Legislative Watch
2nd Session, 39th Parliament
Issue 3 - March 30, 2010
You can get more details on these topics at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia website - 'Documents and Proceedings' or 'Hansard (Debates)' sections.
Government Announcements and News
- Legislature recognizes Chambers of Commerce – Member Donna Barnett (Cariboo – Chilcotin) paid tribute to the Chambers of Commerce in British Columbia in private members statement in the Legislature and acknowledged the government’s support for small business through recent business tax relief measures. Read more
- Colin Hansen moves the Financial Statutes Amendment Act – Bill 6 amends the regulatory tools and framework for financial institutions, including credit unions, insurance companies and trust companies. The bill makes a technical amendment to the Home Owner Grant Act. Forms under the act will be approved by the minister instead of being prescribed in regulation, providing the flexibility to update the forms as program requirements and technologies change. Read more
- Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act moves to third reading - Bill 4 amends the following statutes: the Coroners Act; the Child, Family and Community Service Act; the Engineers and Geoscientists Act; the Health Authorities Act; the Hospital District Act; the Music Teachers (Registered) Act; the Teaching Profession Act; the Water Act. It also amends the Employment Standards Act. It Transfers authority for third-party searches of employment standards branch records to the Employment Standards Act from the Financial Administration Act. Read more
- Zero Net Deforestation Act read a first time - Bill 5, establishes in legislation the government's goal of zero net deforestation for British Columbia. The bill states that the province must achieve a goal of zero net deforestation by December 31, 2015 in an effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Decreasing the total area of deforestation at the same time as increasing the total area of afforestation is expected to result in a zero net loss of forestland and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read more
- BC leads Canada with lowest wait time benchmarks - B.C. leads Canada in exceeding the wait time benchmarks for all priority areas: cancer treatment, cardiac care, sight restoration, and joint
replacement, according to the report ‘Wait Times Tables – A Comparison by Province, 2010’ released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Read more - Second Amtrack train service announced - Minister Shirley Bond and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Secretary Paula Hammond announced an extension of the second Amtrak Cascades train service between Vancouver and Seattle, as well as measures to reduce wait times at border crossings. Read more
Question Period Topics
- School district costs and funding
- First Nations consultation on Enbridge oil pipeline proposal
- Public release of budget documents
- Impact of harmonized sales tax on membership costs
- Funding for retraining programs for forest workers
- Home Care Fees
- BC Rail Executive Compensation
Status of Bills
BILLS INTRODUCED (first reading)
Government Bills
- Bill 4 – Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2010
- Bill 5 – Zero Net Deforestation Act
- Bill 6 – Finance Statutes Amendment Act
BILLS PASSED (third reading)
Government Bills
- Bill 2 - Budget Measures Implementation Act, 2010
- Bill 3 – Supply Act (No. 1), 2010
- Bill 4 – Miscellaneous Statutes Amendment Act, 2010
Reports
- Office of the Conflict-of-Interest Commissioner, annual report, 2008-2009
