February
20, 2008
112
Promises
The
following is the list of 112 promises from the 2008 Throne
Speech. For background see the news releases at groundwork
and patient:
1.
LiveSmart BC will reward smart choices that will save energy,
water, fuel, time and money.
2. The new LiveSmart BC initiative will help to contain urban
sprawl and reward development that creates more affordable
housing, new green spaces and more people-friendly neighbourhoods.
3. Consumers will be given new tools to help conserve energy
and save money on their power bills, such as Power Smart meters
that will be installed in every home in British Columbia by
2012. That will give families new information and control
over their power consumption.
4. New "inclining block" rate structures will also
allow families to choose and save by making Power Smart choices.
5. These changes and the BC Energy Plan will be supported
by a new legislated direction for the BC Utilities Commission.
6. Green developments waiting for provincial environmental
approvals will be fast-tracked and given priority.
7. The new Green Building Code will be finalized and implemented
to save energy and water.
8. All new provincial public buildings will be constructed
to LEED Gold or equivalent standards. Existing buildings will
be retrofitted to make them more energy efficient, climate
friendly and healthier for public servants.
9. Higher densities will be encouraged around new transit
routes to help make them more affordable and create affordable
housing.
10. Legislation will require local governments to incorporate
greenhouse gas reduction targets and supporting strategies
in their Official Community Plans and Regional Growth Strategies.
11. Legislation will be introduced this session to facilitate
British Columbia's participation in a regional "cap and
trade" system that is being developed under the Western
Climate Initiative. The framework for that system is scheduled
for completion this year.
12. A new Citizens' Conservation Council will support B.C.'s
mitigation efforts with public education campaigns that will
give citizens the tools and information they need to make
informed choices.
13. A new Youth Climate Leadership Alliance will be formed
that will comprise students and other young people from across
B.C. It will undertake paid government-sponsored field research,
mitigation work, afforestation projects and adaptation efforts.
14. A new Youth LiveSmart outreach campaign will encourage
young British Columbians to make carbon-smart lifestyle choices
that are good for the environment, their health, their pocketbooks
and our planet.
15. The Scrap-It program will be expanded to get older vehicles
with higher emissions off the road.
16. Other LiveSmart BC education and outreach initiatives
will be launched by the government and the Pacific Institute
for Climate Solutions.
17. The Province will pursue a goal of zero net deforestation,
and work with First Nations, industry and communities to put
that goal into law by 2010 and establish a viable strategy
for realizing that vision by 2015.
18. A new Trees for Tomorrow program will launch a large,
urban afforestation initiative. Millions of trees will be
planted in backyards, schoolyards, hospital grounds, civic
parks, campuses, parking lots and other public spaces across
B.C.
19. Major investments in tree nurseries will be made to assist
this initiative.
20. All forest land currently identified as not sufficiently
restocked will be replanted and no "NSR" backlogs
will be allowed to develop in ensuing years.
21. The Forests for Tomorrow program will plant an additional
60 million seedlings over the next four years.
22. The discharge of landfill gas will be regulated to foster
the capture and conversion of emissions into clean energy.
23. A new "Brownfields to Greenfields" redevelopment
strategy will target existing "dirty" sites for
the creation of well-treed, green, liveable communities.
24. Standards for low-carbon fuel content will be adopted
to reduce the carbon intensity of motor vehicle fuels by 10
per cent by 2020, and new incentives will be created to encourage
the purchase of fuel efficient vehicles.
25. The new BC Bioenergy Strategy will create new opportunities
in clean technology for rural communities, for independent
power producers, and for our forest and agriculture industries.
26. New investments will be made in plug-in hybrid electric
vehicles, hydrogen-powered buses, clean retrofits of dirty
diesel trucks and the electrification of truck stops.
27. The Innovative Clean Energy Fund will help create 100,000
solar roofs in British Columbia and build on B.C.'s expertise
in solar technology.
28. A new Pacific Carbon Trust will foster economic growth
from new opportunities in carbon credit trading and carbon
offsets. The Trust will invest in made-in-B.C. offset projects
that produce emissions reductions that are permanent, measurable,
verifiable, and additional, and that are regulated by government.
Projects in energy efficiency, renewable energy, carbon capture
and sequestration - including incremental tree planting -
will all be eligible.
29. The Trust will manage the revenues generated from government's
plan to become carbon neutral by 2010. It will be open to
offset purchases from private citizens, companies and other
governments alike.
30. The Province will expand British Columbia's hydrometric
and other climate-related networks to improve our ability
to monitor, predict and adapt to these conditions.
31. The legislature will be asked to adopt new California-equivalent
vehicle tailpipe emission standards, in tandem with California
and a number of other states and provinces.
32. Amendments to the Wildlife Act will build on the Mountain
Caribou Recovery Plan, the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery
Project and the Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy.
33. Tough new penalties will prevent and punish poaching and
killing endangered species.
34. Comprehensive air and water stewardship strategies will
be released this spring, as new steps are taken to combat
global warming.
35. This session, all members will be asked to build on the
record of environmental stewardship with new conservancies
and parks envisioned in approved land use plans.
36. A climate action plan will be released shortly after the
budget. It will be annually updated and founded on personal
responsibility, sound science and economic reality.
37. A comprehensive review of sentencing practices will address
why sentences in B.C. tend to be shorter than in other provinces
for crimes such as theft, homicide, property crimes, fraud,
impaired driving and drug possession. It will also assess
how the federal government's anti-crime measures might affect
demands on our police, Crown prosecutors, courts and correctional
system.
38. That information will contribute to a Community Safety
Strategy that will be released this fall. That strategy will
include enhanced policing, new community courts and expanded
correctional capacity.
39. Amendments to the Police Act will aim to implement Josiah
Wood's recommendations to improve transparency, accountability
and public confidence in the police complaints process.
40. An updated 10-year mental health plan will be completed.
41. Patients with severe mental illnesses who require intensive,
sustained and complex medical treatment will be provided care
in new and existing facilities at Willingdon in Burnaby, which
will be retrofitted and opened this year, and at Riverview
in Coquitlam.
42. A new multi-year investment will be made to revitalize
Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Anchored by the new Woodward's
project, new public initiatives will be undertaken in partnership
with the city and the neighbourhoods to enhance the 40-block
area that includes Gastown, Chinatown, Strathcona and Japantown.
43. Communities will be required to include provision for
mental health and addiction service facilities in their community
plans.
44. Expanded outreach programs will help lift people out of
the street and offer them personalized support.
45. A "211" service, in partnership with the United
Way, will be launched to give citizens new telephone access
to information about the full range of social services offered
in their communities.
46. The Province will work with local governments to explore
the potential to further integrate policing and to examine
the possibilities for amalgamating police forces.
47. More will also be done, as government implements the Hughes
recommendations on child protection, improves programs to
prevent violence against women, and increases support to people
with developmental disabilities, children with special needs
and their families.
48. Support for fast-tracked treaty negotiations at common
tables, as suggested by the BC Treaty Commission and First
Nations.
49. Pursuing "incremental treaty agreements" to
help First Nations benefit earlier in the treaty-making process.
50. Aboriginal rights to harvest wood for domestic purposes
on Crown land will be given new statutory recognition.
51. New investments in carbon offset projects that benefit
First Nations will be an integral part of government's climate
action plan.
52. The Province will work with First Nations and the federal
government to put Jordan's Principle into action, and to strengthen
services for Aboriginal children and families. That principle
says the interests of Aboriginal children must always be paramount,
and that no child, on- or off-reserve, should be put at risk
due to jurisdictional disputes.
53. New legislation will enable Aboriginal authorities to
assume legal responsibility for the delivery of most child
and family services in their communities.
54. The Province will contribute to the establishment of the
Stehiyaq Healing and Wellness Village in the Fraser Valley.
55. New mechanisms will facilitate effective engagement of
all parties in meaningful consultation and help First Nations
participate as equity partners in major economic development
projects.
56. A new program leading to a certificate in leadership will
be introduced for teachers.
57. New powers will be given to the College of Teachers to
remove the teaching certificate of any member who is found
to be incompetent.
58. New steps will be taken to expand B.C.'s public university
system, provide new clarity of purpose in our post-secondary
institutions and create new opportunities for higher learning.
Funding will be targeted where it is needed most, to meet
skills demands with added training capacity for skilled workers.
59. The Provincial Nominee Program and the successful Skills
Connect for Immigrants program will be expanded to help meet
the demand for skilled workers.
60. Post-secondary students will be given new consumer protection
as institutional accountability is strengthened under the
new Education Quality Assurance program.
61. A major new arts endowment will provide lasting benefits
to all British Columbians.
62. Steps will be taken to enhance the Vancouver Art Gallery's
international reputation as a showcase of B.C. art of all
genres, cultures and regions.
63. The Province will support the establishment of a National
Maritime Centre for the Pacific and the Arctic in North Vancouver.
64. Another 316 StrongStart BC centres will be added in the
next two years, for a total of 400 in B.C. by 2010. StrongStart
BC is a free, drop-in early learning program for preschool
aged children accompanied by a parent or caregiver.
65. A new Early Childhood Learning Agency will be established.
It will assess the feasibility and costs of full school day
kindergarten for five-year-olds. It will also undertake a
feasibility study of providing parents with the choice of
day-long kindergarten for four-year-olds by 2010, and for
three-year-olds by 2012. That report will be completed and
released within the year.
66. A new Centre for Autism Education and Research will be
developed that will provide a residential environment for
children with autism and create a national hub for research
and a centre for parental supports.
67. Creating new "Walking School Bus" and "Bicycle
Train" programs to encourage children to walk or bicycle
to school with adult supervision.
68. Enacting new legislation to ban smoking in vehicles when
children are present.
69. Expanded pediatric oncology research will offer new hope
for cancer prevention and treatment specifically focused on
children.
70. Committing to the upgrading and expansion of BC Children's
Hospital.
71. Pursuing creation of a new northern energy corridor from
Prince Rupert to Prince George.
72. Pursue the next phase of the Port of Prince Rupert development,
in co-operation with First Nations and the federal government.
73. Working with the federal government, a new integrated
Pacific Ports Strategy will also be developed to make the
most of Canada's Pacific Gateway.
74. Amendments to the Employment Standards Act will improve
protection for farm workers and prohibit agricultural producers
from using unlicensed farm labour contractors.
75. The new Working Roundtable on Forestry will recommend
new possibilities for forestry, including new tenures; and
a 90-day regulatory and process review will cut unnecessary
administrative and process costs.
76. New pension bridging opportunities will be developed for
older workers nearing retirement. New training opportunities
will also be offered to help forest workers who have been
temporarily laid off to upgrade skills and earning potential.
77. The new BC Bioenergy Strategy will create new opportunities
in cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel and other clean, renewable
fuels.
78. The consultation now underway will continue to advance
the potential for Site C, which could be a major economic
catalyst for rural British Columbia in years to come.
79. A new British Columbia Agriculture Plan will ensure farming
continues to have a bright future in B.C.
80. A new Health Profession Review Board will ensure that
all qualified health workers can fully and appropriately utilize
their training and skills and not be denied that right by
unnecessary credentialing and licensure restrictions.
81. Creating a new BC Patient Safety Council to enhance patient
safety and promote transparency.
82. Creating new Patient Care Quality Review Boards for every
health region.
83. Improvements to the Public Health Act will help deal with
public health risks such infectious diseases and emergency
health hazards.
84. Committing to the upgrading and expansion of BC Children's
Hospital.
85. Major new investments in eHealth and expansions to BC
NurseLine, including a new "specialist referral service."
86. As of today, British Columbia will waive the MSP wait
period for all Canadian soldiers and their families who move
to B.C. from elsewhere in Canada.
87. Authorizing and training nurses to deliver a broader range
of health services, such as suturing, ultrasounds, allergy
testing, local anesthesia and cardiac stress testing. Nurses
will be able to give medications for minor pain at triage
while patients are waiting to see a doctor, order lab work,
blood tests and X-rays.
88. Pharmacists will be permitted to authorize routine prescription
renewals, making it easier for patients with chronic illnesses
to manage their conditions.
89. Ambulance paramedics will be authorized to treat and release
when appropriate.
90. Naturopaths will be permitted to prescribe medicinal therapies
as appropriate and restrictions on their access to medical
labs for prescribed tests for patients will be removed.
91. Midwives will be authorized to deliver a broader range
of services without a physician present.
92. Teams of health professionals working together for patients
will be available 24 hours a day to provide clinically appropriate
care that is now only available in emergency rooms.
93. New tools and support services will be created to help
home caregivers and family members who are providing in-home
care.
94. New access for citizens to their health records and medical
information.
95. Government will study the possibility of establishing
a new Independent Living Savings Account framework to allow
citizens to invest each year, up to age 75, in a tax-sheltered
savings account for home care support, assisted independent
housing and supportive housing options.
96. Banning the use of trans fats in the preparation of foods
in schools, restaurants and food-service establishments by
2010.
97. Enacting new legislation to ban smoking in vehicles when
children are present.
98. Establishing a new Centre for Brain Health to help people
avoid brain diseases and provide new treatment and rehabilitation
options.
99. New investments in the Centre for Hip Health and Musculoskeletal
Research.
100. The Hip Centre will work to prevent falls and hip fractures
through the development of early intervention programs for
youth and seniors. It will enhance the detection of osteoarthritis
at an early stage and the education of highly skilled scientists
and clinicians.
101. Establishing ActNow seniors' community parks throughout
B.C.
102. Creating new "Walking School Bus" and "Bicycle
Train" programs to encourage children to walk or bicycle
to school with adult supervision.
103. New legislative authority will be sought to ensure health
professionals certified to practice in other Canadian jurisdictions
can practise in B.C., including foreign-trained doctors.
104. Creating a new restricted licence that will allow internationally
trained physicians to practise in their specific areas of
qualification.
105. Significantly expanding residency positions, and introducing
a new framework to allow Canadian citizens trained outside
Canada to find residencies and practise in B.C.
106. Creating a three-year Bachelor of Nursing Science program
that will allow nurses to gain their degree a year sooner,
with 'on-the-job' training.
107. Better co-ordination of patient services across the Lower
Mainland will reduce administration costs. Those revenues
will be redirected to patient services.
108. Launching an innovation and integration fund for the
Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health Authorities to help move
beyond "block funding" toward a new provincewide
patient-centered funding model. Health dollars will follow
patients, wherever they are treated. It will tie funding to
performance and increased service levels in specific priority
areas, like emergency care and surgical backlogs.
109. Amendments to the Medicare Protection Act will also codify
a commitment to building a public health-care system that
is founded on the values of individual choice, personal responsibility,
innovation, transparency and accountability.
110. Integrated approaches to health human resources training
and recruitment, data collection, procurement and services
will be implemented.
111. New investments will standardize information technology
platforms and provide new tools for better managing and optimizing
health expenditures.
112. Expanded pediatric oncology research will offer new hope
for cancer prevention and treatment specifically focused on
children.
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