A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 30, 1999 TERRACE STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 * FAX: (250) 638-8432 EMAIL: standard@kermoce.net Mike for MLA SUMMER, EVEN efrainy one at that, is really no time to talk politics. So that’s why it’s fas- cinating to consider why the provincial Liberal party conducted a telephone poll in the Skeena tiding to probe the public knowledge of high profile people who might be in line to be the party’s candidate in the next provincial election. We are at least a year from the next provincial election, even longer if Premier Glen Clark hangs in there in hopes the provincial economy will turn around in time. The answer may rest with the names put for- ward in the poll — Kitimat mayor Rick Wozney, Stewart mayor Andy Burton, Terrace mayor Jack Talstra, Terrace city councillor Linda Hawes and Skeena Reform MP Mike Scott. Having Mr. Wozney and Mr. Talstra on the list isn’! much of a surprise. Mr, Wozney’s a well- known Liberal and was the party’s candidate last time. He just may have been elected MLA in 1996 had not the Reform party here run a candi- date. Mr. Talstra is also a Liberal but that hasn’t stopped him from carving out an independent, pro-northern stance when required. Ms. Hawes helped run Mr. Wozney’s 1996 campaign. Mr. Burton was the Reform candidate here in 1996 but now says he won’t be running for anybody, The real surprise is in having Mr. Scott on the list. He admits to conversations with provincial Liberals and while he says he’s happy with where he is now, he hasn’t exactly sworn on a stack of Bibles he won’t ever consider the idea of changing parties and political arenas. Mr. Scott has several bonuses to Liberal elec- tion strategists. He has name recognition in the northwest. He’s won two elections, the last one in 1997 by a healthy margin. Most importantly Mr. Scott is an ideological . ally with the provincial Liberals when it comes to land claims. He and the provincial Liberals marched pretty much together in opposing the ' Nisga’a treaty. Land claims is the one true north- em issue which unites or separates. those of us who live up here. Mr. Scott would be very adept at transferring his federal presence on this to the provincial scene. Yet as attractive as Mr. Scott is, he and the provincial Liberals need time to plant the seed to avoid the appearance of being a parachute candi- date. Imposing a candidate from above is no way to enter an election campaign. So provincial Lib- erals would need to avoid a nomination fight from other potential candidates who view the Skeena riding as ripe for the picking. That means Mr. Scott would have to be the only person con- sidered for the nomination. From Mr. Scott’s perspective, hed be leaving a. fairly secure job. He’d need assurances he’d be welcomed and have a lock on the nomination without having to battle for it. And Mr. Scott might even need an award in or- der to cement the deal. His opposition to the cur- rent path of land claims is bringing him a higher federal profile. It’s not totally out of the question to consider him cabinet material in a Gordon Campbell Liberal government. How does aboriginal affairs minister sound? PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS Jeff Nagel - NEWS/SPORTS: Christiana Wiens . NEWS/COMMURITY: Alex Hamilton FRONT OFFICE: Cindy Miller CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Carole Kirkaldy ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Sam Bedford, Bunnie Cote 2 TELEMARKETER: Tabatha Orange DARKROOM/COMPOSING: Susan Credgeur ’ AD ASSISTANT: Julie Davidson, Andrea Malo SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $57.30 per year; Seniors $50.75; Out of Province $64.39 Outside of Canada (6 months) $158.25 {ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST) MEMBER OF B.C. ANE YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCLATION. CANADIAN COMMUNITY HEWSPAPERS ABSOCIATION @ CNA . ANS B.C. PRESS COUNCIL Serving the Tarrace and Tharnhill ras, Published on Wadnesday of each woak at 3210 Clinton Streel, Tenaca, British Columbia, VG 5Re. Stories, photographs, iitustrations, designs and typastyles in the Tenace Slandard are the property of the copyight holders, Including Garlboo Press (1969) Ltd, its illustration ropro services and adverlising agencies. . Reproduction in whole or In part, without writtan permission, la specifically prohibited. Authorized as socond-claga miail perding the Post Office Department, for payment af postage in cash. Special thanks to all our contributors and correspondents for thelr time and talente INNER ETTER COMPETTTION _THADNO CHOICE.. IT WAS EITHER THIS OR GETTING A JOB. NDP on the road to oblivion VICTORIA — I was con- vineed that Premier Glen Clark would announce his resignation at the New Democratic Party’s conven- tion two weeks ago. The pre- mier, however, had different ideas. Rather than fold, Clark, with all the bravado he could muster, told the 600 dele- gates that he was determined to stay in the game, He obviously has never heard of Kenny Rogers or he would know that with the hand he holds he should “fold ‘em.” On the eve of the conven- tion, the NDP got some pretty devastating news. An *-Angus’Reid’ poll showed -- support for the NDP at-a.new.... and all-time low of 16 per cent. The premier’s personal disapproval rate stands at 79 per cent. And if you think it can’t get any worse, consider this: According to a recent analysis by the consulting firm of Barlee, Geoghegan and Associates, headed by former NDP cabinet minister Bill Barlee, the NDF will be wiped out in the next elec- tion. The study predicts that the Liberals will get 69 seats, Reform six and the NDP FROM THE CAPITAL - HUBERT BEYER four, just enough to hang onto official party status, The likelihaod of such doomsday scenarios would be enough to make most party leaders look for a -_ career -change.-No this one. -. Accepting the: blame for. the party’s dismal standing, Clark vowed to stay in office and turn things around. He said he knows what he must do and that he’s giving him- self a year to do it. “I’m not going to stand here and say everything is rosy. We have some work to do and | intend to do it. If we stick to our values, and our agenda, we will come back.” And what values would those be? Give away a little more Crown land, perhaps? Or take away some more funding from the Ministry of Children and Families? How about giving Moe Sihota reinforcements to take the NDP further to the right? When the economy turned sour, the government sought refuge in hi-profile infra- structure projects, building the Island Highway, schools and hospitals. It didn’t work. After the construction jobs were fin- ished, the workers went back to being unemployed. And to what avail were all those new schools and addi- tions built? To reduce class size, a pet demand of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation, a traditional supporter of the NOP. May I ask what is wrong with larger class sizes, par- ticularly when times are tough? For most of my ele- mentary and high school years in Germany, there were between 40 and 45 of us in a class. We ended up being fluent in English, French, with a good know]- edge of Latin thrawn in, and didn’t do too badly in the other subjects either, thank you. By contrast, most students in British Columbia can’t string a meaningful sentence together after five or six years of French in classes of small size, The one thing that might - have tumed the economy around is, of course, impos- sible io contemplate for the ‘ NDP — tax cuts, massive lax cuts, That’s a poison pill for the NDP because it would initially benefit business. So here they are with 16 per cent in the polls and no end to the blood-letting in . Sight. What's worse, by refusing to step down, Clark is administering the death blow to the party. If he resigned now, a new leader might at least have a fighting chance ta bring the party back to a respectable Opposition force in the next election. . Hanging on means the NDP will be decimated. Bar- lee’s scenario of four seats is a distinct possibility, and that’s bad for all of us, because our system of parlia- - mentary democracy works only when there is a strong opposition. The premier isn’t doing anyone a favour by clinging to his job. Beyer can be reached at — Tel: (250) 920-9300; e- mail: hubert@coolcom.com; web:http://www.hubert- beyer.com/ This sacrifice takes planning “WANTED’ A CANUCK fan for sacrificial offering to angry river god.” That ad appeared in The Terrace Standard at a stage in the Stanley Cup playoffs when only American teams were left competing in Canada’s National game. Perhaps a Habs fan, upset over losing an office pool, paid for the $40 ad. It might have been a way to say ‘sorry’ toa peeved American TV fishing show host, Or maybe the ad was simply an “in” joke among hockey/fishing buddies. Whatever the ad’s roots, it set me thinking about the nitty gritty of following through on what appears to be a determined plan. Before any human can be added to the river like a beef bone to a broth, multiple permits would be required. David Anderson’s fisheries ;ministry would demand THROUGH. BIFOCALS. CLAUDETTE SANDECKI wes FIRST HE MADE US GO THROUGH OVERFICUW)! THEN FLUFFY SNow ! THEM MORE Re OVERFLOW! AND MORE Be FLUEFY Sow! forms filled out in quadrupli- cate. Environment Canada would scrutinize the fine print watching for contami- nation of water. In all, com- pleting forms might take longer than any NHL season, extended though it is to tedium. While 1] can’t imagine a flood of applicants, despite the numbers of die-hard Canuck fans, some crileria would be necessary to sort their ranks for the most mol- lifying candidate. Even a Canuck fan isn’t going to take sacrificing willingly. So the ideal candi- date would be unable to swim... or at least lack buoy- ancy. This rules out devotees of french fries, natchos, and beer. That narrows the field. Evidence would be needed to prove the appli- cant was indeed a Canuck fan. What would that be? Testimonials from five close friends? Adorning the neck with a white towel like Elvis? Or vehement spitting at your feet at the mere men- tion of Les Canadiens? The sacrificial ceremony is a biggy. I’m guessing this is an experimental rite; the local library is unlikely to house a how-to collection of hockey rituals involving river gods. I’d consult that walking encyclopedia of sports history, Jim Coleman.. In any case, publicity — must be avoided, Even Eng- land’s Druids ran into orga- nized opposition last week during their centuries old Stonehenge greeting of the — summer solstice. This angry river god. Does he inhabit a particular river or bob up everywhere like Ogopogo? Would the sacrifice occur from a boat? Off a riverbank? At a boat launch? Would the Habless ~ Canuck fan be dropped - splash — like an anchor, or trolled along until — whack - the line was severed? And would the Canuck be alert or inert when dunked? Time of day is crucial. ‘Misty morning has a chill about it, Midday lacks mys- tique. In the evening, sound . carries. Any little splash : could alert a suspicious fish- ° erman with a cell phone. [t’s time for another beer and more planning. WELL, THAT WOULD EXPLAIN IT!