4. Terrace Review — Wednesday, September 9, 1987 OPINIONS _ Discrimination builtinto constitution | UKE MEN SIREN TS | ISLKEA REAL DOWNER El? i MAYBE THEY SHOULD nO. — LUKE. neds by Frank Howard Did the Fathers of Confedera- tion have any malice towards future generations, or did they just not care? Whatever the base for racism into the B.N.A. Act, Canada’s Constitution. __ In the name of our Constitu- tion segments of society and politicians have practiced racism since 1867, all the while denying that they were doing so. ‘For 120 years we've been -hampered by the identification in our Constitution of two racial groups, Indians and non- Indians, Property and civil rights, for example, of Indians are controlled by the federal government, but those same rights for everyone else are con- trolled by provincial. govern- ments. | _ So, the federal. government ~, imposed the Indian Act and In- _.dians were denied access to li- quor, the white man was not. In- dians had an inferior level of education compared with the ~ white child. Indians were herded onto reserves, the white man was Letters to the editor will be con- sidered for publication only when signed. Please include your telephone number, The editor edit letters. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Terrace Review. Bu Terrace Review Established May 1, 1985 The Terrace Review Is published each Wednesday by Close-Up Business Services Ltd. Publisher: Mark Twyford Editor: Michael Kelly Staff Reporter: Tod Strachan Advertising Sales: Dennis Lissimore, Marlon Schlegel Production: _ Jim Hall, Alvin Stewart, Arlene Wand, Gurbax Gill, Harminder K. Singh, ‘ ; Linda Mercer, Arlane Gaspar ; Office: Linda A. Capeland, Phillp Musselman . Accounting: _Marj Twyford, Rosemary McGettigan Second-class mall registration No, 6696. 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Indians couldn’t vote. in federal or provincial elections, the white man could. Indians had certain income tax exemp- tions, the white man didn’t. Constitutional discrimination is still in place. So long as it is we will have two laws in this coun- try; one for Indians, another for all others. So long as there are laws based on race we will have racial discrimination, sometimes FRR GHUREWE TTY ENGLISH IMMERSION FIRST. YRNONL TS. | oie ‘ for the minority, but mostly against him, Quite frankly I think the Fathers of Confederation brought a curse upon us, and at- tempted cures so far have been Premier gets go Hubert Beyer | Victoria Correspondent dD For the first time in some months, one of Premier Vander Zaim’s cabinet ministers has presented his boss with some good news. Finance Minister Mel Couvelier’s first quarterly financial report should make that recently somewhat strained smile on the premier’s face appear more genuine. a ; For a premier whose cabinet has stumbled from one scandal to another since he took office, Couvelier’s financial report card on the first three months of the current fiscal year must look like a gift from heaven. The short of it is that three months into the 1987-88 budget, the province’s financial picture looks a good deal rosier than it did at the time the fiscal blueprint was prepared. ; Economic growth for 1987 is now expected to be at two percent, _tather than the 1.5 percent forecast in the budget. The report also indicates that the deficit will be $109 million for the first quarter, $124 million below the original forecast. Revenue was up $50 million or 5.9 percent from the anticipated figure. Couvelier attributes that increase to unexpected gains in strength of the natural resource sector. Expenditures, on the other hand, came in at about $75 million below budget. “Results for the first quarter are encouraging, Although I expect that expenditures will increase in the balance of the year, I am . cautiously optimistic that our deficit target of $850 million can be achieved,’’ the finance minister says. The only thing that could throw the trend out of kilter, Couvelier says, are unforeseen increases in health care costs and lower forestry revenues that might result from reduced housing starts in the United States. There was more good news in the report. Seasonally adjusted employment (I always mistrust that term) was up 1.3 percent for the first seven months of the year, That, according to Couvelier, translates into 17,000 more jobs than during the corresponding period last year. Manufacturing shipments, another important economic in- dicator, rose by 5.6 percent from January to May over the same period last year, The Crown corporations, as usual, acquitted themselves of their task with varying degrees of profitability or losses. The B.C, Lotteries Corporation, a favorite of our premier, reported a net income of $37.1 million for the first three months, up $69,000 from the same period last year. During the same three mon- ths, B.C, Rail’s net income was $28 million, up $1 million from the previous year. _ from Finance M we _date for the finished report. A od report card | The Liquor Distribution Branch’s profits for the first three mon- 7 ths was a little over $5 million shy of last year’s: take, but still amounted to a healthy $103.4 million. Booze is still ‘good business. Like last year, B.C. Hydro didn’t make it into the black, losing po $21 million in the first quarter, an improvement, however, over the $35 million the Crown corporation lost:in the first quarter of 1986. B.C, Ferries also ended up in the red, but not by.as much as last year. Net loss for the first quarter this year was $374,000, compared. with $1.8 million last year. ICBC showed a similar trend, losing $10.4 million in the first quarter of this fiscal year, compared witha $16.7 million loss during the same period last year. . To sum it up, the government took in more money and spent less than anticipated. Crown corporations either made money or lost less than last year. And all economic indicators point to an improve- ment. 7 , It’s good news for the premier who has to spend more time get- ting errant cabinet ministers off the hook or firing them than building the province's battered economy. Watch for that smile to get broader and stay tuned for a new round of “fantastics'’ from - the premier. co In the light of these developments it’s perhaps easier to explain,.if not excuse, some of the recent government decisions, such as the implementation of the welfare equalization scheme that enables the Socreds to rob the poor, so they can give a little more to the utterly destitute. . Obviously, the premier doesn’t want increased welfare payments or any other ‘frills’? to interfere with the first signs of a possible - economic recovery. . . Mail seems safe for at least two weeks report is released, she said, _ The last contract between Canada Post and CUPW, which represents inside postal workers, expired nearly a year ago, Nego- tiations have been underway since July 1986. — a Bizuk said the key issues in the talks revolve around plans by Canada Post to privatize and contract out postal services. The union concerns are job security for its members, along with a push to expand postal services and create further jobs within Canada Post. A contract dispute between the Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) will not interrupt the mail before Sept. 22, according to a union representative. Marg Bizuk, regional educa- - tion and organizing officer for CUPW in Vancouver, said the conciliator in the dispute is pre- sently writing his report and has indicated Sept. 15 as a release strike or lockout will require at least seven days notice after the