1997 Legislative Session: 2nd Session, 36th Parliament
Ten o'clock a.m.
Prayers by Mr. Thorpe.
The Hon. D. Lovick (Speaker) tabled the Legislative Assembly Management Committee Annual Report, 1996-97.
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 Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration).
Bill (No. 2) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 1997 was again committed.
Mr. de Jong moved an amendment to section 13 of Bill (No. 2) which was defeated on the following division:
| YEAS -- 32 | |||
| Dalton Gingell Reid Campbell Farrell-Collins Plant Sanders Stephens | de Jong Coell Anderson Nebbeling Whittred van Dongen Thorpe Weisgerber | J. Wilson Reitsma Hansen C. Clark Symons Hawkins Abbott Weisbeck | Chong Coleman Nettleton Masi McKinnon Krueger Barisoff Neufeld |
NAYS -- 36 | |||
| Evans Zirnhelt McGregor Boone Hammell Streifel Pullinger Farnworth Kwan | Waddell Calendino Stevenson Bowbrick Goodacre Giesbrecht Walsh Kasper Orcherton | Hartley Priddy Petter Miller Dosanjh MacPhail Cashore Ramsey Sihota | Randall Sawicki Lali Doyle Gillespie Robertson Smallwood Conroy Janssen |
The Committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again.
Bill to be considered at the next sitting.
(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 12.08 p.m.
Thursday, May 1, 1997
Two o'clock p.m.
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 Administrator, which read as follows:
Allan McEachern
Administrator
The Administrator transmits herewith Bill (No. 16) intituled Police Amendment Act, 1997 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House,
April 22, 1997.
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.
The Hon. A. Petter (Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations and Minister Responsible for Intergovernmental Relations) presented to the Speaker a Message from His Honour the Administrator, which read as follows:
Allan McEachern
Administrator
The Administrator transmits herewith Bill (No. 18) intituled Pension Statutes Amendment Act, 1997 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House,
May 1, 1997.
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.
The Hon. J. MacPhail (Minister of Health and Minister Responsible for Seniors) presented to the Speaker a Message from His Honour the Administrator, which read as follows:
Allan McEachern
Administrator
The Administrator transmits herewith Bill (No. 20) intituled Public Sector Employers Amendment Act, 1997 and recommends the same to the Legislative Assembly.
Government House,
May 1, 1997.
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 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 Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration followed by the estimates of the Ministry of Labour).
Bill (No. 2) intituled Budget Measures Implementation Act, 1997 was again committed.
In consideration of section 13 of Bill (No. 2) the Committee divided as follows:
| YEAS -- 35 | |||
| Evans Zirnhelt McGregor Boone Hammell Streifel Pullinger Farnworth Kwan | Waddell Calendino Stevenson Bowbrick Goodacre Giesbrecht Walsh Kasper Hartley | Priddy Petter Miller Dosanjh MacPhail Cashore Ramsey Sihota Randall | Sawicki Lali Doyle Gillespie Robertson Smallwood Conroy Janssen |
NAYS -- 33 | |||
| Dalton Gingell Reid Campbell Farrell-Collins Plant Sanders Stephens de Jong | Coell Anderson Nebbeling Whittred van Dongen Thorpe Weisgerber J. Wilson | Reitsma Hansen C. Clark Symons Hawkins Abbott Jarvis Weisbeck | Chong Coleman Nettleton Masi McKinnon Krueger Barisoff Neufeld |
On the motion that the Chair do now leave the Chair, the Committee divided.
Motion defeated on the following division:
| YEAS -- 31 | |||
| Dalton Gingell Reid Farrell-Collins Plant Sanders Stephens de Jong | Coell Anderson Nebbeling Whittred van Dongen Thorpe Weisgerber J. Wilson | Reitsma Hansen C. Clark Symons Hawkins Abbott Jarvis Weisbeck | Chong Coleman Nettleton McKinnon Krueger Barisoff Neufeld |
NAYS -- 35 | |||
| Evans Zirnhelt McGregor Boone Hammell Streifel Pullinger Farnworth Kwan | Waddell Calendino Stevenson Bowbrick Goodacre Giesbrecht Walsh Kasper Hartley | Priddy Petter Miller Dosanjh MacPhail Cashore Ramsey Sihota Randall | Sawicki Lali Doyle Gillespie Robertson Smallwood Conroy Janssen |
The Committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again.
Bill to be considered at the next sitting.
(In Committee--Section A)
16. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $429,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration, Minister's Office, to 31st March 1998.
17. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $786,188,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration, Ministry Operations, to 31st March 1998.
18. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $51,856,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration, Statutory Services, to 31st March 1998.
19. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $36,003,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration, Judiciary, to 31st March 1998.
66. Resolved, That a sum not exceeding $500,000 be granted to Her Majesty to defray the expenses of Other Appropriations, Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner, to 31st March 1998.
Section A of Committee of Supply reported the Resolutions and completion of the estimates of the Ministry of Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration.
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 Attorney General and Ministry Responsible for Multiculturalism, Human Rights and Immigration) to be considered at the next sitting.
Section A of Committee of Supply reported progress.
Report to be considered at the next sitting.
Committee to sit again at the next sitting.
The Speaker made a statement as follows:
Honourable Members:
Somewhere, Honourable Members, we seem to have lost track of Standing Order 45a which provides us with guidelines for Oral Question Period. Please note I am mindful that "we" includes the Chair, and I am certainly prepared to accept my share of the responsibility.
I believe that every person who has served as Speaker in this Chamber has taken time to remind Members of the rules governing Question Period. And that seems to me to be a good tradition to uphold.
Let me quote from the Journals of 1977 in which the Speaker of the day noted that "very great latitude has been taken by Honourable Members both in the posing of questions and in the answers given thereto." He then went on to ask "the co-operation and adherence of Honourable Members to the numerous but explicit rules relating to Oral Question Period."
Five years later, in 1982, the Speaker noted that the "strict and meticulous application" of the rules during Question Period would "preclude the Chair from allowing the vast majority of questions and answers advanced in this House. Therefore without some degree of latitude, constant intervention by the Chair would, in the absence of greater precision in framing questions and answers, lead to the total impoverishment of the Question Period."
Clearly there must be rules governing Question Period and those rules must be adhered to by those who pose as well as those who respond to questions. But clearly there must also be a balance between a too strict and meticulous application of the rules and too much latitude in their application. In that spirit, let me remind Members of the key provisions of Standing Order 47a:
a) only questions that are urgent and important shall be permitted;
b) questions and answers shall be brief and precise, and stated without argument or opinion.
Further assistance in interpreting our Standing Orders may be found in pages 110-111 of Parliamentary Practice in British Columbia, 3rd edition, notably the two citations from Erskine May, that first, the question should be brief and, second, that the answer should be confined to the points contained in the questions, with such explanation only as renders the answer intelligible.
Briefly, it seems to me, as your Speaker, that this is the heart of the matter. Unless I hear from all sides of the House that they do not wish to be bound by these rules, I shall endeavour, with your assistance, to enforce them. If it is the will of the House to change these rules, a motion to amend is available.
Dale Lovick, Speaker
And then the House adjourned at 5.56 p.m.
DALE LOVICK, Speaker
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