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Socred sell-offs are ‘poli tical pa fronage :

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As part of its so-called restraint program ata time when the government isimposing _ the Fraser Institute. First to be put on the selling price is $1 million. The buildi
the Bennett government is off on a new taxes and cutting services on the auction block will be Manning Park and _ and groundsare worth at least 50 oe
“privatization kick’’. Briefly stated, it is | grounds it is short of money! This is the Cypress Bowl. amount.
turning over to private business all sorts of | worst kind of political patronage on the Manning Park, with its 174,000 acres, eee :
Services now performed by the govern- part ofthe government, utterlyinexcusable _ hiking trails, ski lifts, campgrounds, lodge This is a crying shame. Parks should be
ment. The aim of all this is to reward its and utterly indefensible. and restaurant is one of the most popular _St@te owned and run by the state for the en-

Political friends by turning over to them The second piece of similar skullduggery _ parks in B.C. Building it up to its present JOyment of all. They should not be in

ic 1 : p p

ny publicly-owned assets and services that Private hands. And for any gover nment to

r, have a potential for high profit. The result, give away a park that has been built and

a of course, will be much higher costs for the financed by public funds is absolutely un-

of public. is forgiveable.

t. High on the government’s list was the arry The same thing applies to Cypress Bowl
sale of the magazine ‘Beautiful B.C.,”’ milich: mocor tiie to ties Geet cate
which, according to reports, makes a profit offered for even less than $1 million

a of about $760,000 a year. This has already R nkin :

ay been turned over to private business. It was a The plan to sell our provincial parks was
Sold for $760,000 to Jim Pattison, a close made long before the May 5 provincial

ay| | Political friend of Premier Bill Bennett and election. But the government didn’t have

ab his father. Pattison amassed his con- the guts to make it public, knowing that to

x siderable fortune and empire while the _ isthe planof the government toselloffour state took years of work and millions of /doso would meanits defeat. It hasnoman-

Bennetts were in office. provincial parks to private business. Thisis dollars. Now it is all to be given away fora date to sell our parks. To do so now is

a Selling this magazine had absolutely anew lowin government action; Ihaven’t song to some developer to make a fast Politically dishonest. And to hand over

ne nothing to do with restraint — in fact, it hears of any such shameless acts in any _ buck. Not just any developer, of course, public assets to-its financial backers is
Was just the opposite. It was acase of giving _ other part of Canada. But it is part of the but one who is a staunch financial sup- morally dishonest as well. It’s a new low in

; | 4Waya good source of government income — program of “‘privatization” advocated by porter of the government. The reported _ Political patronage.

cee
’ | : 3 . ,
: G olic change handout to corporations
By MAURICE RUSH Inevitably this will bring about a
The Social Credit cabinet has just an- drastic increase in consumers’ gas bills
nounced a complete overhaul of the pro- and a sharp rise in profits for the oil com-
Vince’s natural gas industry which will panies. It will also mean that grants to
dismantle the publicly-owned B.C. municipalities will be wiped out, likely
€troleum Corporation and turn over leading to higher municipal taxes.
. ntrol of the industry to the private sec- Probably even more costly for the peo-
or ~ the multinational oil companies. ple of B.C. will be the decision of the
The end result will be greatly increased cabinet regarding hydroelectric power.
Natural gas rates for the public and
’ Millions more in profits for the oil cartel. Socred government hydro. power
The cabinet decision, announced by policies have come under sharp fire over
Energy Minister Stephen Rogers, is the the last few years. Plans to dam major
latest of three major moves by the rivers to provide large blocks of cheap
Socreds which will strengthen the power for bulk users — the large corpora-
Monopoly control of the province’s tions — and for export to US. have fre-
€conomy. All three represent yet another quently been criticized at public hearings.
| Sellout of resources — and demonstrate The Site C dam hearings went on.for
the real meaning of the Socred’s plans to nearly three years without the govern-
Strengthen ‘the private sector’’ as dic- ment and,B.C. Hydro obtaining permis-
lated by the Fraser Institute. sion to proceed with the dam. Opponents
Preceding the cabinet’s decision on argued particularly that the Revelstoke
Natural gas were announcements of Dam, which was built at a cost of $1.6
Changes affecting hydro policy and the billion, was scheduled to come on stream
forest industry. in 1984 and Be seen power which
uring the provincial election, was surplus to B.C. needs. ;
remier Bill Baie denied that the The program of building dams has
Socreds would dismantle B.C. Petroleum been extremely costly for the province
~Orporation if they were elected. What, and, in fact, the major part of British
n fact, they have done since the May 5 Columbia’s debt is a direct result of dam
Vote is to reduce what was the central, overbuilding and the Columbia River
Publicly-owned distributing agency to a sellout.
_ Mere royalty collection agency. Under the new policy, B.C. Hydro has
en first established by the NDP been given permission to grant a 30-per-
80Vvernment in 1973, BCPC was the sole cent discount to B.C. industries and may
agency handling sales of natural gas both permit the corporation to export power to
Within the province and abroad. The oil the U.S. through long term contracts for
COmpanies were limited to exploration ‘firm’? power — contracts which cannot
and production and were required to sell be cancelled or altered later should BGs
their gas to BCPC. Until last year needs increase. B.C. Hydro will also be
When revenues declined because of a drop authorized to grant discounted export
‘S. sales, the corporation was one of prices. ee ; eo
€ most profitable ote agencies, Part Once these policies gointo effect, it will
its profits were earmarked for grants to be virtually impossible to reverse them.
Municipalities and for subsidies to main- The province is therefore faced with the
‘ain lower domestic gas rates. respect of a renewed drive in the future to
t is gone now. dam our major rivers, ae ea ave
oe ae new policy, the oil com- a ar ail victaaly aca 1980 ENERGY POLICY STATEMENT. . .
: oe se gc ce ara eat plans to have industry convert to other ec nie vation feguitows Gaal to chairs alent attacked for its pro-corporate
8nd to export i oe cee fuels such as wood waste to lessen the de- that the companies do not abuse their Ria e S cay Socred changes will
tolling the market as well as production, mand for electrical power in the future. heenies ;
And with the change in policy will gonew The decision of the cabinet concerning But the cabinet now plans to eliminate
binet regulations allowing the com- the forest industry has not yet been spell- 1,105 employees from the B.C. Forest
Panies to increase the pri mers will ed out in regulations but the main feature Service and to allow the private com-
Pay, Soomaali will be to eliminate or se back severely panies to se themselves. It’s like leav- a ‘
Unti i he role of government in forest manage- ing the wolf in charge of the sheep. The ese new policies have been
Pane ee ae cua ee Dee pane the forest giants to police whole history of B.C.’s declining forest put to the legislature for debate. The
Of more costly en rted oil and to Eee themselves. : resource is replete with examples of abuse carte has gone ahead without prior
and for electrici Accordingly the Under the current licence scheme, by the private sector which places profits public discussion to implement new
Price was fixed t 42 pe f th ri rice most of B.C.’s best forest lands have ahead of preserving and maintaining the resource policies.
Of oj), Now th . ‘1 teas vill a g already been turned over to the forest forests. The new policy endangers a basic They will be very costly to the people of
: Mitted to rai ae eae eye f ee companies. The government however, resource which is already faced with B.C. unless they can be stopped by an
“| Sper cent of - eae eh aes has retained a forest service to police its. serious problems of survival. aroused public.
of the oil price. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 28, 1983—Page 3