Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Colombie-Britannique 34e 1re Discours du Trône 9 mars 1987 Robert Gordon Rodgers Lieutenant-Gouverneur British Columbia Social Credit Party Mr. Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly, as we open this first session of the thirty-fourth Parliament of our province of British Columbia, I extend greetings on behalf of our sovereign, the Queen. Today, as a new parliament, we begin a new chapter in the history of this assembly, with 39 members taking part in their first session. My government bids them a special welcome. My government's mandate stems from its commitment to make a fresh start in order to create a stronger economy and jobs for our people. We promised an open and accessible style of government that responds to the needs of people. We said we would free up the private sector and work with it as a partner to get our province moving. We vowed to restore confidence in the vitality of our province's economy. We said we would sharply cut government interference in the lives and activities of British Columbians and business. We will deliver. We will listen, consult and lead by example, saying what we mean and doing what we say. We will seek cooperation to develop policies and programs to strengthen our province and provide security for our people. Difficult decisions must be made. Revenues are down, spending demands are up and the deficit must be reduced. My government will show strong leadership. We will follow the right course, not the most expedient, refusing to sacrifice a better future for all by bowing to the demands of a few. We will instead pursue the long-term interests of all British Columbians, whose rights and welfare must always be paramount. With that aim in mind, my government takes up its task with confidence. Our new style and approach has created a growing sense of optimism about our province and its prospects. Thousands and thousands of British Columbians have told us they want to be part of our fresh start. My government will build on this momentum and work with the private sector to break down barriers to opportunity. We have a plan for a new economy; we will make it work. We will act to bring long-term stability in labour-management relations. We will strengthen small and medium-sized business to diversify our economic base. We will decentralize government and cut red tape to free up business activity. We will be aggressive in seeking investment and markets. Most important, we will invest in our most valuable resource -- our people. That means quality education, job training and creating fresh entrepreneurial opportunities through our private sector. Good government does not work behind closed doors. Our words and intent will be matched by action. My cabinet and committees of this House will travel across our province to bring government to the people. We will seek answers and find solutions from all, because there is no monopoly on good ideas or constructive proposals. My government will increase involvement in decision-making in and outside the Legislature. As a priority, my government will expand the number and roles of the all-party committees of this assembly. I will ask all members to become more involved in the business of our parliament. My government will act to have a board of internal economy appointed early in this session. Under the chairmanship of the Speaker, it will develop fair procedures and rules for the financial management and administration of this assembly. These procedures, including formulas to fund the operations of the caucuses of government and the official opposition, will be in place for the 1988-89 fiscal years. My government will in the interim substantially increase funding so that the official opposition has the resources to meet its obligations in this session. And since government's business is everybody's business, my government will act to provide coverage of the Legislature on television and radio by late fall. In keeping with its open approach, my government will spell out its intentions. In this session members will be asked to strengthen the democratic process and individual rights by considering measures to provide more just and equitable expropriation procedures for all British Columbians, to formalize self-government for the Sechelt Indian band and for other bands, and to end dual constituencies and provide mail-in votes for the handicapped. In regard to this latter initiative, my government is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Justice Thomas K. Fisher as a commissioner to inquire into and make recommendations on single-constituency boundaries. My government will also act in this session to improve and enhance programs and services for British Columbians. My government will introduce more support programs to meet the needs of victims and witnesses of crime. We will also continue to provide specialized support to victims of sexual assault, child abuse and wife assault. A new Police Act will strengthen the investigative and inquiry powers of the B.C. Police Commission, ensuring more fairness to police and citizens. The Adoption Act will be changed to give adults access on request to an adoption disclosure registry. Measures to ensure lawyers are competent, financially responsible and subject to appropriate disciplinary procedures will be introduced. We will act to make sure spouses make timely support payments to families and dependent children. My government is pleased to announce that Barry Sullivan will head the royal commission which will investigate education in our province and report by April 1988. Training manuals to assist educators to deal with sex abuse and sex offenders in schools will be presented. A basic provincial guideline program on family life and sex education, supported by instructional material and appropriate staffing and funding, will be issued to school districts by September. The program will deal with the topic and related health issues in an open but sensitive and careful way that is both appropriate and acceptable. My government will provide funding in this session to reduce the high rate of abortions in our province. Support programs for single mothers, more day-care facilities and increased adoption opportunities will be made available to address the ever-increasing number of abortions. We will also move quickly to increase welfare rates for those most in need, particularly families and single parents. My government will soon name a task force to work with the private sector to open up job opportunities for the disabled. Education is the bedrock on which we must build our new economy. My government will introduce a range of new and imaginative initiatives throughout our education system. We will pursue how to offer a tax-deductible registered educational savings plan. We will implement a scholarship credit plan that will allow Grade 8 to 12 students with high academic standing to earn credits towards the cost of their post-secondary education and we will establish a government program to match corporate and private donations towards scholarships. All British Columbians are proud of their public education system, which has fared well in evaluation and testing across the land. But special mention must also be made of the independent school system, which has shown unprecedented growth and acceptance. Therefore, in fairness, my government will be providing special financial assistance to help further relieve those who have, in a democratic system, chosen the independent education process for their children. Our advanced education system will play a hands-on role in economic development. Post-secondary funding will be increased to ensure that colleges and universities are a full partner in the process. The new economy will demand new skills and new education programs for our people. Our educational institutions will be given the tools to do the job. My government will coordinate, on behalf of our post-secondary institutions, the marketing of educational services on an international basis. Emphasis will be placed on programs that strengthen our growing relationship with Pacific Rim nations. All British Columbians should be extremely proud of the individuals who head our universities and colleges. With the help and cooperation of these educational leaders, my government will establish a Premier's science and research council with representatives from our advanced educational institutions, business and government. Further, my government will, during this fiscal year, coordinate a phased and full transfer of responsibility for its science and technology component to the post-secondary education community through the Ministry of Advanced Education and Job Training. My government will present a science and technology strategy to bring together the universities, the private sector and governments as partners. Aerospace, biotechnology, ocean industries, microelectronics and nuclear research will be target areas of growth. British Columbians are well served by those who work for government. My government will, through the Provincial Secretary, consult with public servants on ways to improve both morale and productivity and to ensure that they have the fullest opportunity to use and enhance their skills within the public service. The key player in our plan for a new, more diversified economy will be a vibrant and growing private sector Government has no money of its own; its ability to deliver and improve essential social programs is only as good as its tax revenues. My government will act to let business get down to business -- and rekindle the spirit of enterprise across our province. Job one is to get government off the back and out of the way of the private sector. My government, through the minister responsible for privatization, will immediately appoint a private sector task force to work on privatization of Crown corporations. The task force, working cooperatively with the Ministry of Economic Development, will report within three months on activities which should be turned over to the private sector and how Crown corporation cash requirements can be cut. As part of its mandate, the task force will recommend a means by which the debts of Crown corporations can be retired. Private sector expansion will be financed by privately run venture capital funds. Government pension fund programs will be revised to channel capital to B.C. companies. A one-stop centre will let the private sector interact with government economic ministries. A network of privately run trading corporations will be set up to market and sell B.C. products and services around the world. An economic development council composed of business and labour representatives with special contacts in our province, Canada and abroad will be appointed by April 30 to advise my government on implementation of our plan for a new economy. My government will open the door to more opportunities in employee participation and investment to further enhance the small- and medium-sized business sector's proven record in job creation. My government will amend its role in terms of aid and assistance to entrepreneurs. We believe new business should have an appropriate level of assured private financing prior to government involvement through loans or guarantees. My government will help British Columbians turn their energy, talent and ideas into profitable one, two or three-person businesses. We will by October develop a program to provide marketing and management skill support for these individuals to help them operate cottage industries at the local level. Such assistance will also be directed to single parents and welfare recipients, to help them develop their skills and talents in order to become self-supporting. My government will in addition introduce a major employment and job training program tor employable welfare recipients. My government will act to reduce our deficit. This problem is a priority task. No single act will do more to stimulate public and business confidence--and confidence is the key to investment--than a reduction of this burden. We will be careful--but caring--in our spending policies, making sure help is available when needed, and at the same time that tax dollars are spent wisely. My government will act early in this session to bring about long-term stability in labour relations. In the international markets where we compete for sales and investment, no issue affects us more. It is imperative--and this was reinforced by the long and costly forest industry dispute last year--that we break fresh ground. British Columbia industry must produce and deliver on time and at a fair price, or lose credibility--and, even worse, investment, customers and jobs. As a result of extensive consultations, my government will make significant changes to the laws and institutions that govern the industrial relations community. These changes will restore the democratic rights of individuals in the workplace. Equally important, they will protect the forgotten third parties--the British Columbians and their families who suffer most during prolonged work stoppages. My government will undertake a provincial initiative to attract entrepreneurs and investment to British Columbia. At the same time, we will monitor and evaluate our tax system to ensure it stays responsive to British Columbia's changing requirements. My government intends to move towards a system of taxation for job creation industries that is based on profit rather than on fixed charges. But to build a healthy economy that creates jobs and provides security, we must do more. My government will undertake a broad range of complementary initiatives in its dealings with the private sector and other governments. We will actively pursue the early export of surplus hydroelectricity to the United States. We will work with the private sector and other governments to seek out new markets in Canada and around the world for our coal. At the same time, we will evaluate the use of coal to generate hydroelectric power and other more diversified and marketable products. My government will in this session take steps to deal with the recommendations of the Mining Industry Task Force. We will develop stronger business trade and tourism links, with the U.S. Pacific Northwest and California as a priority. My government will safeguard British Columbia's interests while strongly supporting a comprehensive trade agreement with our largest customer. the United States. My government cannot stress enough the importance to British Columbia. and indeed to all of Canada. of an early and successful conclusion to the current free-trade negotiations. We pledge our continued and intensive support to the Prime Minister of Canada and his government for this initiative. The powers of provincially regulated trust companies, credit unions and insurance companies will be extended. Action will also be taken to improve provisions related to insurance liability for municipalities. All these initiatives are part of the framework within which we will focus our number one priority--economic renewal. My government will work cooperatively with the federal government to ensure our province gets equal treatment as a full partner in Confederation. The recent agreement between my Premier and the Prime Minister of Canada to establish a working federal-provincial council of ministers to deal with matters of concern to both governments is clear evidence of the cooperative spirit, and bodes well for British Columbia's active participation in a growing Canadian economy. My government is confident the council will ensure that our request for a fair share of federal procurement and contracts, as well as increased representation on federal boards and agencies, will be met. A sound reforestation policy continues to be a priority for my government. Working with the private sector, we will plant trees at a rate better than harvesting and losses due to natural causes like fire and infestation. My government believes our forest industry offers untapped potential for fresh economic growth. A fund will be set up to make our province a world leader in forestry research and to encourage the development of new technologies to make our industry even more productive. My government will, this year, establish a Pacific Rim institute of tourism to ensure a world-class standard of professionalism in our industry. Cooperative tourism promotion programs with the private sector and other governments in the Pacific Northwest and California will build on the success of our world exposition. My government will encourage goals in agriculture, aquaculture and our food and beverage industries by helping them capitalize on domestic and foreign market opportunities. We will, in addition, work with the private sector to turn more of our raw agricultural resources into marketable, finished and packaged products. An aquaculture advisory council will be appointed by May 15 to ensure the orderly and responsible growth of this increasingly valuable industry. My government places a high priority on health care services to British Columbians. We will maintain world-class levels of service and, at the same time, ensure British Columbians get the best value for their dollars. My government will continue to provide new medical techniques and facilities to benefit our people, including the establishment on Vancouver Island of a B.C. rehabilitation centre for victims of brain injuries. The development of this centre, in cooperation with the Insurance Corporation of B.C., the Workers' Compensation Board and the University of B.C. Health Sciences Centre, will eliminate the need to send such patients to the United States for specialized treatment. My government will preserve and protect our environment as illustrated by the establishment of an advisory panel to deal with the issue of special wastes. We will attempt to expedite the federal-provincial negotiations for establishment of a national park on South Moresby in the Queen Charlottes. My government will seek a bilateral agreement with the federal government to develop the enormous tourism potential this area offers. Working together, our two governments can create a national park and tourism environment that will not only generate major economic benefits for all British Columbia but, in particular, new employment and income for the friendly people of the Queen Charlottes region. British Columbians deserve government that fits local needs. My government will restore more decision-making and functions of government to the community level, because increased attention to local autonomy is long overdue. The recent Premier's Conference on Decentralization was the first step. Our government looks forward to receiving recommendations in the very near future from a provincial-municipal committee on ways to speed up this process. Action will also be taken to provide greater local autonomy and efficiency at the regional district level. My government seeks a new, mutually productive relationship with the native Indian people of our province. The recently formed committee of cabinet responsible for native Indian affairs will work closely with our native people on self-government and matters of mutual interest. My government will seek private-sector support to establish a native Indian heritage centre to reflect and preserve the language and culture of our first citizens. Provincial regulations will be amended to reduce red tape and complement federal changes to rules governing interprovincial and trans-border trucking. Legislation will be introduced to improve the administration of the horse-racing commission and further the development of the horse-racing and -breeding industries. My government will appoint Richard M. Macintosh, a deputy chairman of the B.C. Police Commission, to head a gaming commission to oversee and police all aspects of gambling in our province. Mr. Speaker, my government has laid out the broad elements of a realistic and workable plan for a new economy and social progress in our province. The full details will become apparent when my government presents its budget and spending plans for the coming fiscal year. British Columbia today stands at a crossroads. As a people, we must now make a choice. We can walk the traditional path of doubt and distrust, wasting our energies and our time in partisan political strife, or we can step out together on a new road that leads to a more secure future for all British Columbians. My government believes British Columbians would have us take the latter route. Working together as a people, regardless of our political affiliations, status or association, we can make this province one of the most favoured places on earth. Working with purpose, we can provide our people--individuals and families--with greater security and fresh opportunities for success and personal fulfilment. If we are willing to harness and use our resources and goodwill, there is no limit to what we can accomplish together. The give-and-take we engage in today will pay enormous dividends in the future. My government believes there is no more fitting way to conclude this Speech from the Throne than with the words used by Her Majesty in her message today to the Commonwealth: "I would ask all of you, wherever you may be, to do all you can to help the cause of human goodness, to share with others your enthusiasms and visions, your thoughts and hopes, and above all, your understanding." My government agrees and further adds that, on behalf of all British Columbians, we support and endorse those words as a statement of principle upon which we can move forward towards a more peaceful and harmonious world. Mr. Speaker, I now ask all members of this assembly to begin their work on behalf of the people of our province. May God's blessing be with them all as they carry out their duties.