Hey All,
Please enjoy Michael’s hard-hitting response to the Throne Speech, delivered yesterday in Legislature.
2009 Legislative Session: First Session, 39th Parliament
HOUSE BLUES
This is a DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY of debate in one sitting of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. This transcript is subject to corrections, and will be replaced by the final, official Hansard report. Use of this transcript, other than in the legislative precinct, is not protected by parliamentary privilege, and public attribution of any of the debate as transcribed here could entail legal liability.
DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
(HANSARD)
HOUSE BLUES
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2009
Afternoon Sitting
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2009
M. Sather: First of all, I’d like to start by congratulating you for your position as Deputy Speaker. I’m sure you will discharge your duties in the best of form and with all the capability that I know you have. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1705]
I also want to congratulate members on both sides of the House who are returning to these august chambers. Like my colleague before me, from Nanaimo, I do also want to express my sense of loss over some members in particular from this House — my good friend Charlie Wyse as well as Jenn McGinn and, of course, Corky Evans, who brought a very unique and very original perspective to the proceedings of this House. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[L. Reid in the chair.]
From the other side I will miss Rick Thorpe and Richard Neufeld. They were good, strong opponents, and that’s good to have. It’s good to have. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I’ve been employed by this Legislature for most of the last 17 years, some of it, as now, as a member of this House and previously as an assistant to a previous member of this House, and I don’t think I have ever, ever seen such an appalling display as I saw during question period today, seeing the members on that side of the House stand up and congratulate an absolutely appalling performance by this Premier and this minister of — what? — finance, the Minister of Finance and the Premier. There they were giggling, laughing. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
That’s not what the people of British Columbia are looking for with regard to the subject that was being discussed, the HST. The people of this province are ticked about the HST. They’re very angry about the HST. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I’ve never seen an issue in my years of politics where people are so upset, and those members know it. They get it too. They probably get it even more than we do on this side of the House, and yet there was no scintilla of remorse from that side of the House — no apology, no indication that they misled the people of British Columbia about that tax. None whatsoever. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
An Hon. Member: No, we didn’t. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
M. Sather: The member says they didn’t mislead the people of British Columbia. Well, then he should go out in his community tomorrow and tell each one of those people in his community that they didn’t mislead them about the HST and see what kind of response he gets from his constituents. He will be roundly criticized, and deservedly so, because it’s very clear that this government intended to bring in the HST. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
They knew it during the election, and they did not share that information with the people of British Columbia because they knew that a lot of them — most of them, I dare say — would not be returned to this House had they done so. Definitely not the member for Maple Ridge–Mission, who won by 66 votes. No way. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Then the following, the cuts…. They said that they were going to protect health and education, and what are they doing? They’re cutting it. Mission Hospital is going to be downgraded to an urgent care centre, you know. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Interjection.
M. Sather: The members opposite, the member for Abbotsford-Mission…. The people of Mission need their MLAs to defend their hospital, but what does that member say? He says: “Well, if I had a serious injury, I’d go to the Abbotsford Hospital. If I had a cut finger, I’d go to Mission Hospital.” That’s the kind of arrogance that that member displays, and that’s the kind of arrogance that this government has displayed today. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Not once have they stood up and said…. You know what? Maybe they want to say they believe in the HST. Okay. But they should have at least said that they were not forthcoming with the people of British Columbia about that tax. They should have said: “We could have done a lot better job.” [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In fact, just saying it straight out would have been a lot better job. “Guess what, people of British Columbia. Guess what, unsuspecting voters. We’re planning to bring in a new tax, a new tax of 12 percent. And what do you think about it? Do you want to elect us on that basis or not?” Of course, they didn’t do that, and it’s a shameful thing. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1710]
We saw, too, the issue of the deficit. I mean, $495 million maximum, the Premier of this province said during the election campaign. No bones about it. Wasn’t going to exceed that by a penny. That, again, they knew was not the case. They knew it was not the case. They knew it was going to be a lot more than that. But instead, notwithstanding that, the Premier of this province came out and, on that point, again misled the people of this province. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In this throne speech it says: “We’ve been hit by shifts that were brutally deceiving.” I can’t think of two words that describe the actions of this government during the election and subsequent to the election than “brutally deceiving.” A good choice of words by the government, for sure, because the people of British Columbia feel that they’ve been brutalized by this government just three or four months down the road from the election. They know that they’ve been deceived by this government, and they’re angry about it. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
They have a right to be angry about it, and they will continue to be angry about it. It’s not going to go away. If this government doesn’t come to its senses and retract this tax, year after year, as they pay for the HST — which should be called the disharmonized sales tax. That’s what it’s sown in this province: disharmony, a tremendous amount of disharmony. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In the throne speech the government said: “In May we heard from British Columbians that they wanted a stable government.” What did they get? Total, total instability. This government has been marked by anything but stability since election day, and it’s going on and on. We’re going to, I’m afraid, see more of it as we move through this session. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
That’s not what they ran on. They ran on telling British Columbians that they had it all together. They knew where the economy was at. They knew exactly what the deficit was going to be. They were the good money managers. Now that has become a cruel joke for the people of British Columbia, with a deficit now that is probably going to be about six times what they said it was going to be — six times. That’s good money management? Wow. Shocking, absolutely shocking, what this government has done in such a short period of time. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I think the best line yet that I’ve heard was from the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, one of the more erudite members on the opposite side, who made the oxymoronic statement that the HST is going to be good for everyone; of course, there will be exceptions. Well, hey, what can you say? That member is known for those kinds of statements. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
This government has been flip-flopping, flip-flopping all over the place since this election. It reminds me of the Monty Python skit about the dead fish upon the landing. Well, it isn’t a dead fish yet, but it’s in dire straits of becoming dead. I can’t see this government resurrecting their political fortunes with the kind of performance that they have put before the people of this province in these few months since they’ve been elected. But hey, they didn’t know. They didn’t know anything about the HST, hadn’t talked about it. It wasn’t on the radar. You name it. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
This is the same story basically, in another form, that this government has been spewing out there for a year now. They didn’t have a clue that there was going to be a recession last year. They were talking about a deficit-free zone in British Columbia, bragging about it. Then later on, near the budget date: “Oh, we’re going to have a balanced budget.” Of course, they didn’t, and it goes on and on. It goes on and on. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1715]
In the throne speech, again, this government says that Ontario’s decision to move to the harmonized sales tax made it imperative that our government act quickly. Well, that decision was made in March. If they wanted to move with such haste, then why didn’t they have the wherewithal to say something about it before the middle of May? But no, they didn’t seem to be moving with any particular haste up to that point. But everything that happened, happened quickly thereafter — everything that happened as far as the people of British Columbia were allowed to find out about. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
The federal Finance Minister said on March 30 that other provinces had approached him about joining with the HST. Now, the other provinces that do not have it — Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island — said they didn’t. So I guess that leaves only one possibility — doesn’t it? That somebody…. I guess it wasn’t the Finance Minister. He says he’s innocent of ever having thought about the HST. I guess it wasn’t him, but all the same, he refused to make a comment about that when questioned. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
What did the Liberals say about the HST during the election? They said that including more items under the HST would be a major concern. A major concern is what they said, but — what? — they didn’t care. It was a major concern, but so what. The arrogance of this government continues to show its face over and over again. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I talked to a lady out on the lawn here the other day, and I said: “Are you here to protest the HST?” She said: “No. I’m here to protest the dishonesty of this government.” That’s what people are so angry about. Yeah, they don’t like the HST one little bit, but what they really hate is being told one thing and then getting something else. That’s what really has made them angry. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In May of this year the government told the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association that they have no plans to engage the federal government in discussions about the HST. In fact, the Minister of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development told those same people a week before the announcement of the HST that all impacts of harmonization would have to be considered before implementation would be considered. A week later they did it. Wow. Quick turnaround, Madam Speaker, very quick turnaround. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So does that mean that he didn’t know what the Premier was contemplating? I don’t know. I guess the Premier runs the show over there, and the cabinet ministers and the backbenchers just have to fall in line, and it appears they may not even have known what was going on. However, as has been pointed out in this House, one former member of this House, John Nuraney, said: “Oh yes.” There were considerable discussions about the HST prior to the election with his government. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
It’s just unbelievable what we’re seeing. No cost-benefit analysis done, no study on the effects this tax will have on people — that’s apparent. Folks are going to be paying 7 percent more for a lot of items: salads, sandwiches, heated food, muffins, coffee, school supplies, electricity, natural gas, coal and fuel oil to heat your home, haircuts, gym fees — so much for healthy living B.C. — taxis, architects and accountants’ fees, repairs to home appliances, laundry, dry cleaning, new homes. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In fact, it’s been reported — accurately, I’m sure — that this tax will add $7,500 to a new home in Maple Ridge currently priced at $565,000 — $7,500. You can understand why people are upset. And there are taxes on the real estate and inspection fees on top of that. It’s a disaster, and the people of British Columbia know it is. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1720]
Condominium fees, legal and accounting transactions, vitamins — there’s another hit on healthy living B.C. — safety equipment for work, magazines, newspapers, building insulation, hot water tank insulators, Energy Star–qualified windows and refrigerators, energy-efficient furnaces. So much for LiveSmart B.C., a program that actually was doing something to help British Columbians be more green but was unceremoniously yanked by this government without so much as a warning to anyone — people that had already started into the process. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Home renovators, not surprisingly, are crying foul. They’re saying: “This is a big hit on our business, a totally unanticipated hit.” [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Anti-idling devices for vehicles. There goes the Premier’s so-called green agenda. Bicycles, yet. You know, go green; get out of your car. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
One of my constituents sent me an e-mail. She talked about her parents, who are middle-income folks by all accounts, and who figured out how much the HST is going to cost them. This is what they said: “Groceries, $336 a year more” — these were all per-annum additional costs — “telephone, $40.32; haircuts, $140; cable TV, $50.40; gas for the car, $210; gym memberships, $58.80″ — and yes, that helps to keep people healthy and out of the health care system — “hydro, $71.40 more; heating fuels, $64; the Internet, $70; income tax preparation, $21; clothing, $140 more; restaurants, $168 more; movie tickets, $40.32 more; newspapers, $16.80 more; travel vacations, $126; the veterinarian, $210; vitamins and medicines, 170 bucks.” [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
This all adds up to $2,000 for these folks — regular folks. Seniors, trying to enjoy some of the fruits of their lifelong labours, I’m sure, getting hit like this every year, year after year after year by this government…. This government should not think that those people will forget about it. They will not forget about it. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
It’s pretty clear what this tax is. It’s a $1.6 billion gift to big business. That’s what it is. So who’s to be surprised with this government? We know who their masters are. We know who they serve. But still the bald-facedness of it just takes away the breath of British Columbians. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
This is the usual manoeuvre of the corporatists on the other side — to take from the middle class and give to big corporations. That’s what they’re doing. A lovely tax shift, and the people of British Columbia get it. They know they’re being hosed. They know it, and they don’t like it, and they’re not going to take it anymore. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
It’s time for this government to recognize that, to get down off their high horse about this tax and recognize that they’re hurting British Columbians. At what time are they hurting British Columbians? The worst time — in a recession. What a horrible time to knock them down further. But that’s what this government is doing, and it’s showing once again what we’ve always said — that they don’t care. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Certainly, looking at the Premier, looking at the Finance Minister giggling about it today, I can only say that it’s clear they do not care. These guys are the reverse Robin Hoods. They take from those that have less and give to those that have more. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Again, it’s not that this is the first time that they’ve done this. There are shades of 2001-2002 here, when this government came in and brought tax relief to those that don’t need it. They brought in tax breaks for people that are earning over a quarter of a million dollars — who are, by the way, 0.4 percent of British Columbians. They reap more money out of this tax than the over 50 percent of British Columbians who make $30,000 a year or less. Again, it’s tax breaks for those that have it, or tax shifts in this case. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1725]
It’s a clear Milton Friedman-ish manoeuvre. You look for a time of upset. You look for a time when things are in flux, and certainly a recession is one of those times, and you make those choices. They did the same thing in 2001, when the opposition was small in this House — a very able opposition but small in number — and they’re doing it again. It’s very, very hard for British Columbians to swallow it, and they should not, and they are not. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
To top it off, this government just gave another tax holiday to big oil and gas. These folks have another holiday until the end of June, where they’re going to be paying 2 percent royalties — 2 percent — when they pay 25 to 40 percent in Alberta. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
These are the kinds of giveaways that drive British Columbians crazy, and this government has got to come to its senses. But I guess they feel vindicated. You know: “We won the election. We pulled the wool over their eyes again — ha, ha, ha.” But they’re going to be sorry unless they relook at this tax, for one thing, and at least come clean with British Columbians about what they knew and when they knew it. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
No consultation on the tax. Even the Canadian Federation of Independent Business wasn’t consulted. That’s a shocker — friends of the government. There was lots of consultation in the Maritimes when this tax was brought in. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
It goes on and on and on. The cuts have been devastating as well. In my community, we’re seeing…. I mentioned the hospital in Mission, but in our community the seniors outreach program where volunteers go into the homes of seniors to take them to their doctors’ appointments, to get them some groceries, to be some comfort for them, to be someone that they can talk to — they might be the only person they see all day — cancelled by this government. The volunteers that come into those homes and help the seniors in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows with some repairs, the handyman service — gone. Gone as a result of the actions of this government. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
The Fraser Health Authority, which is the arm of the government…. The spokesperson said that these programs were non-essential and didn’t do anything to keep Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows seniors in their homes. I’d like to know if the Health Minister, who has not been very available for some time now, agrees with that statement. I’d certainly like to hear from him. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Cythera counselling — program cut. Dealing with victims of domestic violence. The government says: “Oh, don’t worry, don’t worry. We’re taking it in-house.” Well, that’s nonsense. I worked as a mental health therapist, and there is no way that the people in mental health have the resources to take on extra programs. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Furthermore, domestic violence programs are not part of mental health — never have been. There may be one program in Langley, but by and large not, and they shouldn’t be. Mental illness and domestic violence should not be confused. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
That’s what’s happening in my community. The library’s being cut by nearly a quarter of its budget. What kind of programs are they going to see being at risk? Well, Internet and job search assistance — in a recession, a really good service. Books for Babies — at risk. We were going to be the most literate jurisdiction in North America. What a joke that’s been. The open access, the interlibrary loans, which keep us from buying multiple copies of the same book, saving money — at risk. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Gaming funds. There’s another game that this government is playing. There are non-profit societies all over my community — and I think all over this province — wanting to know whether they’re going to have the financial resources to continue their operations. Now the government says: “Well, it’s no longer frozen, and they’ll find out.” [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
They’ll find out. Well, the Friends In Need Food Bank better find out soon because they’ve got 5,000 clients in need. The food bank use has shot up in the last year, big time. We’ve got the highest rate in Maple Ridge–Pitt Meadows of people on EI in the region. We’ve got a lot of need in our community. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1730]
In the middle of summer, when normally the Caring Place from the Salvation Army doesn’t have huge turnouts for dinners — they have 170 people. Never had that many before. There’s a lot of need in my community, and these are the organizations that help those people. Those are the organizations — the Ridge Meadows Hospice Society, for goodness’ sake…. People who are dying and their families, who are in bereavement, are waiting to find out whether or not they’re going to survive. It’s the same with the Ridge Meadows Child Development Centre — waiting on tenterhooks. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
It’s cruel, Madam Speaker. This government needs to come clean, and quickly, about what the future is for these people, these organizations. The Ridge Meadows Youth and Justice Advocacy Association, which does a fantastic job in diverting youth from crime, is just barely hanging on. If they don’t get some help, they’re going to be gone by the end of October, and that would be a real shame to see. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In the throne speech there were some interesting revelations. “A review is now underway with respect to B.C. Ferries and TransLink.” That’s interesting. Now the government wants to meddle with TransLink after doing away with the elected board and putting in their handpicked people. Now they want to get into messing with TransLink, after they’ve saddled TransLink with huge spending commitments and saying: “Now you figure it out, you tell us how you’re going to pay it, and have a good time doing it.” [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
“Health authorities, boards of education and Crown corporations will be subject to similar reviews.” You know, what does that mean? What kind of meddling are we going to see by this government in these bodies? The one that really sticks out for me: “The B.C. Utilities Commission will receive specific direction.” “Specific direction” — I think that’s a very nice phrase to say: “We’re going to put it to you. You’re never again going to make a decision that we don’t agree with.” [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
So much for the hands-off nature that this Premier and this government always brag about: “Oh, we don’t get involved with those kinds of corporations, with those kinds of bodies. We let them do their work.” Well, not if their work…. Oh, they like the BCUC on Alcan, but when it came to their very, very good friends in the run-of-the-river industry, it’s: “Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. You can’t be doing that. These people are big donors. These are good friends of ours.” So BCUC is getting their marching orders too. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
It just goes on and on and on. “Working with B.C. municipalities we will examine all government-imposed costs…from property assessment to subdivision regulations and other development tools.” So now the municipalities who depend on that money — what is this government planning to do to them? [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
You know, they’ve downloaded to them all over the place. They’re struggling. They’re going to have to pony up big-time for TransLink. What is the government going to do to make these cost efficiencies, or whatever they have in mind? I think it’s leading simply to more anxiety by the people of British Columbia. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
There is nothing in that throne speech to give the people of British Columbia, the municipalities, the non-profits, the seniors or anybody else any comfort. It’s a sad day that we had to witness a throne speech such as we heard yesterday. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
