The acute shortage of staff in the provincial court system and the impact of federal crime legislation dominated question period in the B.C. legislature today. Both involve BCGEU members and their work in corrections and court services.

Opposition leader Adrian Dix opened Question Period by asking Premier Christy Clark what she plans to do to ensure the federal government not be allowed to download the cost of its crime bill onto provincial taxpayers.

The BCGEU has been raising concerns about this issue for some time, including meeting with the Solicitor General and the Attorney General.

 
Oral Questions
COSTS TO B.C. OF
FEDERAL ANTI-CRIME LEGISLATION
A. Dix: My question is to the Premier. I want to ask: does the Premier agree with the Liberal Premier of Ontario and the Liberal Premier of Quebec that the federal government must not be allowed to download the cost of itscrime bill onto provincial taxpayers?
Hon. C. Clark: In British Columbia we are concerned about the potential costs associated with the crime bill. There's no question about it. We are in discussion with our colleagues federally on how exactly we will manage those costs, and I know that the Solicitor General is working very, very hard on that with her federal partners at the moment.
But let me say this, though. We are not, on this side of the House, interested in throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I say that because there are many elements of this bill which I think British Columbians and Canadians feel are important changes for Canada.
I think that British Columbians like the idea of making it tougher for people who commit sex offences against children to get out of jail. I think British Columbians support protecting the public better from violent young offenders, and I also think that British Columbians generally support ending the practice of house arrest for serious crimes. Those are all things that British Columbians arebehind, and they're all things that people on this side of the House are also 100 percent behind.
Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a supplemental.
A. Dix: Well, as the Premier will know, the federal government first introduced the bills 18 months ago, virtually the day after the last election. The Prime Minister said that he was going to bring in and reintroduce thesebills and pass them within 100 days of the throne speech. That was his intent.
The government has had lots of time to prepare, so on the issue of costs, I guess the question to the Premier is very simple. What is the government prepared to do to ensure that B.C. taxpayers aren't the ones footing the bill for a crime bill that's going to cost
So on the issue of costs, I guess the question to the Premier is very simple. What is the government prepared to do to ensure that B.C. taxpayers aren't the onesfooting the bill for a crime bill that's going to cost provincial taxpayers a huge amount of money?
Hon. C. Clark: Well, thank you I'd really like to know where the Leader of the Opposition and his party stand on this particular bill, because what they do is they stand up and they talk about the costs, which are serious issues. And we're concerned about them, and we're certainly working to make sure that we can find a way through that.
But you know what? What about the costs to our society of sex offenders walking out for free? What about the cost to society of young offenders who commit violent crimes getting away with a slap on the hand? Canadians and British Columbians are not in support of that approach to crime.
And if the Leader of the Opposition doesn't have the courage to stand up and state where he stands on the content of the bill, I will quote one of his colleagues in his own party who says she finds the federal bill offensive.
Well, frankly, I don't find it offensive. I think Canadians and British Columbians do want to knowthat they live in a country where our justice system is indeed a system of justice, and they want to know that the laws of this country are going to keep our streets safe.
Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition has a further supplemental.
A. Dix: I am sure that the Premier will communicating that position to her national leader, Bob Rae.
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Members.
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Just take your seat for a second, Member.
Continue, Member.
A. Dix: You know, I just note to the member for Chilliwack that I always take everything he says seriously, hon. Speaker.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer, Kevin Page, has said that in his view, there will be substantial costs to the provincial treasury — $6 billion to $10 billion. Right? Kevin Page has made this case.
You know, hon. Speaker…
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Members.
A. Dix: …these are pretty serious issues. And the Minister of Finance and others who have created a situation in British Columbia….
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Members.
Just take your seat for a second.
Members, we've got to also hear the question, so we can also hear the answer.
Continue, Member.
A. Dix: What's happening in British Columbia, as all members know, isthat this government isn't funding the justice system, as it is, properly, and that's why we've seen a dramatic increase in cases, which we've raised in this Legislature, of criminals going free because this government and because it's taken too long to bring charges to court. This is the reality of the situation right now. This is the reality people are facing in the justice system.
So this is what the Ontario Liberal Premier is saying. The Ontario Liberal Premier is saying hedemands of the federal government…. "If, for example, you want to build new us prisons in Ontario and staff those prisons with highly trained personnel at an additional cost to us, it is incumbent upon you, as the creator of those costs, to come up with the money."
So does the Premier of British Columbia agree with the Liberal Premier of Ontario, the Liberal Premier of Quebec and the Conservative Premier of Newfoundland that there has to be a discussion of cost-sharing before this bill is passed?
Hon. C. Clark: Well, first, let me join the Minister of Finance in congratulating the Leader of the Opposition on being concerned about costs, of being concerned about taxpayers' money and how it might be used. I'm delighted. Maybe we can look forward to their assistance and support as we work toward balancing the budget, which is absolutely what we intend to do. I'm delighted to see he's up and supporting fiscal responsibility. It's the first time. But you know what? I hope that there will be many more times.
I will end by sayingthis. The Leader of the Opposition stands up and talks about costs. I am concerned about the costs. We do need to be, and we're certainly working with the federal government to try and make sure we find a way through the mechanics of this so that it doesn't end up being incredibly costly for British Columbians. But you know what
the Leader of the Opposition stands up and talks about costs. I am concerned about the costs. We do need to be. And we're certainly working with the federal government to try and make sure we find a way through the mechanics of this so that it doesn't end up being incredibly costly for British Columbians.
But you know what is costly? It's costly for all of us when people who commit sex crimes againstchildren don't go to jail. That's costly for all of us in our society. It's a crime against every British Columbian when something like that happens.
It's costly for all of us when violent young offenders walk away with a slap on the wrist. It's costly for all of us when we have a system of justice in our country that people have lost confidence in and that people don't believe delivers justice for the victims of crime.
I support keeping our streets safe, I support making sure that our children are safe from sex offenders, and I support the elements of this bill that will mean that Canada and British Columbia is a safer place because we have laws that will protect us.
K. Corrigan: The federal crime bill is not a new development. It's been around since last year. The homework to be at the table to negotiate funding should have been long done. It should have been done months ago, but it wasn't.
These increased costs are coming at a time when our justice system is already strained and under-resourced to the point of crisis. Our provincial courts are already backlogged. On average, ten cases are thrown out every month because of delays stemming from a shortage of sheriffs, prosecutors and judges.
My question to the Premier: why has this government failed to have a plan in place to make sure that B.C. is not left with downloaded costs?
Hon. C. Clark: Well, my question remains for the opposition. Where do they stand on the content of this bill? Where do they stand on a bill that intends to make Canadian streets safer? If we can agree on that, if we can agree that we want to get to the same goal, then surely we can find a way to work together to get there.
But the opposition sits here and says, "Well, first of all, we're not going to tell you where we stand on the content of the bill. We're not going to tell you whether or not we support these measures" — which I believe will make British Columbia's and Canada's streets safer. Then they say that they want to figure out…. They can't even figure out a way to get there.
The answer to this lies in this approach. First, agreeing where we want to get to. And we do want to get to the same place as the federal government does — that's making sure that British Columbia's streets are safer and making sure that our justice system has the confidence of the public. Then what we need to do is sit down with the federal government, which we surely are right now, to try to figure out how we are going to get there.
But when the member gets up and asks her next question, she should stand up and tell us exactlywhere she stands on the contents of this federal bill.
Mr. Speaker: The member has a supplemental.
K. Corrigan: It's this government that has created a crisis in our court system, and it's this government that's created a crisis in our prison system. Our prison system is becoming increasingly overcrowded and volatile. Already B.C. is grappling for resources to deal with a growing inmate population.
We have hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs stemming from the federal crime bill that could push our correctional system to a breaking point. Will the Premier inform Ottawa that this government will not accept costs being downloaded onto B.C.'s correctional system?
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Hon. C. Clark: So we're sitting here listening to a member stand up and lecture us all on how we need to have a justice system that works when she's the same member who stood up and ranted for months about the fact that she didn't want to have another provincial prison built in her community. Where is that? Where is that? The member doesn't support putting people in prison because she doesn't support actually having prisons in her community.
Interjections.
Mr. Speaker: Just take your seat, Member. Just take your seat.