EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Minister Joe Clark

d Monday in

North Vancouver his government remains committed to ihe
construction of the Polar Class 8 icebreaker.

But he gave no indication as to
when o@ deecbion to build the
icebreaher will be made or where it
would be built.

“dCs not an if question, it’s a
dollars question,’ Clark said, fol-
lowing @ meeting with the Greater
Vancouver Coalition on Ship-
building (GVCS).

Clack chacactertzed the tune of
his discussions with local coalition
as “refreshing. | was impressed
with what they had to say.""

The meeting with Clark was the
coalition’s second with a federal
cabinet minister this month.

On Aug. 6, labor minister Pierre
Cadieux met with GVYCS  repre-
sentatives at Versatile Pacific
Shipyards Inc.

CLARK MINGLES

Following a tour of North Van-
couver’s Lonsdale Quay develop-
ment and lunch with Capilano MP
Mary Collins and the three North
Shore mayors, Clark met with Col-
lins, North Vancouver District
Mayor Marilyn Baker, North Van-
couver City Mayor Jack Loucks,
Versatile Pacific Shipyards presi-
dent) Dave Alsop and Marine
Workers and = Boilermakers — En-
dustrial Union (IW BIU) president
Joho Fitzpagick at Collins's con-
stitueney office.

Clark said) the | Conservative
government, balling ao staggering
deficit, was exploring other financ-
ing options for the estimated $450
millon ivebreaker program,

Construction of the isebreaker
and establishment. of  Canadi’s
Arctic sovereignty had been
“postponed into infinity by the
former (btberal) government.’”
Clark said. tbat we have decided
weutre going to act on it dhe Polar
Sp. bot sovergignty reasons and for
Other reasons, is essendal

As to when construction would
go ahead, Clark said, "We are
now, ina time of very ditttcult fi-
nancial restraing, working out ways

in which it can be done. 1 don't
want to anticipate a decision that
has not been agreed upon by my
colleagues in cabinet. The discus-
sion today has been very helpful."

Clark declined to comment ort
whether local yards would have to

wait another two to five vears to
hear that aecision,.

He said he understood the West
Coast shipbuilding concerns over
what focal industry feels has been
an unfair distribution of federal
shipbuilding contracts.

Over the past five years, 40 per
cent of federal procurement dollars
have gone to Ontarioa, while 10 per
cemt have come to B.C.

According to GVCS statistics,
B.C. shipyards have lost 2,000 jobs
since 1982.

Fitzpatrick was cautiously op-
limistic following the GVCS's
discussions with Clark: ‘Eh think
we have got him on our side."'

But the MWBIU president
repeated industry concerns over
any further delay in a Polar 8 deci-
sion,

“What we ure saying is, if they
are gonna delay for two years then
tell us. Don’t Keep us in the dark,”’
Fitzpatrick said.

With such a commitment, he

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