1998/99 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 36th Parliament

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.

[ Progress of Bills . . . ]

Nos. 171 and 172

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Tuesday, May 4, 1999

Ten o'clock a.m.

Prayers by Mr. Robertson.

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.

The House divided.

Motion agreed to on the following division:

YEAS -- 19
Whittred Farrell-Collins de Jong Plant L. Reid	Coell Chong Jarvis Anderson Nettleton	Penner Nebbeling Coleman Hansen van Dongen	Dalton J. Reid McKinnon J. Wilson
NAYS -- 37
Evans Zirnhelt Kwan G.F. Wilson Hammell Boone Streifel Pullinger Lali Orcherton	Stevenson Calendino Walsh Randall Gillespie Robertson Cashore Conroy Priddy	Petter Miller Dosanjh MacPhail Sihota Lovick Ramsey Farnworth Waddell	Hartley Smallwood Sawicki Bowbrick Kasper Doyle Giesbrecht Goodacre Janssen

And then the House adjourned at 11.51 a.m.

Tuesday, May 4, 1999

Two o'clock p.m.

Order called for "Oral Questions by Members."

The Hon. D. Zirnhelt (Minister of Forests) tabled the Forest Appeals Commission Annual Report, 1998.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

Order for Committee of Supply called.

Pursuant to Sessional Order, order called for Section A of Committee of Supply (estimates of the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks).

 

  61  Mr. Hartley moved--

Be it resolved that this Assembly deplores the continuing violations of human rights in Burma, including extrajudicial and arbitrary executions, rape, torture, inhuman treatment, mass arrests, forced labour, forced relocation and denial of freedom of expression, assembly, association and movement, as reported by the UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur;

Be it further resolved that in the opinion of this Assembly these human rights abuses in Burma are the result of policy at the highest level and that the regime's officials bear political and legal responsibility for them;

Be it further resolved that this Assembly urges the military regime in Burma to:

(a) immediately and unconditionally release all detained political leaders and all political prisoners, to ensure their physical integrity and to permit them to participate in the process of national reconciliation;

(b) repeal all regressive laws;

(c) stop all the violations of human rights and in particular the unlawful coercion against the National League for Democracy (NLD) members leading to surrendering of their membership and the closure of NLD offices; and

(d) immediately initiate a substantive political dialogue with the Committee Representing the People's parliament before there is further violent upheaval in Burma.

Be it further resolved that the Legislature condemns the State Peace and Development Council (formerly named the State Law and Order Restoration Council) for:

(a) openly encouraging the production, trade and export of opium and heroin into North America; and

(b) racially-motivated genocide against the ethnic peoples in Burma, especially those in Karen, Karenni and Shan States;

Be it further resolved that the Legislature urges the Government of Canada to:

(a) recognise as the legitimate instrument of the will of the Burmese people the Committee Representing the People's Parliament formed by the National League for Democracy on 16 September 1998 as acquiring the legal authority of 251 MP's and support of the four non-Burman ethnic political parties;

(b) take all necessary action to achieve coordinated international action in support of the restoration of human rights in Burma;

(c) direct the federal drug enforcement agency to increase counter narcotics efforts specific to the flow of heroin into Vancouver from Burma; and

(d) appeal to the UN Secretary-General to send a special envoy to Burma to continue discussions with the leaders of the military regime as well as with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders in order to make significant advances towards the democratization of Burma.

A debate arose.

Motion agreed to nemine contradicente on the following division:

YEAS -- 66
Evans Zirnhelt McGregor Kwan G.F. Wilson Hammell Boone Streifel Pullinger Lali Orcherton Calendino Walsh Randall Gillespie Robertson Cashore	Conroy Priddy Petter Miller G. Clark Dosanjh MacPhail Sihota Lovick Ramsey Farnworth Waddell Hartley Smallwood Bowbrick Kasper Doyle	Giesbrecht Whittred C. Clark Campbell Farrell-Collins de Jong Plant Abbott L. Reid Neufeld Coell Chong Sanders Jarvis Nettleton Penner	Weisgerber Goodacre Weisbeck Nebbeling Hogg Coleman Stephens Hansen Thorpe Symons van Dongen Barisoff Dalton J. Reid J. Wilson Janssen

On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 53) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 1999, a debate arose.

Bill (No. 53) read a second time, on division, and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for committal at the next sitting after today.

On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 55) intituled Probate Fee Act, a debate arose.

The debate continued.

Motion agreed to on the following division:

YEAS -- 38
Evans Zirnhelt McGregor Kwan G. F. Wilson Hammell Boone Streifel Pullinger Lali	Orcherton Calendino Walsh Randall Gillespie Robertson Cashore Conroy Priddy Petter	Miller G. Clark Dosanjh MacPhail Sihota Lovick Ramsey Farnworth Waddell	Hartley Smallwood Sawicki Bowbrick Kasper Doyle Giesbrecht Goodacre Janssen
NAYS -- 24
Whittred C. Clark Campbell Farrell-Collins de Jong Plant	Abbott L. Reid Neufeld Coell Sanders Jarvis	Penner Weisbeck Nebbeling Hogg Hawkins Coleman	Stephens Symons van Dongen Barisoff Dalton J. Wilson

Bill (No. 55) read a second time and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for committal at the next sitting after today.

(In Committee -- Section A)

Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress.

Report to be considered at the next sitting.

Committee to sit again at the next sitting.

And then the House adjourned at 6.04 p.m.

GRETCHEN MANN BREWIN, Speaker

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