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)

Monday, April 20, 2015

Morning Sitting

Volume 23, Number 6

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

MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2015

The House met at 10:02 a.m.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

Routine Business

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Private Members’ Statements

IMPROVING DEMOCRACY

G. Holman: I’m very pleased to speak today about the private member’s statement about improving democracy in British Columbia. There’s no question that our current first-past-the-post system is unfair, that this Legislature is not as accountable or effective as it can be and that, as a result of this, citizen confidence and participation in our democratic institutions is waning.

We should all be concerned about the fact that almost half of our voters are opting out of their basic democratic right of casting their ballot. In part, this is because many citizens see their votes being wasted. We currently have a majority government in British Columbia that was elected by less than half the voters in the last election and only one-quarter of eligible voters in British Columbia. Despite being supported by a minority of voters, this government has 100 percent of the power.

This is not to lay the blame for this situation at the feet of this particular government. This is the way the first-past-the-post system works.

There are also political parties or perspectives in British Columbia that are not fairly represented in the Legislature, if at all. For example, in the 2013 provincial election the Greens and Conservatives together received 13 percent of the vote and yet have only one MLA between them. This kind of disenfranchisement tends to discourage voters, and the data demonstrate this.

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Academic research indicates that since the 1970s citizens in western democracies have been voting later in life and in smaller numbers. Accordingly, overall voter turnout has dropped from approximately three-quarters of eligible voters in the 1970s to approximately half of eligible voters today.

[R. Chouhan in the chair.]

In the 2013 provincial general election overall turnout was about 55 percent of eligible voters, but only about 30 percent of eligible voters aged 18 to 24 chose to vote. At the local government level turnout is also trending down but to an even lower level. In the 2011 B.C. government elections, local elections, voter turnout averaged about 30 percent.

New Democrats have committed to let British Columbians decide if they want to move to a fairer voter system of proportional representation in provincial elections. If voters agree, the 2021 provincial election would be under some form of proportional rep that ensures voter preferences are actually reflected in the Legislature.

Citizens are also becoming disillusioned with government because they feel the Legislature itself and elected officials need to be more open and accountable.

The official opposition has introduced a number of pieces of legislation that would better ensure our elections are fairer but will also propose changes to improve accountability, openness and effectiveness of this Legislature. For example, some of the private members’ bills we have introduced include facilitating the registration of British Columbians at the age of 16, thus increasing the number of voters eligible to vote when they are 18.

Deputy Speaker: Member, please be careful. You’re not supposed to refer to any bills on the floor or any legislation. We’ll deal with that at second reading. Stick to your statement only.

G. Holman: Thank you, hon. Speaker.

I would just make the general comment that we are proposing a number of changes that would make major improvements to democracy and how this Legislature works.

Another very important element of democratic reform is the concept of the notion of independent watchdogs. There are some very important examples of this and how this has played out recently with respect to the environmental assessment office and also with our B.C. Utilities Commission. These are very important examples of watchdogs that have gone astray or have actually been precluded from playing their very important role in our democratic system.

For example, the environmental assessment office, which was established by our party in the 1990s, recently approved a mine in the Interior of British Columbia that would have literally converted a pristine lake, providing food fish for First Nations for millennia, into a tailings pond. This indicates that something is very wrong with how this particular watchdog is functioning.

The concept of checks and balances also includes the very structure of government itself. Tragedies like Mount Polley indicate that environmental rules would best be implemented and enforced if the ministries responsible for promoting particular industries are not also responsible for enforcing environmental rules.

Another very good example of independent watchdogs in British Columbia and how they’re not working well is with respect to the B.C. Utilities Commission. It could
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have saved B.C. Hydro literally hundreds of millions of dollars a year because of the large number and the tens of billions in independent power projects that were constructed without the Utilities Commission review — and now including the Site C dam, which was also precluded from review.

Independent research and analysis by economists indicate that British Columbia ratepayers are going to pay the price for these decisions that were not adequately overseen by an independent watchdog.

What these examples mean is that democratic reform thought of broadly is about more than just worthy principles such as fairness and accountability. It can also be about dollars and cents. Taxpayers and the economy as a whole will benefit from them.

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J. Martin: On behalf of my constituents in Chilliwack and as the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, I’m pleased for the opportunity to address the motion put forward by the member for Saanich North and the Islands — improving democracy.

This government has a solid track record on parliamentary and democratic reform, and I’d like to review a bit of that history, if I may. The Westminster system has served British Columbia very well since 1871. However, any democratic parliamentary system should periodically be reviewed. This is in order to ensure that it continues to satisfy the will of the people.

In B.C. one of the most recognizable forms of parliamentary democracy in recent memory is the fixed election date. As a matter of fact, B.C. was the very first jurisdiction in the country to adopt a fixed election date. It was an election promise made in 2001 by the B.C. Liberals, and it represents one of this government’s very finest achievements. British Columbians asked for that reform. Our government immediately delivered on that election promise.

I should also add that this government was the very first to set a fixed date for tabling the provincial budget. These are things we often take for granted today, but back then they represented a major step toward democratic reform. The fixed election date eliminated what was largely perceived to be an unfair advantage for the incumbent governing party to select a date of its own opportunistic choosing, and a fixed budget date also eliminated the use of a provincial budget as a device or a substitute for an election platform.

Further, we established three-year rolling service plans for every ministry, which set out clear performance targets. We also tied a cabinet minister’s salary to performance, and we literally docked their pay if they failed to meet those targets. This particular reform has helped British Columbia balance the provincial budget three years in a row. In fact, all of these democratic reforms remain in place today and have set a standard for rest of the country to follow.

In 2003 the government established the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform, another first in direct democracy. This assembly was composed of 161 citizens selected at random throughout the province — one woman and one man from each of the province’s electoral districts, and two aboriginal members also appointed to ensure appropriate representation.

After a year of study, consultation and deliberation the Citizens’ Assembly proposed replacing the province’s existing first-past-the-post system with one built around the idea of a single transferable vote. A referendum on the Citizens’ Assembly proposal was held concurrently with the 2005 provincial election, and it fell short of the 60 percent provincewide approval required to pass. It drew 57.69 percent support.

Because the vote was fairly close, another referendum was held concurrently with the 2009 election, and once again the single transferable vote was rejected by the people of British Columbia. This time the measure only received 39 percent support.

Clearly, with the ground-up, citizen-driven reform proposal and two referendums on electoral reform having been put to the public within the past ten years, I think it’s pretty safe to say the people of British Columbia are quite satisfied with the current first-past-the-post system, just as the previous four elections demonstrate that the people are satisfied with the government.

I do find it quite rich that the NDP would raise the present electoral system as being grossly unfair. In 1996 when they failed to….

Deputy Speaker: Member, the statements are supposed to be non-partisan. We provide lots of flexibility, but just be careful.

J. Martin: Thank you.

The existing system has served British Columbians very well. British Columbians have voted not once but twice to support the present system. We do believe in democratic reform. The system is not perfect. The system is as good as you’ll find anywhere in the world, for that matter. We are proud to entertain new measures and new ideas and innovations about democratic reform, but the particular proposal that has been raised in this particular motion has soundly been defeated by British Columbians, and there’s no need to revisit it.

I thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to this motion this morning.

G. Holman: Thanks to the member opposite for his comments. There are a couple of points on which I do agree with the member opposite. First of all, democratic reform is not a partisan issue. In fact, I do give credit to previous Liberal governments that have twice put electoral reform to voters in British Columbia.

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I would remind the member, though, when he speaks of those referenda being soundly defeated, that in fact, the vote in 2005 provided 57 percent support for changing the voting system in British Columbia. I would suggest that those results, at best, appear to be contrary.

We feel that in the next few years voters should be allowed to revisit the question. It is not a partisan issue at all. Yes, our system works reasonably well if you compare British Columbia with jurisdictions throughout the world. But there’s no question that we can make elections fairer and that we can make this Legislative Assembly work more effectively and be more open and accountable.

Our side of the House is committed to further reforms to make this government, this Legislature, work even more effectively than it does now.

LEADERSHIP IN CANCER
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

L. Reimer: It’s a pleasure to speak about leadership in cancer prevention and treatment. Cancer affects us all. Last year an estimated 25,000 British Columbians were diagnosed with cancer. These are our parents, our siblings, our spouses, our children, our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues and our co-workers.

The impact of being diagnosed can be devastating for patients and families. But British Columbians can be proud of our province’s leadership in cancer prevention and treatment, as British Columbia has some of the best cancer survival rates in the world. In fact, according to the Canadian Cancer Society’s 2014 Canadian Cancer Statistics report, B.C. men and women have the lowest overall mortality rate and incidence rate for almost all types of cancers in Canada.

According to the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada, B.C. is a leader in cancer care in Canada and the first in Canada to offer complementary and integrated care through InspireHealth and HealthyFamilies B.C. Additionally, we continue to lead the country with the lowest lung cancer incidence rates, the lowest colorectal cancer incidence rates and the lowest kidney cancer incidence rates.

We are committed to being a leader in cancer prevention and treatment. This is why spending on cancer care and control through the B.C. Cancer Agency has increased substantially since 2001. In Budget 2014 we announced a continued commitment to fund innovative cancer prevention initiatives, while simultaneously announcing a tobacco tax increase of $3.20 per carton of 200 cigarettes.

The new B.C. Cancer Agency Centre for the North opened in Prince George in November 2012 as part of a multifaceted strategy to ensure northern British Columbians received the best possible cancer care close to home.

At a total cost of $91.5 million, the 5,000-square-metre, or 54,000-square-foot, B.C. Cancer Agency Centre for the North is part of the B.C. government’s $106 million northern cancer control strategy to improve cancer care throughout the north. As a component of the B.C. Cancer Agency’s provincial cancer control system for care and research, the centre will serve more than 750 patients a year and will work closely with community cancer clinics across the region.

The Centre for the North is the sixth B.C. Cancer Agency centre in the province, including the others in Abbotsford, Kelowna, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria. We also built and opened the new 300-bed Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre in August of 2008 — B.C.’s first new regional hospital in more than 30 years. It provides world-class surgical, diagnostic and cancer care to Fraser Valley residents.

An important facet for cancer treatment is also support for survivors. About 120 new adult survivors of childhood cancer transition from pediatric to adult care each year in British Columbia. There are currently approximately 3,000 pediatric cancer survivors in B.C. who were diagnosed from 1982 to 2010, when they were between the ages of 10 and 17 years.

Those treated with radiation therapy and intensive chemotherapy have an 80 percent chance of developing significant health concerns by the time they are 40 years old.

Treatment for childhood cancer often results in many long-term physical challenges, such as increased risks of heart and lung disease, learning disabilities, endocrine problems and diabetes, osteoporosis, and infertility. Anxiety and depression are also common in childhood cancer survivors and may impact many aspects of life, including the ability to work or attend school.

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In February we announced the adult childhood cancer survivorship program, which will support adult survivors of childhood cancer who suffer from the effects of their cancer treatment. These cancer survivors are at risk for multiple and often complex health problems for years after their cancer treatment. Many may be unaware of the ongoing risks and need to be provided with information and support to ensure they can be as healthy as possible.

The program is a partnership of the B.C. Cancer Agency and B.C. Children’s Hospital, agencies of the Provincial Health Services Authority, and it has been developed in consultation with the Pediatric Cancers Survivorship Society of British Columbia.

The program will include improved transition services for cancer survivors moving from pediatric to adult care to ensure a seamless transition from youth to adult services for lifelong follow-up; a registry to track patients based on their levels of risk associated with past treatments, the patient’s age and diagnosis to ensure they receive appropriate long-term support; a recall of past patients who were treated when there was limited information about the effects of treatment during childhood
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so they can receive follow-up care over their lifetime, as needed; and research and evaluation to ensure the program is meeting the needs of survivors and their families.

While many cancers are preventable by making healthy lifestyle choices, we also recognize that early detection does save lives, which is why our comprehensive breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening programs each help to detect some of the most common forms of cancer in the earliest stages.

We’ve come a long way in the treatment of cancer, with more people having access to early detection measures and living longer than ever before. We’ll continue to serve British Columbians to make sure that they can access necessary services and information that will ensure they are living cancer-free for longer and also ensuring that their life is one of a higher quality.

J. Darcy: I’m very pleased to hear the member opposite speak of the issue of pediatric cancer survivors. It is certainly something that is long overdue in the province of British Columbia.

I had the opportunity a couple of months ago to be invited to celebrate the creation of this program with the pediatric cancer survivors and representatives of the Provincial Health Services Authority. These are people that I’ve gotten to know very, very closely over the last year and a half as I toured the province, met with the leaders of the Pediatric Cancers Survivorship Society but also met with adult survivors of childhood cancer.

As the member opposite said, these are people who, when they were children, were bombarded with treatment in order to save their lives — aggressive chemo, aggressive radiation — not knowing, their parents not knowing, medical science not knowing at the time, that the treatment itself could have a major impact on them later in life.

Indeed, they have suffered from fertility issues, from excruciating pain, from post–traumatic stress disorder, from secondary unrelated cancers and from organ failures. It is unfortunate that it took this group campaigning for years…. I was honoured to stand by their side to introduce a private members’ motion in this Legislature over a year ago, and even then, it took another year for the government to act.

We do finally have that program in place, and it will make a difference in the lives of 3,500 present adult survivors of childhood cancer as well as untold cancer survivors in the future. I welcome that initiative, and I know that those folks really, really do. It was a really emotional celebration.

I acknowledge that. I also think it’s important for the member opposite and for government to acknowledge that when an idea comes from people who are deeply affected by a health care issue such as this…. When an idea comes from members of the official opposition advocating for a group that is falling through cracks in the health care system, rather than the government standing in this House — the Health minister and members opposite — over and over again talking about the great accomplishments and the low cancer rates in this province, instead we should be looking a bit more modestly and a bit more self-critically at our record.

Certainly, it wasn’t long ago, just a few months ago, in this province that we had more than one former CEO of the B.C. Cancer Agency say: “Hey, we’ve got a serious problem. The government needs to take a look at this.”

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It was only a few months ago that we had eight leading scientific researchers, cancer specialists, speaking out and saying: “We’ve got some serious problems at the B.C. Cancer Agency.” It wasn’t very long ago, and they’re still very concerned about it to this day, that leading cancer oncologists — the people that we and our loved ones trust with our lives — did the unusual thing of writing to the head of PHSA, the head of the cancer agency and to this minister saying: “Our wait-lists are getting unacceptably longer.”

Here is some of what came out in the fall, which means we shouldn’t be resting on our laurels. We should be striving to do better. In 2004-2005, 58 percent of referrals saw an oncologist within two weeks. That number was down to 38 percent in 2014. That’s not acceptable. We can do better. We must do better.

The proportion of patients who access chemotherapy within two weeks was 62 percent in 2004-2005. Now it’s down to 45 percent. And the national Wait Time Alliance, in a report last year, said there’d been an increase in wait times for cancer treatment in British Columbia, just between 2013 and 2014, and that it was worse than Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

It is absolutely true that we have lower cancer rates than elsewhere in the province, and better health outcomes. But we also know that that has been the case since the 1990s. We know that this is directly related, yes, to better cancer treatment but also to the fact that British Columbians eat healthier diets. They exercise more, and they smoke less.

We have an awful lot of work to do on reducing wait times, on being more aggressive at preventing environmental cancers through uses of things like pesticides, which this government has refused to ban, and also by addressing, far more aggressively, occupational cancers that cause breast cancer and many other forms of cancer.

L. Reimer: I want to thank the member for New Westminster for her passionate remarks.

I agree with the member that we do need to be constantly raising the bar. In doing so, the B.C. Cancer Agency continues to develop and utilize new technology and treatment advances. Over 30,000 patients in B.C. receive cancer drug therapy, annually. Approximately 55 percent of cancer patients in B.C. require radiation therapy as part of their treatment plan.
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Recently a B.C. research team found a new way to track cell mutations in breast cancer, opening the door to potential new drugs and highlighting the notion of treating cancer as a moving target. The study, which was published in the journal Nature used genomic sequencing and statistical modelling to track how breast cancers evolve over time. This discovery is a sign that the B.C. Cancer Agency is continuing to set a worldwide standard.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, striking over 22,000 Canadians each year and killing approximately 4,300. Last year our government provided $1 million to VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation to support men’s health through the prostate cancer supportive care program, which offers support to prostate cancer patients and their partners for physical and emotional side effects of the disease. The prostate cancer supportive care program is being developed by the Vancouver Prostate Centre and will include up to ten modules that, once completed, will be distributed to centres throughout the province in order to benefit the greatest number of men and families. The goals of the program include support for treatment decision, improved quality of life, reducing cost per patient and improving long-term health outcomes for patients.

The Vancouver Prostate Centre at the Vancouver General Hospital is an international leader in prostate cancer research. It houses an extensive state-of-the-art facility and a multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians with an established record of major successes in identifying and developing new treatments for prostate and other cancers. In addition to its research program, the Vancouver Prostate Centre comprises a large outpatient clinic and a clinical trials facility, making it the largest program of its kind in Canada.

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Last year our government also provided $24.3 million on funding for new linear accelerators. They’re machines — a radiation therapy simulator and a brachytherapy suite upgrade at B.C. Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Island Centre. Cancer patients at the B.C. Cancer Agency’s Vancouver Island Centre now have access to six new linear accelerators that provide radiation therapy used to treat a variety of cancers.

The new linear accelerators are part of a replacement plan that will improve patient care by providing some of the most advanced targeted radiation therapy treatments in British Columbia. The new machines deliver radiation more precisely and produce better images, so treatment can be modified on a daily basis to support the needs of the patients.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RIVERVIEW

S. Robinson: Riverview is a sprawling, pastoral space of green lawns and trees. The 244-acre site located on the eastern slope of Coquitlam Mountain, overlooking the Fraser and Coquitlam rivers, is a unique and special campus with a unique and special history.

In 1904 the province purchased 405 hectares for the construction of the hospital and the neighbouring colony farm. Located near the junction of these two rivers, it was believed that the natural setting would help in the therapeutic treatment of patients. By 1913 the first permanent ward, the male chronic building, opened its doors. The new ward was quickly filled to double capacity, with over 900 patients.

At that time Riverview was recognized as a model of psychiatric health care, one of the most progressive asylums in North America. It even received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation. Riverview continued to expand, and by 1956 there were over 4,300 patients housed at the site.

With the development of psychiatric medications and the introduction of psychiatric units at regional hospitals, admissions to Riverview as a premiere psychiatric institution began to decline. Subsequent governments recognized that with changing understanding of mental illness, treatment models needed to change as well. Riverview was dismantled piece by piece over the next 30 years, and Riverview was finally closed in 2012.

Many of the buildings on the site have tremendous heritage value. These buildings, along with an arboretum that has hundreds of tree species, give the grounds a park-like feel that many would like preserved. But some of these beautiful buildings are being demolished by neglect.

The physical space known as Riverview is relatively whole. But supports and resources for those in our province living with mental illness — that space is full of big, gaping holes. Just as the buildings on the Riverview site are deteriorating, so are those in our province living with mental illness. Our collective neglect and lack of vision and planning have resulted in a different form of demolition by neglect.

I am confident that every single member of this House, all 85 of us, has heard stories of those in our communities who have fallen through these health care cracks. If someone has not yet heard a story, all they need to do is open their eyes, because it’s easy to see the fallout for not having the resources to properly support people living with mental illness in our communities.

We see homelessness. We see drug addiction. We see police forces and our criminal justice system crammed with those who suffer from a range of psychiatric illnesses. We know we are using our criminal justice system instead of our health care system to house and care for those with mental illness.

I have many stories, as a family therapist who worked in private, public and non-profit sectors for over 20 years. I have a long list of stories of people and of families who have struggled to find the right resource, the right treatment, the right living situation for themselves or for their loved one.
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On the one hand, we have a 244-acre site that has the capacity to be pastoral, peaceful and healing. On the other hand, we have thousands of British Columbians whose lives have been anything but pastoral, peaceful and healing.

I’d like to tell the House the story about Laura. I met Laura when I was working in the non-profit sector. Laura had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which meant that her moods would often cycle between very extreme highs and very extreme lows. She was seeing a psychiatrist on a regular basis as they sorted out her medication. My role as her therapist was to help her adjust to life on these medications that were now flattening out her mood.

It sometimes made it difficult for Laura to achieve her life goals, and I was asked to help her get back into the workforce. Unfortunately, her medications weren’t working well for her, and she became overwhelmed with mania. She became convinced that she was destined to be on Oprah, because she had seen a way to capitalize on one’s success. She was going to write a book, travel the world and make a difference. She was going to become a hero to others, and she was going to get on Oprah and talk about it.

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In her mind she was going to get it all done by the end of the month. She stayed up for days. She wrote incoherent passages. She booked travel plans, drained her bank account, got as far as Calgary, and crashed and burned into a deep depression for months.

Laura’s friends saw it coming, her family saw it coming, her health care professionals saw it coming, but there was nowhere for them to turn. There was no place for Laura to go — a place where she could be safe, a place where she could stabilize, a place to monitor her medication, to tweak it until she was stable and then return her to her community. If there had been a place for Laura — perhaps Riverview — then perhaps she could have found stability and moved forward with her realistic life plans.

I represent the constituents of Coquitlam-Maillardville. Riverview sits at the eastern border of my riding. I can, with great confidence, declare in this House that preserving Riverview as a dedicated place for mental health and wellness would be welcome in my constituency.

For over a hundred years Riverview has served British Columbians living with mental illness. It has a history as a leading-edge and progressive mental health institution. Yes, it has a history of some pretty barbaric treatments that we now understand to be ineffective and even harmful. Psychiatric treatments have come a long way since the ’50s and ’60s.

We know that we as a province need a comprehensive mental health strategy and a centre of excellence for mental health care. The residents of Coquitlam-Maillardville will welcome the reinvigoration of Riverview as a centre for mental health and wellness. I know of no other community in this province that would open its arms to such a facility.

These 244 acres on the eastern edge of my constituency present the perfect place for a centre of mental health and wellness. I would encourage all members of this House to come out and take a look, to commit to preserving this site for health and wellness and to commit to developing a comprehensive mental health strategy, so that those who are most vulnerable in our community don’t have to continue on this path to despair.

J. Thornthwaite: Our government is committed to providing the best supports for people facing challenges associated with mental illness and/or substance abuse. Our government has made it a priority to build a comprehensive system of mental health and substance use services across the province by making record investments, totalling $1.38 billion annually. We invest in these services because we want to ensure all British Columbians have what they need to be fully engaged in our society and economy.

With regards to the Riverview lands, the province is holding a public consultation on the future. The public, local government, First Nations and other stakeholders will have a say on the future of the entire land. Any future plans for the land will recognize and respect its key features — both its natural and built heritage — and still maintain the theme of a healing place.

With regards to mental illness, as you know, I am the Parliamentary Secretary for Child Mental Health and Anti-Bullying as well as the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth. Because of our position on the committee of receiving all of the reports from the Representative for Children and Youth, we saw a common theme. One of those common themes was mental illness in children or in families.

We embarked on a special project to study mental illness in youth and children. What we found is similar to what the representative had found, that most of the problems within the system are cross-ministerial. There are some problems with coordination and collaboration. Navigating the system is often fragmented, confusing or uncoordinated. Why? Because they’re cross-jurisdictional.

This issue involves not just the provincial government, not just the Ministry of Health, not just the Ministry of Children and Family, not just Justice, Education, Community, but cross-jurisdictional across lots of levels of government as well as the community. The provincial government can’t do it all, but we do have a lot of good things happening.

I’d like to mention specifically the collaborative. The collaborative, or the Child and Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Collaborative, is a cross-ministerial program that is funded by the Ministry of Health as well as a partnership with MCFD and the Doctors of British Columbia.

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There are physicians; psychiatrists; pediatricians; folks from MCFD; health authorities; social workers; counsellors; substance use counsellors; aboriginal services; parents, obviously; schools; school districts; school boards; school trustees; the RCMP; local police; Ministry of Education; local governments; as well as other groups that have come together and organized their services and their expertise to see what we can do with regards to improving the collaboration and the coordination of mental health services for children.

Last year I attended the first convention, which was actually in Kelowna, and then this year there was another one in Vancouver. I was able to be part of a panel talking about all the great work that the collaborative is working on.

The other issue I’d like to say that is also cross-ministerial and cross-government is…. Just recently one of the school trustees in the North Vancouver school district proposed a motion for the B.C. School Trustees Association this last weekend to urge the provincial government to continue its work on interministerial planning and supports for child and youth mental health services. They did give us kudos on that. They asked the ministries — all of these ministries that we’ve talked about, MCFD, Education and Health — to explore the creation of shared-funding centres of excellence, or lighthouse centres, in the province. We’re doing just that, and I can give you a very good example in my own backyard at Mountainside Secondary.

Mountainside Secondary now is a primary point of contact for youth struggling with mental illness or other challenges like physical health, housing, food, employment, training and social connectedness. It de-stigmatizes mental illness and de-stigmatizes an alternative school and focuses on the positive perception of school and community and school connectedness. I commend them and the work that they’re doing for all children.

I’d also like to make a mention that we just opened, a few weeks ago, the Granville Youth Health Centre. This was a $750,000 collaboration, funded by the Ministry of Health. Mental health and addiction services are under one roof — housing, employment, education opportunities — as well as the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation and Dr. Steve Mathias, who were the ones that were co-presenting and talking about the wonderful program and collaboration that’s occurring. So lots of good things happening, and we’re going to continue on.

S. Robinson: I certainly appreciate the member opposite sharing her thoughts and providing examples of lots of little pieces that government is doing, but it speaks to me very loudly about the challenges that we have and how it is that we have come to this place where we are failing British Columbians around this mental health file. What the member opposite demonstrated to me is how this government is continuing with this siloed thinking, these little bits and pieces to provide a little bit of relief here and a little bit of relief there. What’s lacking is leadership. What’s lacking is vision, and what’s lacking here is a comprehensive plan about how we are going to address this very complicated, complex issue that faces so many British Columbians.

We know we are failing those with mental health challenges. We all know and everyone in this House knows, and I believe that every single British Columbian knows, that we have failed those with mental health challenges. We know we need to develop a comprehensive plan of action. We know we have the perfect site, sitting mostly empty, waiting for an opportunity to be a place of healing once again.

I want to leave this House with one more quick story. About 15 years ago I had a contract to work with a woman living with postpartum depression. I can’t even imagine being in the depths of despair with this new life that you’re responsible for, and she needed respite from the crying, respite from the overwhelming burden of being responsible for a new life. She needed respite from motherhood. Finding a place for her and for others like her was next to impossible. We needed to develop a safety plan for her and for her child so she wouldn’t hurt herself or her child while she was changing diapers. This was not a way to care for somebody who was at her wits’ end. This was not a way to support a family trying to find its way into parenthood. There was nothing.

Riverview presents an opportunity for all British Columbians. A comprehensive mental health strategy is what is lacking. We need to commit to ensuring that we have a progressive, world-class mental health and wellness facility and plan, really solidly thought-out.

Riverview lands represents a landscape that needs our attention. I know that every British Columbian is looking to their provincial government, because there is no one else. There is only the provincial government that is able to address the gaps in services, to recognize the importance and values that the Riverview lands brings to this issue and to develop a comprehensive mental health strategy that recognizes that all the various facets of government have a place, making sure that there is support all through our health system, our criminal justice system, our education system. There needs to be vision. There needs to be leadership, and I look forward to that day.

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TAKING ACTION
AGAINST INVASIVE SPECIES

G. Kyllo: It is my great pleasure to speak today on behalf of the people of Shuswap on a matter that is extremely important to my constituency.

Our lakes, rivers and ecosystems are crucial to so many aspects of life in the Shuswap, as they are in many areas of
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British Columbia. We depend on them for our drinking water; recreation; our industries, including tourism and forestry; and for the famous and awe-inspiring Adams River salmon run, to name just a few.

But there exists a threat to these basic things that we so often take for granted. I’m referring to the quagga and zebra mussels, which are destructive, invasive freshwater species that have never been found in B.C., and we hope they never will be. They are, however, found in other parts of Canada and in 24 states south of the border.

These invasive mussels originated in Europe and were introduced to Canada, the United States and the Great Lakes region in the 1980s by ballast water being discharged by boats travelling from Europe. They have spread as far west as California and Colorado, and zebra mussels were discovered in Manitoba’s Lake Winnipeg in 2013.

Fortunately, our government has a zebra and quagga mussel defence plan, a $1.3 million initiative designed to keep B.C. invasive mussel–free. Because B.C. is a popular destination for Canadian and American freshwater boaters, it is a distinct possibility that people from outside of our borders towing their boats into B.C. could also be carrying zebra and quagga mussels on their hulls.

These small mussels are shaped like propeller blades and can easily attach themselves to objects and other organisms, and they are not removed easily. They grow to about three centimetres in size and can survive for several weeks without being immersed in water if they are left in a cool and moist environment.

This means that live mussels attach to recreational vehicles, boats, boating equipment and fishing gear and can be easily transferred from one body of water to another. Adult mussels will attach themselves to boat hulls, trailers, motors, vegetation and equipment. The sticky fibres that they produce make it easier for them to hitchhike on hard surfaces. Free-swimming mussel larvae can float undetected in water and bait buckets, on fishing gear, in live wells, pumps and bilges.

If the mussels are allowed to enter and become established in B.C., the impact would be enormous. B.C. power producers could end up spending tens of millions of dollars per year to protect and maintain hydro-generating stations. And this is something that everyone can relate to: the mussels could have a negative impact on the quality of our drinking water. The economic impact of these invasive mussels to hydro power, agricultural irrigation, municipal water supplies and recreational boating has been estimated to be $43 million per year, and this cost does not include the additional impacts on commercial and recreational fisheries.

They pose a serious threat to the biodiversity of fisheries of any water system because they reduce the amount of food available for native fish, including salmon and other organisms. Species that are dependent on plankton, such as sockeye salmon and kokanee, could be severely depleted if these mussels become established in B.C.’s lakes. Quagga and zebra mussels create thick colonies on hard surfaces, overgrowing native mussels and clams and, ultimately, suffocating them. Their tissues can accumulate high levels of contaminants, which can kill waterfowl that eat them.

I’ve outlined what they are, where they come from and the damages that they can cause. Naturally, there must be a dedicated, effective strategy to defend ourselves and our province against this potential menace. That is exactly what we have in the zebra and quagga mussel defence plan, which focuses on prevention and education as its top priorities.

The program is a collaboration between the Ministries of Environment; Agriculture; Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations; and Transportation and Infrastructure, along with B.C. Hydro. The plan begins this month, as the boating season gets underway, and extends for two years. It is our intention to extend it as an annual full-time program.

The defence plan consists of three mobile decontamination units, six auxiliary conservation officers, report all poachers or polluters — also known as RAPP response line coverage — and increasing “Clean, drain, dry” education. Mussel detectors will inspect boats entering B.C. from Alberta and respond to boats from the U.S. that are identified as a concern by the Canada Border Services Agency, as well as by partner agencies in the United States. These boats would then be subject to inspection and, if necessary, decontamination. Each crew will be equipped with mobile, safe, self-contained decontamination units.

[1050]

New highway signs featuring “Clean, drain, dry” and the invasive species website are being installed at every significant entry point into our province. The “Clean, drain, dry” program is an essential educational tool for boaters and teaches them to follow the basic protocols:

(1) After a boat is pulled from the water, boaters must thoroughly clean all plants, animals and mud from the boat, motor, trailer and other equipment.

(2) Drain onto the ground all water from the boat and any containers that can contain or hold water, including bait buckets and ballast.

(3) Allow items to dry completely before transporting the boats to other bodies of water or before launching.

In December, 2012, the provincial government amended the controlled alien species regulation to further restrict non-native species. No invasive zebra or quagga mussels, alive or dead, are allowed to remain on boats or related equipment, and a failure to clean mussels off boats or equipment could result in a fine of up to $100,000.

The protective measures in the invasive mussels defence plan resulted in 12 boats being intercepted by B.C. officials in 2014. We are also working closely with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to minimize the risk of mussel-contaminated boats being transported between
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our provinces. B.C. will continue to collaborate with U.S. agencies regarding mussel-contaminated boats crossing the border.

Our efforts to keep invasive mussels out of B.C. have been successful, but that is no reason to let our guard down. That is why I’m absolutely thrilled that we have expanded our fight through this early detection and rapid response program.

N. Macdonald: Thanks for the opportunity. I appreciate the member for Shuswap raising this issue. Both he and I will know that there are literally hundreds of boats per day that come in from the east, that come in from Alberta during the summer. If even one of those were to be contaminated, it would change substantially the water bodies that we all take for granted here.

This is a very serious issue, and I want to get the balance right in recognizing what the government has done recently. Just to make sure that people understand that, whatever the member described, I think we would agree that we have a long way to go before we’re in a place where we have this right. I think members need to bear that in mind.

If you have a chance, I’d encourage you to check out a five-minute video by Vernon actor and film-maker Brynne Morrice. He and his sister grew up enjoying Kalamalka Lake near Vernon, and if you google Mussel Threat, they’ve made a video. Now, obviously, I don’t have to tell MLAs that mussel is spelled, in this case, m-u-s-s-e-l. If you google that — it has just been put on line — it is a five-minute video, and it has a really straightforward message.

We are blessed in this province with beautiful, beautiful bodies of water, both rivers and lakes. The minister is lucky to live on the Shuswap, and I think the business that the minister has depends on that lake being as beautiful as it is. Zebra and quagga mussels change these bodies of water substantially. In some cases, it becomes almost unrecognizable. It is certainly irrevocable. Once these mussels are in a water system, we do not know how to get rid of them. We can’t get them out.

Manitoba had the opportunity to protect its water, but it’s into Lake Winnipeg. We can learn from that experience. They had a program. They put a program in place that looked like it was active. They had a few mobile structures moving around and doing some checks, but it didn’t have the rigour that it needed to have. So quagga and zebra mussels are established in Lake Manitoba. Now, the government will spend $1 million after they are established, doing things they know are not going to be effective.

We can’t be in a place where we’re doing the same thing, where we haven’t invested ahead of time to make sure that we keep them out and then find ourselves in a place where we’re spending money that is inevitably going to be ineffective once they’ve established.

I just want to touch on a few of the things that the minister raised. Are there examples of jurisdictions that take this seriously? Yes. If you look at Idaho and you look at what they do, they basically check every boat that is coming into their rivers and lakes. We need to get to a place where we are doing the same thing. We had an announcement by government that came on March 31 — three roving cleaning stations to monitor border crossings.

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I was pleased with that. I was really happy to hear that we were going to step forward with this. I wasn’t sure if we were going to do it. The fact that it would be up by this spring is huge. I think we need to move really quickly on this. I was pleased to see on the highways, as I was travelling around the constituency, that signs that Albertans will see coming into the province are already up. That’s good. We need to work on this issue with a constant attempt to do things better.

The mussels came from Russia originally, I guess, 20 or 30 years ago. Just for members to understand, in the Great Lakes, where they’ve established, it probably has cost the Great Lakes $4 billion to $6 billion.

Now, the member for Shuswap talked about a few figures. For B.C. Hydro, if they established here, we’re talking tens of millions of dollars. In the Okanagan — the irrigation systems — we’re talking about…. The figure those organizations have put out is $40 million. We are talking about something that could change salmon-nesting areas.

All of these are things that we need to prevent. We’ve taken a good first step, and I just want to acknowledge the Ministry and the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. We’ve been talking about this for two years. That they have done something is positive.

Thank you for raising the issue, and I look forward to the last few minutes of the member’s speech.

G. Kyllo: Thank you to the member for Columbia River–Revelstoke for the vote of confidence in referring to me as a minister — not yet — but I would like to provide some background on the invasive mussel issue in B.C.

On May 24, 2014, delegates to the B.C. Liberal conference voted in favour of a resolution suggesting that boat owners pay for a sticker to put on their boats that would generate awareness about quagga and zebra mussels and generate the funds needed to run inspection stations at provincial boundaries and national borders.

As well, the Okanagan Basin Water Board has been spearheading a campaign pressing the province, as well as the federal government, to increase the resources dedicated to combating aquatic invasive species, in particular freshwater mussels. And on July 24, 2014, the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region’s invasive species working group announced plans to launch a binational regional
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coordination strategy that will develop a perimeter of defence and prevent an invasion of quagga and zebra mussels into western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

The ministries of Environment; Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations; and Agriculture are collaborating on a proposal to access federal Growing Forward 2 funds to establish strategic road checks at high-risk domestic and international borders. The proposed program would be coordinated with both Alberta and Saskatchewan as part of the perimeter defence approach.

On March 12, 2014, Canada Border Services Agency staff at the Osoyoos border crossing observed what appeared to be the shells of invasive mussels on a boat being transported from Texas to a new owner in B.C. CBSA staff contacted the conservation officer service, the COS, which then contacted the Ministry of Environment’s aquatic invasive species coordinator. The boat was seized by the COS and decontaminated by using a hot wash process. Once provincial staff were satisfied that all traces of mussels had been removed from the boat, it was released on March 14 and authorized to enter B.C. waters.

Our province is being proactive in their efforts to provide the funding for the mobile detection units, and as I’ve outlined, it is imperative that we keep our province invasive mussel–free.

Deputy Speaker: The member for Skeena is going to move the motion.

R. Austin: I ask leave to move the following motion.

[Be it resolved that this House take action to support the value-added industries that enhance local economies and build prosperity.]

Deputy Speaker: Hon. Members, unanimous consent of the House is required to proceed with Motion 12 without disturbing the priorities of the proceedings on the order paper.

Leave granted.

[1100]

Private Members’ Motions

MOTION 12 — VALUE-ADDED INDUSTRIES

R. Austin: I’d like to take my portion of the debate with regards to supporting value-added industries to talk once again about something that is very important to all of us here in the Legislature, and that is, of course, our public forest. I’ve heard figures mentioned as to what the value is of B.C.’s publicly owned forest, and I believe it exceeds $1 trillion, so it is in every respect the largest public asset, not just in its geography but in terms of its value. It is so important that we take care of that public asset, that we renew it, that we log what is there and that we know what needs to be renewed to make sure that it is sustainable into the future.

The challenge we have with our public forest is that we have seen a real decline in terms of the benefit we get from that public forest in the last several years. Particularly, it deals with how we add value to that wood. In particular, I’d like to make the following point, and that is that British Columbia has, unfortunately, a dismal record in adding value to public timber in comparison to other provinces, namely Ontario and Quebec.

In fact, B.C. gets fewer jobs and adds less value in terms of manufacturing sales revenue out of each tree that we cut. Ontario and Quebec have been getting better since the 1990s, but in this province we have been going backwards. We have been getting worse.

I’d like to cite some important statistics. These come from the National Forestry Database’s counts of total provincial harvests and from Statistics Canada — the numbers on employment. Here’s what they tell us.

For every forestry sector job in B.C., we need to cut about 1,400 cubic metres of trees. Ontario gets over four times the number of jobs from each tree that they cut, and Quebec gets three times more jobs.

In Quebec it’s 476 cubic metres per job — 29.2 million cubic metres and 61,300 jobs. In Ontario it’s 328 cubic metres per job or, in total, 12.6 million cubic metres and 38,400 jobs. Here in B.C. we require 1,469 cubic metres per job, with a total of 68.8 million cubic metres and 46,800 jobs.

[D. Horne in the chair.]

What that tells us, if you look at the statistics and drill down, is that our efficiency has gone down by 50 percent since the 1990s. In the 1990s we needed to harvest just under 800 cubic metres per job, but since 2002 it has been around 1,200. While B.C. has gotten worse, Ontario and Quebec have been getting better and are getting more jobs out of each tree cut.

How does this make a difference? Well, we spend a lot of time in this House, and the government continually touts the fact that it focuses a great deal on having a balanced budget, but productivity in our publicly owned forest could in itself create more jobs than we can ever dream of if we were to manage this asset properly.

It is incredibly important that the government spend some time figuring out why it is we are so much worse than our two provinces to the east of us in terms of managing our forest. In fact, the value-added sector has been shrinking for the last 12 years. Half the companies in the competitive value-added sector have gone out of business since 2002, while employment has fallen by 40 percent and sales fell by 60 percent.

This is not a record that anybody should be proud of. It is incumbent upon the government to look at all sectors of our economy, not just highlight on a particular
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sector that has been used, I think in large part, to win the last election — we’re still waiting for that sector to get going — and to recognize that, historically, our forests here in British Columbia have been the backbone of the B.C. economy.

I think they have been to a large extent disregarded because of the challenging times that softwood lumber has gone through as a result of what’s happened in the United States and the financial meltdown. But forests are here for a long time. It takes many, many years — in fact, generations — to grow trees, and we are blessed with some of the most incredible growing conditions.

So I think it’s incredibly important for us to address this issue and to recognize that if we were to find solutions to our lack of ability to maximize the economic value from our forest, we’d be so much further ahead.

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D. Barnett: B.C.’s diverse economy includes many sectors which produce value-added products for export and consumption. With a diverse economy and diverse export markets in B.C., it’s protected from downturns in any single economy. The key to B.C.’s financial success is our economy’s diversity.

In the Cariboo-Chilcotin and across the province forestry plays a most important role in our economy for the province and in my region. Our government is committed to growing the forest industry in British Columbia, as it employees 58,200 people and contributes $5.9 billion to British Columbia’s economy.

British Columbia produces nearly 50 percent of all wood exported from Canada and is one of the largest wood suppliers of softwood lumber. Share of forest-related exports, compared with other commodities, increased from 33.5 percent to 35 percent.

Forestry works with First Nations communities across the province through revenue-sharing agreements. Since 2002 our government has signed 177 forest agreements with First Nations, which has provided more than $382 million through this revenue-sharing program.

The government’s preference is for all logs to remain in B.C. to be manufactured into other products. That’s why all logs are offered for domestic sale first. When there isn’t a domestic bidder, logs may be exported, often at premium prices, which in turn allows more logs to be harvested to meet both domestic and international market demands.

Provincewide the volume of public timber exported as logs is a fraction of the annual harvest of public timber — less than 10 percent. In 2014 log exports on the coast — this is mainly from private timberlands — were about 31 percent of the total harvest.

Since 2001 our government has invested over $1.3 billion in the forest industry since taking office, with another $500 million from the federal government. Since 2001 B.C. lumber exports to China have increased over 3,800 percent, from 200,000 cubic metres to 7.6 million cubic metres.

The 2003 forestry revitalization plan introduced policy changes to enhance competitiveness, including market-based timber pricing in the coast and the Interior. It provided over $2 million for the takeback of tenure and $133 million in worker transition funding in the forestry revitalization trust. Through forest stewardship, over $40 million is invested annually in forest research, health, reforestation and other investments to ensure forests are healthy now and into the future.

In March 2013 we revised the fee in lieu of log exports, a change to a sliding scale that recognizes the difference between the export price and domestic price for a log. The greater the difference between the two prices, the greater the fee.

In the Cariboo-Chilcotin, forestry plays a large role in the Williams Lake economy and has employed many people in the region over the last six decades. Williams Lake is home to two major manufacturing companies — Tolko Industries and West Fraser — as well as numerous smaller producers.

Also, 100 Mile House is home to timber harvesting, lumber production and oriented strand board production. And 100 Mile House is home to Ainsworth Lumber’s strand board plant, two West Fraser mills, a community forest and numerous log home building companies, as well as privately held woodlot operations.

Forestry employment in the region is 31 percent in harvesting and silviculture, 45 percent in timber harvesting and 24 percent indirectly generated by forestry. Additionally, the region is home to 260 farms, half of which produce hay and cattle and forage, and 100 Mile House is home to a strong local food movement which includes a farmers market, a locally produced farm-fresh guide and an agriplex. Forestry is our main economy in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.

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L. Popham: It’s an honour to rise on such a relevant topic, I believe, for this time. It’s an interesting debate to have in this House, talking about the value-added economy. I think that it’s a feel-good topic right now. I think both sides of the House can speak of examples that they believe in. But when it comes right down to it, we look at the policies or the lack of policy that actually support value-added economies in this province, the decisions being made by this government.

I will speak on behalf of agriculture. Perhaps the policy decisions that we’re seeing being made are not specifically a priority for agriculture, or perhaps there is a conflict with the priorities in this province. We can start with the Cariboo-Chilcotin as an example — always very interesting to talk about, and talk to, farmers in that area, especially when it comes down to the value-added economy and meat production.
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The meat production situation, which I’m sure the Minister of Agriculture feels is well in hand, is actually not. I continue to receive e-mails regarding the problems of the policy that’s in place, and the barriers that exist because of it, for value-added for the farming community. I’ll just read an excerpt of an e-mail that I got.

“Part and parcel of locally produced food is food that has not travelled 300 kilometres before it reaches your table. How can we end up with local foods that have travelled this much? Due to kill-and-slaughter regulations, first we haul an animal to the abattoir, and then we haul it back, cut and wrapped. This makes its way out to the consumer. The amount of red tape in a certifying process for abattoirs has made them few and far between, thus adding the distance to even local travels.”

The gentleman who wrote to me has actually been producing cattle and sheep. Actually, he reflects on his sales and the poor policies in place.

“Last year 100 percent of my lamb production was sold at wholesale prices in Alberta because it was simply easier and brought a better wholesale price to sell it out of province.

“So pat yourselves on the back, legislators. The ‘kill, cut and wrap’ problems are all solved and under control.” I think that’s a bit of sarcasm there. “The other end of my business is cows. Last fall my gross sales exceeded $200,000, while over half of that was also sold out of province in Alberta. Two-thirds would’ve been sold out of province if it wasn’t for some nasty snowstorms that changed my plans.

“This is just some food for thought, because I promise, I was not the only B.C. producer who found it easier to do business in Alberta. I also promise not much will have changed by the time sale day comes around this fall.”

There you look at an opportunity that we have to fix those regulations. It’s been many, many years, and again, this is obviously not a priority. If it was, things wouldn’t have moved so slowly.

Now, the other thing that the member from the Cariboo mentioned was the forestry industry in that area. I can tell you we do seem to have a bit of a burgeoning forest industry on our agricultural land reserve lands at this time. We have a situation which the Minister of Agriculture is quite aware of but possibly doesn’t think that it’s too much of a problem. We have agricultural land right now being reforested by corporations from out of province for carbon offset projects.

This is a problem when you reflect on our value-added. A lot of this land right now…. For example, between Fort Fraser through the Nechako Valley, there are thousands of acres that have been reforested. They’ve been taken out of alfalfa production. If we want to continue a burgeoning cattle industry, the price for cattle is quite high right now. If we want to support that and allow these producers to continue, we are going to have to grow feed for this cattle. If we are supporting corporations in the U.K. over our local farmers, I think that we’re going to see less and less interest in doing that. Farmers are very innovative and patient, but they can only take so much.

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The other area that the member for Chilliwack-Hope should be concerned about, of course, is the value-added industry and our hazelnuts that are being grown. Of course, this is a topic that I’ve been bringing up quite often in this chamber this session, because the hazelnut industry is under quite a lot of duress. The state of emergency they’re in is quite difficult. Again, this reflects on the lack of support for value-added.

S. Gibson: On behalf of my constituents of Abbotsford-Mission, I am pleased to address the following motion put forward by the member for Surrey-Newton: “Be it resolved that this House take action to support the value-added industries that enhance local economies and build prosperity.”

I have the pleasure of teaching an entrepreneurship class, and I asked the students this question: “Have you heard of Art Fry?” They all say: “No. Never heard of Art Fry.” And I say: “Well, you should know Art Fry, because he invented the Post-it Note.” Apparently he was sitting in church one day, and he wanted to find something — he works as a chemist for 3M — to put in the hymnal to save a spot. As a result of serendipity, really, he invented the Post-it. That, I think, is the most basic example of value-added. I kind of like it. Even though we’ve never heard of Art Fry, he’s actually contributed a lot to our lives, because we’ve all used Post-its every day.

It’s good to be here and represent the great riding of Abbotsford-Mission. We’ll talk a bit about that in a moment.

Most British Columbians are familiar with the traditional resource-based economies. Forestry — I have forestry in my industry. Mining — a little bit of mining. We’ve got gravel extraction, which is always a little bit contentious, and fishing and agriculture.

The Fraser River bisects the riding, and it’s one of the most important fisheries rivers in North America, as we know, with all five species of salmon. Of course, agriculture, blueberries, raspberries, chickens — all those kinds of farming pursuits are alive and well in the riding of Abbotsford-Mission. But we’re diversifying our economy. That’s really what this is all about in many ways. We’ve been able to do that by narrowing our focus but yet widening our depth, as it were, to global markets. We’ve been doing better than other jurisdictions.

If you look at Alberta, they really put all their eggs in one basket with the oil industry. Fair enough. They had a great resource there. But as a result, when things turn down a little, then it’s problematic. Again, we’ve been diversifying, looking internationally.

I’m going to talk a little bit today about aerospace in Abbotsford. This will be of particular interest to the member for Abbotsford South, where the airport is located. Abbotsford is well known for agriculture, but we’ve got aviation. We have 8,300 British Columbians who are directly employed in the aviation and aerospace industry. That contributes $2.5 billion every year to our provincial economy.

There are now 160 companies in B.C. with world-class capabilities, and aviation aerospace is growing
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in the Fraser Valley. Last week Cascade Aerospace in Abbotsford celebrated the delivery of its 100th C-130 Hercules aircraft for scheduled maintenance. Cascade is one of only two C-130 heavy maintenance centres in the world that is authorized by Lockheed Martin. With over 1,400 C-130s currently operating in 65 countries, there’s lots of room for more business opportunities.

It’s one of the reasons why the government of British Columbia, our government, teamed up with the Pacific wing of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and announced a $5 million commitment to help develop the industry right here at home. Our goal is to attract investment, expand international trade opportunities and ultimately create more well-paying and rewarding careers in the aviation and aerospace industry. This kind of value-added industry has a tremendous spinoff effect throughout the valley.

I would be remiss if I were not to mention that the Abbotsford International Air Show attracts thousands of visitors and tourist dollars. I’m sure probably everybody in this room, at some point, has came to see the Abbotsford Air Show. It’s internationally well known.

[1120]

In conjunction with the air show, Abbotsford also hosts the Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo. I had the privilege of attending last year — very interesting. It’s going to be happening all over again this year. If you have the time available, come on out for that. We’re demonstrating to the world that British Columbia is determined to make an impact on the global aerospace and aviation industry. We’re open for business, and we’re motivated. Exciting things are happening in the Abbotsford area to the credit and benefit to the entire province.

S. Robinson: It gives me great pleasure to stand in the House today to speak to the motion that this House “take action to support the value-added industries that enhance local economies and build prosperity.”

I wanted to speak to this motion because I come from local government. It was my pleasure to serve the people of Coquitlam for five years. I come from, actually, a town that started as a value-added community. The lumber mill. Maillardville exists only because it was a lumber mill that processed raw logs that were floated down the Fraser, and the community built up around it.

Communities depend tremendously on the value-added sector. Our resources exist outside of our communities. They exist, and then they’re brought together so people can actually do something with those raw materials.

In this case, I’ve heard, certainly, members in this House today speaking about the forest industry and about how we take trees — we’ve been doing that for centuries now — and we do something with them and turn them into some sort of product that then goes out to market. It’s this coming together of people in communities and doing something with these products that has shaped and formed our various communities throughout the province.

When we think about how forests have become the backbone of our economy for so many years…. We are so blessed with this abundance of trees. I think it’s really important that we take a look at what’s happened to that industry, so we can fully appreciate when you have a value-added sector that becomes eroded over time, that eventually has its lifeblood sort of sucked out of it or, in this case, sort of exported away. It’s important to understand what happens to communities.

I think it’s really important to get on the record and for members to be fully cognizant about the number of plant closures that happened between the years 2000 and 2009. This was completely and absolutely devastating to so many communities.

There were 71 plant closures in our province — permanent plant closures in the B.C. forest industry over those ten years. It was devastating. Maple Ridge, Gibsons, New Westminster, Nanaimo, Nitinat Lake, Surrey, Coquitlam, Courtenay, Fort Langley, Mission, Vancouver, Boston Bar, Terrace, Campbell River, Prince Rupert, Nanaimo, Tahsis, Fruitvale, Lumby, Fort Nelson, Quesnel, Prince George, Grand Forks, Penticton, Valemount, Christina Lake, Kamloops, South Hazelton, Lytton, McBride, Louis Creek, Okanagan Falls, Vernon, — these communities lost hundreds and hundreds of jobs.

There were many more. I just pulled out some. We need to remember that these communities suffered huge blows.

When those mills closed, when those shake and shingle operations closed, when those veneer-peeling operations closed, when those engineered and value-added factories and manufacturers closed, when the plywood operations closed, when the pole yard operations closed, hundreds and hundreds of jobs were gone. What did that do to communities? What did that do to people? They had to leave their communities. They had to leave.

Those businesses that built up around those operations then had to close their doors because there were no people. Then what happens to the schools? There are fewer students because families have left. Well, then the teachers that lived there need to leave. The stores that were supporting all the people that lived in the community — well, it doesn’t make any sense for them. They can’t stay open. They can’t earn a living. Well, they too need to close their doors.

As a result of earlier decisions made — not paying attention to the value-added that is possible, not making sure that we can sustain those jobs in those communities…. That has a huge, huge impact, and communities get devastated.

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While we talk about forest industry, we need to remember we’re talking about people. It’s not just an industry; it is people. People have suffered significantly as a result.
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We need to remember that the value-added piece is what builds our community. It’s the backbone of this province. It’s what gives us all the opportunity. Every single member of this House is here representing a community, representing their constituents. We need to make sure that we’re supporting them. We need to make sure that we are recognizing the value of value-added.

L. Throness: It’s a pleasure to speak in support of adding value to industry in B.C. I want to talk about adding value in a more principled way by talking about the job of the public sector versus the job of the private sector.

Of course, the desire for profit, the desire to build something and the desire to be successful are very important human motivations. They are powerful enough to run an economy, but they’re not enough. They need help, the help of the public sector.

It’s the job of the public sector to build a cradle for that kind of activity, to protect that activity and to channel it in ways that are good for the entire province. That, of course, begins with the rule of law — laws that are fair and can be counted upon, an impartial court system that adjudicates disputes and upholds those laws, a system of property ownership and of land tenure that’s public and transparent, that can be documented and trusted far into the future.

We add to that a system of taxation as another element or building block on that list of things that government can do: fair and competitive taxation, one that’s predictable, a taxation regime that’s as simple as possible. We add to that a public infrastructure, where business can access competitively priced and reliable power, where highways and rail and ports are available to transport goods efficiently to market.

To protect the public interest, we add to that an environmental assessment process that’s predictable, that’s fair, that’s time-sensitive and makes sure that environmental costs cannot be downloaded from business onto taxpayers and so that taxpayers can be assured that for future generations, our land and our air and our water will be protected.

Finally, to that, we can add information. It’s very important that businesses be able to communicate with buyers and sellers and suppliers and receive those price signals that are important to ensure an efficiently functioning market.

These are the kinds of things that are the functions of government. Unless there is some sort of overarching public purpose, like public security, that necessitates public involvement, it’s up to the private sector to take the risk, provide the financing, build the infrastructure — the factories or whatever — and add value to raw materials and get them to market.

In liquefied natural gas, I want to say that the present government has built a cradle. It has built a textbook case of the way to build a new industry. I think it’s a model for other jurisdictions to follow. Let me go through what we’ve done in turn on each of these elements.

Of course, we’re a province steeped in the traditions of rule of law, including our court system — which sometimes decides against the government, if it comes to that. We have a system of property ownership and land tenure. We’re used to that rule of law. We don’t even question it. That’s a competitive advantage in the world for B.C. That’s why we’ve passed several laws in this House that pertain to the industry before it’s even born — so that the whole world will know our intentions for LNG governance before it even begins.

The 19 consortiums that have expressed interest in building LNG facilities have purchased land. They’ve leased land. They’re able to do that because they have the security of our legal system.

Then we look at taxation. We’ve passed tax laws, hundreds of pages of tax laws, that cover that industry comprehensively. It’s a low-tax regime that’s competitive on a global basis, and businesses have already told us that it’s competitive. It’s predictable. It will last for decades. Companies know now what they’re going to have to pay in taxes for decades into the future, and they can fix their costs. That gives them security.

We have one of the best transportation systems in the world. The ports at Prince Rupert, Kitimat and Vancouver are world-class ports. They’re deep-water ports. They’re closer to Asian markets than many other ports in the world.

Of course, our Minister of Transportation has just embarked on a ten-year transportation plan that will improve our system even more, making sure that our roadways and our bridges are able to bear the heavy loads that the LNG industry will require.

[1130]

We have an exhaustive environmental process. We’re grinding slowly through LNG reviews. Petronas is undergoing an LNG review right now. Even in the face of huge pressure for investment, that review can pause. It can stop and take account of what is needed to make sure that our land, our air and our water will be protected for future generations so that each LNG project will have a minimal environmental cost.

Finally, we’re one of the most connected locations in the world. In our latest budget the government promised to accelerate the connection of every part of B.C. I think we’re now 93 percent connected to the Internet. We’re going to have high speed throughout all of B.C. so that businesses will be able to access information anywhere in the world at any time, 24 hours a day.

In LNG our government has shown the way to build an industry from the ground up. It’s now up to the private sector to take the step and take the opportunity to start in B.C.

M. Elmore: I’m very pleased to be rising and speaking on the motion this morning: be it moved “that this House
[ Page 7371 ]
take action to support the value-added industries that enhance local economies and build prosperity.”

I’d like to take my time to talk about…. We’ve heard some previous comments from members with respect to the role of our forestry industry and the traditional role that forestry has played in building B.C.’s economy, the integral part it’s played, and the state and the prospects for the economy, for the forest industry today.

When we look at and reflect on value-added, obviously, it’s the concept that B.C.’s resources, our natural resources, are put to use and that we have the ability to process them locally, creating jobs, and that those products are able to be utilized here in British Columbia, stimulating the economy. I think the current state of our value-added forest industry is a good example to really contrast — on the one hand, to look at the history and to look at the record of the current government over the past number of years and really looking at how we’ve seen a decline in our value-added forestry industry.

When we look at the importance of value-added manufacturing, it’s a key principle and component that we want to develop to build and strengthen our economy. It’s the opportunity to utilize our natural resources; to put them to use locally; to provide jobs in our communities; and also to create, manufacture and produce goods that are able to be utilized.

What’s the history in terms of our value-added industry in our forestry sector? Well, in the last dozen years we’ve seen half of B.C.’s competitive sector wood processors gone out of business. That’s over 70 wood-processing facilities being permanently closed in B.C. since 2000, including 33 in the coastal region.

We see on the one hand that we’ve seen the closure of manufacturing mills. Hand in hand, that goes with the loss of jobs. That’s on the one hand. We see the closure of scores of value-added manufacturing mills across our province on the one hand, but on the other hand, we also see that exports of raw logs have increased. We can really see the contrast in terms of the priorities of this government over the last 12 years and the lack of leadership that has led to the decline, undermining the strength of our value-added forestry industry.

It’s been very disappointing and certainly going in the wrong direction that we need to be going. We need to ensure that we utilize our assets and our raw materials that we have at hand in British Columbia and that we’re ensuring that those — particularly our logs, our fibre — are able to be utilized for our local mills. We have seen just a complete abdication of that principle and the result of the closure of many of our value-added mills really undermining and weakening our economy right across the province.

[1135]

We need to look at ensuring that local mills, domestic sawmills and value-added manufacturers have the opportunity not only to have access to logs and fibre but also that the priority is not given just for raw log exports. Because of that discrepancy, we’ve also seen a real lack of investment. That also goes hand in hand. Value-added manufacturing needs investment to continue to develop the industry, and because we’ve seen such a shift prioritizing raw log exports, we’re also falling behind in terms of lack of investment. That further undermines our value-added manufacturing sector in forestry.

It’s very disappointing. We need to go in the direction of investing and building our value-added sector in forestry.

D. McRae: As an optimist…. You’re never sure how the opposition is going to put forward these motions. I made the assumption that they would want to recognize the hard work and endeavours of the B.C. Liberal government to support and grow value-added industries in the province of British Columbia.

I base those words today on the assumption that for B.C. to compete, B.C. industries must be both high value and high quality. B.C.’s population is small. Whether it’s small communities like Grand Forks or larger communities that are much larger than Grand Forks, we are export-dependent. All members of the House would recognize that foreign tariffs obviously restrict market access for B.C. goods — goods that will create jobs in our province.

One of the things I want to address today is just opportunities that we’ve seen created because of B.C.’s participation with the federal government to have access open up for world markets. For example, CETA. The EU, home to 500 million people, the world’s largest economy. How does that benefit British Columbia? Well, it allows for duty-free access for forestry and wood products — exactly what we’re talking about in this House today. It allows for new markets for agriculture and agrifood products and new markets for seafood and fish. This is an opportunity for our economies and provinces, communities large and small, to benefit.

Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Now, 50 million people, one of the most sophisticated and large economies in Asia. It is a great opportunity — again, for whose benefit? If you look through the literature, who benefits? Well, trade is projected to grow by 30 percent. What sectors are we expected to see this growth in? Forestry, seafood, agrifoods and, of course, LNG. Another opportunity, again, for value-added industries in this province to thrive.

Now, as well, there are conversations going on, and I don’t want to predict the future, but the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Twelve member countries, $27 billion in GDP, 800 million people involved, an opportunity for British Columbia to work with our federal partners to make sure that B.C. industries are there to support our industries and our jobs and our community.

And not just these formal partnerships. We also have, I think, done a great job in the past several years growing
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market access by visiting nations through trade missions, partnerships with government and industry. I know there have been strong trade missions in the past to Japan, to China, South Korea and, of course, the growing trading partner, India. It’s just a great example.

As you are well aware, I also formerly had the opportunity and the honour to be the Agriculture Minister and had a small part to play in the Buy Local program. There’s an example of where value-added is really hitting home in communities across the province. It’s an opportunity to supply both our sophisticated local markets, our consumers and explore export opportunities for the province of British Columbia.

It’s a $4 million program. Applicants, large and small, are required to contribute 50 percent. It’s an opportunity to promote local foods that are grown, raised and processed in British Columbia.

Now just my community. For example, McClintock Farms raise water buffalo. Now what are they doing with that product? Well, they’re making yogurt out of it. We supported them along the way. They will work hard. B.C. Coastal Black Winery. Another example of value-added agriculture, just in my community alone. B.C. seafood with ThisFish traceability program is an opportunity for consumers to basically reap the benefits of a great quality product, a value-added project. I can proudly say it’s working.

[1140]

I was just reading in the Vancouver Sun the other day an article by Randy Shore. What he was talking about there is the growth of the B.C. seafood and agriculture exports — grown for five years in a row. They’ve grown to $3 billion. Why did these things grow? Well, according to his article, he says that industry leaders credit (1) government-led trade missions, (2) 13 permanent trade offices across Asia and (3) a strong federal-provincial relationship over the issue of growing trade for agriculture and agrifoods in British Columbia. It works because we’re putting our efforts into this area.

How do I sum up my response? Yes, there’s more to be done, and this government will be there to support our industries. I also want to take this time just to thank the opposition for bringing this issue to the Legislature today. It’s an opportunity for us to hear your appreciation and about your support and gratitude about how we’ve helped your communities grow. I look forward to hearing the members opposite respond.

D. Routley: Well, the previous speaker from Courtenay-Comox claimed to be an optimist, and I think that’s an understatement. He may well, in fact, just be an Orwell fan who can equate less into being more.

What the real figures tell us, beyond the ballyhoo of government spin, is that real monthly job creation averages during the 1990s were 3,300 jobs per month. During the reign, or the governance, of the B.C. Liberals that has fallen to 1,600 jobs per month, a fall of 1,700 jobs per month. Less than half the jobs per month are being created over this past 14 years as were created under the NDP in the ’90s. Under the Premier’s jobs plan the number has fallen to a mere 79 jobs per month.

We have fallen from 3,300 jobs per month, on average, throughout the ’90s — this is from Stats Canada — to 1,600 per month under the reign of the B.C. Liberal government and 79 jobs per month since the jobs for B.C. plan was introduced by the current Premier. This is quite an abysmal record, and it would certainly take an optimist — at least an optimist — to interpret that as being positive.

Manufacturing jobs, value-added, the subject of this motion — 320 jobs were produced per month during the 1990s. During the time the government has been in power, we’ve lost 210 jobs per month, a turnaround of 530 jobs per month, less created per month. In fact, we’re losing manufacturing jobs, up until the very recent past.

Since the government came to power, the forest sector has seen the loss of 40 percent of its manufacturing base. Sixty percent of the employment base in manufacturing has been lost since 2001. Apprenticeship completions, which are an important part of continuing the expertise and innovation — the capacity of the province to do more — fell to a low of 37 percent.

There are social and economic consequences to this loss as mills shut down. Seventy-one mills have shut down. This has community impact on families, on sports volunteers, on volunteer and service organizations. A member earlier, Coquitlam-Maillardville, spoke of mental illness in the province and the difficulty families have in facing the stresses that they’re under.

These are the consequences of public policy gone wrong. To have a government that simply waves a flag and beats a drum and says, “It’s all good” and “We’re the best that there ever was,” despite the fact that they’re creating half the number of jobs that were created in the ’90s, is galling and insulting to the people who have lost those jobs.

I’m going to cite some more statistics. For every forest sector job in B.C., we need to cut 1,400 cubic metres of trees. Ontario gets four times as many jobs from each tree they cut. Quebec gets three times as many jobs. We need to do better.

Compared to Ontario, B.C.’s wood and paper manufacturing industries make just 1/5 the sales revenue. Quebec has $467,000 per 100 cubic metres harvested. Ontario, $805,000 per 100 cubic metres harvested. B.C., a paltry $160,000 per 100 metres harvested.

B.C. has done 15 percent worse than we were doing in the 1990s. It extends to other value-added industries. The total manufacturing exports in 1992 were $24.4 billion. That rose to $40.7 billion after a decade of the NDP. It has fallen to $40.2 billion. In 14 years we’ve seen an absolute decline in numbers.

[1145]

In paper products, we had $3.9 billion in ’92. After the NDP left office in 2000, it was $7.5 billion. It has fall-
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en to $4.2 billion. Durable goods — $12.9 billion in ’92; $24 billion, almost double, in the time the NDP were in power — has fallen now to $21.7 billion, up from a low of $16 billion in 2009.

Across the board we see the loss of jobs, the loss of manufacturing value in forestry, primary forestry. There were 26,000 people working in the forest in 1991. By the time the NDP left power, there were 35,500 working — now 19,000.

We see it across the board. Value-added means more than just being an optimist. Let’s see some real action from this government.

S. Hamilton: Thank you for the opportunity to address this issue. I’m not quite sure where the member for Nanaimo–North Cowichan gets his figures. I think the numbers that we can talk about, between 2001 and now, can speak for themselves.

We launched the jobs plan here in British Columbia about three years ago. We focused on a number of key sectors: agrifoods, international education, mining and energy, natural gas, technology, the green economy, tourism and transportation, just to name a few. I know the member opposite would like to cite just certain sectors where maybe changes have taken place over the last number of years, but this province has seen considerable growth in other sectors that continue to be in demand in our province.

I want to focus on four cross-sector areas of strategic priority: small business, international trade, aboriginal peoples and First Nations, and manufacturing. These four areas work together to help drive economic growth and job creation across the eight sectors of the jobs plan.

B.C.’s diverse economy includes many sectors which produce added-value products for export and local consumption. One sector that is of great importance to my community of Delta is the agrifoods sector. This sector has grown by $1 billion over the last three years, with revenues of $11.6 billion in 2013. Our government will continue to support the achievements of the B.C. jobs plan’s agrifood strategy goal of becoming $14 billion in industry by 2017.

The sector employs approximately 60,000 people. To help grow it, we’ve invested in a number of key areas: $2 million in the Buy Local program to help diversify and strengthen the economic base of local farms and communities; $2.4 million to the fruit growers replant program to help with replanting of low-value orchards with high-demand varieties of tree fruits.

Our government is also committed to working with the provincial organic sector to create a B.C. organic brand that ensures customers have confidence that they are acquiring food that’s been certified organic throughout a consistent standard.

Another area I’d like to mention is the food and beverage processing sector. This sector represents the largest manufacturing industry in British Columbia, with over $8 billion in annual sales. It employs over 28,000 workers in a range of jobs from soft drinks and ice manufacturing to breweries, wineries and distilleries.

There are currently over 1,500 manufacturing companies in British Columbia, with the majority in the food and beverage sector. In 2003 food manufacturing contributed $1.7 billion to the provincial GDP, while beverage manufacturing accounted for $609 million to the provincial GDP.

A few great examples of these companies that make their home in my riding of Delta North. One is the Original Cakerie. Founded in 1989, it employs 400 people and provides high-quality frozen desserts for retail and food service customers across North America. Associated Brands, located in Delta, employs 180 people. Lions Gate Fisheries, founded in 1938, employs 100 people. It’s located on the Fraser River and has been family-owned and -operated since 1938, specializing in the processing and wholesale of the highest-quality sustainable seafood from Canada’s west coast.

We’ve worked with producers and communities over the last ten years to ensure British Columbians recognize the economic, environmental and health benefits of buying local, and we’ve succeeded.

[1150]

The Buy Local program has been a huge success. It supports B.C. food products and B.C. jobs. In December 2014, I was proud to announce that the government had doubled its commitment — now $4 million to help B.C. companies find new customers in British Columbia since 2012.

We’ve also worked with the B.C. Agriculture Council and funded the local We Heart Local campaign, which promotes B.C. foods in the retail sector and restaurants and connects British Columbians to local foods in their communities. In addition, each of the province’s health authorities source local foods whenever possible. We also support farmers markets in places like Grand Forks. And the farmers and the local produce that they like to promote — we help them in their pursuit of all kinds of local markets.

Since 2005 our government has provided the B.C. Association of Farmers Markets with $365,000 in funding. Our government has continued the creation of these value-added jobs in all sectors across British Columbia’s economy. That’s why we’re looking to find new and innovative ways to support the continued growth of B.C.’s manufacturing industries as part of the B.C. jobs plan.

B. Routley: Well, I wouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to talk about the value-added sector in British Columbia, having been to other jurisdictions in the world like Sweden and seeing real effort being put in — not just by the individual entrepreneurs but government — to add value to their forests.
[ Page 7374 ]

The forests of Scandinavia, I would argue, are dramatically an example of the kind of value-added we could be doing in British Columbia. But sadly, because of the policies of this Liberal government, we’re missing out on the opportunity to add more value.

For example, the pruning, thinning and spacing that the Swedes make a matter of government policy. They have smaller clearcuts, more intensive forestry and silviculture that results in adding value to the forests of that country. It’s no doubt, when you look at the numbers of the actual timber available in Scandinavia and the value of that timber….

I would challenge the B.C. government to take a look at the value per hectare in Scandinavia as compared to British Columbia. We’re nowhere near setting any kind of world standards. We’re managing still, in the province of British Columbia, for volume and not for value, sadly.

Recently I saw some information from the Independent Wood Processors Association, represented by Russ Cameron. He talked about the absolute carnage that has occurred in the B.C. value-added. They call themselves the competitive value-added sector because they don’t have their own stumpage. They don’t have access to timber supply that a lot of the major forest companies have.

We’ve witnessed, as a result of Liberal policy, a kind of corporate concentration that’s taken place in the province of British Columbia that does not lead to the opportunities for more value-added in the value-added sector.

[Madame Speaker in the chair.]

The Independent Wood Processors Association reports that since 2002 they’ve gone from 107 member companies to…. Fifty-four companies have gone out of business or quit manufacturing in B.C. The carnage has been even worse amongst the very small non-associated wood processors or value-added manufacturers.

I’ll just camp there for a minute and talk about one of the companies that I knew in Parksville that made yellow cedar components for Buddhist temples. They had a very small but very high-value product niche that they had available.

The problem was not that they couldn’t continue to manufacture this high-quality product, but the accessibility to timber was basically cut off. The company that they were getting their yellow cedar timber from just turned off the tap and said: “We’re not going to give it to you anymore.” When we pursued the question of why, we discovered that it was at the wishes of the competition in countries like Japan that were looking to do their own yellow cedar components or manufacturing.

[1155]

I guess you could argue: “Well, that’s competition. The world is a tough place if you’re in business, and you need to compete.” But it is truly a fact that people that have studied these things know the increased value-added opportunities that come from clusters, where you have a primary wood processor and, as a result of working on clustering, you manufacture additional products.

I still remember…. Herb Doman had the philosophy years ago. He merchandised logs. He used to buy other companies’ pulp logs and add value by upgrading a portion of that log into sawlog-grade material. There were companies that…. Right now Western Forest Products has a value-added operation, and they understand the value of adding kiln.

But a lot more could be done. I may have spoken in this House before about the opportunity to…. In Sweden there was a company that had been there for three generations, and that third-generation sawmill owner was going to go from an old, antiquated mill to a new, high-tech Linck mill. His belief was that we needed to create more value-added. We need to do that in British Columbia.

B. Routley moved adjournment of debate.

Motion approved.

Hon. T. Stone moved adjournment of the House.

Motion approved.

Madame Speaker: This House, at its rising, stands adjourned until 1:30 this afternoon.

The House adjourned at 11:56 a.m.

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