Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia
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JOURNALS OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA SECOND SESSION 1973 hrd, Sptbr , THREE O'CLOCK P.M. This being the first day of the third meeting of the Thirtieth Parliament or Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia for the dispatch of business, pursuant to a Proclamation of the Honourable JOHN L. FARRIS, Adminis- trator of the Province, dated the 31st day of July 1973, the members took their seats. Prayers by the Rev. Gr Sr, B.C., B.D. The Honourable WALTER S. OWEN, Q.C., LL.D., Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, having entered the House, took his seat on the Throne, and was pleased to deliver the following gracious Speech: Mr. Spr nd Mbr f th ltv Abl: Although I officiated at the closing of the Spring Session of the Legislative Assembly, this is the first time that I have had occasion as Lieutenant-Governor to address you on the opening day. I express the earnest hope that the wise counsel of my Ministers, and the support of Legislature, will result in continued progress and development for our Province during my term of office. I desire to express at this time, on your behalf and on that of all British Columbia, our gratitude to my predecessor, Colonel the Honourable John R. Nicholson, for his unselfish and devoted service to the people of our Province. Last May I was pleased to administer the Oaths of Office to the Honourable Graham Richard Lea, Minister of Highways; the Honourable Gary Vernon Lauk, Minister of Industrial Development, Trade, and Commerce; the Honourable Jack Radford, Minister of Recreation and Conservation; the Honourable Lorne Nicolson, Member of the Executive Council Without Portfolio; and to the Honourable Phyllis Florence Young, Member of the Executive Council Without Portfolio. During the past year our Province welcomed a number of distinguished visitors. I note that in April the Right Honourable E. G. Whitlam, Prime Minister of Australia, was in Vancouver, and was welcomed to the Province by the Honourable the Premier. On June 23 and June 24, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, visited Vancouver and Victoria and was a guest at Government House. In August the Right Honourable Lord Mais, the Lord Mayor of London, and the 2 SEEME 1973 d M, pnt vrl d n th rvn t f th rvnl Gvrn nt nd th r t prd th r nr nd th rth f th l xtndd t th b ll th h th nt ntt. W r l hnrd n At th vt t tr b th ht nrbl rn E. Kr, r Mntr f lnd, nd Mr. Kr. It plr t l, n thr, t th Abl th ftrnn t dtnhd tzn f rth Clb, Chf nd Mr. Wll Mtth f th d ntn f th Qn Chrltt Ilnd. In At, rth Clb htd, n Wtntr nd rnb, th Snd Cnd Sr G. hnd f thlt fr ll th prvn nd th rrtr ptd nd th G r n ttndn . I pld t brv tht r n rvn dd rrbl ll n th G nd r dlrd th nnr. h dth rrd n l 2, , f th ht nrbl Stphn St. rnt. Mr. St. rnt rvd r Mntr f Cnd fr vbr , 48, ntl n 2, . W ll rbr th dtnhd rv tht h rndrd t Cnd nd rn h pn. Wll Altn, h frr Mntr f Mn, Mntr f rd nd Indtr, nd Mntr f br, dd n At 2, . Mr. Altn ltd fr th Atln Eltrl trt nd rvd th rvn ll. t n th nrbl Wll Andr Cl nntt rnd Mbr fr th Sth Onn Eltrl trt n th ltv Abl. Mr. nntt rvd th rvn fr n r Mbr f th ltv Abl nd fr 20 r rr f th rvn. At th t I ld l t p pl trbt t Mr. nntt fr th rt ntrbtn h d t th rvn, nd t h h ll. At th bltn hld lt , Wll hrd nntt ltd t rprnt th Sth Onn Eltrl trt. I xtnd bt h t th nl ltd br h ll t h pl hrtl n th . h pt f nth n I prrd th n Aprl 8 lt hv bn vntfl, bt n nl tn f Gvrnnt ll hv r prtn thn t prtptn n th Wtrn Opprtnt Cnfrn n Clr lt l. h tn f rt Mntr f Cnd nd th Wtrn rvn nfnt, nt nl fr th prdnt tht t, bt fr th lr nd ntbl trt t n rl n Cnfdrtn fr th Wt. Cnd, th Wt, nd r rvn n prtlr, hld fl prd f th rl Mntr pld n tht Cnfrn nd r nfdnt tht th n tn, th n tthrn, r ll fr r ntn. Spprtn th n thrt I pld t pr frll nbr f rth Clbn h hv d nfnt dntn f lnd t th Crn. h tn fr th pnr fl p hhl f thr lv fr th rvn, nd th rtrn f th lnd t th ppl, Gvrnnt hpfl tht th ll b prt nd thr rth Clbn ll lt th lfl tn nd nr r ntrl hrt thrh r rn pr t. I thrfr pld t xpr r rttd t hn nd Crln rnh, Mr. W. Strrtt, rn n hd, Clffrd A. nd rth A. Grb, nr Grdn l, Mr. Mrrt n r, nd n nn dnr h v vrl r f lnd nr p. ntl, Gvrnnt h n ft t r th Mn lvl f th rvn, t prvn fr prr f fr prrptn dr fr th ldrl, nd t xtnd th bnft f n n rnt t n f r tzn 22 Ez. 2 SEEME 3 between 60 and 65. We trust that these unprecedented moves will be recognized by our sister provinces and Canada and that our Social Security and Health programmes will be fully supported. In Ottawa last May, my Premier addressing his first Federal-Provincial Con- ference forecast my Government's concern and interest by directing all Canadians' attention to these Social Security and Health problems. Whatever may have been the inadequacies of the past, my Government desires to bring a new direction for British Columbia inside the Canadian Confederation and looks forward to open lines of communication with the Federal Government and provincial governments to ensure the co-operation and understanding which is necessary to meet the chal- lenges of the day. In many cases these can best be met without undue regard to hard and fast jurisdictional lines so as to develop and execute national and pro- vincial goals and policies designed to build a better Canada and provide a more meaningful life for all Canadians. Two of these national programmes which require a joint commitment by both levels of Government and a high degree of Federal-Provincial co-operation are the Social Security System in Canada and Health Care. Since the close of the Second Session many of the Standing Committees of the House have been very active and the results of their labours will be before you shortly. I am confident that their work and advice, based on a real dialogue with our citizens, will provide an excellent base for legislative action. In this Session you will be asked to direct your attention firstly to the urgent problems of agriculture and labour. My Government has undertaken considerable study and evaluation of this Province's agriculture industry. The very real problems of world food shortages and rising food costs, coupled with high investment costs and low farm income, are most apparent, and positive measures must be taken to strengthen and expand this vital food industry. The significance of the British Columbia agriculture and food industry to the ever-changing economy of this Province cannot be overlooked, and action must be prompt to ease the problems involved. Therefore, you will be asked to consider legislation designed to rationalize credit systems of primary agriculture, and to encourage secondary and tertiary agriculture industries. The Government intends to join with producers to minimize the effect of price fluctuation at the market place, and to provide means of achieving some stabilization of farm income. New measures will be introduced which will provide for debt protection for the family farm under certain distress circumstances, due to natural calamities such as adverse weather. More control over the possible introduction and spread of infectious and contagious animal diseases will be considered. These measures and others are to be presented for your consideration for the specific intent of providing incentive and encouragement to the agriculture industry of this Province. You will be asked to consider a new Labour Code for British Columbia which will establish an improved framework for collective bargaining and dispute settle- ment. Industrial relations is essentially a term descriptive of human relations in the work environment. Healthy co-operative human relationships cannot be built on punitive concepts, distrust, or an unyielding bureaucracy, and remain compatible with a free society. The Legislation, combining many statutes, will offer a variety of positive aids to collective bargaining which will be conciliatory in nature. Similarly, more 4 SEEME 1973 fftv hnr ll b tblhd t nr tht ttlnt f dpt ll r n jt nd xpdt nnr, fr fr drptn t th n. Cpltl n npt r t b pt frrd n n ffrt t prv th ndtrl rltn lt n th rvn. h ltn ll l rnz th ntt f ndvdl rl blf. A prt f prtn ll b rrd b ll th ddtd t fr lltv brnn t th th n thrt nd th ltn ll ntn rl nd ptv hlln t ll tr f r nt t th bjtv ttnd.