A6 Terrace Review — Wednesday, May 2, 1990

‘There they go

During the period last summer while the B.C. Nurses’ Union
was on strike, it became increasingly apparent that Terrace was
exempt in some. ways from the hospital staffing problems coming
to light in other areas of the province. The picket lines were quiet
and peaceful to a point that could nearly be described as idyllic,
management and striking staff cooperated to keep medical care
in Mills- Memorial Hospital wards at an adequate level, and
Terrace seemed isolated. from all the fireworks that were going
off elsewhere.

- Even so, at that time local BCNU reps said the provincial nurse
shortage would grow worse and eventually make itself known
here, particularly if the BCNU didn’t achieve its objectives in a
collective agreement, Well, here we are..

Last summer the only nursing staff problem was a shortage of

casual workers. Although nurses at MMH were working consider- |

able overtime because of that, full-time staff vacancies were rare
and that situation was attributed to good management-staff
relations. There have been changes in the upper management at
the hospital since then, but it is probable that the five apparently
unfillable vacancies in the nursing staff would have occurred
anyway.

News reports out of the lower mainland recently have shocked
many people with their tales of people dying due to long waits
for critical surgery; other reports tell of patients being sent to
Washington or Alberta for the same reasons. By all accounts the
delays are caused by bed closures, which occur because there
aren’t enough nurses. These problems seem remote to us, taking
place down there in the urban congestion, but the people who are
suffering in fact come from communities like ours and any one
of us or our friends or relatives could be the next patient sent out,
too late, to a bordering province or state.

- The B.C. government, in time-honored fashion, has struck a
Royal Commission to examine the health care system, and the

commission is expected to focus strongly on how the system is
financed. We can expect to see many of the same issues. that

‘were prominent during the nurses’ strike unearthed again, but this

time by an independent fact-finding commission rather than by
iwo hostile bargaining teams. It’s been nearly a year since the
Strike, and the forecasts of shortages and nurses leaving the
profession are coming true.

We have to wonder if an examination of the health care system
in isolation will yield any results other than the conclusion that
the system is very expensive. We already know that, but expens-
ive in relation to what? Perhaps we should be looking at other

_ areas of expenditure by government and asking how important

those are compared to a well-run, universal medical: care plan.

It’s the function of the government as a: whole that. should be.
under question in this commission.

NWORRUS?

' the extreme.

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The view from
Victoria —

by John Pifer:

VICTORIA — It’s time for -
some careful and objective
discussion about the tempest

‘surrounding. the REAL Women
‘controversy which erupted last
week.

Perhaps the most sad, most
disturbing thing about the .
whole affair is that so many of
the Social Credit Cabinet and
caucus appear honestly not to

comprehend what all the fuss i is

about.
True, some of them agree
that much of the vitriolic dia-

: tribe against homosexuals,

AIDS sufferers and feminists in

the REAL letter to its‘ members

is offensive, perhaps even in

True, some of them agree
that it is ‘“‘unfortunate’’ that
the strident material was sent
out by the tourism ministry

~ through a worthwhile program

which is designed to show off
the province to convention
delegates from across the coun-
try and around the world.

But some of them say that to
scrutinize any outside material,
being mailed in taxpayers’
envelopes carrying stamps paid

‘for by taxpayers’ money,

would be ‘‘censorship’’.

Well excuse me, but that’s
not the point.

What is at issue is the
responsibility which is required
by any minister of the Crown

- to ensure that his or her

department is not disseminating
hate literature or the like.
Imagine the sight of the
government of B.C. being haul-
ed before a court under federal
laws or human rights legisla-

“tion, simply because it did not
‘ seview printed material it was
dispensing free!

The legal implications of.

 . adopting the stance taken by
|» Tourism Minister Cliff

"What is at issue is the responsibility which is required
by any minister of the Crown to ensure that his or her
department i is snot disseminating hate literature..." a

‘Michael, and by Premier Bill
Vander Zalm are frightening.

Not the most intellectually-

| gifted member of Cabinet by a

fong chalk, Mr. Michael not
only admitted that there is no
screening process, but he failed
to comprehend the danger of
violating the laws of the land.
And the premier ducked the
question of law, too, repeatedly
telling reporters: ‘‘I refuse to

“ bea party to censorship.”’

That is commendable, I am

sure; but if extremists from the

Aryan Nation or Hitler Youth:
or Marxist Leninist groups de-
cided to hold a ‘‘convention’’
in B.C., would any of their
literature which preaches hate
be passed along blindly and
quietly by Mr. Michael and
Co.?

I have read the rambling,
narrow-minded, 12-page
message from REAL Women’s
B.C. president, and yes, | find
it to be offensive, frightening
and sadly sick.

Opposition MLA Dale

_ Levick said in the House that it

indeed was ‘‘hate literature...
and racist.”’

He added: ‘‘When I am ac-
cused of suggesting that there is
perhaps a similarity between
the Ku Klux Klan and this
group... | must answer that
based on the evidence in the

“document, yes indeed there is.’’

To agree in print with Mr.
Lovick without the protection

of the Legislature would be in- .

viting legal trouble of my own;
suffice to say I found his com- |
ments incisive.

There is one other aspect of.

the REAL Women document :
which begs comment.
President Peggy Steacy

reminds members that the

group took “a leadership role

‘in supporting the Premier dur-

ing ‘the troubles’, and attended

the various rallies to encourage: -
him to stay.”

One might point out that
Ms. Steacy (who will simply
hate being called Ms.) and her.
husband Charles were (coin-
cidentally I am sure) two of

. Mr. Vander Zalm’s Richmond -

delegates to the Socred leader-
ship convention in 1986,
One might point out the

‘other coincidence which has the

REAL delegates taking tea at
Fantasy Gardens, the Premier’s
and Miz Lillian’s religious
theme park.

One might also point out
that Mr. Vander Zalm would
not condemn the content of the
letter, telling reporters it was
no story, and that the media
was at fault for pursuing it.

- And one therefore could
hardly be blamed for wonder-
ing if the views expressed by
Ms. Steacy are in fact sup-
ported wholeheartedly by their
idols, the Vander Zalms.

Frankly, I don’t doubt it for
a moment.

Parting Thought: The best
quip of the week, and one
which is very tough to argue
with suggests that having Cliff
Michael in charge of “damage
control’? when the excrement
hits the revolving blades, i is like
placing Donald .Trump in
charge of teaching how to con-

trol your.ego. - a a