Votes -- Nos. 124 and 125 -- Tuesday, December 2, 2003 -- Two o'clock p.m.

2003 Legislative Session: 4th Session, 37th Parliament

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

[ Progress of Bills . . . ]

Nos. 124 and 125

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Tuesday, December 2, 2003

Ten o'clock a.m.

Prayers by Mr. Sultan.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

Bill (No. 89) intituled British Columbia Railway (Revitalization) Amendment Act, 2003 was committed.

The Committee rose, reported progress and asked leave to sit again.

Bill to be considered at the next sitting.

And then the House adjourned at 11.58 a.m.

Tuesday, December 2, 2003

Two o'clock p.m.

Order called for "Members' Statements."

Order called for "Oral Questions by Members."

Ms. Locke presented the First Report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for the Fourth Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament.

The Report was taken as read and received.

By leave of the House, Ms. Locke moved that the Report be adopted.

Motion agreed to.

Mr. Les presented the Second Report of the Special Committee on the Citizens' Assembly on Electoral Reform for the Fourth Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament.

The Report was taken as read and received.

By leave of the House, Mr. Les moved that the Report be adopted.

Motion agreed to.

The Hon. C. Richmond (Speaker) tabled the Office of the Auditor General Report on Strategic Direction and Funding Proposal, December 2003.

The Hon. G. Collins (Minister of Finance) tabled the Members of the Legislative Assembly Pension Plan Annual Report, 2003.

The House proceeded to "Orders of the Day."

By leave, the Hon. G. Collins moved--

That a Special Committee be appointed to select and unanimously recommend to the Legislative Assembly, (pursuant to section 5 of the Public Service Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 385) the appointment of an individual to be the Public Service Employee Relations Commissioner, Deputy Minister responsible for the Public Service Employee Relations Commission and to hold office as the Merit Commissioner for the Province of British Columbia, and that the Special Committee so appointed shall have the powers of a Select Standing Committee, and is also empowered:

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

(b) to sit during any period in which the House is adjourned, during the recess after prorogation until the next following Session and during any sitting of the House;

(d) to retain such personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House as soon as possible, or following any adjournment of the House, 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 the resumption of the sittings of the House, the Chair shall present all reports to the Legislative Assembly.

Motion agreed to.

By leave, the Hon. G. Collins moved--

That the Select Standing Committee on Health be empowered to examine, inquire into and make recommendations with respect to finding effective strategies to change behaviour and encourage people to adopt lifelong health habits that will both improve their health and sustain the health care system.

1. Conduct consultations and report on recommendations from the Select Standing Committee on Health Reports from 2001 and 2002.

· Investigate other successful health promotion campaigns in other jurisdictions to analyze their potential effectiveness in BC.

· Undertake discussions on how to promote "healthy lifestyles" including the appropriate use of incentives and disincentives to help influence public behaviour.

2. Determine any potential financial savings to the Health Care system as a result of improved fitness of the general population and children and youth in particular.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Health and Social Services, the Committee shall be empowered:

(a) to appoint of their number, one or more subcommittees and to refer 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 such personnel as required to assist the Committee;

and shall report to the House no later than March 31, 2004; 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. G. Collins moved--

That the Select Standing Committee on Education be empowered to examine, inquire into and make recommendations on the following matters:

1. (a) To follow up on the 2002 recommendations of A Future for Learners: A Vision for the Renewal of Education in British Columbia; and, in particular;

(b) Based on the 2002 recommendation for a process for public post-secondary institutions to report back to the Select Standing Committee on Education on the enhanced tuition revenues to benefit students, the Committee is hereby empowered to request and receive reports on this matter from public post-secondary institutions.

2. The Committee may consider any other matters referred to the Committee by the Minister of Education and the Minister of Advanced Education.

3. The Committee shall prepare a report no later than April 30, 2004 on the results of this review.

In addition to the powers previously conferred upon the Select Standing Committee on Education, the Committee shall be empowered:

(a) to appoint of their number, one or more subcommittees and to refer 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 such 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.

Bill (No. 97) intituled Municipalities Enabling and Validating (No. 3) Amendment Act, 2003 was committed, reported complete without amendment, read a third time and passed.

Bill (No. 89) intituled British Columbia Railway (Revitalization) Amendment Act, 2003 was again committed.

In consideration of section 6 of Bill (No. 89) the Committee divided as follows:

YEAS -- 42
Hogg Hawkins Cheema Hansen J. Reid van Dongen Bray Roddick Wilson Hagen Murray	Coleman Penner Harris Brenzinger R. Stewart Bell Chutter Trumper Johnston Bennett Hayer	Krueger McMahon Hunter Les Locke Nijjar Bhullar Wong Visser Lekstrom	Cobb K. Stewart Bloy Brice Sultan Hamilton Sahota Hawes Kerr Manhas
NAYS -- 3
MacPhail	Kwan	Nettleton

Section 7 of Bill (No. 89) passed, on division.

Bill (No. 89) was reported complete without amendment.

The Hon. C. Clark advised the Speaker that pursuant to section 10 (1) of the Members' Conflict of Interest Act, she would withdraw from the debate on third reading of Bill (No. 89) and withdrew from the Chamber.

Bill (No. 89) read a third time and passed, on division.

Bill (No. 92) intituled Medicare Protection Amendment Act, 2003 was committed, reported complete with amendment, and by leave, read a third time and passed.

The Speaker declared a short recess.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor having entered the House, and being seated in the Chair --

Robert Vaive, Clerk Assistant, read the titles to the following Acts:

Bill (No. 75) Significant Projects Streamlining Act.

Bill (No. 84) Parks and Protected Areas Statutes Amendment Act, 2003.

Bill (No. 89) British Columbia Railway (Revitalization) Amendment Act, 2003.

Bill (No. 90) Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act (No. 3), 2003.

Bill (No. 92) Medicare Protection Amendment Act, 2003.

Bill (No. 93) Insurance (Motor Vehicle) Amendment Act, 2003.

Bill (No. 94) Health Sector Partnerships Agreement Act.

Bill (No. 95) Railway and Ferries Bargaining Assistance Amendment Act, 2003.

Bill (No. 96) Timber Licences Settlement Act.

Bill (No. 97) Municipalities Enabling and Validating (No. 3) Amendment Act, 2003.

Bill (No. Pr 410) Canadian Pentecostal Seminary Act.

Her Honour was pleased in Her Majesty's name to give assent to the said Acts.

The said assent was announced by Robert Vaive, Clerk Assistant, in the following words:

"In Her Majesty's name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth assent to these Acts."

E. George MacMinn, Q.C., Clerk of the House, read the title to the following Act:

Bill (No. 98) Supply Act, 2003-2004 (Supplementary Estimates No. 2).

Her Honour was pleased in Her Majesty's name to give assent to the said Act.

The said assent was announced by E. George MacMinn, Q.C., Clerk of the House, in the following words:

"In Her Majesty's name, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor doth thank Her Majesty's loyal subjects, accepts their benevolence, and assents to this Act."

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor was then pleased to retire.

The Hon. G. Collins moved--

That the House, at its rising, do stand adjourned until it appears to the satisfaction of the Speaker, after consultation with the Government, that the public interest requires that the House shall meet, or until the Speaker may be advised by the Government that it is desired to prorogue the Fourth Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament of the Province of British Columbia. The Speaker may give notice that he is so satisfied or has been so advised and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice, and, as the case may be, may transact its business as if it has been duly adjourned to that time and date; and

That, in the event of the Speaker being unable to act owing to illness or other cause, the Deputy Speaker shall act in his stead for the purpose of this order.

And then the House adjourned at 5.34 p.m.

CLAUDE RICHMOND, Speaker

PUBLIC WRITTEN QUESTION


Date answered: December 2, 2003

17 Scott Doherty, 1st Vice-President, Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, Local 1123, asked the Hon. the Minister of Education, regarding the Minister's responsibility for Education, the following question:--: How many more schools have to be closed in Campbell River and the North Island before this government realizes that their funding is insufficient and detrimental to the quality of education for our children?

The Hon. C. Clark replied as follows:

I am pleased to answer this publicly written question regarding education funding in Campbell River and the North Island.

I want to make it clear that our government has maintained education funding at $4.8 billion dollars even though the number of students has declined. Over the next two years, funding for schools will increase by $100 million.

This year, in addition to their basic allocation, school boards received a $43 per student one-time supplement. As well, boards with more than a one per cent drop in enrolment will share $12 million to reduce the effects of declining enrolment.

All but 10 of the province's 60 school districts are experiencing a declining enrolment; Campbell River and Vancouver Island North are no exception. Over the past three years Vancouver Island North has had a decline of 390 students; Campbell River has 509 fewer students.

Declining enrollment affects districts because funding is allocated on a per student basis. Local school boards are responsible for deciding how best to use funds within their district. School closures are never easy and provide many challenges to those affected but it doesn't make sense to fund empty classrooms.

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