° gel this straight ¢

~ DOUG.
COLLINS

ITIS MY belief that nitwits, halfwits, lackwits and twitwits
inhabit the CBC’s flagship public affairs program, The

Journal,

Not too long ago, for example,
we were given two hours on how
bilingualism would help us grow
up to be big boys and girls. And
last week we were treated toa
student-style presentation on the
sins of the South African Embassy
in Ottawa.

Hardened though | am to the

Ghost Writer, and the villain of
the piece was none other than
Dermot Bennett, who formerly
labored in the local media vineyard
and is now an entbassy press of-
ficer.

Bennett, we were assured by The
Journal lad who delivered the
item, likes to work under cover,
and the CBC spent a lot of time

foibles of the media, this one was a outside of the embassy suggesting

prizewinner in farce and inep-
titude. It sought to show us how
the embassy is deceiving us poor
ignorant souls in its attempts to get
us to cheer apartheid, but if what
we saw was worthwhile deception,
then God help South Africa.

The title of the item was The

July 9--Car wash by N.S. Special
Olympics. Shell Station, 13th and
Lonsdale. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Donations
only, wos

July 9--Nature Walk. Lighthouse Park.
10 a.m. for one hour. Meet volunteer

| There’s a new set of chips

The stakes are high.

Canada’s standard of living and eco-
nomic growth depend on continuing
excellence in the development of our
science and technology.

Ifwe are to provide new and meaning-
Solve environmental, health

ful jobs..

that “villains live here."”
Bennett's ‘undercover work”
turned out in part to be an adver-
tisement in the Calgary Herald
promoting “freedom in sport’? at
the time of the Winter Olympic
Games. It pointed out that by de-
nying South Africa participation,

guide in carpark. Info: 926-2805.
att
July 9--Saturday storytime for 4-8 year
olds, N.V. City Library. 10:30 a.m.
tet
July 9~Music, clowns, puppets, drama.
Cates Park, 2 p.m.

eae

July 9--The Horseman’s Association is

the games did not promote true
competitive sport,

The big expose was that Dermot
inserted the ad but didn’t put the
embassy’s name on it, even though
it must surely have been paid for
with embassy gold. Not only that,
but Dermot the diabolical secret
agent had been deceiving the great
Canadian public via editorial col-
umns. How? Through the Alberni
Valley Tinies, no less.

Yes, on the occasion of the
Commonwealth Conference in
Vancouver (shots of Kenneth
Kaunda, Robert Mugabe and other
well-known freedom fighters ac-
companied this episode) Dermot
had a couple of articles in that
widely read newspaper. But not as
Dermot: Bennett. He wrote under
his two middle names — Aubrey
Hulett.

Scoop!

Dermot wasn't the only one to
be ‘‘exposed."’ Peter Worthington
was on parade, too. (Well, not ex-
actly on parade. The Journalasked
him to be interviewed, but he sen-
sibly dectined.)

Peter wasn’t born yesterday and
recognizes a propaganda machine
when he sees one. So in his absence
The Journal floated his picture up
on sercen, explaining that he had
been up to some pretty strange
stuff too, having produced a video
sape showing the African National

holding its 20th anniversary show today
and Sunday at The North Shore
Equestrian Centre, 1301 Lillooet Rd.,
North Vancouver. Info: 988-9242.

July 10--Salmon Barbecue by Squamish
Indian Band. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Water-

8

9 - Friday, July 8, 1988 - North Shore News

Congress as a nest of communists
responsible for outrage and vio-
lence.

According to The Journal, Wor-
thington's tape was “riddled with
distortion,’* but just what the
distortion consisted of was never
quite clear. Perhaps someone
didn't like the way he showed the
infamous ‘'necklacings’’ that are
carried out by the ANC’s boys in
the black townships.

This CBC nonsense went on and
on, with all the usual stock shots
of cops chasing blacks. Up popped
the egregious Archbishop Des-
mond Tutu, as well, he being the
CBC's favorite actor. A new face,
however, was a Canadian ‘‘politi-
eal scientist’' female who agreed
heartily with The Journal's view of
events. And Brian Baloney was
given a big-build-up for his coura-
gous stance on sanctions, A
world-leader, is Brian.

There was also the revelation
that the South African government
encourages Canadians to visit
South Africa to ‘‘see for
themselves"' and that the South
African ambassador gives talks to
Rotary and the like in order to
spread his message. Oh, what a
villain!

In between, there were com-
plaints that the CBC and Globe &
Mail are not permitted to have
correspondents in South Africa.

front Park, 200 blk. W. Esplanade,
N.V. Dancing, crafts.

ese

July 10--Radio controlled car racing.
Rear of Centennial Theatre, 23rd and
Lonsdale. Noon-9 p.m. Info: Graeme
986-0940. Trophy dash, barbecue, cer-

tificates.
eet

industries competitive...Educate our

and safety problenis...Kcep our resource

Desa rete pn

children forthe future...Keep our social
programs among the best in the world...

Canada must bea player in this high
stakes game. The rewards are great,
that’s why we can’tafford to let the
chips fall where they nity.

Industry, Science and
Technology Canada

Industrie, Sciences et
Technologie Canada

Well, if I were in the South
Africans’ position, 1 would kick
their asses, too. The CBC has
never taken a dispassionate look at
that country. Ditto the Globe. But
both are enthusiastically dispas-
sionate where ‘‘Gorby’' and the
U.S.S.R. are concerned.

According to the ambassador,
Mr. Johannes De Klerk, the CBC
got an interview with him on the
pretext that they wanted to doa
profile on him. Which was rot
deceptive, of course,

I would have told them to go
profile themselves. After all, when
was the last time Brian Baloney
submitted to an interview by a
hostile South African journalist, or
indeed any hostile journalist?

exert

Canada