A8 Terrace Review — Wednesday, July 10, 1991 Harcourt see better use Of all resources Campaign ‘91. Mike Harcourt, leader of the opposition B.C. New Democrats, said in Terrace last month he thinks both the human and finan- cial capital of the province could be used more effectively than the present government is allowing. In an interview at Terraceview Lodge, Harcourt cited the sale of the Expo lands in Vancouver, the doctors’ pension settlement and the $40 million annual government public relations budget as examples of what he believes is fiscal mismanagement on the part of the Social Credit administration. Harcourt also noted that the gross provincial debt now exceeds $20 billion. When asked how the NDP would deal with the current accounts deficit —- pegged by most experts at $1.2 billion — they will inherit if they win the coming election, Harcourt said his party would "balance it over the budget cycle". When asked what the length of that cycle is, Harcourt replied, "Four to six years." When the Socreds introduced their budget in - May, the finance minister indicated their government would balance the deficit out over five years. Without being asked about the controversial $9 billion deficit incurred by Ontario’s NDP admin- istration in their 1991-92 budget, Harcourt volunteered the comment that things in Ontario are "much worse" than in B.C., with the economy there going through "massive changes". "B.C, is totally different,” he said. Harcourt added that he had won the Vancouver mayoralty at the bottom of a recession and successfully brought the city through it. "I’m used to difficult times,” he said. He would give government a different set of priorities, he said. Tourism opportunities could be increased, value could be added to exported forest products, and native land claims could be settled. In health care, the recommenda- tions of the Royal Commission could be implemented with an emphasis on community-based preventive programs. Harcourt doesn’t believe the health care budget necessarily needs to be increased. "The dollars could be used more wisely,” he said, "There’s a lot more we could be doing," he said in reference to the overall econoniic state of the prov- ince. "We would place more im- portance on science and technol- ogy, research and development, especially through the University of Northern B.C. It could be used as af institute to train technicians specifically for the. skills needed in the north." In the Northwest, he said, people appear to be most concemed about the general state of the economy, conflict over uses of the forest, and the possibility that the Univer- sity of Northern B.C. may become tthe University of Prince George”. He also alluded to the Kitimat port development proposal by saying that people are also concerned about "a cooperative port policy". Harcourt also said people in the Northwest have expressed concerms about quality of government ser- vices, specifically mentioning the proposed supportive housing devel- opment at Terraceview Lodge, which he favours, and child care services, of which he believes there is a shortage. In Harcourt’s mind the most critical issue, here and in other parts of the province, is the con- flict over land use. He believes the NDP’s Environment and Jobs Accord, the keystone of their elec- tion platform, will address that problem. "That’s the big one," he ~ Johnston Campaign ’91 TERRACE — The federal gov- ernment should seriously consider getting out of jurisdictions like ks __ Mike Harcourt: The dollars could be used more wisely. fisheries that duplicate services already offered by the provinces, Premier Rita Johnston said in Terrace recently. "There’s too much duplication,” Rita Johnston: It's costing taxpayers and serving no useful purpose. Local high Documents for proposals for the Skeena highway service area road and bridge maintenance contract will be available from the Ministry of Transportation and Highways beginning July 15. The term of the new contract will be three years, and the closing date for sub- missions is Aug. 2. Skeena district highways man- ager Sohn Newhouse says there has been some "fine tuning”, but only one real change has been made in the tendering process. In what will be the second highways mainten- ance contract since privatization removed that function from the Ministry of Highways, a business plan will play an important role and form the basis of the Quality Assurance Program. North Coast Road Maintenance is coming to the end of a three-year road maintenance contract that began Dec. 1, 1988, The North Coast contract expires Nov. 30 this year and company spokesman Lloyd Scott says they will be applying for a second term. If successful, he says, they will go ahead with their plan to move the highways maintenance from Park Ave. to a location east of the Cop- per Mountain subdivision. The North Coast contract covers the Skeena service area and includes 1,162 lane-kilometres of: highway and 92 bridges. The con- tract price was originally set at $11.7 million but was later increased to $13.2 million when the contractor took on the addi- tional responsibility of maintaining the Nisga’a Highway and Shames she said. “It’s ridiculous to have federal ministries of forests and environment. It’s costing taxpayers and serves no useful purpose." Johnston made the remarks dur- ing a press conference at the Mount Layton Hot Springs July 3 in response to questioning on the Kitimat port proposal. She was in town, she said, on a get-acquainted tour of the Northwest to gamer delegates for the July 20 Social Credit jeadership convention. ‘Expanding on her views about federal and provincial jurisdictions, Johnston said the Kemano Com- pletion Project delay is an example of reasons for the province to be the sole regulatory body in areas where ministries are duplicated at the federal and provincial level. "It’s gone through an extensive process, and doesn’t seem to require more changes. It’s being studied to death while people are being laid off and displaced." When asked if the Kitimat port project has the government's sup- port, Johnston replied, "We're committed to the process. It was an initiative of the Vander Zalm administration. It will be decided Mountain road. The cali for proposals has gone out in two other service areas as well. The South Cariboo service area, which consists of 5,594 lane kilometres of highway and 107 bridges, is currently valued at $32.1 million. And the Howe Sound service area, consisting of 1,003 lane-kilometres of highway and 113 bridges, which is currently worth $22.4 million. Mainroad Contracting Ltd. cur- rently holds the richest contract in the province for the lower main- land service area. It’s valued at $41 million. The least expensive contract in the province is the $7.4 million north coast contract held by O’Brien Road and Bridge Maintenance Lid. of Prince Rupert. The value of all28 road mainten- wants duplicate services to end after the Major Project Review Process is complete." Asked to clarify that, Johnston said, “The fact that we are going through the process would indicate that we are committed. "We've looked at the back- ground. [Skeena MLA] Dave Parker feels very strongly about it. The likelihood of its survival will have to be considered, The demand [the port’s services] will have to be clearly spelled out.” Johnston was noncommittal about the level of support for leadership she has from Social Credit del- egates in Skeena. She said her campaign headquarters has been tracking delegate inclinations in {he area and "there are suggestions of support from here", She declined to say whether any of the jocal delegates ate committed to her leadership bid. . Parker has publicly thrown his support into the Johnston camp. Johnston said the key issues as perceived by delegates in this area are very similar to those she is hearing throughout: the province: party unity and structure, taxes, and law and order. ways contract up for grabs ance contracts in the province is currently listed at $751.6 million. According to information provided by the Ministry of Highways, the first maintenance contract to be signed in this second round was for the southern Vancouver Island service area and took effect Sept. 1, 1988. Since the advent of private con- tracting, the ministry claims to have saved nearly $106 million on road and bridge maintenance in the - province. This is comprised of a $21.5 million saving on the cost of servicing equipment, a $60.6 mil- — lion saving on the cost of cquip- ment and property leases, and revenues of $23.9 million through indirect taxes and licensing.