Waiting for axe to fall BLAINE JOHNSON = doesn’t know if she’s going to receive her letter. But Johnson won’t be surprised if one does arrive telling her that her services as a retuming officer for the next federal election aren't needed, . ,That’s because the jobs traditionally go to people appointed by the goverment in -.-2POWeY, And sometimes the party in power chooses those who it feels support them. . - fast as the appointments are made, they can be unmade. That’s not to say retuming officers act in a partisan fashion. Federal voting is conducted by Elections Canada, a non-partisan - @gency. run more or less independently of ihe federal - goverment. _: But it does accept names from “the federal government when there are openings for retuming ‘officers. - “Those names are then passed ‘back to the government after - consideration. It then, through the cabinet, makes the official Employees recognized THE CITY recently recognized the years put in by a number of employers through its annual ser- vice. awards. Longest serving this time around was Charles Hansen, hav- ing put in 25 years. — . ~Bart Keamey’s 20-year award Was presented at his retirement party. Other awards went to Keith Norman, Doug Sivyer, Del Robertson and Denise Fisher (15 years) and Jim Ippel, Susan Mehs, Connie Haines and Brad North (10 years). , appointment, And as fas| as the appointments are made, they can be unmade, The cabinet in making the appointments acts by issuing orders through a process called governor in council. Unlike any other government jobs, ihosé who receive work through a governor. in council order don’t have any security. They can simply be dismissed, “They just tell us when it’s done and if there are to be any changes,’’ says Elections Canada spokesman Carla Shore. ‘They are appointed by the government in power,’’ she said of the retuming officers. All this isn’t new to Johnson. Named the returning officer for the 1991 provincial election by the former Social Credit . government, she received a letter- a year ago from the provincial elections branch. “Tt said thank you, but no thank you,”” recalled Johnson last week. The provincial practice of naming teturning officers is quite similar to that federally. Chief provincial elections officer Bob Patterson said he gets namts, from he government. If he judges them qualified for the job, they are passed back to the government which then provincial | “Elaine Johnson makes the official appointment. Despite what looks like an ideal way for partisanship, Patterson did note than less’ than 20 returning officer changes have been made since the NDP took office in November 1991, The person replacing Johnson provincially is Len Kozier. He’s had previous experience as a returning officer by being appointed by the NDP provincial government of the early 1970s, Kozier warked the 1975 election —— the one in which the NDP was defeated — but also worked the 1979 and 1983 elections when the Social Credit government was in power. The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, January 19, 1994 - A11 + © CHOW OFIIEARTN + =» VARIETY CLUB TELETHON @ BCTV Watch it for the kids on February 5th & 6th, 1994. labour and parts LUBE, OIL & FILTER SERVICE * Up to SL Oil * Most Cars -GST&PSTexra §& 95 * Includes all HEADLIGHT ALIGNMENT *19°° Totem Service (N & J Service Centre Ltd) 4711 Lakelse Ave., Terrace, BC PETROCANADA® 635-4515 FAX 635-2749 ATWOOD STREET TRIGO - BUILDING CALEO COMPUTERS LAZELLE AVENUE + . KALUM STREET LAKELSE AVENUE Caleo Computers, your one-stop computer store, is across the street from the Trigo Building on Lazelle Avenue. We Have New CD ROM Titles ARRIVING DAILY! Caleo Computers Inc. CCi ’ 1 4558 Lazelle Avenue 635-7886 “Winter Hours Monday - Saturday _ Noon - 5 pm JANUARY | | CLEARAN CE SALE | _ January 12 - 19 DOWN DUVETS All In Stock & Special Orders TWitreccresccrescnssseond 129 Queer arc seusneun$159 on Double..acscreusersensd 1389 King soctessressreaeecrenne sp LOD 30% Off All Other In Stock & ‘Special Order Bedding a and Towels 1/2 PRICE on all Upper Canada | . : ‘ io Bath Products Al 4 "1 Piece Cast Iron | ws Cookware & Pyramis Pot Set Clay Bakers ‘ 12 179.98 Price Plus “Many More Unadvertised Specials 638-1808 4925 Keith Ave. | (The Yellow Gift. House on Hwy 16) | 10 am-6 pm Sunday