Votes -- No. 127 -- Tuesday, February 10, 2004 -- Ten o'clock a.m.

2004 Legislative Session: 5th Session, 37th Parliament

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

[ Progress of Bills . . . ]

No. 127

VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Ten o'clock a.m.

Prayers by Mr. Krueger.

The Hon. C. Richmond (Speaker) tabled the Auditor General 2003/2004: Report 5: Monitoring the Government's Finances.

Ms. Locke presented the Fourth Report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for the Fourth Session of the Thiry-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.

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

That the Standing Orders of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia be amended as follows:

1. That Standing Order 2 be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

Sittings

Daily sittings.

2. (1) The time for the ordinary meeting of the House shall, unless otherwise ordered, be as follows:: Monday: Two distinct sittings:
10 a.m. to 12 noon
2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
2 p.m. to 9 p.m. effective the first week of March; Tuesday: Two distinct sittings:; 10 a.m. to 12 noon; 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. effective the first week of March; Thursday: Two distinct sittings:; 10 a.m. to 12 noon; 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
(2) (a) Unless otherwise ordered, the House shall meet:: (i) the second Tuesday in February to the last Thursday in May inclusive, and; (ii) the first Monday in October to the last Thursday in November inclusive.

(b) The House shall stand adjourned during the week of Spring Vacation as provided in the School Act, the week of Good Friday, the week of Easter Monday, the 4th week after Easter (if Easter falls in March), the week of Victoria Day, the week of Thanksgiving Day and the week of Remembrance Day.
(c) As soon as possible after New Year's Day, the Clerk of the House shall publish a calendar which shows the days on which the House shall meet, according to the Standing Orders.

2. That Standing Order 3 be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

Hour of interruption.

: 3. If at the hour of 6 p.m. (or 9 p.m. effective first week of March) on any Monday; 6 p.m. on Tuesday; 6 p.m. (or 9 p.m. effective first week of March) on Wednesday; or 6 p.m. on Thursday, the business of the day is not concluded and no other hour has been agreed on for the next sitting, the Speaker shall leave the Chair:; On Monday until 10 a.m. Tuesday; On Tuesday until 2 p.m. Wednesday; On Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday; On Thursday until 10 a.m. Monday; subject to the provisions of Standing Order 2 (2) (b).

3. That Standing Order 25 be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

Routine Business

Daily routine.

: 25. The daily routine business of the House shall be as follows:; Prayers (morning or afternoon sitting); Introduction of Bills; Statements (Standing Order 25b) (afternoon sittings); Oral question period (15 minutes, afternoon sittings: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday)

: Presenting Petitions; Reading and Receiving Petitions; Presenting Reports by Committees

: Motions on Notice; Written Questions on Notice; Proposed Amendments on Notice

Orders of the Day.

The order of business for consideration of the House day by day, after the above routine, shall, unless otherwise ordered, be as follows:

Monday
10 a.m. to 12 noon
(Private Members' Time)

Private Members' Statements (10 a.m.)

Public Bills in the hands of Private Members

Private Members' Motions

Private Bills

Public Bills and Orders and Government Motions on Notice

No division, on Orders of the Day, will be taken in the House or in Committee of the Whole during Private Members' Time, but where a division is requested, it will be deferred until thirty minutes prior to the ordinary time fixed for adjournment of the House on the -Monday, unless otherwise ordered.

Monday (afternoon), Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
(Government Days)

Throne Speech Debate

Budget Debate including Committee of Supply

Public Bills and Orders and Government Motions on Notice

Private Bills

Public Bills in the hands of Private Members

Adjourned debate on other motions

4. That Standing Order 25A be deleted and the following substituted therefor:

Private Members' Statements

Private Members' Statements.

25A. (1) Every Monday at 10 a.m. four Private Members may make a statement, notice of which has been tabled no later than 6 p.m. the preceding Wednesday.

(2) The order in which such statements are to be called shall be determined by lot by the Speaker, before appearing on the Orders of the Day.

(3) The time allocated on Monday for statements and discussion thereon shall not exceed one hour, and the time for each statement shall be limited to 15 minutes as follows:

Proponent: maximum of 7 minutes

Any other Members: maximum of 5 minutes

Proponent in reply: maximum of 3 minutes

(4) Private Members' statements shall not be subject to amendment, adjournment or vote.

(5) Statements and discussions under this Standing Order:

(a) shall be confined to one matter;

(b) shall not revive discussion on a matter which has been discussed in the same Session;

(c) shall not anticipate a matter which has been previously appointed for consideration by the House, in respect to which a Notice of Motion has been previously given and not withdrawn;

(d) shall not raise a question of privilege.

5. That new Standing Order 25B be adopted:

Statements

Statements.

25B. Three Private Members shall be permitted a two minute statement each day immediately prior to Oral Question Period subject to the following guidelines:

(1) A Member desiring to make a statement shall so advise his or her Whip 24 hours prior to the relevant day the statement is to be made.

(2) Party Whips shall confer to settle the names of the three Members who will be recognised for "Statements" for the following sitting day and shall advise the Speaker by noon of the day in question as to who has been selected, together with the topic of the statement.

(3) Statements under this Standing Order shall be subject to the ordinary parliamentary rules of decorum and debate.

6. That Standing Order 27 (2) and (3) be amended by deleting the word "Friday" wherever stated and substituting "Monday morning" so that it reads as follows:

Government orders.

27 (2) Whenever Government business has precedence, Government orders may be called in such sequence as the Government thinks fit, and the Government may place Government orders at the head of the list on every sitting except Monday morning.

Urgent Government business.

27 (3) Notwithstanding Standing Orders 25, 25A and 27 (2), urgent Government business may, with the consent of the Speaker, be considered on Monday morning, and given priority over any other business.

7. Oral question period Friday.

47B. This Standing Order is repealed.

8. That new Standing Order 81.1 be adopted:

81.1 (1) When a Minister of the Crown, from his or her place in the House, states that there is agreement among the representatives of all parties to allot a specified number of days or hours to the proceedings at one or more stages of any public bill, the Minister may propose a motion, without notice, setting forth the terms of such agreed allocation; and the motion shall be decided forthwith, without debate or amendment.

(2) A Minister of the Crown who from his or her place in the House, has stated that an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of section (1) of this Standing Order in respect of proceedings at one or more stages of a public bill, may propose without notice a motion for the purpose of allotting a specified number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at one or more stages of a public bill. The motion shall be decided forthwith, without debate or amendment. Any proceedings interrupted pursuant to this section of this Standing Order shall be deemed adjourned.

Motion agreed to.

The Speaker declared a short recess.

The Honourable Iona V. Campagnolo, Lieutenant Governor of the Province, having entered the House, took her seat on the Throne, and was pleased to deliver the following gracious Speech:

Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly:

In closing the Fourth Session of the Thirty-seventh Parliament of British Columbia, I wish to commend you on the accomplishments of the past year. This session has seen the passage of measures of wide-ranging and significant importance to the people of the Province. On behalf of all British Columbians, I wish to express my appreciation for the care and attention that you have given to your deliberations. I now relieve you of your duties.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor was then pelased to retire.

The Hon. G. Plant (Attorney General) then said:

Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly:

It is Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor's will and pleasure that the Legislative Assembly be prorogued until 2 o'clock p.m. today and this Legislative Assembly is hereby prorogued accordingly.

The following Reports were received by the Office of the Clerk during adjournment:

Advanced Education Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Agricultural Land Commission Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Service Plan Report 2002/03
Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Treaty Negotiations Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
BC Assessment Annual Service Plan Report for the Year 2002 and a Report on the Creation of the 2003 Assessment Roll, and the Financial Statements for Year Ended December 31, 2002
BC Environmental Assessment Office Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
BC Games Society Annual Report 2002-2003
BC Health Care Risk Management Society Annual Report, 2002/03
BC Housing Annual Report 2002-2003
BC Hydro Annual Report 2003
BC Pavilion Corporation Annual Report Apr. 1/2002 to Mar. 31, 2003
BC Transit Annual Report 2003
British Columbia Arts Council Annual Service Plan Report, 2002/2003
British Columbia Buildings Corporation Annual Report, 2002-2003
British Columbia Ferry Corporation Annual Report, 2002/03
British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch Annual Report, 2002-2003
British Columbia Lottery Corporation Annual Report, 2002/03
British Columbia Railway Company Annual Report, 2002
British Columbia Securities Commission Annual Report 2002/03
British Columbia Utilities Commission Annual Service Plan Report for 2002/03
Budget 2004 Consultation Paper
Capital Project Plan: Sea to Sky Highway Improvement Project
Children and Family Development Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Columbia Basin Trust Annual Report 2002-2003
Columbia Power Corporation Annual Report 2002/03
Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Competition, Science and Enterprise Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Competition, Science and Enterprise Revised Service Plan 2003/04 - 2005/06
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area Annual Report, 2002/2003
Education Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Energy and Mines Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Finance Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
First Peoples' Heritage, Language & Culture Council Annual Report, 2002/03
Forest Practices Board Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Forests Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Health Planning Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Health Services Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Homeowner Protection Office
Human Resources Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Land and Water British Columbia Inc. Service Plan Report 2002-2003
Legal Services Society Annual Service Plan Report, 2002/2003
Management Services Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Ministerial Accountability Report 2002/03
Motor Carrier Commissioner Annual Reports, 2001/2002; 2002/2003
Office of the Premier Annual Service Plan Report, 2002/03
Oil and Gas Commission Annual Service Plan Report, 2002/03
Okanagan Valley Tree Fruit Authority Annual Report 2002/03
Organized Crime Agency of British Columbia Annual Report, 2002/2003
Partnerships British Columbia Annual Report 2002-2003
Private Post-Secondary Education Commission of British Columbia Annual Report, 2002/03
Provincial Capital Commission Annual Report 2002/2003
Provincial Revenue Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Public Accounts 2002/03
Public Safety and Solicitor General Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Public Service Employee Relations Commission Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Royal BC Museum Annual Report 2002-2003
Science Council of British Columbia
Skills Development and Labour Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Sustainable Resource Management Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Tourism British Columbia Annual Report, 2002/2003
Transportation Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03
Water, Land and Air Protection Annual Service Plan Report 2002/03

And then the House prorogued at 10.13 a.m.

CLAUDE RICHMOND, Speaker

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