January 26, 2004

Honourable Sindi Hawkins
Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations

Dear Colleague:

Since June 2001, our government has been working to implement our New Era vision to revitalize the economy, restore sound fiscal management, and put patients and students first.

Our New Era platform contained 201 specific commitments that our government would undertake on behalf of British Columbians. These included a commitment to "establish service plans that include measurable performance standards and targets for all programs that are annually audited and published, for all taxpayers to see."

On June 25, 2001, I sent your predecessor a letter of instruction setting out the key priorities for your Ministry, including a list of the New Era commitments assigned to your Ministry. These commitments were also included in the Government Strategic Plan and Ministry Service Plans that were tabled in the Legislature in February 2002, covering fiscal years 2002/03 through 2004/05.

The Service Plan tabled today represents the final year of the first three-year plans. And it shows that we have made significant progress toward honouring our commitments. Your accomplishments over the past two-and-a-half years include:

• Established a new Canada-British Columbia Partnership to strengthen cooperation between the province and the federal government.
• Held the first British Columbia-Alberta Joint Cabinet meeting to enhance services for British Columbians and Albertans.
• Brought together federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations leaders at the Provincial Congress to develop a common understanding of British Columbia's priorities.

In the coming year, the province will continue work on a number of priorities to honour the commitments that we have made. These are detailed in your Ministry Service Plan, and include:

• Update the Duplication and Overlap Strategy developed in 2002/03 to reduce or eliminate duplication and overlap between the province and federal government.
• Ensure government presents proposals to federal Cabinet Ministers to secure federal funding for the province under existing or new national programs including the following areas: Olympic Legacies; Kicking Horse Canyon; Life Sciences Initiative; the National Centre for Disease Control and Disaster Assistance.
• Work with appropriate federal ministers and British Columbian ministries to implement strategies to achieve a more equitable contribution of federal spending and benefits for the province.
• Work to implement a strategy to enhance British Columbia's relations with the Asia-Pacific region.
• Develop a provincial strategy for the Council of the Federation that includes First Nations; health; education; literacy; trade and institutional reform.

It is important to note that all of the province's achievements to date, and our priorities for the year ahead, will be accomplished while balancing the budget in 2004/05, and having significantly increased funding for health care and education.

Clearly, we will do more if we can, as new resources are available, to build on the funding priorities detailed in this Service Plan – in a way that is consistent with our balanced budget commitment.

As our measures to revitalize the economy continue to create new jobs, growth and investment, this will allow us to continue strengthening public services for the benefit of British Columbians. Opportunities like the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will showcase British Columbia to the world and generate economic benefits all across our province. Future service plans will further demonstrate those benefits.

I know that you will continue to build on the progress you have made. Let me conclude by thanking you for your commitment to serving the best interests of all British Columbians.

Yours sincerely,

Honourable Gordon Campbell
Premier

Province of British Columbia Office of the Premier www.gov.bc.ca		Box 9041 Stn Prov Govt. Victoria, B.C. V8W 9E1