That feeling of being
ignored gets stronger

Things seem to be getting better around here, but a
feeling of moderate satisfaction at an unemployment
rate of on/y 11.5 percent is an indication of how bad
the economy really has been in the Terrace area for
the past few years. There are signs of improvement
everywhere, but there are also some indications to get
nervous about.

One of them, which local people can do little about
until a federal election, is a Bank of Canada policy
that once again reveals Ottawa’s philosophy of Coddle
Central Canada. The interest rate has risen dramatical-
ly in recent weeks, supposedly to dampen the boom in
Ontario, the unfortunate population of which might
otherwise face... inflation (yaah!) while laboring under
a jobless rate in the order of 4.6 percent. The un-
disclosed part of the policy is an agreement at this
year’s Toronto economic summit that the U.S.
balance-of-trade deficit was putting excessive strain on
the global economy and the rest of the Group of
Seven, including Canada, would raise interest rates to
drive down the relative value of the American dollar.

It worked, and the Canadian dollar is at a 10-year
high against the U.S. currency. That makes our
lumber more expensive south of the border, anda
housing slump is predicted for the next year down
there. With higher mortgage rates, domestic housing
starts will also slow down. Terrific.

Another annoying indicator is the lack of any pro-
vincial government representation at the recent open-
ing of the Johnny Mountain gold mine north of
Stewart. Terrace merchants and transportation com-
panies have been reaping the benefits from the ex-
ploration activity of Skyline and other gold-seekers in
those mountains for years now, but it appears we’re

getting beaten like gongs on our own playing field by
the Alaskans, who are closer to the site, have a port
and an airfield, and sent an entire contingent of state
government officials to the event. .

As one Skyline spokesman said drily during the Bob
Quinn airfield argument, ‘‘We’d rather be dealing
with our (Canadian) brethren.’’ We wonder if he still
feels that way. And what about the others who are at
this moment exploring the area?

al) ACROSS THe COUNTRY, CBNADIONS ARE TUNING INTO THe

HOTTEST NAW COMEDY TO HIT THE TUBC......

Mortis Fs Gent, ¥ |
P

=
ay

And now for the good news...

by Victoria correspondent
Mark Collins

- Policy, legislation, and rela-

tions with other governments

are some of the things which

the major questions and also
answered some pretty bizarre
questions. The results made
headlines and made Vander
Zalm the top story on many
newscasts.

In 1987 he gave reporters a
little less time. Now he’s
becoming harder to get hold
of. Instead of being available
three or four times in a day,
Vander Zalm’s walk from his
car to his office in the morning
is often the only chance to ask
questions.

I was alone with the Premier
getting a few questions
answered early on the morning
of August 16 when a radio
reporter arrived on the scene,
She was on her way into the
legislative buildings and didn’t
have her tape recorder. When I
had finished, she said she need-

on it, the only result will be
making it more difficult for me
to talk to him in the future. I
don’t feel good about adopting
self-censorship but I feel I have
no choice.

Part of the Premier’s reason
for staying out of the headlines
is to make more room for the
positive news he thinks you
should be reading about. It is
not as catchy as his becoming
godfather to the baby of an ex-
otic dancer who he inspired not
to have an abortion, but some
of the economic news is im-
pressive,

The Central Statistics Bureau
of the B.C, government says
60,000 more people were
employed in B.C. in June, 1988
than in June, 1987. The
seasonally adjusted unemploy-
ment rate has dropped from

12.2 percent to 10.4 percent.
Comparing dollar value in
1988 months to the same

ed some advance material for
the upcoming Premier’s con-
ference. He first refused but

come to mind when I think of
the major responsibilities of the”
Premier of British Columbia.

All material appearing in the Terrace Review is
rotected under Canadian copyright Registra-
tion No. 362775 and cannot legally be repro-

Established May 1, 1985
The Terrace Review is published

each Wednesday by duced fer any reason without permission of tha
publisher.
Close-Up Business Services Ltd. Errors and omlesions. Advertising !s accepted
Publisher: an the condition | that in the evant ant
typographical error, thal portion ot the a vartis-
Mark Twytord ing space occupied by the erroneous itam will
Editor: not be charged for, bui the balance of the adver-
Michael Kelly tlsement will be pald for at the applicable rate.

Advertisers must assume responsibility for er-
rors in any classified ad whichis supplled tothe
Tarrace Review In handwritten farm.

In compiiance with the B.C. Human Rights Act,

Staff Reporters:
Tod Strachan

To that you can add coor- ~
dination of cabinet committees,
order-in-council documents to
amend regulations, the _
privatization implementation: -
committee, and the Premier’s
economic advisory council...
These are all important func-
tions but when the Premier
shuffled the cabinet and ~~
reorganized the government on
July 8, none of these were on’ —

top of the list of the respott= ~*~

sibilities of the Office of the.
Premier. The number one. -

responsibility is, communica-.

tions.

“Charlynn Toews no advertisement wit be published which
3 s ins n due to age, race,
‘On Twiord fence tsa cate
| Typesetting: 4595 Greig Avenue,
r errace, B.C,
Linda Copeland veG M7

= Production:
Jim Hall, Alvin Stewart,

Phone: 635-7840
» Gurbax Gill, Linda Mercer

Office: _ —_
Olson ,
Carrle ting: One year subscriptions:
Accounting: In Canada $24.00 .
Mar] Twyford Out of Canada $50.00 ck
Seniors in Terrace and District $12,00::

_ - Second-class mail

Seniors out of Terrace and District $15.00.
registration No. 6896. _

— ee)

Letters to the editor will be considered for publication only when signed...

de your telephone number.
Please te reserves the ight to condense and edit letters. Opinton

expressed are not necessarily those of the Terrace Keview. -

. That’s a big change from the
priorities listed in the

November, 1986 reorganization -

document which. put ‘‘measures
to-ensure open accessible * . -

“- government”’ on top of the list. ©

That policy was personally im-

* plemented by Premier Bill:

Vander Zalm, who. was.very, ac- .

cessible indeed.

wt a

"ln $996 he wotild remaiti in

scrums with journalists until

_ everyone had: time to ask every

last question’ on: their list, That.

es meant he gave. many: answers to

then agreed to do it. When she
then asked if he would come

_out to talk to her with her tape
‘ recorder just before the cabinet
meeting, he again refused

because there would be a big

crowd of reporters on hand.
A quick deal resolved the

matter. She borrowed my tape

- recorder and J was able to use

the material she obtained.

This change in Vander
Zalm’s tactics is having an ef-
fect on the way the news media
relates to him. The questioning
in this brief session was not
wide open because we know he
no longer feels obligated to
answer everything.

Unanswered questions re-
main about his involvement in

_the decision not to. reappoint
‘parole board members who let

‘(Squamish Five’’ terrorist
group member Julie Belmas out
of prison. I know he doesn’t
want to talk about that

“anymore and, as a result, he
- won't say anything new.

If he doesn’t say something
new, it’s not a news story so
what's the point. If I press him

month of 1987, retail sales are
up 9.9 percent, new car sales
are up 10.8 percent, manufac-
turing shipments are up 8.6
percent, exports are up 11.9
percent and coal production is
up 12.4 percent.

These numbers are far more
important to our well-being
than the godfather story.
Economic results like these are
part of the reason British Co-
lumbians have chosen business-
oriented Social Credit govern-
ments, but for want of a gim-
mick they’ll never make the
front page.

In addition to the flashy
B.C. Government News tabloid
which is distributed from time
to time, Bill Bennett’s govern-
ment used TV weatherman/disc
jockey Fred Latremouille in
good news TV commercials. I
expect more of the same is on
the way. If the Premier accepts
the front page editor for a day
offer from the Nanaimo Daily .
Free Press, we're sure to see
some of that economic record
get the treatment he feels it
deserves. . ce