FEBRUARY 16, 2006
Throne Speech Debate
Response to the Throne Speech

R. Cantelon: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for that cordial greeting from members of both sides of the House. I appreciate that. I hope it carries on after my speech, but perhaps not.

           K. Krueger: We'll see.

           R. Cantelon: We'll see, yes.

           It is indeed a pleasure to rise today and enter this debate as the representative of Nanaimo-Parksville. I have to say that it's been a very interesting debate, with point and counterpoint being made on either side of the House.

           On this side of the House a wide spectrum of political consideration was covered by our members. The member for Port Moody–Westwood has scaled the philosophical heights, disappearing into the metaphoric mist on Mount Everest with his speech.

           I. Black: Kilimanjaro, actually.

           R. Cantelon: Kilimanjaro — I stand corrected. I'm sorry about that.

           The member for Langley has sought the opinion of the street, and she very aptly characterized that as the coffee-shop talk at Tim Hortons.

           Both perspectives, I thought, were very well put to us. First, the view from 25,000 feet gave a broad vision of where the plans of the throne speech are taking us and need to take us. The second call — for a street-level understanding of what this government's priorities are and should be. There is no better iconic place to get that view today than in the ubiquitous Tim Hortons. That's where you get the real goods today, Mr. Speaker.

           From the other side of the House, what I heard primarily was word counts. The word that was being counted most often was "transformation." It was done several times with different counts and then different interpretations being put on both the significance of the count and the meaning of the word. I was not surprised by this fixation on word counts or by the dilemma that this particular word seemed to be causing the members opposite. They seemed to impute a meaning to the word which does not exist and which was certainly not intended in the throne speech.

           In listening to their arguments — and I did listen — they've interpreted the word "transformation" as some sort of code word that stands for the word that is an anathema to the very core of their political doctrine — the hated, the dreaded word "privatization." It is a word that instils anger and disgust among their members. It is a word that one must recoil from in horror, along with other toxic words like "profit" and any other words associated with business.

           Transformation simply means change — change for the better, in fact. It was acknowledged on both sides of this debate that, indeed, we must adapt to the challenges that face us in the coming decades. We must actually embrace change.

           I said that I was not surprised by this fixation. I was not because in the first session, a word that had the same codification connotation was often used by the members opposite to ascribe motives to our approach to governance. The word that I heard so often was "ideology." I didn't do a count, but I invite any ambitious members to do it. I'm sure there are many, many versions and uses of that word in Hansard from the previous session. That word, ideology, was again used as a code to mean that our political ideas and actions are dominated by other hated words like privatization and profit.

           They've observed that we do have a high degree of interest in the economy, and they are certainly correct in that observation. The mistaken inference they have drawn, however, is that that is where it ends — that all public good must be sacrificed to the god of business. It is a cynical and pessimistic view.

           The members opposite are correct, however, in their assumption that we do have an ideology. It's not very obscure. We've tried to make it as plain and as bold as we can. It is simple. We seek to make British Columbia the greatest province in the country — to fulfil the potential of its beauty, its rich natural resources and the hopes and dreams of its wonderful people.

           [S. Hammell in the chair.]

           We spell it out like this: (1) to make B.C. the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent; (2) to lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness; (3) to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors; (4) to lead the way in sustainable environmental management with the best air quality, water quality and fisheries management, bar none; and (5) to create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

           These are the goals that define our ideology, that define our vision for this great province. It's no accident that the last goal is at the bottom. That is the one that talks about economic issues. It is at bottom because it is the foundation on which all the other goals stand. The economy with a flourishing private sector, with healthy profit margins, makes possible the goals that will make this province truly great and make the next ten years a golden decade. A strong economy is simply not an end unto itself; it is a means to an end.

           A strong economy, though, has brought many direct benefits to the citizens of all British Columbia. There's an atmosphere, a business climate of optimism, and this has been aided by our policy of tax cuts. Investors are now looking at B.C. as a place of opportunity. They've been offered certainty of their investment, so they are starting to invest their money here.

           This has been most dramatic in the recovery of the mining sector. In 2005 the mining exploration was $220 million. That's up 70 percent from just last year and a quantum leap from four years ago when it was a paltry $29 million. This investment provides much-needed, quality, high-paying jobs in our rural areas and provides a solid economic base to many of our smaller rural communities.

           Investment is needed in the forest sector too, and it was commented on by the member for Nanaimo — the demise of the Phoenix mill. And may I just say about the member for Nanaimo…. He mentioned he is distracted, and I understand that he is. I hope that his wife is doing much better. I understand she's been hospitalized for a medical condition, so I hope the members join me in wishing her well and a speedy recovery.

           Some Hon. Members: Hear, hear.

           R. Cantelon: The member for Nanaimo alluded to the fact that, well, we now have a federal government that should give out money. I'm not surprised that this would be, perhaps, the ideological frame of reference for the members opposite — to pour government money into supporting something. He referred to it as a modern mill. Well, we're growing older, Madam Speaker. That mill is over 25 years old, and it doesn't meet the modern demands. We do need to attract investment, and we do need to have stability in order to attract that investment. We certainly concede, and I know that the minister for forests and lands is embarking on a plan to attract that very investment into the community.

           The Minister of Economic Development has also set up a new fund, and I think it's an innovative approach. Several funds throughout the province and the one that affects Vancouver Island is the Vancouver Island and coastal region economic development trust fund. Here, it's a different approach. A $50 million fund is set into the hands of the municipal authorities and appointed board to make the investments that seem appropriate for their region.

           I certainly know in our region, one of the ones that they will be looking at immediately is expansion of the Nanaimo Airport. It's critical to both the southern area of Vancouver Island and also the mid-area. We need new transportation. These are the decisions that the board of this new fund can make, but probably it will be more in the nature of loans rather than of direct investment.

           Things have been good. The unemployment rate has dropped. In fact, on Vancouver Island and the coast it's at a level of 4.5 percent, which we'd like to be lower, but that's dropped from 6.3 percent last year and down from 9.6 percent in 2001. In fact, it's at a historical low. It's the lowest it's ever been since unemployment figures have been recorded on Vancouver Island — that is, when they started to do regional measures of unemployment.

           The employment, on the positive side, has gone up. There have been more than 46,000 jobs created in the last four years, and that's a dramatic improvement. Most of these jobs are attracting young people. They are people that are coming back home with their families, and that's very encouraging to see them relocate. It's been a good economy, and it promises to continue to be a good economy. It needs to be a good economy if we're to have the resources to face the challenges that we set out in our ambitious five goals.

           The Bank of Montreal indicates it has an optimistic view of us. The BMO Financial Group predicts that British Columbia's economy will continue to be a top performer for the rest of the decade, with real GDP growth of 4 percent in 2006, 3.5 percent in 2007 and 3.2 percent in 2008. We certainly hope that the optimism and the strong economic growth that we've experienced will continue. It will need to continue if we're to achieve the goals that we set out for ourselves.

           While the five great goals that I mentioned earlier point in the direction of our vision for the future, the throne speech this week lays down the track. It's going to be where the rubber hits the road and where we get things done, and it's a very, very ambitious program. There are nearly 70 actionable items that this government intends to achieve, and that is the real, positive leadership that our Premier has provided.

           There's much to absorb in this plan, so I'm not surprised that the members opposite seem to have missed a few points or have misconstrued or at least — be more generous — have misinterpreted some of the action items. The Leader of the Opposition has criticized the commitment by the Premier and the Minister of Education, Minister Bond, to visit all the school districts, accusing the Premier of ignoring the democratically elected representatives — that is, the school board and the trustees. It is as though she suspects that there's a plot afoot against them. This brings to mind an old joke by a psychiatrist friend of mine, who said: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't plotting against you."

           But that is not the case. In fact, I was with Minister Bond on a recent visit to Parksville, and of course the first group we visited with was indeed those elected representatives, the school board officials, who are doing an outstanding job with a variety of very ambitious programs that meet the literacy needs of the young people in their area. The minister was very impressed with that.

           Following that, we had a round table with…. The school trustees were there. The educators were there. The administrators — that is, the principals — were there, and another group that the Leader of the Opposition had forgotten about. That was, of course, the CUPE union, which was represented because they provide the learning assistants. We heard a very, very healthy and hardy exchange of all views.

           This is exactly the format and the direction that our Premier and the Minister of Education will be doing to every single school district in the province, because we need to listen. We need to hear. I think it's appropriate in the context of talking about school districts. That is our first goal: to make British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. These actions are actions that will help us achieve that.

           I think it's very appropriate in the context of talking about schools to define the question before we leap to the answer. Certainly, I've been advised by my teachers and parents: "Ron, when you go to an exam, make sure you read the question." I think a complete and thorough understanding of the question, of the issue, is essential before you leap to solutions.

           While we may be accused of delaying, I think it's very, very critical that we go through this process of listening to people in every school district throughout the province to understand their viewpoint before we develop policy. We certainly recognize that there are things that need to be fixed with the school system, and yet things are moving ahead. Things are being done, and we will hold the first-ever teachers congress. Certainly, the issue of class size and class composition will be a topic that will be well discussed in these round-table meetings.

           Things still move forward, and I'm pleased to reflect on the fact that in my area things are already happening. There's been $180,000 for districts 68 and 69, and they put this money to good work immediately with innovative literacy programs to help those that are behind in their learning skills — in district 68, where we gave $138,000 to implement Literacy Lead Teachers at the secondary level, and another $43,000 for an early reading intervention program that will be put into effect in district 69. These are key elements in our strategy to make us the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

           The next goal is to lead the way in healthy living and physical fitness, and I'm certainly very happy to report that Nanaimo will take a key role in physical fitness and healthy living. We'll be hosting the Seniors Games in 2007, which I think is very appropriate for our community, being that we have such a high degree of seniors in our population. This is something that Nanaimo has excelled at.

           We held the B.C. Disability Games last year, and it was my pleasure to attend on behalf the minister. It was an outstanding show and an outstanding performance. Everyone had a good time, which I think is one of the first criteria of evaluating success. Everybody who came — the coaches, the volunteers — interacted, and it was a wonderful community event and a wonderful thing to bring the citizens of British Columbia together. The Seniors Games promise to be even greater than that, and I'm sure that Nanaimo will excel again and outdo itself in setting a new standard of excellence in hosting games such as these.

           I mentioned questions and answers, and there were several issues regarding health care, which is also a part of our second goal, of course — to lead the way in healthy living and physical fitness. We talked about re-examining health care, and again I come to the issue of asking the questions and understanding the problem before you launch into successes.

           It was commented by one member opposite that in the health care system, the fact is that the principles are largely undefined. Really, let's be honest with ourselves. Let's take a hard look at it. Indeed they are, in many different aspects. Many things are covered. If you go for certain types of examinations, they are covered. If you go for others, they are not. Certain procedures are covered, and certain are not. It may be an evil word to say — or words, I suppose. But the reality is — and we're going to talk about this — that we really have a two-tiered system in British Columbia. I wait for the opposition to react in horror. But we do, really, because those who have money can take their money down to the United States and get care immediately if they do. So we've got to recognize and approach this in a different way.

           The member for Nanaimo, of course, said that he was against private medicine. Well, what does he think his doctor does? His doctor isn't employed by the government. It is a publicly administered and publicly funded medicare plan, but most of the medical practitioners, the first line, are in private practice. They are free enterprise. They are working for personal profit. It works quite well, but that doesn't mean, nor should it preclude, that we look at other systems of delivering medical services.

           That is indeed what the Health Minister intends to do. The Minister of Health will travel to countries across the continent and abroad to examine different approaches, because we have to learn. As has been pointed out by other speakers, if we don't change our approach and look at ways to modernize our delivery of health care, it will consume the entire budget. Of course, the Premier has certainly said that the five principles of medicare, which we uphold, mean nothing and are empty promises without sustainability. So whatever system we look at, it must be sustainable.

           Health care has certainly advanced in our area. In Nanaimo we're very, very fortunate to see a surgical ward be expanded — $30 million. It was a great thing to see after the empty promises of the members opposite. Nothing was done during the '90s, and the building sat empty. Now, under the Liberal administration, those facilities have been completed, and it's one of the most modern surgical wards in the country. The new perinatal wing is now being expanded in Nanaimo, as well, to give us a very strong level of secondary care for those with problems and concerns regarding childbirth.

           One of the best examples of working together with communities was collaboration on the new MRI unit in Nanaimo, where the regional district and the various communities all pitched in. The Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation supported it, and that great new diagnostic technique was put into the hospital. So things have been moving ahead on the health care front.

           I'm also pleased to report that we're making progress on the third goal, though you wouldn't know it to hear some of the members of the opposition, and that's to build the best support system in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors.

           I was very happy to attend the opening of the expansion of the Arrowsmith Lodge in Parksville recently. It's what they would describe as their first community of care. Previously they had 59 intermediate care beds. Now, with the new expansion, this has been replaced by 75-bed complex care, which is a net gain of 16 beds, and the old facility has been renovated for 30 new assisted-living spaces. Within this complex of care they will have a range of services from assisted living to tertiary care so that people don't have to move from one facility to another.

           It's been an outstanding partnership, and horror of horrors, it is a partnership with a non-profit society, an independent — it is not a government group; it is a non-profit society: the Arrowsmith Rest Home Society — VIHA and the B.C. Housing.

           I was very impressed with the energy, the commitment and the community support that this society had in Nanaimo. They intend to take advantage of what has just been announced by VIHA — to, again, fulfil our commitment to 5,000 new beds — that the Nanaimo-Parksville area receive 435. I hope this isn't too much of a shock to the other areas. Also, 30 new care beds will be developed by 2010.

           The RFP has gone out, and I want to tell you that I've been approached by several groups wanting to know more information about them. Of course, I've directed them to VIHA. There's great support both from profit for private partnerships…. There has been quite an enthusiastic response from the not-for-profit groups. I'm sure the community is going to rise to the challenge, and we're going to see those beds built and fulfil our commitment to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors. I want to say that certainly the seniors, Nanaimo-Parksville having the highest concentration of senior population in Canada per capita…. This is certainly welcome news and fills an immediate need.

           That's not the only area. We're also working with people in the city of Nanaimo to expand and work on the commitments for Willow WAI, which is an important transition house by the Haven Society that provides shelter, respite and a transitional period for women — and their children often — working in the sex trade or with drug addictions. It gives them a place to go to reset the clock and re-establish their lives. It has been an extremely effective program. They're working on expanding that, and I certainly support them in doing that.

           Many things are happening. It's an ambitious plan. There are over 70 actionable items. One of the ones, again, that one of the speakers mentioned was: "Well, what do they say about housing? They've ignored housing." It was the last item on the page, and I think it was four pages of 70 items. I think the opposition could be forgiven for not reading all of the lines, but here it is: implement a new "housing strategy aimed at helping those most in need more quickly and effectively" and "give individuals greater choice and new flexibility." So this will be a program that will be unveiled.

           This is very challenging in this era of rising residential home construction costs, and so a new approach has to be taken. I certainly look forward to the minister presenting that. This is only one line that talks about an entirely new change of direction for people with housing needs. It will be, as I reiterate, aimed at those in need to help them quickly and effectively and to give them choice. I think it's an outstanding new philosophical approach to this.

           Also, the employment programs have changed — the line above that, with income assistance — and it's been quite a quantum shift. One of the benefits of this new economy is that more people are working, and therefore there's less money being paid out in income assistance. However, the budget hasn't been changed despite that. The money is being redirected to help those that have special needs and that are harder to employ because of their disabilities. Therefore, more time, effort and special programs to serve them in a specific and individual way and to get them employed — this is the new direction of that ministry.

           All of these things are goals to support the five great goals. They lay out the targets. They lay out the tracks. They lay out the action that will actually deliver, and I want to say that that's what this government is about: delivering. Get on with it. Get it done. If we have an ideology, that's it: to get things done and to make things happen.

           I was happy on the fourth one, with regard to sustainable environment, to announce to the people of Lantzville in my riding that they're receiving $2.4 million to upgrade their sewer system. This was a virtual environmental crisis. It wasn't a pretty sight in the winter in the city of Lantzville to see that the water would actually leech out — the rainwater, and we had lots this year — of the sewer systems and drain into the open ditches. It was a horrible health hazard, and now that's being addressed.

           The city and the city of Lantzville have worked together on a partnership — and again, this is the sort of collaborative work that we would like to support as a government — to hook up to the Nanaimo water system to provide them a more sustainable and more ample supply of water. So both the water and then the sewer are going to make a huge difference to the health and safety of the people in that community.

           In summing up, I'd have to say that we are doing what we promised to do. Ours is going to be a record of promises kept, of getting things done, of making things happen and of fulfilling the five great goals. I look forward to continuing to be the representative of Nanaimo-Parksville and working for my community to get things done.

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