“some attempt ro kee

WELL, “the NDP are at
it again. -

be : Since they've come into
“power, they have been deter-

mined to give us all the gam

bling we never wanted.
“ Not.tharinereased gain-
“pling i isn’t to some degree

- inevitable, with all the money —

» Sie thousands of B.C. holiday
makers take with them to
* Vewas, Reno, Tahoe and the

“cruise’ships every year, It
Steins somewhat illogical the

government would not make
some of
hat money here. :

Bur from the’start the
NDP have flinbled, bumbled
and careened their way
“through ‘this issue! We were

‘erime and
‘punishment

* provincial woverament cannot

going to have the big Seaport
ee hotel/convention centre /casi-

2h opefation witha raagical

» partnership between Steve
» Wynn of Mirage: Resorts and
OUR onderful government

~ Jand its ‘union cohorts: Only.

“problem was they forgot to ;

{ find out if the cit¥ wanted it.
Then there was the. pre-
Nier’s “modest”
fable. gaming limits, |.
/Reniember tharA 1 ‘900%

jump. Modest indeed!.

Then the Supreme | Court,
in the form of Mr Justice” ="
Leggett, ‘told the government
they” werein breach of the
“Criminal Code with their

highly touted new system?
intreduced: fast fall, |

In that case, brought ©

against the, NDP government”

by the Nanaimo.j.;
G ommonwealth Bingo’.

“Society, the court said, “I find °

ne authority i in either the /
Lottery Actor the: Lottery: :
Corporation: Act empowering

the provincial gov ernment tov

"make regulations allowing. for
the distribution, of proceeds

increase in +

authorize.the enactment of a
regulation that,incites a),
breach of the Criminal Code.”
Back to the drawing beard.
On April 9, the latest min-
ister responsible for gaming, |
Mike Farnworth, aimotinced
new plans to reorganize the
system. Farnworth soitened
evervene up by first annourie-
ing he was upping the ante for
the charities by guaranteeing

© revenues of $125 million; up

+ Gaming Commission will con-:

uaa

' from S118 inillion.

‘He then said; “Under. the
interim system, charities will
continue to. be involved in
charitable gaming and the BC

tinue to be responsible for
charity decess to gaming reve,
“entice, ;

~ He followed this up by
saving “the BC Lottery
Commission would now man-
age and-conduct casino rab
‘games, slot machines and
! linked bingo in:compliance
with Canada’s Criminal
~ Cade.”

Excellent. They make ae
public announcement to rll
us they've finally decided to”
follow the Jaw instead of
~ breaking it. ;

But nowhere in the.
announcement did Farnworth

say exactly how the govern-
“ment.was going to accomplish
‘this takeover. * _

Now icappears the govern-
ment, in the form.ofthe BC.
Loucry Co omission, “has pure

‘of the privately ru

the: province, everything’ from | .

Speranza:
Qune 7 & 2t
Sf

Pease phone afte
“Please phone after.

00 am on Monday to

“It could ¥

the tables and chairs to the |.
decks of cards and poker chips’:
now belongs to the govern: -
ment.

Apparently, the casinos will *

still manage the operations _
“and not one chip will actually
_ leave their hands. But the

government has wiven wp tax:
payer dollars to the casinas
and will “lease™ the equip-
ment back to the gambling
businesses
of What is all this. for, vou
muy ask?

§ tried to ask the ntinister

* dast week that question: ‘The
aly

call was returned not by the
minister, a deputy ounister or
even a press officer: Bur bya
man named Peter Clirk. who
was the author of a study
done for the SDP on expand
ed gaming

The study was released i
Jatiuary 1997 and seas noth.
ing more than a whitewashed
justification for the gambling

~ expansion they wanted,’

Clark was then put i’
charge of the Lotteries:
Commitree where he,
remained until Farnworth
wound it down carlicr this
year in response 2 public
pressure and the court deci-
sion, Clark was supposed to
shave retired at that time. Well.
apparently not. ; .

He explained his position

“to me.as the * gaming advisor

to the government. [listened
“fora while to the hafflegab
about why the BCLC was

-buying all that stuff. T chen

asked hing ifeby putting all the

“equipment into government's

hands, this,then opened the
door to:have slar machines in

. areas where the muniagal

governments have legislated:
against them. Surrey and,
Vancouver, you'll remember.
have both waged exhaustive

_ batiles'with the NDP to_keep

slots out of those areas. ;
: inded by saying...

Clark res
ry well. You Know :

under section 14 {2).of the
Constitution, the provincial,
government is not bound by -
municipal bylaws.”

“But” he stressed, “no
decision has ver been made”

Yeah righr. Neat] expect-
ed to bear the ie alsoruit

Goldilocks and the three ,

bears, !

Lithen spoke to Vancouver
coumibor jennitee Clarke, a
longtime oppenent of stots,

Was she aware Of what the |

goverment was up te?
Suffice to say she evplad:
ed, We were told nething of
this.” she fumed. “They do °
hatever they want without:
for amoment Considering the

owishes of local get ernment

and that’s Wrong.” said the
Gutraged ‘connaller >
Interestingly enouale the
NPY apparently doesn’t cron
tell its ces vabinet ininisters”
what's Zorn on, :
Jenny. Kian, the newly
appointed minivics for some!
thing Or ther, sad ina
December interview With the”
Chinese linguage Ming Mae

“newspaper, that she’ supports

Vancouver Cree ints feht
skains Oasys capany 18 WM,

{She aise said, “The provin-
dial government will not

eninge new v asincs inte cum

munipes when they are
agains it.7 ;
Penter check that ome cut
i
with your boss: Jenny,
-o Subtertge, backroom

dials, and dishonesty with the ©

public. That iv today’s “pr
«Liberal vaming critic;
Jarvis, MILA for North
Vancouver Sevmous, said on
this sac, TTREVENDEY don't
really care abour.the ev wm:

_ mues and what they want:

They jist want nioncy ind

‘they found thetr way around:
the court decisions through: :
the back doar.”

“Se it seeins, Dan,

; Serving’ the
Lower Mainland since 197. 1s

aiparprngrepemanern enema or iet-7. 5

sie aer nad

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