Premier Gordon Campbell's Address to Delegates at Convention 2004

November 6, 2004

Whistler, B.C.

Check against Delivery

Thank you all very much. It is just great to be here and I want to start by saying one thing that comes from the bottom of my heart. How great it is to be here with all of you, how great it is to have Nancy here and also it’s great to have my son Nicholas here. Thanks for being here Nick. But mostly to all of you, thank you for always being here, thank you for all you do, because it’s because of you that BC is Back.

You know it’s pretty incredible to be here in Whistler, one of the sites of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. You talk about change and progress! If you drove up that road you know that we’re making changes that are working for the Province of British Columbia.

What a lot has happened since we were in Penticton just two years ago at our last convention. Think how far you’ve all come. We are leading the nation in job creation, right here, in British Columbia! We’re leading the nation in small business optimism. We’re number one in housing starts, retail sales, and small business growth. That’s British Columbia! Our health care system is on the mend, we’re doubling the number of doctors we’re training, we’ve added 2,000 nurse training spaces. That’s British Columbia! We have launched the largest expansion of post secondary education opportunities in the last 40 years. That’s British Columbia! And in our schools, student achievement is on the rise. That’s British Columbia!

Make no mistake, BC is Back. Today, and in the last couple of years, we have been reclaiming the pride and the promise of this great province. Our economy is back on track, our fiscal house is back in order, and the foundation for the future is now in place. That should make even the NDP happy! I know that over the next month, we’re going to watch as all of the major political parties hold their own convention. We’re having ours today, in two weeks, the Green Party will have theirs, and the week after that, the BC Fed will hold theirs!

Now I have got to tell you, I can’t wait for that convention! I am convinced that Jim Sinclair is going to stand there, raise his brothers and sisters, and they are all going to cheer for what’s happening for working families in British Columbia! I’m sure they’re going to do that! Surely they’re going to cheer the 25 percent cut in income taxes that gave their members the largest increase in after-tax take home pay in 20 years! Please, come on Jim, tell me that you’re going to applaud the fact that – despite the tech crash, 9-11, SARS, BSE, the avian flu, floods, fires and record drought – BC has created more jobs than any other province in Canada in the last three years!

They have to be happy about that. We’ve got jobs in mining, jobs in forests, new trade union jobs. We’ve got so many trade jobs in British Columbia right now that we have a training shortage – and we’re expanding trades training in British Columbia. I can actually tell you I’m not holding my breath for the applause at the BC Fed convention. But I do find it just a little bit ironic – don’t you? – that the only two groups that seem to regard al this good news as bad news are the NDP and the BC Fed.

The fact is there is a new tide of optimism that is sweeping across this province. There is an aura of confidence and a growing sense of pride in the province about what we can accomplish when we work together. It’s not just evident in the hard statistics of increased consumer spending and capital investment. You can feel it. There is a new sense of hope and pride. You can see it in people’s faces. You can hear it in their voices. You can hear it when they talk about their future. We even read about it in the newspapers! Well, sometimes. I mean look at the Vancouver Sun today, look at this. Did everyone see this? “Workforce hits record high in British Columbia.”

More and more there are stories about how our economy is taking off. In just three short years, we’ve gone from the worst economy in the country to one of the best economies in the country. Is our economy back? You know it. We inherited a structural deficit of $4 billion, and today there’s a surplus of $1 billion. Is our budget back in black? You know it. For the first time in six years, more people are moving back to British Columbia from Canada than are moving out of British Columbia. Net migration is up 67 percent. Our kids are coming home. Are BC’s families back? You know that they’re back.

Mineral exploration, mining exploration, is up 500 percent, and we’re expecting 2,600 new jobs in the next three years. Is mining back? You know it. In forestry, capital investment is growing at five times the rate of GDP. New investment in logging equipment is up 46 percent. The industry now faces shortages of fallers, equipment operators, and truck drivers. Today, instead of people looking for work, there’s work looking for people. Is forestry back? You know it.

In the energy sector, there will be $20 billion in new investment between now and 2007. There will be 31,000 new jobs. Is energy back? You know it. The tourism industry has never been more excited about its future across BC. We are getting set to welcome the world not just in 2010, but well beyond 2010. We have $1 billion in resort development in every region of the province. Is tourism back? You know it.

Everybody knows that economic growth is the lifeblood that sustains our public services. Everybody knows that. We all know that BC works best when British Columbians are working. So I just have to ask the NDP: why don’t you just admit it? You put people out of work. We’re putting people back to work. And now the whole province is working better for it.

You know I do think that most British Columbians are starting to see that. But I also know this. We have to do a better job of reaching out to all of our citizens … to our ethnic communities, because the great diversity of British Columbia is one of our truly great strengths as we build a future for everyone in this province. People do want us to do a better job of listening to their concerns and acting on their priorities. People want us to show more heart; but also they want us to stay the course. They sure want the next four years to be easier than the last three year. And I’m with them on that. It’s what we all want to do.

Now that our economy is back on track, and our budget is balanced, we’re in better shape to do just that. Yes, we’ve made some difficult decisions … some tough decisions which we took no joy from. I know that we were far from perfect. And I certainly know that when I look in the mirror, there were lots of things that I could have done much better. But we did have a plan to put things right for British Columbians. We had a plan to move this province forward. And you know what? Our plan is working!

We said we would forge a new relationship with First Nations, and I can tell you that no government in BC history has done more to attain that end. Our plan is working. We said we would create a Citizens’ Assembly to let British Columbians decide for themselves how they wanted to elect their MLAs. The cynics said it would never happen. I can remember when I announced that at our convention in Kelowna and all the smart people said it would never happen. Well, it happened. And we did it because it was right to give citizens the opportunity to craft their democracy to meet their needs. And just think of this, next year on May the 17th, the citizens of British Columbia, the citizens of our province, will become the first citizens in the world, to vote on electoral system designed by citizens, for citizens, without any political interference. The eyes of the world are on British Columbia, but more importantly, they are on our citizens, because we put the power of the future in their hands. And we should all be proud of that. Our plan is working.

We said we would legislate a set date for provincial elections so never again would a Premier be able to manipulate the timing for partisan advantage. Believe me, there were days where I didn’t think that quite as good a plan as I had thought! In fact, the pundits told us that it would never happen. But we did it, in our first 90 days in office. Our plan is working in British Columbia.

In 192 days, British Columbians will go to the polls. They will reflect on the work of this office, and this Cabinet. And what an amazing Caucus and Cabinet we have had! Through thick and thin, they have stuck to the plan and seen it through. It does take courage, and it does take conviction, to do what is right. In politics, it takes real conviction to think in the long term, to do what is best for the long term future of British Columbia and the generations that we serve. The Caucus and the Party hung together and worked the plan, and now BC families are better off. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a hand to the BC Liberal Caucus!

You know, I can tell you, our purpose was never to balance the budget as an end in of itself. It wasn’t even to create economic growth as a “be all” and an “end all”. But it was to put in place a foundation that will allow us to improve the quality of life for every British Columbian. Living within our means is the first step to living out our dreams. Generating wealth is the first step to prosperity. A job is the first step down the road of hope. And 180,000 new jobs means one thing: our plan is working for British Columbia.

There is more we can do and will do. It’s been tough slogging, but the way ahead will be easier. The road ahead will be smoother. But we cannot rest on our laurels, or become complacent. What drives us, and what still drives me, is the promise of this great province, in this great country. We still live in the best province, in the best country, in the world!

Every day, we reach for that vision, we step closer to that reality. Everyday we strive towards that ideal, we advance towards its promise. And now, we are standing on the edge of a golden decade for British Columbia. It is ours to define together. We have proven ourselves capable of great achievement – of achieving great goals – when we set our minds and our hearts to the task.

These are my great goals for the golden decade that lies ahead. I want to create more jobs per capita in British Columbia than anywhere else in Canada. I want BC to be the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. I want to lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness. I want to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk, and seniors. And I want to lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management – bar none.

These are great objectives, and they are goals we can achieve if we strive for them, and we work for them. Not just over the next four years, but over the next decade. And I know that we will reach those goals, because you’ve shown me the strength of British Columbians working together to achieve something for the next generation of this province. Together, we can make the next 10 years BC’s golden decade.

There will be lots more to say about all of those goals in the next 192 days. You’ve heard Graham talk about out resource communities. You’ve heard Gary talk about our financial strength. You’ve heard Shirley talk about our new initiatives in advanced education, expanding the knowledge base to every region of this province. You’ve heard Colin talk about our health care initiatives, and the new $5.4-billion partnership that we have with the federal government that allows us to focus on giving patients the care they need in the timeliest manner that we can. You know about the great things Rich has done in building safer communities across British Columbia and leading the nation in policing and making sure we reach out to communities to provide safer, sounder, better places for all of us to live. Our Cabinet has shown leadership, not just in British Columbia, but across this country. That’s leadership, and that is the BC promise!

Over the next 192 days we will have a great deal more to say about our great goals for job creation, healthy living and education. But today, I’d like to focus on our children, and how to make them healthier and better educated.

You know, there are about 248,000 children under the age of six in this province. I want to make sure, that every child in British Columbia has the benefit of timely, early learning diagnostic tests and of timely treatment if they’ve got a challenge. For too long we’ve known what we should do, and I can tell you this, this government is going to do it. I want to be sure that over the next four years, we will establish comprehensive diagnostic testing and support for every child in British Columbia. And it will happen before they reach Grade One.

We are going to ensure that our children have access to hearing screening, sight testing, and dental checks, because that’s what they deserve from all of us. We already know that the earlier we catch those problems, the faster and more effectively we can deal with them. We want to lift every child in this province to their full potential. That’s the promise of British Columbia.

The best early childhood development always starts at home, with loving families. But increasingly it’s also happening in daycare centres and in other learning environments. We have created 25,000 new daycare spaces, and made 10,000 more children eligible for daycare subsidies. We have not only restored childcare subsidies to 2001 levels, we have increased them for the first time in a decade. And that is what a strong economy allows you to do.

There’s a new federal partnership for early childhood development and childcare. And that development will establish $600 million that will be made available to British Columbians for expansions of those programs over the next five years.

I’ve asked the Minister of Education, Tom Christensen, to work with community school advocates and practitioners across this province to examine the potential for us to use under-utilized school spaces for early childhood development centres, parent centres, senior centres, daycares, music rooms, and meeting rooms. Our schools should be at the heart of learning communities, and we will take steps to make sure they are doing just that.

We will be relentless in our pursuit of the great goal of making our students the most literate students in Canada. We have already invested $10 million more of your dollars in new textbooks for students in our schools in British Columbia. There’s $12 million going to community libraries to expand their reach to people all over this province. And we’ve launched a $5 million literacy innovation program in our schools. The first gift of learning is the gift of literacy, and we are going to make sure that gift is delivered to all of our children in this province.

Do we have challenges in education? Of course we do. But under our government, student completion rates are up. Under our government, results in reading, writing, and numeracy are all on the rise. Aboriginal graduation rates are going up, and the funding that we provide for the education system is also on the rise. You should know this – we have increased per-capita spending funding by $563 a student. We are investing more in education than any government in the history of the province of British Columbia.

Here are some facts for you. Fact: we’ve raised school district funding by $229 million in the last three years, in spite of a drop in student population. Fact: we are committed to providing a third of a billion additional dollars for that over the next three years. Fact: we are committed to investing three-quarters of a billion dollars to improve our schools and make sure we have the capital resources we need. Fact: our plan is working for education in British Columbia!

I’m pleased to tell you today that all seismic upgrades that are required in BC schools will be completed in the next 15 years. That will require $1.5-billion in capital investment over the next 15 years, but that’s what you can do when the economy is working.

We can do more, and we will. Here are just two examples. In the last two years we’ve launched two pilot projects in our schools, Action Schools and the Roots of Empathy. The results are in, both have been extremely successful. In Action Schools, we have watched as students have achieved a 20 percent increase in their fitness rates, and a decline in obesity. Our plan is simple. Within the next four years, Action Schools will be in every school in British Columbia, from Kindergarten to Grade Nine. And we’re going to add to it. We’re going to deliver a new action program for babies, for toddlers, and for pre-schoolers as well.

To build on that success over the next year, I have asked Tom Christensen to work with public school boards to eliminate junk food from the public schools of British Columbia. And just so there is no question, let me be as clear as I can be: by the end of our next term, junk food in our schools will be gone!

The Roots of Empathy program has been tested in 150 schools, across our province. It reduces aggressive behaviour while raising social and emotional competence. Therefore, we will put the Roots of Empathy program in every school in British Columbia over the next four years. Action Schools, healthy food, and the Roots of Empathy mean happier, healthier children in BC, and that’s the promise of our future.

There is also more we can do to build BC’s support for persons with disabilities and special needs. I’ve already established a Premier’s taskforce on homelessness, drug abuse and mental illness. Families with special needs children also need more support, and we will provide it. We have already worked hard to make the lives of the 60,000 people with disabilities on income assistance more independent. We started by doubling the income exemption for people with disabilities, from $200 to $400 a month. We’re going to do more. I can tell you today that before Christmas, we will raise the rate for income assistance recipients with disabilities by $70 a month. That is the largest one-time dollar increase in support for those people in BC’s history! It will increase monthly rates for those recipients from $786 a month to $856 a month. These are precisely the kind of improvements you can make in people’s lives when you have an economy that is back at work. And BC is Back!

As we build our economy, we can also improve our environment. Sustainability means that the environment is working with the economy, that as we improve our environment we’re providing more jobs to British Columbians so they have a more secure future. We’re going to continue to work with the federal government to achieve benefits for British Columbians that are in the interests of all Canadians. That’s how we established a new national park in the Gulf Islands. That’s how we completed a $73-million agreement to save Burns Bog for British Columbia for all time. That’s how we completed the Spirit of 2010 trail system that links and unites 18 communities with trails from the east, to the western part of our province.

I want to build on our great goal of leading the world in sustainable environmental management. In our first four years, we invested more in capital improvements for BC parks than the NDP did in the entire 1990s. We created 37 new parks and expanded 34 existing parks, working with local districts and local governments. That has been an increase of 150,000 hectares. And we’ve done that while the economy is growing, and while bringing jobs back to British Columbia. That’s sustainability.

In the next decade, we have to turn our attention to one of our most important resources – water. When you think about it, of all the images that define British Columbia, our magnificent fresh water and costal resources speak most to our history and our culture. It is time for British Columbia to become a global leader in water stewardship. In the months ahead, you will hear much more about how we plan to do that. We’re going to work in partnership with First Nations, industry, communities and environmental groups, to start mapping out potential marine protective strategies. Even as we work to develop the exceptional offshore oil and gas potential that will benefit every single British Columbian.

We have already committed $7-million to the Living Rivers Trust to restore and revitalize our rivers and our watersheds. Already we have created a $16-million drinking water action plan and introduced new ground water legislation to protect the water quality and safety that people depend on. We need a strong accountable strategy to protect our drinking water, to manage our increasing drought, and to restore fresh water habitat. We will establish a Provincial Water Officer to do just that. In the months ahead, we will deliver a comprehensive fresh water and oceans strategy. Water is part of the promise of British Columbia, and we intend to ensure that promise is there for future generations. We will carry through on our commitment to establish a Pacific Salmon Forum to ensure our pacific salmon are there for British Columbians today and forever.

These are great goals that we set for ourselves, and it’s important for us to set those goals high as we strive to achieve them. But you know over the last 20 years, I’ve discovered something about all of you, and the people of this province. When we set our goals high, we can reach them. When we work together, we can reach them.

I believe in the power of the individual imagination; but I know how quickly it can be stifled by institutional inertia. That’s why I need your help. I believe in the power of new ideas; but I know about the weight of the status quo. That’s why I need your energy. I believe in the power of education to lift all of our children, and in the power of all ideas to give them the liberating support they need to reach their dream. I believe in the power of hope; but I know the force of fear. You are the armies of hope. I believe in the force of free enterprise; but I recognize the appeal of the false promise of something for nothing. That’s why I need you to join with me as we work. I believe we have made great progress; but I know the job has just begun.

That’s why we all must carry on. Although we have gone through three difficult years, there is a golden decade of opportunity on our doorstep. We all simply have to walk through. We must never forget that BC’s full potential does not rest solely on government. It rests in the hearts and minds of individual citizens, willing to pursue new answers, bold enough to take on the challenge of meeting the needs of a changing world.

The spirit of exploration that helped build this great province must not leave us today. It’s just as difficult to find a path to the future now, as it was in times past. It is just as difficult for us to be steeled against the currents of change that sometimes affect our communities and our families. But I know we can do it. I know you can do it. And I know that together that we must do it.

We cannot risk the progress that we have made in the last three years, to fall back to a decade of decline that we experienced in the 1990s. Today, we stand with a new generation of British Columbians … young British Columbians, who are creative, smart, and driven by nature to create a better province that expands the realms of knowledge and the reach of our ideas and our products.

Together, as we look ahead, let us look with the eyes of our children. Let us capture their dreams, and show them how to reach them. Together, we must reach for the full promise of British Columbia. Let us give our children the knowledge that their province truly is the best place on earth. And in 192 days, on May the 17th, British Columbians will choose their future. And I am confident, that with your help, your energy, your commitment, a golden decade lies ahead for our great province.