AG Terrace Review — Wednesday, May 29, 1991

—" DO ITORIAL

he recent federal court decision on Alcan’s Kemano II

; ; project has lefi federal politicians embarrassed and

- Alcan feeling somewhat hard done by. After all, if
you can’t count on an agreement with a First World govern-
ment, what in the world can you count on?
_-The past few years should have been a learning process for
government and industry, but what they haven’t learned is that
the public will have its due regardless of such agreements.
When the federal Environmental Assessment and Review
Process was set up in 1984 as a rule of thumb for major indus-
trial projects, it is doubtful that the government ever dreamed
that the guidelines for it would acquire the force of law. This
court decision, along with other rulings in similar cases affec-
ting dams in Alberta and Saskatchewan, effectively removes
any discretionary power on the part of the federal Cabinet for
exempting major projects from: the EARP.

Which leaves Alcan, who thought they had a deal but now
find that they don’t, continuing the project and headed for
court to appeal. Somewhere a credible balance will need to
struck between the need for hydroelectric power and the condi-
tion of the Nechako and Fraser rivers. Alcan believes it already
has that balance in proposed environmental measures, and
perhaps it does... but does anyone believe them? A cleat and
open public process is the only thing that will satisfy the

people who brought this situation to court.

This entire 10-year drama has turned into a vindication of the
EARP. With disputes of this nature on the doorstep of every
corporation and community, it has become obvious that public
hearings and impartial decisions on projects of this nature will
be the only way to avoid a considerable amount of wasted time
and energy in public disputes and court actions.

If Alcan had gone with the process from the beginning
instead of counting on an agreement that appeared to be some
kind of an insider deal with federal politicians, the company
would now have something airtight.

-The EARP — and, provincial politicians take note, the B.C.-
Major Project Review Process — were conceived to plug a

yawning crevasse in credibility between the purported and
actual environmental and social impact of big, profitable devel-
opments. When that process is circumvented, the courts can be
counted on to set things in order because the public and the
rules of due process of law will not allow for anything else.

‘The EARP may seem like a long and circuitous process that
delays necessary developments and is a giant pain in the neck
for the people involved, but it is certainly more effective than

having the game rules changed in a billion-dollar project that is
already half finished.

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axpressed are not necessarily those of the Terrace Keview.

The view from
Victoria —

by John Pifer

VICTORIA — Nor surprisingly,

we in the news media are often
asked why so much more atien-
tion is paid to the government
and Social Credit Party trials
and tribulations than to what the
New Democrats are doing.

The answers are this simple:

A. The power'struggles within
Social Credit are far more lethal,
more. nasty, and more public than
the NDP’s internal arguments

about balancing union jobs
against environmental concerts.

B. The cast of colourful charac-
fers among the free enterprisers is
more wide-ranging — dare I say
from the totally bizarre to the
boringly bland — as compared
with the more low-key players
within the "socialist horde".

C. Ifthe situation were reversed

(and well it might be, come the

fall election), the NDP would be _

subjected to the same scrutiny,
the same questioning about their
actions and policies as the So-
creds are now.

The party in power must be
viewed under a stronger press
microscope than the Opposition,
simply because it does have the

power to change Jaws and to raid,

‘or to manipulate, the public
purse.
Do not buy for one minute the
whining from some government

MLA’s that the media is made up

only of left-wing pinko radicals
out to destroy society (i.e: the
government).

That’s a crock.

True, there are those In my pro-

fession who have political opin-

jons and leanings to the tefl, just

as there are in any such group.

A long; long list of maybes

personal beliefs tilt the other way.

Do not forget that reporters are
voters, too, and may wish to sce
one party or another forming the
government.

But it is to be hoped that any
such preferences are confined to
the voting booth, and are irrel-
evant when it comes to perform-

_ ing the task of reporting, or even
commenting upon, the actions
and. decisions of the government
of the day. .

Politicians need us; we need
them. And that means forging
relationships with members from

both sides of the spectrum and/or -

whoever lands in the middle.

The media needs to be a
watchdog, one which nips incess-
antly at the heels of the politi-
cians and power-brokers, not 4
lapdog seeking only to please a
master.

And the politicians who lash
out at reporters and commenta-
tors, who blame all of their prob-
lems or their party’s problems on
the communist and/or Fascist
(choose one) press, are the ones
unable to face themselves honest-

ly in the mirror to find the true
source of their troubles.
Don’t get me wrong. There are
times when we screw up, when
the media overdoes it.

But wouldn’t you really rather
have us err on the side of being
too diligent, too skeptical, than
on the side of being too compla-
cent, too easily convinced, too
easily led?

1 think so. I hope so.

But there also are those whose

~ voters who turned their backs on

Looking now at the "race" for
the leadership of the Social
Credit Party — a race which i
seems more like a snails’ derby Hl;
— the most noticeable thing that at
is lacking (besides candidates) is ay
any excitement.

Maybe that will change es more
would-be premiers emerge.

Maybe the malaise which per-
meates that party will improve as
attempts increase to bring back
the disaffected members and

.

it through the past two or three
years of Bill Vander Zalm’s
dictatorship... er, leadership.

Maybe the concept of Rita
Johnston as "Premier Mom" can
be sold not only to the delegates,
but also to the populace as she
launches an around-the-province
tour. (And believe me, that sell-
ing job is under way at the
highest levels).

Maybe any other declared can-
didates (except, say, Mel Couve-
lier) will step aside at the last
minute to unite behind her and
make the July leadership conven-
tion a coronation.

Maybe Johnston’s 20-year ties
to the style and methods of Mr.
Vander Zalm will be forgotten or
forgiven, as the scare tactics of
bashing the spendthrift NDP
increase.

Maybe the Socreds can some-
how win 39 seats out of 75 (for a
clear majority), despite the fact
that pundits believe that a vote
today would see them lucky to
win 20. ;

Maybe pigs really can fly.

Maybe,