2008 Legislative Session: Fourth Session, 38th Parliament
HANSARD

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.

The printed version remains the official version.

official report of

Debates of the Legislative Assembly

(hansard)

Monday, February 9, 2009

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 37, Number 1

[ Page 13555 ]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2009

The House met at 1:33 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Prayers.

Tributes

STAN HAGEN

Hon. G. Campbell: I rise today to pay tribute to a member of this House who left us far too early: the member for Comox Valley, Stan Hagen. Stan was dedicated to the honour of this House and to public service. He was incredibly loyal, not just to the province but to all the members in the House, and I think people would agree with that.

He started his public service in the early '80s, was first elected to the Legislature in 1986, held ten separate ministerial portfolios and was truly a generous and caring spirit.

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I know everyone in this House will miss Stan Hagen. He did embody the spirit of what an honourable member should be, and I hope, Mr. Speaker, that on behalf of the House you will communicate directly to the Hagen family to thank them for their commitment to public service through Stan Hagen — their father, their husband and their grandfather.

C. James: I want to echo our condolences to the family of Stan Hagen. There's no question that Stan Hagen was an exemplary politician who served this province well, but most importantly, I will remember Stan Hagen as a gentleman.

I'll remember Stan Hagen the person, who even in some very difficult times in this Legislature, when we were having very heated debates, would always remember to check in with people, would always remember those of us who had gone through cancer battles. He'd take a moment to just acknowledge and make sure that people were doing well, and I think that speaks volumes about the person Stan Hagen.

I want to thank his family for sharing him with all of us in British Columbia and to say that we are all richer knowing him. Our condolences to his family.

Statements

MESSAGE FROM CHUCK PUCHMAYR

C. James: I bring a message from the member for New Westminster to everyone in the Legislature. As many of you know, the member has been recovering from a liver transplant, and one of the challenges that we've all had is to be able to keep him away from his BlackBerry while he recovers. The members in this House will understand that.

I had a message from him this morning asking if I would bring these words to the Legislature on his behalf. He would like to:

"…thank all members and staff on both sides of the House for their kind thoughts, letters and cards of support while I go through this journey of post-transplant recovery. I'd also like to extend my thanks to the citizens throughout British Columbia who sent kind prayers and wishes. The strength that this gave me, my family and my friends is immeasurable, and we feel truly blessed."

I know all of us in this Legislature send our best wishes to the member for New Westminster. He's now at home. He's released from the hospital, and he's recovering well.

Hon. G. Abbott: I certainly join with the Leader of the Opposition in extending best wishes to the member for a speedy recovery.

Introductions by Members

Hon. G. Abbott: In the gallery today is the class of the 2009 legislative internship program. The legislative internship program, as I think all members know, has been serving very well and very effectively, now for 33 years, government and opposition members in this Legislature.

I had the privilege of being a member of the class of 1976, the inaugural year for the legislative internship program. We, of course, were drawn from primary school students back in those days, so I'm actually much younger than I appear today.

The Minister of Environment is also is a former legislative intern — I think something like class of 1989. So certainly, this has been a great program.

Today we can welcome the class of 2009 legislative interns. They include Marie Perry, Jennifer Goad, Erin Rennie, Andrew Kurjata, Emily-Anne Paul, James Cybulski, Mike Gudaitis, Niya Karpenko, James Bagan and Shawn Courtney.

I think we should also say a hearty thank-you, even though he isn't with us today, to Dr. Paddy Smith from Simon Fraser University, who has done an exceptional job of coordinating the legislative internship program in recent years.

The program has been an outstanding success, not only because of the remarkable young people, the young graduates who are part of the program, but also because of the exceptional leadership that Dr. Paddy Smith and others have provided to the program. So please, I hope all members can join me in welcoming the class of 2009 legislative interns.

R. Austin: I would like to introduce two visitors to the Legislature today, both of whom are constituents of mine. Visiting from Kitimat are Denise Lodge and her fiancé Paul Connolly.

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They aren't just here to witness question period for the first time. They also have important business later this afternoon with civil servants from the Ministry of Solicitor General. They will be giving further input into the important matter of motorcycle safety and are hoping that this will lead to a graduated licensing scheme here in B.C. as well as other measures.

I would like all members of the House to join me not only in welcoming these guests but also in thanking them. The Lodge family have taken a personal tragedy, set aside their grief and have dedicated their time and energy into advocating, along with other families in British Columbia, for implementation of motorbike safety measures that will undoubtedly save the lives of British Columbians in the future. For that I thank them — for their courage and for the work they're doing.

Hon. P. Bell: I'd like to introduce two individuals to the House. The first is Cameron Ehl. Cameron was my constituency assistant in Prince George last summer. He graduated recently from the University of Northern British Columbia, where he was the president of the Northern Undergraduate Society. He was also instrumental in getting the universal bus pass system approved by the student body there. During his tenure he also saw the grand opening of a $2.1 million Northern University Student Centre, better known as a student pub.

I'd also like to introduce for a second time Andrew Kurjata, who was born and raised in Prince George and is part of the internship program. He also attended the University of Northern British Columbia and graduated last year with a major in international studies and political science. He was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. He also spent six months overseas teaching English as a second language in Wuhan, China, worked in the forest industry and is also hoping to move back to Prince George to help the economy diversify.

Would the House please join me in welcoming these two individuals.

C. Wyse: It is my honour today to welcome Marc Woons to the House. Marc is one of my former CAs who set up my office when I originally was elected. Marc worked for me for a long number of years. He has relocated here to the Victoria area and has found employment down here. I wish him the best, and I would ask the House to make Marc welcome here today.

Tributes

gordie weber

R. Thorpe: On Wednesday, February 4, British Columbians lost Gordie Weber. Gordie has left his wife Garrie of nearly 60 years; his children, Greg and Gael; four grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Gordie worked for 38 years for the Labatt brewing company here in British Columbia. He was instrumental in working with the Variety Club, was involved in sports organizations throughout the province of British Columbia and was commissioner of Little League baseball. Gordie was an individual who gave back so much to the families and individuals of British Columbia, and he will be sorely missed. British Columbians have lost yet another very, very good citizen.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that you please, on behalf of this Legislature, send our condolences to his wife Garrie, their children and his grandchildren and great-granddaughter.

Introductions by Members

L. Krog: In keeping with the tradition of this House, I'm happy to tell you that our granddaughter Portia welcomed a little brother into the world on January 20. Little Archer was 7 pounds, 9.8 ounces. He's 21 inches long. I hope, in light of the fact that his birthday is T.C. Douglas's birthday, that he might put the fear of God into the government benches at some point in the future.

Tributes

CANADIAN SKI CROSS TEAM

Hon. J. McIntyre: I was just hoping this afternoon that I could have the acknowledgment of the House on an incredible achievement over the weekend. I think many of you know that there have been a number of test events going on in the province in the snow venues up at Whistler in the Callahan and up at Cypress this past weekend.

We had an amazing achievement. Not only did Canadians take five of the six positions on the podium for the extreme sport of ski cross, which for the first time will be an Olympic sport in 2010, but we had an amazing gold-medallist finisher, a constituent of mine from Squamish now, in Aleisha Cline. She is a 38-year-old mother of two. She just had her second child nine months ago, came out of semi-retirement to win gold, followed by the silver medallist from Whistler, Ashleigh McIvor.

I just think that out of all of these things, it would be great if the House could acknowledge their incredible triumph. This is the grit and the calibre of our B.C. athletes.

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ROSEMARY BROWN

S. Herbert: I rise to acknowledge Black History Month, which of course is the whole month of February, and in particular to bring attention to a former member of
[ Page 13557 ]
this House, the late, great Rosemary Brown. I was lucky enough to be able to attend a ceremony where Canada Post unveiled its commemorative stamp of Rosemary, who sat both as a member for Vancouver-Burrard but later as a member for Burnaby-Edmonds.

She did so much for so many over the many years she was here, so I just wanted to acknowledge Rosemary Brown and thank the National Congress of Black Women for bringing her name forward to be commemorated on the stamp. Congratulations.

Tabling Documents

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to present the Auditor General's report, Grant Administration of the B.C. Arts Council: 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games; Auditor General's report No. 12, Planning for School Seismic Safety; Auditor General's report No. 13, 2008-2009, Public Sector Governance: A Guide to the Principles of Good Practice and How Are We Doing? The Public Reporting of Performance Measures in British Columbia; Representative for Children and Youth, 2008 Progress Report on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the B.C. Children and Youth Review; Elections B.C. Annual Report 2007-2008; and the annual report of the Office of the Merit Commissioner 2007-2008.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

Finance Statutes (Deficit
Authorization and Debt Elimination)
AMENDMENT Act, 2009

Hon. C. Hansen presented a message from His Honour the Administrator: a bill intituled Finance Statutes (Deficit Authorization and Debt Elimination) Amendment Act, 2009.

Hon. C. Hansen: I move that Bill 48 be introduced and read a first time now.

Motion approved.

Hon. C. Hansen: The Finance Statutes (Deficit Authorization and Debt Elimination) Amendment Act, 2009, amends the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act to temporarily suspend the prohibition against deficit budgets for a period of two years, enabling the government to present deficit budgets to the Legislature for the 2009-10 and the 2010-11 fiscal years.

By default, government ministers will lose a portion of their holdback related to collective responsibilities as set out in the existing provisions of the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act unless government's actual results for the year are balanced or in surplus.

Immediately at the end of the two-year period the authorization to present deficit budgets will be automatically repealed and the original prohibition against deficit budgets will be restored.

As well, Bill 48 amends the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act so that, beginning with the first year that the budget is once again balanced, the Minister of Finance is then required to use any year-over-year increase in cash in the consolidated revenue fund to reduce or eliminate provincial government direct operating debt.

Furthermore, the Minister of Finance is prohibited from introducing supplemental estimates until the direct operating debt is eliminated. This prohibition does not limit government's ability to respond to natural disasters or other emergency situations as those expenditures are covered by statutory spending authority.

Bill 48 also amends the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act to require that the reports enabling government to monitor progress on debt elimination are included in the public accounts.

I move that Bill 48 be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

Bill 48, Finance Statutes (Deficit Authorization and Debt Elimination) Amendment Act, 2009, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today.

Statements (Standing Order 25b)

RESPONSE TO FLOODS
IN FRASER VALLEY

J. Les: In my riding winter is almost behind us. Slowly we see the emergence of snowdrops, crocuses and the catkins on the filbert nut trees.

However, wintertime, while it lasted, was seriously traumatic for some of my constituents. Midway through December we had some very cold weather that froze the ground, followed by very heavy snow that piled up to a depth of a metre by New Year's.

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Inevitably, as it does in our parts, the snow turned to rain — in fact, more than 20 centimetres of rain by the first full week in January. The inevitable happened. Some of the lower-lying areas were flooded, especially the Greendale area, and several mudslides and debris torrents occurred on the hillsides.

These were distressing circumstances for about 150 families who were forced to evacuate their homes, in some cases losing almost all of their personal possessions. But as is often the case, it was heartwarming to observe the response from the community, the provincial emergency
[ Page 13558 ]
program, and the relief agencies and charities from far and wide.

City of Chilliwack employees and equipment worked around the clock, especially in the initial stages of the emergency, to help avert the worst of the disaster and to get residents out of harm's way. Personnel from the provincial emergency program moved in and, as always, provided yeoman service, especially in assisting people in the recovery phase. They are a wonderful group of people and very professional in what they do. On behalf of the community, I want to thank them for coming through once again in an hour of need.

However, there are others who responded, as well, who thereby perhaps earned the deepest gratitude of the residents affected. I'm talking here about neighbours, the Rotary clubs, the Red Cross, the Mennonite disaster committee, the Samaritan's Purse and many others who I do not have time to mention here. It was an amazing display of people selflessly volunteering, tearing out carpets, gyproc, insulation, ruined furniture, and many other tasks that needed doing.

Within a few weeks, life was starting to return to normal for the people who were affected. Today most of the people are back in their homes.

The memories of the flood of January 2009 will long remain. But so will the memories of all the wonderful volunteers who helped the victims pull their lives back together.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
IN MAPLE RIDGE–PITT MEADOWS area

M. Sather: Residents in Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge are looking forward to improved transportation in their communities but have concerns about significant unresolved issues. One of these issues is the lack of an interchange to replace the traffic lights at Harris Road and Lougheed Highway. This intersection begins the backup of vehicles on Lougheed Highway that makes just about every morning rush hour traffic report. Traffic also backs up Harris Road from this intersection. The Golden Ears and Pitt River bridges will not be able to adequately function without a new interchange.

Several thousand residents of Pitt Meadows live between the railroad tracks and the Fraser River. Their safety is constantly in jeopardy due to long, slow-moving freight trains that cut off their access to ambulance services and Ridge Meadows Hospital. They have been calling for an overpass on the railroad for years but are still waiting for government funding.

Pitt Meadows is a rich agricultural area, with most of the farmland lying north of the Lougheed Highway. Many residents are concerned about a planned road that would cut into that farmland. They are waiting to hear what the province has to say about this planned road. They would like to know if the province is in favour of the backroom discussions about this development that are going on between city hall and the Agricultural Land Commission.

Pitt Meadows residents want the infrastructure that will make these new bridges successful. However, they want governments to be open and accountable about further precedent-setting incursions onto their farmland. Their future depends on openness and accountability, and they deserve no less.

BURNABY MOUNTAIN GONDOLA

H. Bloy: It's a pleasure to be here today. I know you've all heard the slogan "Boats, trains and automobiles." But can you imagine travelling in public transit in the Lower Mainland by taking the SeaBus, the SkyTrain, and now a gondola up to Burnaby Mountain and UniverCity? I want to inform the House of a study that's just been completed to improve transportation on one of Burnaby's busiest and rapidly growing communities — UniverCity on Burnaby Mountain.

UniverCity is an award-winning, sustainable model community adjacent to Simon Fraser University, Canada's number one university. Following their report on Burnaby Mountain gondola transit, I bring attention that we now do 1.5 million bus trips a year, and this is four routes. The gondola would eliminate two of those bus trips up Burnaby Mountain, and it would reduce the trip to just six minutes. It would also cut the operating cost by over 50 percent.

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In addition to the convenience and improved reliability, especially in the winter, the gondola system would reduce emissions by approximately 1.87,000 tonnes per year.

This is currently in the initial planning stages. It is going to take the cooperation of the three levels of government. I can let you know a lot of public consultation will take place.

Through this innovation, the needs of residents and students can be met and the experience of living and learning on Burnaby Mountain can be enhanced. I look forward to the announcement of the new gondola on Burnaby Mountain and the improvement of transportation in the Lower Mainland shortly.

CRAIGFLOWER MANOR

M. Karagianis: Catastrophe was narrowly averted in my community the afternoon of Friday, January 23 this year. The call came in that fire had broken out inside historic Craigflower Manor, the third-oldest surviving building in the entire province. The two-storey log home is one of the last remaining links to the original settlement farms that were established by the Hudson's Bay Company here in the 1850s.
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Greeted with a fireball when they kicked in the back door, fire crews worked quickly to prevent the flames from entering the walls, where the fire certainly would have spread upwards and engulfed the entire house. They contained the flames to a hallway and a kitchen on the bottom floor, saving priceless and irreplaceable artifacts just metres away.

Those firefighters saved the 156-year-old landmark at the corner of Admirals and Craigflower Road. My community is grateful to the View Royal Fire Rescue and the mutual aid support provided by the Esquimalt Fire Rescue and Colwood Fire and Rescue Services.

The fire is a wake-up call that says action is needed to protect Craigflower Manor, though. One of the factors that has already emerged in the investigation is that this priceless heritage building doesn't have an adequate alarm system. Fire investigators say that a smoke-sensitive alarm system would signal trouble earlier. I've asked the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts to pay for this urgently needed system.

In the meantime my community is coming together to raise the $200,000 or more that will be needed to repair the damage. The Land Conservancy — the TLC — operators of the historic site, is guiding the way.

I hope members of the House will join me in thanking the brave firefighters who saved a precious piece of B.C.'s heritage and acknowledge the community members who are leading the effort to fix and restore Craigflower Manor.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN SURREY

D. Hayer: I rise today to speak of the great enhancements to the Surrey health care services. These include the expansion of Surrey Memorial's emergency department and the more than 30 percent increase in the number of acute care beds with the construction of a new tower at the Surrey Memorial Hospital.

This investment is the largest in the history of Surrey and the entire health region. When added to the new 188,000-square-foot construction of an out-patient hospital, which is under construction today, that means we are devoting almost $1 billion to health care facilities in my city of Surrey.

The new tower will bring the Surrey Memorial bed count up to 650, and the emergency department will be five times larger than it is today. The new tower will also provide 48 neonatal intensive care beds for newborn babies, increase the number of birthing beds by almost 40 percent for the new mothers and house an expanded adult intensive care.

This new expansion will give Surrey Memorial Hospital a separate pediatric emergency unit and dedicated mental health unit plus a fast-track minor treatment unit and a major trauma unit. The hospital is also part of the Fraser Health clinical academic campus to train, retain and attract the finest medical expertise in doctors and nurses and other health care workers.

Surrey residents are thrilled about this. This is good news for patients. It's good news for my constituents. This is great for everybody living in Surrey.

Since the announcement was first made, I have spoken with many health care professionals, many doctors, nurses, other health care workers and the representatives of many community organizations of Surrey. They are very happy with this commitment. They were hoping this could have been done in the last 20 years, but it wasn't done. But I'm happy to say it's finally getting done.

Everybody is thrilled about the health care improvements for Surrey residents as well as future residents of Surrey.

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Homelessness in Cariboo area

C. Wyse: I am pleased to speak today about a man in my constituency whose daily work brings him in contact with our community's most vulnerable citizens. I speak of the men, women and children amongst us who have no home.

Wayne Lucier works through the Canadian Mental Health Association to support the homeless in Williams Lake and 100 Mile House. Every day Mr. Lucier works with his clients to find affordable housing. However, this man is not a realtor searching for the perfect waterfront condo or luxury estate. He is searching for those basic necessities to which all citizens in B.C. are entitled: clean, safe, affordable shelter.

Finding this shelter is not simple. Many of Mr. Lucier's clients need other assistance, such as mental health support, financial support, addiction services and food banks. Only then can the search for affordable, clean, safe housing begin.

A count in Williams Lake shows 85 people without homes. In 100 Mile House no official count has determined the exact number of homeless, but referral information from volunteer and government agencies points to a need for affordable housing in that community also.

Every day Wayne Lucier is faced with finding homes for the homeless. When no affordable housing exists, he turns to the friendship centre's shelter. Without this resource, many homeless people in the Cariboo would have to live on the street — a dangerous situation in winter temperatures of minus 35 degrees.

Unfortunately, the friendship centre's resources are limited. There is never enough space available when needed. Mr. Lucier has told me that the biggest barrier for his clients in our community is the lack of affordable housing.

I thank Wayne Lucier for all his efforts on behalf of the citizens of the Cariboo communities. I ask the
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House to join with me in recognizing Mr. Lucier's work in improving the lives of others.

Oral Questions

OLYMPIC GAMES SECURITY COSTs

C. James: Since 2002 the Premier has promised British Columbia taxpayers that Olympic security costs would be no more than $175 million. His Finance Minister echoed the Premier, asserting until recently that $175 million was completely adequate. Now, we all know that's not true. It's going to be at least five times that figure — anywhere from $800 million to a billion dollars.

My question is to the Premier. Why did he hide the real costs for Olympic security?

Hon. C. Hansen: First of all, the Leader of the Opposition should actually do a little bit more research. I would invite her to go and read the debates from Hansard for the estimates in previous years because she will find that comments she has attributed to me and to the Premier cannot be substantiated.

First of all, with regard to….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. C. Hansen: The federal government, through the RCMP, has responsibility for the security for the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year. They have been doing, actually, a first-class job in developing a security plan to make sure that visitors and British Columbians are safe and secure during those games.

We have a responsibility under the security agreement that we signed with the federal government to cover 50 percent of a portion of the security costs. We are in the final stage of negotiating exactly what that number should be.

Mr. Speaker: Leader of the Opposition has a supplemental.

C. James: I'd like to read back to the minister a couple of quotes from the people on the other side. "There's absolutely nothing to indicate that our approach to security for these games is in any way underfunded compared to any other Olympic Games that we have experienced." That's May 2007.

As recently as a few weeks ago: "I had advice from the Deputy Solicitor General that to date there is absolutely no indication that $175 million will not be adequate." I'd like to say, again, in 2005 there was a report prepared by the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit. It was entitled Financial Resource Gap.

The report clearly states: "Numerous financial funding gaps and risks have been identified which will negatively impact security operations. It's anticipated that the total cost of games security will exceed the cost-sharing arrangement budget allocated by a significant amount."

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Again to the Premier. This report was tabled with government in 2005. It said clearly that $175 million wasn't adequate. The minister and the Premier continued to say it was. Why won't they come clean and tell British Columbians the truth about the budget?

Hon. C. Hansen: The security agreement we signed with the federal government is on the website. I invite the Leader of the Opposition to actually go and read it, because what it says is that we will pick up a portion of the cost, not all of the cost, not….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Minister, take your seat for a second.

Continue.

Hon. C. Hansen: So we will live up to our obligation, but it's incumbent upon the RCMP and the federal government to demonstrate to us why it should exceed what has been originally allocated. We're quite prepared to actually absorb our responsibilities once that is finalized. But I can tell you there's a difference between this side of the House and that side of the House because…

Interjections.

Hon. C. Hansen: …we know that the Leader of the Opposition did not support the Olympics from day one.

On this side of the House, we know that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are going to be a huge generator of jobs in this province. It's going to be a huge infusion of economic activity in British Columbia, and we are going to be able to showcase to the world that British Columbia is the best place on earth.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, I want to remind you we want to listen to the question and we want to listen to the answer — so we can hear it.

The Leader of the Opposition has a further supplemental.

C. James: I do, and I'll tell the minister what I support. I support accountability for taxpayers of British Columbia by coming clean on the tax.
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I'd like to read again from the report that the government received in 2005: "The security budget did not take into consideration inflationary increase for materials." Another quote from that report: "Current funding is insufficient for training costs identified." A third quote: "Bid financial budget considerations for security were based on unknown threat levels."

These facts are directly from the report. There are over 20 examples in the report from 2005 that showed why $175 million was a dramatic underestimation. The government knew this. They received that report in 2005. So my question is, again, to the Premier: why does he continue to hide the real costs of security from the taxpayers?

Hon. C. Hansen: What the Leader of the Opposition is suggesting is that just because there are some reports that say it should cost more than $175 million, we should automatically say: "Okay, here's the cheque."

I'll tell you what accountability is, to the hon. member.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. C. Hansen: Accountability is when we say to the RCMP: "You demonstrate to us what it is that we should be charged for as our share of the admin cost, and only once that has been demonstrated, then we will then live up to our obligations." But when we talk about accountability to taxpayers, it's actually saying we will pay what we're obligated to pay, and we will demand accountability, whether it's from the RCMP, the federal government or anybody else, when it comes to what the taxpayers should be paying with regard to Olympic costs.

When the Leader of the Opposition talks about her new-found desire of accountability to the taxpayers, I can tell you that's a pretty strong conversion from what we saw from the NDP in the 1990s, when there was no accountability.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

H. Bains: A committee called public safety committee was established in 2006 with two provincial nominees on it with the responsibility to review the security budget and to review the amended budget.

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The CEO of the 2010 Olympic secretariat, as one of the appointees from the provincial government, act as a co-chair of that committee. The freedom-of-information document shows that that committee in 2007 alone met seven times — seven times, Mr. Speaker. This minister received regular updates from that committee. Yet this minister continues to insist that the total budget is still $175 million. As late as last year he was insisting to say that. It took a federal minister to correct this minister that the security budget will be between $400 million to a billion dollars.

My question is to this minister. Why does this minister continue to mislead the public when he had the information from this committee and from the 2010 Integrated Security that the budget will be significantly higher than $175 million?

Hon. C. Hansen: The member admits that he's actually looked at the security agreement we signed with the federal government, which is on the website, that we signed in December of 2006. I would suggest he read the whole agreement, because in the agreement it actually says that it's incumbent upon the RCMP to present an initial operating budget that is within the allocated amount of $175 million. It also goes on to say that should the RCMP at any time feel that that is not adequate, they need to present a formal amendment to that budget or request, which is then processed by the two levels of government.

We are waiting for the RCMP and the federal government to finalize exactly what it is that they believe the province should be held responsible for. As soon as we have that information, I will be pleased to share it.

Mr. Speaker: Member has a supplemental.

H. Bains: I think it's clear that this minister continues to blame everyone else except himself. This is the minister who ought to have known what the total security budget is going to be. He received regular updates. RCMP internal documents show that they weren't even consulted with the total budget. They are also suggesting that the budget is going much higher and that we should keep hush-hush so that no one will ever know about this.

After years of misleading the public, the government finally was expected to come clean last week about the total security budget, and then they changed their mind again last week. So my question is to the Premier. Why did he choose secrecy — and continues to choose secrecy — over openness, and what held him back from not telling us the truth about the true cost of the Olympics last week?

Hon. C. Hansen: This Thursday is going to be the one-year countdown to the opening ceremonies. What we are going to see in British Columbia is something that will be memorable for everyone that attends, everybody in the province. It will be billions of dollars' worth of additional economic activity that will be generated in British Columbia. We're talking about thousands of jobs that will be created because of the Olympic and
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Paralympic Games. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that there is no one….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Continue, Minister.

Hon. C. Hansen: Mr. Speaker, I can tell you there is no one in this House that is more anxious that that security number be out and public than I am. I'll tell you why. It's because regardless of what definition you use for Olympic-related costs — you can use whatever definition you want — every single one of those costs is public information.

Anybody can add up whatever numbers they want to add up with anything that's even remotely related to the Olympics with one exception, and that one exception is the security cost. That is why I am anxious to have that number out, public, on the table so that everybody can look at all of the costs, and they can add up whatever they want to add up as it pertains to their particular definition of Olympic-related costs.

PUBLIC RELEASE OF
QUARTERLY ECONOMIC REPORT

B. Ralston: Mr. Speaker, while Olympic costs are going up, government revenue is going down. The Premier said last week that in a single day in January, projected government revenue had gone down by $300 million. Obviously that's a big drop. Anxious British Columbians want more than hollow reassurances and empty promises from this government.

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To that end, will the Minister of Finance table the quarterly report with the actual financial results for October, November, December, and the information that the Premier has relied upon apparently as recently as ten days ago?

Hon. C. Hansen: As the member, I thought, would have known, the third quarterly report is presented on budget day. That's in statute, that it is the third Tuesday of the month of February every year, and that's when the third quarterly will be tabled.

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

B. Ralston: The minister knows full well that it's up to him to table that report early. Indeed, the second quarterly was tabled ten days in advance of the date on which it's normally tabled.

Is the minister so arrogant that he regards these private briefings by senior treasury officials as private information that he will not share with the public regardless of the purpose we're here for this week?

Hon. C. Hansen: I must say I'm a little bit puzzled with the question from the member, because the third quarterly report is an integral part of the budget presentation which is tabled on….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Minister, just take your seat.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members, we're not continuing.

Minister, continue.

Hon. C. Hansen: So I can assure the member that the third quarterly report will be tabled as it is always tabled — on budget day, the third Tuesday of February.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON GUN VIOLENCE

L. Krog: Today we had our sixth shooting in seven days. In the middle of it all we heard the less than comforting words of the Attorney General: "People need to know the streets are safe." Well, that sets a whole new definition for safe streets — seven days, six shootings.

Does this Attorney General really believe that the streets are safe? Will he finally wake up to the fact that the people in Metro Vancouver didn't sign on to some real, live, Wild West show? We have drive-by shootings, murders, bullets flying in their neighbourhoods. That is not safe. It is a genuine emergency for the people of metropolitan Vancouver.

So my question is: when is this Attorney General going to stop saying our streets are safe and to actually take some action to protect neighbourhoods from gang violence?

Hon. J. van Dongen: Everyone in this House condemns the brazen acts of violence that we've seen in our communities in British Columbia. Everyone agrees. Everyone is concerned, and everyone believes that the public is entitled to feel safe in their communities and when they go to the shopping mall.

Our government has invested seriously in additional policing in this province — an 89 percent increase, $128 million in provincial policing in this province. The Attorney General and I have actively sought changes to the federal Criminal Code, which we need to improve the ability of our police, our Crown counsel and our judges to process the allegations.

We need the support of the people on the other side of the House, with their federal counterparts, to get these amendments approved by the federal government. The federal government needs the support of the opposition parties to get those amendments passed.
[ Page 13563 ]

Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.

L. Krog: Well, I'm delighted the minister says people are entitled to feel safe. I have news for the minister. They're entitled to be safe.

[1420]

In the summer of 2008 the Solicitor General commissioned a report into gang violence. That report is sitting on his desk, and we know he's read it because he says that the report contains a number of "actionable recommendations" to curb gangs and gun violence. So we know he's got it; we know he's read it.

Simple question: will the Solicitor General immediately table that report and start taking action on the recommendations now to make the streets safe?

Hon. J. van Dongen: The Attorney General and I are acting on a range of fronts, including the gun report that the member refers to. I have committed to the public that I will release that report. I spoke today to two federal Ministers of Justice, indicating that I will be releasing the report, and the report does set out certain actions that can be taken. But there are other actions that we are taking.

We are building additional correction facilities. The members opposite have called for additional capacity in our corrections system, and we have a very good proposal in a good location for a safe, secure, modern correction facility. It requires the support of all members — again, local government, provincial government — collaborating to build this additional capacity.

You cannot call for additional imprisonment of people who face allegations. You cannot call for not releasing people on bail if you don't have the capacity. Our government is committing $185 million to build it.

I call on the Leader of the Opposition to be consistent on their side of the House and support this project.

M. Farnworth: What a pathetic bunch of non-answers that was. We are seeing brazen shootings in public locations that are out of control, from Coquitlam to Vancouver to Surrey to the minister's own riding in Abbotsford, and he has the gall to give a non-answer like that. We've been waiting for a prison in the Okanagan, in Kelowna, since the government went and cancelled the announcement on it last year.

There's a report that the minister has said is sitting on his desk with recommendations on how to deal with gun violence. Well, the public deserves to know what those recommendations are. They deserve to know now. They've paid for that report. When will this minister release that report, give a commitment, not some vague answer? Table that report today.

Hon. J. van Dongen: When there are serious issues in our society, in our communities, all of us are called upon to support the efforts to deal with those issues. It's fine for the member opposite to make the kind of comments he makes, but the members opposite have voted against every single increase in spending for policing in this province in the last eight years. They have voted against increased spending on our specialized police teams. They have voted against increasing spending on front-line policing. They have voted against provincial spending on the provincial police force.

Secondly, the member opposite knows that the corrections facilities run by the provincial corrections service are safe facilities. He knows that those facilities protect communities.

I call on the member opposite, the critic. I call on the Leader of the Opposition to get their position consistent as a caucus and talk to the member for Burnaby-Edmonds and assure him of the safety of these facilities and ask him to quit exploiting the normal apprehensions of people about a prison. That's what he can do to help solve this issue.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

The member has a supplemental.

[1425]

M. Farnworth: This government should hang its head in shame at that answer. It is embarrassing.

It has been clear. The public have been demanding answers and action. We've heard nothing from this government on reviewing the bail process in British Columbia so that we can do everything we can to ensure that gangsters engaged in gun crime are kept behind bars and not on the streets, where they belong.

Instead, we get this minister standing up peddling nonsense. There's a report on his desk that outlines recommendations to deal with gun violence — gun violence which the public in this province are severely concerned about, particularly in his own riding of Abbotsford, particularly in Vancouver and every other community across the Lower Mainland.

So stand up in this House, give the public a commitment date of when you will release that report so that they know what recommendations this government is doing, because right now they see that there's nothing being done.

Hon. J. van Dongen: I have made the commitment to the public that the report will be released. The report sets out an action plan around the issue of firearms.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Just take your seat, Minister. Take your seat, please.

Continue, Minister.
[ Page 13564 ]

Hon. J. van Dongen: I reiterate that gun violence is the number one justice issue for the Attorney General and I. We are calling on police, Crown counsel, the judiciary — everyone involved in the justice system — to act appropriately to deal with this issue.

I'm calling upon the opposition, and I'm calling upon the critic. You cannot call for bail reform if you don't have the capacity to hold people that should be held behind bars. We are building that facility on a property that has been in the corrections system for over 50 years. It is appropriately zoned. It is in the official community plan. I'm calling on the members opposite to get consistent in their position and support the additional capacity for the corrections system.

TOURISM MINISTER COMMUNICATIONS
WITH CONSTITUENTS

N. Macdonald: When the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts was first fired by the Premier for sending an abusive e-mail in February of 2007, this Premier said the following as part of his rationale for that firing: "I think e-mails should be answered in a way that is respectful of the opinions of the citizens that are involved." A fairly obvious statement, but one that the Premier felt he had to make.

Now we have another abusive e-mail aimed at an award-winning Fernie businessman, where the most offensive thing the gentleman said is that he was disappointed that the Tourism Minister did not talk about tourism in a meeting with tourist operators.

For that, the minister sends an e-mail calling the gentleman "bigoted," "ignorant," "shortsighted," "politically partisan," "libellous." The minister also questioned the intelligence of the gentleman. None of those fit the standard that the Premier set in any way.

Clearly, the people of British Columbia have a right to expect a higher standard than this from the minister of the Crown. My question is to the Premier. My question is this. Is this the conduct that is acceptable by a B.C. Liberal cabinet member?

Hon. B. Bennett: To the member: no, I won't apologize for speaking my mind and representing my constituents. What I will do, for the member's benefit, is tell him about a few things that we have accomplished in the East Kootenay over the past four years.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Hon. B. Bennett: I know that the members on the other side really don't want to hear this, but they asked the question, so I'm going to give it to them.

Since I've been elected, over the past almost eight years, we've expanded our hospital in Cranbrook at a cost of $33 million. We've expanded our airport.

Actually, members….

[1430]

Interjections.

Hon. B. Bennett: The members on the other side may not understand the tourism industry. They've never been very good at business. They're not good with numbers. We know that. But they should understand that when you expand an airport and give yourself the capacity to bring people from around the world into our beautiful area, that actually is a pretty positive tourism initiative.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

The member has a supplemental.

N. Macdonald: The question was to the Premier, and for a very good reason after hearing an answer like that from the minister. In 2007 the minister said on the public record that he accepted his error, and to quote the minister directly: "I will never do it again. I will never do it again. I learned my lesson." But the minister has done it again.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Member, just take your….

Continue, Member.

N. Macdonald: And the minister's defence for his actions is not only ridiculous, but it's offensive to people in Kootenay — what he has said. And the Premier chooses by his inaction to condone a pattern of behaviour that is clearly unacceptable in any work setting, much less for a minister of the Crown. The issue speaks to the Premier's standards, to the government's standards. It speaks to a government that allows the abuse of constituents and that allows the abuse of Fernie, one of B.C.'s pre-eminent tourism centres.

Is the minister's conduct acceptable to this Premier — yes or no? Stand and speak.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.
[ Page 13565 ]

Hon. B. Bennett: I am the MLA for the East Kootenay. I have an office in Cranbrook. I spent a lot of time in the Fernie area. I have a lot of friends and a lot of supporters in the Fernie area. There's going to be a referendum on all of this on May 12, and I'm quite confident that folks….

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker: Members. Members.

Hon. B. Bennett: Since this government has been elected, we have more than doubled the funding that's going into tourism promotion in this province. We have created a program in this province where communities can apply for a share of the hotel room tax. And guess where those communities are that are promoting tourism more today than they ever have in the history of this province. Fernie, Invermere, Rossland, Kimberley — you name them. This government has done more for tourism in the past eight years than the government in the 1990s did in ten years, by far.

[End of question period.]

R. Thorpe: I ask leave to make an introduction.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Introductions by Members

R. Thorpe: I would ask that the House please welcome three-month-old Lois Harnett Shaw and Lois's mother, Cindy Harnett, to the House today.

C. Wyse: I seek leave to present a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

Petitions

C. Wyse: I have a petition with ten names requesting that the hon. House take action as may be deemed appropriate to stop the increased assessment from affecting those farmers that lost their appeal for the 2007 tax year.

G. Gentner: I seek leave to introduce a petition.

Mr. Speaker: Proceed.

G. Gentner: I have a petition of 2,682 signatures in addition to the previous 3,253 signatures presented to the House on November 25, 2008 — now bringing the total up to close to 6,000 names — asking that Zion Park receive funding from government so that it can remain open.

[1435]

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: The government's preference today would be to call for second reading, Bill 48. That of course would require unanimous consent from the House.

Out of fairness, before asking for that consent, I think it's appropriate that all members have an opportunity to review the bill that has been tabled moments ago. I am going to suggest, therefore, Mr. Speaker, that we recess for 30 or 45 minutes, and I put that request to the House.

Mr. Speaker: Hon. Members, this House stands in recess until three o'clock.

The House recessed from 2:36 p.m. to 3:04 p.m.

[Mr. Speaker in the chair.]

Hon. M. de Jong: I seek leave to call second reading of Bill 48.

Leave not granted.

Hon. M. de Jong moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Mr. Speaker: This House stands adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The House adjourned at 3:04 p.m.

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