ABORTION, LABOR ADDRESSED opecitics given in Vander Zalm's throne speech THE B.C. government's plan for the province under Premier Bill Vander Zalm was revealed this week in his government’s first throne speech —— from reducing the number of abortions to making major changes to the labor laws. In a comprehensive throne speech which went against tradi- tion by naming specific programs and individuals, the Social Credit Party introduced details of its “Fresh Start,’’ which included plans to stimulate the tourism and reforestration programs, and to lay the groundwork for privatization of Crown corporations. The speech concentrated on programs designed to reduce the provincial deficit by nearly $1 billion, and to prepare for expan- sion in key industries. Lt. Gov. Robert Rogers delivered the 22-minute speech Monday, before a legislature which included no less than 39 new members among the 69 MLAs, in- cluding North Vancouver-Seymour MLA Jack Davis, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Rogers began with reference to the open and accessible style of government which Vander Zalm had advocated since his election in- October 1986, and said that ‘‘dif- ficult decisions must be made,’’ an apparent reference to some of the labor law references and privatiza- tion policies. With several mentions of a ‘‘new economy” for B.C., the throne speech paves the way for expanded financial assistance to small businesses, to entrepreneurs and to the tourism industries. Details of many of the programs will be in- cluded in the budget to be handed | down March 19. Entering the contentious area of labor relations, the throne speech said it- would ‘‘break fresh ground’’ to bring about long-term stability in labor relations. Vander Zalm said changes to the “Labor Code were necessary to en- sure that the innocent people af- fected by a strike or lockout were considered and protected. Entering the area of sex educa- tion, the Socred government said it would issue a ‘‘basic. provincial guideline program’on family life and sex education" to all school districts by Septembe! r. That pro- gram would deal with sex and related health issues — an obvious teference to AIDS — in.an “open but sensitive and careful way.’ Then came a firm anti-abortion stand with a promise to provide funding to reduce the high rate of abortions in B.C. Also promised were support programs for single mothers, more day care facilities and increased adoption oppor- tunities in order ‘‘to address the ever-increasing number of abor- tions,” In putting its own house in order, the government said — it would eliminate dual-member con- Stituencies; and that Mr. Justice Thomas K. Fisher would be ap- pointed as commissioner to establish new voting boundaries. A Board of Internal Economy would be appointed early in this session of the legislature, under the chairmanship of Speaker John Reynolds, ‘‘to develop fair pro- cedures and rules for the financial management and administration’’ of the legislature. Funding would be increased for the Opposition, and television and radio coverage of the sittings would be provided by late fall. A special task force is to be ap- pointed immmediately, to work on privatization of Crown corpora- tions, and to recommend a way by which the massive millions of dollars in debts of those corpora- tions could be retired. The only light moment during the pomp and ceremony of the throne speech, and the regular committee announcements after- ward, came when Opposition house leader Mark Rose, in secon- ding the motion by Government _ house leader Bruce Strachan to appoint West Vancouver-Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds as Speaker, called Reynolds ‘‘an ex- pert in confounding previous Speakers."” Reynolds said after the session that the remark was ‘‘very accurate indeed.”” The Speaker said he believed that his, years of experi- ence as a Tory in Ottawa in Op- position would give him a better feeling for the needs of the NDP in this house. ° Municipalities to gain THIS WILL be a government to fit local needs, according to Mon- day’s Throne Speech in the B.C. Legislature. Amid the long shopping list of priorities on everything from sex ‘education to increased tourism programs, the Social Credit gov- ernment of Bill Vander Zalm said it intended ‘‘to restore more deci- sion-making and functions of gov- ernment to the community level, because increased attention to local autonomy is long overdue.”’ With that promise, the Socreds are continuing Vander Zalm’s program of decentralization, first introduced in January at the Premier’s Conference with the mayors and regional district chairmen of the Union of B.C. power Municipalities. The Throne Speech said recom- mendations from a_ provincial- municipal committee set up at that conference would be forthcoming “in the very near future’? on ways to speed up the decentralization process. Another promise which is designed to spread the focus and scope of the government in B.C., is for the Cabinet and committees of the House ‘‘to travel across our province to bring government to the people.’’ “We will seek answers and solu- tions from ail, because there is no monopoly on geod ideas or con- structive proposals,’’ said the Throne Speech. Reynolds new Speaker 5 - Wednesday, WEST VANCOUVER-Howe Sound MLA John Reynolds of- ficially became the new Speaker of the legislature Monday. Reynolds was unanimously ap- pointed to the position during the first sitting of the new legislature after he had been recommended as the new Speaker by Premier Bill March —1, 1987 - North Shore News Vander Zalm during the Nov. 6 provincial cabinet shuffle. Responsibilities of the Speaker include maintaining order in the legislature when it is) sitting and maintaining its premises. 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