2015 Legislative Session: Fourth 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)

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Afternoon Sitting

Volume 20, Number 5

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015

The House met at 1:32 p.m.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers.

Tributes

PETER DUECK

Hon. M. de Jong: Peter Dueck was one of those individuals who, in a quiet and dignified way, stood for all that is good about public service. He, as an individual, as a man, as an MLA and a minister, upheld the very highest ethical standards. His contribution to his community and his province was longstanding. From the time he arrived as a young man in British Columbia, he served as a councillor on the then district of Matsqui and went on to serve in this place as an MLA and, ultimately, as a Minister of Health. He was something of a mentor for me. His resignation led to the by-election that brought me here.

He passed away last week. All of Abbotsford, I suspect much of British Columbia and certainly any of the families whose lives he touched in a variety of capacities are today grieving. All of us, I’m sure, are thinking of Peter’s family and thanking them for sharing Peter Dueck with all of British Columbia and Canada.

M. Farnworth: I’d like to join with the Government House Leader in extending our condolences to the Dueck family from this side of the House as well.

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When I was first elected in 1991, I had the pleasure of serving with Peter. He was on this side of the House. He was, as the minister said, a true gentleman. I had only known him from seeing him in the news prior to that.

I’m reminded of one particular story, which I think said a lot about him. He was a very thoughtful minister, who came across quite straight, prim and proper. There was an issue around sex education, I believe it was. He took a bit of heat in the media. He showed up in front of the gallery the next day with a button that said: “I like sex.” It said a lot about him. He was a man who, yes, came across as very prim, but he had a great sense of humour.

It was a pleasure to work with him in 1991, when I first met him. As I just said, I want to extend our condolences on behalf of our caucus, along with the government, to his family.

Introductions by Members

J. Thornthwaite: I have some very exciting guests to introduce in the Legislature today. First of all is Travis Price. Travis Price started Pink Shirt Day many moons ago in Nova Scotia and is the Premier’s inspiration for spearheading the ERASE Bullying program here in British Columbia.

I’d also like to introduce both Caddy Pattison and Jeremy Church from Mountainside Secondary in North Vancouver; Shelley Hine, Julia Staub-French, Sam Smith and Hasti Pourriahi from North Shore Family Services and the Youth LAB, who help kids in the schools with regards to mental health issues; Buffy Cornell and Paige Thomson through the Canadian Mental Health Association; Brent Seal, founder of Mavrixx and the Vancouver Wellness Meetup; and Keli Anderson, from the FORCE, helping families deal with issues to do with mental illness. I’d love it if the gallery would make them most welcome.

K. Corrigan: It gives me a great deal of pleasure to again introduce some of the representatives that have been here for the last three days, members of the Alliance of B.C. Students, who represent 140,000 students across this province — students, graduate students and people in the trades.

I see that there are some of them here again yet today. We’ve all, on both sides of the House, had a great time hearing from them, hearing their ideas, hearing their concerns and even meeting socially with some of them. I hope that everyone will please make them, once again, very welcome.

D. Horne: It’s a great pleasure today that I rise and introduce one of my biggest supporters. Many rise and talk about all of the things that many people do for them and all of the different places that they help. This person is my everything in many, many ways. I have to say that comes to even in politics, as last election, when my campaign manager had a heart attack three days before the writ, my lovely wife stepped in as my campaign manager.

It truly is a partnership and something that I cherish very much. Some have actually said that they enjoy her company more than mine. I’m not certain if that’s necessarily a fair statement, but how better to celebrate our 20th anniversary than to do so with all of my extended family here in the House? I hope everyone will make her truly welcome.

D. Eby: Today in the precinct members of the Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association are coming to share their thoughts with me about what needs to be reformed in terms of rights for strata condo owners in our province — a very knowledgable bunch. I really appreciate their time. I understand they have plans to meet with the Minister of Finance, as well, and I wish them luck in that. I would invite the House to make them feel welcome.
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Hon. P. Fassbender: In the House and the precinct this week I am pleased to welcome 14 teachers from across British Columbia who have been selected to participate in the B.C. Teachers Institute on Parliamentary Democracy. Joining them are two observers: Vanessa Gregg, from the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, and Carol Schmidt, a teacher from Washington state.

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They will be, as I said, with us for the remainder of this week, expanding their knowledge of our parliamentary system. They’re also joined by three of their peers who are returning as alumni in the role of facilitators — Ms. Lucie Ferrari, Mr. Neil Powell and Mrs. Yvonne DeWith. I ask the members to make them feel welcome.

J. Rice: Today I have the pleasure of introducing a constituent from the Bella Coola Valley. I would like the House to make Susan O’Neill feel welcome. Susan O’Neill is an instrumental person in her community that brings together the Bella Coola Valley Music Festival, previously known as the Discovery Coast Music Festival. I’m inspired by Susan. I’ve been following her on Facebook.

I want to wish you all the best in your planking, squatting, pushing and crunching on your new exercise regime.

D. Barnett: I would like to ask the House to welcome two young students, one from the Cowichan Valley and one from Williams Lake, who were here today and met with members of caucus. They are on the ERASE student advisory council and also did a wonderful job on the steps of the Legislature today — Donavan Shaw, from Williams Lake; and Wim Redenberg, from the Cowichan Valley.

K. Conroy: I so rarely get to introduce people from my constituency. I want to take the opportunity to introduce one of the teachers. Colin Adamson is from the community of Rossland, but he teaches at J.L. Crowe. I’ve heard really good things about him there, and I want to welcome him here to the House here today.

Hon. A. Wilkinson: Somewhere in the buildings today — they haven’t made it in here yet — is a fleet of 75 students from Shaughnessy Elementary School. They’re with only one identified teacher — I hope they have more than one person to take care of that fleet — Ms. Carla Pace. We welcome them to the House.

Secondly, of course, further greetings to the Alliance of B.C. Students and their chairperson, Jessica Lar-Son. I’ll be seeing them later today.

M. Bernier: You would think, having five children, that I would have had the opportunity before today to introduce one of them in the House, but frankly, today is actually the first time I’ve had the opportunity. I’d like the House to welcome my newly 19-year-old daughter Michaela, who’s visiting today with her friend Sarah Albagher.

Introduction and
First Reading of Bills

BILL Pr401 — WORLD WIDE MARRIAGE
ENCOUNTER SOCIETY (CORPORATE
RESTORATION) ACT, 2015

S. Hammell presented a bill intituled World Wide Marriage Encounter Society (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2015.

S. Hammell: I move that a bill, World Wide Marriage Encounter Society (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2015, standing in my name on the order paper, be introduced and now read a first time.

Motion approved.

S. Hammell: This bill is being introduced in order to restore the World Wide Marriage Encounter Society to the British Columbia register of companies. The society was removed from the register of companies in 1986 for unintentionally failing to file annual reports. The society did not become aware of this until recently and now proposes to apply for restoration. Due to the number of years since the society was removed from the register of companies, the only avenue for restoration is by way of a private bill.

I move that the bill be referred to the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills.

Bill Pr401, World Wide Marriage Encounter Society (Corporate Restoration) Act, 2015, introduced, read a first time and referred to the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills.

Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

PINK SHIRT DAY

J. Thornthwaite: It’s Pink Shirt Day here in B.C., and today we all stand united against bullying, whether it’s in our schools, the workplace or on line.

This movement began in Nova Scotia in 2007, when high school students David Shepherd and Travis Price bought and distributed 50 pink shirts to support another student who was bullied for wearing that colour. Since then, the campaign has gone global, with more than 25 countries adopting their own anti-bullying campaigns,
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and it has led the United Nations to officially declare May 4 as Anti-Bullying Day.

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Here in British Columbia we’re working hard to end bullying through the ERASE Bullying strategy. Since it began in 2012, ERASE has made B.C. a national leader in bullying prevention and the first province in the country to adopt a comprehensive plan that addresses this complex issue.

We now know that there is a connection between bullying and suicide. Earlier this week we saw Graham Moore, winner of the best adapted screen play for The Imitation Game, tell the one billion people watching the Academy Awards about his failed suicide attempt. In his words:

“When I was 16 years old, I tried to kill myself because I felt weird and I felt different and I felt I did not belong. And now I’m standing here. I would like this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes, you do. I promise you do.

“Stay weird, stay different, and when it’s your turn, and you’re standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along.”

That’s exactly what we’re doing here today, and we’re here to tell everyone who is suffering that it’s okay to be different, that it will get better, and we are standing beside you, ready to help.

FAIRVIEW WINTER MARKET AND
SUPPORT FOR LOCAL PRODUCERS

G. Heyman: Throughout B.C. we’re blessed with active and flourishing produce, poultry, livestock and dairy farms. We have beekeepers and fishers, bakers of breads and pastries, chocolatiers and cheesemakers. We’re all familiar with these hard-working people who bring their goods to our community markets throughout the summer and fall, but they don’t stop working when the summer markets close. For the last four years Vancouver-Fairview has been home to the winter market at Nat Bailey stadium with nearly 100 vendors and 5,000 visitors each week.

The market supports local farmers and craftspeople, chefs, bakers and producers of specialty foods. Fishers from Blue Comet and Skipper Otto’s Community Supported Fishery run small-scale sustainable fishing operations. They ensure that many of us can bring fresh, locally sourced seafood, meat and produce home to our tables.

I always enjoy a visit to Fairview’s winter market. A couple of Saturdays ago I joined a crowd of people from throughout the Lower Mainland to enjoy the sun and talk with vendors while filling our bags with apples; squash; fresh eggs; root vegetables; and my own favourite, Sieglinde potatoes.

Farmers who can sustain their farms through local markets can keep transportation costs low while we help maintain a viable agriculture industry and a future for aspiring young farmers. In 2014 the market had almost $2.1 million in sales. Based on a UNBC formula, the Fairview winter market’s impact on the local economy exceeds $3 million, and 125,000 visitors come to the area every market season and also support neighbouring small businesses.

Engaging directly with those who work the land enhances our appreciation of their work, as well as of the foresight that brought B.C. our great legacy, the agricultural land reserve. It helps us understand the importance of land preservation and a vibrant farming community to food security, just as a healthy ocean ecosystem is critical to our fishery. Join us at the market.

STÓ:LŌ COMMUNITY FUTURES

J. Martin: “The rapid rise of Stó:lō businesses is nothing short of exponential.” That was from an article in the Chilliwack Progress last October. This is a great source of pride in our community. Stó:lō Community Futures launched a new branding initiative last spring entitled Stó:lō Means Business, SMB, an initiative to make the Stó:lō territory a provincial hub for aboriginal business growth and excellence.

From restaurants to galleries, chiropractors to towing companies and commercial developments, there are 250 aboriginal businesses identified in the Stó:lō territory, and 56 percent of those are based in Chilliwack. Stó:lō Community Futures, or SCF, embraces and celebrates Stó:lō community cultural values and believes in creating and supporting entrepreneurial spirit in the Stó:lō and aboriginal communities.

Since SMB’s launch on April 9, 2014, Stó:lō Community Futures has formed a partnership with the province and currently is contemplating a comprehensive inventory and database of all aboriginal businesses within the Stó:lō traditional territory. This information is intended to serve as a marketing tool for local aboriginal businesses and will provide insights as to the size and growth of the local aboriginal business community.

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Late last fall SCF hosted an outstanding networking event called Stó:lō Business Match. A series of 20-minute appointments were made on line using a high-tech tool to schedule meetings between Stó:lō entrepreneurs and business representatives. This was to explore the potential for partnerships and investment opportunities. It is estimated that millions of dollars of potential business relationships were discussed here.

I would like to thank Mike Watson of Stó:lō Community Futures and his team for their hard work providing business loans, resources, training and workshops. Also, to the 24 Stó:lō communities — I would ask the House to join me in congratulating them on continued economic growth and prosperity.
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WOMEN IN TRADES

K. Corrigan: Members of the official opposition women’s caucus were very pleased to meet last week with several women in the building trades who told us how they became or are apprenticing to become a cement mason, a sheet metal worker, an HVAC insulator and an iron worker. Their stories were varied, but the challenge is universal. How do we increase the number of women working in the construction trades from the shockingly low estimate of only 3 percent?

Construction has been called the last frontier of equity. At a time when there is agreement that we are underskilled in this province, there is an enormous opportunity for women seeking well-paid, fulfilling and secure employment. If we see a significant part of our future in the building of this province, good sense and a sense of justice would demand that we plan for appropriate representation of women and other equity groups.

There is a precedent. In the 1990s the equity provisions in training and hiring on the large construction project to build the Vancouver Island Highway were unique and stunningly successful. In one year of that project, 1998, 1/10 of total hours worked were by women, and more than two in ten hours were by equity groups, including those women.

The small, nascent group of women in the building trades are trying to find ways to increase their numbers through mentorship, education and political action. It seems odd to celebrate them as pioneers, but that’s what they are. They, and we, must fight stereotypes and discrimination and tear down barriers to women in the trades.

Far too few women are given the option to choose, often because they don’t even know that the option exists. To paraphrase Lorien Barlow, defying the odds of a desk job and preferring to pick up power tools and build bridges and skyscrapers instead, women in construction trades are daring the rest of us to confront gender stereotypes that are still holding women back.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION
AND MEDIATE B.C. SOCIETY

M. Bernier: In a perfect world you would hope it would never occur, but we all, at some point, experience conflict, whether at work, during labour disputes or in our family lives. How we deal with conflict is the important part, as it can be a destructive force in our lives if not managed appropriately.

Unfortunately, more often than not people resort to the courts to try and resolve a dispute. But that process is changing, and there are better options for the people in British Columbia.

We are very lucky to have a group of dedicated professionals in British Columbia who work hard on conflict resolution. The Mediate B.C. Society, a not-for-profit organization, works with professionally trained mediators around the province who offer options for people in conflict. In my riding I have a constituent, Wayne Plenert, who is an expert in mediation, and he also has a passion to see this option be more readily available for people around the province.

Last year mediation resolved issues for more than 80 percent of family disputes and 77 percent of workplace disputes. These were all cases that, without a mediation process and professionals guiding that process, could have ended up in the legal system instead, costing tens of thousands of dollars per case and tying up valuable and already oversubscribed court time.

Mediation is also shown to resolve disputes more quickly, months quicker, than our traditional systems and with, I would say, better results. When both groups can sit down together and work out a resolution and a solution with the help of a mediator, it saves money, can reduce stress between the groups and can ultimately end up with a better result for both parties rather than having a decision made by the courts.

Mediate B.C., with the help of my friend Wayne, conducts thousands of sessions per year here in British Columbia, and I want to thank them for all of their efforts in helping the citizens of this province.

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BAINS FAMILY FUNDRAISING
FOR VARIETY CLUB

S. Hammell: I’m pleased to stand in the House today to talk about the dedication and compassion that I’ve seen and experienced from many residents of Surrey, a place I’m delighted to call home.

In particular, I’d like to shine the light of appreciation on Avtar and Sheila Bains, who are small business owners, residents and dedicated volunteers in the community. A number of years ago the Bains family experienced a heartbreaking tragedy when their teenaged daughter Suneeta passed away at the age of 15 from cancer.

During her illness, Avtar and his daughter were sitting together watching the Variety children’s telethon on TV. That very evening, as he looked at his ailing daughter, he made her one promise: to do everything he could to support other children and families who were living with disabilities and illnesses.

Since their daughter’s passing, Avtar and Sheila have been dedicated to supporting children with special needs. As the owners of Ricky’s All Day Grill in Surrey city centre, Avtar and Sheila and their team have opened their doors and their hearts for the past nine years during the Variety Show of Hearts Telethon weekend. Proceeds from every meal sold on that weekend are donated to the Variety Club of B.C., and this provides help and hope to children living with special needs.
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Just a few weeks ago on Valentine’s weekend Avtar, Sheila and the team managed to raise the outstanding amount of $12,000-plus. Together, through their years of work with Variety, they have contributed over $55,000. This is a success that we celebrate as we realize that all it takes is one family with compassion and drive to be able to make a difference in the lives of others.

Thank you, Avtar and Sheila. Thanks from all of us.

Oral Questions

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO REVIEW
OF HEALTH MINISTRY INVESTIGATION

J. Horgan: Last October 3 Linda Kayfish and her husband, Doug, came to this Legislature and told a story of injustice. They told a story of those in power abusing those below them, and there was an appropriate response from all parties in this House and all people who observe government activities in British Columbia. The government, in their wisdom, appointed Marcia McNeil to investigate the abuse of power that happened to Linda Kayfish’s family.

Specifically, of course, we wanted to zero in on the death of Roderick MacIsaac, one of seven individuals who was mistreated and abused by those above them. The Premier said at that time that Ms. McNeil would get to the bottom of this tragedy. The two simple questions that Linda Kayfish had, “Who fired my brother, and why?” were, in everyone’s minds, the focus of what that investigation should uncover.

Unfortunately — and the Premier will know this, I’m hopeful — when Ms. McNeil reported days before Christmas, she said the following: “Two of the most difficult questions I considered during my review were who effectively made the dismissal decisions, and what factors were considered. Those questions remain unanswered.”

My question is to the Premier. You made a solemn commitment to the Kayfish family and to the people of British Columbia that your government would get to the bottom of this sad, sad affair and accountability would be the result. What are you going to do now?

Madame Speaker: Always through the Chair.

Hon. C. Clark: First, I would like to thank all the members in the House — including the Leader of the Opposition, who’s wearing a little bit of a pink tie today — and welcome everybody here who has been part of our anti-bullying activities. Ten thousand educators have been trained already in spotting bullying and dealing with it in schools — 10,000 of the 15,000 already. So I do want to thank everybody who has been a part of that, just to preface that, including the Leader of the Opposition.

With respect to the question, Ms. McNeil did do a review. It was a thorough review. We are accepting…. She pointed out some very, very serious concerns with what happened, and we are responding to all those concerns and recommendations that she made.

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We do want to make sure that members of the public service are treated fairly — they deserve to be treated fairly — and that they are treated with respect. That was the point of the review. Those are the answers that we got, and we’ll be acting on those.

Madame Speaker: The Leader of the Official Opposition on a supplemental.

J. Horgan: Again, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between the words of the Premier and the actions of her government. Seven lives were disrupted, one tragically lost, because of an abuse of power by senior officials in the government of British Columbia — senior officials that report directly to the Premier.

Ms. McNeil said in her report: “No one has taken responsibility for making the effective recommendation to dismiss the employees. Instead, those most likely to have made the effective recommendation all pointed at someone else.” Now, how the Premier can take from this….

Two simple questions that Linda Kayfish had for the people of British Columbia and the government that should serve them: “Why was my brother fired?” and “Who did it?” Two very simple questions. Ms. McNeil said she could not answer that question — neither one of them.

The Premier appears to be satisfied with that. We on this side of the House are not. The Kayfishes are not. The health officials that were fired are not satisfied with the results of this recommendation. The opposition advised the government well into the fall that without appropriate powers, Ms. McNeil could not get to the bottom of this, as the Premier promised.

Again, my question is to her: if the Deputy Minister of Health at the time is alleging that the deputy to the Premier, Mr. Dyble, was fully briefed several times, as well as the head of the Public Service Agency, how is it that there was no paper trail?

This seems to be a common theme. Yesterday we asked the Minister of Transportation for minutes from 80 meetings that he held, and there’s not a scrap of paper.

Seven lives were disrupted. One life was lost. How is it possible that that’s acceptable to the Premier of British Columbia?

Hon. C. Clark: As I’ve said before in this House, what happened, what transpired, was not acceptable. That’s why the government has apologized more than once and very sincerely to the people who were harmed and whose lives were disrupted.

The work that we got from Ms. McNeil was very valuable. It is leading to changes in the civil service, the way
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that these kinds of things are managed, to ensure that these kinds of mistakes, these kinds of problems, these kinds of very serious disruptions of people’s lives don’t happen again. She set out that road map for us, she’s given us those recommendations as a result of the review that we requested, and we are taking those very seriously and acting on all of those recommendations.

Madame Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition on a further supplemental.

J. Horgan: Again, I appreciate that the Premier wants to fly by this, but this is profoundly important, particularly on Anti-Bullying Day. We have a vivid example of senior officials in government abusing their power to the detriment of those below them.

I heard on the steps of the Legislature today that we need to effect change, to change behaviour. If there’s no accountability in this instance, how can we effect the change in behaviour? If the Premier’s deputy was aware of this sordid affair and did nothing, then how are we going to change his behaviour? If the Deputy Minister of Health is responsible….? How are we going to change behaviour for those individuals?

This is a learning moment, and the learning moment is: Linda Kayfish came to this House seeking justice for her dead brother — two questions: “Why was my brother fired?” and “Who did it?” They remain unanswered. Will the Premier fulfil her commitment to Linda Kayfish and answer those two simple questions: who and why?

Hon. C. Clark: As I’ve said a number of times in this House, and as has the Minister of Health, the government made a mistake, a series of mistakes. The government has apologized for those mistakes very sincerely. Further than that, we ordered a review. The review has come back.

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The review has given us a set of recommendations to work from that will allow us to effect real change in the way that these kinds of processes will be managed in the future, to do everything that we can to guarantee that something like this could not and will not happen again.

It is change. It’s the change that Ms. McNeil identified needed to happen, and we are acting on it.

ADOPTION OF CHILDREN
IMPACTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE

D. Donaldson: On April 20, 2014, Angela Wilson was murdered at her home in Clearwater, leaving behind three young children. The children were reported to be in the home at the time. Accused in the murder is Angela’s estranged husband, who surrendered with the children after a 7½-hour standoff with the RCMP. A horrific situation.

Since that day her brother Frank Wilson and his wife, Leanne Bowcott, have been trying to adopt their niece and nephews. Ten months have passed, and the children are still in the temporary foster care of strangers, as directed by the Ministry of Children and Family Development — ten months.

Will the minister act today in the best interests of these children and commit that they will be placed with their family where they belong?

Hon. S. Cadieux: As the member states, this is a very tragic and horrific situation for the family, and I certainly cannot express the deep, deep condolences in a meaningful way towards the family for their incredible loss.

It is understandable that the family members would have questions. It is also understandable that they would be incredibly frustrated by the process. While I can’t — and the member will know this, as will all members of the House — speak to the specifics of any case, the number one priority of the ministry is always that the best interests of the children are met.

There are cases that are complex. There are situations where there are more than one extended family member who may be involved or where there may be court proceedings. All of these things take time to inform a best decision about a permanent arrangement for children. These are difficult decisions, but I have confidence that we have the right people gathering the information that is required to make this incredibly significant decision consistent with legislation.

Madame Speaker: The member for Stikine on a supplemental.

D. Donaldson: The Child, Family and Community Service Act says decisions relating to children should be made and implemented in a timely manner.

Frank and Leanne have done respite care for the ministry. They share the children’s aboriginal ancestry. The children know their aunt and uncle and have even spent time living with them in the past. Yet it took the ministry eight months just to schedule a safe-home study, and the family is still waiting to be united.

These children have already suffered too much. It’s wrong for them to be further traumatized by keeping them from their family. The lack of urgency demonstrated by the ministry is really unfathomable and unacceptable.

To the Premier, will she do the right thing and direct her Minister of Children and Family Development to end the delays so this family can be reunited, and commit to an independent investigation about what went wrong and who is accountable so that this terrible injustice won’t happen again?

Hon. S. Cadieux: I am sure that I speak for every member of this House when I say that we all want to see permanency for children in care of the ministry
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as quickly as possible. That’s why we’re focusing on reducing the number of moves when the children are indeed in foster care and why we’re focusing on putting an increased emphasis on adoptions and all permanency options.

In carrying out our work, our legislation is clear. The paramount concern is the safety and well-being of the child. While there are other provisions and policy that support the decisions, that first concern is paramount. Everyone wants decision-making to happen as quickly as possible, myself included.

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Under the act, the director requires information, a great deal of information, to inform those decisions. Decisions, I will add once again, are made for a lifetime. Having all of the necessary information on where a child or children will live is extremely important, and in complex cases that may take time.

WAIT TIMES FOR COLON
CANCER SCREENING SERVICES

J. Darcy: British Columbians are being asked to pay more for medical services premiums, but many people are discovering that the services they need aren’t there for them when they need them.

Last October in this House we raised the case of Michael Goldman from Qualicum Beach. He had surgery for colon cancer in January 2011. A colonoscopy in June of 2013 showed that Michael had a 40 percent chance of recurrence of his cancer. According to the government’s own guidelines, Michael should have had a follow-up colonoscopy within six months. It has now been 20 months, and Michael Goldman has still not had the colonoscopy that he needs. And it’s been four months since we raised this issue in this House.

Can the minister explain to Michael Goldman, a high-risk patient at severe risk of recurrence of his cancer, why he’s had to wait 20 long and very worrying months for his follow-up treatment?

Hon. T. Lake: Thank you to the member for the question. I certainly have sympathy for anyone that’s waiting for treatment, especially when there’s a worrisome diagnosis involved.

I know the ministry and the health authorities are very concerned about wait-lists. Colonoscopy has been a challenge since we instituted the new FIT procedure to screen people for colon cancer. It is the right thing to do in terms of detecting cancers early. But what we’ve done is we’ve created a burden on the system that we need to correct, and we are working hard with our health authorities to do that.

I apologize for any patients that have had to wait longer than necessary. Having said that, all of the health authorities are working hard to reduce those wait-lists and make sure that people are seen in a timely fashion for their follow-up procedures.

S. Fraser: The government did announce an expanded screening program right before the election, but unfortunately, the implementation of this program has been terribly flawed. They simply didn’t create enough capacity to deliver the procedure to those that need it and those that need it most. So now Michael Goldman is caught in a crush of patients trying to access the colonoscopy.

Can the minister explain — a real explanation — as to why Michael has waited 20 months to get a colonoscopy?

Hon. T. Lake: As I mentioned earlier, it’s really critical that a screening program is in place so that any potential worrisome lesions are dealt with as quickly as possible. We know that a person with colorectal cancer has a 90 percent chance of being cured if the cancer is caught early enough.

Since the screening program has been put in place, 155,000 patients have been registered in the first year. Of those, 1,100 patients have been diagnosed with high-risk polyps, and nearly 100 patients have been diagnosed with cancer and are being treated. Without that screening program in place, those 100 people would not have been treated.

I can’t say that it has been smooth for every patient, and I accept that we need to do better. We will do better. All health authorities are working to do that.

Madame Speaker: The member for Alberni–Pacific Rim on a supplemental.

S. Fraser: The answer from the minister is not acceptable. No one is arguing that screening is a bad idea.

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Michael Goldman, in 2013, on his follow-up, was given a 40 percent chance of recurrence. It puts him at the highest risk you could possibly be. He already fought cancer in 2011. You can understand why Michael Goldman is so fed up.

When his follow-up procedure was 14 months overdue, he contacted the Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors, now the Minister of Social Development, for assistance. She told him he should, essentially, break out his Visa card and go through the private system. The minister’s failures here are putting lives at risk, lives like Michael’s. Again to the minister: when will Michael Goldman receive his colonoscopy?

Hon. T. Lake: Just to outline some of the initiatives that the health authorities are undergoing to reduce wait-lists as much as possible. IHA has hired additional staff, expanding their operating hours. They’ve committed over $2 million this year for construction and equipment of more endoscopy suites. Island Health has hired addi-
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tional nursing staff, increased hours for colonoscopies and hired a new gastroenterologist. Vancouver Coastal is looking at ways to reduce their backlog and wait-lists. Fraser Health has added colonoscopy times at a number of their sites.

If the member would like to meet with me over an individual case, I would be happy to sit down and do that with him.

IMPLEMENTATION OF
BUS SERVICE ON HIGHWAY 16

M. Karagianis: Two years ago the Missing Women Commission urged this government to immediately bring in better transportation options to prevent further murders and disappearances in northern communities along the Highway of Tears. So far the B.C. Liberal government has ignored that recommendation, but maybe today we have learned why.

This morning the Minister of Aboriginal Relations on radio was directly asked why the government doesn’t just run a bus from point A to point B. His answer, and this is a direct quote: “There hasn’t been anyone gone missing in some time.”

My question is to the Premier. Are the B.C. Liberals seriously waiting until another woman goes missing along this highway before they implement better options for transportation along this highway?

Hon. J. Rustad: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. I live on Highway 16. I live in this area. I represent a large distance of the highway. I work day to day with the communities, and I know how much the missing women and murdered women, the issues that have happened along here, have impacted the communities and families. This is a very serious issue, and it’s one that we also take very seriously.

We have been working very hard, particularly with the aboriginal leaders throughout that area, to try to improve the safety conditions. I think that many of the actions that have happened have made that highway much safer over the last 15 years or so. We will continue to look at ways to build and improve safety along that highway because it’s the right thing to do for the people that live throughout the Highway 16 corridor.

Madame Speaker: Esquimalt–Royal Roads on a supplemental.

M. Karagianis: Well, the minister hasn’t explained his remarks today on radio where he simply states: no bus from A to B because there hasn’t been anyone gone missing there in some time. I’m asking the Premier: is this now the B.C. Liberal policy with regard to this very dangerous highway, that we are waiting for more women to go missing or be murdered before any action is taken?

The Premier knows that right now women are hitchhiking on that road to do simple things like get their groceries or go to an appointment. Is this the new policy now? We’re waiting for one of them to go missing before we take any action and put safer transportation along this highway?

Hon. J. Rustad: Thank you to the member opposite, once again, for the question. The issue of murdered and missing women is very, very important. It’s critical, I think, for aboriginal and non-aboriginal people alike.

[1420]

Everybody needs to be able to feel safe within their communities and, really, throughout the area where they’re travelling. That’s why we have implemented a number of strategies along the highway, whether it is the health bus that is being put in place, which is significant for improving transportation options, or whether it is improved cell service.

Also, in particular, as I want to reiterate, working with the aboriginal leaders throughout that area and the strategies that they’ve implemented — the level of awareness, the types of programs that have been in place to really be able to support women and, particularly, aboriginal people throughout that area — have made a difference. It has made a huge difference.

The highway is much safer than it has been, particularly over the last 15 years. Like I said before, there are more things that we need to be looking at.

J. Rice: Clearly this minister doesn’t know the details of this file. We’ve lost Greyhound bus service in the last 15 years. We’ve gone from 22 trips between Prince Rupert and Prince George down to 15. The train service is practically obsolete now that the Port of Prince Rupert has expanded.

My question is for the Premier. Boy, she wouldn’t believe what her ministers have been up to while she’s been away. I want to remind the Premier that B.C. has the most unsolved cases of missing and murdered women in this country. More women have disappeared in British Columbia than any other province. It’s wrong to suggest we should wait for more women to go missing before we take action.

Again, to the Premier, will she commit today to bring in the bus service urged by the Missing Women Commission, yes or no?

Hon. T. Stone: Government remains committed to acting on the recommendations from the missing-women report with respect to identifying safer transportation options for this corridor. This is why, last summer, staff from the Ministry of Transportation met with over 80 First Nations and municipal leaders — and other organizations, frankly — up and down that corridor. Very good discussion was had in those meetings. Lots of ideas
[ Page 6097 ]
were put on the table, and a number of those ideas have been followed through.

We have established a web portal, which makes it much easier for people through this corridor to access all of the existing resources that are available to them. We also have established a strategy that provides funding to First Nations so that there can be increased training for driver education, safe driver and driving licence programs for First Nations.

As the Minister of Aboriginal Reconciliation mentioned previously today, cell coverage has been consistently improved through this region. The government of British Columbia provides about $1.5 million through B.C. Transit to provide local transit options. There’s the Northern Health bus. So there is a wide range of services in place today.

Can we do more? We’re always looking at additional strategies, additional services that can be provided to further enhance safety throughout this corridor.

Madame Speaker: The member for North Coast on a supplemental.

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON SAFE
TRANSPORTATION ON HIGHWAY 16

J. Rice: The Missing Women Commission urged this government to bring in safe, affordable transportation for northern communities so that women wouldn’t be forced to hitchhike to buy groceries or go to appointments. Instead, this government put together a website, or the web portal the minister just spoke of, that you’d never find unless you knew where to look.

If you did find it, you know what’s on there? A link to limousine companies. Does the minister really think that a website listing limousines is going to be of any use to the young women hitching on Highway 16?

Hon. T. Stone: What’s, I think, really important here is identifying practical solutions — solutions that, when implemented, will actually make a difference.

That is why on the question of a shuttle bus type of service, I think it’s important to acknowledge — and we certainly heard this in many of the discussions that were had when we were up there last summer — that the distance from Prince Rupert to Prince George is 718 kilometres. That’s an eight-hour drive in good driving conditions. Putting a shuttle bus on that length of highway with that amount of hours of driving was not identified as a practical solution by the people who live up there.

[1425]

What is practical is making strategic investments to enable First Nations to educate their own from a driver licensing perspective and to enhance transit services that are there. The web portal is not a throwaway initiative. It provides links to a broad range of services that are currently available. We will continue to assess other options to improve the safety through this corridor.

CONFLICT-OF-INTEREST INQUIRY
REGARDING ENERGY MINISTER ROLE
IN HUNTING POLICY ISSUES

K. Conroy: The Minister of Energy and Mines told the media that while he is owed a shareholder loan by Height of the Rockies Adventure Company, and while his brother is a shareholder of the company, he did not need to recuse himself from cabinet discussions about wildlife allocation. The minister said the Conflict of Interest Commissioner told him he did not need to recuse himself.

My question is to the Premier. The minister is a lawyer. He understands the law. If the Conflict of Interest Commissioner said the minister was free to involve himself in these decisions, why is he now asking the commissioner for a written opinion?

Hon. B. Bennett: I think everyone in this House understands how important it is to the public that they know that the people they elect are driven by what’s best for them — for the public, for the taxpayers, for the voters — and that the people who are elected are not driven by financial or pecuniary or business motives.

I have been proud to represent the people of Kootenay East for 14 years. A lot of that representation has included issues around hunting and fishing and guiding and all the things that the hon. member who just asked the question is involved with as an MLA from the Kootenays.

I did ask the Conflict of Interest Commissioner late last week to provide an opinion in writing so that we could put this issue to rest one way or the other, and the conflict commissioner has told me that he’ll issue that opinion, he hopes, within the next two weeks.

[End of question period.]

Point of Privilege
(Reservation of Right)

Hon. Michelle Stilwell: I’d like to reserve my right on a point of privilege based on the comments from the member for Alberni–Pacific Rim.

Madame Speaker: Thank you, Member.

Hon. M. de Jong: I rise to seek leave to move a motion activating the Select Standing Committee on Health.

Leave granted.
[ Page 6098 ]

Motions Without Notice

APPOINTMENT OF HEALTH COMMITTEE

Hon. M. de Jong: Again, the text of the motion was provided to the Opposition House Leader and all, I think, independent members.

I move the motion activating the Select Standing Committee on Health. By leave, I move that now.

[That the Select Standing Committee on Health be empowered to:

1) Consider the conclusions contained in the Interim Report, October 2012, of the Select Standing Committee on Health of the 39th Parliament; as such, the Interim Report of the Select Standing Committee on Health, and any submissions and evidence received during the 39th Parliament, are referred to the Committee;

2) Outline potential alternative strategies to mitigate the impact of the significant cost drivers identified in the Report on the sustainability and improvement of the provincial health care system;

3) Identify current public levels of acceptance toward the potential alternative strategies; and,

4) Consider health capital funding options.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Health, the Committee shall be empowered:

a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and to refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the Committee;

b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

c) to conduct consultations by any means the Committee considers appropriate;

d) to adjourn from place to place as may be convenient; and

e) to retain such personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment or at the next following Session, as the case may be; to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.]

Motion approved.

Orders of the Day

Hon. M. de Jong: Continued debate on the budget.

Budget Debate

(continued)

S. Chandra Herbert: It’s good to see so many taking their time to leave this chamber because they want to hear my remarks.

They want to hear my concern about this budget. They want to hear that my constituents are concerned that the government would find it possible to give $230 million to the richest 2 percent while increasing fees for them — why this government would decide that supporting the super rich is a better priority than making sure that they can afford child care, that they can afford university, that they can afford food, that they can afford their MSP, that they can afford their hydro, that they can afford their rent. None of that was a priority. The priority was $230 million to the top 2 percent of income earners in this province.

[1430]

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

Before I was interrupted yesterday, when speaking to the budget, I was speaking about Gordon Neighbourhood House, food security and what they’re doing to try to build a resilient community where the inequality divide isn’t getting bigger but where people are getting closer. I take inspiration from what they try to do in their organization, in terms of how I think we as legislators need to be working to improve our province.

They’re members of an organization called the Metro Vancouver Alliance, another organization with many members in my constituency. Now, the members of Metro Vancouver Alliance have been putting forward a number of suggestions to make life more affordable for people, to make life better for people, to give people a greater chance to succeed.

Indeed, they’ve called for things like living wages, things that we should all consider, because we don’t believe — I don’t believe, anyways — that you should be working full-time and still stuck in poverty. Unfortunately, that’s the case for too many British Columbians.

They work two, sometimes three, jobs, and they still find it difficult to be able to afford food. That’s because wages have stagnated in this province. Indeed, we’ve had that continue for most of the term of this government, if not longer. Wages have not been increasing at the rate that the costs of government, that the costs of society, have been.

That’s a challenge. It’s not all this government’s fault. No, I don’t think it would be fair to say the Liberals are responsible for all the problems that people are facing. Overall, we as a country have this challenge. Our country of Canada has this challenge, and we’ve been seeing it across the western world. But just because it’s a problem faced by many doesn’t mean it’s a problem that you should ignore, and this government has been ignoring this problem.

I think about a poverty reduction strategy, something pretty much every government in this country has agreed they need to take action on, except for this government. The Liberals in B.C. do not think a poverty reduction strategy is necessary, despite B.C. having the worst child poverty rate in this country for over a decade.

Well, I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t seem to be very balanced leadership to be leaving people in poverty, to be leaving children to struggle — not having the full belly they need to learn in schools, not being able to get the best chance at success.
[ Page 6099 ]

Other organizations I speak to in my community who give me their concerns to bring forward — parent advisory councils. We have a number at King George, Lord Roberts, Lord Roberts Annex. One of the things they’ve identified to me is that challenge as well — the challenge of poverty in their own schools; the challenge of always trying to fundraise just to be able to provide the basics for those kids.

Now they’re working on trying to fundraise for playgrounds. Thankfully, we’ve been able to do okay in getting money to repair playgrounds in our neighbourhood for kids to play on. But it just shows to me that they’re looking to fundraise — and they’re being asked to fundraise — in just about every way so that they can fund the basics of education.

They’ve also raised with me concerns about students not being able to be assessed for the challenges that they face. Maybe it’s a learning difficulty, a speech issue, a mental health issue or another challenge that they may have. They’re stuck waiting and waiting, falling further and further behind in their classes. It’s also meaning the teacher has to focus more attention there and can’t focus on the other students.

They all want that one student to achieve success who’s struggling. They call on me, and they call on us, to provide better support for special education teachers, to make sure that kids do get diagnosed when they need help, do get the support so that they can succeed. Unfortunately, because of a partisan divide, because of a focused battle with the Premier and teachers, those are the students that get lost in the struggle. Those are the students that don’t get to achieve the success they so deserve.

That lack of balance means that long term, our economy will struggle as well. Long term, we will not have the students who are able to achieve their full success, and that holds us all back.

The parent advisory committees — I just can’t say enough how important they are for those schools, for those connections to the community. I want to thank them, and I’ll continue to work for them.

It’s not just parent advisory committees. It’s also adult learners who’ve been approaching me — approaching me about this government’s decision to increase fees for adult basic education, to make it so that you have to pay in order to get your Dogwood.

That, to me, for many recent immigrants who’ve come to my community, is backwards. We should be embracing these folks, making sure they can get the education, not throwing up more barriers, not making it more difficult for them to achieve the success that they, too, deserve in our province. But the government’s moves recently to restrict adult basic education, to my constituents and indeed to adults all across this province, are throwing more barriers in the way of success.

[1435]

Again, you think you’re saving some money today, but you’re costing us way more — way more in those people’s lives. They’re taking on greater debts themselves. But our whole economy…. Those people are not able to give their all when they’re struggling to even just get the basic credentials so that they can get the skills they need to achieve success and to do the jobs that need their support. I’ll continue to work for those folks as well.

We have some interesting organizations in the West End–Coal Harbour. We’ve got a group called the St. Paul’s advocacy centre. They work with some of the most marginalized — folks that are living on the street — trying to support them to get off the street, into housing when that’s available and trying to help folks get into things like detox, addiction support, mental health support. They’re helping seniors deal with issues with MSP and in many other ways.

You know what I heard from them when I met with them recently? When they call for support to this government, when they call for support for clients that are struggling, they get put on hold for 20 minutes, half an hour, 45 minutes, an hour, and they don’t get through.

The clients often get frustrated, especially when they haven’t had a full belly. They haven’t had a meal because they’re struggling in poverty on the streets. Maybe they’re struggling with mental illness. Maybe they’re struggling with addiction. They leave, and those people can’t get help. That’s a waste of time for the society. It’s a waste of time for that person, and it’s a lost opportunity to change a life.

This government needs to put a greater priority on making sure that those people get the help they need, when they need it, so that they can turn their lives around. We are all one human family. We need to start acting like it, rather than just mouthing platitudes while leaving those struggling to struggle and leaving us all to struggle with them.

Indeed, when one person struggles, I believe we all struggle. We cannot all achieve our great success together if we’re leaving people in the pit of despair, in the pit of anguish, believing that nobody cares about them.

St. Paul’s advocacy we’re lucky to have. But they, too, can’t believe that there’s not a greater priority put on ending homelessness, on ending poverty. We live in a wealthy society. We should start acting like it. Wealth for all, not just wealth for the few.

I had the opportunity on Friday to meet with the seniors planning table. It’s an organization of seniors from my community and from all walks of life who unite. They come together to solve problems. They come together to find solutions. What did I hear there? I heard great concern.

I heard great concern about this government’s plan to sell off affordable housing, great concern that the Nicholson Tower in my community is being put on sale, potentially sold. The government won’t tell us. They won’t
[ Page 6100 ]
answer one question we’ve asked about this sale of public housing — not one — and we’ve tried.

They’re concerned that the deal to sell, in the documents, show that up to 50 percent of the units could go market rental. Now, these are housing units that were paid for by taxpayers, by citizens, to provide for low-income seniors and later on for folks living with disabilities.

The plan so far, the only plan we’ve been able to see, because we managed to pull it off a government website before it disappeared, showed that the government’s plan for this housing is that potentially 50 percent of it could go to folks earning between $50,000 and $80,000 now — not the low-income senior, not the person living with a disability struggling without an income, but folks that are definitely making more than the average.

Those folks need housing too, absolutely. It’s a challenge. It’s a challenge in one of the most unaffordable places in the world for housing. But I don’t think anybody would think that we should be making it harder for low-income people to get housing in this sale. Yet that, as far as we’ve been able to tell, is what the case will be, with some non-profit housing providers telling us that in order to make that building work after the government sells it off and pulls the money out of it, they would have to raise rents 40 percent.

How does that work? How does that lead to greater affordability? How does that lead to greater social cohesion? It doesn’t. It leads to a further divide. They had a lot of concerns at that table. Now, not all are united around what vision should occur, but that was key.

Another concern I heard, that I’d hoped to see addressed in this budget, is home care for seniors. Many of my constituents are seniors. They’re elderly. They’re challenged, as their bodies don’t quite perform the way they’re used to.

[1440]

In fact, I spoke with one yesterday. She told me that for her, she’s had her home care support cut off. She’s not been able to do laundry because she falls down. When she fell down last time, she ended up in hospital. Well, the government has pulled that away from her. She doesn’t have the support now in order to do her laundry, in order to wash her clothes, in order to wash her floor, in order to do those basic things.

She lives alone. She lives alone and has been provided that assistance, because our society at one point thought that was important. Now that’s been pulled away from her. She doesn’t know what to do.

Last week I talked to a veteran who fought for the country. He was sitting in the mall, telling me that he, too, has had his support pulled away from him. He, too, doesn’t know what to do. He said to me: “I want to smell good. I want to be able to go out in polite society smelling good. In order to do that, I need to wash my clothes. I can’t do that.” He told me: “I can’t do that because my body does not allow me to do that. I can’t do that because I risk hurting myself and ending up in long-term care or an emergency room.”

He’s tried, but he lives alone. He doesn’t have a big support system. The program that used to be provided by government, because we, as a society, thought it was important to treat our elderly with respect…. It seems to not think that’s important any longer.

That’s just not correct. That’s just not right. That’s not how a society should be treating somebody like that. But that’s what they tell me, and that’s what I see. We appeal to the government for assistance, but we’re not getting anything back.

Budgets should be about priorities. Priorities should be about ensuring that we achieve success together, not leaving people behind.

I think about the West End Business Improvement Association, a good organization that works to improve the business climate in our community. They work to get more people coming to the West End. They’ve done lots of exciting things. I love going out to their meetings because they are optimistic people.

When I get out and talk to the individual business owners, though, they tell me that it is hard. Rents are high, and they’re finding more and more of their customers, the people in our neighbourhood, the residents of our neighbourhood, aren’t able to make the big purchases that they used to anymore. They’re finding that their amount of discretionary income is less. Again, we see that’s a challenge, as we discussed earlier. They just aren’t getting the high-rollers, the folks able to splurge in quite the same way.

Now, there’s a plus. We’re starting to see American tourists come back, and that certainly will help the neighbourhood. We’re starting to see the tourism economy rise again after its disastrous fall these last couple of years. That is a very encouraging thing.

The Speaker will know that I championed and I called for a return of industry leadership to the tourism marketer. Tourism B.C. was what it was before the government pulled it apart. Now we have Destination B.C. So I’m encouraged that we’re going to start to see the growth of the tourism economy, and much faster than we have.

But, again, we’ve also lost the Vancouver Coast Mountain Tourism Association, which was one of the lead agencies arguing for increased investment in tourism marketing so we can get the people here. They can stay here, invest their money, come again and again and potentially bring business opportunities.

While I’m happy Destination B.C. is, of course, operating now and working to bring the people in, it doesn’t change overnight. I thank the West End Business Improvement Association for doing everything they can to bring more people to our neighbourhood to make sure they get the success they need. It’s a pleasure and an honour to work with them.

One organization that also works for our commun-
[ Page 6101 ]
ity is St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation. They work to raise money for St. Paul’s, a hospital that serves the province, serves my constituents, serves Vancouver–False Creek and serves the city of Vancouver. Indeed, over 40 percent of people that use that hospital don’t live in Vancouver. They get support. They come in because of the world-leading programs they have at St. Paul’s.

In this budget I was excited. You know why I was excited? This government promised. They stood in my constituency in 2012. They announced that finally — finally — they had $500 million in the budget. They’re going to invest in St. Paul’s. We’re going to do it now.

The Premier was smiling. The Minister of Finance was there. It was an exciting day. They said: “We’re moving.”

We were supposed to be bringing down the old building, putting up the new, renovating, going through, making it earthquake-safe because that building will collapse if there is an earthquake. We were going to make sure the people could be in single rooms so that they weren’t exposed to disease from having multiple people in the same room. We were on the way.

[1445]

But then 2013, no, there was not $500 million in the budget. In 2014, no, there was not $500 million in the budget. In 2015, the same thing.

This government has spent more on promotional signs outside of the hospital than they have spent on actual renewal of the hospital. That’s this government’s record. They say they’re going to do something, but they don’t deliver.

That hospital needs an investment now. We’ve got unity in our community about this. Vancouver Coastal Health has said it’s their top priority. The city of Vancouver has said it’s their top priority. The unions, the businesses, the citizens have said it’s their top priority. But this government, after this election, apparently can’t even remember it exists, can’t even remember what they said, what they promised.

St. Paul’s Hospital is vital. The B.C. Business Council recently has been speaking about how investing in St. Paul’s Hospital would be the right thing to do, because they, too, see it’s a health care priority, and with low interest rates, it would make a big difference. It would lead to more construction jobs. It would lead to efficiencies in the hospital, saving money. It would lead to greater health outcomes.

But no, there’s no timeline. There’s no plan. There’s nothing. This is this government’s record when it comes to St. Paul’s Hospital. In fact, the language that they use is the same language they’ve been using for years and years and years. “It’s a complicated project,” they say. Well, duh. “It’s a hospital; it takes time. It’s an old building,” they say. Well again, I think we knew that. That’s why it needs to be renewed. That’s why it needs to be revitalized.

I don’t think it is responsible government to look at a hospital like that, make a promise and then vanish and not follow through. We need that hospital renewed now.

I thank the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation for doing what they can to raise money for renewal, to raise money to help the hospital now. But it’s hard. It’s got to be hard for them, because this government says one thing, does another. Funders, I’m sure, must be questioning: will we ever see renewal?

Well, I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy, and we will see renewal. We will see renewal one day. I will keep working to see that it comes about sooner than later. It should happen before this next election, if the government’s word is worth anything, even half of something. They might actually finally follow through.

But maybe we’ll see, right before the next election, the Premier show up again and make another promise, spend more money on a sign saying that something’s coming, with no actual plan to follow through. I hope not, because our case is just, and our case is smart. It should happen because it’s the right thing to do.

We have another organization in our community, the Stanley Park Ecology Society. They do incredible work in Stanley Park and across the region to support efforts to protect species at risk, to improve water quality, to improve air quality, to improve people’s understanding of nature and their connection to nature.

When I speak with them, I think about Stanley Park. It’s a beautiful park, an incredible park. What is affecting Stanley Park is indeed affecting many parks, many natural regions and wild places in this province. One of the big effects that we’ve been challenged with, of course, is climate change.

While there’s some small talk about climate change in this budget, there’s no plan to get us to actually drastically reduce our carbon emissions. There needs to be. And it can make us money. It can make us an economic powerhouse if we really cared about shifting off of fossil fuels and shifting towards an economy of renewable energy, of technology that can better bring the pollution down, increase resilience, increase efficiency, increase jobs.

When I talk to builders in my community and across this province, they tell me that we could be building things so much more efficiently. We could be investing in helping people upgrade their homes now so they’re no longer having to waste energy. That’s one of the challenges that constituents bring me.

They show me their power bill. They show me all their bills. If they are a senior, quite often they’re on a fixed income. They may receive SAFER, the shelter assistance funding, but their power bill keeps going up. With this government’s leadership, so-called, of B.C. Hydro, we’re seeing power bills shoot through the roof.

[1450]

But they can’t do anything about it. They’ve got a single-pane window. They put up the plastic. They try anything they can do to save money, but without full building envelope repairs, they can’t save that money they need.
[ Page 6102 ]

While I am happy with some things in this budget, including the increase in support for post-production, which we’ve been calling for and which we’ve supported — as well as greater support, which we didn’t see, for Creative B.C. — this budget has not worked in the best interests of my constituents. It has not created a great hope for British Columbians. It’s created a great gulf. It’s continuing to support a divide between those with the very most and the rest of us. So no, I will not be supporting this budget.

While we’ve put forward ideas to improve it, when we’ve put forward things that we think would make a difference in this province, this government decides that might makes right. They do not support collaboration. They do not support listening to those who might be different. They call them names, and I think that’s unfortunate because we have so much we can give each other.

We have so much that we can learn from each and every member of this House. We may not always agree, but we get more done that way. And you know, listening to people in my community, I get more done that way — collaborating, working together. I wish we saw that kind of spirit in this House more often. It starts from the leadership. It starts from the Premier.

This budget was not about collaboration or leadership. It was about continuing division, and that’s just not a good thing for British Columbia. That leaves us all weaker rather than more resilient. With the great hope and excitement and optimism that I see in this province, that I see in our people, that I see is possible, we can do so much more. I hope that this government will eventually listen, will eventually learn to respect all, learn from all, work with all. That’s how we achieve true success.

G. Kyllo: It is with great pleasure that I rise in the chamber and respond to our balanced budget 2015, our government’s fiscal plan that was presented in this House last Tuesday and our third consecutive balanced budget.

Before responding directly to Budget 2015, I’d like to take the opportunity to extend my sincere appreciation to my family and a number of individuals that have been of great assistance to me this past year, as well as sharing with this House some of the things that make the Shuswap such an amazing part of this province.

First, and most importantly, I wish to thank my lovely wife of 26 years, Georgina, my sweetheart, for all of her love, dedication and support. I’d also like to thank my beautiful, kind and caring girls, Sarah, Brittany, Angela and Samantha. And yes, I’ll mention my beautiful granddaughter, Kylie, who turned one year old just last week.

My family keeps growing. With daughters Sarah and Brittany expecting in March and May, my wife, Georgina, and I are truly blessed and find comfort in knowing that we are doing our part to help to grow B.C.’s population. Fertility is proving not only to be an important attribute of the agriculture sector.

A very special thank-you must also go to Brian Cowan, president of the Shuswap Liberal Riding Association. Brian is truly the hardest-working riding association president in B.C., who, along with an equally talented team of hard-working volunteers, continues to grow our membership and engage with the local community.

I’d like to give a special thank-you to Holly Cowan, my constituency assistant, for all of her diligent work in keeping me informed of the issues and concerns of the residents of the Shuswap. Holly is truly amazing, and I’m so fortunate to have her managing my constituency office in Salmon Arm. A recent addition to the team, Cheryl Leite, has been of great help as well.

I’d also like to thank all of the staff here in Victoria for all their hard work and dedication in assisting me and all the other members of government and caucus. My legislative assistant, Kristen Blake, has proven invaluable, and I want to express to her my sincere appreciation. I’d also like to welcome Kelly Twa, legislative assistant, to our team.

Lastly, I’d like to provide a special thank-you to the residents of the Shuswap for providing me the incredible opportunity to represent them in Victoria. I’m truly honoured to be the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Shuswap.

The Shuswap region is truly the most beautiful, scenic and diverse region of our province, and I’m fortunate to have made the Shuswap my home for going on close to 40 years. The Shuswap region is located at the north end of the Okanagan Valley, between the cities of Kamloops on the west and Revelstoke to the east.

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The Shuswap is comprised of the communities of Armstrong, Spallumcheen, Enderby, Grindrod, Sicamous, Malakwa, Canoe, Salmon Arm, Notch Hill, Sorrento, Blind Bay, Falkland, Scotch Creek, Anglemont and Seymour Arm. The Shuswap lakes are the epicentre of the Shuswap and truly offer the best boating in western Canada. The community of Sicamous, located at the southern end of Shuswap Lake on the Sicamous Narrows, has the distinction of being the houseboat capital of Canada.

A close friend and former president of Tourism Shuswap, Duncan Myers, once coined the slogan: “Where is it written that paradise has to be tropical?” I must wholeheartedly agree. With countless lakes, rivers and streams, snow-capped mountains and lush, fertile valleys, the Shuswap truly is paradise.

Outdoor adventure opportunities are seemingly limitless, including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, houseboating, water-skiing, wakeboarding, canoeing, kayaking, world-class fishing, cross-country skiing, cat-skiing and some of the best snowmobiling in North America. With snowmobiling possible well into May, it’s actually possible to go snowmobiling in the morning and water-skiing in the afternoon. There are few places on the
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planet that offer that type of an experience.

I could go on at great length about the many amazing attributes of the Shuswap. However, I truly believe that the Shuswap’s biggest asset is our caring residents, for it is our families, friends, neighbours, co-workers, employers and the seemingly limitless number of volunteers that truly make the Shuswap such an amazing place to live, work and play.

The Shuswap abounds with community and not-for-profit organizations that work tirelessly for the benefit of the local communities and our residents. In keeping with the diversification of the provincial economy, the economy of the Shuswap, although largely tourism-based, is benefiting from the diversification of a growing manufacturing sector.

Companies such as Valid Manufacturing, Rapid-Span, ADAM Integrated, Sawmill Equipment Company, Fink Machine and TA Structures call Shuswap their home, designing, building and producing world-class products.

The Shuswap also has a robust agricultural sector and is home to a large number of successful agricultural businesses, like D Dutchmen Dairy, located in Sicamous; Farmcrest Foods, an egg and poultry producer located in Salmon Arm; along with B.C.’s only federally regulated abattoir, the Blue Goose Cattle Company, located in Grindrod. They all make Shuswap their home.

Forestry also plays a significant role in the local economy. Companies like Gorman Bros., North Enderby Timber, and Tolko continue to make investments to maintain a healthy forest sector.

The Shuswap is continuing to grow and diversify its economy. We are so very fortunate to have such a diverse group of business owners and local entrepreneurs that continue to make investments in our local communities.

Now on to the business at hand. First, I want to commend our Premier and the Minister of Finance for their leadership and their unwavering commitment to ensure British Columbia has a third consecutive balanced budget. You’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again: the rest of Canada indeed looks to B.C. with envy as we unveil balanced budget 2015.

As Parliamentary Secretary for the Jobs Plan to the Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training, I hear firsthand from business owners and employees alike that they fully support our government’s approach to attracting investment, growing the economy and supporting job creation. I take great pride in the B.C. jobs plan, because the jobs plan is working. B.C.’s economy is growing and adding jobs.

Our economic success is not measured on a month-to-month basis but in terms of results over time. Since 2011, job numbers, exports and economic activity have increased, and we’ve been successful in attracting new investment to our great province.

The B.C. jobs plan is helping to create a competitive, diversified, export-oriented economy that supports families. Since 2001, total employment in the province has increased by 20 percent, adding more than 388,000 new jobs. Since the launch of the B.C. jobs plan in 2011, the province has added more than 50,000 jobs and is consistently among the three provinces with the lowest unemployment numbers.

The provincial economy, as measured by gross domestic product, increased by $7.2 billion, or almost 4 percent. It is $18 billion higher than it was in 2009. B.C. consistently ranks among the top three provinces in business confidence, and since 2009, B.C. exports have increased by more than 32 percent.

I own a manufacturing company, and I do have an up-close-and-personal perspective of the manufacturing sector in our province.

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In short, the B.C. jobs plan has made an extremely important impact on the manufacturing sector, ensuring one of the lowest tax rates among G7 countries, streamlining regulations and business approval processes.

We’ve doubled B.C.’s international presence since 2011 to consist of 11 offices with 64 trade investment representatives connecting B.C. companies with international markets.

We’ve also launched the B.C.’s skills-for-jobs blueprint to ensure a skilled workforce to support B.C. manufacturers. We’ve committed $5 million over five years to unify and grow B.C.’s aerospace industry, as well as supporting B.C.’s shipbuilding and repair companies and winning $8 billion in federal contracts, which has revitalized B.C.’s marine industry, creating jobs.

Manufacturing in B.C. is a story of leadership in competitiveness, growth and adopting new technologies. The B.C. jobs plan helps support B.C. manufacturers by continuing to provide this very leadership. Manufacturing plays a vital role in all key economic sectors, from primary resources such as lumber, metal and energy, to high technology like aerospace and electronics. It is changing the way we make things in ways that are attracting attention around the globe. Manufacturing is also diversifying the B.C. economy and laying the foundation for high-paying job opportunities for future generations.

Early on this government identified China as a potential enormous customer for B.C.-made products, and look what has been accomplished. In 2001 only 2.6 percent of goods manufactured in B.C. were destined for China. Fast-forward to today, as exports to China now account for 20 percent of B.C.’s manufacturing exports.

Through the work of government and industry, exports to China have increased by an average of 24 percent per year since 2002. B.C. companies have great potential to further increase trade in China, taking advantage of China’s high demand for natural resources and rapid growth in knowledge-based industries, international education, transportation and infrastructure, as well as agri-foods.
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My company in the Shuswap is a small business. Under the B.C. jobs plan, hurdles have been removed, and it is now easier for small businesses to succeed. For example, there is now the mobile business licence program. It has been rolled out in 69 communities, which means more businesses are able to operate across local government jurisdictions with a single licence.

My beautiful riding of Shuswap is heavily dependent on tourism from May through October of each year, and we welcome each visitor with open arms. In speaking to many tourism operators in the Shuswap over the past few months, a significant number are reporting large increases in tourism numbers this past year, and they’re looking for huge increases this next season as well.

Again, part of their success can be attributed to the B.C. jobs plan, which includes a provincial tourism strategy called Gaining the Edge. Since the plan’s launch in 2011 we have seen the formation of Destination B.C.’s tourism marketing committee to advise on provincial marketing strategies and approaches to better coordinate community, regional and provincial marketing activities; upgrades to Destination B.C.’s Hello B.C. website; an expansion of its social media presence, with more than 180,000 Facebook fans and almost 120,000 Twitter followers. All this is assisting more than 100 communities and 19 industry sectors to develop and/or promote world-class visitor experiences, supporting excellence in visitor services across B.C., creating positive visitor impressions and encouraging longer stays in travel in all regions.

New direct flights connecting B.C. to key markets, including Munich, Osaka and Tokyo, and Vancouver’s direct connections with five major cities in China are contributing to recent increases in the number of Chinese visitors.

To illustrate tourism’s importance to B.C.’s economy, more than $7 billion in revenue was generated by tourism last year alone, employing close to 130,000 people in every corner of this province.

As we know, forestry remains at the forefront of our provincial economy. Our competitive advantages over other jurisdictions include our skilled labour force, our proximity to Asia and having some the most efficient mills in the world. My riding of Shuswap has a robust forest sector which is seeing continued investment because forest companies see a very promising future in B.C.

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One of those companies is Canoe Forest Products in Salmon Arm, now a part of Gorman Brothers. It is investing over $14 million on a new lathe line that will be fully operational by May of this year. Canoe Forest Products is showing confidence in the Shuswap region and in British Columbia. This is a great sign for the residents of Salmon Arm and area. They’re a great community business that has been around a long time, employing 225 people and paying great wages and providing great benefits to the folks from the Shuswap area.

But it’s not just in my riding that forestry is enjoying solid growth. B.C.’s major forest companies are among the largest in the world and continue to expand, creating jobs throughout the province. Over the past several years the B.C. government and forest companies have worked hard to find new customers for B.C. products, especially in Asia, and their work is paying off.

Since 2003 we’ve seen a 3,000 percent increase in the value of B.C. softwood lumber exports to China. Not only is this a lucrative, previously untapped source of revenue; it leaves B.C. less reliant on marketing conditions in the U.S., which remains our largest customer.

Under a new government and the B.C. jobs plan, we’re working just as hard to repeat that kind of success in India, another huge, largely untapped market for wood-frame construction from B.C. softwood.

Budget 2015 supports the government’s skills-for-jobs blueprint, our plan for re-engineering education and training. Of the estimated 1 million job openings expected by 2022, 43 percent will require trades or technical training. To make sure today’s young people are career-ready, B.C.’s skills-for-jobs blueprint helps align training and education with in-demand jobs. It provides a seamless path from school to the workplace, matching training with jobs in high demand, jobs that require specialized skills that pay well.

The blueprint is based on giving young people a head start with hands-on learning in schools, shifting education and training to better match jobs that are in demand and strengthening the partnership with industry and labour to deliver training and apprenticeships.

There are a number of tax credit extensions to this budget to support the skills-for-jobs blueprint. First, we are helping employers and apprentices by extending the training tax credits to the end of 2017. This year’s budget will also extend the credit that provides an additional 50 percent for First Nations and people with disabilities, along with their employers.

Secondly, Budget 2015 expands the digital animation or visual effects tax credit to include post-production film activities. This, in addition to the broader credits already available, will help to keep our film sector healthy.

Budget 2015 also extends the interactive digital media tax credit to 2018 to continue offsetting the costs of developing video games and other digital media products.

Finally, this budget provides a one-year increase of $3 million to the small business venture capital tax program. This program allows for up to $10 million in additional equity financing for qualifying new businesses in 2015.

Now I’d like to talk about transportation in and around the Shuswap riding. I’m proud that our government has committed $650 million towards upgrading the Trans-Canada Highway to four lanes from Kamloops east to the Alberta border, a project that is very important to the people of the Shuswap region. The Trans-Canada — or Highway 1, as it is known — runs through my rid-
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ing, and these improvements — some already completed, with others underway or at the design stage — will make travelling Highway 1 much safer.

In my riding construction on the Malakwa bridge and four-laning east of Sicamous started last fall. The design work has been completed for a new bridge at north fork and an extended four-laning where Highway 1 crosses the Perry River, also located just east of Sicamous.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members. Members.

G. Kyllo: Design work is now underway for replacement of the Salmon River bridge in Salmon Arm — again, along with extended four-laning through that region.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members will come to order, please. One speech at a time. Thank you.

G. Kyllo: These projects and many others still to come will ensure a safer Highway 1 for Shuswap residents and visitors alike.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members.

G. Kyllo: I can happily say there are similar highway improvement projects all around our province committed in this budget and under various stages of design and development.

In conclusion, balanced Budget 2015 fulfills the most fundamental promise we made to British Columbians two years ago — balancing the budget by controlling spending and keeping taxes low while still providing more service to British Columbians.

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This budget, as were the two that preceded it, is a model of what a responsible government can accomplish and how keeping our focus on long-term economic goals will help to ensure we will have a secure future for all British Columbians.

In closing, I want to once again thank the amazing residents of the Shuswap for all they do to make the Shuswap such a safe, healthy and prosperous place to live.

J. Kwan: I rise to speak to Budget 2015. It is hard to believe, actually, I have responded to some 20 budgets in this Legislature since I was first elected back in 1996. I’m very, very honoured to consistently rise in this House to bring the voices of Vancouver–Mount Pleasant — a wonderfully diverse community with hubs of vibrant and unique small business corridors, an active urban aboriginal community and a strong history of activism — to this Legislature.

In our community we have a lot to celebrate — though, I must say, not much from Budget 2015. We have historic Chinatown, which is recognized as one of the largest and cleanest in North America. I know many members in this House have visited Chinatown. The most recent visit would have been just this past weekend, where some 10,000 people converged and came to Chinatown to celebrate the lunar new year and participate in the parade.

Right next to Chinatown is Strathcona, a neighbourhood that’s always been known to be ethnically diverse, where newcomers from around the globe come and start their new lives. And yes, the eastside neighbourhood of Strathcona was home to Vancouver’s first and only black community and home of the Jimi Hendrix shrine. Right now, members of our community would like to see an Afro-Canadian cultural centre built near the viaduct as a means to revitalize an important part of the Strathcona community history.

Further east is Commercial Drive, where you experience Little Italy right in your backyard, with the annual Italian Days amplifying the experience with a host of activities and performances. And the Drive is where the ever-popular Car-Free Day was first started.

Grandview-Woodlands, indeed, is a hub of community activism. We work hard to ensure that there are services and programs in place to support and meet the needs of the community.

If you go on Main Street, like Commercial Drive, you will see creative and innovative shops that reflect the unique character and flavour of the neighbourhood.

On the streets of the Downtown Eastside, while you see the challenges that we face as a community, if you take the time to look beyond the surface, you will see the kindness and the caring that defines the nature of the activism of our community.

The people in Vancouver–Mount Pleasant care deeply about their neighbours, and their values are deeply rooted in the belief in social, economic and environmental justice. This is demonstrated every single day in Vancouver–Mount Pleasant.

Our community has continuously called for an increase in income assistance rates to a level that provides an adequate living standard — new rates indexed to the cost of living. Raise the Rates has been at the forefront of this campaign. And as you can see in this budget, there is no rate increase for people on income assistance or on disability.

In case you’re wondering, though, the government is saying that they cannot have a poverty reduction strategy because, they say, British Columbia cannot afford it. But isn’t it interesting that when it comes to giving a huge windfall of some $230 million to the top 2 percent earners in British Columbia, this government has no hesitation whatsoever? They found the money — no questions asked.
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It’s not just poverty that our community fights against. Another issue that is consistently brought to my attention is the issue of affordable housing. We have scores of people who have come through our office seeking safe, secure, affordable housing. In 1993, as you know, the national housing program was cancelled. Now we’re on the verge of losing federal funding support for the cooperatives as the operating agreements come to an end.

If we lose the subsidies to co-ops and there is no action taken, the impact would be so significant. Literally thousands of individuals and families would be impacted, and we simply cannot let that happen. All levels of government need to work together and understand that the foundation for healthy living and healthy communities begins with a place that you can call home.

I recognize that for those who are homeless, shelters are often the first stop on the housing continuum. The average stay at a shelter is up to one month. It is incredible to me that in the Grandview-Woodlands area of Vancouver–Mount Pleasant, we actually do not have a permanent shelter. The need for permanent shelter in this area has been a theme for years in this community. Every winter, it feels like, I would write a letter to the Minister for Housing, and I would call for the HEAT shelters to be established.

Now, the HEAT shelter that opened at Commercial Drive and Pender Street was full in the first 12 hours of opening. Every night they’ve had to turn people away. The RainCity staff know and work with all the people in the area, and they know all of the folks who are precariously housed. There is no question that we need a permanent shelter in this part of the riding.

Now, we need to acknowledge that while a shelter is the first part of the housing continuum, we know that it is not the long-term solution. We need to invest in building new affordable housing and add to the permanent affordable housing stock.

In this budget, I see that the government has booked money from the sale of B.C. Housing assets. In my riding, the government has embarked on the sale of Stamps, a major social housing complex in the riding. As the minister knows, members of the community are deeply concerned about this and the process that B.C. Housing has embarked on.

They would like to be involved in this process and work with the government regarding the future of their homes. They want to have a say and incorporate their vision on what Stamps would look like if it were to be sold and redeveloped.

I have written numerous letters to the Minister for Housing on this — in fact, I think since November. I have yet to receive a response. I’ve put questions on the order paper, and still no response. I, along with the community, would like to confirm that there would be no changes to both the amount and number of subsidies made available to the tenants at Stamps Place for both the short term and long term.

Beyond the impact for the existing tenants, we would like to know from the minister, and for him to confirm, that this plan would not change the rate and the ratio of subsidies provided to this development into the future. As a benchmark, we would like to know how many people are receiving subsidies at this time and their rate of subsidy.

We would also like to have a list of the major upgrades that were completed at Stamps Place development. We would like to know if there are outstanding renovations or upgrades that remain to be undertaken. What is the projected cost of the deferred maintenance for Stamps Place?

I wish that these budget documents would answer these questions. When they don’t, I wish that the minister would respond to the questions that I have put to him on the order paper or the letters that I have written to him so that we in the community know what is going on and what we can anticipate so that we in the community can work with the government on this question.

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It is a significant question when we are talking about several hundred people. Several hundred people would be impacted by the development of Stamps. The simple courtesy of a response would go a long way.

We would also like to confirm that all the proceeds from the sale of Stamps would be reinvested in the provision of similar affordable housing initiatives for low-income tenants that require similar rates of subsidy in the community.

The budget document does not tell us that information. It does say that the money is booked, but how will it be spent? Will it be reinvested with a similar kind of housing? I do think that’s an important question that we in the community ought to know. It is important because we want to ensure that the affordable housing stock, to the magnitude which was provided in Stamps, would regenerate — the same kind of stock — in the community.

I am very, very concerned that if the sale goes through and if the same ratio of subsidies is not in place in the long term, that would actually mean the non-profit who has made the purchase would have no choice but to increase the rent. It’s not because it’s the non-profit who is failing the system, then, in that instance. Rather, it is the government who’s failed to ensure that the necessary subsidies are in place to ensure affordability for the tenants.

I don’t have a problem whatsoever for non-profits to run affordable housing projects. I think, on the whole, they do an excellent job. What I do worry about, though, is if the government does not provide sufficient supports to them for them to do their job effectively, the impact would be felt by the very tenants. That is the concern that we need to make sure, in the sale of Stamps and other projects like Stamps, does not happen.
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I know that if this happens, we will see an erosion of the affordable housing stock in the community over time. If there’s no confirmation of the ratio of subsidy and the amount of subsidy provided to our community, it would mean that there would be a diminishing of affordable housing stock. The last I checked, there were over 15,000 people on a wait-list for safe, secure affordable housing. The wait-list is so staggering that the government no longer keeps a wait-list.

Budget 2015. What of it? The housing capital fund has been cut by 62 percent, or $24 million, dropping to $15 million in 2015-2016. Yes, you have it right. Based on Budget 2015, the priority for this government is to give a $230 million tax break to the top 2 percent of the wage earners in British Columbia, while cutting 62 percent of the housing capital fund, which, by the way, is $24 million. That’s about 10 percent of the $230 million tax break that the top 2 percent of British Columbians would receive.

How does that make sense to you, Mr. Speaker? It doesn’t make sense to me, and it doesn’t make sense to my constituents. We have record numbers of people who are homeless and are in eminent danger of being homeless, and the government is running around giving a tax break to the wealthiest British Columbians while cutting the housing capital fund. I will tell you, the people of Vancouver–Mount Pleasant are against this decision. Not only are they against this move; they want a government that will take action for the needs of most British Columbians and not just a few.

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Speaking of taking action for not just a few, isn’t it time that B.C. had a universal child care program? I still remember how the Premier — the now Premier, who was then the Deputy Premier — after the 2001 election took federal dollars earmarked for early childhood development and used them for immunization costs. Those were dollars that were supposed to be booked and used for child care supports, and they were redirected for immunization costs.

Universal, affordable, licensed, qualified child care is good for families and good for the economy. The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C. and the Early Childhood Educators of B.C. have developed a community plan for a public system of integrated early care and learning, calling for a $10-a-day child care plan. Many groups and individuals, including the UBCM and the board of trade, have endorsed this plan.

In Quebec 70,000 more women are working since affordable child care came to Quebec. Nationwide, 78 percent of children in First Nations communities are without a regulated space. Our economy grossed $2 for every $1 invested in child care. For British Columbia it’s projected to be a $2.4 billion growth in 2020.

The $10-a-day child care plan for B.C. is a good plan. It is an effective plan for the economy because investing in children is the best investment that you can make to build a strong future. Sadly, Budget 2015 makes no provision for it whatsoever.

Not only are children not supported for early childhood developments; students at the other end of the educational spectrum will now be charged for adult basic education.

I have a stack of letters from my constituents who wish to enrol in adult basic education so that they can further pursue educational opportunities as a means to develop their career opportunities. After much agonizing for many of these constituents as they make these decisions — because they are not always easy — imagine how shocked and dismayed they were to learn that effective May 1, 2015, it would cost them several hundred dollars more to take an upgrade for each course. One constituent wrote to the Premier: “You have killed my dreams of a better life, and you’re preventing me from furthering my education.”

This is a $5 million cut in adult basic education. That’s 2 percent of the $230 million that the highest income earners are getting — $230 million that they didn’t even ask for. How does this make sense? How does Budget 2015 make sense to anyone when you know of stories like this? You know these are not just stories. They are the lives of people — people’s real experience that they’re living every day.

There are other program cuts too. Last fall the Kettle society and the MPA Society received notice from Vancouver Coastal Health that they would no longer be funding their mental health advocacy programs.

The VCH advocacy program at the Kettle funded two full-time advocates and their manager. The two advocates the Kettle is losing are responsible for meeting all initial requests for advocacy service via telephone or in person. They rotate duties on the intake desk, which is open for service 23 hours per week on a drop-in basis.

They provide front-line paraprofessional service to mental health consumers in the areas of income and disability assistance, tenancy and housing, debt, income security, resource referrals, legal referrals, income tax preparation and many other matters. They help clients apply for and maintain eligibility for seniors pensions, income assistance and with applying for persons-with-disabilities benefits.

They provide tenancy advice; refer clients to appropriate legal, medical and community services; file income taxes; and help clients maintain eligibility for medical and pharmaceutical coverage. They assist clients with debt issues; help clients request crisis grants for food, clothing and shelter; and advise clients who are apprehended under the Mental Health Act. And now, the funding for that program is eliminated, effective May 1.

Not only that, access to Social Development offices to pick up cheques and other administrative tasks is reduced and limited to mornings only. So if for some reason you’re unable to go to the welfare office during the
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morning hours, you will have to wait until the next day to access your cheque.

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With these cuts to the Kettle and limiting access to social development offices, the government is reducing critical services to those most in need.

That is not all. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the February 14 memorial march to commemorate the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

I was at the first memorial march, and I still remember it. There were so few of us who came out to participate in that march 25 years ago that now, 25 years later, in this last memorial march it was beautiful to see some 5,000 people came out to support the family members and the community’s call for a national inquiry into the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Of course, a huge thank-you goes to all the organizers throughout all these years for their hard work, for educating the public about this critically important issue.

I also want to acknowledge the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action for initiating the call to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to investigate this issue. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released this report in support of the national inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, stating clearly that the federal government has a legal responsibility to address “the underlying factors of discrimination that originate and exacerbate the violence.”

The commission notes that indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered at a rate four times higher than the representation of indigenous women in the Canadian population. The commission recognizes the need to address “the persistence of longstanding social and economic marginalization” and is calling for effective measures to address the social and economic issues of indigenous women.

We need effective measures to fight against poverty, to improve education and employment and to guarantee adequate housing. We all know that the Oppal Inquiry was not given the mandate to look at the root causes, including the socioeconomic conditions that women face. The Oppal Inquiry excluded community members with incredible knowledge and insight on this issue. In so doing, the government actively prevented the answers that were needed.

While the commission stated clearly that the Oppal Inquiry only touched on one small aspect of the systemic failure, it did point out that all of the Oppal Inquiry recommendations need to be implemented. The Minister of Justice said explicitly to the Missing and Murdered Women’s Coalition that she wasn’t going to implement all the Oppal Inquiry recommendations, including the recommendation for safe public transportation along the Highway of Tears.

We heard this today in question period. We have the Minister of Aboriginal Relations making unbelievable comments and justifying why no action has been taken to bring safe public transportation along the Highway of Tears. To somehow suggest that there have been no other women that have gone missing or murdered in the last little while and that somehow it’s okay to not proceed with this recommendation….

Then we have the Minister of Transportation talking about consultation, only to find out that in that consultation process there’s not one shred of documentation about what happened there.

All of that is just simply poor excuses for not acting — taking action in every effort that we could make as legislators to actually make a difference in the lives of the people in that community and to say that we understand and that we will commit ourselves to stop any chance of women from the aboriginal communities from going missing and being murdered. How many more women have to go missing and be murdered before action is actually taken?

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Are we serious about the justification not to do public transportation on the Highway of Tears because there hasn’t been another incident of late? That can’t be serious, and surely to God, we will stand in this House and say that we will not accept that.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights actually called on the government to implement the recommendation from the Oppal Inquiry and specifically identified that public transportation is needed for the Highway of Tears. Where is it? How long does it take to get a bus to run along the Highway of Tears?

I’m calling on this government to find the necessary funds in Budget 2015 to do this and to provide the coalition with a timeline of when all of the Oppal Inquiry recommendations will be acted on. I’m further calling on this government to take action now to address the socioeconomic conditions, which for too long far too many aboriginal peoples face, and for us to take action to address these historical wrongs and the effects of colonialism.

As Dawn Harvard stated: “This is not a matter of choice. Our obligations under international human rights laws require us to eliminate the discrimination which causes the violence and to ensure that Canada’s institutions, including the police and the justice system, respond effectively when indigenous women disappear or are murdered.”

In the coming days three family members, Lorelei Williams, Michele Pineault and Mona Woodward, each with poignant stories about their experiences, will travel to Ottawa and participate at the national round table. They will be in New York to attend the UN Commission on the Status of Women conferences to share their stories.

Lorelei Williams, a single mother to two children, is a powerful advocate to the campaign for a national inquiry
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into the missing and murdered aboriginal women. She has been deeply impacted by the loss of her aunt Belinda Williams, who has been missing since 1977. Her cousin Tanya Holyk went missing in 1996, and her DNA was found later at the farm of convicted serial killer Robert Pickton.

Michele Pineault lost her daughter Stephanie Lane. Stephanie Lane went missing on January 11, 1997. The coalition wrote to the Minister of Justice about Stephanie Lane’s case, for which they’re still waiting for a response. Let me quote from the letter.

“In 2003 her DNA was found on Robert Pickton’s farm, but her family was told that there was not enough DNA to charge Pickton with her murder.”

When I say "her," this is Stephanie Lane.

“Eleven years later, in August 2014, Stephanie Lane’s family was notified by victim services that there was a change to her file, but the family did not receive details until September 2014. At a meeting with the coroner, the family was told that in an ‘oversight’ partial skeletal remains of Stephanie Lane were placed in RCMP storage until 2010 when they were transferred to storage facilities of the B.C. coroner’s office.

“The bones belonging to Stephanie Lane were overlooked and forgotten about in a storage locker. The quantity of remains that had been overlooked was large enough to be among the top six amounts of evidence identified from any of the victims whose remains were found on Pickton’s farm.”

And what of it? What action? What action will be taken to address this? This is a gross error and miscarriage of justice. We want to know what action will be taken to address this.

I see that I’m now going to run out of time very quickly, and I want to say this. I cannot, in good conscience, support this budget, Budget 2015. I see all of these issues that have been brought to the government’s attention time and time and time again. Consistently they turn a blind eye to it. They don’t face up to these issues because it’s not their priority.

What is their priority from Budget 2015? Their priority is to give $230 million of tax breaks to the highest income earners in British Columbia. I’ve just got to say: what is wrong with this picture? Surely, members of this House will agree with me that there is something gravely wrong with this. We cannot allow this to happen.

[1540]

It’s not good enough to say, “But we did give back the clawback” which was taken away from families since 2002 in the family maintenance clawback for single parents. It’s not good enough to give just that little tidbit back and say that it’s okay. It’s not okay. There’s so much more to do, and the government has the power to do it.

Budget 2015 has the authority to address these issues. Let us work together to make that difference. That is why we’re in this House. That’s why we all ran for office, to try to make that difference. Each of us have stories to tell from our communities. Each of us have issues that we want us, as a collective, to address. So why don’t we set aside partisan politics and do just that?

L. Larson: As this is my first time to speak this session, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my constituency assistants, Colleen and Patt, in Oliver for keeping doors open and lights on through all the ups and downs of the past year.

Having a fire destroy our office last April certainly presented its challenges — working from home, finding temporary quarters and furniture and then ultimately moving again at the end of December back into a rebuilt office and setting it up all over again. I am surprised that I still have staff, and I’m grateful for their good humour and all the extra work they have done and continue to do on behalf of the people of the Boundary-Similkameen.

And the most important person in my life — my husband, Larry, who is calm when I am not and always supportive. We will celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary this year.

I am pleased to take my place today with my colleagues, supporting another balanced budget for the people of B.C. There are 17 distinct communities in my riding, encompassing three school districts and two regional districts, and every one has its unique challenges.

Agriculture touches all the corners of my riding — tree fruits, ground crops, greenhouses, an incredible wine industry and, of course, cattle, feedlots and a fish farm supplying Arctic char to our local restaurants.

B.C. has the most diverse agrifoods industry in Canada. It provides 60,000 jobs and generates roughly $11.6 billion a year for B.C.’s economy. The replant program, recently announced, has brought greater certainty to our growers. An estimated 1,500 acres of orchards will be replanted by 2021, sustaining about 2,600 jobs each year for the Okanagan.

A further $2 million in the budget continues our support of our Buy Local programs and puts fresh B.C. fruits and vegetables in our schools. The B.C. school fruit and vegetable nutritional program will receive an additional $1 million in funding. This program now benefits close to half a million children and will also be available to First Nation band schools.

The recent extensive changes to outdated liquor laws will enable our wineries to compete beyond our borders and expand the quality and quantity of B.C. wines. The doors have also been opened for the expansion of market for distillers and craft ciders, all using B.C. fruit. Adding these products to the traditional farmers markets and outdoor festivals will further raise the profile of local products.

All levels of government have worked to take down barriers that have kept B.C. products from being able to move across our own country, and work being done internationally will soon see B.C. apples and blueberries join cherries in markets in China and other Pacific Rim countries.

The farmers in my riding depend on this government to build on the relationships that we have already estab-
[ Page 6110 ]
lished abroad and to continue with sound fiscal management and support for their small businesses — support in the form of low taxes and reductions in red tape that have made B.C. the envy of other jurisdictions across the country.

There are less than a handful of businesses in my riding with more than 50 employees. We depend on the small businesses in our communities for the jobs and services that provide the taxes for the infrastructure that makes rural B.C. a great place to live and raise your family.

Education and the continuing support in this budget of public school instruction is another important factor in the health of small communities. Many community activities centre around our schools, and they are employers who pay good wages and help to improve the local economies.

[1545]

In many rural regions of the province, school attendance has declined, and in other areas numbers have increased dramatically. Our school boards do a commendable job of balancing budgets in communities where declining population has meant less money coming in, while wage costs and maintenance costs have continued to grow. Another $106.5 million will go into the education budget in 2015-16.

Over the next three years the health budget will grow by $3 billion. Some of that pressure comes from our aging population, a population with multiple chronic conditions requiring many visits to doctors and time spent in acute care beds.

Despite the numbers, we have reduced the growth rate of health care spending to an annual average of 2.9 percent, down from nearly 8 percent in the mid-2000s. It is possible to continue on this path if we continue to be innovative and explore new ways of delivering services within our public health care system.

Even as we continue to do that, we continue to exceed other jurisdictions in life expectancy and survival rates for cancer and heart disease. The good health of the people of B.C. is not due just to the weather but rather the extensive programs for healthy living delivered by this government, which include ParticipACTION, the Informed Dining program and the B.C. smoking cessation program.

The aging population I referred to earlier will benefit from new funding for hospice, palliative care and end-of-life care. Seniors deserve to spend their final days surrounded by family and friends in a home-like setting and not on a four-bed acute care ward in the hospital. Eight million dollars was provided last year to support hospice organizations in Vancouver, White Rock, Qualicum, Clearwater and Comox, and government will continue to provide additional funding to support hospice services for children and adults as part of our goal of doubling the number of beds by 2020.

In my role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation, I have had the privilege of meeting with many people and organizations that tirelessly work to make the lives of people with a disability better — groups that work to connect people with services and technology that will enhance their lives; those who teach skills that will enable those with disabilities to have meaningful employment; and advisers who encourage participation in programs designed to save money for the future care of those same individuals.

One of those organizations is Community Living B.C., and government has budgeted an additional $106 million over the next three years to Community Living B.C. to support people with developmental disabilities. Community Living B.C. serves more than 17,000 clients each year — 16,384 in the developmental disability stream and 821 under the personalized supports initiative.

The CLBC budget for 2015-2016 is $834 million. The new funding over the next three years will allow CLBC to continue serving the existing clients and provide new services to another 2,300 individuals who are eligible for supports that include respite care, residential care or shared living, community inclusion and employment supports. Government continues to work with CLBC to meet the increased demand for services and find innovative ways and community partners to respond to the diverse needs of adults with developmental disabilities.

I have personally visited many of the organizations that work under the CLBC umbrella, and I am incredibly impressed with the work they do with developmentally disabled adults throughout the province. I have also visited places of employment where businesses in B.C. have stepped up and employed people with a disability and then become wonderful advocates for these employees and continue to encourage other businesses to do the same. We need people to fill the job vacancies as our population retires, and these are employees who show up on time every day with a positive attitude and a great work ethic.

This government has set a goal to expand high-speed Internet access to all of British Columbia by 2021, and we remain committed to achieving that outcome. To that end, we are pledging up to $10 million over the next two years to match partner contributions and finish the project earlier than 2021.

[1550]

The partnership with Telus to date has increased cellular coverage along 1,054 new kilometres of highway this past year as part of the connecting B.C. agreement. Expanded service means safer travel, faster reporting of accidents and better response time by emergency workers.

In rural communities this also represents an opportunity to participate more fully in our local B.C. and global economies. It provides access for job training and research and, most importantly, access to the latest and
[ Page 6111 ]
best in health care for those unable to make a trip to a larger centre.

In my riding there is a clinic in Rock Creek that is staffed by a nurse practitioner who has at her fingertips access to health professionals all over the province, bringing their expertise into an exam room face to face with the patient.

Connectivity enables businesses to quickly get advice or product, and schools can offer student courses that use a virtual classroom where they join students in other schools to take a class that otherwise would not be available.

As of November 2014, 264 of 437 public schools have been upgraded from legacy copper to faster fibre optic Internet connections. The B.C. broadband satellite initiative, in partnership with Xplornet Communications, by the end of 2014 had enabled more than 1,000 satellite subscribers throughout the province to have service in areas where traditional broadband was not possible.

There are 12 communities in my riding of Boundary-Similkameen with residents eligible to participate in this program. Over the next three years the program will continue to provide assistance for those with no other options for broadband service.

This budget, as the last two were, is also balanced. The fiscal management of this province is the envy of other jurisdictions. There have been some surprising and some not so surprising shifts in the world economy that have created financial instability for some jurisdictions. Not for the province of British Columbia. The government has worked extremely hard in every ministry to run a tight fiscal ship, and they have succeeded.

Despite that, we still have made immense gains in job creation, health outcomes and education. Contracts have been settled under a new mandate of long-term contracts with economic gains to be shared with those participants in the future. There is a clear understanding that as the economy improves, those who need help the most in society will be the first to benefit from those gains in revenue.

B.C. has positioned itself to survive these ups and downs in the economy by supporting the many diverse industries that make B.C. their home. We have experienced slow but steady growth in our economy. International merchandise exports are up 6.3 percent. Retail sales have been a genuine source of strength in the B.C. economy, advancing 5.9 percent. Growth in B.C. employment has been a modest 0.6 percent, but that still translates into 12,800 more jobs. And our unemployment rate is well below the national average.

I know my constituents believe in balanced budgets and in not spending more than we take in, not unlike their own personal finances. In government we are cautious about what and where to spend money but also are optimistic about the future of British Columbia and the potential to leave this province in better financial shape for our children and grandchildren. I am pleased to add my support to Budget 2015.

J. Darcy: It is a great honour to rise today and to speak in response to this budget on behalf of the constituents that I represent in New Westminster.

I know we all say that our communities are distinct and unique, but I want to take this opportunity to share just what a remarkable community it is that I have the privilege of representing. It’s a very cohesive community and one that very much comes together. People from all walks of life, people from all income levels, people in all occupations really come together to support each other.

[1555]

I’m reminded of that every time I attend a community event on a weekend or when this House isn’t sitting. Last weekend I had the privilege of attending, as we often do, four or five in the same day — sometimes eight or ten. This particular day was a very special one, a celebration of the neighbourhood small grants program funded by the Vancouver Foundation and the recipients of those grants from last year.

It’s just one of those opportunities where you get a chance to find out about some of the really great things that people are doing for each other in the community, with 99 percent, of course, of the projects being about volunteer labour, with just a little bit of seed money that helps to get them going — like the pop-up libraries that a university student and her brother, a high school student, have put together.

They construct these. Depending on the part of town that they’re going to be in, sometimes they look like the heritage houses in Queens Park. More often they look like some of the bungalows in the west side or in Sapperton. They construct these small pop-up libraries so that people, whether there’s a library in their neighbourhood or not, have access to these books. People contribute. People can take from them. It’s a great little project.

I met seniors from Queensborough in my community who have this wonderful project where they go into schools, reading to kids — five- and six-year-old students. It was just a great opportunity for seniors and for children to come together, to mix, to be supportive of each other and to connect with each other in a way that doesn’t always happen.

One of my favourites. A young man — actually, a boy, about 12 years old — Nur Elmasri, was nominated last year to be a junior citizen of the year in New Westminster by the chamber of commerce. He put together a kids’ fun event that actually attracted 500 kids to a park in New Westminster last summer. So just a great time to celebrate the way the community comes together to support each other.

Another such event was Saturday evening. It was called the Coldest Night of the Year. This is an event that hap-
[ Page 6112 ]
pens right across the country in dozens of communities. Fortunately, in New Westminster we were able to have our walk for the so-called coldest night of the year along the quay, along the Fraser River, the boardwalk and then winding through town at the same time that crocuses were blooming in the sunshine along the way — unlike many of our colleagues who took part in other parts of the province or people who took part across the country.

The significance of this particular walk was this. Organized by the Seniors Service Society, which does wonderful work in our community caring for seniors, especially those most in need…. They’ve had their funding cut from the federal government. They’re appealing, and they will be here making their case to people in this House in the coming weeks.

A program for homeless seniors. It is unacceptable that anybody in our society is homeless, but that seniors, who have given the best in their lives to their communities, should find themselves homeless is absolutely and utterly unacceptable.

They are appealing. They are making the case to the federal government. They will be making the case to the provincial government to step up and fill a gap in these housing programs. I hope that everyone in this House will join together to support them in that. But in the meantime, the community is stepping up to the plate and raising money, and I’m happy to say that they exceeded their fundraising goals for that evening.

We also had the opportunity this weekend…. I think it was the third lunar new year event just in New Westminster. We had one at the Starlight Casino with the lion dances and handing out the red pockets. Just a wonderful occasion.

The weekend before, Member of Parliament Peter Julian and myself had had one. The hon. Speaker was also a guest there, as was the member for Burnaby-Lougheed. A wonderful event in the middle of a mall where mainly seniors gather.

It was a great opportunity for people from Asian countries who celebrate lunar new year to come together. It was also a wonderful opportunity for a lot of the seniors, who are generally the folks who hang out in the food court at the Royal City Centre, to sort of learn about the cultural traditions of other folks in our community.

I want to just begin by thanking my wonderful constituents for the support that they give me each and every day, for the thoughts that they share with me, they opinions they share with me. They certainly never shy away from giving me ideas and advice and encouraging me to advocate on various issues on their behalf.

[1600]

I also want to take the opportunity to give a big shout-out to my constituency assistants, who I think may be watching today — Nadine Nakagawa, Michael Cheevers and Parm Kahlon, who just do an amazing job. We are all blessed with having these wonderful staff who are there every day listening to the concerns of constituents when they come in the door.

I have a very, very busy constituency office, a lot of casework. They’re there listening to those concerns and then meeting with me when I’m back from this House, from this place, so that we can talk together about how we can best advocate for our constituents on a wide variety of issues, whether it’s disability rights, tenants’ rights, the need for home support hours for people who aren’t getting what they need to stay independent in their own homes. Thank you to my constituency assistants for just an amazing job.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank my legislative assistant, Veronica Harrison, who will only be with me for another day. She got a position as research assistant with our caucus. It’s an enormous loss. As she knows, I’ve been saying all week that I’m still in denial. I’m not in denial anymore. But I do say to Veronica: thank you just for helping me so much in my role in this House as opposition spokesperson on Health. And I know where to find her. She’ll be in the basement of this building, and I will certainly be doing those stairs even more often than I normally do.

I also want to thank our research officer, Derrick Harder, and Tim Renneberg, our communications officer, for the enormous help that they give me also every single day in doing my job.

[D. Horne in the chair.]

We take this opportunity to thank our families. What can I say about my husband and my son, except that I miss them? But when I do have the opportunity to see them on weekends, I’m always assured of their love and of their rock-solid support, and like everyone in this House, I couldn’t possibly do this job without them.

Let me turn now to the budget. Certainly, I have been peppered…. I was just back in the constituency for three days before returning to this House. I was certainly peppered with questions by my constituents at all of the community events that I attended about this budget.

People wanted to know what there was for public education — a deep concern. What about Royal Columbian Hospital? Are we finally going to get that rebuild that has been on the order paper for many years now? What about home support hours? I’m hearing that more and more from frail elderly in my community or from their family members who are advocating on their behalf.

Also, many new Canadians, who have in the past availed themselves of English as a second language — English language learners — or people who have taken advantage of the adult basic education programs come up to me and say: “You know, we’ve been really concerned. Is there something in this budget for us?”

I have to say that over and over again — this has been on Twitter, on Facebook; it’s been when I see people in
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the community — people ask me about that tax break. “Is it really true that this government chose to give a tax break to the top 2 percent of the population at the same time that we’re being nickel-and-dimed, and we can’t catch a break?”

When I rise today, I am raising the concerns of my constituents, ones that I have heard since the day that I was elected and ones that I’ve certainly heard just since this budget was introduced.

The community of New Westminster is a community of mainly middle- and modest-income households. Fifty percent of the people in my constituency are renters. It’s one of the highest percentages of renters in the entire province. There are many people who are struggling to make ends meet, and they feel, as you’ve heard over and over again in this House, that they are being nickel-and-dimed wherever they turn by this government — new hikes, new fee increases, new fares all the time.

They do say to me over and over again: “When that’s happening to us, when we’re expected to pay more and in many cases are getting less, how could this government really choose to give a tax break to people who make over $150,000?”

To say that my constituents are incredulous would be an understatement. What’s more accurate is to say that they’re really upset. Actually, what’s most accurate of all is to say they’re really angry, and they’re asking for answers.

[1605]

They’ve experienced, as other British Columbians have, increases in medical services premiums of 144 percent since the B.C. Liberal government came to power in 2001. MSP for a family is now up to $1,728. It’s $1,728 for a family.

B.C. Hydro rate increases — $524 more a year. We have an independent electrical commission in New Westminster, but, you know, those fee hikes end up getting passed on to my constituents.

ICBC basic rates have gone up about 41 percent since 2001, costing the average customer, including my constituents, $230 more a year.

Ferry fares. You know, people didn’t used to have to think really hard about whether they were going to make a ferry trip to Vancouver Island to take their families away for a weekend or whatever, or to one of the Gulf Islands, but now we’re talking about a 77 percent increase for a family of four for a round trip between Vancouver and Victoria.

Advanced education. I’m going to return to this issue because we’re the home of Douglas College, a lot of post-secondary students and a lot of students also who make their way to Simon Fraser or to UBC. Tuition has doubled, on average, since 2001 and is now $2,300 more per year for undergraduate tuition.

Public transit. We’re well-served in my community by public transit — five SkyTrain stations. We need more handyDART. We need more bus service. We desperately want to see folks south of the Fraser get the rapid transit that they need, because that will help to take the pressure off all those people who flood through….

Interjection.

J. Darcy: I hope that the member who was pounding the table is also out there encouraging people to vote yes in the upcoming referendum. In my community, we certainly are.

Let me digress for one moment, because I did mean to mention that in my opening remarks. When I said that our community comes together…. You know, our elections are hard-fought, as they all are, whether that’s provincially, municipally or federally. But my community comes together as one when we need to support those people in our community who are less fortunate than we are, as I’ve already spoken about in my opening remarks.

We also have come together as one from all walks of life, all sectors of the community, to say that we are advocating for a yes vote in the upcoming transit referendum. I was proud to take part, and I would challenge the members opposite who live in the Lower Mainland to be out in their communities doing exactly the same thing.

Just a week and a half ago I joined with the mayor and council in our community; the chamber of commerce; the tourism bureau; the social services organizations; the people who work delivering TransLink, who are members of Unifor — a broad cross-section of people in my community — to say yes to public transit.

Now, those folks are pretty upset. They’re pretty upset that they should have had to have a referendum in the first place. They certainly believe that this government should be making a commitment in the course of this transit referendum that if people vote yes, this government will step up to the plate, pay their one-third of the share of the funding it will take to build that infrastructure in the Lower Mainland and then go to bat with the federal government. But I can tell you that my community is showing leadership and is coming together, unlike this government, on the issue of public transit.

I digress, but it’s a critical issue in my community.

Just on the issue of public transit. As I said, heavy transit users in my community, and they’ve seen fare increases for three-fare zones go up from $3 to $5.50 in greater Vancouver in the last decade.

They’ve seen health services of various sorts delisted and pay out of pocket now for eye exams, physiotherapy, chiropractic care, massage therapy and many others. They’ve seen deductibles for those under 65 for PharmaCare rising by $200 since 2003 and the cost of generic drugs going up. Maximum rates in seniors’ care increased by 93 percent in some cases. The cost of child care goes up and up. As I mentioned earlier, 50 percent of the households in my constituency are renters, and they are paying more because of the rent controls that were loosened by this B.C. Liberal government.

[1610]

Budgets. As we have said on this side of the House many times a day since this budget was introduced,
[ Page 6114 ]
budgets are about choices. Budgets are about choices, and despite all of those challenges that my constituents are facing, that constituents of every member on both sides of this House are facing, this B.C. Liberal government chose not to give them a break but, in fact, to give the top 2 percent of income earners a break.

This budget is, frankly, shockingly out of touch with the day-to-day interests of real families in New Westminster and across British Columbia. And it’s shocking enough that this is a tax break for the top 2 percent. For someone making $250,000 a year — there aren’t very many of those in New Westminster — it’s a $2,000 tax break. For someone making $1 million — I don’t think that we have any of those in my community — it’s a $17,000 tax break. Is it any wonder that inequality in the province of British Columbia continues to grow?

It’s choices like the ones made by this government in this budget that perpetuate that inequality. It’s bad enough that British Columbia has one of the country’s worst records on child poverty. This government has not even seen fit in this throne speech or in this budget to say that we’re going to start taking action on reducing poverty by bringing in a poverty reduction strategy.

This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Governments of many different political stripes across Canada have agreed that they needed poverty reduction strategies, and they’ve adopted them. They have started down that road, and this Liberal government has not seen fit to even introduce one.

On the one hand, this government boasts about the strength of B.C.’s economy, brags about a balanced budget, and yet it does nothing to restore social balance and economic balance for people with modest and middle incomes, much less doing something about a poverty reduction strategy for those people who are most in need.

Budgets are about choices. There are so many different choices that this government could have made, like investing in public education — as parents and educators in New Westminster have pressed for, for years and as the Finance Committee, a bipartisan committee, strongly recommended. Yet funding for public education was effectively flatlined in this budget. Give with one hand; take away with the other. I know how deeply disappointed parents and educators and school trustees in New Westminster are on that score.

In the fall I organized a public forum in order to solicit input from people in my community on the issue of public education. My community office was absolutely crammed. People made written submissions afterwards. They did videotaped submissions. They were hopeful that this government would listen. We told them this was a means they could use to give input to this government, to the Finance Committee, and they did.

I know one parent who is going to be particularly disappointed with what was in this budget for public education. This is what she wrote to me a few months ago.

“Let me tell you about Tom’s classroom,” she wrote. “He’s an amazing teacher — it’s a fabulous school — a stellar resource teacher. Tom had 24 children in a primary classroom, the maximum number allowed. Of the 24, 11 were diagnosed with special needs. Nine had specialized learning plans stating they needed adaptations to meet their potential. One student arrived from China in December with no English. Another had come from Korea the year before. Another six were English language learners.

“There was no money for a teacher assistant in this classroom. The teacher did an amazing job, but the truth is that no one can juggle all of those balls with excellence, and teachers strive for excellence.”

That’s what just one parent wrote. There were dozens of submissions from parents that said exactly the same thing.

I want to take this opportunity also, while I’m speaking about education — and I’m glad the Minister of Education is in the room — to make the strongest possible appeal that this be the year that the New Westminster Secondary School, which is long overdue for reconstruction…. That this is the year that the Minister of Education and this government approve that project.

[1615]

The conditions at New West Secondary School are deplorable. Whether we’re talking about the ceilings, the wiring or the lighting, this is a school in a serious, serious state of disrepair. It is literally falling apart. It’s about 60 years old.

The spokesperson for Education for the official opposition, the member for Victoria–Swan Lake, toured the school with me last year. After having toured the school — I mean, great classroom learning happening there, despite the physical conditions — he said that from his experience, the school is in one of the worst conditions of any school that he had visited anywhere in British Columbia.

It’s the only high school in New Westminster. We have a city of about 67,000 people, one high school. So a replacement school is long overdue.

I know that our school district has been submitting all of the documents that they need to submit in a timely manner. The deadline is coming up soon for all of that to be completed. It hasn’t passed yet. I see the minister nodding.

I know that they will be fulfilling all of their obligations, as they have been over the last few months, but I certainly hope that this year the government will say definitively: “We are moving ahead with a new high school for the secondary school students of New Westminster.” It is indeed long overdue.

I want to turn for a minute to post-secondary education. I had the opportunity, as members on both sides of the House had, in last few days to meet with student leaders from various colleges and university campuses, who reminded us that British Columbia is the only province in Canada without a needs-based student grant program.

The B.C. government eliminated a number of years ago the modest grant program that did exist. It was eliminat-
[ Page 6115 ]
ed in 2004. And when the federal government established the Canada student grant program for low- and middle-income students in 2008, it left British Columbia the only jurisdiction in the country without a similar form of student assistance.

The upfront cost of post-secondary education is the barrier that is cited most often for students from middle and lower incomes — the barrier cited most often as preventing them from accessing post-secondary education, especially university enrolment.

We know how critical it is for our students to be able…. If they’re going to contribute to the best of their ability in the future, access to post-secondary education is absolutely critical. Even the government of Newfoundland and Labrador this year decided to entirely replace the student loan program with non-repayable grants — a stark comparison with British Columbia, which has no needs-based grants and where students are graduating with the highest level of debt in the country.

Budgets are about choices, hon. Speaker. One of the choices this government could have made was giving a break to students who are having trouble accessing post-secondary education.

Let me turn to another issue related to post-secondary education. That’s the English-as-a-second-language programs, the programs for English language learners. A few weeks ago the member for Burnaby–Deer Lake, who is the opposition spokesperson for Advanced Education…. That member and I had the opportunity to take part in a town hall meeting at Douglas College in my community.

It was attended by close to 100 students, I would say — both people who were attending at the campus in New Westminster as well as from the Douglas College campus in Coquitlam. These were students who came to tell us their stories about what the cancellation of funding for the English-as-a-second-language programs, the advanced programs in ESL, has meant for their opportunities to be able to integrate into British Columbia society, to be able to use their skills to contribute to their community, to become taxpaying citizens and to live their dreams that they came to this country to realize.

One of the people who spoke up very eloquently was a physician from Iran. He talked about what the cancellation of this program meant for him and his family. He’s a well-educated man, a newcomer. He chose Canada as his home.

[1620]

He understands very well that he needs to be able to speak English and write English at the highest level in order to be able to practise his medical profession. He wants to use his skills to benefit his family and community, and as he said, he wants to be able to pay taxes as soon as possible and to join the workforce.

In this province we have a lot of people without family doctors. This is a family physician, and yet he’s now not able to access that program that he would have been able to access over the last number of years. He doesn’t understand why this government or any government would cancel this program. Budgets are about choices.

A woman by the name of Tina emigrated from China. She has been here for four years. She’s availed herself of several more basic and intermediate English-as-a-second-language programs already. Douglas College has provided what she referred to as the most productive and practical ESL program, the academic English program, and that’s one that she absolutely needs in order that she can advance her ability to speak and write the language and so that she can get an accurate measurement of her capacity to speak and to write in English.

It’s a program that shows you how to research, how to use resources, how to take notes, how to prepare for academic life. She said again: “This would be so good, not just for me to move into my chosen profession and to contribute to my community. It would also be good for my family life, because I’d be able to discuss and exchange with my kids who are in school and be able to help them in their classwork and help them to excel.”

She said: “I came here to collect my dreams. I want to be a writer, a teacher or a social worker.” She just talked about what a negative sign it sent to immigrants who want to turn their dreams into reality, and asked me: “Why is British Columbia the only province to not pay for English-language learners?”

Another student, an immigrant from the Congo. Again, she only spoke French. She came to Douglas College, had taken the more basic ESL programs and now needed to take the more advanced one. She couldn’t find a program anymore that she could afford.

Immigrants always talk about coming to this country to realize their dreams. My parents certainly spoke in those terms. She said: “Instead of the dreams that I came here with, I’m waking up with nightmares.” She asked the member for Burnaby–Deer Lake and myself whether we would be their voices, their advocates. So I say to this government: “Those voices need to be listened to.” This budget is about choices, and their voices were ignored.

I spoke at great length in my response to the throne speech the week before last about what was missing in the throne speech and, of course, also in the budget — when it comes to health care, no vision, no sense of direction. The government talks a lot about innovation. It wasn’t clear to me what the innovation or the vision was in that budget.

We hear the stories — we’ve brought these stories to this House many times since this budget was introduced — about hallway medicine, including in my own community. Many of you have heard this story already, but it’s a story that’s worth repeating, because it is being repeated in hospital hallways right across British Columbia.

Royal Columbian Hospital. A 68-year-old man admitted in critical, critical condition, in danger of having his foot amputated. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. He had
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surgery that was able to save his foot. Three weeks in a hospital hallway.

This budget was about choices. The government made the wrong choices for public education, for health care. For that reason, I will be voting no to this budget.

Deputy Speaker: Member for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky. [Applause.]

[1625]

J. Sturdy: Now, now, please don’t have your expectations too high here.

It is my pleasure to rise to speak to balanced budget 2015. I will do that in a few minutes, but as this is my first opportunity to speak in the House this session, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to, first of all, my wife, Trish, whose birthday it was yesterday — happy birthday, Trish — and to my daughters Emma and Thea for their unwavering support, which they have provided me over the last several years — from the nomination process to the election, to dealing with the day-to-day challenges of being an MLA and to their unfortunate and inevitable exposure to the toxic blogosphere world that exists today.

I do try and shield them from that nasty environment, but they can’t help, even from the periphery, feel the vitriol that is cast indiscriminately about with little regard for truth or consequences. For this, and in every other way they continue to support me — in spite of it all, or in spite of myself — I can extend my continual gratitude.

An observation that I would like to put forward regarding the past several years, and relative to my previous comments, is that as much as I am not sure how our predecessors were able to do this job without the benefit of electronic communication devices, I suspect that the job has become much more emotionally draining with the use of these same devices. Certainly, while I’m a latecomer to the need to share with the world my each and every daily ablution, the real-world experience has caused me to develop something of an aversion to this environment.

Most fortunately, I have great staff. They help me manage the necessary evil that is the electronic life we live. I would like to thank them for their efforts and their humour and their grounding. More importantly, I have a tremendous respect and gratitude for the work that they do on behalf of and for the constituents of West Vancouver–Sea to Sky every day.

Nicola Bentley and Sharon Thompson are the heart and soul of the day-to-day operations in the Sea to Sky. They help people of the riding find solutions, resolve problems, achieve their aspirations. On behalf of the constituents, I want to say to them: thank you very much for the hard work that you do.

It is a pleasure that I move on to the focus of our debate today to speak in support of balanced budget 2015. This is our third consecutive balanced budget in a row. I guess that’s redundant, isn’t it? Yes, it is our third consecutive balanced budget, and that is a significant achievement, particularly relative to the rest of the country and our neighbours to the south.

This government was elected by British Columbians, based on the promise of securing a strong, diversified economy and balancing the provincial budget. The budget tabled last week by the Minister of Finance reaffirms this government’s commitment to control spending while continuing to support the programs and services British Columbians depend on. It bears emphasizing: British Columbia is a trading province. Because of this, we’re not immune to the effects of economic crises, nor are we immune to the economic troubles faced by our trading partners.

It was not that long ago that the majority of our products were destined for the United States market. A decade ago this government began a concerted effort to expand trade outside our traditional markets to attract the attention of international investors and promote our brand overseas. These efforts have more than paid off.

In 2010 annual sales of B.C. wood to China exceeded those of Japan, formally our No. 2 customer after the United States. Soon after, wood sales to China surpassed sales to the U.S. for the first time in our province’s history. Total exports to China have risen by more than 600 percent in the last decade, and that’s a testament to our success in diversifying and growing demand for B.C. products in different jurisdictions around the world.

What is somewhat unfortunate is the characterization and, in fact, the demonization of exporting a raw product. In B.C. we are very good at growing trees. Can we do better? I’m sure we can. But we grow a great product, and many people in many communities are involved in this important industry here in British Columbia.

[1630]

In fact, in West Vancouver–Sea to Sky at least 75 percent of the employment in the forest sector is associated with harvesting and silviculture. In other words, if we don’t harvest, for the most part, we don’t work. Growing trees is like farming. In fact, it really is farming fibre, essentially organically, on a long rotation period. That said, I am glad that we don’t apply the same standards to growing potatoes or grain as we do to wood. Think about having to make potato chips or bread out of your raw material before you’re allowed to export it — a pretty draconian practice that would be.

In fact, just two weeks ago the district of Squamish passed a resolution in support of local companies receiving export opportunities. We have a sustainable annual allowable cut on a well-managed forest land base in which people of the Sea to Sky work hard to do a good job of stewarding. My experience is that the people in the industry and the ministry on the ground are very committed to a sustainable forest industry in British Columbia and the Sea to Sky.
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The commitment to diversify is just as important as the commitment to rein in spending. Our low debt-to-GDP ratio, coupled with our triple-A credit rating, means we spend less on our debt-servicing obligations and therefore have more money to spend on programs and services for our citizens.

Not only is this an important metric for potential investors, but if we were to compare debt levels with other provinces, British Columbia is notable in a very positive way. The Minister of Finance is fond of telling the story of a meeting of provincial Finance ministers and a discussion which came to a common conclusion that if British Columbia had to pay the same interest rate as Ontario, it would cost the B.C. taxpayer more than $2 billion a year in interest payments each and every year — billions that would either have to be taken in additional taxes or dividends, borrowed, or cut from services.

Ontario’s and Quebec’s levels of debt are creeping closer to those of our neighbours in the south, whose citizens are on the hook for more than $50,000 each. To put that in perspective, in B.C. our resident debt is $8,000, versus $20,000 in Ontario and $22,000 in Quebec.

Here lies much of the power of a balanced budget. Because of our strong fiscal discipline we’re able to find room for modest investments in key sectors, core public services, and we’re finishing off the 2014-15 fiscal year with a surplus. Much of it will be used to pay down our operating debt and keep taxpayer-supported debt affordable.

We are reaffirming our commitment to keeping British Columbians healthy by increasing health care spending by approximately $3 billion over the next three years and are investing more than $10 billion in new capital projects. Taxpayers in B.C. can feel good that our economy is healthy and doing much better than many other jurisdictions in Canada and around the world.

Because of diversification, we no longer go from boom to bust, and we are very resilient thanks to many industries that call our province home. One of the industries benefiting directly from this year’s budget is the local film and television industry. Budget 2015 expands the digital animation or visual effects tax credit to the post-production sector, making it more cost-effective for productions that shoot in British Columbia to take advantage of the many post-production services we offer, whether it’s colour grading, sound editing or digital visual effects.

To give you an example of the importance that our local effects houses play on the film industry, three of five nominees for best visual effects at this year’s Academy Awards were British Columbia companies. Our effects studios have worked on some of the biggest tent-pole or franchise movies of the last few years, including Guardians of the Galaxy; Captain America: the Winter Soldier; X-Men: Days of Future Past; and the upcoming feature Chappie. I must admit I haven’t seen any of them, but I’m sure they’re excellent.

West Vancouver–Sea to Sky is frequently visited by film and television productions thanks to the beauty of the area and the range and variety of locations. In the last few years we’ve hosted television productions such as Continuum, as well as feature films like the Twilight Saga; Backcountry; and Horns, staring Mr. Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe.

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These productions contribute greatly to local revenue and employment, and, by extending the DAVE tax credit to the post-production sector, the intention is that these projects won’t just take advantage of our natural beauty and talented crews but will also stay in B.C. to finish the editing and post-production phase. This will help build the talent pool and skill set and will keep innumerable faces buried in those many current and future screens. What a world we look forward to.

Diversification is integral in the Sea to Sky. Not only do we host numerous film and television productions each year, but we’re also a well-known destination for local and international visitors; a host for sports, tourism and competitions; and a hub for small business.

Small business is the engine for job creation in B.C. It is our biggest employer, making up 98 percent of all businesses and 29 percent of our GDP in British Columbia. It’s the reason more than one million British Columbians have a steady paycheque.

That’s where West Vancouver–Sea to Sky certainly shines. Business in the Sea to Sky is really about small business. Most businesses in the riding have fewer than 50 employees — and most, far fewer — and the range of businesses couldn’t be more varied.

Downtown Squamish couldn’t be a better example of the small business heart of a community. More than 140 businesses alone fall into the downtown catchment area. Great owners and entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of a new and booming Squamish. There is a palpable commitment to working together to develop and improve local businesses and local business, which has made the district a vibrant hub for commerce, culture and creativity and a face for the new Squamish — a Squamish that is finally going to have an improved connection to the ocean.

Squamish oceanfront is set to be redeveloped, and the district of Squamish is currently in the final stages of a final agreement for the selection of a sale agreement and a limited partnership agreement. The proponent and the district are now beginning to work on planning and infrastructure agreements required for construction activity to begin on the oceanfront. This brownfield renewal project will create a civic interface with Howe Sound, with commercial, residential and recreation combining to reflect the “live, work and play” in the mountains, on the coast and in the rainforest in Squamish where we live.

Squamish is the self-described outdoor recreation capital of Canada. While I’m sure there are challenges
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out there for that moniker, all would be hard-pressed to compete with all that Squamish has to offer. Be it world-class rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, kiteboarding, rafting, riding or the fact that it earned No. 32 on the New York Times’ “Fifty Things You Must Do in 2015,” or its ranking as the best North American mountain town to visit in the summer on money.cnn.com rankings, it truly is a place to be.

One new outdoor attraction deserves particular recognition. In December the Sea to Sky Gondola was named one of the breakthrough businesses of 2014 by Business in Vancouver. The creation of a $22-million ride which takes you high onto the ridge of Mount Habrich is a destination visit that is not to be missed.

This great Squamish employer has 80 full-time and 50 seasonal workers. The project has exceeded its visitor projections and continues to boost business for local hotels and retailers. This truly is a jewel of the region, and I encourage anyone who hasn’t visited to make the trip to Squamish and ride the Sea to Sky Gondola. You certainly won’t be disappointed.

While you’re at it, make it truly memorable and visit two of my other favourite destinations. The Britannia Mine Museum — this facility is consistently rated as an excellent experience on TripAdvisor, and I certainly concur. Fabulous interpretive and historical displays and an underground train tour in some of the hundreds of kilometres of tunnels are worth the trip in and of itself.

Another excellent experience is the West Coast Railway Heritage Park — trains, locomotives, equipment and buildings. One favourite display for myself was the postal car, which is where they exchanged bags of mail as the mobile post office was actually passing through town — an amazing and refurbished gem.

[1640]

Some of the oldest pieces in the park are a business car from 1890 and a rare Canadian Pacific colonist sleeping car from 1905, which has got some 70,000 pieces of wood. It’s completely wood but for the wheels. Then, of course, there’s the Royal Hudson, and there’s much, much more to see.

Squamish certainly is worth visiting and worth investing in, both in your time and your money. In many ways it is the future of the region. It has the room and the opportunity to grow into a future that straddles the mythical and much-discussed rural-urban divide, and the reality is that Squamish truly lives it.

Whistler, on the other hand, is an industry town — the tourism industry. It’s focused, and it’s good at it; 22 percent of all the new money that comes into the province of British Columbia through tourism, or what’s described as tourism export revenue, is generated in Whistler. People come to British Columbia just to come to Whistler, and this government recognizes it and supports it. One way we do this is with the resort municipality initiative.

The RMI investment helps grow the tourism sector by investing in infrastructure and programs that support local and regional tourism economies. Since 2006 Whistler has received more than $60 million from the RMI program. That funding has supported festivals and events, construction of the Olympic plaza, public art programs, hiking and biking trail development, construction on the Sea to Sky Trail and Bayly Park, rejuvenation of the village square and enhancement to visitor services. Last year alone, millions were invested through the RMI program to fund key programs and objectives that build tourism and drive visitation throughout the municipality.

Whistler is constantly rated as one of North America’s top year-round resort destinations and attracts outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers from around the world. It plays an integral part in the province’s $13.4 billion tourism industry. RMI investments help the municipality grow economic opportunities for the region and the province and enhance the resort experience for the more than 2.7 million visitors Whistler welcomes each year.

Transportation infrastructure is an important issue for Sea to Sky residents. West Vancouver–Sea to Sky is a relatively large riding, although nothing like the Peace River or the North Coast. However, travelling between communities in the riding can be challenging. As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transportation, the health of our transportation infrastructure is certainly a focus for me. Since 2001 our government has spent more than $17 billion on upgrades to highway and transit infrastructure, and at least 350 projects will be undertaken this year at a cost of more than $1 billion.

Recent upgrades to the Sea to Sky corridor include safety improvements to the Green Lake bluffs and a seismic retrofit to the Nelson Creek Bridge in West Vancouver — a project of particular importance to the region because the bridge is the main connector between the Lower Mainland and the Sea to Sky Highway, the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, Squamish and Whistler.

Budget 2015 earmarks $2.9 billion in transportation investments, some of which will be going towards one of the projects that many of the residents of the North Shore and the Sea to Sky are looking forward to, which is the Highway 1 and Mountain Highway interchange. This project will help alleviate congestion and improve east-west traffic flow for communities throughout the region, but particularly on the North Shore. This route is vital to our community and our economy. It not only connects residents and visitors to different parts of the region; it’s vital to transportation and the supply of goods to multiple communities.

It’s vital to our economic success that we continue to expand and renew our infrastructure so that we can get our goods to market and increase access to visitors. This is something our government has committed to, and Budget 2015 delivers on this commitment.
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I am happy to support Budget 2015. By balancing our books for the third year in a row, we’ve been able to do something that no other jurisdiction in our country appears to have done. As a father of two daughters who are fully invested in British Columbia, I have no reservations in unequivocally supporting this budget, a budget that affordably invests in our province’s future.

[1645]

N. Macdonald: I’ll get to the point right away. From my perspective, this is a budget for the rich and the privileged. It punishes far too many of our children and far too many of our seniors. It, of course, punishes as well the middle class, which it continues to squeeze. If you look at the increases that are here in this budget: MSP — up; B.C. Hydro — up; ICBC — up; university tuition — up; park fees — up. It goes on and on, and at the same time, you have service cuts to those same people.

Before we go too far — I have spoken about this in other opportunities to speak here — if you look through the budget, where’s the LNG revenue? Where is the eliminated debt that we heard so much about? I think we still owe $168 billion when you include the contractual obligations, and it’s still going up. Where’s the prosperity fund? The Premier promised a $100 billion prosperity fund. I don’t see the start of that in this budget. And surprise, surprise, we still have the PST. I thought the Premier promised that was all going, that that was going to be out of here, gone.

We’re at the halfway point of the B.C. Liberal mandate. The B.C. Liberals — the Premier in particular — promised a great, great deal in the last election, and either did not or never did understand what they were talking about with LNG or deliberately misrepresented the reality. We are nowhere on LNG compared to the promises that were made — nowhere. That’s the reality.

Now, B.C. Liberal speakers — and I’ve heard a number, and it was mentioned in the budget speech — talk about not placing a financial burden on future generations. “That’s not happening.” When you look at the budget documents, it tells you a different story. What’s the truth?

When the B.C. Liberals came to power, the total burden for future British Columbians was $33 billion. That was the debt and contractual obligations together — $33 billion. What is it now? It’s up to $168 billion. So $33 billion when the B.C. Liberals took over and $168 billion now. Is that debt actually stopping from growing at a record pace? It is not.

In this budget alone they’re adding another $4½ billion over the next three years to that total. So when members stand up and say, “We’re not adding to future financial burden,” that’s simply not the case. No Premier has added debt the way this Premier has — no Premier in history. She holds the record. So putting “Debt-free” on the B.C. Liberal election bus seems pretty fraudulent, to put it mildly.

Let’s get to the essence of this budget, the thing that makes this direction from the government so outrageous. That is, at a time when the government says it has money for nothing, it still finds $230 million to give a tax break to the richest 2 percent of British Columbians. So there’s money for nothing: everybody has to pull up their socks and just do without. But for the wealthiest in the province — they get a break of $230 million.

Now, it cannot just be my office or NDP offices that have people coming into them and telling MLAs about the hardships that they face, hardships that they expect this Legislature to fix. These are seniors, these are children, these are people on disability — people that any decent society would put as a priority. No money for that, but there’s $230 million for the richest 2 percent.

It’s outrageous. It defies logic. This is where this Legislature lets me down tremendously. I cannot imagine this group of 85 people, if we actually met and discussed, would say: “That’s the one thing we need to do. With $230 million to spend, that’s the thing we need to do.” It’s unbelievable.

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A person earning $1 million will be handed $17,000 more a year — $17,000 more. That is more than a person on disability in this province gets in the whole year — substantially more.

Now, for one person, a millionaire, are they going to miss it at all? Are they going to notice that extra $17,000? Yet we ask people on disability to make do with less than the $17,000. How is it that in British Columbia, in Canada that’s what we do and those are the priorities?

I have a gentleman who served in our Armed Forces. Unfortunately, he’s on disability, and he gets his military pensions. Most of his provincial disability…. We’re talking about clawbacks. You got rid of one clawback. You didn’t get rid of this one. Most of his disability is clawed back, leaving only a few hundred dollars. He struggles to make a life, but his real needs, to be honest, are left unaddressed in a way that’s appalling — while the Premier gets a tax break with this.

The Premier gets a tax break, and this individual, who served his country, is not even allowed to keep the disability funds. It all gets clawed back because he gets a military pension. Still the priority is that we have to have a tax break so that a millionaire gets more than he does in the whole year. It just astounds me.

What does that $230 million that is given to those rich people actually give this province? Nothing. There’s no economic benefit. There’s no spinoff. There’s no trickle-down effect. In reality, it gives nothing to 98 percent of people. The one spending item goes to the people who need it the least and forgets about — in fact, this budget adds burden to — the remaining 98 percent.

For seniors, people that come into MLAs’ offices…. They’ve looked in the face and said there’s nothing they can do. “There’s not enough for you.” We could solve it,
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or we could help. Instead, the choice, from this group of 85 people, is that we do nothing. We do nothing with the money that’s available to us. When I say it’s a government for the privileged elite and it operates to the short- and long-term detriment of the broader public, I think you only have to look at the facts to see that’s the case.

Now, LNG is not the only promise that’s going nowhere. Just like travellers on the Trans-Canada Highway, all too often all citizens can do is sit and wait and ask themselves: “When will the B.C. Liberals keep any promise?” The commitment on the Trans-Canada is for four lanes divided by 2022 — four lanes divided from Kamloops to the Alberta border. Frankly, it’s another failure, and it’s one that frustrates me a tremendous, tremendous amount.

At the pace that we have done work over the last ten years, it is going to take 60 years to accomplish that, not six. It will take 60 years. Now, the figures that are in this document…. Trans-Canada Highway, Kamloops to the border — last year, $29 million; this year, $45 million; the following year, $46 million; and the year after that, $60 million.

I understand those sound like significant figures, but the reality is that one bridge replaced — it was crumbling, by the way — across the Columbia River at Donald was $63 million, almost more than this government has budgeted for this year and the following year — and it was three kilometres. Let’s just understand this. We have 280 kilometres to do. So $63 million for three kilometres, and there’s another section in the Kicking Horse — four kilometres. It will cost $800 million.

Now, I’m not the one who promised that I was going to, in ten years, four-lane and divide the Trans-Canada. I didn’t make that promise. The Premier did. This government did. There are signs up on the Trans-Canada, and the member for Shuswap sees them. I know he sees them. They say four lane divided from Kamloops to the Alberta border. They were put up just before the 2009 election, right? When were they replaced? Just prior to the 2013 election. New signs say four lane divided on the Trans-Canada.

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Yet if you look at the document, for the next three years there is no serious intent to do anything. I just wonder how that is okay. How is that all right?

Interjection.

N. Macdonald: Well, the minister from Prince George….

I don’t know if you’re responding to what I’m doing, but I don’t see the humour in it. I just don’t see it.

Interjection.

N. Macdonald: Okay. All right. But this is a promise from the B.C. Liberals. Between 2007 and now there were 100 deaths and 1,000 serious injuries. These are not heart attacks or something; these are violent deaths on a highway. These things happen, but they are head-ons. They would not happen in the same way with a divided highway. So when the B.C. Liberals make a promise and then choose to do nothing about it, there is something really reprehensible about that, on this issue. It’s a life-and-death issue.

Then on top of that you have the road closures — in that same period 500 road closures, often for days at a time. This is a highway that does $3 billion per year moving exports. It is twice as much in value as any other interior road. And like I say, it’s, in many places, a Third World road.

The Premier had $1 billion over the next four years to do something to save lives on the Trans-Canada and chose not to. She chose a tax cut for the richest 2 percent, and she chose to break a promise that is all about life and death. So when you stand up to vote for this, as government members will, you need to understand that that’s what you’re voting for. There was $1 billion over the next four years to do something serious, to actually do something for a promise that was made, and the choice instead is to do nothing.

People in Revelstoke were let down in another way. They were also told there’s no money for a conservation officer. Revelstoke has always had a conservation officer. There are cougars. There are bears that come into town. You need somebody to check who’s doing the hunting. Are they doing it legally? Are they fishing where they’re supposed to? There’s no money for that.

No money for a conservation officer in Revelstoke or the hundreds of kilometres to the north or the hundreds of kilometres to the south. That’s something B.C. can’t afford. Kenya can. Tanzania can. But here in B.C., in Revelstoke, we can’t. What do we have to do? We have to give $230 million to the richest people, but in terms of helping or doing something for looking after wildlife, there’s nothing for that.

Forestry is hugely important in all of my constituency. The weakening of the Canadian dollar, of course, is going to help with exports of manufactured wood products. But even with that, we’ve lost shifts at Canal Flats. I served on a wood timber supply committee, and we came up with unanimous recommendations on what should be done on the land base. All I can say is: imagine what you could do on the public lands to support forestry in the long term if we applied even a part of that $230 million that was given away in tax cuts to the land base. You could do amazing work.

You know, we have inventory that’s 30 years out of date. How do you make informed decisions on the land base when 75 percent of your inventory is out of date? We have an allocation issue on wildlife. Does the government have accurate numbers on wildlife? You haven’t done a moose count around Golden in eight years. It used to be done
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every year. That’s the case all over the province. And all the time there’s no money.

The government says: “No money. No money.” But you have $230 million for the richest 2 percent. Okay, let’s leave the raw log issue for now, but let’s look at some of the others.

Replanting two million hectares that have been identified as the government’s responsibility to replant. Isn’t one of the most basic things one would do is replant areas that should be replanted? It used to be the law in this province until this government removed it as a legal obligation of government to do and then cut the budget by 95 percent. And to this day they do not put money towards replanting so that we’ll have a forest industry in the future.

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Interface work is limited and ad hoc, and there’s no opportunity for the public to participate in planning, which is a problem again and again in all rural communities. It would be fine if there was no money for anything, but there is money. There is $230 million. With all of that work needing to be done, with Liberals and NDP members putting forward recommendations about what needed to be done on the land base to deal with the certainty of less fibre in the Cariboo, the choice is to ignore it.

It is difficult at times to listen to opposition members, but every now and again, there are nuggets. The member for Vancouver-Langara went off script. It was a very good speech. If you haven’t read it or listened to it, if you weren’t here for it, you should actually read it. What she said about the government’s ability to invest and get new industry is very true. If you invest in the right way, you can really make a difference for developing industry.

In forestry, nanocrystalline cellulose and cellulose filaments have tremendous potential. Instead, the B.C. Liberals have made ten-year pre-election deals with their donors to export not just raw logs but also the chips that we need for existing pulp operations and, potentially, new operations, opportunities in what could be a sustainable industry if done properly.

Cellulose nanocrystal technology is interesting. It’s wood fibre that’s broken down into cellulose nanocrystals, and that could be used for a wide range of products: bioplastics, magnetic films, biocomposites for bone replacement. It could have uses in aerospace, chemical industry, automobile industry. Why not invest in that area?

I apologize to the Deputy Premier if I am interrupting your conversation. Am I interrupting you guys? Am I interrupting you? You never speak in the Legislature. You sit there like you’re nailed to the chair, but you’ve got nothing to say, eh?

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Member.

N. Macdonald: The government’s job is oversight. On the August long weekend, 2014, 25 million cubic metres of water and tailings poured into Quesnel Lake. That should never have happened, obviously. In estimates we’ll look at and focus on that failure.

The throne speech said that five mines opened since 2011, but they failed to mention that four mines closed and that two others are on limited activity. Mining is an important employer, and done properly, it can be very beneficial to rural communities.

Interjection.

N. Macdonald: A member yelled across, “It’s commodity prices,” and it’s true. A government cannot control commodity prices, but they can ensure that mining is done properly. That’s not going to happen, quite frankly, as long as the B.C. Liberals are in charge. They created the lax oversight to suit their donors, and as long as they’re in charge, that’s not going to change, just like with tax breaks. There’s no oversight for the Murray Edwards of the world. They get to do what they want, and we bear the cost of their failure.

We have big-box autobody shops getting looked after, but what about some small family businesses? I’ll just give you one example. Vanderbilt Auto Body has served people in Golden for 49 years, and 90 percent of the work, of course, is with ICBC. They have half a dozen employees and provide an important service.

As with all of these issues, these are people that I know. All the other autobody shops in the region have closed because ICBC does not pay enough for shops in the region to survive. I think one of the most recent closures was in Invermere, where that shop is, of course, already gone.

Alberta, with a private system for car insurance, has differential rates so that rural communities have service centres. Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which have public auto insurance, have differential rates so rural autobody shops can survive. But here, having raised this issue over a year ago, we still don’t have a solution. In fact, the last point the minister made in correspondence was that basically, there was nothing he could do.

[1705]

The argument, he says, is that they have to keep rates down. Okay, well, ICBC rates are not being kept down. They’re going up another 5.2 percent in this budget year. The other argument is that that’s money that’s needed to pay out insurance, but then when you look in this budget, last year alone $600 million was taken out of ICBC and pulled into government accounts.

You have a business that has operated for 49 years, dependent entirely on ICBC, that needs a rate that is going to keep it in business, and this government says: “There’s no money. We need $600 million to pull into government coffers instead of keeping a service in Golden.”
[ Page 6122 ]
Now people from Golden have to go another three hours to get service if it fails. So there we go.

Is that the end for ICBC in terms of the government taking funds out of what should be insurance? No. Next year it’s $210 million; the following year, $231 million. They’re going to take out $236 million the last year of this three-year fiscal plan.

As with almost everything, the people pay more in Golden, and they are going to get less. But hey, as long as the richest 2 percent pay a quarter billion less in taxes, then what do the B.C. Liberals care?

So $230 million for the richest 2 percent, but there’s no money to properly prevent zebra and quagga infestations here in British Columbia. I think for most members there’s an indifference or a lack of knowledge, but certainly any members who come from the Shuswap or from the Okanagan will be familiar with this issue. In Manitoba they were unable to prevent the quagga and zebra mussels coming into Lake Winnipeg, and now they’ve lost control of it. The reality is that the impact is, with today’s technology, irreversible.

Here in British Columbia we know if zebra and quagga mussels get into the Okanagan, the impact is $40 million. That’s a figure from a credible group that says it’s $40 million. Hydro says that it will cost them $10 million to refit if we have zebra and quagga mussels come into the province. For the Great Lakes — this is both on the American side and the Canadian side — the estimate is $6 billion in cost from zebra and quagga mussels coming in.

Now, all you have to do to make a serious effort is spend a little bit of money to monitor the entry points to British Columbia. You’ve got $230 million to give to the richest of the rich here in British Columbia, and this government chooses, as a matter of policy, to do nothing to make sure that zebra and quagga mussels do not get into British Columbia waters. To me, it is the height of negligence and, again, just an unbelievably foolish way to spend our money.

What if we took a small amount of the $230 million we gave the richest 2 percent each year and instead gave it to communities that need to defend themselves from flooding? Golden needs to clear out the Kicking Horse River and build up the dikes. When I was mayor, the NDP government provided significant funds so that we could do that. Why nothing for that, but the richest 2 percent get $230 million?

Kimberley has Mark Creek coming right down through the downtown. We need funds to complete the upgrading of the flume. That seems to me a better use of taxpayers’ dollars.

The next topic I want to talk about is education. I’m a teacher. I’ve taught here in B.C., in Manitoba and Africa. Education is, in my view, the key to independence, the key to self-empowerment. Public education is one of the greatest gifts that we can give our children. It creates a society that works. There is no better investment that you can make than in children.

What does this budget do? It gives a 33 percent increase to private schools. Now, of all the members here, I think I’m the only one, likely, that has taught at a private school that’s had children go to private schools. In Africa it was a Catholic school for two years. Then it was an international school, and my children attended that.

[1710]

Let’s be clear. Private schools, by their nature, are exclusive. This budget does not meet the predictable needs of our public schools, but it finds public money for private schools. I don’t understand that. I don’t understand why this Premier — both in her time as the Education Minister and as the Premier — chose to launch a continuous attack on public education. We had a record-long strike — for a Premier who at one time said that children can never be out of classes, that it was illegal for teachers to strike.

Lest anyone think that the government was victim of an unreasonable union, we have testimony in court — under oath, with the full penalties that come with perjury — from the head B.C. Liberal negotiator, testifying under oath, that the Premier’s strategy was to provoke a strike. That was her strategy. It wasn’t to get a better deal. It was simply because, in her mind, it was good politics.

You have a Premier, in her time as Minister of Education and now as Premier, that has been a consistent enemy of public education and a promoter of exclusive, publicly funded private schools. Now, what good we could do, if you could just imagine, for our children if we had $230 million to spend on education. But instead, the B.C. Liberals give it to the richest 2 percent and increase funding for private schools to the extent of a further 33 percent.

Let’s talk about the environmental assessment process. This is an interesting one. In my area we have Jumbo Glacier Resort. It’s going through an environmental assessment process, a review to see if…. The project, after ten years, is substantially started. Let’s just be clear. This is basically the riding association, in Columbia River–Revelstoke, for the Liberals. They have control of Jumbo Glacier Resort and the municipality. For ten years they’ve been talking about building a $450 million resort.

What is never said by government is that there’s actually no investor. It’s $450 million potentially, if there was anyone willing to put up $450 million — which there isn’t. With weeks left in the certificate, the B.C. Liberals of the Jumbo municipality lay a slab of concrete — in the wrong place, by the way; in an avalanche path, by the way; possibly outside of the permit area, by the way. It raises a lot of questions.

First, why did the Minister of Environment, with this rigorous environmental assessment process, allow them to arbitrarily change locations? Presumably, a plan includes roads and services and all sorts of things. If you significantly shift one building, you mess everything up.
[ Page 6123 ]
But it happened, like I say.

We had Meiklejohn Architects up there that say it’s not only laid in the wrong place, but as the base, presumably, for a day lodge, it can’t actually hold any structure. Like I say, it’s in a class 4 avalanche zone. That’s being checked now by a company out of Revelstoke. That’s an interesting process, but hardly one that would give you very much confidence.

As I say, this is a budget that that is completely abhorrent to me. For me, my priorities are children. You look after them. You feed them. You educate them collectively. You make sure that happens. For seniors, the last years are inevitably a challenge, but you have to, as a society, say that we’re going to be there for all seniors. That’s what should happen.

So $230 million a year for the richest 2 percent, and I see children and seniors at our community food banks. How is that okay with anyone? How is that okay? I do not understand that.

My priority would always be helping those in need and looking after our land, our water and our air. In all these areas, we should be doing much better. Contrast that with this government’s priorities. It is first and foremost for the richest and least needy of all British Columbians. At every level this budget fails to do what it should be doing.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak.

[1715]

S. Gibson: What a pleasure it is to once again rise here in this magnificent House with colleagues, to be able to share some thoughts on the budget. Before I begin, however, I just want to acknowledge the passing of a well-known resident of the community of Abbotsford — acknowledged earlier, I might add, by the Minister of Finance.

Peter Dueck served in this House for many years. He passed away just recently at age 91. I must say that I do feel older now, because when Peter and I were first elected to Matsqui council, I was 28 and he was 56. As you might guess, hon. Speaker, that was some years ago.

Peter went on, as some of you in this House will know, to serve well on Matsqui council. He was a very successful businessman in the community of Abbotsford and went on to serve very successfully as an MLA and a cabinet minister, serving as Minister of Health. We’re going to miss Peter Dueck in Abbotsford — a wonderful guy, a treasured person and a real asset to the culture of our community.

I just want to thank again the folks from Abbotsford-Mission for allowing me to represent them here in this House. A privilege it is, an honour. Abbotsford-Mission is a wonderful place to call home and a great community straddling the Fraser River, one of the most important rivers on the continent.

It’s good to be here and to acknowledge again a wonderful balanced budget, striking that balance between fiscal responsibility and social responsibility. I think we’ve done a good job of that. Balancing the books is important, very important, because it means that we’re covering our operating costs.

You’ve probably heard the metaphor: a family that puts their groceries on Visa is not doing terribly well. Having a balance that they revolve is not a healthy thing. We’re not going in that direction. We just have to look at other provinces across our country to see Quebec and Ontario and some others going contrary to that spirit.

Our capital budget. Balancing means that we can maintain our triple-A credit rating. I think our Minister of Finance should get a personalized licence plate that has “triple-A” on it. Some of you know that I have a personalized licence plate. My plate is A1, so if you see a vehicle running around Abbotsford or Victoria and you see A1 on it, that’s my car.

B.C. pays the lowest interest — very low interest — and saves taxpayers billions of dollars compared to other jurisdictions. Yes, we do need to borrow for great infrastructure projects that are needed: schools, roads, bridges and hospitals. As a matter of fact, one of the most significant infrastructure projects of recent years undertaken by this government was the amazing, just outstanding Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre.

For those of you who travel on the highways and byways of the Lower Mainland, if you’re heading out the valley and going through Abbotsford, you’ll pass the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, a really majestic building designed to care for hundreds of folks throughout the entire valley.

It cost $355 million to build. One of the good dimensions of that is the fact that it has LEED standard by Canada Green Building Council, so it’s met the highest standards. It’s a source of pride to the staff and all the people that are associated with the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre. I might add that up until this building was built, folks who had cancer that needed to be dealt with had to go into Vancouver or Surrey, so it’s been a huge addition to the entire region.

As far as social priorities…. This is important. I think sometimes you’ll think, on the other side of the House, that social priorities are not important to our government — absolutely not true. We’ll talk a bit about that.

[1720]

Some of the measures. An additional $106 million over the next three years to Community Living B.C. to support people with developmental disabilities. I can share from my heart that it’s close to me and my family — very much aware of people with developmental disabilities. It’s something that I take a particular interest in and acknowledge.

An additional $1 million towards the B.C. school fruit and vegetable nutritional program, which benefits close to half a million children — this is a great initiative and allows children to benefit from the delicious and nutri-
[ Page 6124 ]
tious fruit and vegetables that are grown throughout our province. Of course, in my region of the province, my riding — tremendous options of fruit and vegetables. When you come out in the growing season, you can’t help but be amazed at the industry of local farmers.

The new funding will ensure that milk continues to be provided free of charge to participating schools, and we all know how milk is important to nutrition. I was so happy to grow up with my parents taking an interest in providing milk to our family, so it’s a good memory for me too.

Child care. Commencing April 1 of this year parents will begin receiving the early childhood tax benefit, which is going to provide up to $660 a year for each child under the age of 6 to offset the cost of child care — just one more way this government is coming alongside and helping families.

Support payments. Effective in September of this year parents receiving income assistance will not see the benefits reduced when they receive child-support payments from non-custodial parents.

I know that this was very well received throughout the province and acknowledge the good comments that were made right here in this House on both sides. This means parents can keep every dollar they receive in child support — definitely good news, indeed. This measure translates into a pretty large figure: $32 million over three years for some of the more needy families and children in our province.

In addition, there’s going to be $20 million for income assistance programs. So it’s all good news. It’s responsive. It’s social caring on behalf of the government.

In 2015 we’re also providing a small enhancement to B.C. tax reduction. It will mean that a single individual can earn more than $19,000 a year before paying any personal income tax. Certainly that’s low, but it allows that person to essentially keep all that they make other than what they pay in other taxes, not for personal income tax. So it’s good news all around.

British Columbia has the lowest personal income tax in the entire country for individuals earning up to $122,000 a year. That leaves money in people’s pockets to allow them to make decisions on their own, use their own discretion to decide what they want to do with their money. It’s pretty exciting.

This is a big improvement over 2001. For example, 14 years ago, comparing now, a senior couple earning $40,000 a year pays now $774 less in provincial income taxes. In the case of an individual earning $50,000 a year, they pay $1,334 less than 2001. A family of four earning $70,000 a year pays just over $2,000 less. This is pretty encouraging. It shows we are caring for taxpayers and trying to leave as much money in their pockets as possible.

Budget 2015 provides a small enhancement to the tax system to help low-income British Columbians. A single individual can earn up to $19,000. I mentioned that this will benefit roughly half a million British Columbians.

Agriculture. Always dear to my heart — and I know the member for Abbotsford South and the member for Abbotsford West, if they were here, would be nodding in agreement. We’re thrilled with the agricultural component of our economy in the Central Fraser Valley and Abbotsford and in Mission as well.

A major employer in Abbotsford, the government recognizes the critical role that agriculture plays. B.C. has one of the most diverse agrifood industries in Canada, which helps soften the economic blows and winds that sometimes come sweeping through our land. B.C. has one of the most diverse agrifood industries, providing approximately 60,000 jobs and generating $11.6 billion a year for B.C.’s economy. It’s all good news.

Every week, across British Columbia, B.C. growers donate thousands of pounds of nutritious food for those most in need. We now think that should be recognized and acknowledged.

[1725]

In the coming year the government is going to explore options to give farmers credit for the donations. That’s a good thing, and I think we’re all pretty thrilled about that.

In the meantime we’re committing a further $2 million to the Buy Local program. The Minister of Agriculture has announced this — very significant. It helps farmers and food processors promote their B.C. products. You’ll notice that….

I’ve even been in a store when people are looking around, people are trying to find…. “Where are the local apples?” They don’t ask, “Where are the local oranges?” or “Where are the local bananas?” but they look for the local apples. I kind of felt guilty the other day. I have a little confession here. My wife really likes cherries, and I went to the store the other day to buy cherries. They were incredibly expensive, but they were good. They did not meet the requirements of the 100-mile diet. They were the 100-mile diet, I think, from Caracas. Anyway, we did enjoy those cherries.

Clearly, there’s fruit that we buy off-season. Sometimes we just have to. I like strawberries, and many of us do like strawberries, but this time of the year you can’t buy local. But there are so many grocery items and things that you can buy all year round, and I encourage you to do that. I certainly try to do that myself. Interestingly, I was at a grocery store the other day, and I bought some local strawberries, this time of the year. They’re grown in Delta in greenhouses. So you now can buy strawberries all year round. I didn’t know that. That’s kind of neat that you can do that.

Health care. The government has done what many thought couldn’t be done: arrest the runaway costs of the health care budget. All of us value our incredible health care system. I’m sure we’ve all had those times — had to rush into hospital. I know I had that a couple of years ago. I had a little scare, had to go in. I’m so thankful for our good hospital system.
[ Page 6125 ]

The growth rate of health care spending is running an average of about 2.9 percent, which is good news. That’s down nearly 8 percent in the mid-2000s. In the next three years funding increases for the Ministry of Health will total almost $3 billion, so this government — yes, we’re watching it very carefully. The Minister of Finance is keeping an eye on things. The Minister of Health is doing an excellent job of managing the budget. We still are spending an incredible amount to make sure that we’re healthy and looking after folks who need medical care. Our system is wonderful and valued highly by our citizens. In the next three years — $3 billion.

B.C. has been recognized for having some of the best health outcomes anywhere on the planet. In fact, the Conference Board of Canada, which is a neutral agency, reports that British Columbia is third, right behind Sweden and Switzerland, and those are very highly regarded countries, as we know, in Europe. That’s all good news. It’s one of the reasons why B.C. continues to have the longest life expectancy in Canada. I believe — I don’t have this in my notes — we have the lowest level of smoking in Canada, which also, I think, contributes to our healthy outcomes.

A little bit on the SPCA — wonderful folks that look after little furry creatures that can’t speak for themselves. They assist tons of animals every year throughout our province. I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for those kinds of animals. We have a Bengal cat at home, which I kind of like.

Most people don’t realize that this work is done without provincial funding to support their operations, and 80,000 regular donors support the SPCA, folks with big hearts for little dogs and cats. The fact is, though, that we know that the SPCA’s facilities are aging. They’re not being able to keep up. They just don’t have that kind of money to maintain those capital operations, which need significant repair and updating.

We’re going to recognize the SPCA this year. For the first time in history Budget 2015 will provide $5 million to support the replacement — a renovation of SPCA facilities right across the province. It’s a great initiative, and it kind of shows that we’re big-hearted too. The SPCA does wonderful work. They also do work in some parts of our province with wild animals as well. It’s kind of a neat dimension to Budget 2015.

I’m very pleased to stand here and support the budget. A lot of thought went into it. It’s a great budget. It reflects, I think, the values not only of our government but of the province. It’s a real pleasure for me to be here to speak on behalf of the people of Abbotsford-Mission, a great riding in the heart of the valley. Thank you, hon. Speaker, for allowing me to speak to it today.

[1730]

K. Corrigan: I was going to say that I’m pleased to be standing to speak to this budget, but I’m not. I am not pleased, because it’s a very disappointing budget for middle-class families in British Columbia — the vast majority of families in this province. This is a budget that doesn’t help. In fact, it hurts.

What we’re finding with this budget and previous budgets…. This one, really, is very stark in terms of what it does to the middle class. It’s a budget that is making it more and more difficult for average families, middle-class families, to do well in society. We’re entering, or have entered over the last several years with this government, a period where….

When we were growing up, those of us here that are in this chamber, we grew up in families where we could do better than our parents. We felt like we had opportunities for growth. We felt like our society was becoming a more fair society. We may not have even thought about it. We may not have considered it, but the reality is that that’s what we experienced.

When I was growing up…. I left home when I was very young. I left home when I was 17. I managed to go to school, go to university, live on my own, support myself and get a degree within five years. It could have been four, but I also had fun while I went to university. I did have a little fun. It was all a growing experience, a learning experience.

But we could go to university and know that we could find jobs in the summertime that could support us, because we had an economy that was strong in the middle class, that had good middle-class jobs.

Now what we have is…. Unfortunately, for the first generation in many generations, the young people are not looking to the future with hope and saying: “I can do as well as or better than my parents.” We have, for the first time, a generation that is looking to the future and saying: “I’m afraid. I don’t have hope. I can’t do the things” — many, many cannot do the things, or it’s going to be very, very difficult to do the things — “that I want to do in my life.” My children, who are in their 20s and early 30s, are saying: “It’s going to be hard for me to achieve the things I want. It’s going to be hard for me to have children.”

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

They’re having to make choices about whether or not to raise families, on the basis of economic need and ability. And that, to me, is a very sad thing. My children and the children of so many families, so many people in their 20s and 30s, are having to make decisions about whether or not they have a family, whether or not they can go on vacations — they can’t go on vacations — and whether or not they can buy a home.

It’s not a given anymore, and it shouldn’t be a given that you get a house. Nobody should have that kind of entitlement. But the reality is that there are so many young, hard-working, determined young people who either can’t get jobs at all or the jobs that they are getting are not pay-
[ Page 6126 ]
ing well, and they don’t have a hope for the future. I feel bad for the kids that are coming up.

The reality is that, although we have the greatest level of inequality in this province of any province in Canada, before the mechanisms of the tax system kick in — the tax system which is supposed to even out income a little bit in every single province around the country — B.C. is not actually the most unequal province in the country. It is only after the direct policies and tax mechanisms that this province has put in place, that we slip to the bottom of the pile.

[1735]

That is how intentional it is. This government has made the decision that it is going to make our province the most unequal province in the country. I am ashamed to live in a province where a conscious decision is being made by those on the other side of the aisle that they are going to slip us from lower down in the pack before taxes and income supports come into play and say: “No, we’re going to make sure that we’re the bottom of the pack, and we’re going to do it with our policies and tax scheme.” I think that’s really unfortunate.

It is most unfortunate that we have a blatant example of a determination to create inequity in this province with the budget of 2015. What I’m talking about is a $230 million tax break for the top 2 percent of earners in this province, paid for by B.C. families. As B.C. families are getting hit with rate hike after rate hike, this government made the decision that it was going to give a $230 million tax break to the top 2 percent of earners. I’m not sure they even asked those earners whether or not they wanted that tax break.

I’m not in that. You have to have an individual income of over $150,000 in order to get that break, but it’s a mighty good break if you fall within that group.

To give $230 million away at the same time as you are hammering the middle class of this province is incomprehensible. Then again, it’s consistent with that determination to make sure that we continue to be the most unequal province in the country.

I’m going to give you an example of some of the ways that the middle class is being hurt. B.C. Hydro rates are going to go up 6 percent in 2015 — this is for middle-class, average families — or about $70. MSP premiums go up 4 percent — so $33 more per person or $68 per family. ICBC rates are going up 5.2 percent. For MSP and ICBC alone, that’s an average increase of $175 this year. Ferry fares are going up 3.9 percent on April 1.

Moves that are embattling…. They are moves that are making it more and more difficult for the middle class and the average family, who are just trying to do the best to make their way, and particularly hitting young people. To me it’s a pretty baffling budget — that there would be the decision to give a break of $230 million when there are so many other places that that money could go to give a break to the middle class, as opposed to the very richest.

At the same time as this is happening, it’s not like the economy is booming. It’s not like people are making more and more money In fact, from 2006 to 2012, B.C. wages have actually fallen by 2.4 percent. That’s with a government on the other side and with members on the other side saying: “Jobs, jobs, jobs. Everything’s going to be fabulous.”

Well, it’s not fabulous. It is not working out well. It is a trickle-down theory of economics that is not working, when for the average person, the average family, income is actually going down.

I wanted to talk for a minute about the impact of this budget and past budgets on a group of people that I am really privileged to in some ways represent in this House now: people who are going to post-secondary education. In my role as the official opposition critic for post-secondary education, Advanced Education, I’m meeting regularly with students and with administrators from colleges and universities, with teachers, with instructors, with professors, with folks who work in the support areas at universities, in the trades and so on.

[1740]

What I’m hearing from all of them is that they don’t understand why this government does not have more of an interest and more of a concern about supporting colleges and universities. We were supposed to be…. We are talking about investing in the building of this province, and there is no better way to invest in the future of our province than to invest in our young people that want to get an education.

I was a school trustee for nine years. In K to 12 the budgets are essentially, if you talk about having budgets that meet the same service levels as the year before…. Year after year after year, essentially there are cuts. Whether or not the budgets stay the same or they go down, or even if they increase a little bit, the reality is — I know; I sat at that table year after year — that what we have are cuts to education.

The government imposes the same MSP premium increases, the same B.C. Hydro increases, the same ICBC increases. All of those increases that all of us as individuals are having to deal with, school boards are having to deal with as well on behalf of those that they employ in their systems.

So what we have at the K-to-12 level is we have downloading. The impact of that and of the lack of funding is that services are being cut at our schools, and this has gone on year after year after year. And increases…. There was a promise made to school boards this year that the teachers’ contract was going to be funded, and it simply has not been.

There is an edict that somehow school boards are supposed to be cutting administration. You know, it’s like that word “red tape.” It’s used almost interchangeably. “Oh, administration. That’s fat.”

That’s not fat. That’s not fat in our education system.
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Administrators are the ones who are running our schools. Administrators are the people who are making sure that we have coordination among our programs.

In Burnaby, in my school district, we have one of the lowest levels of costs of administration in all of the school districts in the province, and there is no room to cut. The effectiveness…. Boy, I’ll tell you. If those on the other side could run an organization as well as the Burnaby school board and many, many other boards across the province do and run their government as well as municipalities do, as effectively and efficiently, we would be in great shape.

Unfortunately, the priorities…. The money that is spent. The boondoggles. The hundreds of millions of dollars of overruns on project after project — the Port Mann Bridge, the convention centre, northern transmission. It goes on and on, hundreds of millions of dollars wasted — of overruns, wasted.

Interjections.

Deputy Speaker: Members. Members. One speech at a time, please.

K. Corrigan: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I want to go back to talking about students. I’ve got to say it’s been a pleasure meeting with students. They are really struggling hard to make their way in the world, like so many young people, whether they’re in post-secondary education or not.

I have a great deal of faith that we are going to be really well-served by the next generation. But, you know, they’re at a time at their life where they need a little bit of investment, and they need a little bit of faith in them if we’re going to fulfil the potential that they have. And we are not doing that in the post-secondary system. We are punishing students in the post-secondary system.

Now, I know it’s true. It’s good to invest. We know that well-educated young people do better in the world. They make more money. They have more job satisfaction. They have less problems in their life. It is a good investment.

[1745]

That fact is used as an excuse to say that we shouldn’t be supporting them, which is, to me, a very shortsighted approach. We need to support them.

We’ve had some differing comments on how much student debt there is. The reality is that students are coming out with a huge amount of student debt. The numbers that have been thrown around or the numbers that have been considered — there’ve been some differences on that.

BMO says that if you look at all student debt — BMO, they’re a banking organization; they should have some ability with numbers — the average for British Columbia is $35,000 per student. It’s not just the direct student loans. If you take a look at student debt, they’re coming out with an average of $35,000. That is a big freight to the put on students.

Graduate tuitions have almost tripled. Between 2001 and 2006 it was 184 percent. So graduate school is becoming more and more out of reach. It’ll cost the average UBC student at least $10,000 more in tuition to complete a degree than it did in 2001. Tuition fees have doubled at B.C.’s colleges and universities since 2001.

Whatever that average amount is, it’s certainly higher than the $20,000 that I’ve heard the minister throwing out there, because that’s a pretty limited and…. It’s not the correct number, but I’m not going to get into that now.

My bigger worry is that most kids, almost all kids, that come from well-to-do families, from wealthy families, are going to be the ones that are going to go to school and they’re going to be able to make their way through. They may be able to make their way through in four or five years because they’re not out there working two or three jobs. They’re not taking a year off here and there, so they’re not spreading their education out before they become productive citizens and maximize their potential. They’re not spreading it out over six or seven years.

That is one of the impacts that we have in post-secondary education. We have students who are taking longer and longer to go through university and, therefore, are not out there maximizing their potential. I mean, that’s an economic issue, but it’s also an issue in terms of kids getting on with their lives.

They’re coming out with a higher debt, and they’re coming out in a world where incomes are reducing, as we know they are. Median incomes are reducing. If they’re coming out to buy a house in the Lower Mainland, where I live, it’s completely out of reach. What you’re saying is that for these kids, their possibility of ever getting ahead in life is really, really difficult.

It’s not those kids, even of the middle-class families or the upper middle-class families, that I’m as worried about. It’s very difficult for them. Some of them have help from their families, and some of them don’t. But it’s the kids that should have the opportunity, as every child should have an equal opportunity, to make their way through the system. That’s what there was 30 years ago, 20 years ago, and that is what there is not now. It is very, very difficult. The reality is that university is becoming less and less accessible. University and colleges and trades are becoming less and less of an option for more and more kids. And I think that’s a shame.

When you see what kids can do…. I was just reading this story today of a 17-year-old girl that came from Afghanistan. She is getting an award, getting a great scholarship. It’s great for those kids that can get scholarships. She’s going to get a major scholarship to go to university. And she lived in Afghanistan where she was not allowed to go to school. Her parents feared that if she went to school, she might be attacked, that she might be kidnapped by the Taliban. This young woman is going to school here. There are some amazing stories.

But few people are getting those scholarships. What’s
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really happening is that they’re being…. The option of going to university is just that much less accessible.

[1750]

You know, I remember my mom telling me that when she was a kid she was a really bright student, and she worked really hard. She grew up in the Depression, and her family lost everything in the Depression. It broke her heart that she was not going to be able to go to university. It broke her heart, because her family simply didn’t have the money.

Now, she ended up being the one person in Edmonton, Alberta in her year that got the scholarship because she was such a great student. So she went, but she told me about all her friends that were smart and lived in, you know, the equivalent of some of our most challenged neighbourhoods, that were smart and so much wanted to go to university, and they weren’t going to be able to go to university with her.

That is, sadly, the direction that we’re heading in. And when the kids — those lucky ones that get to universities and colleges — get there, they’re finding that their programs are shrinking. The offerings of programs are shrinking because the money that’s going into the system is decreasing. I think it’s very unfortunate.

I want to talk about a particular group of students and what I think are misplaced priorities in this budget. What I’m talking about are the students that are in English language learning and adult basic education programs. The government has, over the last couple of years, reduced the ability of students to take these types of programs.

Government this time around has cut the funding for adult basic education, basically said to colleges and universities that you can charge, but you no longer…. Students have been able to take those courses for free, and the thought was…. The government trumpeted about it several years ago. They said: “This is a good thing. This is an investment in the future.”

We have thousands of jobs that we are trying to fill, and one way to fill those is to make sure that people who come from other countries get the English language training that they need, and people who may not have been successful in the school system get a chance, when they make up their mind that they want to make their lives better and they want to become productive citizens, should get an opportunity to take courses that will help them to upgrade.

These courses, the English language courses — ELL, or ESL, as we used to call it — and adult basic education courses provide ladders of opportunity for people who come from all over the world or come from challenged circumstances, and they want to make their lives better. There is nothing in this budget for them, and in fact, this government has made the decision that they are going to cut these programs.

I want to just read a letter that I received from an instructor named Carmen Larsen. She’s an instructor in the faculty of language, literature and performing arts at Douglas College. Here’s what she said about the cuts to ESL and adult basic education. She said:

“Every day I work with inspiring adults who are doing whatever it takes to survive and thrive in their new communities. They are willing to work full-time and study full-time while trying to take care of their children and families because they want more than anything to again work in the professions that they once had — professions such as health care, engineering, education, construction that are starving for employees here in British Columbia. It is essential that the voices and concerns of immigrant students across B.C. are heard.”

She then encouraged us to advocate on their behalf.

That was from an ESL teacher, but I’ve also heard the same thing from teachers of adult basic education students. They are, right now, seeing their programs cut. The ESL programs at Vancouver Community College that served thousands and thousands of students have, essentially, been shut down. Many of them are gone.

[1755]

These are courses where students would take not only English language training, but they would take health care profession training. They would take technical training, training to write and be proficient in the technical language of engineers and doctors and technicians of various kinds — very specific, time-tested programs that moved people who just needed a little bit of a leg-up.

They moved them from not being able to be productive. And we’ve asked them to come from all over the world. They come here, and they want to be productive. They helped people move from not being productive and not being able to do their jobs to being able to do their jobs.

We’ve cut those programs, and now we’re going to cut the adult basic education. What that means is that colleges and universities have been told that they can charge. They don’t have to charge, but they can charge. They’re not getting the money to cover the courses, so they have to charge. The reality for many, many families and many, many students is that that ladder to post-secondary education…. It really was a ladder.

Most students who take ESL courses or take adult basic education courses, it’s because they want to do more. They go to the colleges and the universities, and they become exposed to college life, university life. They find other courses, and they move from the courses — the adult basic education courses, their graduation courses, their English language courses…. They move from there into further post-secondary courses.

That opportunity…. We are just cutting them off at their knees and saying: “You don’t get to do that anymore.” We know — even though the universities and colleges have been told for the basic education courses, finishing high school, doing upgrading — that what that is going to mean is simply that the registrations are going to go down significantly because less people are going to be going. So what that means is less access. It means less access at our colleges.
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You know, the other area that we’re going to have less access is…. We’re going to have less access in areas around our province that haven’t traditionally had universities and colleges — smaller colleges, more rural communities, the north. Those colleges don’t have the ability to fundraise. They don’t have a long legacy of graduates like the big universities do. Our research universities are doing a fabulous job. They are being hurt as well. But I have a particular concern for our smaller colleges and institutions that are in areas that don’t have the ability to fundraise.

Those colleges were also a ladder of opportunity for students that could stay in their hometown, their home community, do a year of college or university and then transfer to larger institutions a little bit farther away and could stay for a year or stay for two years. Those places are being hurt — again, decreasing the access for rural students.

I only have a couple more minutes. I wanted to finish off by mentioning a couple of concerns in my community. One that I mention quite often and that is a real concern for me is Burnaby Hospital. Once again, there’s nothing in the budget for Burnaby Hospital, despite pre-election promises in 2013 that we were going to get a new hospital. It is seismically unsafe. People are dying in that hospital because of the age of the infrastructure. We were promised that in 2013, and now that it’s not an election year, there’s nothing….

Interjection.

K. Corrigan: Oh, the minister…. There is a suggestion from the other side that there is something for Burnaby Hospital. I’ll be thrilled to hear about it, because it certainly hasn’t been there.

The other thing I want to talk about — broken promises in my community — is seismic upgrading. There were promises in 2012 and then very specifically in 2013 that schools in my community, in Burnaby, were going to be upgraded, and there were timelines. In 2014 we were going to get money. In 2015 we were going to get money. We would have Alpha rebuilt. We would have North rebuilt. We would have Montecito rebuilt. And you know what? Not a penny — not a penny has come into Burnaby.

The government is great at making lots and lots of promises, but they’re not great at keeping them. I’m sure the promises will all be trotted out again in 2016 and in 2017, in the run-up to the next election.

[1800]

I see that my time is coming to a close. I’m pleased to have had an opportunity to respond to the budget, which I find terribly disappointing, particularly the priorities — or lack of priorities — in giving $230 million to the richest people in this province and hurting and damaging the middle class.

L. Reimer: It gives me a great deal of pleasure to rise in the House today and offer my support for Budget 2015. As is the tradition of the House, I would like to begin by thanking the wonderful residents of Anmore, Belcarra, Port Moody and Coquitlam for placing their confidence in me and granting me the remarkable privilege to serve them here in the House.

It is a wonderful experience, and I’m having the pleasure of participating and serving them on the Public Accounts Committee, the local government elections expense committee and also serving on the cabinet committee on secure tomorrow and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development, where my primary file is local government.

I participated in overseeing, with the minister, the process which saw legislation passed in the spring to create both the Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, known as LECFA, and the Local Elections Statutes Amendment Act, LESAA. This elections reform was the most comprehensive package of elections legislation in over 20 years and occurred as a result of the good work of the Local Government Elections Task Force and their recommendations several years ago.

Currently I’m working on the parliamentary committee on local government elections expense, and after completion of phase 1 of that work, we’ll soon begin phase 2.

I would like to thank our wonderful ministry staff, Heather Brazier and Sandra Sajko, whom I’ve worked with for the past year and a half. In addition, I would like to thank the great staff in the minister’s office: Angella Ok-Stone, Cameron Ehl, Jordan Bell and Caitlin Conroy, who is now with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations.

In the fall I was pleased to present a private member’s bill which saw the declaration of a permanent Terry Fox Day in the province of B.C. This year, 2015, marks the 35th anniversary of Terry’s Marathon of Hope, and all sorts of activities will be planned in my Tri-Cities community, the province, Canada and all over the world. This is an excellent opportunity for all British Columbians to get on board to carry on Terry’s dream of finding a cure for cancer.

This third consecutive balanced budget will provide the opportunity to ensure that all our wonderful communities and our province stay strong. By exercising spending restraint during these fragile economic times, we will have better opportunity to attract investment, create jobs and expand our economy. This has the potential, then, to lead to further spending on those things that are important to British Columbians, things like health care, education and social services. It has potential to allow us to do some things that were done in this budget, such as capital funding for the SPCA.

In my community — including Anmore, Belcarra, Port Moody and Coquitlam — pets are important members of
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families who live in my riding. With our beautiful greenery, trails and the ocean just a few moments away, there’s ample opportunity for families, including their cherished pets, to enjoy the spectacular scenery. The SPCA does wonderful work to ensure the protection of our pets and animals. Our beloved dog Chance is an SPCA dog, and I was so pleased that we were able to assist them in funding some of their much needed infrastructure renewal throughout the province.

B.C. was one of two jurisdictions in Canada to balance its budget in 2013-14. Over the last three years our government’s budgets have forecasted modest surpluses in all three years of the fiscal plan. Independent economists forecast B.C. to be near the top among provinces in terms of economic growth in the next two years. Through our strong fiscal discipline, we were able to find room for modest investments, such as the one I’ve mentioned, that strengthen and encourage growth in key economic sectors, sustain core public services and make life a little easier for families and those in need.

Canada is comprised of ten provinces, three territories and the federal government in Ottawa. That’s 14 jurisdictions all together. Of those 14 jurisdictions, B.C. is the only province with a positive outlook for three more balanced budgets, further demonstrating that this government has employed a solid fiscal plan that provides economic certainty.

[1805]

It is the reason why the Conference Board of Canada has singled out British Columbia as the province that will lead the country in economic growth in 2015. The Conference Board recognizes that B.C. is getting the fundamentals right and that we’ve created a foundation with favourable conditions for the private sector to flourish. Balanced budgets also provide risk-averse investors with the certainty they require, and that is a precious commodity in a fragile global economy.

Naturally, global investment gravitates toward stable and predictable business environments. With a balanced budget and a stable workforce, British Columbia continues to be an attractive destination for investment. Prudent and responsible management of public finances means British Columbia holds on to its triple-A credit rating, the highest standard available.

This triple-A credit rating is important for two reasons. One, it reduces the cost of servicing our debt. If we had, for example, a double-A-minus credit rating, like they do in Ontario, we would have to spend an additional $2 billion a year servicing our debt. But since we don’t, we can now utilize that money elsewhere on vital programs and services for British Columbians.

Secondly, by lowering the government’s borrowing costs, B.C. has the fiscal freedom to make significant capital investment in provincial infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, and improvements to health care facilities, schools and post-secondary institutions. Members of my riding have benefited from our new Port Mann Bridge, the No. 1 renewal project and the new Golden Ears Bridge.

Investing in health care is also another area. The budget reaffirms the B.C. government’s commitment to health care with nearly $3 billion in increased Ministry of Health spending over three years, up to $12.5 million to the Canadian Cancer Society towards establishing a world-class cancer prevention centre in Vancouver. Additional funding will support hospice services for children and adults as part of our work toward doubling the number of beds by 2020 in supporting end-of-life care.

Kindergarten-to-grade 12 education will receive additional funding of $564 million, compared to Budget 2014, over three years as the government meets its funding commitments for collective agreements negotiated in this sector, including a 33 percent increase to the learning improvement fund, bringing it to $100 million per year; a $500 education coaching tax credit for teachers and teaching assistants, recognizing the value of extracurricular sports and arts opportunities in our schools; and an additional $1 million for the British Columbia school fruit and vegetable nutritional program, which now benefits almost half a million children in participating schools. My school district is the third-largest in the province, and this will benefit approximately 30,000 students in my riding.

Budget 2015 will invest $10.7 billion in new capital projects over the coming three years, helping to deliver core services and create jobs across B.C. These investments include $2.1 billion in post-secondary education, skills and trades training capital spending; $1.6 billion in K-to-12 education investments; $2.9 billion in transportation investments; $2.7 billion in health infrastructure.

In my riding I’m pleased that we have been able to do seismic replacement at Banting Middle and will soon attend the opening of Eagle Mountain Middle in the community of Anmore. I also had the opportunity to attend the opening of the seismic replacement of Pitt River Middle School in the fall.

Our triple-A credit rating has helped to keep hard-earned money that belongs to British Columbians in British Columbia and helping British Columbians. This government also had the foresight to realize very early that the temperament of B.C.’s economy is changing rapidly and worked vigilantly to diversify our economy. With a diverse economy and diverse export markets, B.C. is protected from downturns in any single economy.

The key to B.C.’s financial success is our economy’s diversity. Investments in areas like health, education, social assistance and services that I’ve previously mentioned would not be possible without the healthy and diverse economy B.C. has today. Part of our government’s commitment to a diverse economy includes responsible resource development which follows the proper process. We say yes to economic growth and do not pre-
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judge projects. Many of my constituents benefit from resource development, as many of them work in downtown Vancouver as a result of our resource development.

Exportation of goods is a vital source of economic growth and job creation for British Columbia. Through expansion of trade relationships with other jurisdictions, our government is able to grow our economy and provide outstanding opportunity for all British Columbians. In 2014 alone, exports accounted for $35.5 billion, which was an increase of 6.3 percent over 2013.

[1810]

Trade diversification of markets is a priority for our government. For example, in 2001 B.C.’s exports to the United States totalled 70 percent. Today our trade is more diversified, with exports to the United States totalling 50.6 percent, while 39.5 percent went to markets in the Pacific Rim.

Businesses in B.C., in Canada and, potentially, in North America will also benefit from Canada’s new renminbi hub, the first of its kind in the Americas. The hub is a financial centre sanctioned by China to clear and settle transactions in the Chinese currency, making it easier and less expensive for people here to do business with China. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce estimates that direct trade in renminbi could boost the value of B.C. exports by $9.4 billion over ten years.

The lion’s share of these export gains is expected in the forestry sector, because it is an industry with highly competitive prices, in which the use of renminbi could make a significant difference to competitive bids. This year the government will work with partners like Advantage B.C. and contribute modest funds to ensure that B.C. businesses are equipped to understand this new tool and put it to work on behalf of their employees.

We also need to recognize the emphasis that this government has put on helping small business. Small business plays a pivotal role in British Columbia’s exports, accounting for 42 percent of all merchandise shipped abroad in 2011.

Small business is the engine of our provincial economy. For that reason, this government is making a concerted effort to assist small business and is slashing red tape. We realize that excessive paperwork and making businesses jump through too many hoops ultimately cost British Columbians jobs, which is why we continue to work in the best interests of small businesses. It is our goal to become the most business-friendly jurisdiction in Canada.

In my riding I have many who have sought the opportunities in the craft brewery industry. We have two new breweries, Yellow Dog and Port Moody Ales. Many small retail outlets also do business in Port Moody–Coquitlam, as do several manufacturers such as the Current Corp., and Cascadia Sports, which manufactures dasher boards.

This government also understands that a strong economy is one that attracts investment. That’s why the government has taken significant steps to reduce personal and corporate income taxes.

Because a low tax regime is fundamental to a competitive economy and attracting more investment, B.C. currently has the lowest personal income taxes in Canada for those earning up to $121,000 per year. In fact, personal income taxes for most taxpayers have been reduced by 37 percent or more since 2001, and many low-income British Columbians don’t pay any provincial income tax at all. British Columbians enjoy one of the lowest overall tax burdens in Canada.

The aforementioned accomplishments of this balanced budget illustrate how we have held the line on spending, diversified, increased investments and stimulated our growing demand for B.C.-made products.

This budget, however, also simultaneously gives cash back to those of us who need it most. The greatest advantage of a balanced budget is having the fiscal freedom to make strategic investments that help B.C. families.

For example, effective September 1, 2015, child support payments will be fully exempted from income assistance calculations. This translates into an additional $32 million over three years for some of the neediest children and families in the province.

Approximately 180,000 families will begin receiving the B.C. early childhood tax benefit starting April 1, 2015. It provides up to $660 a year for each child under the age of six, to help with the cost of child care. Applications for the training and education savings grant, a one-time payment of $1,200 for every child resident in B.C. and born since January 1, 2007, will be available at participating financial institutions by August. As many as 40,000 children may be eligible every year once they turn six.

There’s an additional $106 million over the next three years to Community Living B.C. to support people with developmental disabilities, and $3 million for a new $250 children’s fitness equipment credit that would be set at 50 percent of the amount claimed for the existing children’s fitness credit. So parents will not have to keep receipts for the equipment.

In conclusion, our Premier has a bold vision for B.C.’s future, and Budget 2015 provides a realistic, comprehensive plan to guide us to that future. We’re more determined than ever to hold the line on spending — not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it was a promise we made to British Columbians and it is the job British Columbians hired us to do for our children and our grandchildren.

The input that I have, and the feedback I’ve heard back in the last few days from my wonderful constituency, is that people want the government to keep our taxes low, to keep things affordable for families.

[1815]

They know there are tough choices ahead, but they’re proud of us for going in that direction and making those decisions. They want a strong economy. They want a secure tomorrow. They’ve recognized that a balanced
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budget is the foundation that we need in order to build that. That is why I’m proud to support this budget. This is a budget that is precisely what British Columbians elected us to deliver. Thank you, hon. Speaker, for allowing me the opportunity to respond to Budget 2015.

M. Dalton: Some of the members here might be wondering, with bated breath, how I’m going to vote on this budget. I’m to take the suspense away right away. I’m fully in support of it, and I’ll be voting for it.

Before I make my remarks on the budget, I’d like to acknowledge my team, which I depend on to support my constituents in both Maple Ridge and in Mission. My constituency assistant Carly Fedyshen has been working with me for six years. She is expecting her second child in a couple of months, so we won’t be seeing her for a while. And Mark Duyns, who joined me in the second term, is now my full-time assistant.

In Victoria I also just hired Rod Deacon, who used to be a reporter on Parliament Hill back in the ’80s and then worked for government communications.

And I can never forget my lovely wife, Marlene, who is such a strength to me and an important part of my life.

It’s an honour for me to represent the communities of Maple Ridge and Mission. They’re beautiful places to live, nestled in between the Fraser Valley and the coastal mountains. Many lakes and recreational opportunities abound here. They’re great places to raise a family and very affordable.

One of the priorities of Mission is the development of the Stave West recreational area. Here we find Zajac Ranch, a ranch for children with special needs, founded by Mel and Wendy Zajac, philanthropists. They have made such a difference to hundreds, probably thousands, of children.

If you haven’t been to Mission, you need to make sure you go see the Mission abbey. It’s one of the most peaceful places. When I visited the school there, the boys sang me some a cappella music and then with instruments, and it was just really nice.

In the Stave West area we’re in the process of working to see a Tim Horton Children’s Foundation camp built for children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it. And there’s a collaboration happening with the Kwantlen First Nation.

In Maple Ridge we have the Golden Ears Park, where we have Alouette Lake, and we see hundreds of thousands of visits a year. It’s one of the most popular parks in British Columbia.

Last year the Premier visited Maple Ridge for its official proclamation to be a city. It’s actually 80,000 people, so it could have been a city many years ago. It actually was incorporated in 1874, but we had the proclamation last year. It’s a growing, vibrant community. For several years running it has been dubbed the No. 2 place to invest in British Columbia and No. 5 in all of Canada. I do want to recognize the work of the new mayors and councils in both cities: Nicole Reid in Maple Ridge and — a familiar name here — Randy Hawes in Mission.

The Minister of Finance has announced his third surplus. It’s quite amazing, considering the significant challenges the world is facing. We’re probably the only provincial jurisdiction to post a surplus. This hasn’t happened easily. It has meant sacrifices, discipline and restraint at all levels.

I commend the 200,000 public sector employees who have reached a negotiated settlement. It’s paying off economically.

There are different financial lifts announced in this budget, and it has been made possible through the fiscal restraints made in the past few years. A surplus means we’re not building up debt. Debt means increased debt servicing charges. It reduces our ability to offer services like health care and education. In many respects, managing the budget provincially is like managing our household budget. In order not to get snowed under with credit card debt and lines of credit, we need to live within our means, which can be a very tough thing to do in expensive areas, especially in Metro Vancouver.

The past two budgets were dissed by some esteemed members in this Legislature as smoke and mirrors — jiggery-pokery, as the MLA for Cowichan Valley is known to say.

[1820]

Last year’s budget was initially put at a little over $200 million. It’s now projected to be $879 million. We’re using that to pay down the debt, and that’s important.

Fiscal prudence is the reason why British Columbia has maintained its triple-A credit rate, and there are not many jurisdictions in the world that have this. This fiscal prudence impacts all British Columbians and my constituents of Maple Ridge and Mission. Why? Well, for one thing, it strengthens the economic confidence and business confidence in the province for my communities.

It’s very important. When businesses feel confident, they hire people, and that’s obviously jobs. They expand, and they build. If working people feel secure in their jobs, then they make purchases. They buy a home or car, furniture. This impacts the retail sector and the construction trades. There’s quite a bit of construction happening right now in Maple Ridge and, to a lesser degree, in Mission.

The retail sector is important for small business owners and their employees. Over one million people are tied in with the small business sector, whether as owners or employees. The Conference Board of Canada reports that British Columbia will lead the country in growth this year. So 3 percent growth is projected — initially, it was projected to be 2.6 percent; that compares to a national average of 1.9 — and a strong housing market, which contrasts with much of the rest of the country.

Also, though the province is impacted by the price of oil, the average household will see an infusion of cash of
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about $1,000 for the year because of the drop of prices at the pump. That certainly will provide financial relief for millions of British Columbians.

More relief for families is on the way with this budget. Effective September 1, child support payments will be fully exempted from the income assistance calculations. That’s $32 million over the next three years for some of the neediest children and families in the province. I commend the member from Courtenay-Comox for his work on the file when he was minister.

It’s also been an issue that Liberal MLAs and the opposition have brought up on a number of occasions. The government has been responsive and, given that there’s a bit of financial wiggle room, we made this positive change.

April 1 is also when we have the B.C. early childhood tax benefit kick in for every child under the age of six years old to help with child care. Whether a child chooses a local daycare or whether they use the money to help a family, if there’s a stay-at-home parent…. This offers choice, and it’s fair to all families.

There’s also the training and education savings grant, a one-time payment of $1,200 for every child born January 1, 2007, or later. That will impact about 40,000 children a year. When you add it with the federal contribution, it can be thousands of dollars by the time a child graduates. It’s also an encouragement for parents to put in a little bit towards their child’s education. Whether it’s $25 or $50 a month, it really adds up at the end of the day.

There’s also $3 million for a new $250 children’s fitness equipment credit that will be set at 50 percent of the amount claimed for the existing children’s fitness credit.

That existing children’s fitness credit — I feel very happy about that. A number of years ago — actually, in my first term — I was with a caucus committee on the family. We looked at different ways that we could help families. I was responsible for some of the tax initiatives or recommendations, and the children’s fitness credit was one of the things that I and our committee proposed.

It’s just really rewarding to see how this has been implemented and now being expanded towards the equipment. I’m glad that the Premier introduced the children’s fitness credit two or three years ago. Having a healthy active youth is key towards our future. It’s been well received and, again, combined with the federal grant.

An additional $106 million over the next three years to Community Living B.C. to support people with developmental disabilities. It’s encouraging to see a lift here for some of our province’s most needy.

I’m a public school teacher by profession, before getting elected, and I was glad to see financial improvements. The six-year negotiated settlement with teachers is fully funded. Did I say negotiated? It’s not imposed. I know the strike was tough on everyone, and I know the relationship between teachers and government is still raw, but there is a healing process. I’m looking forward to seeing this increased collaboration between teachers and education and the government, working together for the good of students, which is the most important.

[1825]

We’re now into the longest negotiated settlement in British Columbia’s history. I was a teacher when the B.C. Liberals had reached a five-year agreement in 2005 with the BCTF. During that time, the next five years, I noticed that provincial politics and confrontations kind of faded, to a large extent, among the regular teachers. That was really nice. That’s where we need to get going again — focusing on the kids.

There’s also the learning improvement fund, which is seeing a 33 percent increase, to $100 million a year. I remember — I believe it was last year or the year before — that there was concern that those funds would be entirely removed. But it’s there to stay, and we’ve actually improved on it significantly. That will means hundreds of more teachers and assistants to help with children with special needs. We’ve seen a dramatic increase over the past decade with the number of children that have been designated with special needs and are receiving that funding.

Can more be done? Yes, more can be done. But we’re doing as much as we can with the resources that we have. I just want to commend the teachers and the staff, the assistants, that are doing such a great job with these children, with all children.

There’s $564 million over the next three years that are being added to education. Another positive move is the $500 education coaching tax credit for teachers and teaching assistants, recognizing the value they are to students and the extra hours they need to put in. In all schools you see the coaches working those extra hours. So I think that’s just a step. It’s a positive move to recognize what they are doing.

It’s well known that involvement in sports help youth in many ways: health, obviously, and self-esteem and confidence. It builds friendships and also academic grades. Some $1.6 billion are going into capital investments in K-to-12 education

There were comments made earlier by a member I was listening to, regarding independent schools. I had the privilege for 2½ years to work with independent schools. I visited probably about 80 different schools across the province. I know that they’re being stated to be for just the wealthy and exclusive. Well, that wasn’t my experience.

They’re found in every jurisdiction, every constituency. Parents, many of them, really struggle to put their children in. They sacrifice a vacation. They may have one car. These schools are providing great education and sometimes on just a shoestring budget.

Now, I will acknowledge that there are some of the university prep schools that charge large tuition. Yes, wealthier families do go there, but keep in mind that they only receive 35 percent of the base funding that the
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public schools receive. I just think that it’s important to not dis the independent schools. Some 80,000 children go to independent schools. They are part of our British Columbia education program. We believe in choice in education, and I think we should support them, not pit public against independent. It’s all one system.

A significant reason that B.C. is weathering this economic storm, which we see in other places in Canada and worldwide, is our economic diversity and a diversity of our trading partners. The Premier and government ministers have worked very hard building trading relationships with Asian countries.

Intentional. These have not been travel junkets. I have talked to some of the ministers here. It’s tough — from morning to night and very little breathing room. But they’re working very hard, and it’s paying off in spades. We’ve seen exponential growth in trade with China. Trade with India has seen significant increase, and we’re still building that up. Obviously, with our multicultural population, we have those natural connections that can help us with those relationships and with the Asian markets and also other nations.

It’s made all the difference in the sale of our forestry products. We have a strong tech sector and a strong wine industry. Last year was the first time that B.C. posted over $1 billion in wine sales. That’s a real step.

We have a strong movie sector. Maple Ridge and Mission both have movie studios, and we’ve seen a lot of productions. A new studio has been announced to be built in downtown Maple Ridge.

The positive side of the Canadian dollar’s decline is that we can now expect many more Americans to be visiting and more Canadians probably staying at home. I’m anticipating we’ll have a strong year in tourism and our hospitality sector, which employs so many.

We can’t forget LNG. Billions have been spent by companies working towards a final investment decision. Things are still moving forward, though there have been delays due to multinational energy companies. They don’t have the same liquidity. But there are 19 LNG proposals at various stages. Ten LNG proposals have received export approval by Canada’s National Energy Board, and the federal government has recently made a significant announcement regarding LNG tax treatment.

[1830]

It’s a 30 percent capital cost allowance for equipment to liquefy natural gas and 10 percent for infrastructure at the export facility level. This puts B.C. and Canada in a better position to see the LNG industry established, one that could see the employment of up to 100,000 workers.

This is a vision. You have to work towards a vision, and we are seeing this. There’s quite a bit of employment, quite a bit of construction happening up north, northwest, in the steps leading towards the final investment decisions. Revenues, though, have not been budgeted until these decisions have been made.

This is a good budget for British Columbia, and it’s a good time to live in British Columbia.

M. Hunt: It’s my pleasure to stand and speak to the budget. I notice a tradition that seems to be among the speakers here, and, being new to this House still and learning how the system works, it’s my pleasure to begin this as many others have. That’s to first of all acknowledge our spouses and our families and the tremendous support that they give to us being here.

I’m lavishly spoiled by my wife, Ruth, who in fact comes with me most weeks here and is with me here in Victoria. That’s a luxury I know that many other members of this House are not able to have, but it’s one that I certainly am able to enjoy — her company for the very few moments during the week that I get to spend with her while over in Victoria, because the schedules here are amazing, as we go from early morning to late at night.

I certainly want to thank her because, without her, I certainly wouldn’t be here, and that is absolutely true. Then, also, we have our family, of course, and I am committed to family — with six kids, I’d better be, or I’m in real trouble — but also having the wonderful joy of our 14th grandchild being on the way.

Needless to say, Christmastime and those sorts of festivals are great. But I have to admit that having Family Day the day before the House sits for the throne speech is a very hectic time for us in the fact that we have over 30 people in our house for Family Day to have lunch together. Then, quickly, before we can actually get the house cleaned back up or even the dishes done, we’re on the way to the ferry to be back over here for the throne speech — so, tremendous family support and working together.

Of course, our constituency office with my two constituency assistants — Shanda Millar and Kiran Sangha. To those from my constituency who are watching this at this point in time, I certainly want to encourage our constituents to either go to or to phone my constituency office, because these two wonderful ladies are there to help and serve them with any problem and challenges that they have.

I have just been amazed at how quickly and how well they have been able to connect into the civil service here within Victoria to be able to solve problems for our constituents and to be able to help them through the labyrinth that is often what people see when they have to deal with government — and particularly provincial government, because of all the different ministries that we have.

Our focus is on the budget. Our focus is on the issues of the budget, and so often we just get caught up in the big numbers. We get caught up in all these big numbers of how much money for this and that and the other thing. I thought that what might be more interesting as we look at it is to look at some of the wonderful things that are happening in Surrey because of this budget.

One of the exciting things for us is that $135,000
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from the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development is going to support Surrey in 2016, hosting the International Soft Ball Federation’s XV Women’s World Softball Championship.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

That is absolutely exciting. I want to thank Madame Minister for those dollars, because those dollars are critical in getting all the different work that has to be done ahead of time and at the very beginning to be able to see this as a success.

[1835]

The 500-day countdown has begun, and we’re into that now. The actual dates are July 15-24, next summer, 2016. We will have over 30 nations coming.

Now, when we talk about women’s softball, usually we talk about: “Japan’s going to be there. The Americas are going to be there.” We talk about the relative elite of women’s softball. But because we have had the fortune of having tremendous volunteers — Greg Timm and his tremendous volunteers — that have worked the Canada Cup for so many years in Surrey previously, they’re wanting to reach out to some of the nations that are not in the Olympics and are not Olympic eligible — some of those who have challenges, in fact, with the various abilities of coaching and getting the equipment and all those sorts of things.

They’re wanting to have over 30 nations come to be able to celebrate in this tournament. It’s because of the vision that they have for softball that, in fact, when they went to the softball federation…. I think it was about a year or year and a half ago. The other world nations who would normally compete for this, when they saw what Canada was going to do — what we were going to do in Surrey, in fact — stepped back and said: “No, let Canada host the cup, because it’s just a tremendous effort that they are going to be making for women’s softball.” That is a part of what is in this budget.

Another thing that’s in this budget for the city of Surrey is $791,000 to help build and expand the cycling trails for families. I know when we think about cycle lanes and all those things, the first thing that comes to mind is the city of Vancouver. In fact, in the city of Surrey, because of our size, we have more bicycle lanes than anyone else, simply because we are so big.

We have so many cycle lanes, and $577,000 is going to the Fraser Heights Greenway to actually be able to help in sharing the cost for a multi-use path along 108th Avenue, which will actually have separated paths and will be going up, as well, the former 154th Street. This is all a part of having our community built so that people can get out. They can be active.

Along University Drive at 105A we are actually going to be putting in three more intersections with bike boxes and the push buttons for cyclists to have priority working their way through that intersection. It’s a thing. A vision that we’ve had as we build the city centre — well, my vision, actually — is that we’ll have the University Drive bike lanes along that so that they’re parallel to the King George Highway.

Again, they’re accessible for people to be able to bike to the work in our city centre. This is a part of 20 communities receiving $3.69 million from Bike B.C. for 22 different projects around the province, and that is doubled by the local municipalities as they contribute to these bike paths as well, and we see them built.

We also have the Surrey Memorial Hospital auxiliary that are going to be receiving $100,000 for patient comfort funds. Those are little, incidental things, but they make the horrible, challenging, difficult time of being in a hospital a little more palatable for everyone who is there.

One that is especially important to many of us who see people going through the challenges within our communities is $60,000 that will be going to Luke 15 house, which is a 12-step recovery program for men in our city. Often when we listen to the debate that’s happening here, it sounds like money is not going to those who are challenged and who are trying to take personal responsibility for the decisions and work through some of the challenges that they have. I am so pleased to see that here, within the moneys of this year’s budget, so that we can in fact be there to help.

Of course we have Trilogy and other programs throughout Surrey. We wish there was more money to be able to help them, and, over time, hopefully we’ll be able to do that.

[1840]

Another beneficiary of this year’s budget in Surrey is, in fact, the SPCA. The SPCA has recently purchased a five-acre property on 168th Street in the agricultural land area. It used to be a chicken farm, and they’ve got these two chicken barns that they have been working on converting.

This $5 million that is going from the provincial government is going to help them to solidify their plans. They’ve been working their way along this. But the challenge for the SPCA is that often, because of the agricultural areas in the more rural areas of this province, they actually will, from time to time, have the unfortunate situation of having large animal seizures. What do they do with those animals?

Up until now, they have actually had to board those animals with various residents, hopefully within in the area where the seizure was. Now they will actually be able to have this facility for dealing with larger animals, such as horses and cows as well as sheep and goats, for these animals to be able to cared for, to be able to be nursed back to strong health and to be able to, once again, be a pet or a friend to those who would love to have them.

Also, there’s the little extras. They’ve been working at raising donations to build this facility. Now with these extra dollars, they’re going to be able to build the out-
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door area for the horses. They’re hoping now in 2015 to actually increase the size of the cat-seizure facility. I don’t know. We’ve had little controversies in Surrey from time to time over dealing with feral cats.

I find it amazing that estimates are given that there’s between 12,000 and 35,000 free-roaming community or feral cats in Surrey. That is an astonishing number. Now, I know the Minister of Health, being a veterinarian, will be more familiar with these sorts of things within community, but I find that absolutely amazing.

Yet the SPCA is there to try and help and to take care of these animals. Obviously, the cats outnumber dogs within the shelters. These are the challenges that they have had to deal with throughout the Lower Mainland. But this Surrey facility is going to be helpful to them. Then, of course, we have the challenge of exotic animals and what is done with exotic animals. We’ll leave that to another day.

Also, education is a big part of what SPCA is doing on the Surrey site. They have a whole facility there, a classroom that is there, not only to be able to educate people about adoptions, but also they have children’s programs. They have summer camps. They’re also wanting to expand the whole area of partnering to work with others in animal obedience and those sorts of things. Those are just some of the little, smaller benefits that are coming to Surrey as a result of this budget.

There’s a commitment that we have made as the government — and that is, to growing the economy. One of the things that we need to recognize — as was recently, in an article in the Vancouver Sun from the mayors of Terrace and Burns Lake — is that the B.C. economy is, in fact, more than the sum of its parts.

That’s a challenge that is sometimes difficult for us in the Lower Mainland to recognize — the fact that the large urban areas need the rural areas, and the rural areas need the large urban areas. Together, working together, we in fact are able to benefit and grow the economy and build a better province for each and every one of us to enjoy.

As the member for…. Oh, I’ve got to get it right — Peace River. No, it’s not that. Prince George…

Interjection.

M. Hunt: …McKenzie. Thank you. Prince George–Mackenzie — the member that sits beside me. I’m not allowed to say his name.

As he gave his talk concerning the budget, he was talking about the Natural Resource Forum that he was a part of hosting, which is now in its 12th year. It highlights the fact of the synergy that we have in this province. We have the resource communities, which often are in the northern part and certainly the rural parts of British Columbia, working together with the corporate offices, the different skills that are from the Lower Mainland, all of us working together.

Canfor is a classic example of that, where we have one of the world’s largest producers of forest products that operates throughout the province, particularly in the north, headquartered in Vancouver. Yet they have employees being paid in both areas, dealing with accounting and engineering and marketing.

[1845]

I know in our community we have engineering firms that are very much involved in the LNG projects and in the works within the LNG projects. Quite frankly, LNG and working towards LNG up in the north has been a great boon for the engineering companies because of the general downturn that happened in the economy. It has been great for all of them to be able to work together, because often the professional services are in the Lower Mainland, but in fact, the production and the actual work goes on in the north.

When it comes to exports, we have a similar thing, where 70 percent of the province’s exports originate within the northern parts of British Columbia. Of course, forestry is a classic example of that, where we have forestry both on the coast but in the Interior and the major amounts of exports that come from that. My understanding is about 34 percent of the exports is forestry, and that’s going through ports such as Port Metro Vancouver or up through Prince Rupert. Again, the jobs that are there — 57,000 direct and indirect jobs at Port Metro Vancouver…. It’s all of us working together. It’s all of us working together to use creativity to develop the economy.

We have renewable energies where now we have new businesses that are being innovative in how they’re creating pellets. The pellets now are not just being exported — I forget the exact technical term for it — but basically, they’re being baked and roasted so that they can actually be a replacement for coal in our cement kilns. Again, a creative, innovative idea that is being worked on. I had the privilege of going through one of these plants. It was just being built and assembled together and hadn’t gone into full production, and I look forward to seeing that production.

If we’re able to take that innovation and able to walk that out throughout this province…. We have a tremendous amount of fibre that (1) is left in the forest or (2) is wasted and sometimes disposed in various ways within the various communities throughout this province. If we could take that which was a non-usable product or a waste product and we could convert that into a replacement for coal, wouldn’t that be an absolutely fabulous thing to be able to help expand the forest industry and jobs throughout this province?

We had an interesting business in Surrey that I recently got introduced to that is taking drywall and instead of taking the old drywall and using it into new drywall — which is one firm we have over in New Westminster — this one is actually taking the gypsum from the drywall and using it in the cement kilns to, in fact, replace new
[ Page 6137 ]
gypsum. So in fact, instead of having a waste product, we’re now replacing the actual products being pulled out of the ground as a resource.

Again, taking creative ideas, innovation and using that in this province. That’s one of the things I am so thrilled with: the tremendous creativity that we have in this province.

When we look at small businesses, because that’s what most of these are…. You look at most of the innovation — most of the innovation comes from small businesses or those who are pre–small business and those who simply have the creative idea. You know, we often have the story of someone doing it in their basement or doing it in their garage. The challenge is…. That is really the truth; that’s where they start. The Bill Gateses of the world start in their garages or mom and dad’s basement.

But 98 percent of all businesses are small businesses. They employ over one million people. That creativity, building the small businesses, the small jobs — 55 percent of all private sector jobs come from small business.

Of course, we have our Minister for Small Business, who’s in the House — the tremendous work that she does because we have such a tremendous creative province to work in. That is a part of what’s in this budget. It’s working together to see these things happen. So 385,000 small businesses in the province, and of course, British Columbia ranks first in Canada for the number of small businesses per capita.

[1850]

Women make up more than 38 percent of all the self-employed people in British Columbia, which is above the national average. Our small businesses account for 26 percent of British Columbia’s GDP, which again, is above the Canadian average, and British Columbia’s share of self-employed workers is the highest in the country, accounting for 18 percent of total employment.

That is the creative side. That is the creative sector that we want to see continuing to grow, and that is the side of this budget which is growing the economy. It’s what we’re wanting to do. We also have to recognize that there’s a second side to this. That, of course, is controlling expenses, controlling our spending and controlling how we spend our money.

Throughout my life in politics at the local level — well, certainly, school board local level and now at the provincial government — I find the philosophy and principles that we use in our budgets…. If we simply go back to our homes, if we simply use the same principles that we use in our home, when the numbers grow, it’s easier for us to handle those bigger numbers.

One of the things we hear often in this House is the issue of child poverty and the number of children that are in homes in poverty in this province. Well, my six kids were all part of that. My six kids all qualified for child poverty here in the province of British Columbia because my wife and I made a choice. We made a choice to be involved in local government. When we made that choice in local government, we didn’t get paid a whole lot. We decided that we were committed to it, and we were going to make it our full-time job.

Well, having six kids and the amount of money we made in local government was actually, some people would say, a stupid decision. You know, it was a decision that we chose to make because we were committed to our community. We loved our community. We wanted to see change, and we wanted to see things happen. So we couldn’t control how much money came in. What we had to do is we had to focus on our expenses.

Now, by the same token, some of the members of this House would not appreciate in any way, shape, or form the vehicles I chose to drive. But they took us from point A to point B, and they did the job. The homes that we lived in — again, choices that we chose to make. We had borders living with us in order to be able to afford the mortgage. We bought houses that had secondary suites in them — legal secondary suites. I had my business licence, and I showed it to my renters to make sure that they knew that.

It was a matter of priorities. The money coming in — you make priorities for how you’re going to spend that money and how you’re going to make things work. We have to do exactly the same thing here.

Now, by the same token, when we were in that situation, we didn’t have to pay MSP. It didn’t matter how much the provincial government wanted to raise MSP. Our income was so low that we were exempt. As we were able to make more money over time, well, then we paid part of that. Today, yes, I pay it in full. That was one of the benefits that, again, we see in this province. If you have — I believe it’s the net — income under $19,000, you’re not paying MSP premiums, and there are different benefits that come in. It’s all focusing on how we spend the money, the challenges that we make.

In no way, shape or form do I envy the Minister of Health. He has the biggest budget in this province. He has the greatest challenges. Obviously, we’re dealing with sick people. We’re dealing with injured people. We’re dealing with some of the most vulnerable people. But tough decisions have to be made. It’s a massive challenge, but it’s a challenge that if we all work on it together, if we all focus on it together, we can make it through. Yes, it’s not always great, but it’s a challenge that we can work on.

That’s why we’re working at diversifying the economy — so that we can, in fact, not be subject, as we see…. The province of Alberta is an example that has gone up and down with the price of oil. We want to diversify our economy so that we, in fact, have the ability to survive the tough times. That’s why I am so thrilled to be a part of this budget, which is the third consecutive balanced budget. We are, in fact, looking to be able to have three more as we look down the future — our triple-A credit rating.

Madame Speaker, I notice that you’re looking at the clock, so I have this nagging suspicion that what I should
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do right now is say: “Noting the hour, I would move adjournment of this debate and reserve my place to continue to speak in the next sitting of the House,” because my friend from Surrey-Newton loves to hear it.

M. Hunt moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. T. Lake moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Madame Speaker: This House, at its rising, stands adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.

The House adjourned at 6:55 p.m.

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