AG Terrace Review — Wednesday, September 19, 1990

Make this a
meaningful exercise
| ven the most casual observer would have to
conclude that the Northwest forest industry is in a
somewhat sorry state of affairs. The recently __
announced appointment of an independent investigator by
the ministry to look into the closure of Westar’s
Kitwanga sawmill conveys the appearance of concern on
the part of the government, but it will accomplish little.
The Kitwanga shut down reflects regional problems in
both planning and wood supply. When Westar gained
approval from the ministry to build the high-tech, log-
hungry Carnaby mill in Hazelton, simple addition should
_ have alerted everyone involved that the Kitwanga
operation’s days were numbered unless some new timber
became available. In fairness, there were some prospects
_on.the horizon, but the decision on the Sustut-Takla
licence and the continuing green export policy on North
‘Kalum logs sealed Kitwanga’s fate. o
- In examining Kitwanga there will be little an
investigator can conclude except to verify what Westar
already knows: the mill can’t keep operating in its
historical form. A new product line with associated
markets using a different timber profile is the only
answer. _ —-
- There is virtually no unallocated timber in the region, a
fact that brings attention to focus on the transfer of Tay-
‘M’s licence in the North Kalum to West Fraser. From a

“focal perspective it would appear logical that West Fraser

would use the North Kalum wood to feed its closest
operation, Skeena Sawmills in Terrace. The company,
however, has carefully avoided public commitment to any
specific use for the cut. Which bring up the question of
whether this particular deal is going to represent the
‘optimum use of the resources- ©
Both Skeena and Kitwanga need the wood, and the
280,000 cubic metre licence could make Orenda’s pulp
mill proposal a viable project instead of just an idea.
‘Which brings up the next question: how is it that a
"private company is able to sell — presumably at a profit
— an interest in a crown resource? Should the North
Kalum licence be put up for open bids?
The Kitwanga investigation is a welcome exercise, but
examining Kitwanga in isolation won’t lead us to what

we need to know. It can only be meaningful as part of a
regional inquiry.

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UIQ BRIAN... WESTILL
NEEDTWO MORE SOPRANOS
AND A BASS...

The view from —
Victoria — .

by John Plfer

“a

VICTORIA — Some desk-clear-
ing thoughts for mid-September:
Word from within the Premier’s
Office is that they are expecting.
"trouble" at the series of "town
hall meetings" in Greater
Vancouver this week.

Those ate the deadly boring
sessions in which Bill Vander
Zalm plays Phil Donahue and
fields questions from the
assembled, less-than-adoring
throng, while he is perched upon
a revolving high stool clutching a
microphone.

Anyway, I am told security is
being beefed up for the four
headline-seeking meetings in New
Westminster, Vancouver, Surrey
and Bumaby... and lo and behold,
also being beefed up is.the TV
coverage of the events.

In fact, rather than the normal 7
p.m. start, these forums have
been moved to 6:30 p.m. One
assumes that is to have them
coincide with the evening news-
casts, no?

Now, it would be cynical in the
extreme to suggest that any pro-
tests or demonstrations would _
occur mainly because of an
increased media presence.

But it certainly is unusual for
the times and locations to be
-made so widely known so far in
advance, especially from an
administration which zealously
guards such schedules...

A little TV hit of placard-wav-
ing professional protesters giving
the Premier and his Cabinet a
rough welcome could go a long

‘way to boosting sympathy and/or
support for them, and likely
would prompt stern cries for a,
need to restore law and order,
couldn’'tit? =

_* So, Ombudsman Stephen”
Owen says the public can main-—
tain confidence in the B.C. justice
system. Gosh, aren't you
relieved?!

In his interim report on the Bill
Reid Affair, Mr. Owen says the —
decision not to prosecute the
former Cabinet minister and close
friend of the Premier "was made
without any political or improper
influence."

One can only hope that in his
final report, Mr. Owen will
inform that same public, for the
‘first time, why the RCMP
believed charges should be laid
— a recommendation overruled
by senior A-G ministry lawyers
in a split decision.

We would welcome the infor-
mation on which the police based
that recommendation.

You must remember that most
provinces rely on the police to
determine whether a case pro-
ceeds to charges and court, etc.
But here in beautiful B.C. any
such decision has to pass one

_ other hurdle and get the blessing
of the bureaucrats.

_. The Reid matter did not cle.
that hurdle, and we still do not

fully know why. Nor do we know

why the former A-G, Bud Smith,
chose to withhold for a month the
information that the police
wanted to prosecute.

His successor, acting Attorney-
General Russ Fraser, said in the
wake of Owen’s comments that
he would "make sure that justice
in B.C. is both served and seen to
be served.”

- Great, Russ; all we ask is for
the truth... the whole truth.

In 1991, most of the major

- union contracts in the province

are up’ for negotiation and/or
renewal. ee -

From government workers to
woodworkers, the cries will ring
across the province for more
wages and better working condi- .
tions, to be matched by the cries

from the government and the
employers for restraint and rea-
son. |

Surely it is not coincidental that
warming signals are already being
flashed about:a coming recession,
or slowdown, in the economy, in
an effort to temper the demands
somewhat.

The regular ritual of "Us" ver-
sus "Them" will also take on
added import in an election year,
if you accept the high probability
that the election is not going to
happen this fall after all.

Once again, labour strife could
be the cornerstone on which the
Socreds pin their re-election
hopes. Stay tuned,

* Senior Socred party officials
and MLA’s are hoping the Pre-
mier will take his finger off the
election trigger for a few months
so that the Ontario election |
results can work in their favour.

They reason that new Premier
Bob Rae won't take long to
shoot himself in the foot in trying
to live up to his election promises
of higher corporate taxes, a-
higher minimum wage, and
higher welfare rates.

Such an Ontario example of
what the “socialists” do once in
power would then be used to
bash B.C. NDP leader Mike
Harcourt and his gang, the So-
creds say, St,

And that fear factor will trans-

late into votes for Vander Zalm, —

~— Continued on page A7

mine

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a 5 oan oa : se neg veee nae Seer ae a mee, : - = -