2002 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 37th Parliament
HANSARD

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Official Report of

DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

(Hansard)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2003

Morning Sitting

Volume 10, Number 17

[ Page 4693 ]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2003

           The House met at 10:03 a.m.

           Prayers.

Tabling Documents

           Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, I have the honour to present the following documents: the auditor general 2002-03 report No. 5, Managing Contaminated Sites on Provincial Lands; the auditor general 2002-03 report No. 6, Review of Estimates Related to Vancouver's Bid to Stage the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games; the auditor general 2002-03 report No. 7, Building Better Reports: Our Review of the 2001-02 Reports of Government; and the auditor general 2002-03 report No. 8, Follow-up of Performance Reports.

[1005]

           Hon. G. Collins: I have the honour to present the report of the Crown Proceeding Act for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2002, in accordance with section 15(2) of that act.

Motions without Notice

           Hon. G. Collins: With leave, I move the motion in the hands of the Clerk and the opposition regarding amendments to the standing orders. For the information of members, this is the sessional order implementing the fixed parliamentary calendar and, with the exception of the new dates for this calendar year, is identical to the motion moved and passed unanimously by the House last year.

           Leave granted.

AMENDMENT TO SESSIONAL ORDER

           Hon. G. Collins: I move the motion, Mr. Speaker.

    [That the standing orders of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia be amended as follows for the duration of the fourth session of the thirty-seventh parliament, commencing February 11, 2003:

 

1. That standing order 2 be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

Sittings

Daily sittings.

    2. (1) The time for the ordinary meeting of the House shall, unless otherwise ordered, be as follows:

 

      Monday:                       Two distinct sittings:

 

                                             10 a.m. to 12 noon

                                             2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

                                             2 p.m. to 9 p.m. effective March 3, 2003

 

      Tuesday:                       Two distinct sittings:

 

                                             10 a.m. to 12 noon

                                             2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

 

      Wednesday:                2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

                                             2 p.m. to 9 p.m. effective March 3, 2003

 

      Thursday:                      Two distinct sittings:

                                                

                                              10 a.m. to 12 noon

                                              2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

 

      (2) (a) During the fourth session of the thirty-seventh parliament, unless otherwise ordered, the House shall meet:

 

          (i) from February 11, 2003 to May 29, 2003 inclusive

                                 and

          (ii) from October 6, 2003 to November 27, 2003 inclusive

          (b) The House shall stand adjourned during the weeks of March 17, April 14 and 21, May 19, October 13 and November 10, 2003.

 

2. That standing order 3 be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

 

Hour of interruption.

    3. If at the hour of 6 p.m. (or 9 p.m. after March 3, 2003) on any Monday; 6 p.m. on Tuesday; 6 p.m. (or 9 p.m. after March 3, 2003) on Wednesday; or 6 p.m. on Thursday, the business of the day is not
    concluded and no other hour has been agreed on for the next sitting, the Speaker shall leave the chair:

 

    On Monday until 10 a.m. Tuesday

    On Tuesday until 2 p.m. Wednesday

    On Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday

    On Thursday until 10 a.m. Monday

 

    subject to the provisions of standing order 2(2)(b).

 

3. That standing order 25 be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

Routine Business

 

Daily routine.

    25. The daily routine business of the House shall be as follows:

    Prayers (morning or afternoon sitting)

    Introduction of bills

    Statements (standing order 25b) (afternoon sittings)

    Oral question period (15 minutes, afternoon sittings: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)

_____

    Presenting Petitions

    Reading and Receiving Petitions

    Presenting Reports by Committees

_____

    Motions on Notice

    Written Questions on Notice

    Proposed Amendments on Notice

 

Orders of the Day.

    The order of business for consideration of the House day by day, after the above routine, shall, unless otherwise ordered, be as follows:

[ Page 4694 ]

Monday
10 a.m. to 12 noon
(Private Members' Time)

 

    Private Members' Statements (10 a.m.)

    Public Bills in the hands of Private Members

    Private Members' Motions

    Private Bills

    Public Bills and Orders and Government Motions on Notice

           

    No division, on orders of the day, will be taken in the House or in Committee of the Whole during private members' time, but where a division is requested, it will be deferred until 30 minutes prior to the ordinary time fixed for adjournment of the House on the Monday, unless otherwise ordered.

Monday (afternoon), Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
(Government Days)

    Throne Speech Debate

    Budget Debate including Committee of Supply

    Public Bills and Orders and Government Motions on Notice

    Private Bills

    Public Bills in the hands of Private Members

    Adjourned debate on other motions

 

4. That standing order 25a be repealed and the following substituted therefor:

Private Members' Statements

Private Members' Statements.

    25a.(1) Every Monday at 10 a.m. four private members may make a statement, notice of which has been tabled no later than 6 p.m. the preceding Wednesday.

    (2) The order in which such statements are to be called shall be determined by lot by the Speaker, before appearing on the orders of the day.

    (3) The time allocated on Monday for statements and discussion thereon shall not exceed one hour, and the time for each statement shall be limited to 15 minutes as follows:

 

            Proponent: maximum of seven minutes

            Any other members: maximum of five minutes

            Proponent in reply: maximum of three minutes

 

    (4) Private members' statements shall not be subject to amendment, adjournment or vote.

 

    (5) Statements and discussions under this standing order:

            (a) shall be confined to one matter;

            (b) shall not revive discussion on a matter which has been discussed in the same session;

            (c) shall not anticipate a matter which has been previously appointed for consideration by the House, in respect to which a notice of motion has been previously given and not withdrawn;

            (d) shall not raise a question of privilege.

 

5. That new standing order 25b be adopted:

 

Statements

 

Statements.

    25b. Three private members shall be permitted a two-minute statement each day immediately prior to oral question period, subject to the following guidelines:

 

    (1) A member desiring to make a statement shall so advise his or her Whip 24 hours prior to the relevant day the statement is to be made.

 

    (2) Party Whips shall confer to settle the names of the three members who will be recognized for "Statements" for the following sitting day and shall advise the Speaker by noon of the day in question as to
    who has been selected, together with the topic of the statement.

 

    (3) Statements under this standing order shall be subject to the ordinary parliamentary rules of decorum and debate.

 

6. That standing order 27(2) and (3) be amended by deleting the word "Friday" wherever stated and substituting "Monday morning" so that it reads as follows:

 

Government orders.

27(2) Whenever government business has precedence, government orders may be called in such sequence as the government thinks fit, and the government may place government orders at the head of the list on every sitting except Monday morning.

 

Urgent government business.

27(3) Notwithstanding standing orders 25, 25a and 27(2), urgent government business may, with the consent of the Speaker, be considered on Monday morning and given priority over any other business.

 

7. Oral question period Friday.

           47b. This standing order is repealed.

 

8. That new standing order 81.1 be adopted:

 

    81.1(1) When a minister of the Crown, from his or her place in the House, states that there is agreement among the representatives of all parties to allot a specified number of days or hours to the proceedings
    at one or more stages of any public bill, the minister may propose a motion, without notice, setting forth the terms of such agreed allocation; and the motion shall be decided forthwith, without debate or
    amendment.

 

    (2) A minister of the Crown who, from his or her place in the House, has stated that an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of section (1) of this standing order in respect of proceedings at
    one or more stages of a public bill, may propose without notice a motion for the purpose of allotting a specified number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at one or more
    stages of a public bill. The motion shall be decided forthwith, without debate or amendment. Any proceedings interrupted pursuant to this section of this standing order shall be deemed adjourned.]

           Motion approved.

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           Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, the Lieutenant-Governor is in the precincts and asks that the members remain seated.

           Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor entered the chamber and took her place in the chair.

Prorogation Address

           Hon. I. Campagnolo (Lieutenant-Governor): Pray be seated. Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, in closing the third session of the thirty-seventh parliament of British Columbia, I wish to commend you on the accomplishments of the past year. This session has seen the passage of measures of wide-ranging and significant importance to the people of the province. On behalf of all British Columbians, I wish to express my appreciation for the care and the attention that you have given to your deliberations. I now relieve you of your duties.

           Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor retired from the chamber.

[1010]

              [Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

           Hon. G. Plant: Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, it is Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor's will and pleasure that the Legislative Assembly be prorogued until 2 p.m. today, and this Legislative Assembly is hereby prorogued accordingly.

           The House prorogued at 10:11 a.m.

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