-_

Truth bent in resignation

VICTORIA — To the last moment, Bill Vander
Zalm maintained that he did nothing wrong.

“During my time as premier, I believe I have
always served and acted in the public interest,”
Vander Zalm told a throng of reporters at a press
conference April 2.

Vander Zalm’s resignation as premier came 45
minutes after a scathing report on his involvement
in the sale of Fantasy Gardens was made public.
The resignation was effective immediately.

And sadly, not even in his last public pronoun-
cement as premier did Vander Zalm manage to
stick to the truth. He said he had no idea that the

report wasn’t favorable, but now that he had seen -

it, he saw no alternative but to remove himself
from office immediately rather than staying on
until a successor has been chosen.

Conflict of Interest Commissioner, Ted Hughes,

however, said in his report that the majority of his
findings were transmitted to Vander Zalm on
Wednesday the previous week.

The report is more devastating than anyone had
expected. It says the premier used his office for
personal gain; it says Wander Zalm deliberately
withheld information from Hughes; it says Vander
Zalm did not tell Hughes the truth under oath.
And, it clearly shows that Vander Zalm contra-
vened his own conflict of interest guidelines.

“The premier played the primary and dominant
role in the 1990 sale of Fantasy Gardens,” and ~
by the premier’s participation in the events that
led to the sale of Fantasy Gardens and the sale
itself, the premier was in breach of his conflict of
interest guidelines.”

With these conclusions, B.C.’s Conflict of
Interest Commissioner, Ted Hughes, effectively
ended Vander Zalm’s political career.

The most damning part of the report deals with
the transfer of $20,000 in cash, part of the
commission for the sale of the Petro Can lot
next-door to Fantasy Gardens, from Tan Yu.to
Vander Zalm.

Hughes called the circumstances surrounding
the financial transaction as “‘bizarre.” How
bizarre? Well, I find the image of the premier of
British Columbia getting $20,000 in $100 US.
bills in some hotel room in the dead of night
pretty bizarre.

The report says Vander Zalm used his position
to lay on the “red carpet” treatment for the
purchasers of his business, including lunch with

Lt-Gov. David Lam.

It says Vander Zalm had a potential conflict of
interest from the day he became premier, and
didn’t take the necessary precautions to avoid
placing himself in a situation of actual or
apparent conflict.

“From the very beginning of the negotiations
through to the date of closing, the premier mixed
his public role as chief citizen of this province ...
with his private business interests,” the report
says.

“Tt is unprecedented for potential investors to
be hosted by the premier’s wife in his office,” the
report says, referring to Lillian Vander Zalm
receiving Tan Yu in her husband’s office in the
Parliament Buildings.

“Furthermore, not all potential investors have a
personal briefing session with the minister of
finance and the deputy minister of finance and the
deputy minister to the premier,” the report says.

“Nor is the lieutenant-governor asked to host
all potential investors in this province at Govern-
ment House,” Hughes adds.

And catching the very essence of Vander
Zalm’s sometimes twisted logic, Hughes goes on
to say that “the premier’s problem stems not just
from his inability to draw a line between his
private and public life, but in his apparently
sincere belief that no conflict existed as long as
the public wasn’t aware of what was going on.”

The last paragraph in Hughes’ report was not
lost on reporters and columnists who have
received more than their fair share of abuse for
reporting and commenting on Vander Zalm’s
foibles.

“The premier stated that charges of conflict
arose only when the media became aware and
publicized what was going on. With due respect to
the premier, it was what went on that was wrong,
not the media’s discovering and publicizing of
those events,’ Hughes says.

Hughes poses the question in his report how the
premier could have allowed the events to occur, if
the breach of his own guidelines was so obvious,
and then goes on to confirm what my colleagues
and I have been saying for years. Vander Zalm was
unwilling or unable to listen to advice.

“The premier was not prepared to take advice
from those respected and highly skilled political
advisors whose job it was to steer the premier
clear of political mine fields,” he says.

Mounties tune-up for drug awareness

MOUNTIES PLAYING MUSIC and caroling
cops will join in a Concert for Drug Awareness
April 23 starting at 7:30 p.m. at the University
Centre, University of Victoria. The renowned
RCMP Concert Band and the popular Greater
Victoria Police Chorus will be featured in this
concert, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of
Saanich. Tickets are $10 and are available at the
front desk of all RCMP and Greater Victoria
police detachments. All proceeds will be used for
drug awareness and education in the Greater
Victoria area. Until April 22, police throughout
Greater Victoria are also conducting drug aware-
hess workshops in as many local schools as
possible. Approximately 1,200 Grade 6 students
from school districts 63, 61 and 62 will attend a
free concert by the RCMP concert band the
afternoon of Apnil 23.

* kK OX

CLUB GRAD ’91 is a safe grad and after-grad
celebration in June at the Oak Bay Recreation
centre involving students from Parkland and
Stelly’s Secondary Schools along with students
from at least five other south Island secondary
schools. To raise money for the event, students are
selling $50 grocery vouchers for Thrifty Foods
during April and May. Five per cent of the sales
will go towards the five-night Club Grad celebra-

*. tion. Vouchers are available from participating

high schools and from Grade 12 students.
x OK OX

TEDDY BEAR CHECK-UPS will be offered at

Victoria General Hospital this Sunday from 1 to’

4 p.m. during the annual Teddy Bear’s Hospital
sponsored by the Child Life Department of the
hospital. The free event, which opens Children

Se

ZZ Z Z- a

and Hospitals Week, is intended to introduce
children to hospitals and medical care. The free
tickets required for admission are available from
the information desks of the Royal Jubilee and
Victoria General Hospitals and from the main
public library on Broughton Street in Victoria.
Free parking will be available at the hospital
Sunday. —
* KOK

VICTORIA SPORTPOOL is collecting new
and used sports equipment for distribution to third
world countries of the Commonwealth. The
two-year-old group hopes to ship over three tons
of equipment to the Caribbean this month and
also hopes to spread the concept of Sportpool
across Canada. To donate, volunteer or receive
more information, call Brian Hawksworth at
360-2950.

* * *

TheReview

until we have the answers.
It’s time for a change.

Telephone 655-4144 or 656-2705

NEW DEMOCRAT
Saanich North & The Islands

What is the environmental ef-
fect of bulk water sales? The
B.C. government doesn’t know.
New Democrats say no exports

Wednesday, April 10,1991 — AZ

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