TERRACE STANDARD LECTION ‘ The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 15, 1996 - AS DEBATE Spending, land claims top issues THE PROPOSED Nisga’a land claims deal, Alcan, government spending and forestry issues dominated a provincial election all candidates meeting here Monday night. More than 150 people turned out to hear the candidates running for the NDP, Liberal, Reform and Social Credit parties, It was the first chance the public had to see, hear and question the four candidates at one ‘time, At least half the audience was made of com- mitted voters and party workers, there to support their favourite, and jeer at other candidates. _ All four candidates had a chance to present their election platforms, and then the media panel and public questioned them. Social Credit candidate Andy Burton was questioned about putting the Nisga’a deal to a province-wide referendum . “The people of B.C. should decide,” he stated to applause from the audience. But Helmut Giesbrecht of the NDP tackled . the wisdom of holding referendums. Most votes are in the lower mainland, he said, and if the government were to hold province- wide referendum on northern issues, than the south would have a much touder voice than the north, “You wouldn't have a University of Northern British Columbia if you went to referenda on all these issues,” said Giesbrecht. ~ Burton didn’t buy that answer. “The largest single issue of concern in Skeena - is the (Nisga’a Agreement in Principle),” he said. “If it doesn’t rate a referendum, than what does?” Social Credit candidate Dave Serry wasn't happy with the way the province and the federal government had divided the cost of settling the land claims. He felt the federal government should shoulder more of the cost. Giesbrecht came under .attYck a- few times * during the night for NDP spending and the ~ . increase to the provincial debt since the NDP have come into power. ’- A questioner from the floor singled out the BC21 community grant program as a particular problem, saying it’s being paid for by his child- ren’s tax dollars. “IT won't apologize for investing in our kids’ futures,” responded Giesbrecht, He said part of the government’s responsibility was to look ahead to the future and build BC, ; ‘Liberal candidate Rick Wozney then accused Giesbrecht of living in a “fantasyland” where the government didn’t have to balance books as do average Canadians, PARTY FAITHFUL were out in force at Monday night's all candidate’s for- um.That's Norm Lavalle, one of the key organizers for the local NDP. But Giesbrecht was ready for that charge. In his role as MLA, he said he’d often gone down (0 Kitimat, to present cheques to the city for vari- ous projects, which Wozney, in his role as mayor, accepted. “You never once snid, “No, take back: this cheque and pay down the debt,’ “ he accused .Wozney, “If | was standing there with a cheque . »- into this region.” Hey, were eager to grab it.” Another important issue ‘for the audience was the bureaucracy Forest Renewal B.C. has Spawned, Questioner Gil Payne deseribed.the “bureau- cratic bullshit” contractors are forced to endure while waiting for approval for a forestry project. “All we do is wait for approvals,” he said. Forest Renewal needs to be streamlined, he said. “Your program gives you that nice warm feel- ing down deep,” he said, “but you can get that by peeing your pants.” Giesbrecht detended the program, saying it was necessary because B.C.’s image abroad had been tarnished by over-zealous environmental- ists, convinced the province was razing its for- ests. He also added that the Reform party hac voted in favour of Forest Renewal. Wazney stepped in al the point, objecting nor to the theory of Forest Renewal, but to the way the money was being spent. “Tl tell you where that money is” he said “It's been spent to hire 100 people to work at FRBC. down i in Victoria, A's not coming back aa + TANF The NDP decision to kill the Kemano Completion Project a year ago also came unde fire, Wozney warned that an NDP government might be swayed by interest groups’ rhetoric thal the original water deal that allows the existing Kemano power plant and smelter to operate should be revoked, “They voted in favour of shutting it down anc theyll do it again.” Serry responded that Liberals strongly -sup- ported the deal. “T spoke out against the Liberal position at the time,” Wozney replied. CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD QUOTABLE WHAT'S AN election campaign without some verbal cruise missles from the candidates? So with that in mind, here are some of the best lines from the May 13 all candidates meeting. “TF we're dead, then I’ve risen from the dead like Lazarus!" -Dave Serry in response to the question of why people should vote for a dead party. “Did you buy your house with cash? I don't think I should have to apologize for investing in the future. Sometimes you have to look ahead.” — Helmut Giesbrecht respanding to a floor question that the BC. 21 transportation signs should read “Paid far by your kids’ tax dollars”. “Talk about living in fantasy land. When you only ‘look at your bunk account and not at your mort- gage — that's not the way to balance your books.” — Rick Wozmey 5 rebut- tal to Giesbrecht’s statement about the debt. : “I'm the mayor of a community that is uebt-free. I'am‘ an unpaid mayor. I lead by example.” ~ Andy Burton's comnient onthe NDP not reducing the debt. “Vander Zalm was a liberal and he brought the Liberals to the legis- lature.” - Dave Serry on the debt the Social Credit party left behind. “The women’s equality ministry will not exist per se under a Liberal government. It will be rolled into the Children’s Ministry.”. - Wozney responding to a floor question amid cries of “shame” From sone audience members. "To balance the NDP budget, they need to get 40 million from photo radar. It's a tax-grab. Reform would abolish it.” - Burton. Giesbrecht fends off critics at all candidates meeting NDP MLA Helmut Giesbrecht came out with a strone perfor- mance at Monday's al! candidates meeting, fending off attacks from: three opponents and scoring points of his own. Giesbrecht fully exploited the incumbent’s advantage of familtari- ty with the issues, By contrast Liberal candidate Rick Wozney fumbled at least twice. The big one came late in the night when a questioner from the floor demanded to know how the Kitimat mayor can promise to cut MLA’s pensions when he and his fellow councillors just voted to give themselves an [8 per cent pay increase. Wozney said that wasn’t the issue, insisting instead that the Liberals will eliminate MLA pensions. , At another point Wozney in referring to the number of strikes in the province in recent years was challenged to name one. He pointed to the strike in the Surrey school district by- teachers there, only to be jeered by teachers in the crowd who reminded him that it was actually CUPE support workers. On local and regional issues, Giesbrecht outperformed Wozney, who stuck more closely. to the Liberal party platform. In closing statements, Wozney took aim at Giesbrecht saying he and his government allowed Kemano Completion and Orenda, and the jobs they would have brought to the north, to slip away, “He didn’t speak up for the Kemano Completion Project. He didn’! speak up for Orenda. He didn’t speak up for a lot of things,” Wozney said. “I will not be the government apologist. | will not have divided loyalties, ] will fight for you, the people of Skeena.” Giesbrecht counlerattacked, say- ing Orenda failed to round up investors, and then noted the com- pany has contributed to. the Liberal purty. Wozney hammered Giesbrecht on the NDP’s debt and deficit record, “We're Il billion more in debt under the NDP, The debt will only £0 up and up and up.” Giesbrecht, in reply, noted 7.4 cents out of every Kitimat tax dol- lar goes to service the community’s debt, only marginally lower than the provincial debt retirement rate. Wozney was also. under pressure for Liberal leader Gordon Campbell’s pledge to cut the number of MLAs from 75 to 60, a move that could well eliminate the Skeena constituency. When’ the Nanaimo Commonwealth Holding Society bingo money scandal was eventual- ly-raised, Giesbrecht counterat-' tacked again. ~ “Somebody screwed up in Giesbrecht said. 13° yetrs ago Nanaimo,” - But he warned that before other — parties “become too pious” they should check out the findings that there have been irregularities by all parties in B,C, that operate gaming fundraisers, Stewart mayor Andy Burton fought the perception that he’s from outside of the riding. In response to one question of whether he would-be able to defend the interests of the riding even if it should conflict with his home town, Burton said he wouldn't face accusations of favouring either Kitimat or Terrace. “ET spend half my time in Terrace as it is,” he said. “I will be avail- able. I will be accountable. I will be here as much as necessary — probably more than Helmut.” Apart from that and a somewhat weak assertion that “our party has a heart like any other party” in response to a health care cuts ques- tion, Burton escaped serious dam- age and was strong on a number of issues, particularly land claims. Buoyed by a core of Reform supporlers near the front of the house, he gamered largely partisan applause for Reform’s pledge to eliminate photo radar. Social Credit candidate Dave Serry spoke passionately and fired many shots — same that found their - mark and others that went way wide, But his efforts to hammer Wozney and the Liberals at every chance — largely to the exclusion of the NDP and Reform candidates ~ betrayed the bad blood hetween the two; Serry is.a fixture at Kitimat - council: meetings, where he and Wozney are frequently at odds. During responses from Wozney Monday night, Serry would fre- quently hold up a magazine front cover headlined *Promises, Protnises.' . Liberal organizers believe Serry’s candidacy -is mainly aimed at causing Wozney more misery. The Mail Bag Recipe for racism Dear Sir: MLA Helmut Giesbrecht isn’ surprised by the con- flicts over land in the Nisga’a agreement in principle. He’s quite right; that was expected. The surprise is having no discussion about a constitu- tion promoting institutional racism. This surely needs discussion and resolution before there can be a final solution. A case in point is Mr. Morison’s ‘MP’s Martian quest called ridiculous’ letter to the editor of April 17. He made a valid point that the simple concept “all are equal’’ upholds the “‘existing discrepancies of power.’* Skeena Reform MP Mike Scott’s idea of listing your- self as a Martian in the census is ridiculous. But so is the focus on differences between people —- on racial differences of colour of skin, different body sizes. In shor, different everything. It is a recipe for reinforcing racism, of a different colour. While the problems of cleaving along racial lines is paramount there are also problems of process in using a competitive stakeholder model to reach agreement and of using the dependent domestic nation concept for a final solution. The former diminishes future community possibility in favour of preseat corporate certainty; the latter is a slippery slope to apartheid (defined as the principle of racial segregation of society upheld by Jaw). The Nisga’a agreement is a complex assimilation by sophisticates on the one hand. It is simple sophistry on the other. There’s not even a definition of aboriginal, which defies the Socratic imperative. William Hayes, Terrace, B.C. Snowbirds not cheap Dear Sir: The Snowbirds, the precision flying demonstration team of the Canadian Forces, performed in Terrace last week. As you admired the wonderful flying, did you know that you and I, the taxpayer, foot the bill for the enter- tainment. And it’s not cheap, The Snowbirds’ budget for 1995 was $7.387 million. This figure was provided by National Defence Head- quarters only after a formal Access to Information re- quest. At this rate, the Snowbirds have cost us some $185 million (in 1995 dollars) over their 26 year exis- tence. The Snowbirds will perform 75 times during 1996, so one performance costs us about $100,000, or more than $3,000 per minute. That’s a very expensive 30 minutes of entertainment, and a very expensive public relations event for the Ca- nadian Forces. What do you think? Is the Canadian Forces using your money wisely when it funds the Snowbirds? Could Terrace have found a better, more long-lasting - ., use for§1.00,0007 That money is now vanishing, into 30 minutes of fash and roar. ' jim Johnson, Kingston, Outario Gun laws useless Dear Sir: There are some politicians who are taking advantage of the Vernon massacre and using it as fuel for their gun registering campaign. Before this geis to be a popular trend I hope people will give it a litle more constructive thought. Firstly, a person whose mind is so involved with retaliation would not mind paying $10,000 for a gun if that was his choice of weapons. This person is on a one way trip and there’s no coming back, If he can’t buy a gun ata hardware store he'll go buy one from his friendly illegal gun runner. I never did know for sure but I understand it’s no problem ta do that in large citics, There are many ways to end the human life and maybe these same politicians are already contemplat- ing the possibility of registering butcher knives, baseball bats and a thousand other objects. I’m hoping that these politicians who are so hell bent on more regulations and chances for money goals, the creation of more government offices, etc. will be voted out and Jet someone in there with more common sense. ] think it’s a better idea to register reckless drivers. A damaged mind cannot be controlled by gun regulations. Lloyd Brinson, Nass Camp, B.C, Political donation unfair Dear Sir: I find it very unfair that the Canadian Auto Workers local in Kitimat gave Helmut Giesbrecht $10,000 to help his campaign. What about the people who vote for another party. Their union dues are going to a party who they do not believe in. People of the north should remember the NDP shut down Kemano Completion so we lost a lot of jobs. If our moncy was not wasted in such a way as this and with union travel we wouldn’t have to pay two hours a month in dues, Giesbrecht did nothing for Terrace as mayor or in his last term as MLA. He doesn’t need this money with the glorious pension he will get. The union money could have been used to help get people off the streets. Fred Rosebush, Terrace, B.C, Sexposed frivolous fun Dear Sir; The education ministry gave our college 55,000 scarce tax dollars so that caped “‘crusaders’’ could hand out condoms on campus. “T’s a fun way to raise awareness,’ explains “‘Sexposed’’ campaign coordinator Melissa Munn in a May 8 story in The Terrace Standard. This sounds like frivolous expensive fun for the same Ms, Munn whose current column elsewhere bemoans ‘Post-secondary institutions having to do the same or more with less.”’ Lydia Piper, Terrace, B.C,