A6 - Sunday News, February 21, 1982

Leadership hope

The most predictable thing about Premier
Bennett's “state of the province” speech last
Tharsday was the reaction of the opposition
spokesmen whose studio comments followed
minutes later.

Thinking at the top of their lungs — there
being no time for other thought — NDP
leader Dave Barrett and B.C. Federation of
Labor boss Jim Kinnaird behaved exactly as
expected of them in the circumstances,
including Mr. Kinnaird’s classic “to hell with
him (Bennett)”. Their routine condemnation
of the premier’s program certainly contained
no hint of how the NDP and its labor
brethren would set about restoring B.C.'s
economic health.

That i not to say that Mr. Bennett's.
planned two-year curb on public sector
spending and pay hikes are the whole an-
swer, but at least they contain strong
elements of commonsense. The 10-12%
guidelines are in line with current inflation.
The extra 2% allowed for increased
productivity means public sector wage in-
creases could actually go as high as 14%.
Considering the security enjoyed by civil
servants — in contrast to high unem-
ployment in the private sector — the
proposed limits seem reasonably generous.

Details of the promised relief for
homeowners from the “horrendous” tax
increases forecast by 1982 assessments have
yet to come. Only then can we judge the
fairness of the curbs on municipalities and
school boards, which have suffered to date
from. Victoria's previous policies.

By and large, however, Mr. Bennett's
speech rates full marks for good intentions.
If they can be translated into deeds, B.C.
may at last have the leadership so sorely
missing from others.

Love money

A survey reveals that only 21% of
Canadians love their jobs, down from 31% in
1976. Opportunity to “get ahead” and “in-
fluence employers” were cited as the chief
factors in job satisfaction. In that case, the
researchers may have put the wrong
question. They probably should have asked
whether respondents were happy with their
pay cheques. How often do you hear of a
$200,000 executive hating his job?

Sa
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THIS PAPt min REC YOCULABLE

Surviving ‘a dirty business’

By JAMES A. TAYLOR

AFTER MORE than an
hour of informal,
friendly, often  sear-
ching conversation, the
man made a startling
statement.. “Politics,”
he announced unex-
pectedly, “is a dirty
business.”

From anyone else, the
comment wouldn't raise an
eyebrow. Not even a twitch.
It’s hardly an_ original
thought, after all. In these
days of growing
disillusionment about our
political processes, almost
every voter in the country
must have said something

But this comment came
from one who was part of
that “dirty business,” an

elected member of
parliament himself.
And he was talking,

unguardedly, quite off the
record, to a small group of
clergy in his riding, and an
even smaller group of their
friends. He trusted that
group, and for that reason, I
will say nothing that could
possibly identify him.

He offered some examples
of what he meant. Refugees,
for instance. The greatest
peed is in Africa; but the

ICBC’S STRIKE last year is
still sending out shock waves
that are causing havoc with
customers’ bank accounts.
Cap Mall manager Doug
Kimgstom is only one of

numerous recent victims,

motorists who pay their
premiums by instalments
with automatic bank
deductions authorized
During the strike the
deductions weren't
processed

Last December ICBC

contacted Doug and asked
him whether he sall wanted
the automatic deductions to
go through or preferred to
send a cheque for the total
amount owing. Doug opted
to settle with a cheque In
carty January (you guessed
it!) his bank informed him he
was overdrawn The
automatic deductions had,
after all, been processed
and, at the samc timc. his
cheque for the total had
been cashed Twisting the
khaife in the wound, 1CBC
had also slapped on o $12
“late payment” penalty

In the event. it took Doug
only Unree or four days to get
the snafu sorted out But
waiting to collect his refund
in the ICKC wating room
he discovered all five other
om cupants wore in the same

boat and that was just part
of one day How many
others paid twice’ How
many of them who didn't
actually slide into an

overdraft cven Anew they J
paid twico? Lot of people

easiest entry is for East
Europeans. Why? “Because
they have a number of very

potent advocates arguing
their cause right in caucus.

made a statement supporting
the U.S. position on El
Salvador, apparently cn-
dorsing the government
repression in that Central
American country. Said the
MP: “I don't think even
McGuigan believes what he
said. I think it was said
imply to get a _ better
bargaining position on things
that matter more to us, like
acid rain or the fish treaty.”
That's when he said that
politics was a dirty business.
“There's a lot about politics
that I don't like,” he went
on. “A lot of immorality, or
compromises, of doable
dealing to get your own way.

“Its a daily struggie to
stick to your principles. You
really have to believe that
there’s a worthwhile purpose
to what you're doing.”

With those words, politics
suddenly became a parable
of life in general. Simply
surviving can be a dirty
business. Each of us makes
trade-offs and compromises;
often we feel surrounded

and overwhelmed by im-
morality and double dealing.

At such times, we all have
a daily struggle to stick to

our principles. It's only
possible if we have
something we can really

sunday brunch

by Noel Wright

are lary about checking their
monthly bank statements.

Cora Gray, owner of West
Van's newest employment
agency at 1353 Marine, likes
to get the fullest possibic
information from all her job
applicants. She got it in
spades last weck.

The applicant, impressed
with the aoced to include
every single item of cx
penence, had written his
resume on ruled sheets of
paper taped together, top to
bottom, to form as scroll
Wheo unfurled, it proved to
be five feet long!

The job he was applying

for ski instructor Cross
country, presumably
Those refugee Polish

Hshermen with valid work
permits but barred by the
bureaucrats from the onc
yob at which they're capert,
fishing arc happy at last
and so ts MP Ros He»
timgtonm's constituency
manager (G;,wenm Skakum.
After’ weeks of wrestling
with Ottawa she received the
glad ocws last Monday that
the boys tn the
Ministry had
managed to untie

Fishc nes
finally

they

were
Issuing the apecial
permits necded
as Room's local chicf
of staff spends much of her
year fighting federal
mandarina similar

badly = hurt

knotted
after all

peots and
fishing
(awen

over

lunacics that

individuals. She has an
impressive collection of her
battle honors...

oee

Ever wonder where whose
wishing c oins-in-the-
fountain in the south mall of
Park Royal and the In-
ternational Plaza hotel wind
up? The children's ward of
Lions Gate Hospital, that's
where and the pennies
really mount up. says Bernie
Charpentier, past president
of the North Van Lions Last
years 75.723
brought a
$1,020 59

“wishes”

donation of
from the’ 3 two
locations (52.455 “wishes”
with $671 79 from Park
Royal, the balance from the
Plaza ) How about raising
the 1982 pnee of a wish to a
michel ?

FOLKLORE.

Retired this
month ts) North Van's
Capainm Dick Tolhberse,
scnior vp oof Scaspan In
ternational, aftor 34 years
with Canada’s largest tug and
barge company) [Dich and

wife Gent are moving to the
Sunshine Coast where they
plan to spend the Golden
Years fishing hunting and
travelling Opposition
Loader Joe Clnrh revisits his
favornte Weal ( oast hostelry
meat month foe a $1500
plate Tory fund raiser March
11 at the Hotel Vancouver

Surpnse resignabon which
has Bigtown corporate
circkos buzzing in that) of
Weost Van's Bon Macdomald,

ERE WAS THE OPPOSITION A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN
WE HAD THE MONEY FOR JOB CREATION
PROGRAMS... SURE... THEY WAIT UNTIL NOW
WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH AND
WE'VE SPENT IT ON A MONUMENT IN ALGERIA!

believe in. Like a God who
reveals himself in the midst
of complete life in Jesus.

(James A. Taylor is gq.
syndicated columnist for
The United Church Op-
server in Toronto).

EY KNOW FULL WELL

president and managing
director of Chevron Canada.
At 51 Macdonald is quitting
the top job at the Canadian
subsidiary of the fourth
largest U.S. corporation,
Standard Oil of California,
to explore greener career
pastures (of which more
anon)... Off to Scandinavia
and the Middle East this
summer are Sutherland
music students Gordoa
Porth, Jennifer Biddlecombe
and Michaci Cunningham
who've been chosen to tour
with the well-known
American music group “The
Continentals”... World-ren-
owned U.S. photographer
Deane Michals gives a free
lecture 8 p.m. Tuesday at
the Emily Carr College on
Granville Island... Very
special birthday grectings
this Wednesday to North
Van pioneer and sometime
historian Walker MacKay
Draycott who writcs

long years come on the 2Ath

of February No Ashes,
Please!” (its Ash Wed-
nosday) Today's birthday

child, among others, ts Hask
van Whinkie One more
birthday card this Thursday
to his fellow Opamust Bob
Pearson... Watch thts
(Sunday) evening's TV debut
of former West Van parks
commissioner BfMll Fieck
who's appeanng vn the CBO
“Beachcomber” program

Give blood at the Lions Gate
Hospital domor cihaics this
Monday (10 }0 am Ww 4 wv
pm) (24

and I ucaday

pm )

WRIGHT OR WRONG:
How odd at ts that nobody
ever makes 9 mistake when
spotting youn