A4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 22, 2003 “TERRACE STANDARD ESTABLISHED APRIL 27, 1988 PUBLISHER: ROD LINK ADDRESS: 3210 Clinton Street Terrace, B.C. * V8G 5R2 TELEPHONE: (250) 638-7283 + FAX: (250) 638-8432 WEB: www.terracestandard.com EMAIL: newsroom@terracestandard.com Our Premier PREMIER GORDON Canipbell’s future rests in the hazy distinction between whether or not a public figure has a private life or whether the fact of being a public figure outweighs having a private life. Supporters of Mr. Campbell say that while what he did was stupid and was wrong and was against the law, it happened in his private life and had no bearing on his job as Premier. Mr. Campbell’s opponents say there is no dis- finction between his private and public lives, particularly when the action of drinking and driving resulted in an arrest and a charge and, by his own admission, will result in a guilty plea. In this circumstance, Mr. Campbell’s oppo- nents are right — his actions removed whatever right of privacy public figures have, particular- ly when they are elected to high office. And that leads to the question of whether Mr. Campbell should resign. It’s a difficult question, made even more so given the very high moral ground Mr. Campbell occupied during his years in opposition and now in government. The Premier has already asked for forgive- ness, which is fine and which can be forthcom- ing. But his position will be stronger if he vo- luntarily undergoes whatever criminal sanction there is for drinking and driving had the charge been laid in British Columbia. That would put him in front of the issue and lay to rest the silly notion that since this hap-_ pened in a foreign jurisdiction, it is somehow different than if it happened in this province. It will also ¢nd'the perception that because drink-: ing and-driving in Hawaii is treated as a “petty misdemeanour,” Mr. Campbell’s punishment will be less than what it would be in B.C. ' Mr. Campbell should also refer his case to the provincial Conflict of Interest Commissioner for a non-partisan and independent determina- tion of his abilities to carry out his public du- ties. Mr. Campbell made much of other situa- tions referred to the commissioner so it is only fair and reasonable for him to do the same here. To not do so, raises the spectre of a double standard. Mr. Campbell should then ask his cabinet ministers to prepare a code of conduct, laying out rules and expectations for elected officials. Curiously enough, the provincial Liberal party’s New Era document, the Bible of the government, which lays out its agenda, is silent on the issue. of personal conduct. This is an opportunity for Mr. Campbell to do a lot of good. His personal conduct may not have a lot to do with balancing books and crea- ting a vibrant economy. But the act of govern- ing is a lot more than that. And that’s how we should ultimately judge Mr. Campbell. PUBLISHER/EDITOR: Rod Link ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brian Lindenbach PRODUCTION MANAGER: Edouard Credgeur NEWS: Jeff Nagel NEWS/SPORTS Sarah Zimmerman NEWS/COMMUNITY: Jennifer Lang 2002 WINNER CCNA BETTER FRONT OFFICE: Darlene Keeping & Carol McKay NEWSPAPERS = CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR: Terri Gordon COMPETITION ADVERTISING CONSULTANTS: Bert Husband & Stacy Gyger TELEMARKETER: Stacy Gyger COMPOSING: Susan Credgeur AD ASSISTANT: Sandra Stefanik -SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: $56.25(+$3.94 GST)=60.19 per year; Seniors $49.50 (+$3.47 GST)=52,97; Out of Province $63.22 (+$4.43 GST)=67.65 Outside of Canada (6 months) $152.34 (4910.66 GST)=163.00 MEMBER OF B.C, AND YUKON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION, a CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION < AND CNA Commcnary Kewsearss B.C. PRESS COUNCIL (www.bepresscounell.org) ae Serving (he Tertace and Thombill area. Published on Wednesday of each week at 3210 Clinton street? 4 Terrace, Biltish Columbla, V8G 5R2. -- Stories, photographs, illustrations, designs and typesiyles In the Terrace Standard ate the proparty of the copyright holdars,.. including Carlboo’ Press (1969) Ltd. its illustration repro services and advertising agencles, 0 SE ; Reproguelion Int whole of in part; without written permission, is specifically prohibited. Autherized ag second-class mail pending Iha Past Cilica Dapartment, far payment of postaga in cash, Speclal thanks io all our contributors and correspondents > forthelr time and talents PWENT Ne” To HAWAN ANP \~f - ALL | GOT WAS | THIS Lousy T-SHIRT vA " ~ — . eee - Wd ~~ “ 4 \y GORDON CAMPBELL B.C. PREMIER DULL Give Campbell another chance VICTORIA — Within an hour of the news of Premier Gordon Campbell’s arrest on Maui for drunk driving, the vultures began circling. The news, said Joy Mac- Phail, one of the two lone NDP members in the B.C. Le- pislature, was “deeply troubling.” That would be the same Joy, thal paragon of virtue, who once presented Ted Nebbel- ing, the openly gay Liberal MLA for West Vancouver- Garibaldi, with a dancing penis. The presentation took place in the legislative chamber at the beginning of a night sit- ting, following a bit of merry- making and imbibing. While I digested the news of the premier’s arrest, ¢-mail messages began to flood the inbox of my computer. T-shirts with Gordon Camp- bell's mug shot were being of- fered, priced from $19.95 to $27.95. Also offered was “Gordon Campbell’s favourite . Aloha Shirt in red and black,” . adorned with cocktail-glasses. Former NDP MLA David Schreck weighed in with 20 questions the premier should be asked by reporters at Sun- day’s news conference. They weren't very nice questions. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) demanded his head, but reversed that stand Sunday afternoon, ex- pressing hope that the premier might become a good spokes- i. or FROM THE.CAPITAL . HUBERT BEYER man against drunk driving. At an evening with friends and acquaintances the day the news came oul, I had a hard time finding anyone willing to cut Campbell any slack. Mind you, some of the folks who expressed pretty harsh judgment on him had no trou- ble getting into their cars after a few drinks and driving home, Such is the double standard. Again and again I have heard people say that the pre- mier should-be held, to,a .high- ‘er standard then the:rest- of-us. -- Really? Why is that? ° . Is he less human, less prone to making mistakes? Or does a terrible mistake made by a premier make the rest of: us feel smug about our own short- comings? Frankly, ] am appalled by the double standard many apply to politicians and others in the public eye. If people ex- pect the premier to lose his School deficits? THE FIRST of four reconfi- guration meetings to cut $5 million from the Coast Moun- tain school district’s budget profoundly disappointed me. Only about 30 people atten- ded. Many were teachers, Each of the ten topics — Revenue Generation, Four Day Weck, Foreign Students, High School Configuration and Timetables, Special Educa- tion, French Immersion, School Closures, Music Pro- gram, Magnet Schools and Qutreach Learning Centre was assigned a room with a facili- tator, someone named to pitch the school board’s position. I went expecting to partici- pate in the discussion of all ten topics, not just one. So did other parents. And [ felt sure I would at least see the list of 52 money- saving or generating sugges- tions brain stormed by an ear- lier parents group. The meeting began at 7 p.m. In the first 20 minutes I toured the rooms twice, look- ing for one with more than three people. Dividing 30 people into eight discussion groups sup- a) URQUHART y UN- oH! Look’s LIKE You a FALKS VACATIONED uP, I NORTH THIS SUMMER - THROUGH -BIFOCALS: CLAUDETTE SANDECKI pressed debate, (No one atten- ded revenue generation or school closures.) At 8 p.m. we gathered in the library to be handed print- outs of school enroliment numbers, and to hear facilita- tors summarize any discussion of their‘topics. The meeting ended before 8:45. One frustrated parent sum- med up the evening, “We're here so later the school board can say we had a chance to contribute and we pave the board our permission to cut where it sees fit.” These cuts have probably job over this mistake and ter- tible error of judgment, so should every other person who is convicted of drunk driving. Fortunately, that isn’t the case, and I know whereof I speak. Some 15 years ago, J found myself in the same si- tuation the premier is in today. ] was pulled over, arrested for and pleaded guilty to drunk driving. It earned me a $500 fine and a six-month suspen- sion. I felt as humiliated as the premier does today. I, too, realized what a horrible mis- take I had made. I awoke next morning to a five-column headline in my daily newspaper. Local radio stations carried the story. But | didn't lose my job. I wrote a candid column about the affair, so that.none of my teaders would ever have ta find out from others that I had _ been convicted of drunk driv- ing. It was probably the mast difficult column I have ever written . was absolutely amazed ,. ‘how forgiving people. were: The parents of a little girl who had been killed by a drunk dri- ver wrote to congratulate me on my courage to come clean publicly. And no, I don’t even look at a drink when I have the car with me. If didn’t lose my job, there is no way I could call for Camp- bell to lose his. In my books, he made the right decision Ask the already been decided. The meeting concluded money saving is impossible by sacrificing so long as present long term staff and busing con- tracts are in effect. Magnet schools would simply move students from regular schools to one native studies school. Cancelling Grade 6 and 7 band would save no. dollars because those band classes allow tea- chets preparation time. And on and on. Throughout the meeting | asked myself what sort of gov- ernment would starve educa- tion this way. Next day I had my answer when Gordon Campbell. was arrested in Maui driving with a blood alcoho! level of .149. Tearfully, Campbell apolo- gized for his stupidity and poor judgment and for getting caught. The impression was that what he had done wasn’t so bad, after all he was on va- cation, out of B.C. close to his hotel and he didn’t hurt any- one. Since then many of his MLAs including the two for- when he said he would stay on and try to regain the trust of British Columbians. Whether the premier can weather the storm over the long haul is another matter. You can bet that from now on, at every anti-Liberal rally, there’ll be hundreds if not thousands of demonstrators wearing T-shirts with his mug shot. The vultures will no go quietly into the night, and there are plenty of them in his own caucus who will have no com- punction pushing him out if his mistake causes lasting political | damage. The other problem he will have to overcome is that while in opposition, he screamed for -- the resignation of any NDP ca- binet minister for the slightest indiscretion. Then again, Campbell is very stubborn. He, too, will not go quietly into the night. There are enough good rea- sons why many British Colum- bians may want to see Camp- bell defeated, but this one mis- dake, bad. ag. it. was;should not; » be one.oftthem... . What people also should re-. member is that it’s never a good idea to throw rocks when you're in a glass house. — Would everybody who ever got behind the wheel after hav- ing had a few drinks too many please raise their hands. Beyer can be reached at: E-mail: hubert@coalcom.com; Tel (250) 381-6900; Web hulp://www. hubertbeyer.com Premier mer RCMP officers, one of whom administered over 1,000 breathalyzer tests have shrug- ged off Campbell’s drunken driving. We're told his caucus is be- hind him. Which shows why B.C. can’t get tougher laws against drunk driving and other criminal acts. Drunks must be cheered to have the permission of Liberal supporters to drink while im- paired so long as they do it on vacation, off the job, out of province, or without getting pulled over. Only two good things have come from Campbell’s arrest. For one, he has boosted come- dians and free enterprise. Jokes and funny songs are every- where, while print shaps work overtime screen printing his four mug shots on tee-shirts and baseball caps. The second good thing? for the 25 minutes of Campbell’s apology/press conference the ear-to-car grin was gone from education minister Christy Clark’s face. She looked as grim as I felt at the January 9 meeting. THE WIND. THE COLD! THE FLIES ! WE WoRE CVERY THING WE OuN ED! repetey pbtyoy Vy