Hansard -- Monday, April 28, 2003 a.m. -- Vol. 14, No. 8 (HTML)

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

Private Members' Statements		6233
	Cancer awareness is year-round I. Chong Hon. S. Hawkins Importance of agricultural industry in British Columbia D. Chutter Hon. J. van Dongen Homeowners grants D. Jarvis Hon. G. Collins FAS — fetal alcohol syndrome G. Trumper Hon. L. Reid

Motions on Notice		6241
	Drinking water quality (Motion 46) (continued) V. Roddick AMBER alert early warning system for child abduction (Motion 50) (continued) A. Hamilton V. Roddick K. Johnston L. Mayencourt Hon. R. Coleman G. Trumper B. Penner Role of Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs in B.C. economy (Motion 68) R. Lee P. Wong R. Nijjar K. Johnston I. Chong Hon. G. Halsey-Brandt

I. Chong: April is recognized as Cancer Awareness Month throughout Canada, but for myself and I'm sure for many of my colleagues, cancer awareness is year-round. During the month of April the Canadian Cancer Society — through their symbolic flower, the daffodil — reminds us all of the very important research that continues as they work towards finding a cure for cancer.

For a moment I just want to speak on their symbolic flower, the daffodil, which was chosen as a result of a local daffodil grower here in Victoria, Mr. Geoff Vantreight, who had sent off these daffodils to the Canadian Cancer Society some years ago. They adopted this as their flower, as part of their symbol, which is why the largest daffodil grower here in Victoria sends these flowers across Canada, and they sell them on various weekends, usually near the Easter weekend, in hopes of raising more money for cancer research.

The Canadian Cancer Society also acknowledges in its annual campaign its gratitude for all the financial and the volunteer efforts and the supports that are provided by individuals, by businesses and by local governments. Personally, I have had the pleasure of working with many of the volunteers in the Victoria branch of the Canadian Cancer Society for several years, and I know that through their tireless efforts, many of the families here in greater Victoria benefit greatly.

The Canadian Cancer Society and organizations like them are here to help those who are living with cancer today and those who will live with cancer tomorrow. Last year, here in British Columbia, over 100,000 people accessed the programs and services of the Canadian Cancer Society. While cancer awareness is definitely in my mind year-round, so too is cancer research. It is 24-7. It is 365.

During the last two decades, specific areas of research have been targeted. Those areas are behavioral research, breast cancer research, prostate cancer research and the tobacco research initiative. Along with those research initiatives and programs, many non-profit organizations partner with them in evaluating and providing studies where appropriate.

We all know that cancer does not discriminate. It can affect anyone regardless of age, regardless of ethnicity and culture, regardless of socioeconomic status, regardless of gender and regardless of religion. When it does strike, it does not only impact that one individual. It affects their entire community of supports, their family and their friends. I truly believe that all of us here at one time have known or will at one time in our lifetime know of someone whose life has been affected by cancer.

As a child, we didn't talk about cancer. As I became a young adult, the "c" word came up often, but it was in whispers. I suppose it was like many things You didn't want to talk about it because you didn't want to know enough about it, and you didn't want to talk about it for fear that you might catch it somehow. You do usually fear what you don't understand, so let us understand a little bit about what cancer is.

Cancer is not so scary after all. That is the explanation of what cancer is, courtesy of the Canadian Cancer Society. By understanding this and by talking about it, we can do more. We can do more in helping with research.

As I stated in my opening remarks, cancer awareness to me is year-round, and that means starting at the very early part of the year and being a part of a community that supports research. Early in February and March, generally, there is a Breast Cancer Awareness Day Breakfast that is held, and we're told about this. That sort of starts off the year for me. As we move into April we have Cancer Awareness Month and the daffodil campaign that continues. In May I am usually involved in the Relay for a Friend, another campaign to find dollars to support families and provide opportunities for families to be together when they have a family member or a friend who is struck with cancer. In June there's usually a walk — I think it's called Do It for Dad — for prostate cancer, something that is being spoken about more often. In July and August you will oftentimes find communities having dragon boat races, and that has also captured cancer awareness by having cancer survivors being participants in that.

Hon. S. Hawkins: I want to thank the member for Oak Bay–Gordon Head for those wonderful comments.

As a former nurse who worked with cancer patients, I have certainly witnessed the devastation and the grief that cancer can cause. I also witnessed the courage that patients and their families show when they're going through the cancer journey, and I certainly know the hope and dedication of health care providers and researchers in their search for patient survival and the cure.

As Minister of Health Planning, I know that cancer represents a significant threat to our population and certainly an unprecedented challenge to sustaining our health care system. One in three Canadians develops cancer during their lifetime, and half of these become long-term cancer survivors.

Not surprisingly, most Canadians — most of us here — know someone who's been afflicted with cancer. Certainly on a personal note, we know that the member for Surrey-Tynehead's son is battling his own cancer journey. We certainly wish him and his family the best on that.

Incidence studies undertaken by the Canadian Cancer Society show that cancer is primarily a disease of older Canadians; 70 percent of new cases and 82 percent of deaths occur in those 60 years of age and older. Those studies do show that cancer is deadly. Approximately one-half of those diagnosed with cancer will die of the disease.

We know we can't stop our population from aging — none of us is getting younger — nor can we control the increased demand for cancer-related care for the aging population. But we know that we can control the risk of developing cancer through prevention, through the steps we take when cancer occurs and through timely and appropriate intervention. Thanks to improved treatments, screening and care, the cancer mortality rates continue to fall, and patients are surviving longer.

We are proud here in B.C. to have the best cancer outcomes, best survival rates in Canada. Breast and prostate cancer patients in B.C. live longer. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer and female breast cancer patients have the highest five-year survival rates among selected cancers. That's 91 percent for prostate cancer and 85 percent in B.C. for female breast cancer. In addition, the mortality rate for both male and female colorectal cancer has declined in B.C. from 23.3 percent in 1979 to 14.7 percent in 1999.

I can tell you that I am pretty proud of our B.C. Cancer Agency, which does just an incredible job in coordinating care for cancer patients. The Cancer Agency demonstrates leadership over a broad range of the cancer continuum, including screening and supportive care programs, and is really a very strong voice for cancer control in the province.

I am particularly proud of two very recent achievements for our B.C. Cancer Agency. Scientists at the Genome Sciences Centre, situated in the B.C. Cancer Agency, located the first publicly available draft sequence for coronavirus implicated in SARS. Staff and volunteers at the B.C. Cancer Agency for the southern interior in my own riding just celebrated five years of outstanding service to citizens in the heartlands.

I am really excited about the building of the new B.C. Cancer Research Centre, which will bring together cancer researchers and physicians in one central location that will enable greater synergies between the B.C. Cancer Agency, the B.C. Cancer Research Centre, the UBC biotechnology lab and the B.C. Prostate Centre of VGH.

Another positive piece of news came in February 2003 when the Minister of Health Services announced that the B.C. Cancer Agency would resume in-house testing to assess genetic predisposition for breast and ovarian cancer. Prevention really is the cornerstone of the cancer strategy. It's aimed at both reducing British Columbians' exposure to things that increase the risk of cancer and increasing the impact of factors that protect them from getting cancer. At least half of the cancers can be prevented through lifestyle changes, which include quitting smoking, switching to a low-fat diet and getting more exercise.

If I can say this in closing, the single most preventive action one can take is to never start smoking or to stop smoking as quickly as possible, because 30 percent of cancers are attributable to tobacco consumption. I see some of you guys smiling at me on the other side. I can say a lot of our members have quit smoking, and we've got a couple more, probably, to work on. We have many programs and initiatives that are targeted to anti-smoking. The B.C. Tobacco Facts, which can be accessed on line, certainly gives good facts on tobacco. The tobacco-free sports challenge, which I announced in January, encourages youth, athletes, schools, universities and community organizations to join the global campaign for tobacco-free sport. Certainly, on our webpages you'll find information about that.

It's important to raise awareness of cancer not only in April, cancer month, but all through the year. I thank the member for raising this very important issue this month.

I. Chong: I thank the Minister of Health Planning for responding. I know she has a passion and a sense of wanting to also support and find a cure for cancer. I know that for many years in opposition, she used to remind us here in this chamber that she was involved in her celebrity golf classic that raised money for the Kelowna cancer clinic. I know her target was over five years, and she reached that target, I think, in the fourth year. All of us are very proud of her for having that initiative, and we're very grateful.

I want to just continue with my comments in the short time I have remaining. I had gone up to the months of July and August, and what I participated in, in terms of dragon boat races and acknowledging the breast cancer survivors here in Victoria when we had the races in August.

In September I usually also find myself participating — and I hope other members do — in the Terry Fox Run, because that, too, raises awareness of another form of cancer. In addition, September is usually the

month that here on the Island and in the lower mainland they begin their Cops for Cancer marathon, a bicycle marathon up the Island and down. On the lower mainland, I think, it's part of the coast area as well. That raises money for children and childhood cancer, which is growing in larger numbers than we wish to have happen.

Of course, let's not forget October, when all of us participate in the CIBC-sponsored Run for the Cure. Last year, particularly, we saw the Premier and the member for Vancouver-Burrard on television trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the large pancake they were trying to do in the shape of the symbolic pink ribbon. Anything that we can do as legislators to raise awareness and any way we can participate is very important.

I also want to say in closing that I didn't want to minimize that cancer isn't a scary thing. There are legitimate, real concerns, as the member for North Vancouver–Seymour reminded me. When you find out you are affected by cancer, you are immediately impacted. You and your family are immediately concerned with those legitimate fears. What's important is to know that you don't walk this journey alone. There are supporters out there for you — your family, your friends, your neighbours, your community, the society and the research foundation. There are so many organizations out there, and people genuinely want to be part of finding the cure, the solution. It is about raising awareness. It is about supporting research. All of us can take a little part of our day each month throughout the years to help find that cure.

I recall all too often one year in particular; I think it was 1999. I had gone to six funerals that year of friends of mine who were close to me, none of whom reached the age of 50. All of them had had one form of cancer or another.

Let us continue to work together. Let us continue to be aware. Let us continue to be brave for those who are brave themselves.

D. Chutter: I want to have this discussion on the importance of agriculture to British Columbia because I believe many people in this province are not aware of the significant role agriculture plays in the provincial economy. The purpose of this discussion is to inform us all of the importance of agriculture to the provincial economy and to elevate its status among our resource industries for appropriate consideration.

Agriculture has been and continues to be a growth industry, providing stability in rural communities by contributing to economic activity and the provision of jobs, particularly in the heartlands of this province. When we think of agriculture, it's not just about farmers and farmland but includes truckers, equipment dealers and machinery manufacturers; scientists; food, store and processing workers; and the facilities these people work in. Although only 2.8 percent of the provincial land base is arable farmland, the quality of this land is very good and results in a diversity of products produced due to the variations in climate around the province.

Here are some facts that tell the very positive story about agriculture in B.C. The B.C. agriculture industry provides direct employment to over 34,000 people and has continued to grow in jobs and farm cash receipts for many years. Farm cash receipts today are $2.2 billion, having had consistent growth over the past ten years. Primary agriculture in B.C. is a significant and expanding industry in itself, with 1.5 percent of the workforce employed in farms, ranches, orchards, greenhouses, nurseries, hatcheries, etc.

This sector makes a significant contribution to the economy with substantial spinoffs in the food processing, wholesale, retail and service sectors. The food and beverage processing sector employs another 26,000 people and generates over $5 billion in added-value product sales. The total value of the agriculture industry from producer to consumer is in excess of $16 billion and provides jobs to 260,000 British Columbians, which is the same as over a quarter of a million people or nearly 14 percent of the employed labour force in this province. That, Mr. Speaker, is significant. B.C. agriculture continues to show solid growth in farm income with double-digit percentage gains since 1997. Compared to other provinces, B.C. has shown consistent gain, year after year, in total net income.

British Columbia, due to its production diversity with over 250 commodities produced from 22,000 farms, has also been less subject to fluctuations in market receipts and incomes. Our different climate conditions around the province make it possible for farmers to grow a variety of crops. Crop receipts are just over $1 billion, with livestock receipts near the same. Both crop and livestock receipts are 15 to 20 percent above their five-year average — again, definite growth.

The southern interior is well suited to grow tree fruits and grapes, whereas with their cooler-weather climates, the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island grow berries and vegetables. Grain and oilseed grow well in the Peace River region. There exist about 1,000 processing businesses in B.C. that take farm products and produce a variety of foods and beverages for sale to the consumer. B.C. agriculture exports to over 100 countries with a product value over $2.1 billion. Additional sales to other provinces total $1.3 billion. Agriculture exports have increased 43 percent in the last five years — another indication of the growth opportunity in B.C. agriculture.

B.C. agriculture has provided solid growth in jobs and economic activity. So what can we do as government to encourage continued growth, taking advantage of the opportunities in B.C. agriculture? Fortunately, this government and our Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries clearly recognize the opportunities for growth contributing to our economy, job creation and rural stability. The key to continued growth

and investment is our ability to compete in the marketplace. This government has already made significant changes in taxation policy and regulation to provide a more competitive environment and favourable business climate.

The B.C. Progress Board points out in its recent report on the economic state of rural B.C. that the revitalization of land-based industries — and that would certainly include agriculture — will be one of the critical determinants of the future of rural communities. In other words, growth in agriculture is important to the health of rural communities.

Agriculture is a steady and significant growth industry and deserves the status and attention accorded to an industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity. I welcome the comments of the minister.

Hon. J. van Dongen: I'm pleased to respond to the member for Yale-Lillooet on the importance of agriculture to British Columbia. B.C.'s agrifood industry plays a very important role in our provincial economy. Particularly, it provides stability in our rural communities. In 2002, sales from the farm sector amounted to over $2 billion. I think it's significant that those sales experienced growth every year in the last 20 years. Sales from the food and beverage processing sector amounted to $4.7 billion. Exports to other countries of our agricultural and food products amounted to $2.4 billion.

The sector is a major employer, with over 30,000 British Columbians employed at the farm level and a further 27,000 employed in the food processing sector. If we add food distribution, retailing and food service, this brings the total employment in the food sector to 270,000 people. This is one in seven British Columbians. Agriculture and food is an important investment opportunity, with total investments at the farm and fishing level of $178 million and a further $132 million in the food processing sector — a significant part of our provincial economy.

If we look at some recent trends, data over the last five years shows a positive growth trend for many of the key economic measures of the agriculture and food sectors. Compared to the previous five-year average, if you look at the five-year average in 2002, agriculture product sales were up 11.7 percent and food and beverage sales were up 11.8 percent. Exports of agricultural and food products were up 21 percent from the previous five-year average. Overall employment growth was up a more modest 2 percent — nevertheless, a continuing positive result.

The industry does face challenges. Our agrifood industry faces challenges both at the local level and in the global market. One of the challenges that the sector faces is the ongoing competition for the resource base on which agriculture operates. Enhancing the resource base for future agricultural growth is a challenge. Food production capacity is currently limited by an ongoing loss of rangeland to other uses and loss of productivity due to things like noxious weeds. Gaining further access to land for agricultural development remains a challenge. Certain input costs, such as energy costs, are a concern, one that we will continue to grapple with to ensure a competitive industry.

There are also opportunities. Local and global challenges need to be managed effectively, but there are opportunities for further growth that we need to work on to realize our full potential.

The agricultural policy framework, which is a federal-provincial agreement that we are close to finalizing, is really an opportunity for B.C. agriculture. The APF has a shared vision of a competitive, high-value-added agricultural industry that delivers and capitalizes on the highest level of food safety and environmental sustainability.

Finally, B.C.'s heartlands strategy. This is also an opportunity to underscore and strengthen the B.C. government's commitment to agriculture and to allow us to take full advantage of agriculture's unique, regional-based strengths. I look forward to working further with the other resource ministries in the government and the MLAs in our various regions within the B.C. heartlands to continue to expand the job opportunities and the economic activity, the economic potential of agriculture and all of the related service industry and the processing sector around it.

D. Chutter: My thanks to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries for his comments.

In closing, I'd like to leave you with a few statistics. At least one in 12 British Columbians is employed in bringing food from the farm to your plate. Agriculture is the only primary industry in B.C. whose job growth has kept pace with population over the last 20 years. Agriculture is the third-largest resource sector in the province behind forestry and mining. In 1999 agriculture, food and beverage was the fourth-largest employer in the province after construction, forestry and non-resource manufacturing.

Given that the size of the food and beverage sector is smaller in B.C. than expected given our population and that Alberta has growth in this sector of 7.4 percent compared to our 3.7 percent, we must ask ourselves what we can do to encourage the food processing and beverage sector. If we can encourage investment in the food processing sector, then this, in turn, will drive increased primary production. When talking about our resource economy, let's talk about forestry, energy and mining, and agriculture. Let us remember that the growth opportunity in agriculture providing more jobs and resources to government in stable rural communities. It is in the interest of all British Columbians to focus our attention on such a significant industry. Let's not forget agriculture.

D. Jarvis: An issue of great importance is making itself apparent to a growing number of my constituents. I have had concerns from many homeowners in North Vancouver–Seymour, my riding, that they have

now become ineligible for the homeowners grant or that the eligibility is being threatened if current market trends continue the way they are. It's a certainty that the property values in North Vancouver–Seymour will continue to rise while incomes of most of my constituents, unfortunately, will remain fixed. I sympathize with these people in my riding primarily because they have no control over the market forces that will inevitably make them pay huge portions of their limited incomes to finance their properties.

Families who bought their houses 20, 30, 40 or 50 years ago could never have anticipated that they would be forced to pay exorbitant property taxes without some help from any form of government. These people depend on the homeowners grant to soften the annual blow of the property tax, because in many cases it is difficult for them just to pay the basic and continued rising property taxes.

It may be said: why complain when your equity is growing, or why complain that your property is being assessed at a higher rate? Well, that may be so, but not all are prepared or able to sell or move from their homes. And really, why should they have to? In many cases, the assessment levies on my constituents do not accurately reflect the real market value of their homes, so if they have to resort to selling their homes in haste to alleviate their financial pressures, they may not even get the true assessed value on the real estate market. The assessments do not necessarily reflect market value.

Many of these people planned for their retirements by setting out strict budgets that they had to adhere to. No matter how much planning took place while they were preparing to retire, they could not have foreseen the incredible increases in property values on the North Shore. I hope this government can address the following concerns of my constituents. New developments are springing up daily on the North Shore wherever there is room to build, but these developments come nowhere to addressing the demand for housing.

Now, it doesn't take an expert to note that the demand will reflect directly on the value of the land. Buildable land is scarce. In actual fact, it is the land that reflects the greatest increase, and the improvements, being the actual house they reside in, may only represent 10 percent of the full assessment.

True, many people can afford to pay the full property tax imposed on them by their municipalities. Yes, a great number of the people qualify for full and partial homeowners grants, but many who need it don't. Ad valorem taxation principles aren't working for a lot of my constituents.

If we are to have market-based taxation, then we must embrace market-based homeowner subsidies. At the moment we don't have a regimen that will take the realities of inflation into account. We need an adjustment to the grant, whether it be a flat increase or indexed.

My riding is not a high-priced residential area when compared to other lower mainland communities, yet some 3,000 residents will not qualify for the grant compared to two years ago. With a minimum 10 percent increase, over 5,000 houses will not qualify next year. These 5,000 homes represent nearly a quarter of all the homes in the district of North Vancouver. Without changes to the homeowner grant policies, these numbers will increase exponentially.

People that have the foresight to arrange for an early retirement before the conceptually recognized age of 65 are also being punished by the current formula. Unfortunately, the current system does not take into account a fixed income for people who retire at 60 or 55 or even at 50. Not everyone has the same schedule when it comes to retirement. Regardless, they still have to live on a fixed income that is dependent on subsidies keeping pace with inflation.

The more money people have to spend on their property tax will result in less money spent in restaurants, in small businesses and on retirement plans. This is not just a seniors' problem either. This also goes for people in their thirties and forties and fifties.

Homeowner grants are an integral part to provide for stability of the real estate industry in this province. The importance of the grants cannot be underscored and requires a new approach to how they are allocated. We should also remember that for every sale of real estate in this province, the government gets a cut of it through its taxation.

The livelihood of fixed-income constituents who just happened to purchase a home prior to the market rising on the North Shore, or increasing so dramatically, will depend on the change to the homeowners grant formula.

The previous government, in their haste to always increase taxes, forgot to realize that individuals across this province have worked hard so they could own their homes. I recall a Premier of the last government, when he was Finance minister, wanted to again tax properties in this province in 1993. He actually said — and it's in Hansard: "We are going to get these homeowners. We are going to get these people in B.C. who have saved up…."

"We are going to get these people in B.C. who wish to leave their children something when they pass away. We are going to go after those taxpayers."

This same Premier stood up when questioned by us and said: "Well, if they can't afford taxes, they should sell their houses. Tough luck for them."

The taxpayers know that this government is not in any way like that, this government in the 1990s. This government values the equity of taxpayers in their home, and we want to see them keep it. Sounds like bribery — doesn't it? Action is required soon. Property values are rising too far, too fast, while the cutoff to qualify for the homeowner grant is not. Without pre-empting this looming crisis, homeowners face huge

problems just to keep their homes. I look forward to the minister's response on this matter.

Hon. G. Collins: I am pleased to respond to the member for North Vancouver–Seymour, who has raised this issue with me on several occasions, as have many of his constituents. Before I start, I want to make sure people understand that some of the comments the member was making were about the previous government, the NDP government, and the previous Premier, not this one. I think that's important for people to understand.

I take this issue very seriously. This is not the first time I've heard of it from this member. In fact, he's spoken to me a number of times on this issue. I do receive and have received a fairly large volume of correspondence from people in his constituency.

This issue becomes ever more important to people as the values of their properties inch up above that threshold for the homeowner grant. Certainly, as the property values rise, there are more and more people who are finding themselves in that position, so I'm very mindful of the issue.

I've also heard over the last couple of years from the member from Alberni with regard to some property tax inequities in the community of Tofino. We were able to address those. I've also been working very hard with the member for West Vancouver–Garibaldi, as well as the mayor of Whistler and that community, to try and deal with some inequities with regard to residents who've been overtaken by a remarkable and, one would say, almost shocking increase in property values.

Government is always trying to make sure that the tax structure has an overriding flavour of fairness and that people understand we all need to contribute, but we need to do it in a way that reflects something which people understand as being fair and equitable to the greater extent that government can make that happen.

This is a very complicated issue. On first blush it looks very simple. I know that when we dealt with the issue in Tofino and we worked with the member for Alberni-Qualicum, as well as when we worked on the issue — and are working on the issue — in Whistler with regard to residents there…. Those issues are very complicated.

We have a fairly common property tax structure across the province. To a certain extent, you want to keep it relatively similar just for ease of administration, but at the same time you don't want to ignore the inequalities that may exist.

I just want to give the assurance to the members and their constituents, as well as other members of the House, that every year we look at the tax structure, and that includes property taxes. In the late part of the calendar year into January/February, as part of the budget process, that's one of the things I spend a great deal of time on. We canvass all of the issues that are out there, which people have corresponded with us on over the past year, particularly those items that have been raised by the representatives — the MLAs. We try and look for areas where we can make the system more fair, more transparent and more equitable. I think that needs to be an underlying aspect of all tax policy, so we'll continue to do that.

We've begun to look at a whole range of issues. I obviously will look at this one and will continue to look at it, and the advice from the members is very helpful. The correspondence from their constituents is obviously helpful as well. I would just encourage members to continue to work with us on this. There are a multitude of taxation issues we deal with each year. This is one that is a growing challenge for us.

I look forward to working with the member for North Vancouver–Seymour, as well as the other members from the North Shore. The member for West Vancouver–Capilano has also spoken to me, as well as other members from the North Shore, as I mentioned. We'll continue to try and look at that as we progress towards the next taxation year. If there is something that can be done given the fiscal constraints that the province operates under, then certainly we'd be glad to look at it.

D. Jarvis: I thank the minister for his comments. My constituents and I look forward to reasonable changes in the near future.

In summary, I wanted to just put into Hansard some comments from an old friend of mine that I have known since the 1950s. He and I had similar lives over the years. These comments are out of Hansard when he was discussing Bill 19 in May '94, in which he said:

I will close now, following the comments of the minister, and report to my constituents that the government will be reasonable and look at this. Perhaps we can come to a better conclusion. Thank you very much.

G. Trumper: In any given week in Canada approximately 10,000 babies are born. Of these babies, 20 are born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and 100 are born with alcohol-related neurodevelopment mental disorders. This compares to ten out of the 10,000 having Down syndrome, eight with spina bifida and four with HIV infection. The lifetime cost of just one

baby with FASD could be as much as $2 million. The figures I have quoted are from 1997, but the numbers have changed very little since then.

Unfortunately, this is a preventable disorder that affects a child for the rest of his or her life. Some children with FASD, as I will call it from now on, are mentally challenged. They have brain damage, and those affected have specific areas of strengths and weaknesses. Brain damage can lead to behavioral problems, because brain-damaged people don't process information the same way as other people do, and they don't always behave the way they are taught or expected to.

These children present many, many challenges to their parents throughout their lifetime. A diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder allows for a treatment plan which can help develop a partnership between health care providers, educators, parents and the child. The sad fact is that the damage caused by alcohol to a child before he or she is born is permanent. The damage to the fetus can occur when the mother is in the very, very early stages of pregnancy and in most cases is not even aware that she is pregnant.

This disorder is not a new phenomenon. In the nineteenth century the British Parliament lifted a tax on the distillation of gin for over 30 years. Throughout that period the birth rate declined and the incidence of mental retardation and epilepsy increased, particularly amongst the poorer people in Britain, as it was the drink of the poor. I know that those of you who have read Dickens have seen many of the pictures that are displayed of people under the influence of gin in those days.

Physicians of the day urged Parliament to reintroduce the tax, and it appeared that the pendulum then went back again to before those 30 years of the lifting of the tax. In the twentieth century research continued to be conducted on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on development, and now today it has been recognized that it is alcohol taken by the mother at an early stage in the pregnancy that causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Although I have quoted figures for Canada, it occurs all over the world. I was listening to an interview on CBC of two families who had adopted children from Romania and Russia. We've all seen those pictures on television news. These children were brought up in orphanages. When they came to Canada, these children were diagnosed with FAS.

The incidence of FAS is not well understood; however, I am encouraged that in this province we have a minister who is dedicated to implementing and monitoring an early childhood development strategy from conception to age six for the province. The healthier our babies are, the better they will thrive. The more help they have, the better they will thrive.

It's not easy, and it's challenging. At the same time, there is a strategy for the children, an education program that has to be in place to educate women of child-bearing age about the dangers of alcohol. Women who are considering becoming pregnant have to be educated that they should abstain from alcohol. In my constituency we do have a high incidence of FASD compared to some other regions in British Columbia due to a lot of challenges, be they cultural, economic, etc.

We have also been fortunate that we have some excellent preschool programs and have had the opportunity to participate in pilot projects for children. These programs need to continue. In school district 70 a curriculum for FASD prevention and resource supports for junior and secondary schools are being developed to encourage prevention. By the fall of 2003 the school-based program for FASD children will be implemented in the middle schools.

Hon. L. Reid: I am delighted to respond to the member for Alberni-Qualicum on this very pressing issue. This is an opportunity for us to do differently what needs to be done in our province in terms of promoting healthy pregnancy and healthy outcomes. We very much want full-term, full-weight infants born in our province.

Approximately 271,000 children in British Columbia today are under the age of six. We have roughly 40,000 births annually. For us to do the job differently, we have to have a much clearer, much finer respect for maintaining the moms and the babes in a dyad together. We haven't done that particularly well as a province, but we are attempting to do that. I can assure this House that we have had amazing success in a very short space of time.

Take the Burns Lake program, in Burns Lake, British Columbia: Healthier Babies–Brighter Futures. Their statistics are amazing: 94 percent of the women involved in this program have either reduced or eliminated their alcohol consumption. We are producing healthy babies in Burns Lake, an enormously fine achievement on behalf of the province — frankly, a world-class program, a showcase for British Columbia.

The Canada Northwest FASD Partnership will be hosting a continuing medical education symposium there this September — September 27 to 29. I would invite my colleagues in this Legislature to participate in that event, because it's an opportunity for British Columbia to show the country and, frankly, to show internationally what we are doing — amazing statistics, probably the best in the land, housed in a very small program in Burns Lake, British Columbia. I would certainly pay tribute to Annie Price, who heads that program.

For the members of this Legislature to understand: it's a very small investment of dollars that has produced enormously beneficial outcomes. We have healthy babies today who will have choices and opportunities that they may not have had otherwise.

Some other great investments, great initiatives on the horizon for us. We were very privileged to participate in the co-location of the Crabtree and Sheway programs on the downtown east side. The building is on to its fifth floor of construction and will open this October. It is an opportunity for the province to be in-

ordinately proud of providing safe and secure housing for young moms and babes. Our challenge will be to keep those moms and babes together, hopefully until those babies are two, two and a half or three years of age, so that indeed they can begin their lives with the best possible start.

To have a strategy that supports women as they battle their addiction issues is vitally important for this province — vitally important. For us not to do that allows the outcomes that we've had previously, which was all about separating moms and babes and those moms who had other babes that suffered from FAS. Our challenge is to limit as precisely, as concisely as we can the number of babies born in our province suffering from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, but to do it from a place of compassion and support for women. If we want a different outcome, this is all about supporting the women who are very much involved in the lives and livelihoods of those little souls. Indeed, it's vitally important that we continue to take those messages forward.

The Building Blocks program in British Columbia. We had 27 programs last year. We have 52 programs this year. We have doubled the number of programs that are all about, again, supporting moms and families. There are lay home visiting programs. They see people go into the homes of children at risk and hopefully provide some prenatal support, as well, so that those women feel supported in the choices they would make that would produce a healthier infant. The Building Blocks programs in British Columbia — absolutely outstanding. To all of those who participate in those programs and deliver those programs and, week in and week out, spend time with those families, I again pay enormous tribute. I think it's doing a wondrous job for the lives and livelihoods of our babes.

In terms of other programs and other initiatives we have underway, we have a public awareness campaign that is ongoing. We have the brewers, vintners and distillers in this province onside when it comes to a message that we would wish to take forward. This is the message in a condensed form: "There are at least three times in your life where you should not consume alcohol — when you're under age, when you are driving and when you are planning a pregnancy or are pregnant." Very straightforward message. Indeed, if we can message it much more clearly how important a first trimester pregnancy is — that indeed we do not wish individuals to imbibe alcohol at all during pregnancy, but the vital aspect of that pregnancy is the first trimester….

Frankly, many people consume alcohol before they realize they're pregnant. Take some time. Take some thought when you're planning a pregnancy and make some choices that will indeed have a better outcome for your baby.

It's vitally important that we do those issues in a much more concerted effort than we have in the past. We're attempting to take forward better information and better knowledge, and we're attempting to build a better understanding of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The Canada Northwest FASD Partnership is the four western provinces, Manitoba west, and the three territories — the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Nunavut, which I very recently had the privilege to visit. In terms of their minister, the Hon. Ed Picco, taking forward this issue on behalf of Nunavut, on behalf of the new territory…. The new territory is four years old on April 1, not a longstanding opportunity around governance. But the fact that they're concerned, the fact that they're taking this issue forward warms my heart. I look forward to the member's concluding remarks.

G. Trumper: I want to thank the Minister of State for Early Childhood Development. She truly is leading British Columbia, in Canada, forward in trying to combat this disease which is preventable but does go with the child right through to adulthood and affects them all through their life.

We are progressing well in the effort to combat the number of children born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, but there's still a long way to go with this entire issue. A particular challenge that faces these children is how they progress when they enter the school system. It is a challenge of how to give them the best opportunity. School boards, health boards, parents, teachers and other community organizations try to give each child an equal opportunity to succeed, but it's not easy.

Some disorders are easily recognizable. While some children have parents who are able to lobby for their children very effectively, my concern with FASD students is that some of these children do not have strong families ready to lobby for them. It is these children in particular who need our help, who need community help so that they can live life to their full potential. There are many ways that this can be done and is being done using resources in the community.

I am optimistic about a pilot project that is being proposed of the Alberni Valley FAS. community action group, which aims to support individuals with FASD and to decrease the incidence of this disease. This group is a volunteer community coalition that has brought together the diverse communities in the Alberni Valley and surrounding coastal communities with a common goal of dealing with this disorder. I hope that this model that is being proposed in my community will go forward and will be able to serve as an example of how best to help these children as they go through their school years. I do want to take the opportunity to commend school district 70 and school district 69 for their work and programs in place for these students.

However, there's a great deal more to be done so that together we can help these students to lead useful lives and to reach their potential.

Mr. Speaker: Hon. members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 46 without disturbing the priorities of motions preceding it on the order paper.

V. Roddick: I rise today in support of the motion moved by the member for Cariboo North.

If we are to remain an independent nation, we must have the ability to protect our country and to protect our people. One major ingredient is to provide clean, safe air, water and food.

There was a rude awakening overall in this country after Walkerton, but in 1999, Canadian Marq de Villiers from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, wrote a fascinating book on our world's water supply, simply called Water.

B.C., in 1998-99, issued report No. 5 from the auditor general's office, Protecting Drinking Water Sources; in 2000 the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts, April 18, 2000, Protecting Drinking-Water Sources; the provincial health officer's annual report 2000, Drinking Water Quality in British Columbia: The Public Health Perspective; Worldwatch, January-February 2000 issue, "Groundwater Shock: The Polluting of the World's Major Freshwater Stores"; in 2001, Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Protecting Drinking Water Sources, a follow-up report draft, February 2001; the public health perspective, October 2001; "A Primer on Water Policy and Trade Issues," December 2001, Wendy R. Holm, P. Ag., Country Life in B.C.; in 2002, Action Plan For Safe Drinking Water in British Columbia, Health Services; RPF Forum, Association of B.C. Professional Foresters, "Forestry in Community Watersheds," March-April 2002; water quality 2001-02, compiled by Pat Somerton of the B.C. Legislative Library.

As you can see, British Columbia and this House recognize and support advances in improvement of our drinking water quality and will continue to strive to keep it environmentally sound and free from contamination. The ability to feed and protect ourselves, as Canadians, will ensure our ability to remain an independent, sovereign nation.

Deputy Speaker: Hon. members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 50 without disturbing the priorities of motions preceding it on the order paper.

A. Hamilton: I rise to support the motion of my colleague from Chilliwack-Kent. His proposal that our province adopt some form of the highly successful AMBER alert program is one that deserves the backing of all MLAs.

As a former police officer, I know too well the anguish, shock and pain felt by parents and communities when a child is abducted. While recovery of abducted children is the highest priority for law enforcement agencies, the sad fact is that 74 percent of these evil crimes result in the child victim being killed in the first three hours. If a life is to be saved, speed is critical. It's essential to get information on the abduction out to the widest possible network, to police forces and through radio, television and other channels to the public at large. Through AMBER alert, which operates in more than 25 states, sharp-eyed members of law enforcement agencies and the public have been credited with rescuing more than 34 young people.

The principle is simple: use police and private and public sector radio channels, as well as the medium of television, to saturate the crime area with descriptions of the child, possible suspects and other details of the case. The result is that thousands of eyes and ears are alerted to watch for the missing youngster and suspicious individuals or vehicles that match the information circulated through the AMBER network.

We have a model to build on right here in south Vancouver Island. It's a model that operates on the same principle that has proven successful. I refer to Operation Cooperation, which circulates up-to-date information from member police forces to a network of participating agencies and companies, alerting them to look for stolen vehicles, suspect vehicles, criminal suspects, missing elderly or mentally disturbed persons and high-crime areas.

Police departments throughout greater Victoria have been joined by community-minded agencies and a host of other companies that operate vehicle fleets with radio systems. Information is circulated through the use of voice mailboxes and pagers. Police contact the operation cooperation voice mail and record the information they want to get out. The dispatchers of the participating agencies and companies are alerted to that new information, and after retrieving the data from the mailbox, they use their radio systems to relay the information to their vehicle fleet and staff. The result, of course, is that a vast amount of extra eyes and ears go on the lookout across the entire greater Victoria area.

Operation Cooperation works. Crimes have been solved, criminals caught, and stolen vehicles and property have been discovered. Because of Operation Cooperation, we have a foundation that will allow us to

create our very own AMBER alert system. We all pay a price for crime and criminal activities. Stolen cars and other property cause inconvenience, monetary loss and higher insurance rates.

Operation Cooperation is doing a good job in helping reduce the costs of crime, but those costs are insignificant compared to the life of a child. Firemen and the people who fight forest fires have their priorities right: people first, property second. We can do no less when it comes to the safety and well-being of our children. I urge all members of this House to give their active support to this very worthwhile proposal.

Hon. G. Cheema: I would like to take this opportunity to introduce some very special members of my constituency. Today in the House we have 25 grade 9 students from Tamanawis Secondary School in Surrey. They are accompanied by their teacher, Kathy Hall, and two parents, Dr. and Dr. Crossley. I would like the House to welcome my constituents.

V. Roddick: I rise today in support of the motion by the member for Chilliwack-Kent to recognize the value of exploring the establishment of a provincewide AMBER alert early warning system to help find children when they are abducted. Our lower mainland police forces, with the RCMP, are already pursuing this idea. A member of the Delta police force co-chairs, with a representative from the RCMP, the regional police management committee, which deals with regional operational issues to explore a possible protocol for B.C. The ROPMC, regional operational police managers' committee, which is composed of all lower mainland police departments and RCMP detachments, in their December 2002 minutes assigned members to definitely look into AMBER alert Realty Watch for the lower mainland and report back.

Community networking, the basic foundation of AMBER alert, is already in the mix. The lower mainland real estate profession, Realty Watch, has over 1,800 fax machines in their jurisdiction. I understand it has already been used twice in Delta alone over the past month. This is a work in progress, thanks to the excellent support from Mr. Turnbull of the real estate board and input from Washington State and Alberta. Both have just launched their own AMBER alert systems, and we will be viewing all of these in order to design our own process of putting the program in place. This is community policing at its best.

K. Johnston: Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I certainly support the very important motion put forward from the member for Chilliwack-Kent. I believe that the official implementation of an AMBER alert plan in British Columbia is imperative. Having a child abduction alert plan in place does two main things. It sends out the information on the abducted child in the first crucial hours of a kidnapping, and I believe that it would act as a deterrent in some cases because the potential kidnapper would know the public would be looking for them in very short order.

The AMBER plan is a proven tool that saves lives. In the United States over 40 states have implemented the plan, and kids are being saved. I do not believe that implementing an AMBER alert program here in British Columbia would have a great cost to the taxpayer. Working in collaboration and with some gentle arm-twisting, I am sure that radio stations, TV stations and print media would work with law enforcement on a voluntary basis, and they would certainly benefit the public by being part of an AMBER alert system.

The implementation of AMBER alert legislation would also ensure that appropriate standards and controls are put in place to avoid misuse of the system, to focus on actual abductions. A short while ago I had the opportunity to speak about PRIME, the new information-sharing system of police agencies in British Columbia. I see AMBER alert as formalizing an interagency system of immediately tracking a suspected child abduction.

I am extremely passionate about AMBER alert, because about 14 years ago I had the personal gut-wrenching experience as a parent of a potentially abducted child. I can tell you, as a parent, the feeling of despair and hopelessness is indescribable. The police at that time did the their best, but it was obvious there was absolutely no coordinated interjurisdictional plan in place to deal with child abduction. It just wasn't heard of. I can tell you personally that that was frightful. I can remember overhearing an officer saying to another officer at the time: "The best we can do is send a photocopied picture down to the border and hope they haven't gone through already." Mr. Speaker, those words are imprinted on my brain as if it were yesterday, as is the feeling of hopelessness in the situation.

I believe things are better today in terms of police tracking and tracing and interjurisdictional cooperation, but I know that a legislated AMBER alert plan will make them even better and make the system more foolproof. Let's give abducted children a fighting chance. Let's support AMBER alert.

L. Mayencourt: I rise to support this resolution. I want to thank the member for Chilliwack-Kent for bringing this very important issue to this House.

We have heard from a number of the members in this Legislature over the last several weeks about their support for this particular motion, and especially, we just heard from the member for Vancouver-Fraserview a very important statement of the kind of despair that a parent feels when they do not know if their child has been abducted or not. This is one of those issues that I

When we speak about our children…. I don't have children myself, but I have great nieces and nephews, and I have my Olivia, as does the member for Richmond East. And these kids are so important to us. When I was listening to the member for Bulkley Valley–Stikine talk about spending the weekend with his grandchildren and how important they are to him…. These children are really so important to us, and to have them taken from us and not have the kinds of services that would be available to kick in immediately is a great tragedy.

The Solicitor General has brought in a bill that allows for PRIME to be available throughout this province and that allows police forces to link up immediately with one another, so we have a tool here in place that already exists. We just need to turn that switch on. I don't think we have to be concerned about it costing more money. I think the radio stations, the television stations, the broadcasters of British Columbia, the police forces and the community really support this initiative.

I applaud the member's initiative for bringing this forward to this House. I support it wholeheartedly. I encourage this government to support it and to make use of the PRIME database that we have already created here in British Columbia to protect children throughout the province and to protect families.

Hon. R. Coleman: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member from Chilliwack and members of the House for bringing forward the proposal and discussion in and around AMBER alert.

It always amazes me that we actually get it, and the public actually gets it, and there are actually communities within this province that want to build new silos in policing rather than realize we have world-class policing in British Columbia. At some point in time people at the local government level are going to have to realize that the management of policing is actually the responsibility of policing and that the future of policing is going to be an integrated model where we won't have silos across borders, where we'll actually build policing on the basis that we can serve our citizens.

You know, the discussion in and around AMBER alert is about integration. It's about integration of information with the public, with the media, with police and with communities to improve on something. While we discuss it, I want to first of all assure British Columbians that most of what AMBER alert does, we already do, and then we do some other things in addition to that as we increase and improve our technology.

We have looked at this, though, in a number of ways since the member from Chilliwack brought it forward to the House. There are some things I want to tell the House about that before I close my speaking today, but I want to give a couple of examples. We have some communities that think they want to change — one in particular that actually thinks it's about to have a discussion about changing its police force from the RCMP to a private police force within its community…. If that were to happen in this province again, the only thing that would ever be allowed to happen would be a patrol service, because everything above patrol and community policing and policing in British Columbia has to be integrated. There is no room for people to think that they don't have to share information, that they've got special borders around their communities in order to not protect children. That's what AMBER alert is about, frankly. AMBER alert is the quintessential example of what integration should do.

When a child goes missing, every law enforcement officer in the province should know about it and should have that information in real time. We'll accomplish that with PRIME, but in addition to that, we have to enjoin the media and the communities and others in order to make that integrated model work even better. There's always something we can improve on with regard to this, and we shall. I think it's absolutely important that people understand the importance of integrated enforcement and integrated information management for communities on issues with regard to young people going missing and other crimes.

Since this motion was brought to this House, I have asked the member for Bulkley Valley–Stikine and the member from Chilliwack to come back to me within 30 days with a plan that would show us how we would implement AMBER alert in British Columbia. It wasn't that I was concerned that we weren't doing what AMBER alert was doing, for the most part. It's more a concern of mine that we make sure we're doing it well and we're doing it right and that we give it the right information and name out there so that what it means is understood in the public when this situation occurs in any community. I am very confident that within a short period of time we will be able to bring something forward as a recommendation to my ministry to formalize this relationship that exists in integrated management with regard to missing children in the province for all our communities, for the benefit of all the people in the province of B.C.

In doing that, I want you to understand that as we go forward, we are going to add more things into the system to make sure we have integrated information management in situations like this so that we can do things like we do with a specialized team that actually tracks sex offenders as they move across communities, so we can catch them before they reoffend, when they breach their parole or probation, before they actually injure or destroy another child's life. That's what integration is about. That's what good policing is about. That's what good community involvement with policing is about. We are very fortunate to have that in spades in British Columbia in all our communities, in that relationship that exists in communities.

I am proud to say that we are going to move forward with something back to this ministry to see how we formalize and improve our relationship with regard to missing children in B.C. I look forward to hearing

from the member who brought the motion, the member from Chilliwack, and the estimates leader from my ministry, the member for Bulkley Valley–Stikine, as we bring this forward quickly — identify where improvements, if any, need to be made — and immediately move with the stakeholders in the province to make it a successful program in B.C.

G. Trumper: I rise today to support the value of exploring the establishment of a provincewide AMBER alert early warning system in British Columbia. In fact, it should be explored right across the whole of Canada.

There is nothing more frightening, as has been said earlier on, than to suddenly find one of your children missing. Fortunately for our family, our eldest son had just got fed up, at the age of three, with his younger brother and sisters and had taken off to friends ten blocks away. However, we had mobilized the police at that time. I cannot imagine if that had been a kidnapping.

The systems we have in place today, with communications and technology, are used — and certainly are used for AMBER alert. We know that takes place. To see the program used in the United States, where it has been successful in some instances, is very encouraging. We need to move forward with this initiative to enable all media to work with the police, with the technology that we have now in place and particularly with the new programs that are being introduced to policing to improve the system that is in place, so that the public understand what it means when they see an AMBER alert. Hopefully, by moving forward and having an AMBER alert in place in British Columbia, we will be successful, and more families will not have to go through the terrible tragedy of having their child kidnapped and maybe not returned.

B. Penner: I'd like to thank all the members who participated in the debate and gave their support to this motion, which appears under my name on the order paper.

Obviously, we all feel very strongly and are very emotional about children, and that is as it should be. That's what's right about the world. That's why all of us react so strongly when there are those people, sadly among us in society, who go out of their way to cause harm to the most defenceless and vulnerable people. Our reaction to that is an indication that, again, all is right in the sense that we're doing what we can to take action.

This AMBER alert system we've been discussing is just one tool, but I think it's an important tool to help keep our kids safer. There are still responsibilities for parents in terms of educating their children, setting up systems within their families about phoning in, checking in at certain times, arranging rides, not accepting rides with strangers — all of those things. That's still a big responsibility for families.

Government can never take the place of the role that families play in protecting each other, but there is something here that government can do in terms of coordinating the release of accurate and timely information when a child is abducted. That's what the AMBER alert system is about.

I'm very grateful and gratified that the Solicitor General has given his commitment to move forward with such a system. I accept his challenge to bring forward some information to help the ministry, along with the member for Bulkley Valley–Stikine, in developing a made-in-B.C. AMBER alert system that will work well here in B.C. for our needs.

With that, I would like to thank the more than eight individual MLAs who participated in the debate and many of whom shared their own personal perspective on this very important issue.

Deputy Speaker: Hon. members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 68 without disturbing the priorities of motions preceding it on the order paper.

R. Lee: It's my honour to rise in this House and move Motion 68 standing in my name on the order paper.

Chinese Canadians have a long history in British Columbia. Chinese Canadian pioneers established businesses in trading companies, agricultural products distribution, grocery stores, laundries and restaurants. Some — for example, Mr. Roy Mah — even went into the publishing business. Some studied to invest in the real estate business and supermarkets. The families of H. Y. Louie are good examples. Besides, Dr. Milton Wong, Mr. King Wong and Mr. Tong Yuet are all successful entrepreneurs we are familiar with. More recently, Mr. Johnny Fong and Mr. John Shen are the winners of the B.C. New–Canadian Entrepreneur Awards of the Ethno Business Council of British Columbia established in 1988.

In the sixties and the seventies more Chinese Canadian immigrants were moving to British Columbia. In 1968 the Hon. David Lam, former Lieutenant-Governor of B.C., who had a very successful career in real estate, founded the Hong Kong Merchants Association of Vancouver to foster the exchange of information about doing business in Canada. Its mandate is to promote multiculturalism and trade.

In 1981 Chinese Canadian–owned businesses in Chinatown joined together to advocate for the right to open for business on Sundays and holidays. Success in their advocacy encouraged them to work together to

form the Vancouver Chinatown Merchants Association in the same year. The association has since played the important role of bridging the Chinese Canadian business community and the government. In order to encourage and promote business in the Chinatown area, the association created the Chinatown BIA Society. It has also developed the idea of a Chinatown night market, the first of its kind in North America. This annual summer event provides a new and exciting shopping experience to many local British Columbians as well as tourists, attracting 600,000 to 700,000 visitors a year.

A new wave of Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs arrived in the late eighties and early nineties. Chinese Canadians invested billions of dollars in British Columbia's construction and business sectors. While the rest of Canada was in recession, B.C. registered impressive growth in this period. In 1989 we saw the establishment of Sunbrite Business Association, which has been the organizer of the Sunbrite Lunar New Year Festival, the largest annual Chinese new year festival held outside China. Since 1992 the festival has become a major attraction in Vancouver. Over the past 12 years the event has attracted 1.4 million visitors and generated $6 million worth of direct economic activities. The association saw the hidden business opportunities created by the emerging demography and initiated the business development service program to assist new business immigrants to develop and expand their businesses in British Columbia.

In 1995 the Chinese Entrepreneurs Association of Canada was formed and hosted the fourth World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention in 1997 in Vancouver. Its mission is to promote a national network for Chinese entrepreneurs and to nurture business relations within Canadian business communities while fostering the spirit and skill of entrepreneurs through global business networking. Recently it organized business delegations to China, Macao, Korea and Mexico, promoting business opportunities in B.C. and bringing foreign investment into the province.

New business immigrants may not be able to recognize the business opportunities in B.C. They hesitate to develop their own business in the province because of their lack of Canadian experience. Clearly, there's a need to further bring the Canadian business people and business immigrants together to capitalize on these opportunities. Many business associations were formed to meet this need. They include the Canada China Business Association, the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in British Columbia and the Richmond Asia Pacific Business Association, which assists individuals and organizations interested in developing trade and commerce focus on developing social and commercial links with the Asia-Pacific region.

The networking opportunities provided by all the above-mentioned business associations have enabled many Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs to become increasingly successful in many different business sectors, including computer hardware and software, electronic product design and manufacturing, biotechnology research and development, pharmaceutical manufacturing, tourism, education, training and clean energy. Their success has, in turn, helped build B.C.'s economy, creating employment and bringing in investment.

Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs are indeed playing an important role in strengthening the economy of our province. I look forward to the debate on this motion.

P. Wong: Our province is blessed with a multicultural and diverse population that has enriched not only cultural celebrations but also many aspects of economic development in our province.

Today in the lower mainland of British Columbia nearly 25 percent of the population is of Asian ethnic origin. They first came to the province as railway workers and labourers. After a few generations, many are working at senior technical and professional levels in areas such as health, computers, engineering, teaching, the environment, legal, accounting and politics. We have MPs and MLAs and city councillors throughout the province who are culturally Asian. This is a reflection of true democracy and provision of equal opportunities for everyone, which is evident in every facet of the daily lives of all British Columbians.

Many new immigrants bring with them a wealth of international business contacts and experiences that are beneficial to the economic development of British Columbia. It used to take many years of training to develop these kinds of skills and expertise, but now these valuable contacts and techniques are readily available throughout the province. Ultimately, this will make B.C. better equipped to deal with the globally competitive business environment.

B.C. is strategically located on the Pacific Rim. Our province has traditionally relied on exporting our resource products to the U.S., including mining and timber. Our tourism and many other service industries also rely significantly on the U.S. economy.

The time of the new era also meant an era of Internet. Distances between nations are becoming shorter, and information flow and trade are becoming more expedient and important. Given our geographic position, B.C. will benefit if we are able to take advantage of our location and the multitude of diverse and knowledgable workers and business people. We have rich natural resources, some of the world's most breathtaking scenery, and mining and forestry products. B.C. is also a development centre of technology including computer software, environmental issues, health, fuel cells, wireless communications, pharmaceutical products, education and many others. We are able to sell and market many of these products to Asian countries for a handsome return that will give our province more dollars to the people and more tax revenue to finance our increasing health and education needs in the years to come.

Trade is bilateral. It also needs investment dollars to flourish. With more active trade activities with Asian countries, B.C. will be able to attract more international

investment that will provide more jobs to British Columbians. B.C. needs to become not only an international maritime centre but also an international financial centre that will bring international expertise to expand our equity and financing network, including venture capital opportunities for our developing industries. I'm pleased that the Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise and the Minister of Finance are jointly working towards these goals.

In November 2001 our Premier made his first trip to Asia. He recognized the important role of Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs contributing to the B.C. economy. His message was very clear: B.C. is open for business to every part of the world, including Asia. He has been working very hard to bring B.C. to the international scene, promoting international trade and bringing more dollars for all British Columbians.

Marketing B.C. during the Olympic bid is an important step in the process to advertise B.C. to the world. Most business people will agree that we are on the right track. B.C. will once again become a leading province for international investment.

After the Olympic bid is announced on July 3 of this year, I'm confident that B.C. will become a centre of attraction for tourists. This will be a repeat case, similar to Expo 86. At that time all the provinces in Canada were suffering from economic recession, except B.C. This was partly because the international event brought so many tourists and business people to British Columbia — not just from Asia but also from around the world — to spend and to invest. This means more jobs for young people, our hospitality workers and many other people.

I anticipate that with the great leadership of the Premier and his government, B.C. will once again emerge from being a current have-not province to being one of the wealthiest in the country. I fully support this motion.

R. Nijjar: It's my pleasure to speak on this motion for a variety of reasons, one being that I have worked closely with the Chinese Canadian community throughout my life before becoming an elected official. I actually worked for another elected official at the federal level who was of Chinese descent. Through that affiliation, through that work, I made a lot of connections. I got to learn the Vancouver area, the lower mainland area and the Chinese community there.

I know from my personal experience not only through that job, but from being born and raised in Vancouver…. Now I represent a riding that is 36 percent British Columbians of Chinese decent, so my link is very close. I actually enjoy the community very much because I think I share a lot of the overall values that the community does — a lot of hard work, goal-oriented, family- and work-focused, and self-reliance. That is a lesson not only for myself, but a lesson, I think, for all British Columbians. We take the assets. We take the positives of new cultures, of different cultures, when they come here, and we then become that much better by taking the positives.

In my dealings with the Chinese Canadian community, I've been fortunate enough to work with organizations like SUCCESS. SUCCESS is working very hard to take foreign accreditation to a higher level. There are too many Canadians of Chinese descent or even other immigrants coming with, say, engineering degrees, nursing degrees and a variety of different types of degrees. They're professionals in their home countries who come here, and they don't get enough credential assessments there to allow them to work in the profession. They end up working in a job that is completely unrelated.

I know that tomorrow there's an event between SUCCESS and the B.C. Chamber of Commerce. It's called the joint business skilled and professional immigrants forum. I am attending, and I know the member for Burnaby North will also be there, and so will the Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services. We will be there not only to show them support but actually to work on solutions where even more Canadians of Chinese descent can participate fully, based on their education and their professional field, in the Canadian and British Columbia workforce.

I had set a meeting between SUCCESS and members of the Chinese community with Minister Bond on this very issue. The member for Vancouver-Kensington and the member for Burnaby North both attended, as we were very concerned about the issue. I think there's a real solution to be found here, as we work with associations that are independent from government, that needs to recognize the valuable, valuable asset we have. Really, to a large degree, the Chinese business community is untouched. It's a golden opportunity for us, as British Columbians, to benefit.

I've also set a meeting, actually, for the Minister of Competition, Science and Enterprise with members from SUCCESS on the very issue of increasing participation in the workforce, whether it's young Chinese Canadians who have the entrepreneurial spirit or whether it's trying to link members of the Chinese Canadian community that maybe have language barriers to the workforce — where they have the skills on many fronts, but it's just a language issue. I believe one of my messages to the minister and to government has been, at least as the representative for Vancouver-Kingsway, that we are so fortunate to be linked to the Pacific Rim. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to liaise and to do business and social interaction with Asian countries, especially when so many members from the Asian countries have now come to Canada and are Canadians. There is that link; there is that opportunity. It's a golden, untapped opportunity.

I don't think there's ever been a government in British Columbia — I don't think there's ever been a government in Canada — that has fully realized the valuable asset we have and the extent that we can tap into it. One of the ways we need to do that, I believe — and my message is…. We as British Columbians cannot look at immigrant investors or the Chinese business community and say: "This is how we do business in

British Columbia. This is our style of communicating, this is our style of liaising, and now you should follow that style."

When there are so many successful Chinese Canadian business people, when there are so many successful potential investors looking to invest in British Columbia, our question should be: "What do we need to do to help you be successful? How do we need to adjust our way of communicating, our way of doing business, so that you can come here and feel comfortable — know the process, know the procedures, know how to link, know how to move your products and be full partners in British Columbia?" That is our asset to do that. It's to our advantage, and I think as a government we're moving more and more towards that. We realize how important that is.

It is difficult and often it's hard to figure out exactly how to do that, but I think it's so important to work with community organizations like SUCCESS or Sunbrite Business Association, with our members of the Legislature who are well-linked in the Chinese Canadian community because of their Chinese heritage, and with the federal government that also has and has had Members of Parliament and ministers of state and secretaries of state of Chinese descent.

It's very easy as elected officials to talk about the statistics that support the great work the Chinese business community does per their population in British Columbia. Yes, we can rattle out these statistics and applaud them, because they do sound very good, but one of the things that I think is important to say in society is that there are so many valuable traits of the Chinese business community that we need to follow here, which we can learn from.

Of course, when cultures interact, it's always give-and-take on both sides. The British Columbia or Canadian way of doing business is a great example to this world, and of course, in many countries throughout the world they try to emulate being more North American. We have a lot to offer.

Conversely, countries that are so successful in themselves have a lot to offer — especially in the lower mainland, where the business community is so strong and they have expanded outside of the historic Chinatown area, where I am closely linked. Now there's a major business district — basically, the whole city of Richmond — in Coquitlam and markets opening up there. They are all completely independent Chinatowns unto themselves.

We have to recognize there are untapped assets there, and it is not a completely homogeneous group. They are as vibrant and as colourful and as opinionated as any other group of business people. As immigrants from China they have different associations. They come from different parts of China — you know, maybe Taiwan — and we need to understand the business practice. We need to understand what their connections are to British Columbia and to foster that.

It's always been my pleasure to work with the organizations in Chinatown and Richmond and throughout my riding. In fact, this weekend I was at the Sunbrite Business Association dinner, where I was a guest speaker. They were giving awards to young entrepreneurs who had the best business plans in five different categories. It was a fantastic evening, and the awards weren't just going to those Canadians of Chinese descent. It was open to anyone from many of the colleges and universities across British Columbia. There were some great projects out there on export, on services and on high-tech. With the mayor of Richmond, I had the pleasure of awarding these awards.

Sunbrite and many of the business associations — RAPBA, whose dinner we're going to in two weeks — also do a lot to make connections within the Chinese business community itself. Those that get inside the community and see the success they're having realize how much potential there is and how much we outside of the community itself need to tap into that. As an elected official, I hope to help in doing that — fostering the link between the community, the government and the Pacific Rim.

K. Johnston: I'm certainly pleased to be able to rise today in support of the member for Burnaby North's motion. The member's motion recognizes the contribution of the Chinese Canadian entrepreneur to our society in strengthening the economy of British Columbia and, in fact, this great nation.

I would like to expand on his comments to celebrate the contribution to the building of British Columbia and Canada by people from all corners of this world. Chinese Canadian and all multicultural entrepreneurs have been the backbone of our historical growth and help make British Columbia part of this world economy.

I think one of the most recognizable symbols of the historical importance of the Chinese Canadian entrepreneur is Vancouver's Chinatown. As it goes through a transformation today, it continues as a beacon of that entrepreneurial spirit. Almost 35 years ago I had the privilege of doing a term paper while at UBC on the importance of Vancouver's Chinatown to the local economy in that ancient time, and frankly, not much has changed. It is still an important economic driver in Vancouver, and it is constantly coming up with innovative ways, such as the Chinatown night market, to draw business and to show ways to create new ways to do business.

Many of us are familiar and have had the opportunity to meet with many prominent members of the Chinese Canadian business community. I myself had the enriching experience of being a member of the Richmond Asia Pacific Business Association when it first started. From that experience I can tell you I personally learned many valuable lessons about how to do business and how to conduct business. The Chinese Canadian business values of patience, relationship-building and taking a long-term view have added to my appreciation of how business should work.

We are familiar with many high-profile Chinese Canadians in British Columbia, but it is the small busi-

ness entrepreneur who is the unsung hero of our economy. We need entrepreneurs in this province who are willing to take the risks that are needed to move our province forward, especially in the new economy of technology and service.

As the baby-boomers head off into the sunset years, we will be suffering in maintaining a skilled workforce. We must open up opportunities through a policy of immigration and making an attractive investment climate.

In thinking about Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs and indeed entrepreneurs from all countries and backgrounds, I think about my own cul-de-sac that I live in, which I believe is a microcosm of British Columbia. I have six neighbours and just a tremendous diversity: an Indo-Canadian farmer, a Taiwanese golf course operator, a Scottish Canadian transportation worker, a German Canadian salesperson, a music teacher from Singapore and a lawyer born in Hong Kong. That really, really shows the tremendous diversity in our culture.

A few months ago I had the opportunity of walking around the riding of Vancouver-Fraserview and visiting over 175 businesses. Many of those businesses are operated by new arrivals to British Columbia. It underscores the importance of keeping the doors open to our economy. The province of British Columbia, in partnership with Canada, is doing its part. Investor programs allow those motivated and talented people the opportunity to come to British Columbia to invest in and create jobs in British Columbia. Prosperity in our future is dependent on it, especially in the high-priority areas of high-tech, health and life sciences, manufacturing and education.

British Columbia is today a culturally diverse province. I am delighted to pay tribute to the past contribution, the present contribution and certainly the future contribution of our Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs. They have been a big part in making this a great province.

I. Chong: I, too, rise in support of Motion 68 as proposed by the member for Burnaby North. I want to also thank all members who have spoken prior to me, who have raised all the very important associations and organizations that have been formed over a number of years by Chinese Canadians.

The population in Victoria is not as great in terms of Chinese Canadians as it is on the lower mainland. I think we have somewhere around 10,000 Chinese Canadians in the greater Victoria area. I don't profess to represent a riding that contains a large majority of Chinese Canadians, but I do note their accomplishments and their successes and their contribution to our community.

I want to say that here in Victoria we were very privileged to have His Honour the former Lieutenant-Governor David Lam be a part of our local community. I can tell you the Chinese community was extremely proud to have met with him on a number of occasions and to have enjoyed his presence at a number of Chinese organizations here in Victoria.

What I'm particularly proud of is the fact that we in Victoria have the oldest Chinatown in Canada and the second-oldest in North America, the first being established in San Francisco and the second, of course, here in Victoria. Even though we have a Chinatown that only boasts a block or two as opposed to many, many blocks in Vancouver and, in fact, even in Richmond, ours certainly is one that we are very proud of. It has a huge heritage significance not just for Chinese Canadians but for the entire community as a whole.

My grandfather arrived on this land, I think, in the early 1900s. I only know that because my father was born in 1917, and he was born a Canadian — or he was born in Canada. I can't say he was born a Canadian, because he was not given citizenship until many years later, after he had become an adult and had fathered some children. As a result of that, I do represent a Chinese Canadian born in British Columbia, a second-generation Chinese Canadian, which sometimes we don't come across as often.

My mother was an immigrant. She arrived here in the 1950s from China, and very much I hear of the struggles that she has had. Along with my father, she picked up the entrepreneurial spirit, and they themselves were in business.

At one point, I'm told, well before I was born…. People will remind me that my father used to have to sell bags of popcorn in front of the Legislature back in, I guess, the 1930s and 1940s for two bits and apparently did quite well. Back then he was a street vendor. He then went on to work in the shipyards, at that time Yarrows shipyards, which interestingly enough built some of the B.C. ferries which are still in good running order now. Eventually, he got into the building aspect and built some houses and developed a real estate portfolio, all the while knowing that Canada is a country where opportunity exists. Canada is a country that encourages entrepreneurial spirit, and for those who wish to take up that entrepreneurial spirit, they can succeed and leave a legacy behind not just for their children and families but for the community as a whole.

It's already been mentioned how many people have arrived on these shores and have been able to achieve great things. I just want to note that the University of Victoria this year has elected their very first ever Chinese Canadian chancellor, and that's Mr. — or Dr. — Ron Lou-Poy; he received his doctorate degree. He's a lawyer, and he will be installed in June. Also, UBC had a chancellor of Chinese descent, and that was Mr. Bob Lee, who coincidentally is Mr. Lou-Poy's brother-in-law. Of course, we know Milton Wong was chancellor at Simon Fraser — so great achievements there.

I regularly meet with our Chinese veterans here in Victoria. I know their numbers are diminishing, but they hold their heads high and are proud each and every Remembrance Day or any other time throughout the year when they're called upon to represent the veterans —

and having served our country. Many of them have taken up businesses and have established them and have sold them to their children. What I would like to do in supporting this motion is encourage not only Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs, as the member for Vancouver-Fraserview has indicated, but all entrepreneurs here in British Columbia and particularly, if we are encouraging Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs, the second and third generation and so on, because all too often those things are lost.

We all know that this province needs to return to number one in terms of economic growth. In order for an economy to grow, we need our population to grow, and one way for our population to grow is by immigration. It's already been mentioned by other members — the importance of immigration to this province, the importance of immigration to this country but, most importantly, the importance of having our population continue to grow so that we can have a prosperous British Columbia. Thank you for the opportunity.

Hon. G. Halsey-Brandt: I rise in support of Motion 68 from the member for Burnaby North. The Chinese Canadian community in Richmond represents one of the most active and culturally rich communities in British Columbia. Every year thousands of Chinese immigrate to Canada, and the majority settle here in British Columbia. According to the most recent census, 59 percent of my riding is now visible minority, and a large portion of that population is Chinese Canadian.

Living in a new economic and cultural environment is very challenging, to say the least, yet the Chinese community in Richmond has overcome these challenges and flourished. The economic successes of the Chinese community are reflected by the establishment of a variety of Chinese Canadian business organizations, including the Hong Kong–Canada Business Association; Chinatown Merchants Association; the Richmond Asia Pacific Business Association that was mentioned earlier; along with the Sunbrite Business Association, which was also referred to; the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in Canada; and the Canada China Business Council, just to name a few. These organizations play an invaluable role in promoting British Columbia to China and to the world and are instrumental in developing export markets for British Columbia.

In Richmond the Chinese community has established a major shopping area where people can do business in the Chinese language and purchase many traditional Chinese products and services. Malls such as the Aberdeen, Yaohan and Parker Place have also become major tourist attractions for people looking to experience Chinese culture right here in British Columbia. The Aberdeen centre is currently undergoing a major 500,000-square-foot redevelopment, with an adjoining 175-room hotel being constructed next door. Across the street the Radisson Hotel and shopping complex anchors this neighbourhood.

The word "entrepreneur" is a key part of this motion, because it does reflect the business philosophy that most of our recent immigrants from China reflect.

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