Opinion

TeReview Wednesday, April 17,1991 — A7

Maybe not the best choice!

VICTORIA — I cannot help but wonder
whether Social Credit caucus members made a
wise choice when they appointed Rita Johnston as
caretaker premier.

Not that she isn’t capable. She’s run her
ministries, municipal affairs and transportation
and highways, with skill and efficiency, but she
could be a political liability to the Socreds. She
comes to her new job with considerable baggage.

The Socreds’ only fighting chance in the next
general election is to put as much distance as
possible between themselves and former premier,
Bill Vander Zalm. That's going to provide some

difficulty for Johnston, who was one of Vander

Zalm’s most loyal supporters.

I make a distinction here between personal and
political loyalty. I was impressed by the fact that
Johnston stood by her friend, Bill Vander Zalm.

Shortly after the Hughes report was made
public, Johnston said there was no question the
premier would have to go, but she would still
stand by Vander Zalm, the man who was, after all,
her friend. It shows that she has a strong sense of
decency, so sadly lacking in a lot of politicians.

So, personal loyalty is not the issue; political
loyalty is. To the last moment, Johnston fiercely
and blindly defended Vander Zalm, viciously
attacking anyone who criticized_the former pre-
mier.

She told the public to stop reading newspapers.
One time, she asked reporters “who peed-in your
Wheaties this morning?”

Johnston gave a strong hint at her first press
conference how she will deal with her political
liabilities. She will try to bury the past as if
Vander Zalm never was Socred party leader and
premier. She will try to present herself as “a new
beginning.”

In a couple of weeks, she said, the ghosts of the
past will be all but forgotten, and the peried from
1986 to 1991 will be remembered for the “good
government” the Socreds gave British Columbi-
ans.

She’s got to be joking. If she really believes the
most incredible day in British Columbia’s history

will recede into’ oblivion within a few weeks,
she’s pretty naive.

A premier who is forced out of office the way
Vander Zalm was will occupy the public’s
imagination for a long time, and it should. Under
Vander Zalm’s leadership, the Social Credit Party
defined a new political low. If the public disliked
politicians before, they loathe them now.

And how can a government pass itself off as
new when the faces are all the same, and when
those faces include 11 people who at one time or
another during the past four and a half years had
to resign from cabinet?

Like it or not, Johnston will have to come clean
with the public. Briush Columbians have a right
to an apology. It wasn’t just Vander Zalm who
discredited politics in general and the office of
premier in particular. Every member of cabinet
and the majority of the Social Credit caucus must
accept part of the blame.

They shielded and protected Vander Zalm for
years. They refused to take action when not only
good politics, but common sense demanded it.

For Johnston to say that in the end, Vander
Zalm “did the honorable thing” is utterly ludi-
crous. He did no such thing. He could have done
the honorable thing a year ago, even three months
ago. Instead, he chose to cling to what last pitiful
vestiges of power he had left.

And Johnston was there to encourage him and
attack all and sundry who dared cnticize Vander
Zalm.

The Vander Zalm ghost will not so soon
disappear. It will continue to haunt the Socreds. It
will be present during Johnston’s inter regnum
and it will be there when the Socreds meet to
choose a new leader.

The Social Credit Party is still discredited. It
must cleanse itself before it can again ask for
respect. An election would do the trick.

In the meantime, however, I will continue to
remind Johnston that an admission of error would
certainly be in order. Just tell the public that you
screwed up but will try to do better from now on.

If she refuses to acknowledge the sins of the
past, she will not have a happy political future.

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Desk-flop emergency coming

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A DESK-TOP EMERGENCY response will test
the emergency readiness of local organizations in
an exercise at Sidney Silver Threads April 24.
Involved in the Peninsula Emergency Measures
Organization drill will be all municipal depart-
ments in Sidney, North Saanich and Central
Saanich, Victoria Airport, B.C. Ferries, B.C.
Air Services, B.C. Ambulance and volunteer
organizations including ham radio operators,
coast guard auxiliary and reception centre volun-
teer teams. Saanich Peninsula Hospital, School
District 63, Institute of Ocean Sciences, The
Review, Shaw Cable, and local trucking and
excavating companies are also invited to partici-
pate in the exercise, which coincides with Emer-
gency Preparedness Week April 22-26.

* KK

PAUQUACHIN BAND youth will have a more
enjoyable summer thanks to an April 1 fund-
Taising auction for the summer youth program.
Sponsored by the chief and council and organized
by Curtis Henry, the auction raised $731.50 for
the summer program. The event was held in the
Pauquachin Community Hall and supported by
donations from local businesses and from the

community.
kK *

STAY ALERT, STAY SAFE is the message
Sidney RCMP will present April 20 from 10 a.m.
to 3 p.m. at Panorama Leisure Centre. A display
at the centre will introduce the concept of

street-proofing to children and parents.
kK

TAX TIPS are available from the Certified
General Accountants Association of B.C.
through a free tax tips booklet. For more informa-
tion contact the association at 1555 West 8th Ave.,
Vancouver, B.C., V6J 1TS or call 732-1211.

* *K x

AN EARTH DAY event with hands-on displays

will be presented at Sanscha Hall from 3 to 5 p.m.
April 22, sponsored by the Pacific Section of the

- Geological Association of Canada. Three short

videos will be presented from 5 to 5:30 p.m.
Some of the oldest rocks in the world will be on
display and for sale. Participants are invited to
bring a rock from home to be identified by
scientists. This free program is open to people of

all ages.
* OK

THIS IS THE WEEK OF National Citizenship
Week, April 14 to 20; Local Government Aware-
ness Week, April 22: to 28 and National Volunteer
Week, April 21 to 27.

* * *

A FREE HEARING TEST is available in the
Victoria area by dialing 386-TEST. The recorded
Dial a Hearing Screening Test tests hearing, then
provides information on hearing loss. Calls
should be placed from a quiet room using a
quality telephone.

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