vibrant core in downtown Port Coquitlam will move forward.

This fall the government introduced the first-job wage rate for the first 500 hours of employment in an individual's life. This is a policy that makes it viable for businesses to employ young people. I wish I'd had this policy available to me when I was looking for my first job, in high school. I know from my own experience the difficulty in finding a job at an early age.

This policy speaks to long-term employment. It is a way in which youth can gain early experience, and it is a way of addressing the youth unemployment rate in B.C., which is currently the highest west of Quebec.

I graduated from university a little less than five years ago. When I look back on that period, I can easily relate our current position in this province to the decision I made to pursue a higher education. When I went to university I made a decision to invest in my future, and it was very much a long-term investment. No doubt, it was a costly investment and one that required sacrifice and dedication, but five years later I wouldn't trade my experience in university for anything in the world. It was worth it.

Recently, our government removed a six-year tuition freeze to allow post-secondary institutions to determine their own tuition fee levels. Being a recent university graduate myself, I understand concerns regarding tuition levels. However, one thing I kept in mind throughout my education was that tuition, while important, was not the major cost of my expenses over that period.

The opportunity costs of that time aside, living expenses, transportation, food, books and a variety of other costs combined to make a much greater impact on my situation than did tuition. It currently takes many students longer to graduate because they cannot get the courses that they need for their programs.

A lack of funds at these schools has worsened the problem, and so the decision that many of these institutions will need to make is whether to change their tuition levels so that students can get the courses they require. Some may decide that an increase in tuitions may be justified to avoid students incurring debt levels in the thousands while they wait for a select few courses that are always full.

Having had the honour of being part of the Select Standing Committee on Education, I feel fortunate to have been able to explore ideas for innovation and renewal in our education system. Further, the many advancements that the two ministries have already announced are encouraging.

For example, it is important to note this government's commitment to the advancement of technical education and its contribution to the advancement of the technology industry in B.C. It is no great secret that the Technical University of British Columbia was facing significant financial challenges, and its costs were not sustainable. By saving the programs of the Technical University of British Columbia and giving Simon Fraser University responsibility over Tech B.C., its students, assets and programs, the Minister of Advanced Education has focused on the strengths in our system.

Simon Fraser University, a strong established name, is already a leader in computer science and technology studies and is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in Canada. This decision now broadens and strengthens SFU's position as a North American centre of excellence in technology.

With SFU's history of successful, viable satellite campuses such as their longstanding Harbour Centre campus in downtown Vancouver, I know that SFU is well suited to manage the situation. With the completion of SkyTrain's Millennium Line later this year, this campus will be easily accessible and linked with the SkyTrain system with the existing two campuses.

SFU and Tech B.C. was a good match, and this matchup will be good for all students in British Columbia. The money saved through lower costs and lower cost per student from SFU's management of the program can be reinvested in the system to provide more student spaces in our colleges and universities across British Columbia.

If we're going to build a solid future for our families in British Columbia, we need to start now. Through investments and decisions in education, this government has started that. But as I've said before, I want to see the millennium of technology be synonymous with the achievements of British Columbia.

That's why I support our government's initiatives to make computer literacy a key education priority, to put computers in schools and homes, to increase technology training for teachers, to double the number of graduates in computer science and electrical and computer engineering, to eliminate the regional and socioeconomic barriers to high-speed Internet access, to stimulate rapid growth in communications infrastructure and broadband capabilities. These measures will provide much-needed leadership to ensure that today's youth will have the resources they need to succeed in a knowledge-based economy. That means encouraging creative thinking in investing in education, research and infrastructure.

In the Speech from the Throne, this government announced a goal that British Columbia become one of the top ten technology centres in the world by 2006. With the Premier's Council on Technology working hard to identify and attract ways to develop this industry, I know we will achieve this goal.

Working with the technology industry, we can capitalize on the tremendous potential for growth and job creation in new sectors like biotechnology, forestry

technology, software development, multimedia, electronics and telecommunications. By taking a leadership role, we can attract more investment, high-paying jobs and new, clean businesses right here to British Columbia and to Port Coquitlam and Burke Mountain. Investors are now looking to British Columbia as a good place to invest. The Tri-Cities in my riding of Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain is an ideal, centrally located, easily accessible location in the lower mainland with a bright future, a young, educated and dynamic population providing a skilled workforce, opportunities to grow and expand with much to offer and nowhere to go but up.

If Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities region are any indication, there are tremendous opportunities developing. Business and investment are returning to the province. I know that with the many changes that are needed, there will be some difficulties as we make our transition, but we must all help shoulder the burden as we make this transition. There are exciting times ahead. We have a bright future ahead for Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities in British Columbia.

The government is sincere in its attempt to fix the investment climate in British Columbia, to draw business and investment into the province, to increase jobs and provide a long-term foundation for government to be able to provide the services we want without going bankrupt. Our hopes and aspirations as a people and as a province can come true if we have the courage to pursue them and to shoulder the burdens of that pursuit along the way. To quote one of the greatest thinkers of the last 100 years, Albert Einstein: "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." For B.C. and especially for Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain, this is a time of opportunity.

Hon. R. Neufeld: Mr. Speaker, it's certainly a pleasure for me today to rise in the House and respond to the Speech from the Throne. I have done this for a number of years — some might say too many years — but I particularly enjoy being in the House and being a representative of the people from Peace River North. I want to take this opportunity to thank again those people in Peace River North that put their trust in me for the third time and elected me to this Legislature to represent them. I find it an honour and a real privilege to serve in this House as their representative to bring issues forward that affect people in my constituency dramatically.

I also am pleased that I have the opportunity to be the Minister of Energy and Mines, something that I hold very dearly. I'm certainly appreciative of the Premier having confidence in me to lead the ministry through this difficult time. We are having some difficult times. It's a good ministry, and it's one that is challenging — but lots of opportunity to actually help change and reverse the province's fortunes and to look forward to a much brighter future.

It's not just my job to look at things that we can do to actually enhance the province, to look forward to better times after a decade of being in the darkness. It's actually very uplifting for me, and I really look forward every day to coming to work, looking at faces like the young man that just spoke before me — seeing some younger people in the House; in fact, quite a few of them — the member for Port Coquitlam–Burke Mountain, who spoke so enthusiastically about his constituency. It's also a pleasure for me to follow him and to see other faces in the House that are much younger, remembering that we all have to look at that. They're the ones that will lead us well into the future, while you and I, Mr. Speaker, will go back to our respective homes in not too distant a future — well, me anyhow. I'm not sure about you. I leave that entirely up to you, Mr. Speaker. You can retire whenever you want, but I know that at some point in the future here — probably not too far from now — I will be taking that final airplane trip to Fort St. John. If I get on another one to leave there, it'll be to some destination where you can lie on the beach. I don't know. I don't get much chance to do that now, but someday I might be able to.

The Premier, during and since the election, has led this province very well. He has set a course that is clear. It's a course that's clear for each and every one of us in this Legislature and a course that's clear for most British Columbians. When I say most British Columbians, I mean most British Columbians. Polls are only a snapshot of the hour of the day when someone's doing something, and they really don't mean what most people think.

I know when I go home to my constituency, people will meet me on the street and say: "Well, we elected you to do a job, and you're doing a job. You're right on course. Don't waver. We may not like some of the things that are happening in our respective constituencies, but at least you're living up to the word that you put forward during the election. You're on a track, finally."

In fact, on the airplane the other day a gentleman who didn't know who I was, was sitting beside me. He worked for Telus. He was on his way to one of those vacations that I don't seem to get to take. But he was on his way. He said: "I may not agree with everything, but I can tell you that I at least feel now that someone's actually taken a hold and is starting to lead the province, after ten years." I think those are good, sound words.

The Premier has said he's going to restore sound fiscal management and put patients and students first — something that has been very lacking in British Columbia over the last decade. The economy was something that the NDP ignored most of the time and thought they could just tax and spend their way through. Putting students and patients first didn't seem to be on the top of their agenda, either, or we wouldn't see the problems that we see today.

As I said earlier, revitalizing the economy is not going to be easy. It's something that all of us — each

and every one in this House and all British Columbians — have to work hard to get to. We have an economy that is based, basically, on natural resources, whether it's forest products, mining products, oil and gas, tourism, you name it — all those things. They're all affected by a whole bunch of different things that happen globally or in the North American sense. No greater has it been shown than in the last year in the price of natural gas and oil, which is fairly low. Obviously, that hinders anyone from expending a lot of money in exploration, so exploration is down. That's a natural trend.

Forestry is obviously a huge conundrum led by, again, a very able minister who is trying to deal with the softwood lumber agreement, something that we know has to be done. After all, forestry is still the economic engine in the province and will always be the economic engine.

The other part of our economy is electricity. We generate a fair amount of electricity in British Columbia. I'm going to speak about that a little bit later on, but we've seen prices of electricity go from hundreds of dollars a kilowatt-hour to the lows of $18 and $20. It has a dramatic effect on what revenue B.C. Hydro can generate for the province, its shareholder.

That's the same for natural gas and oil, because the royalties on those commodities are on an escalating basis. If the price is high, we get a fairly good return for the province. If the price is low, we take less. That's obviously something that the Finance minister is having some difficulty dealing with right now, I can say, because of the fluctuating revenues that come in.

We started out by saying that one of the things we were going to do to get our fiscal house in order was to reduce income taxes. We've met that commitment and lowered income taxes. In fact, I believe we now have the lowest income taxes in Canada for any people who earn $60,000 a year and less. I think that's a testament to the leadership of our Premier.

Although some would say we just gave tax breaks to the rich, we certainly didn't. I don't know who you classify as rich. I have no idea how that exactly works. I hear from the members opposite, the two NDP members, that there are all these tax breaks for the rich. Actually, they were big tax breaks for everyone in British Columbia.

We had to get our tax regime in order so that we were competitive with other jurisdictions around us: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Washington, Montana and those areas. Those are our direct competitors. We have to put our products into those areas for sale. We have to have a competitive regime.

We also reduced business taxes, obviously. We were the highest-taxed jurisdiction in all of Canada. If you think business is going to come here and set up shop or even stay here with high taxes, that's just not a fact of life. Money is mobile today. Those businesses can move elsewhere, let me tell you. I don't have the numbers in the back of my mind, but I know that businesses, many of them in downtown Vancouver, actually closed shop, took their computers and went to other places that were a little bit more hospitable to business.

British Columbia was very hostile to business. If someone came in to set up a business, the first thing the NDP wanted to do was take everything that they made and then some. That just doesn't foster a good economic climate.

Small businesses, by far, are the greatest generators of wealth and employment in the province of British Columbia. Those small businesses weren't opening at the rate that they should have over the last ten years. They were stymied, again, by overtaxation and overregulation by a government that seemed to think big government was the only way the province could run. Big government and big deficits — the past government was very good at both of those.

We've also looked not just to personal and corporate taxes but to taxes that we had on debt — corporate capital taxes, which the Finance minister has committed to totally remove. Half of it is gone now, and the other half by the end of September. We won't have any corporate capital tax. We'll be in line with many of the other provinces across Canada and some of the states that we compete with.

That's just good news for business. When I go out and speak to business leaders, whether it's in the mining industry or the oil and gas industry, whether it's in Calgary or in Dallas or in Houston — regardless of where it's at — whether it's in Toronto or Quebec, those business people, the ones that actually create wealth, the ones that create good-paying jobs in British Columbia, the small businesses that create huge wealth and good-paying jobs, are all thankful that finally we have a regime where they can invest and know that if they make a profit, they can actually keep it and create the jobs and the wealth they should be creating for the province of British Columbia.

If we don't have businesses with good-paying jobs all across this province, in every corner of this province, we're not going to enjoy health care. We're not going to enjoy education. We're not going to enjoy the social services programs that we have today. All of those are threatened because of ten years of mismanagement by the NDP. To take a province that had the lowest cost-per-capita debt and that was growing the fastest of any jurisdiction across Canada in population and economic growth and drive it right to the bottom of the tank in ten years just demonstrates to me how silly some of the things they did really are.

British Columbians are rightfully mad, and so they should be, Mr. Speaker. So they should be. Our job during the election, when we talked to people and when I talked to people in my constituency or across the province…. I'm sure many of the members here are the same. When we talked to people about how we had a plan — that we were actually going to revitalize the economy in the province and that we were going to take health care and education and put students and patients first — they responded. They responded by electing 77 out of 79 members in this Legislature. They

knew it was going to be tough. They knew that we had gone through ten years of terrible mismanagement and that there was going to have to be some tough medicine.

We're up to that task, and it's not easy. If anybody thinks it's easy, they ought to try it for a while. They should walk in someone else's shoes. I can tell you that in my hometown, it's not easy to tell people that some things may change. But at the end of the day I think most people can look at those things and say: "Yes, we did live in a bit of a fantasy world." If we're going to look to the future and we're going to look a long way ahead, we have to make some of those changes so that we can actually have a province back at No. 1 again.

There's absolutely no bloody reason on earth that a province with the wealth we have, the entrepreneurship that's in British Columbia, the mineralization that's in British Columbia, the oil and gas that's in British Columbia, the forests that are in British Columbia, the tourism — the grand vistas from one end of this province to the other here in British Columbia…. Let me tell you, those other provinces east of us don't have that. It is sad that we're No. 9 or that we're even close to the bottom of the tank, regardless of where prices are for natural resources — because other provinces are experiencing the same thing. We should be No. 1, and with the direction we're taking, we will be No. 1 again. The sooner the better, because I think British Columbians would like to be No. 1 in Canada again rather than No. 9.

I said earlier that I'd speak a little bit about energy and hydro. There's been lots of discussion in the newspapers and speculation and accusations and finger-pointing and you name it. It's interesting how when a government goes out and tries to get some input, to ask some questions of British Columbians, to put out some ideas about energy, some people will sit back and try to point fingers at you and say that you're doing something that's absolutely wrong.

This province, under the leadership of a fellow by the name of W.A.C. Bennett a long time ago, developed an energy policy for British Columbia. Thank goodness he did. It was a different time, a different place and maybe a little easier to do it, but it still must have been very difficult. It set us on a course in British Columbia that gave us huge, vast energy reserves, speaking specifically about hydro.

But you know, after that, after those plans for the dams on the Columbia and the Peace — huge projects, if you think about it, in the sixties…. They come to an end at some point in time. That doesn't mean the dams are coming to an end, but if you continue just to draw out of that wealth of energy and never add any incremental energy along the way as you use more, something's got to come to a point at some time where you have to look at it and say: "Where are we going, and what are we doing?"

This province, over probably the last ten to 15 years, I would say, went from pillar to post on energy. There was no plan. There was no plan other than to take, for instance, B.C. Hydro and see how much water you could pour over the dams and sell electricity for whatever price you could, regardless of what would happen two or three years down the road, just to put more money into the coffers of British Columbia. That's not good planning, and that's not an energy plan.

The Premier last year appointed an energy policy task force. We put some people on a task force and said: "Look, here are some criteria. We want you to go out and look at building an energy plan for this great province of ours, remembering what we have, remembering the heritage that we have, what's already been there since the sixties. Remember that you have to look at other forms of generation — those being green power, wind, solar, biomass, you name it — all those things. Also, look at oil and gas development in the province and how we develop those commodities well into the future. We're talking about an energy plan that takes us down the road quite a ways."

The Energy Policy Task Force put together some fairly good notes, had lots of meetings with people and put out an interim report, as they were supposed to, just prior to Christmas. That was to have people look at it and see what they thought of it and maybe to get some input into what people and industry thought about some of the things we have to do, whether we like it or not, to actually face the future and energy needs.

Out of that came all kinds of things. People said we were selling B.C. Hydro. We're not selling B.C. Hydro. The Premier confirmed it again. It's in our New Era document. The core assets of B.C. Hydro are not for sale. It's just a fact of life. Somehow we have to reconstruct B.C. Hydro so that we can get new energy into British Columbia, and that's the hard part. Again, I want to reiterate: the Premier has said and I have said on many occasions that the core assets of B.C. Hydro will not be privatized.

Now, fleet services, which B.C. Hydro has — it's called their garage; that's the short term — is where they actually look after their own vehicles in-house. It's just a garage — the maintenance and care of those vehicles across the province, in-house. They expand that garage outside of B.C. Hydro, which means they actually go out on the street and get other companies to come in and get their work done in their garage. That's not core to generating electricity — at least I don't think it is. It's not part of a dam, and I think, to be perfectly honest, that can be done in the private sector a lot better.

Why wouldn't you go out to bid and say: "Look, we have X amount of vehicles across the province that we need serviced and replaced and all those kinds of things at regular intervals." That, again, can be done much better in the private sector than it can within the Crown corporation. That's one part of B.C. Hydro that's up for a request for proposal. There are a couple of other small divisions of B.C. Hydro — Westech and those kinds of things — that are up for proposal.

Again, I say that's not privatizing B.C. Hydro. That's actually looking at B.C. Hydro in a way that it's been constructed for many years and saying: "What makes better sense for B.C. Hydro — to be out there generating electricity and transporting it to people, making sure we get hydro at a very low rate? Or should we have garages in-house?" We said that we're going to look at requests for proposals for that.

I just wanted to speak a little bit about B.C. Hydro specifically. That's not all the Energy Policy Task Force has in front of it. As I said earlier, we want to look 20 or 30 years into the future and look at how we're going to put new generation on line. We've not put a lot of new generation on line over the past 20 years. There's been some, no doubt about it, but not a lot.

The information I've been given by B.C. Hydro tells me by the year 2010, we're not going to develop enough hydro in British Columbia to supply our domestic needs. That means if we're not looking…. You know, 2010 is not that far out when you're talking about how you develop a plan today. This is, after all, 2002. It's just a short eight years, and we'll be looking somewhere else to buy hydro. At some point in time we have to make it available for independent power producers, IPPs, to be able to build plants, enter the system — that means the transmission lines — and be able to sell through the distribution lines or be able to export. I'm not sure yet, but I would think that at the end of the day — depending on the final report from the Energy Policy Task Force, which will be March 15 — that will require looking at B.C. Hydro in a little different fashion or maybe have generation in transmission so that IPPs can actually enter the transmission system without having to go through B.C. Hydro. After all, B.C. Hydro is called "the gorilla." It's huge. If they want to let someone on the lines, they will. If they don't, they won't.

There's going to have to be some imaginative thinking, and some thinking to remember that British Columbians have an entitlement, from years ago, of an investment that was made by a government a long time ago. To put all that together is not going to be easy. To put that together so that it makes good sense, we have to be careful about it. We should think about the fact that if we go on past 2010…. Some people have talked about market rates and that that would be the death of British Columbia. I guess we can continue on our merry way for another eight years, and guess what. It comes in 2010 in your market rates whether you like it or not. If you don't generate enough for your domestic needs, you're out there buying it.

This past year British Columbia has been a net importer. We have been a net importer for almost a year. That's because of a government before us that drew the dams down so low in dry years that we're now trying to fill them up and bring them back to normal again. That's sad — that a previous government would take advantage of that just for a short-term gain and actually get a huge amount of money into the province and then put programs in place to take care of it, knowing that the price is going to come back down again. That just doesn't make good sense. That's one of the reasons why the NDP was thrown out of office.

I see my time is getting close to the end. I just want to touch on one more panel that's been structured by the ministry, and that happens to be the scientific review panel on offshore oil and gas. During the election, in our New Era document, we committed to not doing anything in offshore oil and gas — even though there's huge potential there — until we felt it could be done scientifically soundly and environmentally responsibly.

Interestingly enough, when I got into office, we decided that to do that, we would have to do some studies. Someone in the ministry said: "Oh, by the way, we have one on the shelf." It was done in 1998 by the previous government. Mr. Glen Clark, when he was the Premier of British Columbia, commissioned a study on offshore oil and gas. He got the study and shelved it, because the study said that in the right environment, using the right technology and being careful, it could be done. Here's a government that spent close to $100,000 on the study, and guess what. No one else in British Columbia is smart enough to interpret it except Mr. Glen Clark. For his own purposes, he put it on the shelf.

We updated that report, put it out to the public and appointed a scientific panel. That scientific panel has gone out and looked at all aspects of oil and gas offshore in British Columbia and in other parts of the world. Interestingly enough, they came back with some fairly good information. That study has been in my office now for a month, I guess. As the Premier said, we're working actively with the federal government right now because there is a moratorium in place from both governments. We're actively having conversations about the report with Mr. Herb Dhaliwal and David Anderson in the federal government. We're hopeful that at some time soon we'll be able to announce some direction that this government will take with offshore oil and gas.

It should be noted, Mr. Speaker, just a couple of things that I've read out of reports on offshore…. One is that Cook Inlet in Alaska, just north of the Queen Charlottes, has been producing oil and gas offshore since 1957 without any negative effect to the environment. In fact, they say that fish stocks have never been better, fishing has never been better, and the tourism has never been better. The cruise ships still go in there all the time. So it's not something new.

The first offshore oil and gas well was drilled off the California coast in 1876. That's a long time ago. Technology has come a long way since 1876. I think today there's every indication that technology is very good. In fact, there was some drilling off the coast in the early sixties. A Sedco rig at that time survived a 32-foot wave. Those things can be done. It's not as though the north coast is any different than any other place in

With those few words, I just wanted to bring you up to date, mostly on what's happening in my ministry. I can tell you that the Premier has been very adamant in the way we should go ahead. We have to put patients and students first in health care and education. All of us here are committed…. Well, almost all of us here are committed to that. I know 77 here are committed to that. We have to get our economy back in shape, and we have to make sure that we respect the environment. Each and every one of us in this House is working hard to do that, and I know through my ministry we're working hard to accomplish those kinds of things for the benefit of all British Columbians and mostly for our children who will be coming along behind us.

With those few words, I thank you for the opportunity to speak to the Speech from the Throne.

Hon. M. Coell: It's an honour for me to rise and join this response to the Speech from the Throne. I believe the commitments outlined in the speech send a clear message to British Columbians that we are determined to revitalize the economy, to restore sound fiscal management and to put people first.

My ministry, the Ministry of Human Resources, will play an important role in fulfilling those commitments because the people that the ministry serves are truly a resource. We are determined to help position them for the bright future that lies ahead for our province.

Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor spoke of the physical challenges at hand and the tough decisions that must be made. She spoke of the fundamental change required to the size and scope of government, and she spoke of the change in the role of government in people's lives. That goes to the heart of the changes we're making in B.C.'s welfare system.

Our government will focus on assisting people in need and moving people to sustainable employment. We are shifting from a culture of entitlement to a culture of employment and self-sufficiency. We are shifting away from being a dispenser of money to supporting people gaining the direction and the skills they need to get a job and to lead more fulfilling and independent lives.

I don't have to tell you that unemployment and welfare drain the human spirit, kill self-esteem and bring a sense of hopelessness. It can lead to other problems like alcohol and drug abuse, family neglect and physical abuse. I used to be a social worker, and I've seen it. I've worked with those who from birth or circumstances never had a chance and struggled just to break even every day. It may be a medical condition, a severe disability or the parents' abuse of alcohol or drugs or perhaps be brought on by an accident or a crime, but no matter how they got there, there are a quarter of a million British Columbians — 6 percent of our population — dependent on income assistance and living nowhere near their potential.

Over the past half century governments in Canada have poured billions of dollars at the problem, and it still persists. Do we accept structural welfare and simply say this is the best we can do? My answer is no, and I can give the answer with conviction because of the number of lessons that I have learned about what it takes to break out of the welfare trap. Getting and keeping a job makes all the difference. Having a job gives a sense of accomplishment, builds hope and self esteem, and provides economic security for the individual, the family and the children in British Columbia.

Even in this economic downturn there are jobs changing hands every day, but getting a job is not what it used to be. Things have changed. The economy is in transition. Well-paying resource jobs that could be found with a high school diploma have disappeared. There is an increasing demand for more skills and specialized training. The correlation between education and employment is clear, as is the correlation between a solid income in one family generation and the well-being of the next generation. That gives us the focus, as we redefine the welfare system in British Columbia.

I have spoken about this during the core review, and I laid out a detailed summary service plan last month. I have spoken of the new category of temporary assistance for those able to work, and I have reiterated our commitment to provide continuous assistance to people with disabilities and others who are unable to fully participate in the workforce. I have talked to people with disabilities who want to work. We are looking at new strategies to support persons with disabilities to move in and out of employment as they are able.

I've spoken of the new emphasis on employment and training for jobs. Some advocacy groups and others say that this will be a tough job. I disagree, and here's why. While an expanding economy is ideal, there are good reasons for starting our efforts now. We want to position our clients to take full advantage of the economic recovery when it comes. If our clients miss the expansion phase of the economic recovery, we all miss a great opportunity.

We've done the right thing in the areas of fiscal and tax policy. Now we must do the right thing with our human resources. There are new jobs now, and there are turnover jobs now, and there will be more when our economy turns the corner. We must get the right new programs going immediately.

As the throne speech stated, we will be introducing legislation during this session to focus employment and assistance dollars first on those who are most in need. The new legislation will replace four existing B.C. Benefits acts. It will provide the ministry with the tools and authority that it needs to carry out its mission to move people to sustainable employment and to assist individuals and families in need. It will ensure that programs and services are cost-efficient and effective. It will streamline an appeal system to produce faster decisions, and it will maintain a social safety net for those most in need.

I look forward to the debates ahead and to the valuable input of all members of this House as we move forward on our plans for this ministry. I echo the Lieutenant-Governor's statement that British Columbians' best days lie ahead.

Hon. G. Hogg: I am indeed pleased to be able to talk about the important work this government is doing and the commitment we have to children and families in this province. This government made a pledge to British Columbians that we would revitalize the economy and get the province's finances in order, and we are working on just that.

As a province, we face a large deficit that results from a history of spending more than we have. Over the past ten months government has taken strides to restore British Columbia as an economic leader in Canada, and we remain committed to responsible, accountable management of British Columbia's resources and tax dollars. We will continue to be an open and accountable government.

We have developed service plans founded on research and on practice. An important, relevant and real leader in community development, in building the capacity of children, families and communities to effectively deal with their issues, once said: "Each of us has a map of the social world in our mind, and the way we act, our plans and opinions are the result of that map."

John McKnight's musings are particularly relevant to those of us in this Legislature. Those of us who make social policy also have social maps in our minds. We make plans and design programs based on those maps. McKnight argues that by carefully examining our programs, we can detect the nature of our mental maps. He has found, using this method, that the most common social policy map has two locations: institutions and individuals.

By "institutions" he means large structures like universities and child protection systems. These structures organize a large group of people so that a few of them will be able to control the rest of them. In this structure there is ultimately room for but one leader. These hierarchical, managed service-delivery systems do not produce goods, but they do produce service plans, protocols, procedures and risk assessment plans, and some policy-makers think they produce child welfare, education and health.

In these systems, if these systems do produce service commodities, then the recipients are consumers. They are the individuals who are the other part of the social map created by social policy-makers: institutions and individuals. This two-map system has built-in problems. Many individuals do not see themselves as consumers. They refuse to fit into the institutional models which we use to provide programs, so we develop comprehensive, multidisciplinary, coordinated interagency services. We develop institutions without walls. We create unsustainable systems with incremental costs of growth.

A community services society in New York found that only 37 percent of its budget for low-income families actually reached them. Nearly two-thirds was consumed by the institution.

Programs are increasingly ineffective — crime-making corrections systems and problem-making child welfare systems. McKnight argues that the typical social policy map is wrong and creates problems because it excludes a major social domain — that of the community.

By "community" he means the social place used by family, friends, neighbours, neighbourhood associations, clubs, civic groups, unions, churches and temples. The community is the informal sector; agencies are the associational sector. They have unique social skills and social tools that are unlike the institution. Instead of control of people, their structure is one of consent. They assume that the best idea, the best solution is the sum of the knowledge of the people who are the citizens — the individuals. They have what Robert Putnam calls the social capital, the ability to effect change.

An institution, a structure of control, can deliver a service but not care. Care is the result of special relationships characterized by consent. Recommunalization understands that the community is the basic context for enabling individuals to contribute their gifts. As John McKnight says, there is a mistaken notion that our society has a problem in terms of effective human services. Our essential problem, he says, is really weaker communities.

We all know that communities must be the centre of our life, because it is only in community that we can be citizens; it is only in communities that we can find care. The Greeks had a word for the citizen who was private, kept to himself and didn't participate in public affairs. It's no accident that the English word that derives directly from it means something that on the face of it is very different but, in a Putnam-and-McKnight sense, perhaps is not so different at all. The word is "idiot." These theories offer relatively simple, inexpensive, organized and even insightful solutions to what often seems to be an intractable social ill.

That sense of community is part of the service plan, direction and focus that the Ministry of Children and Family Development is taking. Our three-year plan will keep spending under control; provide British Columbians with programs and services that are essential, affordable and effective; and work with the private sector to realize B.C.'s economic potential. We will continue to pursue better services for children, families and first nations by ensuring services are the most efficient and effective possible, by focusing our resources on key program and policy responsibilities, and by ensuring that taxpayers' dollars are directed to the highest priorities. We are doing this by refocusing government and providing cost-effective public programs and services in areas that matter most to British Columbians.

This government and this ministry have a new vision for children and families in this province, and that

is healthy children with responsible families living in safe, caring and inclusive communities. The mission of this ministry is to further this vision by promoting and developing the capacity of families and communities to care for and protect vulnerable children and youth and to support adults with developmental disabilities.

British Columbians and this government share three principles that will guide our efforts in the coming months and years. We believe that families have the primary responsibility to protect and support the growth and development of children and youth. We believe that government must acknowledge and reinforce the capacity of communities to support and enhance the resilience of children and families. We believe this ministry should provide the minimal intervention necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable community members.

The number of children in care in this province increased from 6,000 to more than 10,500 in the last decade. Most of that increase took place after 1995. The number of children coming into care grew faster in B.C. than in any other province in Canada, and the percentage of the child population in care is now significantly higher than the Canadian average.

This has been done with the objective of protecting children, but there is a dark side to this picture. Research on the outcomes of children who have been in foster care shows that they are more likely to experience depression, marital instability, social isolation and homelessness. They also tend to have lower-than-average high school graduation rates and less economic success.

Despite the skill and dedication of those who work in the system, it is clear that when we take children into care, we do not always take them into a good place. But surely we are providing for their safety ? or are we?

Last year the provincial health officer released a massive and detailed study of 15 years of child mortality in this province. He found that the death rate of children in British Columbia, including that of children in care, dropped steadily from 1985 to 1995, when the number of children in care was going down every year. It kept on dropping at the same rate after 1995, when the number of children in care was rising. What in fact is going on here?

We've greatly increased the number of children seized and taken into care, with all the cost and trauma that involves, apparently without improving the welfare of children. Why is that?

The leading thinkers in the field of child welfare are asking that very question. Many are concluding that we've been chasing an unattainable goal. Some of those leading thinkers are right here in British Columbia and have looked at the British Columbia experience. Prof. Jim Anglin of the University of Victoria's school of child and youth care wrote a paper recently that was commissioned by the federal Justice ministry. I trust he'll forgive me if I summarize some of his points.

Professor Anglin argues that making the safety of the child the paramount consideration in B.C.'s child welfare system has given the ministry a set of unrealistic and unachievable goals. One goal of the ministry in recent years has been to develop better tools to access the risk to a child in its family situation. The effectiveness of risk assessment, says Professor Anglin, is not likely to exceed 80 percent at best in a political and media climate that expects and demands virtually 100 percent. The problem, he says, comes from making a single concern paramount in law and in practice, even when that concern — a child's well-being — seems ethically unassailable. This kind of approach, he says, almost invariably encourages a pendulum swing that goes too far. It tends to become a type of formula which then is implemented in unthinking and reductionist ways.

Making the rights of the child paramount over the rights of the family or parents has the force in law of abstracting children unduly from their family context, first conceptually and then often in fact. The move to paramountcy of the safety and well-being of the child, while it may reduce one form of risk, has in fact increased other important risks.

Children will be removed from their families unnecessarily. Their trust in and attachment to their parents will be damaged and even severed. They tend to become entangled in the child protection net and often experience even greater emotional, psychological, spiritual and perhaps even physical and sexual harm than would have been if they had remained in a home.

Professor Anglin's proposed guidelines for reform include an expanded understanding of protection of the child beyond removal from the home as the first and only action, while at the same time remaining committed to a child-centred decision-making approach; a broader view of the child in the context of the family and community, as already shown in models like family group conferencing and restorative justice; and politicians and senior bureaucrats who can embrace a truly transformative approach to creating a more humane and effective child care and welfare system. Simply doing more of the same, he warns, will lead to unnecessary harm to many children and an unmanageable escalation in the numbers of children coming into care.

Anglin and others see the changes taking place in child welfare as part of a larger social shift from a culture based on constructive risk-taking to one based on risk-aversion. While risk-aversion may seem at first to be a noble goal, it turns out in practice to be a negative and reactionary one.

What, in fact, should that new culture look like? In our ministry we're already moving from a closed, reactive and defensive culture to relationships with clients, stakeholders, media and the public that are open, accountable and transparent. We are also moving away from a centralized decision-making and service-delivery model toward developing community capacity to protect children and to support child and family development within the context referred to by McKnight and Putnam. We have put a stop to funding endless, unsustainable services. We are making strategic investments based on

evidence and results to build capacity and resiliency in children, in families and in communities.

Time and time again, research tells us that the safety and well-being of children are better secured by promoting family and community capacity. In our ministry this means we will strive to keep children with their families where possible, by putting the necessary supports in place. No one is a perfect parent. We are all learning, and many of us need advice and support through the early years of childrearing.

We know a loving, secure attachment between parents and babies in their first 18 months develops trust, self-esteem, emotional control and the ability to have positive relationships with others when they approach school and later life. Research also tells us that a range of positive parenting practices can improve the outcomes for all our children. Infants and children who are neglected or abused are denied the stimulation and nurturing they need in their early years. That puts them at higher risk for behavioral, social and learning problems throughout life.

My colleague the Minister of State for Early Childhood Development will have more to say about the government's plan in this area.

For adults with developmental disabilities and their families, we need a system that promotes choice, innovation and shared responsibility.

Aboriginal communities, too, need support to build their capacity to deliver a full range of services with emphasis on early childhood and family development. We will work with them toward that goal.

The community governance model. The previous ministry had become centralized and bureaucratic, with little accountability to communities, children, adults, adults with developmental disabilities and the families whom those services were designed to help. Repeated tinkering over the years failed to address the constant criticisms levelled against the ministry, despite the work of many thousands of dedicated, well-trained staff members.

This government recognizes that B.C. needs a different service-delivery approach. The details of that approach will be worked out with our community partners in the coming months, but the basic shift involved is already clear. The ministry will be less involved in providing direct services to clients and much more involved in coordinating services delivered by community-level or regional bodies tailored to local needs and opportunities.

The past ten years have shown us that big government does not best serve the people of this province. Big government detracts from the abilities of families and communities to build informal support networks that represent real, long-term capacity to address social problems. Citizens know that positive change means that the power balance must shift from the state to the families and the communities we serve. The shift to a community governance model is needed to create the conditions that will lead to better outcomes — better quality of life for children, youth, families and adults with developmental disabilities. In this way priorities are set by responsible citizens who are closest to the challenges, the opportunities and the most effective solutions for the communities in which they live.

I believe this approach will give British Columbians more options to obtain the services they need to live their lives to the fullest. I believe it will give them more say in choosing the option that they feel best fits their particular circumstances, and I believe it is morally the correct way for government to respond to the citizens it serves.

In the Ministry of Children and Family Development, a move to a community-based governance model and service approach will begin to leverage and build on the existing capacities of children, families and communities. It will improve outcomes for children, adults with developmental disabilities and families at the local level and, in doing so, use limited resources in the most effective and efficient way.

In the community living sector our vision is a system that will offer greater authority, responsibility and control of their situation to parents, families and adult clients. The details of such a system are under development, and it is important to understand that we are talking here about process as much as about outcome. In the last few decades our society has made great strides in making it possible for adults with developmental disabilities to move into the mainstream. We want to take the next steps in that process.

I realize that change in this area must occur gradually, at a pace that does not disrupt the relationships of trust and comfort that have been created between individuals and caregivers. I believe that the new accountability framework the ministry is working toward will make a real, positive difference in the lives of people in this province. We understand that the challenges of this kind of change are fundamental, not incremental. I look forward to discussing them in detail during budget debate and estimates and, indeed, with people across this province.

Mr. Speaker, the throne speech has foretold an exciting number of changes for the people of this province, and I'm delighted to speak in favour of those changes.

Hon. G. Cheema: I'm excited about my participation in replying to the throne speech. The throne speech is a blueprint for the present session and the foundation of the future recovery of our province's financial health and the concern this government has for the most vulnerable in our society. I strongly believe that this is a positive and bold document and will change the present status and, moving forward, will set the tone for long-term prosperity of our province. The ideas contained in this document will move us forward to an era of economic recovery and sustainable growth.

This will restore us to our rightful place in this country. This will reverse the negative trend we have seen for the last ten years, and for the first time it will lead us in the right direction. The financial health of the province will be restored. I strongly believe that informed, dedicated and unwavering leadership is being provided to enhance our chances of healthy recovery. Mr. Speaker, people expect us to perform well. We have raised their hopes during the election campaign, and we must not let them down.

The province of British Columbia no longer lives in isolation. We are part of a global village which is more competitive and moving at a much faster rate than anybody could have anticipated. We all understand how tragic events of September 11 can change the world. We must be open-minded and innovative thinkers with visionary lenses to succeed in a very competitive environment.

As stated in the throne speech, economic growth is the bedrock for prosperity upon which all public services depend. During tough economic times everyone suffers, but the most vulnerable in our society can suffer the most. With all the measures put forward in the throne speech for the revitalization of the economy, there is not only hope but also a real future to provide the much-needed public health care system, public education system, services to seniors and to the people who cannot find jobs due to physical and mental disabilities.

Hon. G. Cheema: Mr. Speaker, if I could take a moment to pay tribute to an admirable member of our city of Surrey. The former mayor, His Worship Don Ross, recently passed away, and I would like to offer my sincere sympathy to his family.

Hon. G. Cheema: The constituents of my riding, Surrey–Panorama Ridge, are concerned and are aware that some difficult choices are being made to protect the most necessary services. I respect their valuable input and their constructive criticism.

During the past few weeks, Mr. Speaker, many of the seniors in my riding were concerned about the bus pass issue. They told me about the financial hardships and the social isolation they would face due to the changes we were proposing. Last week our Premier made it very clear that the bus passes will be restored for seniors.

I also met with a few teachers in my riding, and they were concerned about the inner-city school meal program. I'm proud to say that this government is committed to ensuring that the necessary services to the most vulnerable in our population will be provided.

I was very pleased with the decision made by our government to continue with the concept of Tech B.C. and establish a Surrey presence of a well-respected university such as SFU. This will ensure that the students in Surrey will continue to receive the educational opportunities they deserve. With a satellite campus of SFU in Surrey, there is a brighter future for our students in Surrey. SFU is coming to Surrey, and this is great news for us. This will also help to bring economic opportunity to our city. I wish to thank the Minister of Advanced Education for the positive discussion and for the positive decision she has made for the students of Surrey and B.C. I also wish to thank all the organizations and individual students and parents who worked so hard with us to ensure that we achieved our stated goal of putting the students of British Columbia first.

There is more positive news for Surrey. Earlier last week RMH Teleservices announced the opening of a call centre in North Surrey. This new firm is going to provide up to 1,000 new positions in Surrey.

I'm proud of this government's hard work in pursuing the 2010 Winter Olympic bid. The Olympics offer major, long-term potential growth in our province. This will generate up to $10 billion in direct and indirect economic activity. This will benefit all parts of the province, including Surrey. This will also give us an opportunity to showcase our beautiful province and our strength as a diverse multicultural province.

Recently we made changes to give flexibility to our local school boards. This will provide more autonomy for school boards and better service for the needs of the students. I recently met with the school board chair, Mary Polak, and discussed with her some of the issues facing parents and students in my riding. I have also met with Mayor Doug McCallum and most of the city councillors to discuss some of the issues facing Surrey–Panorama Ridge residents. I assured both the chair of the school board and the mayor that I will continue to work with them to improve the quality of life for the constituents of Surrey–Panorama Ridge.

I also met with the chief of the medical staff at Surrey Memorial Hospital, along with some of the clinical heads of the department, and learned about the concerns about the future of health care at Surrey Memorial Hospital. I was very pleased to see how open they were about the issues facing health care facilities in our province. I assured them that their valuable input was important and crucial for the much-needed improvement in our health care system.

During the past several months I attended many cultural events and saw how cultural diversity is one of the most powerful pillars of strength. On that note, I would like to wish the people of B.C. a happy Chinese new year and a prosperous Year of the Horse.

In the new, competitive global village we have untapped and valuable resources that people have brought to B.C. from all over the world. I will work hard towards establishing an effective and fair process for the assessment of foreign credentials of profession-

als so that we can benefit from their knowledge and experience. My riding of Surrey–Panorama Ridge, not unlike any other riding, is diverse in its cultural background, but we also have a lot in common with each other. We all work hard for our families and for our community.

I urge the people of Surrey–Panorama Ridge and, to that end, all British Columbians to take the extra step to help the province get back on a positive track and provide real hope for a brighter future.

As you are well aware, during the last election this government made the promise to protect health care funding. We have not only kept that promise but also increased funding by $200 million. Our focus must remain on the patients. All decisions must be made to provide quality care in the most suitable setting possible. Tinkering with the system and band-aid solutions are not an option. Major restructuring and reinvestment is required.

Many other provincial governments of all political backgrounds have gone through one or another type of health care reform. We are no different. By delaying much-needed reform, the system will continue to be unsustainable.

During our review of the current status of the health care system, we saw that the number of health authorities was adding too much complexity and bureaucracy to the system. This government has reduced the number of health authorities to six. We have also given greater autonomy and flexibility to these health authorities. This is a bold step forward in the creation of an efficient, fair and equitable health care system that puts patients first.

On June 5 of last year the Premier showed his concern for mental health clients and their families by appointing me Minister of State for Mental Health. I was and continue to be very honoured to serve in this role. I come in every day looking forward to the challenges that are presented to me. There are grave challenges.

When I started my role as Minister of State for Mental Health, I began by visiting community stakeholders, advocacy groups, family members of those with mental illness and, most importantly, those who are suffering from a mental illness themselves. I listened to people from all over B.C. and learned much about the issues surrounding mental health from those consultations. I was struck by the passion, commitment and deep concern these people displayed in those consultations.

If it was not for this concern, I'm absolutely positive that we would not have been so far ahead in addressing and reforming the mental health care system in a meaningful way. I cannot stress enough how impressed I am with the ongoing efforts at the community level and how much I value the continuous input my office is provided with. I look forward to continuing to meet with British Columbians to discuss their concerns and listen to their valuable ideas, to be sure I'm constantly aware how daunting and challenging a task mental health reform is.

In many ways we are ahead of many jurisdictions in the area of mental health, but I must humbly admit that there are many areas we need to work on. The process of mental health reform is continuously evolving. There are no definite wrongs or rights. These are very complex issues.

If we want to see meaningful long-term reform, then it will require meaningful long-term solutions. This will not happen overnight. During these times of change, as we restore the financial stability this province deserves, we must not lose our focus on mental health patients and their families. At the end of the day, it's the patients and their families that must remain the focus of our efforts.

One significant observation I have made is that the backbone of the mental health care system in this province is the families of those who are suffering from mental illness. They deserve the recognition and respect they rightly deserve. I think it's worth repeating that the backbone of the mental health care system is the families of those suffering from mental illness.

Another challenge in the area of mental health is overcoming the ongoing issue of stigma and discrimination. With all the advances we have seen in addressing the general issue of discrimination in our society, it still strongly persists in the area of mental health. This discrimination can be seen in many forms and in many areas of our society.

To be sure, we have come a long way, and there have been many positive steps to address this issue, but we have a long way to go. One of the goals the Premier has set out for me is to establish a public information program on mental health issues and community services. It's my goal to see this campaign address the issue of stigma and discrimination in a meaningful way that will see long-term improvements.

I encourage the government to continue with the reforms that have been initiated. The people of B.C. gave this government a strong mandate, and the reforms we are making are what the people of B.C. voted for. We are taking the bold steps we need to take. I'm proud to work with such courageous and respected leaders, leadership with a strong will. A vision is being provided to move beyond the status quo and do what's right.

This throne speech not only outlines a blueprint for positive and meaningful change but also provides us with many opportunities and challenges that will lead the way to a brighter future for our province.

Hon. L. Reid: I am indeed delighted this afternoon to lend my support to the throne speech on behalf of our government.

There are 271,000 British Columbians in our province today who are between zero and six years of age. It's an enormous challenge to ensure that each and every one of us in this chamber across this province does the very best by our youngest citizens — their children, their grandparents, their families. It is my absolute privilege to offer my services to each of them.

The emerging research tells us that this is the population we need to serve with the utmost care. Their success today, their success in school, their success in later life and in post-graduate work and employment and relationships is determined by the quality of their upbringing between zero and six years of age. It's vitally important.

To those of you who have followed this area — and many of my colleagues in this chamber today have certainly paid an intense amount of attention to this population, which frankly warms my heart — I thank you most sincerely. I've had the privilege of travelling and meeting many, many of you in your home constituencies. I've dealt with many of my colleagues across the country who have responsibility for this very significant portfolio. I thank all of you for your mentorship in this area.

I've also heard from my cabinet colleagues who have wondrous programs in the areas they represent — Comox Valley, Vancouver-Burrard — programs that continue to excel and to do the very best for the youngest citizens in this province. Responsibility for young children in our government must cross every single ministry. It is the Premier's desire that we, for the first time ever in the province of British Columbia, have an interministerial response to children from zero to six years of age. It's not appropriate that we continue to suggest it's someone else's responsibility. It truly is our responsibility.

Norma Mickelson, who's the former chancellor of the University of Victoria, talks about the funding that needs to happen for children in our province. She talks about the priority we need to place on this very significant population. She talks about the funding we spend on post-graduate students, on students at the college and university level — sometimes upwards of $60,000 a year. She talks about the funding we spend on children in the public school system — well over $6,000 and $7,000 a year for every year that they're between six and 18 years of age.

She also says that what we spend on children from zero to six is, in many instances, less than $6 per child. There's enormous disparity across this province. That's not to say there aren't pockets of excellence — there absolutely are — in terms of how we pursue excellence in our programming. My challenge is to ensure that we have the fabric across our province that puts the needs and desires of our younger citizens at the forefront. The Premier agrees. In fact, the Premier has, for the first time ever in Canada, put a representative at the cabinet table who is responsible for this population.

I can tell you that I believe I have the best job in government. This is absolutely a delightful portfolio to take forward, because each and every one of us has a young child in our life — whether it's in our immediate family, whether it's a grandchild, whether it's a niece or nephew. There are indeed opportunities for each of us to do the right thing by our youngest citizens.

The mandate the Premier has given me is clear: again, an interministerial, cross-government approach, greater support to early childhood development and, frankly, to examine opportunities for parental education initiatives — things that are all about providing durable parenting practice and something each of us would wish for. I don't believe any of us is necessarily a perfect parent. I think there are always challenges, always things we can learn. But if we pull together and mentor each other effectively and if we very, very successfully resource young children and their families, it will reduce the number of children coming into the care of our province.

In fact, this approach is in line with the national children's agenda funding that we have before us. The federal government and the provinces and the territories agreed to four key initiatives: promoting healthy pregnancy, strengthening early childhood care and learning, improving parenting and family supports, and strengthening community supports.

I'm particularly pleased that we agreed on the healthy pregnancy piece as the number one priority. No one can overstate the importance of the mother-child dyad. In fact, there's a great saying that I'm particularly fond of, which says: "If you take a child by the hand, you take a mother by the heart." I think that's our collective responsibility. We can't make a difference in the lives of children unless we make a difference in the lives of their mothers — vitally important.

In 1999 Health Canada reported that the preferred strategy for early childhood development is to prevent problems by providing all children with the social and physical environments they need to thrive. Our province is ready to lead in this area and set the standard for early childhood development programs in Canada by investing strategically in programs and services that enhance opportunities for young children and their families. Many studies talk about the economic payback. It goes all the way from a 2-to-1 return to a 7-to-1 return. The bottom line is: it's a good, solid investment. We need to make it.

I want to share with you today the plan for British Columbia to take a national leadership role. Again, my first opportunity, as I travelled the province, was to look for the greatest need. I believe the greatest need is in the urban aboriginal communities around the areas of early childhood development. We haven't done a particularly good job as a province in looking out for those citizens. We also have opportunities to improve what happens at learning sites and at family places and neighbourhood houses in our province — all resources that offer tremendous support to families.

Again, one of my focuses is the aboriginal community. In 1991 when I was first elected, approximately 6,000 children were in the care of our province — today well over 10,000 and many days within striking distance of 11,000. Of these children, 40 percent are of aboriginal origin despite the fact that aboriginal children represent only 5 percent of our population. The

state, government, is at best, in our view, a poor substitute for families, for real communities and for real parents. Despite the best efforts of dedicated foster families and teams of well-trained social workers, the number of children now in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development is well above the national average.

We now know that family supports are much more effective when delivered within the context of culture. We must be culturally relevant. In the past, non-aboriginal service providers delivered the majority of services to aboriginal communities. That must change. Daniel Keating talks about this statement, "It takes a village to raise a child," followed by, "It often takes a child to raise a village," which suggests that if we collectively focus on our youngest citizens we can indeed make a difference.

The capacity of aboriginal families to parent their own children must be strengthened. Community leaders must be able to deliver comprehensive, integrated and culturally relevant programs to children and families both in urban communities and on reserves. In B.C. we will be focusing resources and energy on British Columbia's urban aboriginal communities. Over the next five years 25 of these communities will benefit from annual federal funding for aboriginal early childhood development services.

The first communities to benefit through this initiative are — and I will list them: Vancouver, Mission, Kamloops, Quesnel, Surrey, Langley, Port Moody, North Delta, Tsawwassen, New Westminister, Burnaby, Pitt Meadows, Nanaimo, Maple Ridge, Coquitlam, Vernon, Smithers, Chetwynd, Houston, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Prince Rupert, Courtenay and Duncan. Not a bad list for our first effort, and hopefully, by the smiles opposite, we've landed on some likely homes for our programs. The contractors who will be delivering these service have demonstrated that their services will be closely attuned to what each community needs. This investment will foster the emotional, intellectual and physical growth of aboriginal children and help to instil a desire for lifelong learning.

Making a difference in the lives of children often means early identification and quick action when their needs are not being met. Our Learning Sites projects are one way to get help to children who are at risk of poor social, emotional, cognitive and physical outcomes. Three B.C. communities are currently involved in these projects: Prince George, the Chilliwack-Hope-Boston Bar corridor and Port Alberni on the west coast. The goal of the Learning Sites program is to build a community-based integrated service delivery system for early childhood development. We will be expanding that program into two additional communities in the next number of months.

This kind of approach builds the knowledge and capacity of parents and caregivers right in their home communities. It builds the kind of parent support — neighbourhood networks — that make a real difference not just for a few months but for a lifetime. Programs can then be expanded to include more intensive screening and assessment for developmental, social and health risk factors. We've had some early successes with this approach, and we are working on identifying communities for expansion.

Research indicates the need for knowledge about early childhood development. It's not bound by social, economic or cultural factors. We know a loving, secure attachment between parents and babies in their first 18 months develops trust, self-esteem, emotional control and the ability to have positive relationships when they approach school and later life. Research again tells us that a range of positive parenting practices can improve the outcomes for all of our children. Infants and children who are neglected or abused are denied the stimulation and nurturing they need in the early years. That puts them at higher risk for behavioral, social and learning problems throughout life.

Family resource centres and neighbourhood houses are already established in many communities and play an important role in sharing this kind of knowledge and information. These centres will continue to provide parents with information, education, support, referrals and other early childhood development services. In the coming months we will be seeking to identify and enhance the role these centres play in the lives of parents and their children.

My second priority is to offer greater support to specific programs that encourage and enhance early childhood development. Many of you will know the work of Dr. Clyde Hertzman from the University of British Columbia. His work on the early development instrument is a measure of children who are five years of age, in their kindergarten year. It measures their developmental health and their readiness to learn — if you will, what should be on the résumé of your average five-year-old. What kinds of skill sets should they bring to a classroom setting to enable them to be in the best possible position to acquire and avail themselves of the learning opportunities that are available in a classroom setting?

We're also working with Dr. Hertzman on the human early learning program. Again, it's an opportunity for the four universities in our province to come together. It's called the HELP program — the human early learning program. It's a collection of approximately 40 university researchers who will define best practice for us as we move forward, whether it's best practice on early childhood development on aboriginal sites, whether it's best practice in family resource centres and neighbourhood houses, whether it's challenging research questions we haven't yet addressed. That kind of intensity, that kind of research, that kind of commitment to evaluation by our government will be found nowhere else in Canada. We are absolutely taking the lead when it comes to evaluating the investments we are making in early childhood development.

We're also doing some very fine work, I believe, around the area of individualized funding for children with autism. The Premier was absolutely clear in the

lead-up to the election when he talked about increased parental choice and increased parental involvement for families, that indeed we wanted to put in place programs that made sense for families. Not that you have this box and you must fit your child in it, but that this range of programs will be available, and we will do our very best as a government to ensure that we continue to add to that range of choice.

Individualized funding is one more tool in the toolbox. We have early intensive behavioral intervention programs in our province. We will continue to fund those over the next three years. We have today, on the B.C. Bid website, the RFP for individualized funding for children with autism. We will continue to fund that for the next three years. We will evaluate both of those programs intensely. At the end of that three-year period we will know which program — maybe both, maybe one, maybe not — should go forward, but it will be based on science. It will be based on best practice. It's vitally important that we build an incredible foundation for early childhood development in this province not just for the typical learners but, I believe, for the atypical learners: the children with autism today, the children who have fetal alcohol syndrome, children who will require additional supports to be successful in life.

What we would wish for our children we would wish, I think, for every child in this province. The only way we get the best practice is to go forward from the base of science. Again, it's something I'm intensely proud of as the minister responsible.

We will continue to make those investments. We will continue to make those commitments. We will continue to work with the best researchers in the country when it comes to putting those kinds of developments in place.

You've heard me talk about school readiness being an important indicator — absolutely vital. We want children to succeed in school. For children to have intensely unhappy, unproductive school experiences that span 12 years of their public school education is not something we would wish on any child. It's tough enough being a learner in today's society without being in a situation where you're not able to make gains, not able to advance any of the things that might be important to you.

Certainly, we have research that talks about 15 percent of preschoolers nationwide arriving at school unprepared to learn. For our province, that's a significant number. From that percentage you have a significant number who exhibit, demonstrate, some kind of behavioral difficulties — again more challenging for the school system. In B.C. schools each year, it is suggested, there are approximately 10,000 children who require additional supports — whose set of skills would prevent them today from being happy, healthy and motivated in school. Again, we need to better address the needs of those students.

There is a widespread belief that the need for early childhood development is limited only to children who are poor or at risk. However, even if child poverty were eliminated, 90 percent of children with developmental disabilities would still experience difficulties. Quality early childhood development experiences must be accessible to all families.

I have much more to say on this very fine topic — many, many comments I wish to make — but noting the hour, I would move adjournment of this debate.