TWO O'CLOCK P.M.

The Hon. C. Evans (Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) made a ministerial statement regarding the Pacific Salmon Treaty.

Mr. van Dongen made a statement.

Mr. Wilson sought leave to make a statement.

Leave was not granted.

Mr. Weisgerber sought leave to make a statement.

Leave was not granted.

On the motion of Mr. Campbell, Bill (No. M 201) intituled Balanced Budget and Debt Reduction Act was introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

On the motion of Mr. Campbell, Bill (No. M 202) intituled Truth in Budgeting Act was introduced, read a first time, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading at the next sitting after today.

Order called for "Oral Questions by Members."

The Hon. P. Ramsey (Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks) tabled the Environmental Appeal Board Annual Report, 1995/1996.

The Hon. D. Zirnhelt (Minister of Forests) tabled the Forest Appeals Commission Annual Report, 1995.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

Pursuant to Order, the House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion "That the Speaker do now leave the Chair" for the House to go into Committee of Supply.

The debate continued.

31 Mr. Hurd moved, seconded by Ms. Stephens --

"Be it resolved that the motion 'that the Speaker do now leave the Chair for the House to go into Committee of Supply' be amended by adding the following: 'but the House regrets that the Minister of Finance has publicly acknowledged that the budget presented to this House, and foreshadowed in the Speech from the Throne, does not accurately reflect the true nature of the Province's finances. This House is concerned that the balanced budget described in the Speech from the Throne is actually a deficit budget of at least $235 million. This House further regrets that despite commitments made in the pre-election budget brought down in April, the government's current budget freezes more than $250 million in capital spending for roads, schools, hospitals and other public projects.' ''

The House divided.

The amendment was negatived on the following division:

Yeas -- 35
Dalton Gingell Reid Campbell Farrell-Collins Hurd Sanders Plant Stephens	de Jong Coell Anderson Nebbeling Whittred van Dongen Thorpe Penner G. F. Wilson	J. D. Wilson Reitsma Hansen C. Clark Hawkins Symons Abbott Jarvis Weisbeck	Chong Coleman Nettleton Masi McKinnon Krueger Barisoff Neufeld
Nays -- 38
Evans Zirnhelt Cashore Boone Hammell Streifel Ramsey Kwan Waddell Calendino	Pullinger Stevenson Bowbrick Goodacre Geisbrecht Walsh Kasper Orcherton Hartley Priddy	Petter Miller G. Clark Dosanjh MacPhail Sihota Brewin Randall Sawicki Lali	Doyle Gillespie Robertson Farnworth Smallwood Conroy McGregor Janssen

The debate was resumed on the main motion.

On the motion of the Hon. J. MacPhail, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

And then the House adjourned at 5.32 p.m.

DALE LOVICK, Speaker

NOTICE OF MOTIONS

Wednesday, July 10

33 The Hon. J. MacPhail to move --

Be it resolved that this House hereby authorizes the Committee of Supply for this Session to sit in two sections designated Section A and Section B; Section A to sit in such Committee Room as may be appointed from time to time, and Section B to sit in the Chamber of the Assembly, subject to the following rules:

1. The Standing Orders applicable to the Committee of the Whole House shall be applicable in both Sections of the Committee of Supply save and except that in Section A, a Minister may defer to a Deputy Minister to permit such Deputy to reply to a question put to the Minister.

2. Subject to paragraph 3, within one sitting day of the passage of this Motion, the House Leader of the Official Opposition may advise the Government House Leader, in writing, of three ministerial Estimates which the Official Opposition requires to be considered in Section B of the Committee of Supply, and upon receipt of such notice in writing, the Government House Leader shall confirm in writing that the said three ministerial Estimates shall be considered in Section B of the Committee of Supply.

3. All Estimates shall stand referred to Section A, save and except those Estimates which shall be referred to Section B under the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Order and such other Estimates as shall be referred to Section B on motion by the Government House Leader, which motion shall be governed by the provisions of Standing Order 60A. Practice Recommendation #6 relating to Consultation shall be applicable to this rule.

4. The Committee of Selection shall recommend to the Legislature 18 members for Section A, being ten Members of the New Democratic Party, seven Members of the Liberal Party, and one other Member. In addition, the Deputy Chair of the Committee of the Whole, or his or her nominee, shall preside over the debates in Section A. Substitution of Members will be permitted to Section A with the consent of that Member's Whip, where applicable, otherwise with the consent of the Member involved. For the first session of the Thirty-sixth Parliament, the Members of Section A shall be as follows: the Minister whose Estimates are under consideration and Messrs. Calendino, Farnworth, Giesbrecht, Lali, and Robertson, Mmes. Gillespie, Kwan, McGregor, and Sawicki and Messrs. Barisoff, Dalton, Gingell, Krueger, Nettleton, Reitsma, and Thorpe and Mr. Weisgerber.

5. At fifteen minutes prior to the ordinary time fixed for adjournment of the House, the Chair of Section A will report to the House. In the event such report includes the last vote in a particular ministerial Estimate, after such report has been made to the House, the Government shall have a maximum of eight minutes, and the Official Opposition a maximum of five minutes, and all other Members (cumulatively) a maximum of three minutes to summarize the Committee debate on a particular ministerial Estimate completed, such summaries to be in the following order:

(1) Other Members;

(2) Official Opposition; and

(3) Government.

6. Section B shall be composed of all Members of the House.

7. Divisions in Section A will be signalled by the ringing of the division bells four times.

8. Divisions in Section B will be signalled by the ringing of the division bells three times at which time proceedings in Section A will be suspended until completion of the division in Section B.

9. Section B is hereby authorized to consider Bills referred to Committee after second reading thereof and the Standing Orders applicable to Bills in Committee of the Whole shall be applicable to such Bills during consideration thereof in Section B, and for all purposes Section B shall be deemed to be a Committee of the Whole. Such referrals to Section B shall be made upon motion without notice by the Minister responsible for the Bill, and such motion shall be decided without amendment or debate. Practice Recommendation #6 relating to Consultation shall be applicable to all such referrals.

10. Bills or Estimates previously referred to a designated Committee may at any stage be subsequently referred to another designated Committee on motion of the Government House Leader or Minister responsible for the Bill as hereinbefore provided by Rules Nos. 3 and 9.

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