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Ten o’clock a.m.
Prayers by Mr. Krog.
The Hon. B. Barisoff (Speaker) tabled the Auditor General 2008/2009 Report 3: Management of Aboriginal Child Protection Services.
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.
On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 23) intituled Public Health Act, a debate arose.
The debate continued.
On the motion of Mr. Wyse, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.
(In Committee — Section A)
Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress of the estimates of the Ministry of Forests and Range.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
The Hon. R. Thorpe (Minister of Small Business and Revenue) tabled the Property Assessment Appeal Board Annual Report, 2007.
And then the House adjourned at 11.57 a.m
One-Thirty o’clock p.m.
Order called for “Members’ Statements.”
Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”
The Hon. M. de Jong advised the House of an agreement pursuant to Standing Order 81.1 (1) with respect to the completion of all of the Estimates and the following Bills for debate:
Bill (No. 14) — Transportation Investment (Port Mann Twinning) Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 18) — Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Cap and Trade) Act
Bill (No. 22) — Healthcare Costs Recovery Act
Bill (No. 23) — Public Health Act
Bill (No. 25) — Health Professions (Regulatory Reform) Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 26) — Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 27) — Local Government (Green Communities) Statutes Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 31) — Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Emissions Standards) Statutes Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 33) — Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 34) — University Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 36) — Motor Vehicle (Banning Smoking When Children Present) Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 38) — Protected Areas of British Columbia (Conservancies and Parks) Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 39) — Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Vehicle Emissions Standards) Act
Bill (No. 41) — Patient Care Quality Review Board Act
and debate through all of the various stages on the above Bills to conclude by 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, 2008. This agreement includes deferment of the following Bills for debate at a subsequent date:
Bill (No. 28) — Wills, Estates and Succession Act
Bill (No. 30) — Resource Road Act
Bill (No. 35) — Social Workers Act
Bill (No. 40) — Insurance Amendment Act, 2008
The Hon. M. de Jong advised the House that an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 81.1 (1) on several pieces of legislation and therefore moved the following motion:
Pursuant to Standing Order 81.1 (2) on or before 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, 2008, all remaining stages on Bills:
Bill (No. 20) — Oil and Gas Activities Act
Bill (No. 21) — Medicare Protection Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 24) — E-Health (Personal Health Information Access and Protection of Privacy) Act
Bill (No. 29) — Environmental (Species and Public Protection) Statutes Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 32) — Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement Implementation Act
Bill (No. 37) — Carbon Tax Act
Bill (No. 42) — Election Amendment Act, 2008
Bill (No. 43) — Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, (No. 2), 2008
shall be completed and disposed of. At 5 p.m. on the date mentioned, the Speaker and the Chair of Committee of the Whole will forthwith put all necessary questions for the disposal of all remaining stages of the said Bills without amendment, apart from Government amendments, or debate. Any divisions called on the second or third reading of said Bills may be taken in accordance with Standing Order 16 and all other divisions will be covered by Practice Recommendation No. 1. Proceedings under this motion shall not be subject to the provisions of Standing Order 81 or the Standing or Sessional Orders relating to times and days of sittings of the House.
The House divided.
Motion agreed to on the following division:
| Yeas—40 | |||
| Falcon Reid Coell Ilich Chong Christensen Richmond Bell Krueger van Dongen |
Les Roddick Hayer Lee Jarvis Nuraney Whittred Thorpe Hagen Oppal |
de Jong Taylor Bond Hansen Abbott Penner Coleman Hogg Sultan Bennett |
Lekstrom Mayencourt Polak Hawes Yap Bloy MacKay Black McIntyre Rustad |
| Nays—30 | |||
| Hammell S. Simpson Fleming Farnworth Kwan Ralston B. Simpson Austin |
Brar Thorne Simons Puchmayr Fraser Wyse Sather Horgan |
Gentner Dix Trevena Bains Macdonald Karagianis Krog |
Robertson Chudnovsky Chouhan Coons Routley Lali Conroy |
By leave, the Hon. M. de Jong moved —
Be it resolved that unless otherwise ordered, for the Fourth Session of the Thirty-eighth Parliament, Standing Order 2 (2) (b) be amended so that the House shall meet the week of Victoria Day as follows:
| Tuesday, May 20th | Two distinct sittings: |
| 10 a.m. to 12 noon | |
| 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. | |
| Wednesday, May 21st | 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. |
| Thursday, May 22nd | Two distinct sittings: |
| 10 a.m. to 12 noon | |
| 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. | |
| Friday, May 23rd | Two distinct sittings: |
| 10 a.m. to 12 noon | |
| 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
Motion agreed to.
Ms. Kwan asked leave, pursuant to Standing Order 35, to move adjournment of the House to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, to call on the Federal Government to abandon the provisions of Bill C-50 that amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The Hon. M. de Jong made representations.
Ms. Kwan made representations.
The Speaker stated that he would take the matter under advisement.
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.
The House resumed the adjourned debate on the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 23) intituled Public Health Act.
The debate continued.
Bill (No. 23) read a second time 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. 25) intituled Health Professions (Regulatory Reform) Amendment Act, 2008, a debate arose.
On the motion of Mr. Dix, the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.
The Speaker delivered his reserved decision as follows:
Honourable Members:
Earlier today the Member for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant rose under the provisions of Standing Order 35 seeking to make a motion for the adjournment of the House to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the progress of Bill C-50 which is stated to be before the Federal Parliament in the Select Standing Committee on Finance.
The Honourable Member alleges that the Bill as presently drafted gives the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration sweeping powers in relation to waiting lists affecting immigration into this country, without adequate prior consultation.
The Government House Leader in response suggested that the matter is of some concern to many Members and indicated he would be having some discussions with the Opposition in relation to this matter.
However, the Chair must examine the request of the Member for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, bearing in mind the fairly stringent provisions of Standing Order 35.
I think all Members would recognize that the contents and progress of Bill C-50 falls squarely within the jurisdiction of the Federal Parliament and fall outside the jurisdiction of this House and, accordingly, would fail on this ground alone.
Again, while I am sure most Members would agree that the matter itself is an extremely serious one, what the Chair must decide is whether the ordinary business of this House should be set aside because the urgency for debate has been established. I am unable to find that the urgency for debate has been established. In this regard, I refer Honourable Members to the decision of Speaker Shantz quoted at page 62 of Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, 3rd edition.
On both these grounds, the Member’s application fails to meet the standards well established in this House in relation to Standing Order 35, and I so rule.
Hon. Bill Barisoff, Speaker
(In Committee — Section A)
34. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $534,097,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Forests and Range, Ministry Operations, to 31st March, 2009.
35. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $56,226,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Forests and Range, Direct Fire, to 31st March, 2009.
51. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $3,808,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Other Appropriations, Forest Practices Board, to 31st March, 2009.
Section A of Committee of Supply reported the Resolutions of the Ministry of Forests and Range.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
And then the House adjourned at 6.26 p.m.
HON. BILL BARISOFF, Speaker
Wednesday, May 7
58 Ms. Trevena to move —
Be it resolved that this House recognizes the importance of annual coroner’s reports on lessons learned from inquests into deaths where domestic violence is suspected.
59 Ms. Trevena to move —
Be it resolved that this House support a strategic plan for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to domestic violence.
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