February 21, 2006
Budget response
MLA Statement

It's my privilege to rise to respond to the Speech from the Throne again. Whenever I stand up in the House, I always remind myself that it's the people of my riding who give me the opportunity to serve, and it's a great honour for me to represent my constituents of Burnaby North in this Legislative Assembly.

The throne speech reminds us that our province will be 150 years old in two years. In world history 150 years is not a long period. Countries like Greece, India and China all have a much longer history of civilization, and their people have deep roots in their respective lands. However, many British Columbians are also deeply rooted in this province. The ancestors of our aboriginal people have resided in this land for thousands and thousands of years.

While we celebrate our sesquicentennial in two years, British Columbians will indeed also celebrate our national heritage, our cultural diversity, our achievements and our future. In the past four years alone our province has accomplished many goals and has reached many milestones which are the envy of our fellow Canadians.

Recently the Conference Board rated our health care system the best in Canada. We are opening more post-secondary spaces than other provinces. We are leading the country in job creation. We are gaining again in interprovincial migration, and we have the lowest unemployment rate on record.

As the world evolves around us, we must not, however, stand still and be satisfied with what we have achieved. "Change is the only constant." Heraclitus made this comment about life in Greece 2,500 years ago. What was true then is also true today in British Columbia.

While we are leading Canada in our health care services, Canada's health care is only ranked 30th in the world — way behind some European countries. I'm pleased that this government is taking the lead in engaging the public in the discussion of the future of health care in Canada, while having an open mind to learn from other countries.

This week, after the closing of the Winter Olympics in Italy, the Premier and Minister of Health will go to visit a few European countries to study their health care systems. It will be of great interest to British Columbians — the question of why France is ranked the best of the world in health care.

The throne speech announced that a foundation for health care innovation and renewal will be created in this province in the next few months to examine successful health care models around the world. Through learning from others' successes and through real dialogue with the public, it's possible for us not only to bring benefits to patients in this province but also to help Canada as a country move forward in health care services.

Currently each province practises different service delivery under the Canada Health Act. Our province is leading the country in many aspects of health care services. B.C. is the leader in cancer care in Canada and North America. According to the 2005 estimates in Canadian Cancer Statistics, women in B.C. have the lowest incidence rate for breast cancer and are tied with other provinces for the lowest incidence rates for colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, kidney cancer and cancer of the uterus. Men in B.C. have the lowest incidence rate for lung cancer, colorectal cancer, kidney cancer, oral cancer, brain cancer and cancer of the larynx.

British Columbians continue to have the lowest overall mortality rate for cancers in this country. Since at least 50 percent of all cancers are due to preventable factors, efforts to learn and disseminate information about these factors will bring the benefit of preventing cancers from occurring.

To this end, I am pleased to see that our government has committed to work with the Canadian Cancer Society — B.C. and Yukon Division to establish a research chair in primary prevention of cancer. I personally have participated in many fundraising events organized by the Canadian Cancer Society. Last week I had the pleasure to join the society's volunteers and sponsors to kick off this year's fundraising campaign in the Asian community.

B.C. has added much diagnostic equipment since 2001. Eight new CT scanners were acquired, and four more are being added over the next two years. At the same time the number of MRI scanners was more than doubled. Last year the province purchased its first publicly funded PET scanner. When I worked in TRIUMF, I always heard many good comments about the UBC PET scanner, which was designed by TRIUMF professionals. This tomography imaging technique is superior compared to other devices in studying the activity of the brain. As a result of investment in these scanning devices, our province is performing tens of thousands more CT and MRI examinations, bringing quicker medical diagnostics to our patients.

In fact, many more surgeries were done over the last four years. Knee replacements have increased by more than 65 percent. Hip replacements have increased by more than 35 percent. Cataract surgeries have increased by more than 20 percent, and angioplasties have increased by more than 52 percent. This is a result of increasing investment in health care, which now stands at $11.7 billion, compared to $8.7 billion in 2000.

One of the most important factors for improving the health care system of British Columbia is the increase in health care human resources. Our government is on schedule to double the number of first-year medical doctor spaces, from 128 four years ago to 256 by next year. The number of entry-level residency positions will also be increased, in steps, to 256 by 2011.

As a matter of fact, we already have one of the highest rates of physicians per capita in Canada. In 2003 we had 200 physicians per 100,000 population, while the Canadian average was 187 physicians per 100,000 people. Since 2001, Madam Speaker, 1,300 more nurses were licensed to work in B.C.; 2,500 additional nursing education spaces were added; and an estimated 6,500 more nurses — including RNs, RPNs and LPNs — are expected to graduate between 2002 and 2006.

As our population is aging, it is expected that the demand for health care services will increase substantially. Today one in seven British Columbians is a senior, but by 2030 the proportion of seniors to the total population will be almost doubled, to one in four. Without changes, our health care system, which now consumes 43 percent of the provincial budget, will not be sustainable. It's now time to have a direct, open dialogue with the public on exactly what we mean by universality, accessibility, comprehensiveness, portability and public administration under the Canada Health Act, as well as how to achieve sustainability in our health care system, so that British Columbians can continue to be the healthiest in Canada. In a dynamically changing world, it's always a challenge to maintain sustainability in a system.

Besides health care, the education system is another sector that we must invest in so as to harness the power of new knowledge and the creativity of British Columbians. New knowledge and technology are changing our world day by day. B.C. has been a leader in many fields of the high-tech industries, but we must increase our investment in education, research and development in order to maintain and advance our advantages. Modern research and development depend on the clustering of experts, on supporting facilities and on teamwork.

British Columbians have achieved a lot in the last few years in life sciences and biotechnology. Our genome research team was the first in the world to decode the SARS virus. Our research in the design of devices to help people with disabilities is one of the best in the world. Last year I had the opportunity to see a presentation of the Neil Squire Foundation, which showcases top-notch research in using signals from the brain — brain activities — to direct devices to move around at the will of a quadriplegic, with a high degree of accuracy. It's just amazing to see what technology can do to better our lives in the future.

This government is going to work with B.C.'s technology industry to invest more in research and development, with the aim to cultivate more discoveries and the commercialization of the inventions. The B.C. Hub strategy will be developed to transform our approach to research, commercialization and capital expansion so that new knowledge and processes can work their way to our natural resource industries and our manufacturing economy.

I'm particularly impressed with the commitment of government to the establishment of a new B.C. foundation for natural resources and engineering research, which will support advanced training, research and development; technology transfer; and commercialization in natural resources, engineering and applied sciences. It shows that this government is firmly committed to take on research and development and the application of technology as our strategy to diversify our heavy dependence on the natural resource sector.

B.C. is blessed with its abundance of natural resources: forests, natural gas, agriculture, minerals and aquacultural products. However, we all know about the cyclical nature of the natural resource market. It goes up and down depending on world supply and demand. A balanced and diversified approach will ensure that British Columbians have a better opportunity to enjoy a sustainable economy.

I'm excited to see that alternative energy will form an integral part of our government's expanded energy vision. Wind and tidal power are some of the alternative energies which are increasingly becoming competitive as the price of oil and natural gas rise. These kinds of green energy generation will enhance the sustainability of our environment. Besides these sources of power generation, the best energy source is actually power saved by conservation. Increasing the efficiency of motors, engines, lighting devices and heating systems can lead to the reduction of the consumption of energy.

With the lowest unemployment rate on record and the highest investor confidence level in Canada, our province is very attractive to Canadians from other provinces who are looking for opportunities to better their own lives and those of their families. Consequently, more and more people are moving to British Columbia. We must be prepared for this welcoming trend.

The power of a strong economy also leads us to a shortage of skilled labourers. In the throne speech this government indicated that it's going to put in more resources to expand the Industry Training Authority programs in trades training and apprenticeships. We have heard from many employers that they are willing to take in more trainees and apprentices, but they need to have some supports in their efforts and investment. It's encouraging to see that this government is moving in this direction.

The importance of higher education and skill training has never been so pressing for British Columbians. When our unemployment rate fell below 5 percent, the shortage of skilled labourers has increasingly induced pressures in our economy.

We must also work towards one of our five goals, which is to increase British Columbians' education and literacy level overall. Many young seniors and the ESL community could benefit tremendously if programs of adult education can be enhanced further.

As a member of the Legislature's Select Standing Committee on Education, I am pleased to see that this committee was charged yesterday to have the mandate to find effective strategies to address the specific challenge of adult literacy and to find out successful strategies from other jurisdictions on the promotion of adult literacy. I'm sure the findings would be of great interest to British Columbians and will contribute to the improvement of literacy in this province.

In our education system the most fundamental element is K-to-12 education. Recently our government has put more resources into early childhood learning as well. The throne speech reiterated our aspiration to make public education more relevant to students' needs and more accountable at every level. Local school boards must be accountable when class-size limits are violated, and parents must be given greater access to information in education.

All partners in education must be engaged in discussions on how to improve our system. We have great expectations for the new Learning Round Table as well as the upcoming teachers congress. Asking questions by all parties and attempting to provide solutions to improve the system will certainly raise the level of discussion, and it will be easier to reach consensus.
As we embark on building up our human resources, we must also realize that many of our physical infrastructures need to be renewed and expanded to take advantage of our geographical location. British Columbia is the gateway to the Asia-Pacific, because our province is the only province in Canada facing the Pacific Ocean. Our seaports and airports have the distinct advantage of being the closest to many Asia-Pacific countries compared to the rest of Canada and the states south of our border. Situated between the emerging Asia-Pacific economy and the large, traditional U.S. economy, our economy must be strategically and competitively positioned to take advantage of our geographical location.

As China, India, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries look for goods and services from abroad, we would like them to consider B.C. products. When they go for trade, investment, visits and immigration, we also would like them to consider B.C. first. As we anticipate more flow of people and goods from Asia-Pacific countries, we must increase our investment in the transportation systems — such as seaports, rail networks and roads — from all directions. The proposed Gateway transportation program is crucial to our Asia-Pacific strategy.

Next, let's look at exports from B.C. From 1995 to 2004 our exports to China have increased from $501 million to $1.7 billion. Exports to Mexico have increased from $55 million to $211 million. The exports to India have increased three times, from $77 million to $134 million.

How do we move these goods? Of course, it's through our transportation networks. Last June the B.C. Progress Board published an interim benchmark report with a special focus on B.C. trade and emerging Asian opportunities. It's a very well-researched paper. I would like to share its conclusion:

The most pressing challenge is ensuring our transportation infrastructure can handle the current flow of goods, imports and exports. B.C.'s lower mainland ports and the Port of Prince Rupert — with their closer proximity to China relative to other North American jurisdictions — make B.C. a favourable shipping point for goods, imports and exports. Continuous efforts to ensure these "national" and "provincial" assets meet challenges and opportunities presented by increased trade with China will be imperative. In a similar vein, liberalization of air policy and the conclusion of further bilateral air transportation agreements with China, the United States and other foreign nations will also be critical for ensuring British Columbia is positioned to take advantage of Asian trade opportunities.

As parliamentary secretary for the Asia-Pacific Initiative, I would like to stress the importance of the proposed Gateway transportation system. This Gateway transportation program, which includes the North Fraser perimeter road, the Pitt River Bridge, the South Fraser perimeter road connecting Deltaport, the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge, the widening of Highway 1 from Vancouver to Langley and a $50 million investment in cycling infrastructure, provides us very significant improvements to the public transportation infrastructures. The opening of our transportation network will not only reduce congestion and meet the needs of our growing economy; it will also set the foundation for increasing our Asia-Pacific trade and supporting the growing population.

The sustainable development of our economy depends on two important factors: competitiveness and productivity. Are we competitive in the Asia-Pacific regions compared to the United States, Australia and New Zealand? This question may be answered by the Asia-Pacific Trade Council and the B.C. Competition Council in the near future.
However, a few directions have been set in the throne speech. The government will intensify its efforts to open up new Asian markets in forestry, energy, mining, tourism, education and manufacturing through trade missions and new on-site presence in key strategic locations.

As we face the epidemic of pine beetle and softwood disputes with the United States, we must continue to diversify our market in forest products. Marketing efforts such as the expansion of the Dream Home China project in Beijing and Guangzhou will bear fruits in the future. As countries like China expand their economies, their demand for energy, minerals and metallurgical coal will intensify. We are well positioned to increase exports.

As implementation of the approved-destination status between China and Canada will soon become a reality, we must prepare for the anticipated increase in tourists. As international students from Korea, Japan, China and India continue to come to this province to study, we must work with the federal government to implement a more effective visa approval process.

As our economy becomes more international, bidirectional activities in investment, manufacturing and development will intensify. Are we prepared for this? Our government has taken steps to address some of these issues.We will invest in languages, art and culture to enrich our heritages and create a strong identity for British Columbia. We will develop our new Pacific programs to enhance our knowledge of the Pacific region. We will offer multilingual government services websites. We will encourage the study of languages of the Pacific countries, such as Mandarin, Japanese, Punjabi and Korean. We will introduce the One World scholarship to help post-secondary students to pursue study abroad. We will support exchanges of students, and we will initiate museums to showcase Asia-Pacific trade and culture, aboriginal art and culture and women's history as well.

As we develop the Asia-Pacific strategy, we also, at the same time, become more self-aware and more concerned about the branding of British Columbia. We can take great pride that the spirit bear is now a symbol for British Columbia. It symbolizes the spirit of British Columbia, with its connection to aboriginal heritage and the beauty and mystery of our land. The richness of natural resources, the clustering of talents and the strong desire to excel will bring out the best in British Columbians.

Our government will intensify its efforts to improve the services to children and families, to combat substance abuse and crime, to forge a new relationship with first nations and to provide new options for housing.

Although the high school graduation rate of aboriginal students has increased over the years, there is still much room for improvement. For the past few years I have regularly attended the welcoming ceremonies for the new students and the school-leaving ceremonies for graduates of the Native Education Centre. Those are always moving moments. Given the right environment and the proper supports, the aboriginal students can reach a level of achievement even beyond their own expectations.

Last month I attended a graduation ceremony of a first nations piping program, together with my colleague from Vancouver-Burrard. I received an e-mail just last week from ACCESS saying that all of the students have secured apprenticeships. This is a great success — a collaboration between BCIT, ACCESS and the Native Education Centre.

Mr. Speaker, time is limited. I would quote: "Change is the only constant." Sustainability is the key when we strive to achieve our five great goals.