A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 28, 1994

TERRACE

STANDARD

ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988

ADDRESS: 4647 Lazelle Ave., Terrace, B.C. * V8G 1S8
TELEPHONE: (604) 638-7283 * FAX: (604) 638-8432
MODEM: (604) 638-7247

New highway

SOME DAY the most important highway in the
north may not be the one on which vehicles
travel.

Instead, it?ll be what’s commonly called the
“information highway,’’ the increasingly com-
plex and quickly growing network of electronic
connections linking anybody who has a com-
puter and a modem giving them access to phone
lines and data transmission services.

Already the Internet has changed the way a lot
of people communicate and do _ business
unimaginable just 10 years ago. From the com-
fort of one’s home, letters can be sent and
received electronically around the world to the
point that Internet users now refer to traditional
letter delivery as “‘snail mail.’’

Vast quantities of information are available
with the only requirement being the appropriate
connections and the capability to punch in the
right combinations on a computer keyboard.

In the Nass Valley, for instance, the Nisga’a are
pushing the provincial government for equal and
effective access to the information highway. The
campaign isn’t as visible and vocal as the
Nisga’a effort to improve ground transportation
into the Nass but the intended result to connect
with the outside world is the same.

But those who travel the Internet have sounded
warming signals, particularly in less populated
areas. It all has to do with competition to set up
information transmission systems and the poten-
tial to leave some people in the dust on the side
of the information highway.

One local example has B.C. Systems Corpora-
tion, the provincial government’s own computer
systems corporation, buying and installing its

“own équipment to essentially set up a provincial
government telecommunications network.

This has the union representing B.C. Tel
workers worried about job loss. But union reps
say they are also worried about the establishment
of elitist systems not readily available to the gen-
eral public. They’re also concerned that commu-
nications companies and governments will gravi-
tate to the high profit areas containing large pop-
ulations and large numbers of businesses.

So just as the north has fought for better roads,
bridges and airline connections, it just might
have to do the same for the information highway.
Otherwise we just might be left with the com-
puter equivalent of hand-cranked phones.

VIA’s future

ONE OF the more secret pleasures of the north is
VIA Rail’s passenger train from Jasper to Prince
Rupert. From comfortable surroundings pas-
sengers can eat, rest and view spectacular
scenery. |

Yet it’s also a horrendously expensive service
costing $6.3 million a year with revenues that
don’t touch $1 million. .
The service is one that’s mandated by the feder-
al government and isn’t tied to revenues and
profit. As worthy as passenger service up here
might be, it could only be a matter of time before
a cost-conscious government decides it’s all
over.

=) 5)
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MEMBER OF B.C, PRESSCOUNCIL.
Serving (he Tarrace and Theynhill area. Published on Wadnesday cl each week by Cariboo Press (1969)
Lid. at 4647 Lazelle Ave., Terrace, British Columbia. a
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agencies, . .
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Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents
for their time and talents ,

YOU'RE ALLERGIC
TO REINDEER...

. -
oe
SS

Beyer predicts vote in ‘95

VICTORIA — Assuming that
you’re ready to say farewell to
1994 and look forward to the
New Year, I will, once again,
refrain from boring you to
tears with the traditional
review of the past 12 months
and instead make a few predic-
tions of how the provincial
political universe may unfold
in 1995.

Number 1: There’s a good
chance of a provincial election
in spring or fall of 1995, True,
the NDP is still trailing the
Liberals in the polls, but this
coming spring may be the only
opportunity for government to
deliver a balanced budget.

Premicr Harcourt is con-
vinced that a fiscal house in
good order is important to
voters. He has promised to
balance the budget by the end
of his mandate, but if he waits
until 1996, he will run head-
long into further federal off-
loading, making a balanced
budget all but impossible,

Number 2: The bingo
scandal will continue to haunt
the government, I’ve said it ad
nauseam: the premier must call
a full inquiry into the Nanaimo
Commonwealth Socicly mess
or continue to face embarrass-
ment, particularly once the ses-
sion starts and the opposition
can allack the government day-
in, day-out during question pe-

FROM:THE CAPITAL |
HUBERT BEYER

riod,

Number 3: Jack Weisgerber
will emerge as leader of the
Reform Party of British
Columbia this January. And
once firmly in the saddle, be
will lead that party to greater
strength, chipping away at the
Jead in public opinion polls
now enjoyed by Gordon
Campbell’s Liberals.

Number 4: Based on num-
ber 3, there will be no merger
of so-called  free-enterprise
forces against the NDP in the
next election. In fact, I won't
get any argument from Weis-
gerber if I say that he likes
Harcourt a lot better than
Campbell. So forget about a
solid free-enterprise lineup
against the Socialists.

Number 5: The government.

will wrap up its Protected Arca
Strategy and fulfill its election
promise of doubling British
Columbia’s parkland to 12 per
cent of the province’s tolal
land mass.

Number 6: Look for more
tough environmental legisla-
tion. Past policies in this area
have been met with solid voter
approval, and ils a safe bet
that the NDP will build on that
foundation as it moves towards
an election.

Number 7; Gordon Wilson
and Judi Tyabji will continue
to grab headlines, if not for
their political achievements,
then for the saga of their per-
sonal lives, Watch for further
developments in Tyabji’s ne-
gotiations with Hollywood.
However, for the life of me, I
can’t see Sean Connery play-
ing Gordon, as Judy suggested.
Pewee Herman, maybe.

Number 8; The spring ses-
sion of the British Columbia
Legislature will be onc of the
nastiest on record. With the ex-
ception of the last two years of
Bill Vander Zalm's reign, the
MLAs have traditionally had
respect for those on the oppo-
site side, even liked some of
them.

Neither love nor respect will
be lost on opponents in the
coming session, and we'll be
treated to some of the dirtiest

battles ever fought on the floor
of the assembly. Leading the
Liberals in body-checking will
be Gary Farrell-Collins and
Wilf Hurd. Chief enforcers on
the NDP side will be Moe
Sihota and Glen Clark.

Number 9; All party leaders
will vie for attention with
greater gusto than before. Har-
court and Campbell will try at
all cost to avoid being labelled
as fence-sitters, a weakness
they have displayed in the past,

As we move toward an elec-
lion, both leaders will do
everything {o be firmly in
charge of their troops, but I ex-
pect that both will still have
some difficulty being seen in
charge, whereas Weisgerber
will have no problem on that
score,

Progressive Democratic Al-
liance leader Wilson also
won't have much difficulty
remaining in charge of his
party, Or will he? After all, the
only otter member is his wife
Tyabji.

So much for my crystal-ball
gazing. If I’m right, remember
where you read it. If I'm
wrong, don’t call me, I'll call
you. Thank you all for reading
Hubert Beyer. Thank you for
your letters, both supportive
and those calling me to task.
And a happy and prosperous
New Year to you all.

This defence an offence

BRITISH COLUMBIA’S con-
viction rate for drunken driv-
ing is between 25 to 50 per-
cent. The other 50 to 75 per-
cent of impaired drivers are
going free thanks to lawyers
who specialize in defending
drunk drivers.

The Inuit word for lawyer
translates as ‘‘the man who lies
for you’’. For big bucks a law-
yer will argue black is white
and be proud to do it even in
the face of overwhelming evi-
dence to the contrary.

For another week RCMP will
put themselves at risk standing
in the glare of oncoming cars
checking for impaired drivers,
Those who blow over the legal
limit will be taken to the police
station where an officer will
devote several hours to filling
out a report and crossing all
the t's. Any oversight in
protocol will be used by some
artificially outraged lawyer to
have the case thrown out of
courl.

If lawyers had the misfortune
to fell firsthand the devastation

TRIP ?

THROUGH BIFOCALS

CLAUDETTE SANDECKI

So? How VeTERR(BLE!T wish
WAS YOUR IT HAD NEVER SEEN REALLY HATES

THIS CounTRy!!

am impaired driver - or any
other Jawbreaker - can inflict
on a victim and his family, no
amount of moncy would
propel them to argue a defence
for such an offence.

Recently when a convicted
murderer escaped from an
Ontario prison, MP John Nun-
ziata asked for and got police
protection. Nunziata had sup-
ported the victim's family at
the time the murderer was put
behind bars. He feared the
murderer would bunt him

GEE! THAT Guy
THE NORTH)

down,

Luckily for Nunziata the
murderer was soon identified
on the street by a Toronto cop,
arrested and retumed to jail.

But the’ experience shook
Nunziata so much he began to
think like a victim. He intro-
duce a private member's bill
making it mandatory for con-
victed lifers to serve their full
25 years. So far the bill has
passed second reading in the
House with a comfortable ma-
jority and gone to committce
for study before final reading.

But Nunziata is the excep-
tion. Most lawyers argue from
lofty theory not personal,
down-to-earth experience.
These are the same lawyers
who then get elected to Ottawa
and make the laws we live by,
or go on to become judges,
maybe even Supreme Court
judges, where they interpret
the laws.

Business managers are ad-
vised to check on their compa-
ny’s customer service by phon-
ing their company anonymous-

NofE.! HE
JUST FOUND

| WHAT HE'D BEEN MISSING
HtS WHOLE cifeé ff

ly when they are out of town.
Lawycrs, too - as well as
others like uncmployment in-
surance clerks and bank man-
agers - need to expcricnece first
hand how it is to be treated the
way they do,

You have no way of retaliat-:

ing when you’re victimized by
an insensitive pencil
pusher...unless you work in the
diner across ihe strect from
their work place. When the un-
caring lawyer or clerk places a
luncheon order at your counter

you can dally over the grill,

confuse the order, finally serve
the food minutes before the
impatient servant must rectum
to work. Let him call for
takeout packaging of his meal,

Each Christmas B.C. spends
countless dollars and police

hours to make our highways :

safer by removing drinking
drivers. Then, bamboozled by
a lawyer’s perfected spicl,

some judge decides the person:

is innocent and frees him to
drink and drive some more.
Happy New Year,