‘
'

; -

returns at the
returning office

Bites.
td's lead dwindled,
he late reports

from Terrace and

majomty. Smithers voted
182 34 in favor of
Sheligrd. The vote was
eloser{n Terrace with a vold
of 2,188for Shelford and 1,716
for Howard,

i

PA carrera a

Page 2, The Herald, Friday, May 11, 1979

fery close race

The vote in Kitimat,
considered NDP territory by
both provincial and federal
candidates, gave Howard a
majority at all four polls.

Polls reporting from the
smaller communities in
Skeona nearly all gave
Howard a majority of votes.
’ The Socred campaign may

-have gene down well in

Terrace and Smithers but it
bombed In places like
Morleetown, Kitwanga and
Usk.

The most outstanding
example of this lack of
support for Soclal Credit in
rural areas waa the return
from Skeena Crossing.
Voters chose Howard by 99
votes to 1.

Native Indians also
favored Howard aver

ere in Skeena |

Shelford. Returns from the
Kispiox Reserve showed a
vote of 109 to 18 for the NDP.

When the Terrace returus

were finally located and

talllad late Thursday
evening, Howard had won by
an overall majority of 381

votes with 31 of $5 polls

reporting.

’ Still to be counted are

results from Rosswood
which haa 21 voters but no
telephone, the absentee vote
and tha Section 80's (People
who believe they are on the

yoters list at a previous (Me

location),

There will never be a
from Kwinitza. The

ane voter ix not per-
mitted to vote because the
ballot would not he secret.

Cyril Shelford and wife, Babs, cut cake made in their honor.

Ogtenmes nan

*

edi
re

Photos by Brian Gregg

qos

ennett sees a

good balance

KELOWNA, B.C. (CP) --
Premigr Bill Bennett sald
Thursday the victory of hla
Social «Credit party is a
“very,: very good day for
democracy.”

Bennett told more than 400
people gathered for a victory
celebration at his campaign
headquarters here that he
has <= always feared
legislatures that are one:
sided or have one party in
absolute control,

“Now all people are
protected because we have a
good balance in our house,”
he said. "That is not a
weakness, that ls a strength
and may we always hope...
we'll have the type of
balance with opposition in
government that will ensure
accountability, will ensure
debate and always ensure
that your interests are
protected.”

The premier sald he feels
good and positive about the
election, results ‘“‘because
before we. went into the
election, the last poll that [
saw showed we were behind,
and it is comforting to know
that we've come to a vic-

tory.

Bennett aald the B.C.
legislature probably will be
called in early June to pass
legisiation outlined in the
thren speech In March and
the budget which was In-
troduced in early April

He sald the seaslon could
not be: held any earlier
becausé the cificlal vote
count would not be com-

leted until then and “the
fegislature couldn’t be called
until avervbody has been le-

Bennett said he - was
satisifed with his cx:
but expressed relief that it,
was over.

"“[ just couldn't have filled
any more hours without

1 ad

The premier predicted the
Social Credit victory would
spark considerable business
activity but he did not
elaborate. id th

Bennett sn! e primary
effect of holding a provincial
election during a federal
election campaign was “to
heighten vater awareness.”

He also sald he did not
now if the dual election had
helped the New Democratic
Party.

"T guess when we look
back both after our election
and the federal election, I
guess the analysts can go to
work, But without those
results it would be hard to
aay. I think mast people can
separa WO,

Bennett voted in his home
riding of Westbank near

here, after returning from.

Vancouver where he had
attended a prayer breakfast
scheduled before the election
was called,

Bennett's wife Aw sald
she was happy with victory
and expected she and the

premier would take the

weekend off to play tennis.
Helpate they ‘will take

w ea
holiday.

Mrs, May Bennett, widow
of former premier W, A C.
Bennett, was elated with her
son Bill's victory and
greeted him effusively afier
waiting for him moat of the
evening at campaign

Howard hangs onto victory in Skeena.

Election .
in brief

VICTORIA (CP) — How’
prominent candidates fared
‘in «Thursday's = British
Columbia election: ;

An hour-and-a-half after
the polls closed at 8 p.m.
PDT, Social Credit can-
didates were elected and
leading in $2 seats, while the

New Democratic Party, led -

by former premier Dave
Barrett were elected and
leading in 25 seats in the 57-
seat legislature.

The Progressive Con-
servatives and the Liberala
were wiped out.

Standings inwhat was a 55-
seat legislature when
Bennett called the election:
on April 3 was: Soclal Credit
34, NDP 18, Progreasive
Conservative’ one and two
vacancies, :

Agriculture Minister
Shelford went down to defeat
to Frank Howard, a former
NDP.MP who: turned his
hand to provincial politics, in
Skeena riding.

Two other cablnet

ministers, Deregulation

Miniater Sam Bawlf and
Tourism Minister Elwood
Veitch, were trailing NDP
Tivals in Victoria and Bur-

nabyWillingdon.
VICTORIA (CP) ~
Premier Bill Bennett was re-

. @lected in Okanagan South in

Thursday's British Columbia

election, once again cap

turing the seat that has been
held by a Bennett since 1942.
The premier was firat
elected in a byelection in 1873
after his father, the late W.
A. C. Bennett, retired. The
elder Bennett was first
elected to the legislature as a
Conservative in 1941,

" VICTORIA (CP) ~ New-

Democratic leader Dave

Barrett was reelected in:
- Vancouver East -in the
British Columbia election iia
Thursday. The former’ ia

premier lost his <

iam ©
riding by 18 votes intheag7$: fie
election but reboundéé? to >'R

win Vancouver East by mord-

than 12,0) votes in a byelec- :

tion. ee

VICTORIA (CP) —
Liberal Leader Jev Tothill
lost in North Vancouver-

~ Seymour in . Thursday's

‘British Columbia election to

wack Davia, the former So-....
m.. clal Credit-cabinet minister:
” why’ resigned.the-seat after «'

being convicted of fraud last
fall. Tothill was elected

Liberal leader in February. .

VICTORIA (CP) —
Progressive Conservative
leader Vic Stephens, at-
tempting: to establish his
party as a ralddle-ofthe-road

option in British Columbia, -

was defeated in Oak Bay-
Gordon Head in Thursday's
election. The riding, which
the Conservatives had held
since 1972, was won by Social
-Credit’s Brian Smith, mayor
of Oak Bay for 10 years,

Alex Fraser, minister of
transportation, com-
munication and highways,
Crest party in the Cariboo

redit party in the
riding.

Don Phillips, minister of
economic development, re-

elected in South Peace

River. ‘

Environment Minister
Rafe Mair victorious for the,
Socreds ina three-way race
in Kamloops,

The NDP’s Alan Pagsarell
defeated Frank Calder,. the
chlef of the Nishga Indian
nation who was drop
from the NDP cabinet and

. then joined the Socreds, in

Atlin riding which Calder
had represente in Atlin, the
area he has represented for.
26 years,

Municipal Affairs Minister ~

Bill Vander Zalm re-elected
in the two-member Surrey

riding.

Canadian Presa lst of
party gains in British
Columbla:

New Democratic Party

* (11) ‘
From Social Credit — Atlin,

Burnaby-Edmonds, Bur-
nabyWillingdon, Comox,
CoquitlamMoody,
Esquimalt-Port Renfrew,
Maillardville-Coquitlam,
Shuswap-Revelstoke,
Skeena, Victoria.
New Seat — Surrey

Social Credit (3)
From Liberal — North Van-
eouver-Capilano
From -Progresslye Con-
servative — Oak Bay-
Gordon Head
New Seat — Prince George
North

Dave Serry-80