24 ‘Terrace Review — Wednesday, J uly 6, 1988 -Georgetti says Free could be the end of us free trade deal before’ the next. According to B.C. Federation of Labour president Ken Georgetti, the real reason that the Canadian government began negotiating a free trade deal with the United States was because big business told them they wanted it, and they were going to get it or move their operations south, And the Canadian gov- ernment had no choice but to pick what they believed to be the lesser of two evils and begin negotiations. by Tod Strachan Georgetti was in Terrace late: last month to address a public meeting on the themes of privatization and free trade. “. they (big business) have. far too much control,’’ says Georgetti, ‘‘because money doesn’t have any conscience, and they ultimately end up con- trolling the government.”’ ‘And when.we lose the right to make political decisions because of a commercial agree-. ment between two countries which benefits the multi- nationals, I think we’re taking a step backwards and we're going to end up with two classes of citizens in this country — the ultra-rich and the very poor.’” Georgetti explains that- U.S. wages and benefits are low com- pared to those enjoyed in Canada, and he says the reason- ing in multi-national thinking is that profits would be higher if Canadian wages and benefits were brought down to the U.S. level. As an example, he noted that the minimum wage in Texas is only $1.65 per hour. But that’s only the beginning, says Georgetti. He says that in order for the U.S. multi- nationals to compete in the world market against countries like Taiwan and Korea — the wages have to be even lower, and that. strategy has already begun in Mexico. According to Georgetti, after the. successful negotiation of a deal with Mexico, many large corporations who couldn’t get Aah @. Xb Vawys?r tw). other times. CBRC TERRAC oY 4 7 | “}: CBC RADIO A new voice on CBC's A CBC RADIO is pleased t NATIVE BROADCASTERS w gram segment, Monday through Friday, ‘ter at 1170 KHZ, in Terrace, starting Monday July 11th. | This new Magazine Format Program will be heard from two to four each afternoon. oo Listeners to RSVP.an Monday _ F favorable concessions from the U.S. government have moved a part of their operations across the border and now manufac- ture parts stamped ‘“‘made in the U.S.A.”’ with a labor force of 350,000 Mexicans who are paid 65 cents per hour. And, he says that will be the bottom line fac- ing both Canadian and U.S. workers. Georgetti says that the first thing to go under a free trade deal will be social services like unemployment insurance and medicare. Under the agreement, those benefits would be con- sidered a subsidy to Canadian business and will have to be privatized. And if they can’t make a profit, Georgetti says they will simply go bankrupt and cease to exist. Other ‘‘subsidies” that would have to go under the free trade agreement are government assistance or tax breaks to in- dustry. Low interest loans, financial aids to prairie grain farmers, tax breaks for upgrading environmental pro- tection systems, breaks in hydro- electric power rates to encourage new business to locate in the north and dozens of similar pro- grams will all have to go. And the drive to change B.C. from a resource exporter to a secondary manufacturer and exporter would be halted. Georgetti says the border will be open and the U.S. will have free access to all our resources — as long as they _ last. And Georgetti says that this is the primary reason for B.C. and the federal government’s deregulation and privatization policies. “Before they could even go for a free trade deal, they had to have a level playing field,’? he says. At the same time however, Georgetti says that U.S. military spending was removed from the agreement as a subsidy and USS. industry will continue to enjoy a one trillion dollar annual con- tract with the U.S. government. But is this push to negotiate a in mid July. E1170 AM (CBC AM TRANSMITTER) riday 2:05 - 4:00 p.m. | M transmitter In Terrace will be heard o announce that the NORTHERN ill present a two hour daily pro- d DAYSHIFT will continue to have these programs available on the FM transmitter at 95.3 MHZ. The AM transmitter will continue to carry CBC programming at all Trade — election really necessary? According to Georgetti, it’s not. “The argument about the U.S. protectionist legislation, at the worst case scenario, is that it could cost a net loss of 76,000 jobs over the next 10 years in Canada. That's if the U.S. in-. voked all of their protectionist legislation and we didn’t have a free trade deal.”’ He says that ‘‘the people wav- ing the free enterprise flag’ are saying there will be an increase ‘in the number of jobs in Canada under free trade. According to Georgetti, ‘‘they’re really leading people down the path’’. He says that the latest estimate is for the loss of 250,000 jobs in Canada over the next 10 years and a proportional loss in the U.S. “| think the mistake our government is making by going into unlimited, unfettered trade with the States is that we’re becoming far too reliant on one customer,’? says Georgetti. “And if that customer gets angry with us our whole economy could be put in ruins.”” He says that Canada should be following Sweden’s lead and put up stiff barriers rather than drop them altogether. Canadian industry could then develop secondary manufacturing, and once the industry was able to compete in the world market, iake the barriers down. But he thinks it may already be too late. ‘‘The probability of it being legislated before an elec- tion is high with this summer sit- ting. ** | And once it’s enacted, Georgetti says there’s no way -out. ‘it will be almost impossi- ble to reverse,” he says. ‘If the U.S, Congress views practices by the Canadian government as be- ing contrary to their trade prac- tices, they can inflict a counter- vailing duty on us.”’ And he says that any effort to fight those decisions would mean a trade war with the U.S. on Its AM transmit- Heritage Park wedding The marriage of Carol Johnson, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Johnson of Terrace, B.C., and Curtis Crabb, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Ken Crabb of Enderby, B.C., took place at Heritage Park in Terrace on Saturday, July 2, 1988, with Reverend Stan Bailey of Knox United Church officiating. Attending the bride were Janice Kester, matron of honor, Sandy Baker, bridesmaid, and Pamela Kuemper, junior bridesmaid. Attendants for the groom were . Conservative Association of Skeena. SKEENA PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATION NOMINATION CONVENTION NOTICE The Skeena Progressive Conservative Association will hold a nomination convention to select a candidate for election as Member of Parliament for the Federal Riding of Skeena at the next Federal election. Monday, July -18th, 1988 — Prince Rupert DATES: u Tuesday, July 19th, 1988 — Smithers Wednesday, July 20th, 1988 — Kitimat Thursday, July 2Ist, 1988 — Kitwanga Friday, July 22nd, 1988 — Terrace TIME: PLACE: 6:30 p.m. Registration; 7:30 p.m. Meeting Called to.Order Prince Rupert — Moose Hal! ne Smithers —. Hudson's Bay Lodge Kitimat — Chalet (downstairs) Kitwanga — Kitwanga Community Hall Terrace — Inn of the West oo me : : NOMINATIONS: Nominees shall be in writing by at least 7 voting Members and accompanied by the written consent of the nominee and the promise of the nominee to be personally responsible for his expenses in running for- election as candidate and if so elected, in running for candidate as Member of Parliament and contain the promise of the nominee not to pledge the credit of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada or the Progressive VOTING ELIGIBILITY: [n order to vote at the convention, Members must hold current Federal membership in. the Skeena Progressive Conservative - Association, have proof of identification with picture available, be able to provide proof of residency within the constituency, provide proof of age (14. . years of age or older) and proof of Canadian citizenship prior to registration. No membership shall be issued after 6:30 p.m. on July 11th, 1988, except. for the renewal of memberships which were valid within the previous 12-month : period to a nomination or annual general meeting. All new memberships . must be received by 6:30 p.m. July Lith, 1988 at the following locations: | :. Dolores Mcintosh Se P.O. Box 308, (or 8 - 222 - 3rd Avenue. West) Prince Rupert, B.C; V83 3P9 Telephone: 624-5350 a Rod Cousins . §214 Halliwell Avenue Terrace, B.C. V8G 4R6 care ‘ - Telephone: 635-5407(H) and 635-6174(W). ae Peter Weeber P.O, Box 189, New Hazelton, B.C. VOJ 250 > -¢ or 4436 - 11th Avenue, Hazelton, B.C. Telephone: 842-6247(H) and 842-6565(W) PLC. Association Headquarters © 301 - 1620 West 8th Avenue Vancouver, B.C. V6Y 1V4 Telephone; 734-5179 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION: Proceedings including addresses of nominees, voting, issue, control, handling and countitig of — ballots shall be in accordance with Article 12 of the Association Constitution. -. Jonathan Sargent, best. man, and Patrick Piprell, groomsman. Ushers were Mel Kuemper and Mike Furlong. The master of ceremonies was Doug Johnson at the reception and dance held at the Inn of the West. Many ‘friends and — relatives from Borden, Sask., and Saskatoon, Sask., and southern B.C. came to help celebrate the occasion as well as friends and family in Terrace and Kitimat. The newlyweds will reside in Borden, Sask. | Jeffrey R. Acndt, Chairman. Nomination Committee ~ 4- 4623 Park Avenue Terrace, B.C. V8G IVS | > Telephone: 635-6330 — att ere EME IE ho) DLS GA MBE TI PE