B.C. New Democrats
are election ready

by CAROL ADAMS

VANCOUVER — The B.C. New Dem-
ocratic Party is on alert.

Election alert.

“The provincial election may be
called late September,” says Hans
Brown, provincial secretary.

“This would give us an E-Day mid
to late October. We must accelerate
our organization both in the central
and local campaigns now so that we
are election-ready when the writ is
dropped.”

On August 14, the Socreds began
shooting six election TV commercials,
and purchased air time on KVOS and
CKVU in the Lower Mainland start-
ing August 24 and running through
to October 5. Socred ads also appeared
on CJDC Dawson Creek and CKPG
Prince George the following week.

Clearly, Premier Bill Vander Zalm
intends to use this advertising ‘win-
dow’ to call an election.

Brown says Social Credit will likely
use pre-election advertising to woo
home straying Socreds — those who
are currently undecided, Liberal or
“other” — in an attempt to narrow
the percentage point margin to well
within 10 points, considered ’winna-
ble’ by political pundits.

He adds, however, that despite the
return of prodigal Socreds, support
for New Democrats remains solid.

“Our supporters are saying now
more than ever that British Colum-
bians are tired of this endless stream
of Socred lies and scandals, of Bill
Vander Zalm imposing his narrow,

personal views on us, of a party that’s
clearly been in government too long.”

Coupled with their advertising

push Socreds have embarked on a
frenetic schedule of ‘town hall meet-
ings’ around the province, announcing
election goodies and attempting to
raise their public image. :

With that in mind, Brown is issu-
ing a party-wide election alert.

In the central campaign, produc-
tion of TV, radio and print ads is well
underway and will be ready when the
election is called. The central leaflet
has been revised to reflect the latest
round of Socred scandals (read Bud
Smith). Thousands of lawn signs have
been printed. An election platform
document will be made available dur-
ing the campaign.

The central campaign is on sched-
ule, says Ron Johnson, director of
communications.

“We are doing all the things we
want to do by this stage in the pre-
election period,” says Ron Johnson,
director of communications.

“When the election is called, we will
be running a four-week campaign of
two-minute TV spots during the six
o’clock and late newscasts.”

The party’s communications de-
partment is also assisting local cam-
paigns in the production of leaflets,
stationery and other campaign mate-
rials. Final additions are being made
to candidates’ biographies, and com-
plete media packages will soon be
ready for distribution.

For the all-important leader’s tour,
a detailed, step-by-step itinerary has
been mapped out. The tour will see
New Democrat leader Mike Harcourt

offices.

e NDP leader Mike Harcourt has been gearing up for an extensive tour acrosg B.C.

once the election is called.

travelling extensively throughout the
province, meeting with local constitu-
ents, hearing their concerns, and pre-
senting the New Democrat alternative.

In Provincial Office, staff organiz-
ers are on election alert, personally
contacting every constituency, advis-
ing them of the current election sta-
tus and assisting local election plan-
ning committees.

But as efficient as the party’s orga-

nization — both centrally and locally
— can be, it still remains for the
Premier to call the election.

Look to October for VB-Day —
Victory over Bill.

Carol Adams is the Communications
Officer at the provincial office of the
New Democratic Party of British
Columbia.

Forest policy plans
are now underway

IWA-CANADA’s National Forest Pol-
icy Fund is being built up as the
special one dollar-per-member-per-
month assessment is being received
at the National office in Vancouver.

In July the IWA’s Forest Policy
booklets were published and distri-
buted to the local unions. The book-
lets have been well received by the
membership.

As this issue goes to press, a script
of a major television video production
highlighting the IWA’s Forest Policy
is in the pre-approval stage.

If all goes smoothly the 30 minute
video production should be filmed
this fall or early next spring and
broadcast on various television net-
works across Canada at a later date.

Along with informing the public as
to the IWA’s position on forestry and
environment issues, the video produc-
tion will also serve the dual purpose of
being an educational video for the
membership.

“At the end of the video, the viewer
will be able to understand what the
IWA stands for,” says national fifth
vice-president Roger Stanyer.

The video production will be made
with the assistance of Tom Fawkes
and Rob Mingay, both former IWA
staff members and now private public
relations consultants,

To promote the broadcast of the
IWA video, advertisements in the
print media are planned.

Before production of the video
script began, the Forest Policy fund
sponsored an extensive public poll to
gauge the average citizen’s attitudes
towards the IWA and forest-environ-
ment issues in general.

The results of the poll, which ques-
tioned people across Canada, indi-
cated that the IWA has strong public
support and should take a strong
position on public issues.

Results of the polling will be useful °

in determining the type of public rela-
tions program the union should
undertake,

One of the long term goals of the
fund will be to develop materials to
keep our own membership up-to-date
on forestry and environment issues.
Such material will be designed to
assist IWA members with information
when meeting with environmental
groups, or with industry representa-
tives, or with government representa-
tives.

The fundamental objective of IWA
- CANADA’s forest policy fund will be
to reassure the public that our union
is active and shares many of the pub-
lic’s views as it does on the environ-
ment and economy.

16/LUMBERWORKER/SEPTEMBER, 1990

Photo by Carol Adams