The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.
Ten o’clock a.m.
Prayers by Mr. Les.
Mr. Foster presented the Report of the Special Committee to Appoint an Auditor General for the Fourth Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament.
The Report was taken as read and received.
Mr. Horgan rose on a point of order seeking clarification from the Auditor General as to his intention with respect to the Committee’s recommendation.
The Hon. M. de Jong made representations.
Mr. B. Simpson made representations.
The Speaker advised that he would communicate with the Auditor General on the matter.
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
On the motion for second reading of Bill (No. 2) intituled Provincial Sales Tax Transitional Provisions and Amendments Act, 2013, a debate arose.
The debate continued.
Bill (No. 2) 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 Address in Reply to the Speech of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of the Session.
On the motion of Mr. Donaldson the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.
And then the House adjourned at 11.56 a.m.
One-thirty o’clock p.m.
Prayers by Mike Charlie, Jr., Songhees First Nation.
The Hon. I. Chong (Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation) presented to the Speaker a Message from Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor, which read as follows:
Judith Guichon
Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor transmits herewith Bill (No. 4) intituled Tla’amin Final Agreement Act and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House
February 7, 2013
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.
By leave, the Hon. I. Chong (Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation) moved —
That Chief Clint Williams of the Tla’min First Nation be permitted to address the Legislative Assembly from the Bar of the House.
Motion agreed to.
Chief Williams was conducted to the Bar of the House and addressed the Legislative Assembly.
The House recessed until 2:08 p.m.
The Hon. T. Lake (Minister of Environment) presented to the Speaker a Message from Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor, which read as follows:
Judith Guichon
Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor transmits herewith Bill (No. 5) intituled Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2013 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House
February 7, 2013
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 “Members’ Statements.”
Order called for “Oral Questions by Members.”
Ms. McIntyre presented the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth Annual Report, 2011-12 for the Fourth Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament.
The Report was taken as read and received.
By leave, Ms. McIntyre moved that the Report be adopted.
A debate arose.
Motion agreed to.
Mr. Horne presented the Third Report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services: Report on the Budget 2013 Consultations for the Fourth Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament.
The Report was taken as read and received.
By leave, Mr. Horne moved that the Report be adopted.
A debate arose.
Motion agreed to.
Mr. Horne presented the Fourth Report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services: Annual Review of the Budgets of the Independent Legislative Offices for the Fourth Session of the Thirty-ninth Parliament.
The Report was taken as read and received.
By leave, Mr. Horne moved that the Report be adopted.
Motion agreed to.
The House proceeded to “Orders of the Day.”
Pursuant to Order, the House resumed the adjourned debate on the Address in Reply to the Speech of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of the Session.
The debate continued.
On the motion of the Hon. I. Chong the debate was adjourned to the next sitting of the House.
And then the House adjourned at 5.52 p.m.
HON. BILL BARISOFF, Speaker
Monday, February 18
Mr. Dix to introduce a Bill intituled Government Advertising Act, 2013.
Tuesday, February 19
Mr. B. Simpson to introduce a Bill intituled Carbon Neutral Government Repeal Act, 2013.
Monday, February 18
1 Ms. Mungall to move —
Be it resolved that this House act immediately to establish a needs-based, non-repayable student grant program as a way to allow young people to access advanced education across B.C.
2 Mr. Fleming to move —
Be it resolved that this House urge the Government of British Columbia to immediately withdraw from the 2010 Environmental Assessment Equivalency Agreement, signed between the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office and the National Energy Board, in order to take back provincial jurisdiction over the Enbridge Northern Gateway environmental review to ensure that the environmental, social and cultural interests of British Columbians are heard and protected.
3 Mr. Pimm to move —
Given the significant international potential for British Columbia’s natural gas and the new jobs and increased provincial revenue this demand will create, be it resolved that this House fully support this important sector and encourage its growth.
Tuesday, February 19
4 Mr. Farnworth to move —
Be it resolved that this House recognizes wrestling as one of the original sports of the Olympics and as a sport that is engaged in by thousands of young people in British Columbia and across Canada, and that this House condemns the decision to eliminate wrestling as an Olympic sport by the IOC and further that this House demands the Canadian Olympic Committee to vigourously oppose this decision and to let both the Canadian Olympic Committee and the IOC know of this House’s displeasure with the decision to drop wrestling as an Olympic sport.
5 Ms. Trevena to move —
Be it resolved that this House acknowledges the unacceptably high numbers of Aboriginal children in government care and be it further resolved that this House agrees to work collaboratively to significantly lower those numbers.
Tuesday, February 19
1 Ms. Huntington to ask the Hon. Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Minister Responsible for Housing and Deputy Premier the following questions:—
Unconventional Gas — Impacts on Public Health and Safety
1. Can hydraulic fracturing of gas-bearing shale formations result in groundwater and surface water contamination — waters that may also be drinking water sources? What can be done to reduce such outcomes?
2. In jurisdictions that use multi-well hydraulic fracturing techniques is there evidence of uncontrolled gas leaks? What are the consequences and can the risk of such outcomes be reduced?
3. At what proximity to human settlement may hydraulically fractured gas wells pose an unnecessary risk?
4. What risks are there when contaminants move between hydraulically fractured gas wells in events known as “communications” or “kicks”? At what point may gas wells exceed densities that place human health and public safety at unnecessary risk?
5. Do the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations pose a public health and safety risk?
6. What are the health impacts associated with chronic exposures to low levels of sweet gas and sour gas? What must the province do to eliminate fugitive emissions and reduced flaring to an absolute minimum?
7. What plans does the Oil and Gas Commission have to work with public health officials and the local communities to ensure that industry developments are located and staged in a manner that poses the least risk to human populations?
8. What plans are there to project forward the number of unconventional gas wells that may be drilled in the province and to ensure that the cumulative development of wells does not endanger the health and safety of the general public and First Nations communities or the environment?
Unconventional Gas — Impacts on Water and Land
9. How many unconventional gas wells are projected in British Columbia?
10. What will the associated water demand be?
11. What water conservation policies are presently in place?
12. What regulations and market measures, such as water pricing, might be sound public policy choices to maximize water conservation by the industry?
13. What role does the Oil and Gas Commission play in assigning water rights to the gas industry? What role do provincial water stewardship officials with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations play in assigning such rights? How do both agencies cooperate to ensure that: all water assignments are known, the actual water used by the industry is tracked, all wastewater produced by the industry is accounted for and its disposal methods and disposal sites are approved?
14. What cumulative impact assessments are there to ensure that industry water use is sustainable and poses no threat to watersheds? (Areas in northeast B.C. have already been identified by the provincial Forest Practices Board as being heavily impacted by a combination of oil and gas industry, forestry and cattle-grazing activities.)
15. Will the Water Act Modernization process ensure sustainable water use in the shale gas industry?
16. Under what circumstances may industry water applications be subject to an environmental assessment process? Should water applications exceeding a certain threshold be subject to such assessments?
17. Can unconventional gas developments be staged to reduce environmental impacts on lands and waters?
2 Mr. B. Simpson to ask the Hon. Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Minister Responsible for Housing and Deputy Premier the following questions:—
Unconventional Gas — Impacts on Public Health and Safety
1. When the greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing, processing and later combusting unconventional gas are considered, how “green” is this energy source compared to other fossil fuels?
2. In the face of historic low prices for natural gas, should B.C. be accelerating the extraction of this resource through provincial subsidies to the industry?
3. If unconventional gas extraction continues in British Columbia should:
• a fair market price be placed on water utilized for this purpose?
• the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing be more regulated and publicly reported?
• the structure of the energy industry regulator — the Oil and Gas Commission — be changed to better address and monitor the industry’s cumulative impacts on public health and safety, water and land resources, and climate?
• the regulations governing the sector be more prescriptive to ensure public health and the environment are protected?
4. Are government, the OGC, and industry meeting their legal requirements to consult with First Nations and the spirit and intent of the New Relationship with respect to joint decision-making and revenue sharing?
Unconventional Gas — Impacts on Climate and Energy Security
5. What are the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and processing of unconventional gas?
6. What may be the additional greenhouse gas emissions associated with more advanced treatment or conversion of natural gas to products such as liquid fuels (diesel, naphtha and propane) or liquid natural gas?
7. Can British Columbia meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets when anticipated unconventional gas development is fully accounted for? If this is not achievable at present, what changes to the way development occurs, and the scale of development, would have to happen to enable B.C. to meet its targets? What public policy approaches could B.C. employ to allow those changes to happen?
8. From a domestic energy security perspective, how much natural gas should B.C. be exporting and over what time period?
9. What revenue streams should British Columbians and First Nations reasonably expect to see from increased unconventional gas production in the province?
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