VICTORIA – Debate heated up Tuesday on the B.C. Liberal government's surprise move to impose a contract on ambulance paramedics and dispatchers on the eve of a membership vote on their latest contract offer.

B.C.'s 3,600 paramedics and dispatchers are scheduled to complete a mail-in vote Friday on the latest offer from the B.C. Ambulance Service, and the government's Bill 21 seeks to impose those terms until April. They include a three-per-cent wage increase retroactive to last April when the strike began just before the B.C. election campaign.

Health Minister Kevin Falcon argues that the situation has become urgent with the onset of H1N1 pandemic influenza and a paramedic management team that is exhausted from covering extensive absences by staff and on-call paramedics during the dispute.

The health ministry says the seven-month strike by B.C. ambulance paramedics has resulted in loss of service during various targeted strike actions, despite an essential services ruling and court orders in May and September to keep ambulance crews on the job.

A rally and "job action direction" by CUPE local 873 on Sept. 19 and 20 resulted in no ambulances staffed in Whistler, Hope and Agassiz, and a 60 per cent drop in staffing at the dispatch centre for the Interior and North, the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also reports that the dispute has resulted in patient care records being "damaged, lost or tampered with," and ambulance equipment used in heart attack research "damaged, lost or removed from ambulances."

The strike has also prevented 350 paramedic students from completing their training because the union has refused to participate in student practicums, preventing new recruits from joining the service and forcing the Justice Institute of B.C. to cancel paramedic courses.

NDP leader Carole James said the government could have averted the long, bitter dispute by imposing binding arbitration, which she called for several months ago. The NDP will oppose the back-to-work legislation and vote against it, James said.

In legislature debate Tuesday, NDP labour critic Raj Chouhan accused the government of using the H1N1 pandemic and surge of influenza cases as an excuse to force an end to the strike. Chouhan cited a memo from the Vancouver Olympic committee's medical director to government officials advising them that VANOC required a guarantee of ambulance service for venues by Oct. 1, either by negotiated settlement or "legislated détente" or it will seek alternative ambulance service for the Olympics.

"The reality is that VANOC is dictating what should be done," Chouhan said. "It's VANOC that's running this province, it seems like."

NDP house leader Mike Farnworth said opposition MLAs will use their speaking privileges to hold up the back-to-work law at least until Thursday, the last sitting day before the legislature adjourns for the week of Remembrance Day.