Highlights of the Year

Government's Five Great Goals challenge us to transform our province and to make improvements to our well being, our environment and our economy. Ministries put considerable effort into developing strategies and plans to allow British Columbia to achieve not only the Five Great Goals, but other objectives identified by government. The Office of the Premier supported ministries by providing guidance and advice and leading corporate initiatives such as the development of a new Human Resources Plan.

2005/06 was a pivotal year. The government's re-election provided an opportunity to identify new objectives that government wants to achieve. A new Cabinet was established and a new government organizational structure put in place to better align responsibilities and public service expertise to achieve those objectives.

The 2005 New Relationship document signed by First Nations and the Province marked the beginning of a new government to government relationship based on mutual respect, recognition and reconciliation.

A new legislature also provided an opportunity to make positive changes in democratic and legislative reform. The Legislature appointed a second Deputy Speaker of the House from the Opposition; and doubled the length of Question Period from 15 minutes to 30 minutes — the first extension of Question Period since it was first held in 1973. Government has appreciated the collaborative working relationship with the Official Opposition to elevate the level of constructive debate and decorum in the House as government strives to improve and modernize the rules of conduct in the House.