Vander Zalm visits
- Pacific northwest

TERRACE — Premier
Bill Vander Zalm missed
a breakfast date in Ter-
race, but he managed to
fly in just before lunch to
~ spend an hour talking to
supporters and the
public before whizzing
off in a chartered bus to
Kitwanga.

The energetic Social
Credit leader had been in
Prince Rupert the
previous day and was
recalled to Vancouver by
the Forest Industrial
Relations to assist in
contract talks between
the FIR and the Interna-
tional Woodworkers of
America. After a.
10-hour discussion with
the disputants Vander
Zalm reboarded a
chartered airliner for
Terrace and tried to get
his campaign back on
schedule.

During his stop at
Skeena Social Credit
headquarters, Wander
Zalm shook hands and
spoke softly to about 100
people under a blaze of
television camera light-
ing and a crush of broad-
casting equipment. He
also gave a brief speech,
announcing that he had
appointed a mediator in

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the forest dispute.
“There is no settle-
ment,’ he said, “‘but the
signs are hopeful, they’re
still talking. In the mean
tinie, the campaign must
go on. We're getting
great response, making
good progress, we’re get-
ting the message to peo-
ple in every constit-
uency.”” Vander Zalm
pronounced a slowing
endorsement of Dave
Parker, the Skeena
Social Credit candidate,
and then launched an at-
tack on the opposition.
“The other party is
proposing to eliminate

the Compensation Sta-

bilization Program, give
the right to strike to
teachers, institute costly
programs that would do
away with savings from
restraint. When they’re
finished with these give-
aways, they'll be able to
achieve the goal of full
employment because
there will be hardly any
people left in B.C. The
issue is leadership —
leadership for economic
recovery, to open new
markets. A good econo-
my will provide social
programs, What is need-
ed is strong decisive
government, with no
unrealistic promises,’’ he
stated.

Vander Zalm conclud-
ed by giving considera-
tion to a variety of new
programs for the north-
west. These included a
proposal to tie com-
munities in the region in-
to the general provincial
hydroelectric grid,
extending the B.C. Rail
line northward by in-
crements to provide
transportation from log-
ging sites beyond Takla
Lake, the line’s present
limit; and establishment
of a regional office in
Terrace to assist the
mentally handicapped.

After another series of
brief discussions with
local constituents,
Vander Zalm stepped on
to his campaign bus and
departed for a meeting
with native Indian

leaders in Kitwanga,

Premier Bill Vander Zaim
departed after an hour in
Terrace last week to resume
his campalgn schedule, in-
terrupted by forest dispute
negotiations in Vancouver,

B.C. Premier Bil! Vander Zalm (right) visited Terrace last
week, shaking hands and discussing election issues with
local people in the Dave Parker (left) campaign head-
quarters.

Shaky start for Skelly
, by Hubert Beyer

After his ill-fated campaign start, NDP Leader

Bob Skelly had better hope that style means very little
to the voters of British Columbia.
- ]’ve been asked what the big deal was when Skelly
stumbled all over himself during his press conference
which followed hard on the heels of Vander Zalm’s
election call.

So Skelly was nervous and excited. How would
you feel on the.eve of your first election campaign as
opposition leader? Is it really necessary to dwell on
that foulup? .

Let me just say that I don’t enjoy other peoples
misfortunes. And I’m not in the habit of writing col-
umns about nervous people. But then, most people _
don't want to become premier of British Columbia
either.

I believe Skelly’s disastrous performance at the
press conference is germane to the question of who
should lead this province. That’s why I’m writing
this; not liking it one bit.

I believe that a man who asks to become premier
must be able to stay in control of whatever situation
arises. He must be able to inspire confidence. He
must be a leader. .

The man I saw at the press conference was neither
in control nor confidence-inspiring. Skelly did not
look like a leader. His voice was trembling, his hands
were shaking, and he had to stop reading his
prepared speech several times.

Here was a man who showed signs of panic. And
nothing in his speech could change that impression.
I couldn't help compare Skelly’s press conference
with that of his opponent an hour earlier. Vander
Zalm was calm and confident, showing not the
slightest sign of stress or nervousness,

He looked like a leader.

Having the matter of style disposed of, let’s look at
the substance of what the two leaders said.

Varider Zalm spoke eloquently of his commitment

-to open and good government. He spoke of ending

“partisan warfare.’’ He said he would lead by exam-
ple.

It sounded great, but as the old lady in the TV
commercial used to say: ‘‘Where is the beef?’’ There
was none. .

Skelly’s ‘speech had no more substance than
Vander Zalm’s. True, he told reporters that the NDP
will fight for jobs, for a decent income for all British
Columbians and for better educational opportunities
and health care, but I hardly expect the Socreds to
fight against those things.

Not that I expected a complete election platform
with all specific proposals in place from either of
them. I just mentioned the lack of specifics because
Skelly accused Vander Zalm of lacking substance.

When the campaign really gets going, there will be
a lot of specific promises by both parties. But you'll
have to remember that none of them come with a
compulsory implementation order.

continued on page 23

Hubert ”

Beyer

Terrace Review
Victoria Correspondent

-,
A dangerous game

As the election day draws closer, I’m getting more
and more alarmed by Bill Vander Zalm’s campaign.

Not only does he remain adamant in his refusal to
debate the issues with his opponent, he doesn’t
discuss issues at all. .

It’s a dangerous game he is playing — dangerous
to both himself and to the democratic process.

Speaking to a meeting of the B.C. and Yukon
Community Newspaper Association, Vander Zalm
said he won’t agree to a public debate with NDP
Leader Bob Skelly because he has no intention of giv-
ing his opponent an advantage.

His own campaign, Vander Zalm said, was going
very well, while Skelly’s was faltering. Why should
he accommodate Skelly? he asked.

When he told the audience that he could ‘‘beat
Skelly hands-down in any debate, anytime,
anywhere,” there was enthusiastic applause.

I didn’t like what Vander Zalm had to say because
he said nothing. And that’s been his style since the
election campaign began.

The other day, he walked into an Octoberfest
celebration in Prince George. Lillian grabbed the
first accordion and started playing, Bill donned a
Tyrolean hat, hoisted a big beer stein, went to the
mike on stage and told everybody what a great old
time he was having in this great province.

The audience loved it. Perhaps you can’t blame
them. When did we ever had a premier who was so
outgoing and fun-loving. But I feel a little uneasy at
the prospect of having a politician sweep to an un-
precedented victory to the sounds of compah music.

I believe it’s time to drag Vander Zalm from his
fun-filled stage of populism where everything is a
piece of cake, into the political reality where people
suffer from the degradations of unemployment,
welfare and economic malaise. .

Vander Zalm’s simplistic dream in which harmony
and goodwill towards all will breed a favorable
economic climate, creating untold riches just won't
work,

Anyone, following him to the polls with such
assumptions will wake up with a terrible hangover.

His immense popularity, his genuine smile, his un-
doubtedly sincere optimism won't create jobs or keep
U.S. protectionists at bay.

There may yet be a backlash to Vander Zalm’s
campaign strategy. I hope there will be.

The question is not what's good for Vander Zalm’s
campaign. What counts is whether the public is en-
titled to a debate of the issues. Vander Zalm has said
he doesn’t think a debate with Skelly will serve any
purpose, except that of giving the NDP leader an op-

portunity to improve his campaign.

That statement not only contradicts Vander
Zalm’s assurance that he can beat Skelly hands-down
in any debate, it is irrelevant.

If voters are asked to cast their ballots for a politi-
cian, they are entitled to find out what he intends. to
do with his mandate. The franchise of a vote should
not be exercised cheaply.

Some of the Socred candidates have already come
around to debating issues with their opponents,
despite earlier instructions to keep their mouth shut.
But Vander Zalm keeps riding the wave of his
popularity without saying anything of substance.

The closest he ever comes to taking a stand on
anything is to say he will look into it. He may raise
the minimum wage, but then he may not. Such am-
biguity leaves him the choice of lowering the
minimum wage, once he’s back in power.

He says he has great respect for unions, but maybe
they don’t work well in some cases. He doesn’t know
what changes he will make, if any. He'll certainly be

continued on page 23