[ Progress of Bills . . . ]

Two o'clock p.m.

Prayers by Mr. Nettleton.

The Hon. U. Dosanjh (Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration) presented to the Speaker a Message from His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, which read as follows:

Garde B. Gardom, Q.C.
Lieutenant Governor

The Lieutenant Governor transmits herewith Bill (No. 19) intituled Attorney General Statutes Amendment Act, 1998 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.

Government House,
May 1, 1998

Bill introduced and read a first time.

Bill 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. D. Zirnhelt (Minister of Forests) tabled the Forest Renewal BC 1998/99 Business Plan.

The Hon. G. Mann Brewin (Speaker) tabled the Ombudsman Annual Report, 1997.

The Hon. C. McGregor (Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks) made a ministerial statement regarding Vancouver Island Marmot Month.

Mr. Coell made a statement.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

  45   The Hon. J. MacPhail moved--

That in addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts the Committee be empowered to sit during any sitting of the House.

Motion agreed to.

Order for Committee of Supply called.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of Supply (estimates of the Ministry of Women's Equality).

  46   The Hon. P. Priddy moved--

Be it resolved that since British Columbia will spend more than $550 million providing health care services to people who contracted the Hepatitis C virus through the blood system, the Legislative Assembly urges the federal government to develop a plan to address and fund the needs of those British Columbians who contracted Hepatitis C through tainted blood prior to 1986.

A debate arose.

Mr. Campbell moved the following amendment:

To delete the words in strike out format and to substitute therefor the words highlighted by underline, and to add the words in bold face:

Be it resolved that since as British Columbia will spend more than $550 million providing health care services to people who contracted the Hepatitis C virus through the blood system, the Legislative Assembly urges the British Columbia government and the federal government to develop a plan to address and fund the needs compensation of those British Columbians who contracted Hepatitis C through tainted blood prior to 1986 and that those funds be paid directly to the victims.

The Speaker ruled the amendment out of order pursuant to Standing Order 67, as it would impose an obligation on the Crown provincial.

Ms. Hawkins moved the following amendment:

To delete the words in strike out format and to substitute therefor the words highlighted by underline, and to add the words in bold face:

Be it resolved that since as British Columbia will spend more than $550 million providing health care services to people who contracted the Hepatitis C virus through the blood system, the Legislative Assembly urges the federal government to develop a plan to address and fund the needs compensation of those British Columbians who contracted Hepatitis C through tainted blood prior to 1986 and that those funds be paid directly to the victims.

The debate on the amendment continued.

The House divided.

The amendment was negatived on the following division:

YEAS -- 35
Sanders Gingell C. Clark Campbell Farrell-Collins de Jong Plant Abbott Reid	Neufeld Coell Chong Whittred Jarvis Anderson Nettleton Penner G.F. Wilson	Weisbeck Nebbeling Hogg Hawkins Coleman Stephens Hansen Thorpe Symons	van Dongen Barisoff Dalton Masi Krueger McKinnon J.D. Wilson Reitsma
NAYS -- 37
Evans Zirnhelt McGregor Kwan Hammell Boone Streifel Pullinger Lali Orcherton	Stevenson Calendino Goodacre Walsh Randall Gillespie Robertson Cashore Conroy	Priddy Petter Miller Dosanjh MacPhail Lovick Ramsey Farnworth Waddell	Hartley Sihota Smallwood Sawicki Bowbrick Kasper Doyle Giesbrecht Janssen

The debate resumed on the main motion.

Ms. Reid moved the following amendment.

To delete the words in strike out format and to substitute therefor the words highlighted by underline, and to add the words in bold face:

Be it resolved that since as British Columbia will spend more than $550 million providing health care services to people who contracted the Hepatitis C virus through the blood system, the Legislative Assembly urges the federal government to develop a plan to address and fund the needs and compensation of those British Columbians who contracted Hepatitis C through tainted blood prior to 1986 and that the compensation be paid directly to the victims.

The debate on the amendment continued.

By leave, on the motion of Ms. Reid, amendment withdrawn.

Ms. Whittred moved the following amendment:

To delete the words in strike out format and to substitute therefor the words highlighted by underline, and to add the words in bold face:

Be it resolved that since as British Columbia will spend more than $550 million providing health care services to people who contracted the Hepatitis C virus through the blood system, the Legislative Assembly urges the federal government to develop a plan to address and fund the needs of and a compassionate payment, similar in nature to that paid to those victims between January 1, 1986 and July 1, 1990, to of those British Columbians who contracted Hepatitis C through tainted blood prior to 1986 and that the payment be made directly to the victims.

Amendment agreed to.

The debate was resumed on the main motion, as amended.

The House divided.

Motion, as amended, agreed to nemine contradicente on the following division:

YEAS -- 71
Evans Zirnhelt McGregor Kwan Hammell Boone Streifel Pullinger Lali Orcherton Stevenson Calendino Goodacre Walsh Randall Gillespie Robertson Cashore	Conroy Priddy Petter Miller Dosanjh MacPhail Lovick Ramsey Farnworth Waddell Hartley Sihota Smallwood Sawicki Bowbrick Kasper Doyle Giesbrecht	Janssen Sanders Gingell C. Clark Campbell Farrell-Collins de Jong Plant Abbott Reid Neufeld Coell Chong Whittred Jarvis Anderson Nettleton Penner	G.F. Wilson Weisbeck Nebbeling Hawkins Coleman Stephens Hansen Thorpe Symons van Dongen Barisoff Dalton Masi Krueger McKinnon J.D. Wilson Reitsma

(In Committee -- Section A)

62. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $387,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Women's Equality, Minister's Office, to 31st March, 1999.

63. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $37,062,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Women's Equality, Ministry Operations, to 31st March, 1999.

Section A of Committee of Supply reported the Resolutions and completion of the Estimates of the Ministry of Women's Equality.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

By agreement, summary debate of estimates passed in Section A (Ministry of Women's Equality) to be considered at the next sitting.

The Hon. J. MacPhail advised that the House will sit Wednesday, pursuant to Standing Order 2 (2).

And then the House adjourned at 5.59 p.m.

GRETCHEN MANN BREWIN, Speaker

MEETINGS OF COMMITTEES

SELECT STANDING COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

The Committee will meet from 9 o'clock a.m. to 10.45 o'clock a.m. on Fridays until further notice, in the Douglas Fir Room (Room 226).

Business: Agendas to follow.

Mr. Gingell, Chair
Mr. Sihota, Deputy Chair