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

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Commentary

reason, in 1867 they built a solid °

reserves the right to condense and -

YENOW.NEED If

not. 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