Mr. Lortie presented a petition regarding American Sign Language as a second language.

Mr. Chisholm presented a petition regarding a sewage system for Fairfield Island.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

The Hon. E. Cull (Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations) presented to the Speaker a Message from His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, which read as follows:

Garde B. Gardom,
Lieutenant Governor

The Lieutenant Governor transmits herewith Bill (No. 21) intituled Education and Health Collective Bargaining Assistance Act and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.

Government House,
April 26, 1996.

The Hon. E. Cull proposed that, pursuant to Standing Order 81, Bill permitted to be advanced all stages this day.

The Speaker declared a short recess for distribution of the Bill.

The Speaker reserved his decision.

Ms. Pullinger moved, seconded by Mr. Beattie --

We, Her Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, in Session assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious Speech which Your Honour has addressed to us at the opening of the present Session.

On the motion of Mr. Campbell, the debate was adjourned.

And then the House recessed until 1 o'clock p.m.

The Speaker delivered his reserved decision as follows:

Honourable Members:

On the matter of an emergency which was raised this morning, I have considered, with very great care, all of the submissions made by all Hon. Members. I accept that there may indeed be a most serious situation in Surrey. I feel, however, that the Bill in its present form goes well beyond the situation in Surrey, and does not satisfy the stringent guidelines -- and I must emphasize stringent guidelines -- applicable to Standing Order 81 to permit this Bill to proceed to all stages on this day, and therefore it fails.

-- Emery O. Barnes, Speaker

Hon. J. MacPhail moved that the House at its rising stand adjourned until 10 o'clock a.m. Saturday.

And then the House adjourned at 1.09 p.m.

EMERY O. BARNES, Speaker

1  The Hon. G. Clark to move --

Be it resolved that, as the plan introduced by the Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to rationalize the Pacific salmon fleet will cause irreversible hardship for coastal communities and workers and is opposed by an unprecedented coalition representing the fishing industry, environmental and First Nations Organizations as well as coastal communities, the federal government withdraw the plan and consult with concerned British Columbians on a comprehensive fisheries renewal strategy.

Be it also resolved that the federal government publicly release the proposals that were made by the mediator to resolve the impasses in the Pacific Salmon Treaty, obtain U.S. agreement to salmon fishing plans that will stop the catch of threatened B.C. salmon runs in 1996; and, obtain agreement by the U.S. to immediately start binding arbitration on a fair distribution of the salmon catch.

Further, be it resolved if the Americans do not agree to the above conditions the federal government be urged to take strong actions such as stringent enforcement of all Canadian customs requirements and impose a transit fee on U.S. vessels transiting the Inside Passage and terminate the agreement between the Canadian government and the U.S. government allowing U.S. military vessels to use the waters of the Inside Passage at the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Range in Nanoose Bay.

2  Mr. Beattie to move --

Be it resolved that the House declare its priority in support of tax relief for middle class working families, and oppose schemes aimed at reducing the tax burden for large corporations that are enjoying record profits during a time when unemployment remains unacceptably high.

3  Mr. Garden to move --

Be it resolved that the House congratulate the Government for the substantial investment in the future of our forest industry through Forest Renewal BC, through resolution of long-standing land-use conflicts and through the development of job targets so that British Columbians enjoy more jobs from the forests they own, manage, protect, cultivate, harvest and process.

4  Mr. Farnworth to move --

Be it resolved that this House declare its support and approval for the Guarantee for Youth and further recognize the important need for expansion of job opportunities for young people, linked to affordable post-secondary education and skills training opportunity.

5  Mr. Schreck to move --

Be it resolved that this House congratulate the Honourable Member for Vancouver Kingsway on his election as the second youngest Premier of British Columbia and express confidence that his administration will continue to focus on securing a strong future for the young women and men of British Columbia.

6  Ms. Pullinger to move --

Be it resolved that the House, noting the chaos and disruption caused by deep cuts in public services in Alberta and Ontario, declare it will support the needs and interests of middle class working families and their children by protecting the necessary education and other services, including police, public safety, environmental protection, forest management, highways, ferries, public transit, small business, women's programs and agriculture.

7  Mr. Hartley to move --

Be it resolved that this House, mindful that British Columbia is growing by more than one hundred thousand people each year, declare its support for building the hospitals, schools and transportation services needed by our growing population, and declare its support for a fiscal strategy to maintain our economic momentum, while enjoying the benefits of having the strongest balance sheet of any provincial government in Canada.

8  The Hon. G. Clark to move --

Be it resolved that as light keepers are critical to the safety and security of marine traffic along the coast of British Columbia and that the varied and extensive skills and services of light keepers can not be replicated by automated light stations, the federal government must continue to fund all staffed lighthouses currently operating along the coast of British Columbia.

9  Mr. Conroy to move --

Be it resolved that this House is of the opinion that the B.C. Forest Practices Code is an affordable and necessary standard for forest stewardship and urges all member nations of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to adopt the Code as the international standard in the interests of sustainability and the ongoing competitiveness of British Columbia's forest industry.

10  Ms. Brewin to move --

Be it resolved that it is the opinion of this House that the Skills Now program provides vital support for British Columbians moving from welfare to the workforce and that this House supports the provision of individual training plans for the unemployed; matching training to local job needs; partnerships with B.C. businesses for new employee training; and targeted vocational and skills training at colleges and universities.

11  Mr. Schreck to move --

Be it resolved that this House is of the opinion that education funding must be directed, as much as possible, to children in the classroom and reject the practice of large payouts by school boards to administrators for unused sick leave or for paid leaves of absence.

12  Ms. O'Neill to move --

Be it resolved that this House does not support mining within the boundaries of the Tatshenshini-Alsek or other provincial parks.

13  Ms. Copping to move --

Be it resolved that it is the opinion of this House that corporate tax should not be reduced without guarantees of strict job creation targets.

14  Mr. Kasper to move --

Be it resolved that this House, mindful of the need to protect British Columbia's coasts against the threat of oil spills, call on the Government of Canada to require the double-hulling of tankers by 1998, to reinstate the Ship-Source Oil Pollution fund, and to enact federal regulations requiring all vessel traffic entering B.C. waters to have spill prevention plans in place.

15  Mr. Doyle to move --

Be it resolved that this House recognize the necessity of ensuring qualified trades people are fairly compensated for work performed on publicly-funded construction projects and reaffirm its support for the Skills Development and Fair Wage Act.

16  Ms. Brewin to move --

Be it resolved that this House, recalling that the Victoria Commonwealth Games was the first major international multi-sport event in which disabled athletes participated as full members of their national teams, strongly urge the government of Malaysia to recognize the rightful place of disabled athletes in competitive sport and support their full inclusion in the XVI Commonwealth Games in 1998.

17  Mr. Schreck to move --

Be it resolved that this House, acknowledging that information technology is British Columbia's fastest growing industrial sector, support partnerships with the private sector that will create jobs in the value-added, knowledge-based economy of the future.

18  Ms. Copping to move --

Be it resolved that this House affirm its commitment to democratically elected school boards, that publicly-funded education must be publicly administered and therefore oppose the establishment of charter and voucher schools in British Columbia.

19  Ms. Marzari to move --

Be it resolved that this House urge the Vancouver City Council to use the legislated powers provided to it by this Assembly in 1993, to put a ward system in place for the 1996 election to recognize the view of Vancouver voters in three plebiscites.

20  Mr. Randall to move --

Be it resolved that this House congratulate the Government and in particular the Ministry of Health for its on-going efforts to curb smoking among British Columbia's young people;
and be it further resolved that this House call upon the Government to step up its efforts to ensure compliance with the law by enforcing the restriction on the sale of tobacco products to those under the age of 18, including the prosecution of those who continue to ignore this prohibition.

21  Mr. Krog to move --

Be it resolved that this House, recognizing the need to both protect and enhance the quality of our water, and to aid community watershed stewardship efforts, direct the Ministry of the Environment, Lands and Parks to make every effort to facilitate and support the work of groups and individuals who wish to protect and enhance our water resource.

22  Mr. Janssen to move --

Be it resolved that this House congratulate the Government for introducing focussed programs to assist young British Columbians with first-job experiences and skills and for expanding the classroom boundaries with increased apprenticeship opportunities and enhanced co-op work experience.

23  Mr. Hartley to move --

Be it resolved that this House urge the Government of Canada to submit the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the federal Environmental Assessment Review Process (EARP) in recognition that this federal government undertaking has significant implications for British Columbia and Canada's environment;
and be it further resolved that this House regret that the federal Liberal government ignored the environmental implications of NAFTA which, in the opinion of this House, is likely to increase intergovernmental pressure to lower environmental standards and enforcement measures.

24  Ms. Pullinger to move --

Be it resolved that this House, appreciating the important role that the co-operative movement plays in the social and economic development of the province, recognize co-operatives as the third pillar in our economy, after the public and private sectors.

25  Mr. Beattie to move --

Be it resolved that this House, aware of the need for new skills to take advantage of new jobs in British Columbia's changing economy, congratulate the Government of British Columbia for maintaining Canada's highest level of support for primary, secondary and post-secondary education.

26  Mr. Randall to move --

Be it resolved that it is the opinion of this House that infrastructure development is an affordable and necessary investment that helps our economy grow and helps the private sector create jobs.

27  Mr. Lali to move --

Be it resolved that this House wholeheartedly support the B.C. Labour Code, especially those provisions which allow certification where 55 per cent of a bargaining unit express their desire to be represented by a trade union, prohibit the use of strikebreakers, and allow employers and employees to negotiate those provisions they see fit to bargain, within the limits of the Code, declarations of the Labour Relations Board, and other legislation.

28  Mr. Simpson to move --

Be it resolved that this House support the continued development of our province's important trading relationship with the Pacific Rim and other nations, and that the Government of British Columia take measures to ensure that the North American Free Trade Agreement does not undermine this valued relationship.

29  Mr. Simpson to move --

Be it resolved that this House strongly condemn groups such as Canada LibertyNet who use the telephone lines as a means of promoting hatred, false information and bigotry, and that this House support such actions as necessary in accordance with the Human Rights Act of British Columbia to combat such hate groups.

Copyright © 1996: Queen's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada