To: The BC Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services Blair Lekstrom, Chairperson c/o: Office of the Clerk of Committees Room 224, Parliament Buildings Victoria, BC  V8V 1X4 Fax:  (250) 356-8172 E-mail:  FinanceCommittee@leg.bc.ca Re: BC Budget 2006 Dear Members of the BC Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, I am submitting the attached document to you as my submission to the BC Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.  As a taxpayer in British Columbia, I support the demands of the BC Coalition of Women's Centres.  I, too, demand that the 2006 British Columbia budget, and all budgets in the future, include the following:   ~ that the Government of British Columbia abide by the recommendations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination, and in future respect all International Human Rights Treaties to which Canada, and therefore British Columbia, are legal signatories; ~ that the Government of British Columbia will increase its outreach to public interest advocacy groups, and provide the resources necessary to ensure that a diversity of voices are heard at all future budget and policy consultations; ~ that the Government of British Columbia respect and acknowledge the hard work of public interest advocates and advocacy organizations, and the role they have played in shaping a more inclusive British Columbia, by providing adequate and appropriate resources, including financial support, to advocates and advocacy organizations in British Columbia;  ~ that the Government of British Columbia restore and enhance funding to the Legal Services Society of BC for the purpose of providing family law, poverty law, and immigration law assistance to those in need; ~ that the Government of British Columbia restore and enhance funding to Women’s Centres across BC, so that Women’s Centres can continue to advocate for and on behalf of women and girls as citizens of this province; ~ that the Government of British Columbia restore the BC Human Rights Commission, the Provincial Mental Health Advocate, and the Minister’s Advocacy Council on Women’s Health, or create their equivalents; and, ~ that the Government of British Columbia restore the BC Ministry of Women's Equality, or create a new and equitable body, expressly for the purpose of working towards women's equality in BC. Sincerely, ______________________________________ Name ______________________________________ Address ______________________________________ Address