Season's Sreetinos
to all readers of the Pacific Tribune

and may our gov't in 1980 extend the
recognition and rights which
Spain has granted its civil war veterans.

Veterans of the
Mackenzie Papineau Battalion

Greetings to all
members, friends

and supporters
Unite to fight back in 1980

ed

B.C. Provincial Committee,
j Communist Party of Canada

684-4321

fl
’

ii Bennett Club CPC

uilding Trades Club CPC
Campbell River Club CPC .
Goguens Club CPC

- Nanaimo Club CPC
New Westminster Club CPC

PACIFIC TRIBUNE— DECEMBER 19, 1979—Page 4

fora
Peaceful
New Year

Sete | | a ||

Continued from page 1
projects for the export market.
UBCIC spokesperson Louise
Mandel argued that Hydro should
be required to submit evidence on
its ‘‘whole plan’’ for future power
projects, including the proposed
Peace River Site C dam, the
Kootenay Diversion, two proposed
dams on the Stikine River and the
Hat Creek coal project. Increased
exports for Hydro now will be used
to justify those projects later, she
said.

Rush had also supported a mo-
tion placed by Fishermen’s Union
spokesman Arne Thomlinson call-
ing for adjournment of the hearings
until after the B.C. legislature de-
bates the province’s long awaited
energy policy, expected in mid De-
cember.

Only a legislative debate can
“‘determine the will of the people in
felation to the use of surplus
power,’’ Thomlinson had said to
the NEB, adding that if the board
went ahead with its hearings prior

‘to the government arriving at a

policy, ‘‘the board will be allowing
B.C. Hydro to define what is
surplus to our needs, which is the
right of the citizens of B.C., reserv-
ed through their legislature.’’
“This is not an application to
‘renew. with modifications’,’’ Rush
said in support of the UFAWU mo-

Victoria Club CPC
Westside Club CPC
White Rock Club CPC

~NWancouver East Club CPC

‘B.C. HYDRO LAWYERS AT HEARING .

tion to increased power exports.

tion, “Tt is an entirely new direction
proposed, without the public or
legislature having the opportunity

to discuss if it wants to opt for such .

a far reaching change in energy
policy.”’

The Communist leader cited
legislative reports which reportedly
allege that Hydro has built up a
reserve capacity double that nor-
mally kept by other hydro author-
ities in Canada which it is using to
justify increased exports. Rush said
that the legislative reports, which

@ the new minister of energy said that

he had no knowledge of, should be

£ summoned by the NEB, and that
# the hearings should not proceed un-
2 til the information was made avail-
$= able.

In its ruling’ ‘Wednesday,

ov" however, the NEB disregarded ‘the

URAWU)and;GPs arguments; ex-
plaining that it had informed the
provincial attorney general of the
hearings, but the province had
declined to present its views. The
board can only assume that the
B.C. provincial. government sup-
ports the application, the chairman
responded.

Wednesday, Rush charged that
the NEB was ‘“‘hiding behind the
provincial government’s  silence’’
and called on the provincial govern-
ment to release the legislative
reports on B.C. Hydro and to make
its energy policy public. ‘‘The

Socreds must be compelled to state.

Opponents line up at NEB

fteridéd “thar” the “export! of ‘eh
Hydro! power is’ stibsidized= by

- facing mounting oppost

what their
declared.
Altogether more than 20
tervenors, representing a wide rang’
of political, native, environmentali

policy is,’’ Rus J

..labor and business groups, wél*

present at the opening of the heal
ings Tuesday at the Vancouvél|
HOfel. The wide interest and ma®
opposition to the application h
obviously caught Hydro off guard:
Five years ago when Hydro appli
for its previous export license, theft
were no intervenors at the NEF
hearings. |
In other opening statements al
the NEB hearings, Sierra Club
SPEC spokesman Kim Robert
‘argued that the matter of how b
to dispose of energy surpluss®}
should be debated before expol
licenses’ are’ granted “Roberts Col

use of expensive thermal po
from the Burrard thermal station? it
the Lower Mainland for domesti!
needs. The environmental problem™
and oil supply problems of the Bul
rard thermal station should be CO
sidered in connection with Hydro"
application, he said.

Union of B.C. Indian chief’
representative Mandel said ha
increased exports called for # sl
Hydro’s application ‘‘will be ¥
to justify further power projects tel

The application would be gra”

‘on the backs of Indian people wh?
suffer dislocation and the ill eff
of hydro projects,’’ she said. ‘

In a significant stateme?’
Mandel said that Natives
prepared to react positively fo!
future hydro projects required 1 sat
Canadian needs, but warned ® i
they are ‘“‘not prepared to have th
way of life destroyed’’ to meet
ports to the U.S. ip

The UFAWU’s Thomlinsot ot
sisted that the application coul
be. judged in the ‘‘narrow con ual
of time and space of each indivi
dam and power station.’ “nie
projects. impact the fishery
away and years after constructi™
of dams, he said. cus

The NDP provincial ca y
represented at the hearing’ 4
energy critic Chris D’Arcy, Playe,
low key role in the hearings:
NDP had originally agreed t©
port the demand for a pot
ment of the hearings and for
to be forced to submit further ©
mation, but Tuesday D’
mained silent.

In its written brief to the ‘e
the NDP argued that “the o¢
should not issue authority Be ef"
Hydro to build expensive a 5
vironmentally destructive a |
serve the U.S: market.’ cone of

Hydro is building in & col

a
Ne
i

provincial requirements, it

tinued, ‘‘aiming at the ©
market, without a mandate

the people of B.C., or even 4 Pp
legislative debate.’’ *