Aboriginal Affairs

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop harmonized workable regulatory processes for carrying out consultation with the aboriginal people that will amount to the regulatory schemes referred to in Haida; 2)work with the First Nations Tax Commission, and other interested parties, to develop legislation that would provide more secure and marketable property rights on reserve lands.

Target Contacts

Advanced Education

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)provide funding for technology and engineering programs and their implementation at Colleges and Universities in all regions of BC where the need and demand of the respective programs has been documented; and 2)provide funds to cover capital and operating costs for the extension and development of facilities in regions throughout BC that are experiencing dire need in the provision and delivery of much needed technology and engineering programs.

Target Contacts

Agriculture

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)live up to the BC Agriculture Plan commitment to invest $2 million per year into an industry-led marketing program that will increase awareness of local BC food products; 2)give high priority to funding for agricultural extension and that the Ministry work with the industry and key stakeholders to identify key priority areas for the agricultural sector; 3)reverse the decision to discontinue funding for the organic extension agent position; and 4)fund the School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program (BCSFVNP) to a level that will meet the objective of ultimately covering all BC schools in the program.

Target Contacts

Arts and Culture

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work together with the B.C. Arts Council, and BC Gaming and Enforcement Branch, to institute a three year funding cycle, with appropriate reporting requirements, for arts and cultural organizations receiving core funding with the option of making additional interim applications if necessary; 2)develop a strategy to increase per capita funding of arts and culture to a suitable level that is affordable to B.C. taxpayers

Target Contacts

Economic Development and Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)create a comprehensive provincial land use strategy, perhaps as part of an overall economic strategy for the province, that will preserve and grow high paying employment generating lands and that considers the logistic requirements and transportation corridors required to prevent rendering industrial parcels from being unusable in future. 2)work with industry to develop and promote public and economic policies that; a)create and encourage a better understanding of the importance of our export economy to the provincial and national interests b)address environmental concerns by committing to education and mitigation of environmental impacts.

Target Contacts

Education

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)undertake a fundamental review of the school curriculum in concert with business stakeholders to ensure that students are being adequately prepared with the necessary employability skills; 2)ensure that small business and industry groups are provided access to schools on a regular basis to educate students to the expectations of the business community through the facilitation of events such as career fairs.

Target Contacts

Elections

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop a plan for implementing an on-line voting system for BC municipal and provincial elections; and 2)develop a means to address security and identification challenges to prevent abuse of the system.

Target Contacts

Employment and Training

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with the federal government to: a)develop an affordable cost recovery model and separate line item budget for LMO, temporary foreign workers, Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience class program; b)develop ¿fast lane¿ option with associated performance requirements for employers who choose to pay a premium for expedited service on LMO applications, TFWU applications, and Temporary Foreign Workers requiring Temporary Resident Visas (TRV) and work permit application processing from visa offices/consulates; and c)allow the current Temporary Foreign Workers Unit the ability to review possible LMO-exempt work permit applications for foreign nationals requiring TRVs or foreign nationals who are visa-exempt but outside Canada. 2)The Provincial and Federal Governments enter into a $2,159,105 funding agreement with appropriate non-governmental organizations to sponsor a 3-year Economic Gardening program in Vancouver Island, Southwest Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Kootenay, and the North. 3)ensure funding for existing Foreign Workers assistance agencies/settlement services; and 4)expand the mandate and funding of settlement services organizations to include help for TFW. 5)work to shorten the processing time for PNP applications.

Target Contacts

Energy

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)that the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to promote western access for natural resource products by: a)actively work together and with First Nations in an expeditious manner to resolve outstanding treaty negotiations to provide certainty and stability required for private investments; b)coordinate, in an expeditious manner a review of Canada's terrestrial oil spill safety regime, other international regimes and what, if anything Canada would need to do to ensure it has a world class terrestrial safety system; c)take a more proactive role in communicating facts about the provincially and federally regulated pipeline industry as well as B.C. and Canada¿s safety record for shipping heavy oil. 2)review the Clean Energy Act

Target Contacts

Energy

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial Government adopt Natural Gas as a natural resource choice for the provision of consumable energy to support community, commerce and industry in the province of BC by: 1)encouraging the presentation of proposals to construct Natural Gas Electric Generation facilities adjacent to pipelines and associated communities; and 2)enabling the development of consumer and commercial ready Natural Gas fueled vehicles and associated infrastructure to supply them.

Target Contacts

Environment

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)that the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to: a)establish a long-term strategy for maintenance of the Fraser River flood control systems that includes consideration for the growth and viability of the economies that are built around the river; b)establish and maintain funding agreements that will support the upgrading and maintenance of dyking, dredging, navigation and environmental stewardship along all obligatory areas of the Fraser River; and c)create and maintain a central Fraser River authority that will manage and support flood control along the banks of the Fraser River 2)clearly define the regulation and costs of enforcement in the proposed (National Marine Conservation) area, and identify the source of revenue to cover those costs; 3)not grant the authority to control routing of marine and aircraft traffic if the Marine Conservation area is enacted. 4)develop a comprehensive Brownfield policy and implementation strategy; and 5)establish a series of Brownfield pilot projects in selected communities with known concentrations of sites requiring Brownfield remediation. 6)freeze the Carbon Tax at its current level of $20 per tonne; 7)engage Environment Ministry regarding the Recycling regulation to include packaging and printed paper.

Target Contacts

Finances and Budgets

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)all infrastructure projects implement value-for-money assessment during the planning stage; 2)municipalities without a public-private partnership strategy use the Capital Asset Management Framework, or similar program, as a guide for value-money-assessment.

Target Contacts

Forestry

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)encourage alternative forest product uses. Policies should encourage uses for residual chips and other by-products that are being generated from pine beetle harvesting and lumber production, which could include energy generation and alternative wood products as well as ongoing supply for the pulp and paper sector. Similarly, after taking into account that opportunities for lumber production will continue for a longer period than previously forecast, policies should encourage alternative uses for timber that can¿t be converted to lumber. In both cases, the primary target for these policies and new uses should be roadside debris and standing dead timber, as these are significant sources of fibre that, if used in alternative products, should not adversely affect supply for existing forest products; 2)promote new opportunities without undermining existing rights. The foregoing policies should promote new opportunities, uses and investment without undermining existing rights by, in part, encouraging private sector solutions that do not require new rights to be issued by Government or, where new rights are issued by Government, by avoiding the creation of overlapping tenures on the same land base. 3)create incentives for new entrants and existing firms to invest capital in manufacturing facilities aimed at making products from second growth timber. Such incentives would include investment tax credits on plant and equipment purchases, employment incentives, lower municipal taxation, and reduced logging tax rates; 4)foster diversification and increased markets for logs through competitive bids and new tenure opportunities or diversification. Encourage the extraction of lower value timber from cut blocks through stumpage rates that reflect the market value of lower value timber or other incentives to fully utilize the coastal timber profile. 5)assist new tenure holders such as First Nations and communities, to facilitate development and harvesting of their tenures and develop mechanisms to put up competitively bid sales on these tenures that could possibly be included as additional evidence of market value in the stumpage system; 6)not subsume the BC Timber Sales Program into the Government¿s regulatory and policy arm but, rather, must as an independent enterprise; 7)include as key components of its commercial forest reserve initiative: a)implementation of the reserve to enhance the protection of the commercial forest landbase generally, not for the purpose of favouring certain new licenses over others, including those portions of the landbase subject to existing forest tenures; and 8)bring the 9 year policy development period to an end by implementing this new policy as soon as practicable. 9)enhance the competitiveness of all forest products manufacturing facilities through improved taxation and revenue sharing arrangements at all levels of government; 10)enhance the competitiveness of secondary industries through training targeted at the value-added industries in business and financial planning and similar skills for entrepreneurs; 11)revise Section 2, Purpose: from ¿requiring the use of wood as the primary building material in all new provincially funded buildings¿ to ¿The purpose of thus Act is to facilitate and promote the culture of wood through the marketing and promotion of wood as a building material, consistent with the British Columbia Building Code¿; and 12)strike Section 3 (b) & (c) which empowers the prescriptive interference of the Forestry Minister in the building procurement process. The Forestry Minister has been given the legal authority to (b) advise on the form and content of agreements and other arrangements for the design or construction of provincially funded buildings: (c) carry out prescribed responsibilities.

Target Contacts

Gaming and Lotteries

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)revisit eligibility criteria for community gaming grants; and consider reinstating grants for three years to provide stability, predictability and consistency; 2)request that funding levels be returned to those previously established by the government as of 2008 ¿ that is $156 million since 2008; and 3)that the responsibility for establishing eligibility for gaming funding to charities and non-profit organizations be reviewed at arm¿s length from government.

Target Contacts

Government Procurement

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)initiate a new Core Services Review across all ministries using the same criteria that were used in 2001; 2)following the completion of the review, develop measurable outcomes and criteria for Ministry Services Plan; and 3)introduce ¿sunset¿ clauses for all new government programs.

Target Contacts

Health

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial work with the Federal Governments to: 1)actively work towards increasing the number of physicians in Canada and finding solutions to the doctor shortage; 2)to implement incentives to keep Canadian trained doctors in Canada after their residencies and encourage those doctors to locate to areas with a need for doctors. Such incentives may include, but are not limited to, forgiveness of loans, grant programs and payment of living expenses.

Target Contacts

Housing

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop a centralized, consistent process for disclosure of property history information; 2)develop a centralized, consistent process for remediation of buildings used in drug operations; 3)implement these disclosure and remediation processes through existing BC provincial legislation. 4)amend the current rent calculations formula to reflect current actual cost increases that impact the rental housing industry.

Target Contacts

Internal Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with the provinces/territories and the Canadian wine industry to create a personal exemption system that would allow specified quantities of wine to be personally transported by or delivered directly to out-of-province/territory Canadian consumers.

Target Contacts

International Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government works with the Federal Government in conjunction with their United States counterparts to: a)implement improvements in the cross-border transactions to support the principle that people, goods and services are deserving of equitable treatment irrespective of whether the transaction is southbound or northbound across our mutual international borders.

Target Contacts

Justice and Law Enforcement

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)require the complainant to pay a nominal filing fee ($200) upon initial filing and a further filing fee in the same amount if the matter is not settled at a settlement hearing and the complainant wishes to proceed to a Human Rights hearing; 2)in the event the matter is found in favour of the respondent at a Human Rights hearing, the complainant would be obligated to pay costs at, perhaps, half the scale provided by the courts; and 3)an independent and neutral person review cases at the outset and cases with no chance of success should be discussed with the complainant. Reasons should be given to the complainant as to why the cases has little or no chance of success. If the complainant still insists their case go forward, and if they lose their case, full costs will be awarded to the respondent. 4)establish provincial standards for the integrated delivery of police services by police forces where municipal boundaries are immediately adjacent; and 5)where necessary, legislate amalgamation of police services in areas where established standards are not being met and where uniformity would benefit service delivery and public safety.

Target Contacts

Labour/Labour Relations

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government act on the recommendations included in the Chamber submission of April 10th, 2002, and furthermore: a)consider legislation emanating from the report of the Labour Relations Code Section 3 Committee; b)that Section 5(2)(a) be eliminated, leaving it in the LRB's discretion to schedule expedited unfair labour practice hearings as it deems appropriate, considering the interests of the parties and the Board's available resources; c)restore the limitations of Section 5.1 of the former Industrial Relations Act such that trade unions be prohibited from forcing employers to dismiss employees who have been expelled or suspended from membership in a trade union, or who have been denied membership in a trade union; d)that Section 68 be eliminated; e)that Section 14(4)(f) on remedial certification be repealed; and f)that the Labour Relations Board be directed to set essential services at higher levels to minimize disruption to the public. 2)amend its contract with the Human Rights Clinic so that complainants must meet a means and merits test in order to receive free legal aid; 3)create a legal aid clinic or system for human rights respondents; 4)amend the Human Rights Code to give the Tribunal more vetting power for marginal complaints on their own, prior to sending the complaint to the respondent; 5)consider the creation of a Unified Workplace Tribunal; 6)amend the Human Rights Code to specifically preclude the Human Rights Tribunal from awarding complainants costs including legal costs; 7)That the Provincial Government amend the Employment Standards Act by: a)removing the penalty provision entirely, or placing a broad due diligence style defense, and clarity around the circumstances when a penalty may be issued; b)providing clear statutory direction on the role of the Director in investigating and determining complaints, and in its role and obligation before the BCEST; c)giving clarity and simplicity to the Averaging Agreements; d)binding the Director to decisions made by the Tribunal; and e)awarding costs against the Director for failing to provide a record to the Tribunal and in failing to follow directions and decisions of the Tribunal. 8)revise the current Occupational Health and Safety regulations to introduce a goal-based model that will allow the employer the flexibility to achieve the required safety targets, and emphasize a preventative and proactive approach that encourages education for employers and workers about their rights and responsibilities;

Target Contacts

Liquor Control/Alcohol

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)amend the Liquor Distribution Act to allow private businesses to purchase and warehouse liquor at wholesale prices directly from producers, in equal retail competition with GLS locations; 2)focus the role of the Liquor Distribution Branch on security issues such as underage consumption, public safety, regulation, revenue collection and promoting a viable and stable BC liquor industry; and 3)ensure that any new liquor tax on purchases from producers places no constraints on future industry growth and allows the retail industry to use price as a competitive tool.

Target Contacts

Mining

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with industry to develop sound public and economic policies that fosters B.C.¿s steelmaking coal mining industry; 2)reinstate BCGS¿s annual funding to at least the $5 million level, plus additional funds to cover expensive field costs and the costs to attract expertise in today¿s competitive market; and 3)reinvest another $20 million in Geoscience BC with the mandate, as before, to leverage these funds with funds from industry and other government agencies. 4)rescind its ban on uranium and thorium exploration; 5)consult meaningfully and effectively with industry on an appropriate regulatory regime to ensure that any mineral exploration and development of uranium and thorium is conducted safely and responsibly; 6)provide fair compensation for damages to claim holders affected by the uranium exploration ban; 7)institute an assessment work holiday for affected claims until compensation is provided; 8)establish clear and practical policy and regulations with respect to low level, incidental radioactive mineral concentrations (e.g. in coal, rare metal deposits, etc); and 9)make the BC Mining Flow-Through Share (BC-MFTS) program a permanent feature of the tax system or, at minimum, extend the program for an additional three years. In addition, the Government should implement a temporary increase in the deduction gross-up to 125% for development spending and 150% for exploration spending to flow-through share financing, and increase the associated tax credit of eligible costs from 20 to 30% (similar to the Budget 2007 measure to increase the mineral exploration tax credit in pine-beetle infested regions); 10)expand flow-through eligibility to include both surface and underground greenfield and brownfield exploration and development expenditure; 11)make the BC Mineral Exploration Tax Credit permanent; and 12)provide full and fair market value compensation in a timely manner when expropriating mineral titles; 13)provide increased staff and funding resources to the mineral exploration and mine permitting administrations of provincial ministries, and ensure consistency across the province; and 14)provide Regional Geologists in both Smithers and Prince George offices. 15)provide increased, adequate and sustained funding for the BC Geological Survey, to ensure this agency is able to continue their work of providing a foundation of information around our mineral resources for future revenue generation in BC; and, 16)immediately inject $2.5 million funding into the BC Geological Survey to stop the present erosion of their capacity to fulfill their role in developing BC¿s economic future. 17)work with the mineral industry to develop ¿user friendly¿ Best Management Practices; 18)develop faster, more stream-lined approval procedures for mineral exploration projects, coordinated by the Ministry of Energy and Mines; 19)add mineral potential and mine development as key factors for any GAR order being considered by the Minister; and 20)return the authority for No Registration Reserve decision-making to Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

Target Contacts

Municipal Affairs

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with communities and stakeholders to adopt a Community Benefit Legacy Policy that meets the needs of business and communities. 2)provide control and oversight on the level of property taxation levied to all taxpayer groups to ensure fair and equitable taxation practices; 3)introduce a structured, clear and consistent annual reporting system to taxpayers that outlines the total cost of municipal taxes, fees and levies as well as the cost of taxes collected for other authorities by municipal governments; and 4)introduce changes with definitive timetables that provide certainty for taxpayers while allowing municipalities time to adjust and to ensure a smooth transition for the taxpayers. 5)establish reasonable timelines and focused guidelines for the approval or rejection of development permits by local governments; 6)provide an appeal process for the applicant, should a local government fail to meet the requirements as specified in the Act. 7)amend the Community Charter to give municipalities the option of introducing tools and strategies to motivate the owners of derelict properties and maintain such properties; and 8)amend section 279 of the Community Charter to include a third option for instigating municipal amalgamation; that being amalgamation by order of the province. 9)develop a Municipal Finance Administration Act to standardize reporting requirements and dates; 10)amend the Local Government Act to include provisions for elector assent similar to that of the Community Charter; 11)amend the Local Government Act to include similar borrowing ratios to that of the Community Charter; and 12)amend the Community Charter and Local Government Act to ensure budgetary reporting standards match financial reporting standards 13)establish a Premier¿s Council on Municipal Infrastructure to advise on: a)the accumulated infrastructure debt and projected deficits; b)the net revenue required to pay down the accumulated debt and address future deficits, and; c)the establishment of benchmarks for debt reduction and enhanced accountability. 14)work with UBCM and the Chamber to develop; benchmarking system that outlines core services that are applicable across municipalities of every size, of every economic base and of all regions of the province; and core metrics based on appropriate measures (per population, per dollar expended etc) that allow for cross-municipal comparisons; 15)while introducing immediate relief to class four tax levels, provide equity to class four, six and one; 16)establish a mechanism, such as a Provincial Municipal Auditor General, that allows for the continual review of local government taxation to ensure accountability and our continued competitiveness; and 17)allow business a greater say in municipal elections through the introduction of a business vote that allocates one vote to every business with a business number paying business class municipal property tax to be exercised by a designated individual.

Target Contacts

Science and Technology

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial Government works with the (digital media) industry to identify impediments to the sectors growth. This focus should be on: 1)reducing regulatory requirements and to improve regulatory requirements; 2)the ongoing competitiveness of the provincial and federal tax structures; and 3)ensuring the industry has access to a skilled workforce.

Target Contacts

Small Business

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to; a)expand the scope of the existing government backed vendor financing programs (such as the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, Employee Share Ownership Program) so that existing or potential owners of SMEs may access funds to facilitate the various aspects of succession planning including capital funds for purchase of a SME business; b)expand the scope of existing small business financing programs (such as Canadian Small Business Financing Program) to incorporate succession planning as a legitimate reason for business financing; c)offer succession planning tax credits for business owners who have created and fulfilled an SME succession; d)expand the scope of the current tax based incentives (such as the Succession Employee Share Ownership Plan) to include unincorporated businesses, and instances where successors buy corporate assets rather than shares; and e)create a task force in partnership with business and government to develop and implement a program that will facilitate the efficient transition of SME¿s through succession planning. 2)develop clear timeframes for defined regions to introduce Mobile Business Licence programs; 3)recognize that Mobile Business Licence programs are an interim step and that the provincial government develop a plan, including timelines, for the introduction of a Single Provincial Business Licence program.

Target Contacts

Taxation and Finance

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)implement the permanent carbon grant program for agricultural producers and greenhouse growers and the exemption from same coloured fuels using Carbon Tax revenues. 2)provide a fully refundable investment tax credit claimed on businesses¿ income tax returns equal to the PST paid on all acquisitions of machinery and equipment (including computers and software) but excluding buildings and structures with a capital cost allowance rate of 5 per cent or less; 3)commit to a dialogue with British Columbians on the development of a made-in-BC Value Added Sales Tax system to enhance BC¿s competitiveness and productivity. 4)provide PST exemptions on all agricultural goods and services that are zero-rated under the GST system; and 5)undergo a complete review of the carbon tax with the specific goal of immediately relieving extreme pressure on not just the Agri-food industry, but on all industries. The study should also address the cost that the tax is having on the BC economy and how it is a cascading tax that is added at all levels of production, transportation and sale, thereby reducing the overall competitiveness of the BC economy. 6)increase the 1% PTT threshold from $200,000 to $525,000, with 2% applying to the remainder of the fair market value; and 7)index the 1% PTT threshold of $525,000 using Statistics Canada¿s New Housing Price, and make adjustments annually.

Target Contacts

Transportation

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)add a seventh guiding principle; ¿Maintain affordable rates to protect the interests of ratepayers, users and communities.¿ 2)create actual minimum service levels for each route that balance each individual community¿s needs with preventing negative economic impact; 3)implement cost saving efficiencies such as contracting out service, terminal rationalization and passenger ferry service; 4)develop, through the responsible agency, highway and road incident management exercises, involving all appropriate agencies dedicated to implementing the management plan, to ensure a high standard of real life execution. 5)designate 16th Avenue as a Provincial Highway to connect Highway 1/Abbotsford Airport with Highway 99; 6)That the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to; a)negotiate more open skies policies to create a fair opportunity for those willing to provide air access to Canadian cities; and 7)Where open skies agreements are not possible: a)further liberalise existing bilaterals, with an emphasis on removing capacity caps and minimizing the bias towards Ontario; b)remove confidentiality clauses from existing agreements, to allow for accurate evaluation of route and market potential; c)reduce foreign ownership restrictions for Canadian carriers; and d)adjust Government imposed fees, taxes and charges to improve Canada¿s price competitiveness. 8)work with the Government of Canada to ensure funding is in place in a sustainable consistent manner that accrues to our communities for infrastructure improvements and upgrades required by new regulations and standards; 9)provide financial support for our communities to report on the condition and replacement needs of infrastructure. Through conditions on grant programs, require our communities to undertake asset management programs and strategy and develop long term financial plans to support infrastructure sustainability; and 10)create and implement a regional transportation authority for Greater Victoria; and 11)commit to funding transportation infrastructure investment through mechanisms that are equitable, efficient, and reflect basic traffic demand management principles; 12)create, in conjunction with business, a road pricing strategy as a foundation for sustainable regional transportation funding. 13)that the Insurance Corporation of BC work with key stakeholders to develop a standardized ¿minimum¿ curriculum for ¿all¿ commercial vehicle driver training schools in the province; and 14)fund, design, and build the necessary infrastructure to support full commercial operations at the Aldergrove Port of Entry; and 15)establish service levels that would denote when additional resources, including hours of operation, should be increased. 16)develop a plan and timeline to twin the route along Highway 2 and Highway 97 from Fort St. John to the Alberta Border within the next 5 to 10 years and begin immediate improvements to the most serious spots. 17)work with the Federal Government and airports around the province to develop a long term strategic plan to guide future investments in the province¿s airport infrastructure with guidelines and criteria established for spending on airport infrastructure. 18)accept the Highway 3 Coalition¿s recommendations to improve Highway 3 safety and traffic flow, and give priority to their implementation. 19)commit to funding transportation infrastructure investment that are equitable, efficient and reflect basic traffic demand management principles; 20)work with the Mayors¿ Council and other urban municipalities to: a)provide funding streams that address long-term needs of the region and enshrines traffic demand managements as a key principle; b)create, in conjunction with business, a road pricing strategy as a foundation for sustainable regional transportation funding

Target Contacts

Aboriginal Affairs

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop harmonized workable regulatory processes for carrying out consultation with the aboriginal people that will amount to the regulatory schemes referred to in Haida; 2)work with the First Nations Tax Commission, and other interested parties, to develop legislation that would provide more secure and marketable property rights on reserve lands.

Target Contacts

Advanced Education

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)provide funding for technology and engineering programs and their implementation at Colleges and Universities in all regions of BC where the need and demand of the respective programs has been documented; and 2)provide funds to cover capital and operating costs for the extension and development of facilities in regions throughout BC that are experiencing dire need in the provision and delivery of much needed technology and engineering programs.

Target Contacts

Agriculture

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)live up to the BC Agriculture Plan commitment to invest $2 million per year into an industry-led marketing program that will increase awareness of local BC food products; 2)give high priority to funding for agricultural extension and that the Ministry work with the industry and key stakeholders to identify key priority areas for the agricultural sector; 3)reverse the decision to discontinue funding for the organic extension agent position; and 4)fund the School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program (BCSFVNP) to a level that will meet the objective of ultimately covering all BC schools in the program.

Target Contacts

Arts and Culture

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work together with the B.C. Arts Council, and BC Gaming and Enforcement Branch, to institute a three year funding cycle, with appropriate reporting requirements, for arts and cultural organizations receiving core funding with the option of making additional interim applications if necessary; 2)develop a strategy to increase per capita funding of arts and culture to a suitable level that is affordable to B.C. taxpayers

Target Contacts

Economic Development and Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)create a comprehensive provincial land use strategy, perhaps as part of an overall economic strategy for the province, that will preserve and grow high paying employment generating lands and that considers the logistic requirements and transportation corridors required to prevent rendering industrial parcels from being unusable in future. 2)work with industry to develop and promote public and economic policies that; a)create and encourage a better understanding of the importance of our export economy to the provincial and national interests b)address environmental concerns by committing to education and mitigation of environmental impacts.

Target Contacts

Education

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)undertake a fundamental review of the school curriculum in concert with business stakeholders to ensure that students are being adequately prepared with the necessary employability skills; 2)ensure that small business and industry groups are provided access to schools on a regular basis to educate students to the expectations of the business community through the facilitation of events such as career fairs.

Target Contacts

Elections

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop a plan for implementing an on-line voting system for BC municipal and provincial elections; and 2)develop a means to address security and identification challenges to prevent abuse of the system.

Target Contacts

Employment and Training

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with the federal government to: a)develop an affordable cost recovery model and separate line item budget for LMO, temporary foreign workers, Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience class program; b)develop ¿fast lane¿ option with associated performance requirements for employers who choose to pay a premium for expedited service on LMO applications, TFWU applications, and Temporary Foreign Workers requiring Temporary Resident Visas (TRV) and work permit application processing from visa offices/consulates; and c)allow the current Temporary Foreign Workers Unit the ability to review possible LMO-exempt work permit applications for foreign nationals requiring TRVs or foreign nationals who are visa-exempt but outside Canada. 2)The Provincial and Federal Governments enter into a $2,159,105 funding agreement with appropriate non-governmental organizations to sponsor a 3-year Economic Gardening program in Vancouver Island, Southwest Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Kootenay, and the North. 3)ensure funding for existing Foreign Workers assistance agencies/settlement services; and 4)expand the mandate and funding of settlement services organizations to include help for TFW. 5)work to shorten the processing time for PNP applications.

Target Contacts

Energy

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)that the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to promote western access for natural resource products by: a)actively work together and with First Nations in an expeditious manner to resolve outstanding treaty negotiations to provide certainty and stability required for private investments; b)coordinate, in an expeditious manner a review of Canada's terrestrial oil spill safety regime, other international regimes and what, if anything Canada would need to do to ensure it has a world class terrestrial safety system; c)take a more proactive role in communicating facts about the provincially and federally regulated pipeline industry as well as B.C. and Canada¿s safety record for shipping heavy oil. 2)review the Clean Energy Act

Target Contacts

Energy

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial Government adopt Natural Gas as a natural resource choice for the provision of consumable energy to support community, commerce and industry in the province of BC by: 1)encouraging the presentation of proposals to construct Natural Gas Electric Generation facilities adjacent to pipelines and associated communities; and 2)enabling the development of consumer and commercial ready Natural Gas fueled vehicles and associated infrastructure to supply them.

Target Contacts

Environment

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)that the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to: a)establish a long-term strategy for maintenance of the Fraser River flood control systems that includes consideration for the growth and viability of the economies that are built around the river; b)establish and maintain funding agreements that will support the upgrading and maintenance of dyking, dredging, navigation and environmental stewardship along all obligatory areas of the Fraser River; and c)create and maintain a central Fraser River authority that will manage and support flood control along the banks of the Fraser River 2)clearly define the regulation and costs of enforcement in the proposed (National Marine Conservation) area, and identify the source of revenue to cover those costs; 3)not grant the authority to control routing of marine and aircraft traffic if the Marine Conservation area is enacted. 4)develop a comprehensive Brownfield policy and implementation strategy; and 5)establish a series of Brownfield pilot projects in selected communities with known concentrations of sites requiring Brownfield remediation. 6)freeze the Carbon Tax at its current level of $20 per tonne; 7)engage Environment Ministry regarding the Recycling regulation to include packaging and printed paper.

Target Contacts

Finances and Budgets

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)all infrastructure projects implement value-for-money assessment during the planning stage; 2)municipalities without a public-private partnership strategy use the Capital Asset Management Framework, or similar program, as a guide for value-money-assessment.

Target Contacts

Forestry

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)encourage alternative forest product uses. Policies should encourage uses for residual chips and other by-products that are being generated from pine beetle harvesting and lumber production, which could include energy generation and alternative wood products as well as ongoing supply for the pulp and paper sector. Similarly, after taking into account that opportunities for lumber production will continue for a longer period than previously forecast, policies should encourage alternative uses for timber that can¿t be converted to lumber. In both cases, the primary target for these policies and new uses should be roadside debris and standing dead timber, as these are significant sources of fibre that, if used in alternative products, should not adversely affect supply for existing forest products; 2)promote new opportunities without undermining existing rights. The foregoing policies should promote new opportunities, uses and investment without undermining existing rights by, in part, encouraging private sector solutions that do not require new rights to be issued by Government or, where new rights are issued by Government, by avoiding the creation of overlapping tenures on the same land base. 3)create incentives for new entrants and existing firms to invest capital in manufacturing facilities aimed at making products from second growth timber. Such incentives would include investment tax credits on plant and equipment purchases, employment incentives, lower municipal taxation, and reduced logging tax rates; 4)foster diversification and increased markets for logs through competitive bids and new tenure opportunities or diversification. Encourage the extraction of lower value timber from cut blocks through stumpage rates that reflect the market value of lower value timber or other incentives to fully utilize the coastal timber profile. 5)assist new tenure holders such as First Nations and communities, to facilitate development and harvesting of their tenures and develop mechanisms to put up competitively bid sales on these tenures that could possibly be included as additional evidence of market value in the stumpage system; 6)not subsume the BC Timber Sales Program into the Government¿s regulatory and policy arm but, rather, must as an independent enterprise; 7)include as key components of its commercial forest reserve initiative: a)implementation of the reserve to enhance the protection of the commercial forest landbase generally, not for the purpose of favouring certain new licenses over others, including those portions of the landbase subject to existing forest tenures; and 8)bring the 9 year policy development period to an end by implementing this new policy as soon as practicable. 9)enhance the competitiveness of all forest products manufacturing facilities through improved taxation and revenue sharing arrangements at all levels of government; 10)enhance the competitiveness of secondary industries through training targeted at the value-added industries in business and financial planning and similar skills for entrepreneurs; 11)revise Section 2, Purpose: from ¿requiring the use of wood as the primary building material in all new provincially funded buildings¿ to ¿The purpose of thus Act is to facilitate and promote the culture of wood through the marketing and promotion of wood as a building material, consistent with the British Columbia Building Code¿; and 12)strike Section 3 (b) & (c) which empowers the prescriptive interference of the Forestry Minister in the building procurement process. The Forestry Minister has been given the legal authority to (b) advise on the form and content of agreements and other arrangements for the design or construction of provincially funded buildings: (c) carry out prescribed responsibilities.

Target Contacts

Gaming and Lotteries

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)revisit eligibility criteria for community gaming grants; and consider reinstating grants for three years to provide stability, predictability and consistency; 2)request that funding levels be returned to those previously established by the government as of 2008 ¿ that is $156 million since 2008; and 3)that the responsibility for establishing eligibility for gaming funding to charities and non-profit organizations be reviewed at arm¿s length from government.

Target Contacts

Government Procurement

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)initiate a new Core Services Review across all ministries using the same criteria that were used in 2001; 2)following the completion of the review, develop measurable outcomes and criteria for Ministry Services Plan; and 3)introduce ¿sunset¿ clauses for all new government programs.

Target Contacts

Health

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial work with the Federal Governments to: 1)actively work towards increasing the number of physicians in Canada and finding solutions to the doctor shortage; 2)to implement incentives to keep Canadian trained doctors in Canada after their residencies and encourage those doctors to locate to areas with a need for doctors. Such incentives may include, but are not limited to, forgiveness of loans, grant programs and payment of living expenses.

Target Contacts

Housing

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop a centralized, consistent process for disclosure of property history information; 2)develop a centralized, consistent process for remediation of buildings used in drug operations; 3)implement these disclosure and remediation processes through existing BC provincial legislation. 4)amend the current rent calculations formula to reflect current actual cost increases that impact the rental housing industry.

Target Contacts

Internal Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with the provinces/territories and the Canadian wine industry to create a personal exemption system that would allow specified quantities of wine to be personally transported by or delivered directly to out-of-province/territory Canadian consumers.

Target Contacts

International Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government works with the Federal Government in conjunction with their United States counterparts to: a)implement improvements in the cross-border transactions to support the principle that people, goods and services are deserving of equitable treatment irrespective of whether the transaction is southbound or northbound across our mutual international borders.

Target Contacts

Justice and Law Enforcement

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)require the complainant to pay a nominal filing fee ($200) upon initial filing and a further filing fee in the same amount if the matter is not settled at a settlement hearing and the complainant wishes to proceed to a Human Rights hearing; 2)in the event the matter is found in favour of the respondent at a Human Rights hearing, the complainant would be obligated to pay costs at, perhaps, half the scale provided by the courts; and 3)an independent and neutral person review cases at the outset and cases with no chance of success should be discussed with the complainant. Reasons should be given to the complainant as to why the cases has little or no chance of success. If the complainant still insists their case go forward, and if they lose their case, full costs will be awarded to the respondent. 4)establish provincial standards for the integrated delivery of police services by police forces where municipal boundaries are immediately adjacent; and 5)where necessary, legislate amalgamation of police services in areas where established standards are not being met and where uniformity would benefit service delivery and public safety.

Target Contacts

Labour/Labour Relations

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government act on the recommendations included in the Chamber submission of April 10th, 2002, and furthermore: a)consider legislation emanating from the report of the Labour Relations Code Section 3 Committee; b)that Section 5(2)(a) be eliminated, leaving it in the LRB's discretion to schedule expedited unfair labour practice hearings as it deems appropriate, considering the interests of the parties and the Board's available resources; c)restore the limitations of Section 5.1 of the former Industrial Relations Act such that trade unions be prohibited from forcing employers to dismiss employees who have been expelled or suspended from membership in a trade union, or who have been denied membership in a trade union; d)that Section 68 be eliminated; e)that Section 14(4)(f) on remedial certification be repealed; and f)that the Labour Relations Board be directed to set essential services at higher levels to minimize disruption to the public. 2)amend its contract with the Human Rights Clinic so that complainants must meet a means and merits test in order to receive free legal aid; 3)create a legal aid clinic or system for human rights respondents; 4)amend the Human Rights Code to give the Tribunal more vetting power for marginal complaints on their own, prior to sending the complaint to the respondent; 5)consider the creation of a Unified Workplace Tribunal; 6)amend the Human Rights Code to specifically preclude the Human Rights Tribunal from awarding complainants costs including legal costs; 7)That the Provincial Government amend the Employment Standards Act by: a)removing the penalty provision entirely, or placing a broad due diligence style defense, and clarity around the circumstances when a penalty may be issued; b)providing clear statutory direction on the role of the Director in investigating and determining complaints, and in its role and obligation before the BCEST; c)giving clarity and simplicity to the Averaging Agreements; d)binding the Director to decisions made by the Tribunal; and e)awarding costs against the Director for failing to provide a record to the Tribunal and in failing to follow directions and decisions of the Tribunal. 8)revise the current Occupational Health and Safety regulations to introduce a goal-based model that will allow the employer the flexibility to achieve the required safety targets, and emphasize a preventative and proactive approach that encourages education for employers and workers about their rights and responsibilities;

Target Contacts

Liquor Control/Alcohol

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)amend the Liquor Distribution Act to allow private businesses to purchase and warehouse liquor at wholesale prices directly from producers, in equal retail competition with GLS locations; 2)focus the role of the Liquor Distribution Branch on security issues such as underage consumption, public safety, regulation, revenue collection and promoting a viable and stable BC liquor industry; and 3)ensure that any new liquor tax on purchases from producers places no constraints on future industry growth and allows the retail industry to use price as a competitive tool.

Target Contacts

Mining

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with industry to develop sound public and economic policies that fosters B.C.¿s steelmaking coal mining industry; 2)reinstate BCGS¿s annual funding to at least the $5 million level, plus additional funds to cover expensive field costs and the costs to attract expertise in today¿s competitive market; and 3)reinvest another $20 million in Geoscience BC with the mandate, as before, to leverage these funds with funds from industry and other government agencies. 4)rescind its ban on uranium and thorium exploration; 5)consult meaningfully and effectively with industry on an appropriate regulatory regime to ensure that any mineral exploration and development of uranium and thorium is conducted safely and responsibly; 6)provide fair compensation for damages to claim holders affected by the uranium exploration ban; 7)institute an assessment work holiday for affected claims until compensation is provided; 8)establish clear and practical policy and regulations with respect to low level, incidental radioactive mineral concentrations (e.g. in coal, rare metal deposits, etc); and 9)make the BC Mining Flow-Through Share (BC-MFTS) program a permanent feature of the tax system or, at minimum, extend the program for an additional three years. In addition, the Government should implement a temporary increase in the deduction gross-up to 125% for development spending and 150% for exploration spending to flow-through share financing, and increase the associated tax credit of eligible costs from 20 to 30% (similar to the Budget 2007 measure to increase the mineral exploration tax credit in pine-beetle infested regions); 10)expand flow-through eligibility to include both surface and underground greenfield and brownfield exploration and development expenditure; 11)make the BC Mineral Exploration Tax Credit permanent; and 12)provide full and fair market value compensation in a timely manner when expropriating mineral titles; 13)provide increased staff and funding resources to the mineral exploration and mine permitting administrations of provincial ministries, and ensure consistency across the province; and 14)provide Regional Geologists in both Smithers and Prince George offices. 15)provide increased, adequate and sustained funding for the BC Geological Survey, to ensure this agency is able to continue their work of providing a foundation of information around our mineral resources for future revenue generation in BC; and, 16)immediately inject $2.5 million funding into the BC Geological Survey to stop the present erosion of their capacity to fulfill their role in developing BC¿s economic future. 17)work with the mineral industry to develop ¿user friendly¿ Best Management Practices; 18)develop faster, more stream-lined approval procedures for mineral exploration projects, coordinated by the Ministry of Energy and Mines; 19)add mineral potential and mine development as key factors for any GAR order being considered by the Minister; and 20)return the authority for No Registration Reserve decision-making to Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

Target Contacts

Municipal Affairs

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with communities and stakeholders to adopt a Community Benefit Legacy Policy that meets the needs of business and communities. 2)provide control and oversight on the level of property taxation levied to all taxpayer groups to ensure fair and equitable taxation practices; 3)introduce a structured, clear and consistent annual reporting system to taxpayers that outlines the total cost of municipal taxes, fees and levies as well as the cost of taxes collected for other authorities by municipal governments; and 4)introduce changes with definitive timetables that provide certainty for taxpayers while allowing municipalities time to adjust and to ensure a smooth transition for the taxpayers. 5)establish reasonable timelines and focused guidelines for the approval or rejection of development permits by local governments; 6)provide an appeal process for the applicant, should a local government fail to meet the requirements as specified in the Act. 7)amend the Community Charter to give municipalities the option of introducing tools and strategies to motivate the owners of derelict properties and maintain such properties; and 8)amend section 279 of the Community Charter to include a third option for instigating municipal amalgamation; that being amalgamation by order of the province. 9)develop a Municipal Finance Administration Act to standardize reporting requirements and dates; 10)amend the Local Government Act to include provisions for elector assent similar to that of the Community Charter; 11)amend the Local Government Act to include similar borrowing ratios to that of the Community Charter; and 12)amend the Community Charter and Local Government Act to ensure budgetary reporting standards match financial reporting standards 13)establish a Premier¿s Council on Municipal Infrastructure to advise on: a)the accumulated infrastructure debt and projected deficits; b)the net revenue required to pay down the accumulated debt and address future deficits, and; c)the establishment of benchmarks for debt reduction and enhanced accountability. 14)work with UBCM and the Chamber to develop; benchmarking system that outlines core services that are applicable across municipalities of every size, of every economic base and of all regions of the province; and core metrics based on appropriate measures (per population, per dollar expended etc) that allow for cross-municipal comparisons; 15)while introducing immediate relief to class four tax levels, provide equity to class four, six and one; 16)establish a mechanism, such as a Provincial Municipal Auditor General, that allows for the continual review of local government taxation to ensure accountability and our continued competitiveness; and 17)allow business a greater say in municipal elections through the introduction of a business vote that allocates one vote to every business with a business number paying business class municipal property tax to be exercised by a designated individual.

Target Contacts

Science and Technology

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial Government works with the (digital media) industry to identify impediments to the sectors growth. This focus should be on: 1)reducing regulatory requirements and to improve regulatory requirements; 2)the ongoing competitiveness of the provincial and federal tax structures; and 3)ensuring the industry has access to a skilled workforce.

Target Contacts

Small Business

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to; a)expand the scope of the existing government backed vendor financing programs (such as the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, Employee Share Ownership Program) so that existing or potential owners of SMEs may access funds to facilitate the various aspects of succession planning including capital funds for purchase of a SME business; b)expand the scope of existing small business financing programs (such as Canadian Small Business Financing Program) to incorporate succession planning as a legitimate reason for business financing; c)offer succession planning tax credits for business owners who have created and fulfilled an SME succession; d)expand the scope of the current tax based incentives (such as the Succession Employee Share Ownership Plan) to include unincorporated businesses, and instances where successors buy corporate assets rather than shares; and e)create a task force in partnership with business and government to develop and implement a program that will facilitate the efficient transition of SME¿s through succession planning. 2)develop clear timeframes for defined regions to introduce Mobile Business Licence programs; 3)recognize that Mobile Business Licence programs are an interim step and that the provincial government develop a plan, including timelines, for the introduction of a Single Provincial Business Licence program.

Target Contacts

Taxation and Finance

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)implement the permanent carbon grant program for agricultural producers and greenhouse growers and the exemption from same coloured fuels using Carbon Tax revenues. 2)provide a fully refundable investment tax credit claimed on businesses¿ income tax returns equal to the PST paid on all acquisitions of machinery and equipment (including computers and software) but excluding buildings and structures with a capital cost allowance rate of 5 per cent or less; 3)commit to a dialogue with British Columbians on the development of a made-in-BC Value Added Sales Tax system to enhance BC¿s competitiveness and productivity. 4)provide PST exemptions on all agricultural goods and services that are zero-rated under the GST system; and 5)undergo a complete review of the carbon tax with the specific goal of immediately relieving extreme pressure on not just the Agri-food industry, but on all industries. The study should also address the cost that the tax is having on the BC economy and how it is a cascading tax that is added at all levels of production, transportation and sale, thereby reducing the overall competitiveness of the BC economy. 6)increase the 1% PTT threshold from $200,000 to $525,000, with 2% applying to the remainder of the fair market value; and 7)index the 1% PTT threshold of $525,000 using Statistics Canada¿s New Housing Price, and make adjustments annually.

Target Contacts

Transportation

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)add a seventh guiding principle; ¿Maintain affordable rates to protect the interests of ratepayers, users and communities.¿ 2)create actual minimum service levels for each route that balance each individual community¿s needs with preventing negative economic impact; 3)implement cost saving efficiencies such as contracting out service, terminal rationalization and passenger ferry service; 4)develop, through the responsible agency, highway and road incident management exercises, involving all appropriate agencies dedicated to implementing the management plan, to ensure a high standard of real life execution. 5)designate 16th Avenue as a Provincial Highway to connect Highway 1/Abbotsford Airport with Highway 99; 6)That the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to; a)negotiate more open skies policies to create a fair opportunity for those willing to provide air access to Canadian cities; and 7)Where open skies agreements are not possible: a)further liberalise existing bilaterals, with an emphasis on removing capacity caps and minimizing the bias towards Ontario; b)remove confidentiality clauses from existing agreements, to allow for accurate evaluation of route and market potential; c)reduce foreign ownership restrictions for Canadian carriers; and d)adjust Government imposed fees, taxes and charges to improve Canada¿s price competitiveness. 8)work with the Government of Canada to ensure funding is in place in a sustainable consistent manner that accrues to our communities for infrastructure improvements and upgrades required by new regulations and standards; 9)provide financial support for our communities to report on the condition and replacement needs of infrastructure. Through conditions on grant programs, require our communities to undertake asset management programs and strategy and develop long term financial plans to support infrastructure sustainability; and 10)create and implement a regional transportation authority for Greater Victoria; and 11)commit to funding transportation infrastructure investment through mechanisms that are equitable, efficient, and reflect basic traffic demand management principles; 12)create, in conjunction with business, a road pricing strategy as a foundation for sustainable regional transportation funding. 13)that the Insurance Corporation of BC work with key stakeholders to develop a standardized ¿minimum¿ curriculum for ¿all¿ commercial vehicle driver training schools in the province; and 14)fund, design, and build the necessary infrastructure to support full commercial operations at the Aldergrove Port of Entry; and 15)establish service levels that would denote when additional resources, including hours of operation, should be increased. 16)develop a plan and timeline to twin the route along Highway 2 and Highway 97 from Fort St. John to the Alberta Border within the next 5 to 10 years and begin immediate improvements to the most serious spots. 17)work with the Federal Government and airports around the province to develop a long term strategic plan to guide future investments in the province¿s airport infrastructure with guidelines and criteria established for spending on airport infrastructure. 18)accept the Highway 3 Coalition¿s recommendations to improve Highway 3 safety and traffic flow, and give priority to their implementation. 19)commit to funding transportation infrastructure investment that are equitable, efficient and reflect basic traffic demand management principles; 20)work with the Mayors¿ Council and other urban municipalities to: a)provide funding streams that address long-term needs of the region and enshrines traffic demand managements as a key principle; b)create, in conjunction with business, a road pricing strategy as a foundation for sustainable regional transportation funding

Target Contacts

Aboriginal Affairs

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop harmonized workable regulatory processes for carrying out consultation with the aboriginal people that will amount to the regulatory schemes referred to in Haida; 2)work with the First Nations Tax Commission, and other interested parties, to develop legislation that would provide more secure and marketable property rights on reserve lands.

Target Contacts

Advanced Education

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)provide funding for technology and engineering programs and their implementation at Colleges and Universities in all regions of BC where the need and demand of the respective programs has been documented; and 2)provide funds to cover capital and operating costs for the extension and development of facilities in regions throughout BC that are experiencing dire need in the provision and delivery of much needed technology and engineering programs.

Target Contacts

Agriculture

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)live up to the BC Agriculture Plan commitment to invest $2 million per year into an industry-led marketing program that will increase awareness of local BC food products; 2)give high priority to funding for agricultural extension and that the Ministry work with the industry and key stakeholders to identify key priority areas for the agricultural sector; 3)reverse the decision to discontinue funding for the organic extension agent position; and 4)fund the School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program (BCSFVNP) to a level that will meet the objective of ultimately covering all BC schools in the program.

Target Contacts

Arts and Culture

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work together with the B.C. Arts Council, and BC Gaming and Enforcement Branch, to institute a three year funding cycle, with appropriate reporting requirements, for arts and cultural organizations receiving core funding with the option of making additional interim applications if necessary; 2)develop a strategy to increase per capita funding of arts and culture to a suitable level that is affordable to B.C. taxpayers

Target Contacts

Economic Development and Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)create a comprehensive provincial land use strategy, perhaps as part of an overall economic strategy for the province, that will preserve and grow high paying employment generating lands and that considers the logistic requirements and transportation corridors required to prevent rendering industrial parcels from being unusable in future. 2)work with industry to develop and promote public and economic policies that; a)create and encourage a better understanding of the importance of our export economy to the provincial and national interests b)address environmental concerns by committing to education and mitigation of environmental impacts.

Target Contacts

Education

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)undertake a fundamental review of the school curriculum in concert with business stakeholders to ensure that students are being adequately prepared with the necessary employability skills; 2)ensure that small business and industry groups are provided access to schools on a regular basis to educate students to the expectations of the business community through the facilitation of events such as career fairs.

Target Contacts

Elections

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop a plan for implementing an on-line voting system for BC municipal and provincial elections; and 2)develop a means to address security and identification challenges to prevent abuse of the system.

Target Contacts

Employment and Training

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with the federal government to: a)develop an affordable cost recovery model and separate line item budget for LMO, temporary foreign workers, Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience class program; b)develop ¿fast lane¿ option with associated performance requirements for employers who choose to pay a premium for expedited service on LMO applications, TFWU applications, and Temporary Foreign Workers requiring Temporary Resident Visas (TRV) and work permit application processing from visa offices/consulates; and c)allow the current Temporary Foreign Workers Unit the ability to review possible LMO-exempt work permit applications for foreign nationals requiring TRVs or foreign nationals who are visa-exempt but outside Canada. 2)The Provincial and Federal Governments enter into a $2,159,105 funding agreement with appropriate non-governmental organizations to sponsor a 3-year Economic Gardening program in Vancouver Island, Southwest Fraser Valley, Okanagan, Kootenay, and the North. 3)ensure funding for existing Foreign Workers assistance agencies/settlement services; and 4)expand the mandate and funding of settlement services organizations to include help for TFW. 5)work to shorten the processing time for PNP applications.

Target Contacts

Energy

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)that the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to promote western access for natural resource products by: a)actively work together and with First Nations in an expeditious manner to resolve outstanding treaty negotiations to provide certainty and stability required for private investments; b)coordinate, in an expeditious manner a review of Canada's terrestrial oil spill safety regime, other international regimes and what, if anything Canada would need to do to ensure it has a world class terrestrial safety system; c)take a more proactive role in communicating facts about the provincially and federally regulated pipeline industry as well as B.C. and Canada¿s safety record for shipping heavy oil. 2)review the Clean Energy Act

Target Contacts

Energy

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial Government adopt Natural Gas as a natural resource choice for the provision of consumable energy to support community, commerce and industry in the province of BC by: 1)encouraging the presentation of proposals to construct Natural Gas Electric Generation facilities adjacent to pipelines and associated communities; and 2)enabling the development of consumer and commercial ready Natural Gas fueled vehicles and associated infrastructure to supply them.

Target Contacts

Environment

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)that the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to: a)establish a long-term strategy for maintenance of the Fraser River flood control systems that includes consideration for the growth and viability of the economies that are built around the river; b)establish and maintain funding agreements that will support the upgrading and maintenance of dyking, dredging, navigation and environmental stewardship along all obligatory areas of the Fraser River; and c)create and maintain a central Fraser River authority that will manage and support flood control along the banks of the Fraser River 2)clearly define the regulation and costs of enforcement in the proposed (National Marine Conservation) area, and identify the source of revenue to cover those costs; 3)not grant the authority to control routing of marine and aircraft traffic if the Marine Conservation area is enacted. 4)develop a comprehensive Brownfield policy and implementation strategy; and 5)establish a series of Brownfield pilot projects in selected communities with known concentrations of sites requiring Brownfield remediation. 6)freeze the Carbon Tax at its current level of $20 per tonne; 7)engage Environment Ministry regarding the Recycling regulation to include packaging and printed paper.

Target Contacts

Finances and Budgets

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)all infrastructure projects implement value-for-money assessment during the planning stage; 2)municipalities without a public-private partnership strategy use the Capital Asset Management Framework, or similar program, as a guide for value-money-assessment.

Target Contacts

Forestry

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)encourage alternative forest product uses. Policies should encourage uses for residual chips and other by-products that are being generated from pine beetle harvesting and lumber production, which could include energy generation and alternative wood products as well as ongoing supply for the pulp and paper sector. Similarly, after taking into account that opportunities for lumber production will continue for a longer period than previously forecast, policies should encourage alternative uses for timber that can¿t be converted to lumber. In both cases, the primary target for these policies and new uses should be roadside debris and standing dead timber, as these are significant sources of fibre that, if used in alternative products, should not adversely affect supply for existing forest products; 2)promote new opportunities without undermining existing rights. The foregoing policies should promote new opportunities, uses and investment without undermining existing rights by, in part, encouraging private sector solutions that do not require new rights to be issued by Government or, where new rights are issued by Government, by avoiding the creation of overlapping tenures on the same land base. 3)create incentives for new entrants and existing firms to invest capital in manufacturing facilities aimed at making products from second growth timber. Such incentives would include investment tax credits on plant and equipment purchases, employment incentives, lower municipal taxation, and reduced logging tax rates; 4)foster diversification and increased markets for logs through competitive bids and new tenure opportunities or diversification. Encourage the extraction of lower value timber from cut blocks through stumpage rates that reflect the market value of lower value timber or other incentives to fully utilize the coastal timber profile. 5)assist new tenure holders such as First Nations and communities, to facilitate development and harvesting of their tenures and develop mechanisms to put up competitively bid sales on these tenures that could possibly be included as additional evidence of market value in the stumpage system; 6)not subsume the BC Timber Sales Program into the Government¿s regulatory and policy arm but, rather, must as an independent enterprise; 7)include as key components of its commercial forest reserve initiative: a)implementation of the reserve to enhance the protection of the commercial forest landbase generally, not for the purpose of favouring certain new licenses over others, including those portions of the landbase subject to existing forest tenures; and 8)bring the 9 year policy development period to an end by implementing this new policy as soon as practicable. 9)enhance the competitiveness of all forest products manufacturing facilities through improved taxation and revenue sharing arrangements at all levels of government; 10)enhance the competitiveness of secondary industries through training targeted at the value-added industries in business and financial planning and similar skills for entrepreneurs; 11)revise Section 2, Purpose: from ¿requiring the use of wood as the primary building material in all new provincially funded buildings¿ to ¿The purpose of thus Act is to facilitate and promote the culture of wood through the marketing and promotion of wood as a building material, consistent with the British Columbia Building Code¿; and 12)strike Section 3 (b) & (c) which empowers the prescriptive interference of the Forestry Minister in the building procurement process. The Forestry Minister has been given the legal authority to (b) advise on the form and content of agreements and other arrangements for the design or construction of provincially funded buildings: (c) carry out prescribed responsibilities.

Target Contacts

Gaming and Lotteries

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)revisit eligibility criteria for community gaming grants; and consider reinstating grants for three years to provide stability, predictability and consistency; 2)request that funding levels be returned to those previously established by the government as of 2008 ¿ that is $156 million since 2008; and 3)that the responsibility for establishing eligibility for gaming funding to charities and non-profit organizations be reviewed at arm¿s length from government.

Target Contacts

Government Procurement

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)initiate a new Core Services Review across all ministries using the same criteria that were used in 2001; 2)following the completion of the review, develop measurable outcomes and criteria for Ministry Services Plan; and 3)introduce ¿sunset¿ clauses for all new government programs.

Target Contacts

Health

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial work with the Federal Governments to: 1)actively work towards increasing the number of physicians in Canada and finding solutions to the doctor shortage; 2)to implement incentives to keep Canadian trained doctors in Canada after their residencies and encourage those doctors to locate to areas with a need for doctors. Such incentives may include, but are not limited to, forgiveness of loans, grant programs and payment of living expenses.

Target Contacts

Housing

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)develop a centralized, consistent process for disclosure of property history information; 2)develop a centralized, consistent process for remediation of buildings used in drug operations; 3)implement these disclosure and remediation processes through existing BC provincial legislation. 4)amend the current rent calculations formula to reflect current actual cost increases that impact the rental housing industry.

Target Contacts

Internal Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with the provinces/territories and the Canadian wine industry to create a personal exemption system that would allow specified quantities of wine to be personally transported by or delivered directly to out-of-province/territory Canadian consumers.

Target Contacts

International Trade

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government works with the Federal Government in conjunction with their United States counterparts to: a)implement improvements in the cross-border transactions to support the principle that people, goods and services are deserving of equitable treatment irrespective of whether the transaction is southbound or northbound across our mutual international borders.

Target Contacts

Justice and Law Enforcement

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)require the complainant to pay a nominal filing fee ($200) upon initial filing and a further filing fee in the same amount if the matter is not settled at a settlement hearing and the complainant wishes to proceed to a Human Rights hearing; 2)in the event the matter is found in favour of the respondent at a Human Rights hearing, the complainant would be obligated to pay costs at, perhaps, half the scale provided by the courts; and 3)an independent and neutral person review cases at the outset and cases with no chance of success should be discussed with the complainant. Reasons should be given to the complainant as to why the cases has little or no chance of success. If the complainant still insists their case go forward, and if they lose their case, full costs will be awarded to the respondent. 4)establish provincial standards for the integrated delivery of police services by police forces where municipal boundaries are immediately adjacent; and 5)where necessary, legislate amalgamation of police services in areas where established standards are not being met and where uniformity would benefit service delivery and public safety.

Target Contacts

Labour/Labour Relations

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government act on the recommendations included in the Chamber submission of April 10th, 2002, and furthermore: a)consider legislation emanating from the report of the Labour Relations Code Section 3 Committee; b)that Section 5(2)(a) be eliminated, leaving it in the LRB's discretion to schedule expedited unfair labour practice hearings as it deems appropriate, considering the interests of the parties and the Board's available resources; c)restore the limitations of Section 5.1 of the former Industrial Relations Act such that trade unions be prohibited from forcing employers to dismiss employees who have been expelled or suspended from membership in a trade union, or who have been denied membership in a trade union; d)that Section 68 be eliminated; e)that Section 14(4)(f) on remedial certification be repealed; and f)that the Labour Relations Board be directed to set essential services at higher levels to minimize disruption to the public. 2)amend its contract with the Human Rights Clinic so that complainants must meet a means and merits test in order to receive free legal aid; 3)create a legal aid clinic or system for human rights respondents; 4)amend the Human Rights Code to give the Tribunal more vetting power for marginal complaints on their own, prior to sending the complaint to the respondent; 5)consider the creation of a Unified Workplace Tribunal; 6)amend the Human Rights Code to specifically preclude the Human Rights Tribunal from awarding complainants costs including legal costs; 7)That the Provincial Government amend the Employment Standards Act by: a)removing the penalty provision entirely, or placing a broad due diligence style defense, and clarity around the circumstances when a penalty may be issued; b)providing clear statutory direction on the role of the Director in investigating and determining complaints, and in its role and obligation before the BCEST; c)giving clarity and simplicity to the Averaging Agreements; d)binding the Director to decisions made by the Tribunal; and e)awarding costs against the Director for failing to provide a record to the Tribunal and in failing to follow directions and decisions of the Tribunal. 8)revise the current Occupational Health and Safety regulations to introduce a goal-based model that will allow the employer the flexibility to achieve the required safety targets, and emphasize a preventative and proactive approach that encourages education for employers and workers about their rights and responsibilities;

Target Contacts

Liquor Control/Alcohol

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)amend the Liquor Distribution Act to allow private businesses to purchase and warehouse liquor at wholesale prices directly from producers, in equal retail competition with GLS locations; 2)focus the role of the Liquor Distribution Branch on security issues such as underage consumption, public safety, regulation, revenue collection and promoting a viable and stable BC liquor industry; and 3)ensure that any new liquor tax on purchases from producers places no constraints on future industry growth and allows the retail industry to use price as a competitive tool.

Target Contacts

Mining

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with industry to develop sound public and economic policies that fosters B.C.¿s steelmaking coal mining industry; 2)reinstate BCGS¿s annual funding to at least the $5 million level, plus additional funds to cover expensive field costs and the costs to attract expertise in today¿s competitive market; and 3)reinvest another $20 million in Geoscience BC with the mandate, as before, to leverage these funds with funds from industry and other government agencies. 4)rescind its ban on uranium and thorium exploration; 5)consult meaningfully and effectively with industry on an appropriate regulatory regime to ensure that any mineral exploration and development of uranium and thorium is conducted safely and responsibly; 6)provide fair compensation for damages to claim holders affected by the uranium exploration ban; 7)institute an assessment work holiday for affected claims until compensation is provided; 8)establish clear and practical policy and regulations with respect to low level, incidental radioactive mineral concentrations (e.g. in coal, rare metal deposits, etc); and 9)make the BC Mining Flow-Through Share (BC-MFTS) program a permanent feature of the tax system or, at minimum, extend the program for an additional three years. In addition, the Government should implement a temporary increase in the deduction gross-up to 125% for development spending and 150% for exploration spending to flow-through share financing, and increase the associated tax credit of eligible costs from 20 to 30% (similar to the Budget 2007 measure to increase the mineral exploration tax credit in pine-beetle infested regions); 10)expand flow-through eligibility to include both surface and underground greenfield and brownfield exploration and development expenditure; 11)make the BC Mineral Exploration Tax Credit permanent; and 12)provide full and fair market value compensation in a timely manner when expropriating mineral titles; 13)provide increased staff and funding resources to the mineral exploration and mine permitting administrations of provincial ministries, and ensure consistency across the province; and 14)provide Regional Geologists in both Smithers and Prince George offices. 15)provide increased, adequate and sustained funding for the BC Geological Survey, to ensure this agency is able to continue their work of providing a foundation of information around our mineral resources for future revenue generation in BC; and, 16)immediately inject $2.5 million funding into the BC Geological Survey to stop the present erosion of their capacity to fulfill their role in developing BC¿s economic future. 17)work with the mineral industry to develop ¿user friendly¿ Best Management Practices; 18)develop faster, more stream-lined approval procedures for mineral exploration projects, coordinated by the Ministry of Energy and Mines; 19)add mineral potential and mine development as key factors for any GAR order being considered by the Minister; and 20)return the authority for No Registration Reserve decision-making to Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

Target Contacts

Municipal Affairs

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)work with communities and stakeholders to adopt a Community Benefit Legacy Policy that meets the needs of business and communities. 2)provide control and oversight on the level of property taxation levied to all taxpayer groups to ensure fair and equitable taxation practices; 3)introduce a structured, clear and consistent annual reporting system to taxpayers that outlines the total cost of municipal taxes, fees and levies as well as the cost of taxes collected for other authorities by municipal governments; and 4)introduce changes with definitive timetables that provide certainty for taxpayers while allowing municipalities time to adjust and to ensure a smooth transition for the taxpayers. 5)establish reasonable timelines and focused guidelines for the approval or rejection of development permits by local governments; 6)provide an appeal process for the applicant, should a local government fail to meet the requirements as specified in the Act. 7)amend the Community Charter to give municipalities the option of introducing tools and strategies to motivate the owners of derelict properties and maintain such properties; and 8)amend section 279 of the Community Charter to include a third option for instigating municipal amalgamation; that being amalgamation by order of the province. 9)develop a Municipal Finance Administration Act to standardize reporting requirements and dates; 10)amend the Local Government Act to include provisions for elector assent similar to that of the Community Charter; 11)amend the Local Government Act to include similar borrowing ratios to that of the Community Charter; and 12)amend the Community Charter and Local Government Act to ensure budgetary reporting standards match financial reporting standards 13)establish a Premier¿s Council on Municipal Infrastructure to advise on: a)the accumulated infrastructure debt and projected deficits; b)the net revenue required to pay down the accumulated debt and address future deficits, and; c)the establishment of benchmarks for debt reduction and enhanced accountability. 14)work with UBCM and the Chamber to develop; benchmarking system that outlines core services that are applicable across municipalities of every size, of every economic base and of all regions of the province; and core metrics based on appropriate measures (per population, per dollar expended etc) that allow for cross-municipal comparisons; 15)while introducing immediate relief to class four tax levels, provide equity to class four, six and one; 16)establish a mechanism, such as a Provincial Municipal Auditor General, that allows for the continual review of local government taxation to ensure accountability and our continued competitiveness; and 17)allow business a greater say in municipal elections through the introduction of a business vote that allocates one vote to every business with a business number paying business class municipal property tax to be exercised by a designated individual.

Target Contacts

Science and Technology

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

That the Provincial Government works with the (digital media) industry to identify impediments to the sectors growth. This focus should be on: 1)reducing regulatory requirements and to improve regulatory requirements; 2)the ongoing competitiveness of the provincial and federal tax structures; and 3)ensuring the industry has access to a skilled workforce.

Target Contacts

Small Business

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)That the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to; a)expand the scope of the existing government backed vendor financing programs (such as the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, Employee Share Ownership Program) so that existing or potential owners of SMEs may access funds to facilitate the various aspects of succession planning including capital funds for purchase of a SME business; b)expand the scope of existing small business financing programs (such as Canadian Small Business Financing Program) to incorporate succession planning as a legitimate reason for business financing; c)offer succession planning tax credits for business owners who have created and fulfilled an SME succession; d)expand the scope of the current tax based incentives (such as the Succession Employee Share Ownership Plan) to include unincorporated businesses, and instances where successors buy corporate assets rather than shares; and e)create a task force in partnership with business and government to develop and implement a program that will facilitate the efficient transition of SME¿s through succession planning. 2)develop clear timeframes for defined regions to introduce Mobile Business Licence programs; 3)recognize that Mobile Business Licence programs are an interim step and that the provincial government develop a plan, including timelines, for the introduction of a Single Provincial Business Licence program.

Target Contacts

Taxation and Finance

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)implement the permanent carbon grant program for agricultural producers and greenhouse growers and the exemption from same coloured fuels using Carbon Tax revenues. 2)provide a fully refundable investment tax credit claimed on businesses¿ income tax returns equal to the PST paid on all acquisitions of machinery and equipment (including computers and software) but excluding buildings and structures with a capital cost allowance rate of 5 per cent or less; 3)commit to a dialogue with British Columbians on the development of a made-in-BC Value Added Sales Tax system to enhance BC¿s competitiveness and productivity. 4)provide PST exemptions on all agricultural goods and services that are zero-rated under the GST system; and 5)undergo a complete review of the carbon tax with the specific goal of immediately relieving extreme pressure on not just the Agri-food industry, but on all industries. The study should also address the cost that the tax is having on the BC economy and how it is a cascading tax that is added at all levels of production, transportation and sale, thereby reducing the overall competitiveness of the BC economy. 6)increase the 1% PTT threshold from $200,000 to $525,000, with 2% applying to the remainder of the fair market value; and 7)index the 1% PTT threshold of $525,000 using Statistics Canada¿s New Housing Price, and make adjustments annually.

Target Contacts

Transportation

Arranging meeting between an individual and a public office holder for purpose of lobbying

Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision

1)add a seventh guiding principle; ¿Maintain affordable rates to protect the interests of ratepayers, users and communities.¿ 2)create actual minimum service levels for each route that balance each individual community¿s needs with preventing negative economic impact; 3)implement cost saving efficiencies such as contracting out service, terminal rationalization and passenger ferry service; 4)develop, through the responsible agency, highway and road incident management exercises, involving all appropriate agencies dedicated to implementing the management plan, to ensure a high standard of real life execution. 5)designate 16th Avenue as a Provincial Highway to connect Highway 1/Abbotsford Airport with Highway 99; 6)That the Provincial Government work with the Federal Government to; a)negotiate more open skies policies to create a fair opportunity for those willing to provide air access to Canadian cities; and 7)Where open skies agreements are not possible: a)further liberalise existing bilaterals, with an emphasis on removing capacity caps and minimizing the bias towards Ontario; b)remove confidentiality clauses from existing agreements, to allow for accurate evaluation of route and market potential; c)reduce foreign ownership restrictions for Canadian carriers; and d)adjust Government imposed fees, taxes and charges to improve Canada¿s price competitiveness. 8)work with the Government of Canada to ensure funding is in place in a sustainable consistent manner that accrues to our communities for infrastructure improvements and upgrades required by new regulations and standards; 9)provide financial support for our communities to report on the condition and replacement needs of infrastructure. Through conditions on grant programs, require our communities to undertake asset management programs and strategy and develop long term financial plans to support infrastructure sustainability; and 10)create and implement a regional transportation authority for Greater Victoria; and 11)commit to funding transportation infrastructure investment through mechanisms that are equitable, efficient, and reflect basic traffic demand management principles; 12)create, in conjunction with business, a road pricing strategy as a foundation for sustainable regional transportation funding. 13)that the Insurance Corporation of BC work with key stakeholders to develop a standardized ¿minimum¿ curriculum for ¿all¿ commercial vehicle driver training schools in the province; and 14)fund, design, and build the necessary infrastructure to support full commercial operations at the Aldergrove Port of Entry; and 15)establish service levels that would denote when additional resources, including hours of operation, should be increased. 16)develop a plan and timeline to twin the route along Highway 2 and Highway 97 from Fort St. John to the Alberta Border within the next 5 to 10 years and begin immediate improvements to the most serious spots. 17)work with the Federal Government and airports around the province to develop a long term strategic plan to guide future investments in the province¿s airport infrastructure with guidelines and criteria established for spending on airport infrastructure. 18)accept the Highway 3 Coalition¿s recommendations to improve Highway 3 safety and traffic flow, and give priority to their implementation. 19)commit to funding transportation infrastructure investment that are equitable, efficient and reflect basic traffic demand management principles; 20)work with the Mayors¿ Council and other urban municipalities to: a)provide funding streams that address long-term needs of the region and enshrines traffic demand managements as a key principle; b)create, in conjunction with business, a road pricing strategy as a foundation for sustainable regional transportation funding

Target Contacts