Liberals vow 'golden decade'

Throne speech woos B.C. voters with election 14 weeks away

Jeff Lee and Derrick Penner

Vancouver Sun, with files from Canadian Press

February 9, 2005

VICTORIA -- British Columbia set its sights Tuesday on a golden decade in a throne speech that promises the province will lead the way in jobs, education and physical fitness in time for the 2010 Olympics.

Premier Gordon Campbell's government also said tuition fee increases will be held to the rate of inflation.

The throne speech comes a week before Finance Minister Colin Hansen brings in this government's final budget and 14 weeks before the province heads to a general election. The Liberals are hoping their good-news speech and budget will help pave the way to re-election May 17 against the opposition NDP, with whom they have been in a statistical dead heat according to recent opinion polls.

The Liberal government also vowed in the speech to make B.C. into North America's "crossroads to the Asia-Pacific."

The speech, read in the legislature by Lt.-Gov. Iona Campagnolo, announced the government will create a new Asia-Pacific trade council, open trade and cultural offices in international markets, and develop tourism markets for Chinese travellers now that Canada has been approved by China as a tourist destination.

It also pledged to expand the B.C. Centre for Disease Control into a "Pacific Centre" that would work with other health research stations around the Pacific Rim to identify and treat diseases.

And the government announced a new partnership to build a United Nations-associated "World Trade University" in Chilliwack to offer graduate-level programs in international trade-related fields.

The university, a private institution that will build satellite campuses around the world, is part of a UN global education and partnership initiative.

Much of the throne speech covered recent announcements and promises, including the hiring of 215 new police officers and a $120-million water quality improvement program.

But the government's announcement regarding post-secondary tuition fees was new. It promised to legislate an end to unfettered increases and limit them to the rate of inflation now that B.C. rates are comparable to those in other provinces.

"We've heard from British Columbians they're concerned about the rapid rise in tuitions," Campbell told reporters after the speech. " We didn't want to say we were going to impose a decision, but we did want to say there will be a cap. I think everyone deserves to have some predictability here."

The promise to rein in tuition fees reverses a decision by the province several years ago to let universities and colleges raise rates to be more competitive. The law will be enacted before September.

Regarding the Asia-Pacific gateway strategy, Campbell said in a release that B.C.'s multicultural society, diversity of first nations culture and trade and transportation infrastructure "give us a strategic advantage over every other province and allow us to lead the way in accessing the growing economic opportunities in the Asia-Pacific."

Campbell vowed to boost B.C.'s links to the Asia-Pacific region by:

- Creating an Asia-Pacific trade council to advise government.

- Build B.C. trade and cultural centres in international markets to promote B.C. products.

- Start a B.C. competition council to review the province's competitiveness.

- Develop new attractions to attract Chinese tourists generated through Canada's status as an approved destination.

- Build new and expanded transportation links to the Pacific through the ports of Prince Rupert and Vancouver.

Many of the good-news announcements in the throne speech have already been made in recent weeks as the Liberals gear up for the May 17 general election, and there are promises of more goodies to be unveiled when Finance Minister Colin Hansen brings in his first budget next week.

But the throne speech was also heavy on promises to strengthen education, health care and other social policy initiatives.

Asked if the speech didn't more closely reflect a New Democratic Party agenda, Campbell said the difference was that his government would achieve what it set out to do, while previous governments had not. He cited the Mike Harcourt NDP government's inability to capitalize on promises to expand Asia-Pacific trade.

The speech was ripe with pledges to improve programs and policies and carried none of the dour remarks of past administrations battling deficits and a faltering economy.

Instead, Campbell's government boldly termed it "Five Great Goals For A Golden Decade" and said the platform for the coming session of the legislature would build on recent fiscal reforms and a positive economic outlook.

It identified the five goals as: improving education; leading North America in healthy living and physical fitness; better support for children at risk, seniors and persons with disabilities and special needs; improving sustainable environmental management, and creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

The province said it will increase the earnings exemption for persons with disabilities, and will spend $37 million over the next three years to improve transition facilities for women and children escaping abusive relationships.

The government also pledged to follow through on recent announcements, including the drinking water quality improvement program, a $120-million program to be cost-shared with municipalities and regional districts.

It will also increase funding for colleges and universities by $132 million.

NDP leader Carole James said there was nothing new in the speech. "I called it a mea culpa throne speech. They admitted their mistakes. They completely abandoned health care," said James. "I think fool's gold is a better term than golden decade. That's obviously their election campaign but I think fool's gold is a better description of what this government is trying to convince British Columbians of."

How much of the throne speech the government will fulfil before the election is questionable; there is widespread belief this legislative session will be long enough only for the budget to be announced and for some legislation to be introduced. Some programs may get past the budgetary process, but others may be held over to the first session after the election.

The lieutenant-governor also noted that the coming election will include a referendum on electoral reform that could totally reshape the way members are elected to the legislature.

Among the new plans:

- $100 million in 2007 to the Michael Smith Foundation to continue genome research.

- A B.C. Conservation Corps and the hiring of 50 more park rangers and conservation officers at a cost of $7.5 million.

- A new "Act Now" health and fitness promotion program. Campbell said the program will focus on people's personal responsibility to eat, sleep and exercise better.

The government will also examine the United Kingdom's "Personal Health Guides" program as a model for the province's health care.

Through the program citizens, in concert with doctors and other health practitioners, develop personal achievable health plans.

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