2013 Legislative Session: First Session, 40th 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)

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Morning Sitting

Volume 1, Number 3

ISSN 0709-1281 (Print)
ISSN 1499-2175 (Online)

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2013

The House met at 10:04 a.m.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

Prayers.

[1005]

Tabling Documents

Madame Speaker: Hon. Members, I have the honour to present the following.

Office of the Auditor General reports 2012-2013 — report 13, Striving for Quality, Timely and Safe Patient Care: An Audit of Air Ambulance Services in British Columbia; report 14, An Audit of Carbon Neutral Government; report 15, Audit of the Evergreen Line Rapid Transit Project. Office of the Auditor General reports 2013-2014 — report 1, Follow-up Report: Updates on the Implementation of Recommendations from Recent Reports; report 2, School District Board Governance Examination; report 3, Public Sector Board Use of Information in British Columbia 2012: Progress Update Since 2009.

Representative for Children and Youth reports — Much More than Paperwork: Proper Planning Essential to Better Lives for B.C.'s Children in Care, A Representative's Audit on Plans of Care, March 2013; Still Waiting: First-Hand Experiences with Youth Mental Health Services in British Columbia, April 2013.

Conflict of Interest Commissioner reports — Opinion of Gerald L. Gerrand, QC, in the matter of an application by John van Dongen, MLA; and Annual Report 2012.

Ombudsperson, Annual Report 2012-2013.

Merit Commissioner, interim annual report 2012-2013.

Reports from Committees

Madame Speaker: Report of the Special Committee to Appoint an Acting Auditor General, March 2013.

Orders of the Day

Hon. T. Stone: I call debate on the Speech from the Throne.

Throne Speech Debate

J. Tegart: I move, seconded by the member for Delta North, that:

[We, Her Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in session here assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech which Your Honour has addressed to us in the opening of this session.]

I'm honoured to be the first to respond to this important throne speech today and, in particular, privileged to rise for the first time in this House as the representative for Fraser-Nicola. I will endeavour to perform my duties with similar enthusiasm and style as my predecessor.

I would like to thank the people of Fraser-Nicola for this tremendous opportunity. I'd also like to acknowledge all the supporters who helped throughout the process — in particular, family and friends and many in my outlying communities. As we all know, without these people, this day would not be possible. I'd like to acknowledge two special guests in the gallery today, Ron and Shelley Sanders from Merritt, and I am so pleased that they are able to attend.

I'd like to also acknowledge the leadership, support and commitment shown by Premier Christy Clark and the colleagues that surround me. I am so honoured to be a Member of the Legislative Assembly and to participate in the important work done by all members of this chamber.

Fraser-Nicola is a large, rural riding with eight municipalities, three regional districts and numerous First Nations bands. We are rich in resources — forestry, mining, agriculture and people — and we continue to support and build our economy.

I'm encouraged to see our communities reaching out and diversifying even more — for example, the Ashcroft Terminal project, the wine industry in Lillooet and the green energy project in Merritt. Our people and communities are resilient. We are the backbone of British Columbia and make a substantial contribution to the province.

[1010]

Much work has been done to build relationships throughout the region with neighbouring communities and First Nations bands. There is a realization that together we are stronger and can accomplish more.

A recent example of that commitment to work together was the signing of the education enhancement agreement, which I recently attended in the community of Spences Bridge. Children, elders, chiefs, school board members, staff and the public gathered together to show their commitment to improving educational opportunities for First Nations students. The agreement was signed by the board chair of school district 74, Carmen Ranta, and 15 chiefs who were in attendance at the ceremony. It truly was a momentous occasion, which I was so pleased to be a part of.

I also attended the National Aboriginal Day celebration held in Merritt. The sharing of culture and stories and the opportunity to learn more about each other bode well for the people of Fraser-Nicola.

Many good things are happening throughout my riding, but that is not to say it is without its challenges. Health care services, declining enrolment in our schools, and small business challenges are being experienced throughout our communities. What we have done in the past is not working for rural communities right now. I'm looking forward to working with local leaders, colleagues and members of this House to think outside the box to build a new future for all of British Columbia.

Rural B.C. is an integral part of our community and our future. I have committed to my constituents that they
[ Page 10 ]
will have a strong voice in this House. I'm excited about the possibilities and committed to work hard for my constituency and for the province as a whole.

I want to thank the people of Fraser-Nicola and people across B.C. for instilling their confidence in me, in this government and in the vision that we put forward. It's a bold vision, one that strives to bring prosperity and well-being to every corner of this province. It's a vision we believe in and a vision the people of British Columbia believe in. I thank them for giving us a strong mandate to carry it out.

Forestry is one of the most important industries to my constituents and to our province. A cornerstone of our economy, this sector directly employed more than 56,000 people last year. My communities were among those hard hit by the mountain pine beetle. But they are communities that are appreciative of the government's efforts to combat this invasive pest.

The effort and hard work were matched by the Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition. This working group is comprised of representatives from nine regional districts, four First Nations tribal councils and a representative from Community Futures central Interior First Nations. Working together, we're recovering from the devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle. Our government is committed to making the forest industry a sunrise industry once more.

Mining is another key industry for the people of Fraser-Nicola, and they welcome this government's ambitious goals for this sector. Our B.C. jobs plan aims to have eight new mines in operation by 2015. It also aims to facilitate the expansion of at least nine mines currently operating in the province. In the communities I represent, these ambitious goals mean jobs. They mean stability. They mean happy, healthy families and communities.

Highland Valley Copper, located between Ashcroft and Logan Lake, is one of the biggest employers in the area, with close to 1,300 full-time employees. The mine life has been extended to 2026, ensuring many more years of family-supporting jobs.

[1015]

The Copper Mountain mine in Princeton began production in June of 2011, the first new major metals mine to open in B.C. since 1998. It provides nearly 400 full-time jobs to the area, and the life of the mine is projected for 17 years.

These two projects alone spell a bright future for those workers and their families and especially for our young people. We're investing in these young people with substantial contributions in skills- and trades-training programs, new capital and equipment.

We're working with employers, offering tax credits and pursuing other measures to increase the number of apprentices. Recently I had the privilege of attending a graduation celebration at the Fraser-Nicola institute of technology in Merritt. The people I spoke with are excited about the upcoming job opportunities. They're excited about the skilled trades. That's exactly the kind of message our government is sending to young people, women, members of First Nations and the underemployed. Consider the trades. We will support you.

As we work together to seize these opportunities for a more secure tomorrow, I'm thrilled to have been asked to serve as a member of the cabinet committee on secure tomorrow. I will join my colleagues on that committee to ensure that we are doing what we can to build a secure future for our children and our children's children.

I'm also pleased to sit on the environment and land use committee As we look to grow our economy and increase opportunity here in B.C., it's important to balance those priorities with a care and concern for our water, our land and our wildlife.

While we anticipate the benefits to come from big industry, we also celebrate the successes of B.C.'s small business sector. Small business is the backbone of British Columbia. It represents 98 percent of all businesses in B.C. — a major contributor of employment and economic and trade activity.

Fraser-Nicola is no different than any other riding in this province, with numerous small businesses that provide a wide range of important services and goods to its residents and visitors. The business owners I speak to regularly tell me that they don't want to be burdened by heavy regulation. In fact, unnecessary red tape is one of the biggest barriers they face.

That's why I'm proud to tell them that B.C. is a leader in cutting red tape. In fact, we've reduced regulatory requirements by 42 percent. In January of this year the Canadian Federation of Independent Business honoured B.C. with an A grade in its annual report card, which grades provinces on their efforts to cut red tape. B.C. was the only province in this country to receive an A this year.

I know that small businesses in Fraser-Nicola and around the province appreciate these successes. They know how much we value their contributions, and they are excited about the economic growth and what that means to rural communities. They envision healthier downtowns in rural B.C. that cater to the needs of local residents and provide a warm welcome to visitors from across Canada and abroad.

Success in small communities contributes greatly to the success of our provincial economy. As the MLA for Fraser-Nicola, I look forward to listening to the needs of my constituents and working alongside members on both sides of this House to further their interests and build stronger rural communities.

Madame Speaker: Hon. Members, please refrain from the use of first names — given names. Only refer to members by their riding name or their ministerial title.

S. Hamilton: It's my privilege today to second the mo-
[ Page 11 ]
tion made by the member for Fraser-Nicola.

[1020]

It's truly an honour to take my place in this Legislature to represent the people of Delta North. I've lived in North Delta for 27 years, and I'm proud to call this beautiful province my home.

I rise somewhat nervously but without hesitation in this House today to respond to the 2013 throne speech. I wish to dedicate this speech, my first in this chamber, to my constituents in Delta North. My community has given me a tremendous opportunity, and they put a great deal of faith and trust in me. I'm looking forward to living up to these expectations and being a strong advocate for my community in this House.

I would not be standing here today without the tremendous support of my wife, Kristen, joining us in the gallery today; our two beautiful daughters, Lauren and Paige; of course, my mother, Brownee; and my father, Ken, who always encouraged me to be an active and contributing member of my community. Today I hope I've made him proud.

I want to take a minute to recognize the amazing team of volunteers that helped lead me to victory on May 14: my co-campaign managers, Tim Crowhurst and Isaac Kendall; as well as our dedicated and hard-working volunteers, Paul Demera, Robyn Hill, Gregory Brown, Rahim Dedani, Ryan Campbell, Eric Mast, Linda Ostler, Marilyn Bergen, Sandy Pandar, George Daskow, Jim and June Holt, Narinder Panu, C.J. Sidhu; and not to mention Alissa and Ryan Kendall, two of the youngest campaign volunteers on record; and also my constituency assistant, Kim Kendall. All of this would not be possible without these wonderful people.

There is another person I owe an acknowledgment and expression of debt to, and that's my predecessor, former MLA Guy Gentner. Many may not know, but Guy was one of the individuals who encouraged me to get involved in local politics. I had the pleasure of working alongside him for several years on both Delta city council and on the Delta Parks, Recreation and Culture Commission. I have a great deal of respect for Guy. At times we may have disagreed on some political issues, but we shared a common respect, as well as a common goal of working hard to help make our community a terrific place to live.

I'm also certain that I would not be standing on this side of the House without the incredible leadership of our Premier, Christy Clark. I can think of no better person for this job, and I'm truly honoured to serve with her.

Prior to my election to the Legislature I had the pleasure to serve on Delta city council for 11 years, during which I was involved in the negotiation process that resulted in the purchase of Burns Bog and its subsequent dedication as a conservancy area and, more recently, as a Ramsar designation. The largest raised peat bog in western North America was supported by both federal and provincial governments as well as the greater Vancouver regional district and the city council of Delta.

During my time on council I was also fortunate to be able to be involved with some excellent community organizations, such as Delta's family and community services. This organization is run by an incredible group of staff and volunteers who provide support services, community programs and outreach to the more vulnerable citizens in our neighbourhoods. The North Delta Lions, the North Delta Rotary clubs — two wonderful service organizations comprised of people who support our community through fundraising initiatives, giving selflessly of their time and talents to ensure our community remains an enviable place to call home.

Of course, I also want to mention the Delta Chamber of Commerce, the Kennedy Seniors Centre, the North Delta boys and girls club, as well as an organization that my wife, Kristen, has volunteered with for many years, the B.C. Guide Dog Services. This organization is operated by Linda and Bill Thornton. The charity has changed the lives of many people, both sight-challenged as well as autism-stricken children. We like to say that their efforts, as well as the efforts of the organization's volunteers, provide these most deserving people a new leash on life.

I want to thank all of these excellent organizations for the work they've done and will continue to do, and I look forward to continuing my work with these and other community groups for the next four years as their MLA.

As you probably know, Madame Speaker, I'm proud to call Delta home, and I'm excited about the future of my community and our province. Our government has a bold vision, and on May 14 British Columbians gave us the ultimate task to turn this vision into a reality.

[1025]

We're focused more than ever on growing the economy and bringing prosperity and security to all areas of our province. This means delivering a balanced budget, containing government spending and keeping taxes low.

I'm a family man, and as an MLA I want to ensure our government is working hard for families in Delta and across B.C. I believe that creating jobs is the best thing we can do to protect the future of our families and for our children. Since the implementation of the B.C. jobs plan 41,500 jobs have been created in key sectors. Unemployment is down, investment is up, and communities, including Delta, are thriving.

Our government is securing new markets for our goods and services and strengthening trade relationships with India, China, Korea. My own community of Delta is an important trade route in British Columbia, and we're focused on building the local infrastructure we need to get our goods overseas to the markets. This includes the Massey Tunnel replacement and the completion of the South Fraser perimeter road.

The perimeter road is a key example of government's commitment and will connect Pacific gateway facilities
[ Page 12 ]
with land borders, the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and the B.C. interior. The $1.3 billion South Fraser perimeter road had created 4,000 construction jobs and will create another 7,000 long-term jobs in manufacturing, light industry and small business operations in Surrey and Delta along this new corridor. The new route supports the getting-goods-to-market objective in Canada Starts Here: The B.C. Jobs Plan.

Our goal is to make British Columbia the headquarters for Asian business in North America. Since 2007, when the government launched the Asia-Pacific initiative, our exports to Asia have increased by more than $5 billion. Our work is starting to pay off, and it's only the beginning.

As a proud father, I want to help build a debt-free B.C. for my children. Liquid natural gas, the B.C. prosperity fund will help allow us to pay off the debt within 15 years and pay for health care, education and social services both in Delta and across this province. The B.C. prosperity fund will make sure that the LNG benefits all communities and all British Columbians.

I want to talk a little about agriculture, also an important industry in Delta and a key sector in the B.C. jobs plan. The agrifood sector provides more than 61,000 jobs and generates over $10.9 billion a year in provincial revenues. I'm proud that B.C. is the most diverse agrifood industry in Canada, and we have the potential to become a $14 billion powerhouse by 2017.

Much of this potential can be realized in Asia's markets, where there's a growing demand for B.C. agrifoods. Our Premier has already led three trade missions to gain access to these key and emerging markets. This government recognizes the importance the agricultural sector plays in Delta and in urban and rural communities across this province.

I think we can all agree that young people are the future of this province. I believe we need to make sure that our youth are ready for the one-million-plus jobs that will become available across British Columbia between now and 2020. Forty-three percent of these jobs will require trades and technical training. That's why our government is putting $500 million annually in skills training programs, along with an additional $75 million in new capital and equipment.

I'm committed to making sure our youth have the skills they need to compete in the workforce and find jobs here at home — at home, Madame Speaker. We cannot build a strong economy unless we build a strong workforce. I will be joining my colleagues on the cabinet committee for a strong economy to ensure that we are doing all that we can to build a secure and prosperous economic future for this province.

We are faced at a time where fiscal resources are especially tight. However, our government recognizes the value that stable funding for the arts and culture and sports is to any community. I've had the pleasure to work with the Delta Arts Council, the Watershed Artworks Society to ensure that arts and culture remain vibrant and alive in Delta North. Our government is continuing its commitment to the sport and arts legacy fund as well as the funding for programs that increase youth participation in the arts.

[1030]

To draw things to a close, Madame Speaker, I'd like to say I'm excited to serve the next four years in this House and to deliver on the mandate that the voters gave us just a short month or so ago. I look forward to getting to know you and all members on both sides of this chamber, who have dedicated themselves to truth, integrity, fortitude and public service. We're all united in our commitment to service above self and dedication to the common good of our communities and our province.

A. Dix: It's always an honour to rise in the Legislature, particularly as the MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway, to speak, to advocate, to fight, to put forward proposals, to lead, which is what all members of the Legislature should and must do.

I wanted to congratulate the member for Fraser-Nicola and the member for Delta North for their first speeches in the Legislature, to congratulate all of the new members on the government side. Many of them I've worked for before. My friend the member for Penticton — I've advocated for a new hospital in his community many times before. I look forward to working with him to ensure that the government cabinet ministers deliver on that commitment.

As he knows, often, in fact, that's what happens here, and that's a positive thing — people working together on both sides of the House, independent members — I welcome the member for the Green Party as well — to do what's right for our constituents, sometimes to advocate against the inertia of government, to ensure that the change we want to see happen, happens.

Of course, I'm also delighted to welcome seven extraordinary new members on the NDP side. The member for North Coast, who is going to do an extraordinary job replacing someone who was a remarkable MLA, Gary Coons. He did an extraordinary job in advocating for a region that needs support, needs help, is in transition and has substantial issues. She is going to do an extraordinary job.

The member for Saanich North and the Islands, whose understanding of the economy and the central role the environment plays with respect to the economy, is going to make an enormous contribution as well. The member for Vancouver-Fairview, whose experience in the labour movement and in the environmental movement is going to be heard in this Legislature. His passion to fight inequality and to leave a better world is going to leave its mark in the Legislature.

The member for Coquitlam-Maillardville, who led on city council, who led the polls on city council. While she
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was the last member elected to the Legislature, I think she's going to be one of the first members in advocating for her constituents. My friend the member for New Westminster, who has for years led the fight for public health care. I'm so proud that in this Legislature she'll be leading the fight for public health care again.

The member for Vancouver–Point Grey, who has always spoken out and advocated for people. The reason I think he was elected is his commitment and his willingness to advocate for people, for constituents, whether the cause was popular or unpopular. It's what has made him recognized across British Columbia, and it's going to make him an outstanding MLA.

The member for Burnaby-Lougheed, the first Korean-Canadian member of the Legislature, a small business background, is someone who is going to fight for the people of Burnaby to ensure that young people who go to SFU, that business people on Hastings, that people across Burnaby and across British Columbia, that their voices are heard as well.

[1035]

We have tabled in this House a throne speech. I think it's important to recognize, first, its brevity and some of the sentiments contained within it. I think most of us would agree that the priority is, in fact, giving our children greater opportunities than we had, caring for those who cared for us, leaving our province as magnificent and beautiful as we found it. These are things and these are values we should all fight for.

The question is the substance of what was presented, the substance of what the government campaigned on, the substance of their contract with British Columbia reflected in their actions, reflected in the reality that people in British Columbia face, reflected in the issues raised in the throne speech and the responses given. That's the question that all of us have to address, it seems to me, in this debate.

What has happened in the short period between the election and now? We had an election on May 14. The Liberal Party won the election. Since then they've been governing. There's a by-election going on in Westside-Kelowna. What has happened in this time?

How have the government's commitments…? Commitment number one: debt free. Controlling government spending. Protecting seniors — shall I say caring for those who cared for us? How have their priorities, their words, been expressed? Who is paying the price, and who is getting the benefit?

Since the election, here's what has happened. More cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries than ever before. More for politicians, in fact. Thirty-four — it's an impressive total. We see it reflected in the throne speech, in fact. We have issues on trade — we create a new ministry. We have failed to address the innovation agenda — we create a new ministry.

For a government that says it doesn't believe in the value of administration and the value of the public sector, their response seems to be very public sector in that regard. What it is, is saying to people: "Sacrifices have to be made, but not by us."

What's the second thing that happened? Well, the second thing that would happen is…. We dealt with the politicians, and then we dealt with the politicians' staff. They raised the salaries. They created new levels of political staff.

Still in place is a $30,000 wage increase for the deputy chief of staff to the Premier. The Premier says she's doing two jobs, that the previous deputy chief of staff didn't have to think about policy, so now this one is doing two jobs. Well, people are doing two jobs in British Columbia. People in our communities are doing two jobs in British Columbia to feed their families. They're the ones paying for that. One rule for the government; one rule for everybody else.

What's the third thing they did? We talk about seniors. It was to implement a $300 tax increase on seniors in public care facilities, for wheelchairs. Let's put these things beside each other: increases for political staff, more cabinet ministers, more parliamentary secretaries and a tax on wheelchairs — the notion that health care reform isn't about a more efficient system that addresses needs of British Columbians but about shifting the cost of health care onto the sick.

That's not health care reform. That doesn't reduce the cost of health care; it reduces government cost. It increases individuals' cost. It does not reduce the cost of health care. It in fact increases the overall costs of health care. This is a fact. The administration of such systems does exactly that.

What does it say about priorities? The government, after all, had increased the fees paid by all seniors in publicly funded care homes. Whether they be public, private or non-profit, most of them, in fact, in complex care are basically paid for by the people of British Columbia. The majority are significantly funded by it. In fact, they have been dramatically increasing the share residents pay in that — and now a $300 tax for those who are unfortunate enough to need a wheelchair on top of that. That was their priority.

[1040]

Then, after the election, tens of thousands of pages that describe the government's multiculturalism strategy — you know, the one that was just a proposal, that was never implemented…. They held onto those pages before the election and released those pages after the election. What they show is a merging of the government and the Liberal Party.

Given the way some of these issues were used in the election campaign, I have to express some surprise that there was no mention in the throne speech — not a mention, not a semicolon — expressing the government's desire to apologize, for example, for racist prov-
[ Page 14 ]
incial statutes passed in this Legislature or the advocacy of people in this Legislature for the Chinese Exclusion Act or the advocacy of people in this Legislature for the Chinese head tax.

In fact, as you know, the government created just such a motion in May 2012. They sent it to us. They said they were going to proceed with it. Then they didn't, because it wasn't a convenient time for them politically. Then we see why that was the case — because they saw political advantage in these matters.

Now, after the election, not even a mention. Tens of thousands of pages showing the use of the multiculturalism issue to promote the Liberal Party with public funds that they hold onto till after the election, but in the throne speech not a mention of this question that the Liberal Party used in the campaign as a so-called wedge issue.

Now we stand ready to work with the government on this question, because we are not confused. It is our responsibility as British Columbians — not as Liberals, not as New Democrats, not as Green Party members, but as British Columbians — to address these questions. And we will.

Finally, since the election we see the gap between the world of the throne speech and the world that everyone lives in, in reality. The world of the throne speech says, as if it's a sort of mantra, "debt-free, debt-free, debt-free."

Since May 14 this government has added three-quarters of a billion dollars to the debt of British Columbia. That, it seems to me, if we're dealing with these issues as a legislature, is something we have to address. Is that affordable? Is it not affordable? What are we going to do about it? How are we going to address it?

Instead, the government decides to ignore it. The debt is increasing faster, really, than it ever has before in nominal dollars and in terms of percentages, yet the government wants to continue to campaign as if that isn't happening. The throne speech says "debt-free." The budget will say "the biggest increases in debt in history" — three-quarters of a billion dollars since election day.

So what we have, I think, are sentiments in the throne speech that, of course, we support but a dramatic disconnect after the election between what the government says it was going to do — control spending — and what it did after the election — reward itself; what it said before the election about creating jobs and its record on that question.

Then there's one more thing. It's been revealed, after the election, that the northwest transmission line is going to go from an original cost of $395 million to $746 million. Management, controlling debt.

[1045]

You know what kind of core review, how deep into the core of a core review, you'd have to do to find $350 million that they went over on this project? It's a project that's worth doing but has been mismanaged. Now the government officials, on their behalf, say: "Well, you know, we're in a skills-training crisis." A cost of $350 million.

They've been in office for 12 years. It's a skills-training crisis. That's why they couldn't meet what they said the cost was, as if, when they made those proposals, which wasn't in 1897…. The $395 million was what they said in 2010 — not 1897, not…. It was 2010. They only missed by $350 million, and the only bad news about that is they're not done. They're not done.

So that's the throne speech against their actions so far. How does the throne speech stack up against reality — not the reality faced by members of the Legislature but faced by the people of British Columbia?

The throne speech says…. Almost as often as it says "debt-free," it talks about jobs. But like everything else, it's not talking about jobs now. It's talking about jobs at some time, apparently, in the distant future.

Right now we're losing private sector jobs. Since the Premier announced the advertising around her jobs plan, which admittedly has seen growth in the public relations sector, we've lost 31,000 private sector jobs — now.

Is that all the government's fault? Of course not. We are faced with different circumstances. But surely a government, in its throne speech, should say: "We've lost tens of thousands of private sector jobs, and here are the things we are going to do about that."

Instead, it says that the jobs plan is a glorious success. If you don't look at the facts, the realities that people are facing, how can you address the problems? The election campaign is over. Let's start to actually address problems now — problems that may not be able to be solved by 30-second ads, by turning them into 30-second ads and saying: "I don't want you to leave B.C." Well, guess what. For nine consecutive quarters, including the most recent one, people are leaving B.C.

Let's understand the historical record. Let's understand what it is. Under the NDP, 129,000 more people came to B.C. than left B.C. for other provinces. Under Premier Gordon Campbell, 64,000 more people came to B.C. than left B.C. for other provinces — also a good record. It's half as good, but it's a good record.

In the last nine quarters, since this Premier became Premier of B.C., more people have left than came in every quarter. That doesn't mean it's the Premier's fault, but it means it's a challenge we need to address.

What's the Premier's response to that? It's not an issue anymore. They campaigned on it. It would appear…. If I was a Liberal advertising executive, I would describe the Premier as Alberta's minister of economic development. Clearly — you can see my suit — I'm not that.

But to ignore the reality of that, which is that people are leaving B.C. because we're losing private sector jobs…. People are leaving B.C. because they cut skills training. They're leaving B.C. because Alberta has an apprenticeship system worthy of its name and we have a 34 percent completion rate. To ignore that reality, as this
[ Page 15 ]
throne speech does, and to pretend that it's working in the here and now, when people in British Columbia are working two jobs — not like the deputy chief of staff to the Premier but really two jobs — and that those people are not struggling in these times….

[1050]

Then there are, of course, these issues of growing debt; the four consecutive deficits the government ran and the consequences of that. The consequences of B.C. Hydro are not mentioned in the throne speech — of going over $350 million — and the consequences of Liberal policies and how they're going to address it. It might be nice, in a plan, to think that since you did that energy policy for ten years, you might have some ideas of how to deal with that energy policy now.

But we know what the plan is. Before the election: don't allow rate increases. After the election it's the public that will have to pay for this incompetence at B.C. Hydro.

Those, surely, are not the only deficits we face. The middle class is shrinking. Inequality is growing. We have the highest child poverty in the country. None of those are mentioned. That's particularly felt in First Nations communities. I was happy that the throne speech addressed some of those questions, but not in a profound and significant way. The impetus in that area has been lost.

We have deficits in terms of mental health and addictions. Try and meet a constituent and talk to them about the wait times that people have to face if you require mental health or addiction services — the wait times when you're suffering from mental illness. That's a deficit, too, that's not addressed here.

Then, when we talk about giving our children greater opportunities than we had, of leaving our province as magnificent and beautiful as we found it…. You and I, hon. Speaker, were in the House for throne speeches in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. We had agreements and disagreements about those throne speeches, but one of the things we all agreed on was that issues around the environment and climate change mattered.

You don't change it. You don't change that. They're essential to our economic well-being, as well as to our health and our environmental well-being, and our obligation to our children and our families. What this government has done is not mention them in the throne speech, as if that would have any impact on whether the issue exists or not. It exists in real time for people, and it's having an impact in real time for people. Young people are not confused on this question, even if the government is.

Ignoring problems — losing jobs, growing inequality, high child poverty, the challenges and opportunities of our forest industry — is not a solution. This is not an election campaign. You can't just reduce the problems to one message that might work for you. You actually have to address them. That's the purpose of us being here. It is to represent and to address and to make…. As the government says in its throne speech yesterday, giving our children greater opportunities than we had — that is the purpose of it.

It seems to me that this throne speech isn't worthy of that. It's not just, surely, about repeating election slogans. If it were that, it would be easy. The Premier and Patrick Kinsella could run the government. It's not that easy. We have to work on things together. In fact, we don't do that by ignoring problems. In fact, we don't do that. Suggesting that it was just by calling out, by sloganeering, that things will get better is a disservice to the people that we represent.

You look in this throne speech, and then you look again. Then you look a third time. And then, in disbelief, you look a 17th time, and you don't see any mention of forestry. It seems unbelievable. I mean, we've lost 40,000 forestry jobs. The annual allowable cut is declining. Prices are going up. It's good news in that sense. Housing starts are increasing in the United States. There are opportunities in Asia, some of which the government has taken advantage of.

It's a major field. Tens of thousands of jobs are at stake. Thirty percent of those working in the industry are about to retire. Communities across the province — in the Cariboo, in Prince George, in Fraser-Nicola, in the northwest, in the southeast, in the Kootenays — depend on the forest industry.

[1055]

You can look until the cows come home, you can look until the last tree is cut, and you won't find forestry in this throne speech. A sunrise industry. It should be a sunrise industry.

The film and television industry across British Columbia is central to creating jobs in our province. It's a creative industry. Tens of thousands of people working in it. Family-supporting jobs. In that industry there are temporary foreign workers. They are principally some of the lead actors. But aside from that, people from British Columbia — they live in British Columbia; they support their families in British Columbia — are in that industry, and we are losing jobs. The government says nothing in its throne speech and takes no action.

We have a growing number of people in our province who want to join our agricultural industries. Our member for Saanich South and our member for Powell River–Sunshine Coast are advocates for those people who think that it's a good idea to develop local markets and to help grow our agricultural industry here. Where are they in the throne speech? They're nowhere in the throne speech.

Where are all those who want to address the growing crisis in health care, with respect to the increase in chronic disease, by addressing those concerns in the community? What the government is doing is withdrawing from rural communities, which undermines their economy and their reality. Where is that in the throne speech?

Where are the children who need a better public edu-
[ Page 16 ]
cation now than ever before, who aren't interested in the government's fights with the BCTF? Where are they in the throne speech? Nowhere to be found. They are nowhere to be found.

As the designated speaker for the opposition, I tell you, hon. Speaker: that is not good enough. It is not nearly good enough.

That's where we come in. There is a tendency in election campaigns — and let's be clear; I would rather have won than lost — to say that that's the beginning and end of our democracy. We know that to be true…. The government got 44 percent; we got 40 percent; Green Party got 8 percent; independents got 3 percent. That that's the end of it — of course, that's not true. Of course, that's not true. We come here with a mandate as well — more than 700,000 votes and the hopes of our constituents and others depending on that.

If the government isn't going to talk about forestry and about solutions to the forest crisis, if the government is going to ignore its own report on the timber supply, we're not going to ignore it. We're going to be raising those issues in this Legislature.

If the government has decided ten years too late that its first priority on skills training was to do ads involving the Premier and not address the problem, and now they have discovered the problem exists — ten years too late — we're not going to ignore this problem. We'll be raising it every day.

If the government ignores the film and television industry, if the government says it's okay for those jobs to leave here — those high-paying, high-skilled jobs to leave B.C. — if the government says its response to people leaving B.C. is that we're bringing temporary foreign workers in, as they're working to do and have been working to do for some time, we're going to be speaking up for the people of B.C. right here in this Legislature.

If the government says its response to health care, as in the wheelchair tax, is to shift the burden of health care onto the sick and not address issues that are needed in the system, including a focus on primary care, we will be speaking on this side of the House for public health care. We will be speaking on this side of the House for the right solutions to those issues.

If the government has forgotten about the treaty process 20 years after it started…. Twenty years First Nations have been in negotiations, many of them, across B.C. on the treaty process. If the government has forgotten about it, we haven't forgotten about it. We will raise their issues and their voices in this Legislature.

[1100]

[D. Horne in the chair.]

If the government has forgotten about child poverty and the challenges — particularly for single parents, the majority of whom are single women — in addressing issues of child care and of child poverty for their children in a competitive society…. Can you imagine saying it's okay to lead the country in child poverty rates, as if that's a fair competition for the children living in poverty? Well, we're not going to forget about that in this Legislature.

As the government proceeds, after 12 years of Liberal government, with the need — because it's all broken — for a core review…. If that core review lives and relives the past, where the actions taken in that core review dramatically, for example, and negatively affected children in care — permanently affected children in care…. They broke the system, and the Hughes report showed how they did it, as a result of actions they took in that core review. It wasn't a core review based on the services required for British Columbians. It was a core review based on ideology.

Here's a test for the core review. There's an initiative called the therapeutics initiative in B.C. The therapeutics initiative was started in the 1990s but kept in place by the current government, by successive Health Ministers — Mr. Falcon and Mr. Abbott and Mr. Hansen and the current member for Prince George–Valemount and others, as Health Ministers.

That initiative has saved 14 percent, every year, of the PharmaCare budget. It saved lives. Ask patients who could have taken Vioxx or Avandia. We're safe from that because we prescribed it less in B.C, and we prescribed it less in B.C. because we followed best practices. The government, for ideological reasons, is going after that. Well, if, in the core review, they don't reflect on the value of that initiative and reinstate it, then that tells you everything you need to know about that core review.

Well, they may forget about those things, but we're not going to.

There are so many hopes and opportunities in B.C. There are. The opportunity of LNG is real, and it gives us hope, although we have to take some steps to make sure we realize that opportunity, including addressing issues of skills training, including addressing issues of climate change — together. We need to do these things together. We need to get them done together.

We will work with the government as they proceed on those initiatives that we support. We will work with the government to come up with creative solutions for the challenges of the 21st century. We will work with the government every time we are asked to in good faith, but we will also hold them to account.

Their contract with British Columbians was that they weren't going to cut health care, and they've already started. Their contract with British Columbians was that they would reduce the debt. They're increasing the debt faster than anyone else. Their contract with British Columbians said they were creating jobs, and we're losing private sector jobs. They made specific commitments, and we will hold them to account for those commitments. Those are the commitments, the contract, that they got
[ Page 17 ]
re-elected on.

And we'll do more than that. We will raise the voices that have not been heard — the 700,000 people who voted NDP, the hundreds of thousands who didn't vote, the hundreds of thousands who are going to wish they voted NDP very, very, very soon. We've done that before, and we will do it now with honour and determination and passion. That is the approach we are going to take in this legislative session.

Between the election and now, I had the opportunity to attend an event in my constituency, something that I had worked on very hard, that I've raised money for, had been involved in. In March of 2008 vandals burned the roof of the kindergarten building at Carleton Elementary School. Initially, it should be said, this building was one of the first school buildings in Vancouver. It was the oldest school building in Vancouver. Students have been learning there, consecutively, from 1896 to March 2008. That, for our history, is something extraordinary — 112 years.

[1105]

What happened? Well, as you know, school buildings are self-insured. The government initially said, "We'll fix the roof," and then they said: "We won't." And in fact, the Ministry of Education offered the Vancouver school board, offered the children of those schools, money only if they would tear this heritage building down.

What did the community do? It didn't accept that. They rallied, they sought new partners, and they made the case for themselves. They convinced the school board not to accept that offer. They convinced Green Thumb Theatre to come to the building. They raised the money. The provincial government even helped in the end — and I say thank you very much. The member for Vancouver–False Creek was at the event too. The federal government came in, the municipal governments came in, and between the election and now we opened the new building — the new home, the new rehearsal hall for Green Thumb Theatre connected to an elementary school in East Van.

Those children could have learned a very different lesson. They could have learned the lessons that vandals burn your school and they win. The government was going to teach them that lesson, and they didn't accept it. They joined the opposition, but it was a creative opposition. Those children in grade 3 and grade 4 and grade 5 and grade 6 had an extraordinary victory, one they will always remember, one that will, I think, guide their engagement in the community in the future. They didn't accept that they were opposition. They didn't accept that they were voiceless. They didn't accept that they were powerless. They went out. They found allies. They opposed. They proposed solutions, and they succeeded, and everybody is celebrating that, as they should. We have a great community. People in Vancouver-Kingsway do that all the time.

We have a great party, the NDP. We've done this before. We will lead in this Legislature — offer solutions, hold the government to account, oppose them when they're wrong, support them when they're right. That's our task, our job, our obligation. We've got a great caucus and a great team. We're looking forward to doing just that on this throne speech, which says one thing while the government is doing another, which doesn't address the fundamental issues facing the province.

We do not support this throne speech. We will be proposing, in this session, positive solutions as well that offer different opportunities for British Columbians.

M. Bernier: It's an honour, an absolute honour, to rise in the House today as a representative of the great people of Peace River South. Like so many other people in the room today, as this is our first time speaking in the House, I'd like to take a moment and dedicate this to my grandparents, Doug and Kitty Engelen, and Jerry and Irene Shank, who are no longer with us. I wish dearly they were here to see me today.

It's been quite a journey for me to get here today, one that I've been very excited to have taken, but it's not a journey that I could have done alone. I'd like to take a moment to thank those who helped me fulfil my lifelong dream of being here in the House: my friends and my family, who have always been there when I needed their support; my parents; my brothers and my sister; my five absolutely amazing and talented children; and my wife of over 22 years and my best friend, Valerie.

I had the best campaign team and staff that helped run my campaign team, led by Charlie Parslow, who worked tirelessly over long hours to help get me here. I had so many personal supporters and local business success stories in the South Peace, such as Carl and Shelly Dahlen, Curtis York and Carl Chandler. It's because of the strong economic opportunities that we have in northeast B.C. that people like them are able to employ hundreds of people, supporting families.

[1110]

The people in the South Peace have entrusted me to be their voice here in the Legislature. I thank them for this opportunity, and I vow to always bring their issues forward and represent them as best I can.

Communities in this province have been built by great people who volunteer their time and their talents to help those around them. I'd like to pass on my thoughts and my prayers to the House family in Dawson Creek. They, within just a few short months of each other, have lost two brothers, Ray and Clyde, who were well known and well respected in our community for their contributions. They will be sadly missed.

I'm looking forward to this sitting of the 40th parliament. Our government is committed to responsible fiscal management and growing the economy of this province. By paying down the debt, controlling spending and ensuring that our economy remains strong, we can ensure that we leave our children a strong, debt-free province,
[ Page 18 ]
because I know — and we can all agree in this room — that we owe that to them.

I am proud of the fact that the north will be the key to the future economic growth of this province. As the MLA for Peace River South, I will work to make sure that the voice of northern British Columbians is heard as we work for the future prosperity of our province.

Responsible fiscal management means paying down the debt to ensure that we don't leave our children paying for our spending today. We will continue to deliver balanced budgets. We will also dedicate at least 50 percent of future budget surplus revenues to reducing this debt so that we can leave our children with a clean slate.

Much of this revenue will be generated through the development of liquefied natural gas — through that industry, an industry which is based in northern British Columbia. This industry will be the driver of the B.C. prosperity fund, which will help reduce provincial debt until it is eliminated. Northern British Columbians know that the developments happening in their regions are the driving force of future prosperity for the entire province, and as the north prospers, so, too, will the rest of British Columbians.

Controlling our spending is a key factor and our responsibility. We will cap government spending increases against the rate of nominal GDP, maintaining, and meaning that we will only spend more when our economy grows.

We will be performing core reviews of all government ministries, ensuring that resources are used as effectively as possible and that the taxpayers of British Columbia are getting the best for their money.

We will also toughen the balanced-budget law that in 2001 the B.C. Liberal government brought in to ensure that we grow our economy and not our debt. We know that prosperity of our province comes from growing the economy, not from growing government.

We have committed to freezing personal income tax rates for the next five years so hard-working British Columbians have more money in their pockets to spend on goods and services for their families.

We've created a Ministry of Natural Gas Development to ensure that we take full advantage of the LNG opportunities that we have in the province right now.

By reducing our province's small business tax rate by 40 percent and lowering our corporate income tax rate by 10 percent by 2018, we will also be giving small business and industry what they need to compete in an increasingly interconnected global marketplace.

By accelerating the B.C. jobs plan, we will be ensuring that it is British Columbians that are getting the well-paying, quality jobs that our economic growth will be creating, including the growth and development in my riding and in the northeast part of British Columbia.

[1115]

During my time here in the Legislative Assembly I will be working for the people of Peace River South and the rest of northern British Columbians to ensure that they have a voice. As my colleagues from the top half of the province would know, the north of B.C. is a force to be reckoned with. We are a people of passion, of loyalty, of values, and we work together to build strong communities that we are immensely proud of. For those of you who knew me as the mayor of the city of Dawson Creek — and I would argue that if I did my job well, that should be everybody in this room — you know that I will take every opportunity to brag about northern B.C. and remind you of how important the north is to fulfilling the economic future of this province.

I'd like to end by saying that all British Columbians deserve the best that we can offer and this government is committed to keeping British Columbia the envy of Canada. We are the best place to live, to work, to raise a family, and I vow to represent the people, to the best of my ability, to keep it that way. I am excited to work under the amazing leadership of Premier Christy Clark, and I am proud to work in this House with all of the honourable members to make sure that we are making the best decisions for all British Columbians going forward.

D. Routley: It is indeed a pleasure to rise again in the B.C. Legislature, as I have been doing for the past eight years, with the trust of my constituents, having been elected a third time. It's truly an awesome feeling to enter these noble buildings. Every day when I come here, I look at the grandeur of the buildings and remind myself consciously that that grandeur is placed there not to elevate the station of the powerful but to remind us all that we serve this province. We owe it to this province to raise the public interest to the highest level that we are capable of.

I'll start by thanking people, as we often do, particularly, my family — particularly, my partner, Leanne — and also the constituents of Nanaimo–North Cowichan, who have been so devoted to their communities. It's an awesome feeling as an MLA, as you realize how deeply people are committed to their communities. The onion is many layers deep when you examine the organizations and the volunteers and those people who give back to their communities. So to those constituents, I thank them not just for this privilege but for everything they do every day in our communities to make them more healthy and wonderful places.

Then finally, I'd like to thank the campaign team that brought me to this place. I'm very lucky to have inherited a constituency or an area of the province that has deep roots for the NDP. The people who contributed to my campaign are a former Speaker of the House, former ministers of this House. The dedicated volunteers who have been party members for generations and those young, new people who are bringing vibrancy and imagination to a renewal of this province and our party — I thank them all.
[ Page 19 ]

Whenever I talk to them, I talk to them about what are the most powerful moments in this place, and for me, they are rarely in this chamber, in fact. For me, they are when I act as a tour guide. I'm fortunate, living as close as I am, that students can come here on field trips. In grade 5 they study parliamentary democracy. I invariably tell people that those are my favourite moments — when a classroom of children come to this building, wide-eyed at its splendour, expecting to be told something that means something. What I do tell them, and I hope it means something to them, is exactly what I just said — that this place and its grandeur, the palace-like nature of it, are not there to elevate the station of the powerful but to elevate them as citizens.

I tell them about Mr. Jimmy Pattison, and I tell them that he has fantastic wealth and controls huge industrial interests throughout the world and across this province. And then I ask them: "How many votes do you think Mr. Pattison gets?"

[1120]

They say: "Five." "Fifty." "Five hundred." It's amazing how seldom they say, "One," but I'm able to tell them that indeed he gets one, just like they will, just like their teacher does, just like their parents do. Then they think about that.

I ask them not to consider their vote as a consumer, to spend it on whoever pleases them that day, but to think about what they care about, about the place they live, about the people they love, and to consider how their vote can be a piece of engineering the future of that place and those people, how they can dream of change that matches their imagination.

I point to the young women, the young girls, in the class, and I say: "You know, you expect to be treated basically equal, in every way, to those creatures over there — the boys." That brings a chuckle, but it's true. That fight, as recent as it was and as ongoing as it is, was struggled for and fought for by women and men in their communities, and the rules and the standards are upheld in this place. That's how important it is.

Their environment, their school, everything about their lives is impacted by this Legislature. That's what makes it the most powerful thing for me. I ask them another question. I ask them if they understand the meaning of the word "cynicism." They rarely identify the word, but innately they know what it means. It means the loss of faith through failed promise, through dashed hopes, through unmet expectation. Suddenly they are in touch with another aspect of this place and another aspect of our province.

While we are a commodity-rich province, there is no more booming commodity in British Columbia than cynicism. There is no more desperately falling commodity than faith, as people once again, time after time, see their own government tell them things that aren't true.

I'm not allowed to say the word that would describe a person who says things that aren't true. That is a fabricator. That is someone who fails to meet that test that even those grade 5 students have as an expectation of every member in this House — certainly of our collective responsibility. But it is a test that this government has consistently failed since the beginning of its time in this House, and this election is no different.

This throne speech repeats that failure and builds even a greater fire under the cynicism that British Columbians feel about politics and about their government. For a Premier to campaign around this province with a bus stickered with "Debt-free B.C." as we hear from the accountants of this province and the Auditors General that in fact she has raised the debt of this province at a greater rate than any other Premier in history…. This government has doubled our debt. Its off-balance-sheet accounting has even tripled our debt, should it be properly accounted for.

We hear a Premier and a government campaigning for re-election calling up the images of Christy Clark's father. Christy Clark saying: "Oh, my father. He didn't leave us with debt. He managed to leave a debt-free B.C. to his children." That from a Premier who oversees continual deficit budgets, despite their own anti-deficit legislation — five deficits in a row for this government, totalling $5.9 billion. And this year they say they're going to turn that around.

[1125]

Well, who's going to pay for that plan? If they achieve it, it will be achieved through a fire sale of the assets of those grade 5 students and on the backs of the most vulnerable among them, on the backs of their grandparents in care. Those are the people who will pay for the hypocrisy of the B.C. Liberal government.

Edmund Burke said: "Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises. For never intending to go beyond promise, it costs nothing." Make any promise you like — trillions of dollars, 20, 30 years out.

An industry yet developed, LNG. Hopefully, it will hold some promise for British Columbia, but the rest of the world has discovered these techniques. The Chinese have discovered hydraulic fracking. The pressure on the price of natural gas will not go away, so to promise trillions of dollars and to pay off the debt of B.C. and even eliminate the sales tax….

Any more promises we could make? Maybe we could make a promise to save the school of those grade 5 students. We could do that sooner than a prosperity fund.

These are the things that this government has consistently done, from tearing up the HEU contracts — the largest mass firing of women in Canadian history — to selling B.C. Rail against another of their promises.

To promise this province before the last election that $495 million, not a penny more, is the deficit, then immediately after the election to go: "Well, sorry, we were slightly off" — only by about $2 billion — "but we've got
[ Page 20 ]
a solution. That other promise we made to the restaurant industry and others not to harmonize the sales tax, the HST? Well, circumstances have changed. We're going to do that, and guess what. We get $1.6 billion to cover part of our $2 billion fabrication to the people of B.C. before the 2009 election." And so what. It worked.

This election was a virtual snowstorm of fabrication: a jobs plan that claims 41,000 jobs since its interception, except that two-thirds of those jobs were created before the inception of the jobs plan and except that the real facts are that we've lost 31,000 private sector jobs in that time.

So what. Hypocrites can make grand promises, right? It costs nothing, never intending to fulfil. But it does cost something. There's an incalculable cost to grade 5 students who come to this building, awed with its splendour, expectant of the people who serve here and soon to join the ranks of the cynical.

Now, that I take personally, because I made them a promise. I made them a promise that if they care about this place, if they take part, if they have faith and resist cynicism, they can dream and they can affect the throne speech of this place — the intention of this place.

But if they were watching — and I'll be talking to them soon in follow-up, some of them — I'll have to tell them that it didn't quite work out that way. There were a few things left out of the throne speech, like their school, like the special needs students in their classrooms, like the forest industry their parents might work in or might have worked in before we lost 40,000 forestry jobs.

[1130]

Missing was any mention of climate change. Missing was any mention of their environment that they care so much about, that they depend on completely and wholly. It was wholly and completely missing from this throne speech. This is a failure of the faith that the people of British Columbia place in their government.

We on this side of the House now have a job in front of us again to hold this government to account for the promises it made in election. The members here, some of the new members, have stood up and — I think it's with innocence — have reclaimed the promises of the election campaign that they will pay down the debt, a debt that they have doubled and tripled, a debt that their Premier has presided over in its fastest growth ever in both nominal dollar terms and percentage of GDP, a debt that their own projections show increasing at the same rate this year, next year and the year after.

But they had a sticker on a bus, and it was big. It was a bold statement for a bold province, but it was a bold hypocrisy, bold promises never meant to be fulfilled. Fewer and fewer people vote, and whose purpose does that serve? Certainly not the grade 5 students that I talk to. It's sad.

I've stood in this House so many times before and said: "This is a sad government, a pathetic government." It's out of that sense of empathy that I say that, because I do know what it's like to campaign, and I do know how quickly things come at new members and new candidates, how little time there is to really assess the value of what they're being asked to say.

But you've had time, Members. You've had time. Examine what you said during the election campaign, what your Premier, Christy Clark, had to say during the campaign, and compare it to what has happened so far. "Control spending" — right? — to protect the future of your children. Control spending. So what's the first thing your Premier did? Massive raises for political insiders who worked on your campaigns.

Under a hail of criticism, there's a flip-flop. That has to be retrieved because, of course, Premier Christy Clark…. I can call her that until, and if, she is elected. No, she approved that. She pulled back. She pulled back because she was afraid of the outcome of a by-election, not because it was the right thing to do.

What have we seen in terms of debt since the debt-free bus was parked? We've seen an accumulation of $750 million, three-quarters of a billion dollars, in debt since the election. It has been said that in the ten minutes she addressed the media at a construction site yesterday, the debt accumulated another $120,000.

I don't know. It is with empathy that I speak today, because you all were elected making those promises. You know, you don't have much time. You've told the people that you're going to eliminate that deficit now and for four years on. Four years ago could you have predicted what would have happened in the global economy in that time — four years ago, and all that has happened? Yet you can predict that you can balance the budget of B.C.

[1135]

Should revenues dwindle, should demands on services grow, who will pay for your promise if you are not able to meet it? Who will pay? Your children, those grade 5 students, the most vulnerable people in the province will continue to pay for the hypocrisy of the B.C. Liberals. That really is unfortunate. It can't stand, and we on this side of the House will try to hold you to account for those promises. We'll encourage you to work within your caucus and within that cabinet to adjust the approach of the government.

I think those grade 5 students…. If you stood up and said, "Look, we said these things during an election campaign. We're having trouble fulfilling them. These are the steps we're going to take…."

But to continue this denial…. "Debt-free B.C. We're going to pay off the debt. We'll have trillions of dollars for everything you could imagine. We'll eliminate the sales tax. We'll pay off the debt. But in the meantime, we'll charge you rental for your grandparent's wheelchair and care. In the meantime, sorry, we've got to close your school. In the meantime, sorry, if you have a disability in your classroom, you just can't have the support. I know
[ Page 21 ]
we promised not to cut health care, but that was during an election campaign."

That's what we're going to see over the coming months. As the Leader of the Opposition said just a few minutes ago, we'll be here fighting for everyone who voted for a more progressive agenda. We'll be here fighting for everyone who didn't vote, and we will be fighting for everyone who will soon wish they had voted for the NDP, who had the courage to tell people the truth, and you will have to defend the ongoing B.C. Liberal record of hypocrisy and fabrication.

It's nice, making your maiden speech. No one will heckle you. If you were more experienced, you'd have been heckling me during this speech. But this is what it is. It's not make-believe. You can't make it up, like you did during the campaign. It's real. Real people are going to pay for what happened and what will happen. Our environment will pay for the plans of your Premier. That's the reality that you have to tell your children about. That's the reality, not the word. Just saying it doesn't make it so.

Twelve years in power. Every single year, reminded that there's a skills shortage. Every single year, demography placed in front of this government and people saying: "Don't you see that your dismantling of the skills, trades and apprenticeships system in this province is a disaster waiting to happen?" A completion rate now at 34 percent. Your goal this year is to complete 9,000 apprenticeships. In Alberta their goal is 12,000, with a much smaller population.

We need to act now. You need to act now. Our side of the House will criticize unrelentingly and drive you to the outcomes that favour British Columbians. Even when we agree with legislation, we'll sit in this House, stand here. We will pick apart every word of it, because judicial decisions in the future will depend on us doing that. We will oppose and oppose and oppose every measure that we see as a regression. We will support what we agree with, with criticism.

We will work every day for the people of B.C., but mostly, in particular for me, for a group of grade 5 students and the future grade 5 students who will tour this building. I'll be happy to introduce you to them.

[1140]

N. Simons: I seek leave to make an introduction.

Deputy Speaker: Go ahead.

Introductions by Members

N. Simons: I'd like to introduce to the House a young fellow from the Powell River region who is visiting here and taking in some of this debate. He's active in social, political and environmental advocacy. I'd like the House to please welcome Graham May.

Debate Continued

M. Morris: I'm truly honoured and very humbled to be in this position today, placed here by the people of Prince George–Mackenzie, who have entrusted me with the keys to this Legislature. Their confidence in me is not taken lightly, and I commit to diligently represent the interests of my riding and my province with vigour and determination. I will be forever grateful to the people of Prince George–Mackenzie for providing me with this opportunity.

When I was asked to let my name stand as the candidate for Prince George–Mackenzie I took several days to reflect upon what contributions an ordinary citizen such as myself could make as a member of this House. I was able to think of many. However, the most compelling reason came in the form of my grandchildren.

When each of them came into the world I was given the privilege of holding them and refreshing my paternal instincts. I, as well as my sons and daughters-in-law and extended family, are entrusted with the care of these children, who for years will be totally reliant upon us to protect them, nurture them and prepare them for the future.

As I gazed into their faces, I wondered what this world would be providing for them when they're my age. This was my pivotal moment. This was my compelling reason to say yes to this opportunity.

I've served the public for over 40 years. I retired from the RCMP in 2005 as a superintendent in charge of providing policing services to the northern two-thirds of the province. During my 32-year career in the RCMP I served 28 of those years in the northern half of this province. My RCMP career has allowed me to visit every city, town, village and First Nations community from 100 Mile north to the Yukon and Northwest Territories border and from the Alberta border to Haida Gwaii.

My role over the years varied from that of a general duty constable to specialized investigations, emergency response operations, detachment commander. I oversaw civil disobedience operations, undercover operations and, in my latter years, senior management roles.

In 2008 I became a member of the Health Professions Review Board, adjudicating and mediating complaint dispositions against various members of the 23 health colleges in the province, working under the authority of the provincial Health Professions Act and the Administrative Tribunals Act.

During much of the same period I also served as a public member on the Drug Benefit Council established in 2009 to provide counsel to government with respect to covering new drugs under the provincial PharmaCare program. My role on that board was to ensure that all recommendations made by council were evidence-based, and that program works very well.

My private life has been that of a conservationist and outdoor person. I am a hunter, fisherman and a profes-
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sional trapper. I have owned a registered trapline in the north-central Interior for over 30 years.

I was born in Quesnel, and I started school in Quesnel. By the time I graduated from high school I had changed schools over a dozen times. My parents separated when I was young, and I spent much of my teen years living with various relatives and older siblings — much of that time spent on social assistance.

This was the other reason that I decided to commit this next segment of my life to politics. I feel that my broad base of experience provides me with a different perspective than most members of this House. I believe I can contribute towards making British Columbia a safe and healthy place to live.

For the past 35 years I have received the unconditional support of my wife, a licensed practical nurse who has willingly accompanied me on the dozen or so transfers I received during my career in the RCMP and who now supports my entry into politics. During our married life we have lived in large cities, small towns, villages and First Nations communities.

[1145]

My two sons, both serving members of the RCMP, and their beautiful wives — one who operates a home-based business and the other a social worker with First Nations — fully embrace this opportunity before me.

I want to express my gratitude to the people of Mackenzie who were stalwart in their support for me as a candidate. This community was also very appreciative of the previous government and, particularly, of my predecessor, Pat Bell, for the hard work and effort he provided in getting the forest industry back on its feet after the devastating closure of their local mills. The people of Mackenzie are back working. Local businesses are thriving, and homes and apartments are no longer vacant.

Mackenzie also benefits from the construction of the new mine at Mount Milligan, which will soon begin production.

Prince George is at the heart of the resource sector, benefiting from its central geographical location, providing transportation infrastructure for shipping resources throughout Canada and the world. Within the city of Prince George, the junction of the Yellowhead Highway and Highway 97 provides access to Asian markets through our coastal ports and to the Prairies and eastern Canada.

The junction of CN Rail's east and west and north and south lines, as well as their new intermodal facility and wheelhouse, are located in Prince George. Prince George is also home to Canada's third-longest runway.

Heavy oil and natural gas pipelines pass through Prince George supplying oil to our local refinery, as well as supplying natural gas to Prince George and throughout the province. Electricity originating from the W.A.C. Bennett dam and Peace Canyon hydro dam pass through Prince George, providing clean hydroelectric power to much of British Columbia and elsewhere.

Yesterday's throne speech sets out a bold vision — the future. The people of British Columbia see the link between a strong economy and a secure future. That is why they voted for me, and it's why I'll be eternally grateful for their support.

I would be remiss if I did not mention how much I appreciate the support of the previous MLA for Prince George, Pat Bell. As you are aware, Pat had to step down due to some serious medical issues. Pat is well revered in Prince George–Mackenzie and throughout the province and was a driving force behind our recovered forest industry. I feel privileged to call him my friend.

I also owe a debt of gratitude to my campaign managers, my campaign team and over 300 volunteers, many who gave up vacation time in order to help me get elected.

I mentioned earlier on that I entered politics to do whatever I can to ensure that my grandchildren and the future generations of British Columbians enjoy opportunities that many of us who grew up in the '60s enjoyed. That can only be achieved by making British Columbia a debt-free province. That can only be achieved by ensuring British Columbia has a thriving economy where all those who want to work have a job and can support their families. It can only be achieved by keeping taxes low to attract investment and stimulate growth.

I look optimistically to the future, a future where the financial resources we now spend servicing the debt can be effectively used to reduce the effect of substance abuse and mental illness. My future sees full participation from our First Nations communities in the economic opportunities that our province will experience. The McLeod Lake Band, situated within my riding, is an example of a First Nations community that has embraced economic development and now has large companies involved in the forest and oil and gas sectors.

This government has a vision for the future — a debt-free province supported by a strong resource sector led by LNG. We have a passionate and dynamic leader who has articulated her vision clearly to British Columbians, who have responded by electing a majority government. We have a strong team in this House who will ensure we control spending, grow the economy and create a broad array of opportunities for future generations.

Thank you very much for this opportunity to introduce myself to the House.

N. Macdonald: Thanks for the opportunity to speak.

I guess the throne speech then, basically, was a repetition of the B.C. election campaign without the attacks on the NDP in the '90s. When you listen to the throne speech, it really doesn't leave much, does it? After you get past the attacks, you are left with some pretty thin gruel.

I think the question is: what is the B.C. Liberal government mandate? What is the actual mandate that they've received from the province? How much of what B.C.
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Liberals promised, if anything, is rooted in facts, in truth?

[1150]

I think that, again and again, what the new members on the government side are going to run into is the fact that the slogans that were used do not match any sense of the realities that are out there. I guess the choice they have is to simply continue as they did in the election — to repeat these slogans — or to start to try to do what they should be doing, which is to figure out some pretty complex questions.

Now, much has been made about the B.C. Liberal bus, which drove around with "debt-free" on the side of the bus. It has been pointed out here before — and members on both sides have to get their head around the fact — that that is so removed from reality, it becomes almost laughable. This is not the direction this government is moving in. It's not the direction they're going to be moving in with this budget.

The facts are that we have issues that we need to figure out around borrowing. To point to some panacea decades and decades out that's going to take care of all of those problems…. Well, it's one thing in a campaign to very cynically go and misrepresent that to the public, but you're fooling yourself if you think that's the issue you're dealing with here.

The realities are that there is significant debt and that debt has been accrued by this Premier and by this government, as we speak, to a degree that is unprecedented in this province.

So the discussion should be: is that the proper way to go? Are these debt levels, levels that make sense? Are the investments that we're talking about good investments? But the debate that we had in the election and the debate the members are entering into here really is not the sophisticated sort of debate that we need.

The Minister of Transportation lives along the Trans-Canada Highway. The Trans-Canada Highway is a significant piece of infrastructure. If we are going to get it to a level that is appropriate for the 21st century, we are going to have to borrow significantly to do the work.

If you look at what work was done from 2001 to the present, there were some significant investments on the Trans-Canada Highway. But at the pace we're going, it will take 60 years to complete that infrastructure to the level that this government has been promising since 2009.

Prior to the 2009 election…. I don't know how many members here travel along the Trans-Canada. Those of us that live along it, including the Minister of Transportation, will travel that route constantly. We are well aware of the carnage that happens on that highway and the fact that there are significant problems for moving goods, which are significant not only to this province but also to the country.

At the rate we're going, it will take 60 years to get that highway divided and with four lanes — 60 years. Is that a responsible decision by government? Should we be borrowing money? That's a discussion that would be an intelligent discussion for legislators to have. Is that the direction we want to go? Or, with climate change, do we want to do something different?

What members in this Legislature, especially the ones that are just newly elected, have to decide is: is that the sort of debate they are going to participate in? Or are they simply going to take the notes that are handed to them and simply repeat those notes?

In 2005 I was here. I was here when new members in 2005…. I was one of them, and I listened to the government members go over and over again about the five great goals. The five great goals. We heard it again and again — all the things that the government was going to do. I heard it so often that I remembered most of it. We were going to have the best-educated province. Literacy was going to be the best of any jurisdiction, I think, in the world.

Did any of that actually come true? Were any of the actions the government took subsequent to that logically going to lead to that conclusion? Of course not. Despite the rhetoric, there was something completely different that was going on. We were going to lead North America in healthy living. Now, how do you get there with the cuts that followed that pronouncement? We were going to build a system for people with disabilities, for seniors. It was going to be the best in the world.

[1155]

As you go through the list, eight years on, it's laughable what was promised by new members in this House again and again. Yet they would turn around and vote on budget decisions that did the exact opposite.

Here's a new group in, talking about debt-free. Like, give me a break. What do you think is going on? How difficult is it to figure out what's going on?

When the Liberals took over, the debt was — what? — $33 billion. That could be a bit off, but it was about $33 billion. In your time here, within two years, it'll be up to $65 billion, so get your head around that. It's going from $57 billion up to $65 billion.

That's what you're voting for. You're going to vote to increase it at a rate that it has never been increased by any Premier previous to this time. Despite all the rhetoric you're handed to stand up and speak, that's what you're actually going to do.

Then you have, on top of that, financial obligations, which are not substantially different from debt because you have to pay it for the next 40 years whether you want to or not — you're handcuffed in the same way — of $96 billion.

No government has put a burden on future generations more than this government has.

You can have a debate, I think an honest debate, whether these are good investments and whether they pay off, but that is not the debate we had in the election. That is not the debate that we've had so far.
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You have a decision to make, I think, as new members of the government. Are you simply going to repeat the lines, as members did who started here in 2005, which eight years later look laughable in what was put forward compared to what members actually did, or are you going to participate in a meaningful way?

We have new members on our side. I think that with the opposition there's a flexibility, obviously, that is not often there for government backbenchers.

I know that the way the province needs to move forward is to have that honest debate, take complex decisions and do better than we did in the election, do better than the debate that took place in the election, because it was not rooted in realities. It was not rooted in the type of debate that this province needs.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

Now, I know it's time to move on. I'll take this time to congratulate Madame Speaker. I think you still have to do something with the hat to make it something that suits your character. Certainly, people have said how much they appreciate the work you've done in the past and what you bring to the role.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'll reserve my right to continue, and I look forward to continuing the debate.

N. Macdonald moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. T. Stone moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Madame Speaker: Hon. Members, the House, at its rising, adjourns until 1:30 this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:58 a.m.

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