Votes -- Nos. 8 and 9 -- Monday, September 19, 2005 -- Ten o'clock a.m.

2005 Legislative Session: 1st Session, 38th Parliament

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The printed version remains the official version.

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Nos. 8 and 9

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Monday, September 19, 2005

Ten o'clock a.m.

Prayers by Ms. Conroy.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

Order called for "Private Members' Statements."


3 By leave, Mr. Chouhan moved--: Be it resolved that the House condemn the BC government for disbanding the Human Rights Commission and be it further resolved that this House urge the BC government to restore and strengthen the Human Rights Commission.

A debate arose.

On the motion of Mr. Hayer, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

And then the House adjourned at 11.58 a.m.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Two o'clock p.m.

Order called for "Members' Statements."

Order called for "Oral Questions by Members."

The Hon. M. de Jong presented the First Report of the Special Committee of Selection, which read as follows:

First Report

Oak Committee Room,
Parliament Buildings,
September 14, 2005

Honourable Speaker:

The Special Committee of Selection appointed on September 12, 2005 to prepare and report lists of members to compose the Select Standing Committees of this House reports that the following is the list of members to compose the Select Standing Committees for the present Session:

Select Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs--Ms. Polak (Convener), Messrs. Horning, MacKay, Mmes. McIntyre, Roddick, Whittred, Messrs. Fraser, Austin, Coons and Lali.

Select Standing Committee on Crown Corporations--Mr. Black (Convener), Messrs. Cantelon, Jarvis, Lekstrom, MacKay, Rustad, Messrs. Evans, Chudnovsky, Puchmayr and Gentner.

Select Standing Committee on Education--Mr. Nuraney (Convener), Messrs. Jarvis, Lee, Mayencourt, Ms. Polak, Mr. Rustad, Messrs. Robertson, Horgan, Routley and Ms. Thorne.

Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services--Mr. Lekstrom (Convener), Messrs. Bloy, Hayer, Hogg, Lee, Yap, Ms. Karagianis, Messrs. Simons, Krog and Ms. Kwan.

Select Standing Committee on Health--Mr. Sultan (Convener), Messrs. Hayer, Jarvis, Nuraney, Mmes. Roddick, Whittred, Messrs. Cubberley, Sather, Ms. Conroy and Mr. Wyse.

Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills--Mr. Horning (Convener), Messrs. Bloy, Hawes, Hogg, Krueger, Mayencourt, Messrs. Chouhan, Cubberley, Farnworth and Fleming.

Select Standing Committee on Public Accounts--Mr. Fleming (Convener), Messrs. Black, Cantelon, Hawes, Mmes. McIntyre, Polak, Messrs. Rustad, Sultan, Yap, Messrs. Bains, Dix, Ralston, Macdonald and Ms. Thorne.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Committee.

Hon. M. de Jong, Chair

The Report was taken as read and received.

By leave of the House, the Hon. M. de Jong moved that the Report be adopted.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved--

That the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services be empowered:

1. To examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to the pre-budget consultation report prepared by the Minister of Finance in accordance with section 2 of the Budget Transparency and Accountability Act and, in particular, to:

(a) Conduct public consultations across British Columbia on proposals and recommendations regarding the provincial budget and fiscal policy for the coming fiscal year by any means the committee considers appropriate, including but not limited to public meetings, telephone and electronic means;

(b) Prepare a report no later than November 15, 2005 on the results of those consultations; and

2. (a) To consider and make recommendations on the annual reports, rolling three-year service plans and budgets of the following statutory officers:

• Auditor General;

• Chief Electoral Officer;

• Conflict of Interest Commissioner;

• Information and Privacy Commissioner;

• Ombudsman;

• Police Complaint Commissioner; and

(b) To examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to other matters brought to the Committee's attention by any of the Officers listed in 2 (a) above.

(c) That the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services be the committee referred to in sections 19, 20, 21 and 23 of the Auditor General Act and that the performance report in section 22 of the Auditor General Act be referred to the committee.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, the committee shall be empowered:

(a) to appoint of their number one or more subcommittees and refer to such subcommittees any of the matters referred to the committee;

(b) to sit during a period in which the House is adjourned and during any sitting of the House;

(d) to retain personnel as required to assist the committee,

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment or at the next following session, as the case may be, to deposit the original of its reports with the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly during a period of adjournment and upon resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved--

That a Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives be appointed for the 38th Parliament, pursuant to Section 9 of the Recall and Initiative Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 398, and the committee be comprised of members of the Select Standing Committee on Parliamentary Reform, Ethical Conduct, Standing Orders and Private Bills established this session.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved--
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. Section A shall consist of 18 Members, being 11 Members of the B.C. Liberal Party and 7 Members of the New Democratic Party. 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-eighth Parliament, the Members of Section A shall be as follows: the Minister whose Estimates are under consideration and Messrs. Cantelon, Hayer, Horning, Jarvis, Krueger, Lee, Lekstrom, MacKay and Yap and Ms. Polak and Ms. Roddick, Messrs. Bains, Chouhan, Cubberley, Evans, Farnworth, Fraser and Ms. Conroy.

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) 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 A 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 A, and for all purposes Section A shall be deemed to be a Committee of the Whole. Such referrals to Section A 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 Rule Nos. 3 and 9.

Motion agreed to.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 4) intituled Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Amendment Act, 2005, a debate arose.

Bill (No. 4) read a second time and Ordered to be placed on the Orders of the Day for committal at the next sitting after today.

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.

On the motion of Mr. Mayencourt, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.

And then the House adjourned at 5.57 p.m.

BILL BARISOFF, Speaker

NOTICE OF MOTIONS

Tuesday, September 20


81 Ms. Thorne to move--: Be it resolved that this House condemn the historic diversion by this BC government of federal childcare dollars to other programs, and be it further resolved that this House urge the BC government to support the view of its own Child and Youth Officer that childcare is a "cornerstone for a comprehensive early childhood development strategy" and spend all federal dollars allocated to childcare on childcare.

Wednesday, September 21


82 Mr. Robertson to move, seconded by Mr. Farnworth--: 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 Finance Minister's choice to provide a significant tax cut to large corporations at a time when corporate savings are at historically high levels and at the same time families are spending more than they earn to simply get by and whereas the government could have made the choice to provide more relief to families through fee reductions and program enhancements."

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