Mer stays REBEL Ra eT, rae Ny hla nite stent dee iateatiaeae ean alah eteetdiclaadal haste Paar octane eee Nothing but the NDP can stop Harcourt AS BOB Rae’s stunning victory in Ontario sent a flicker of hope through the heart of his Manitoba col- league Gary Doer in the dy- ing stages of what became a triumph for Conservative Premier Gary Filmon, eyes now turn to British Colum- bia. Will Mike Harcourt achieve triumph, disaster, or something in between? There are a few predators that will never prevent Mike Harcourt from becoming premier of British Columbia. The Socreds will prove powerless against this political tortoise. So will the Liberals, - Conservatives, the Reform Party, the Commies, the Rhinos and the Greens. Eventually this lumbering. amicable plodder will stand at the finish line holding the trophy. Only the New Democratic Party can stop him short of his goal. If they give him loyalty, tooth gnashing patience and hard work, he will win in 1990, 1994, or at the turn of the century. What does Mike stand for? What’s he against? Does it mat- ter? You may not have noticed, but Mike Harcourt does not generate volcanic eruptions of passionate discussion. But he listens. He argues a case. He thinks carefully. In government he surrounds himself with the most competent people he can find and he has the eminent good sense to let them do their job. — Long-time observers of Van- couver City Hall suggest that the principal department heads upon which Harcourt built his govern- ment had been put in place by predecessors Art Phillips and, to a lesser extent, Jack Volrich. Perhaps. , But for six years he was captain of a fine ship and his electoral support was greater at the end than it was at the beginning. wkke The Fantasy Gardens episode is intriguing. It was a conflict of in- terest for the Vander Zalms to own it, or so the critics said. Then it was a conflict of i interest to sell it. H it had been donated to chari- ty, it would have been viewed by the same people as an ‘cunwelcome burden’”’ to offload. If the arguments lack consisten- cy. they are at least a marvellous example of mental dexterity. But let me toss out an interest- ing hypothesis. Let’s assume Bill and Lillian Vander Zalm aspire to a quieter life together: time to en- joy family and particularly the grandchildren. Politics made Fantasy Gardens, once a dream come true, turn into an impossible burden. The last four years of back stabbing, dishonesty and the fickleness of allies have soured Bill Vander Zalm on politics itself. What if the premier decides to dump the other burden as well? His predecessor Bill Bennett shocked everyone midway through Expo by announcing his resigna- tion. Imagine the headlines if Premier Vander Zalm did the same? The scramble within the Social CANADIAN CLOSET SHOPS 986-4263 Free home estimates Gary Bannerman OPEN LINES Credit caucus would be like feeding time in a fish tank. A leadership convention may present more candidates than del- egates. And wi:en the dust settles, Hon. Michael F. Harcourt, graduate of Sir Winston Churchill High School and the UBC Law School, would be sworn in as the 28th Premier of British Columbia. Behind him would be the second New Democratic Party govern- ment in the province’s history. ge Disaster! Remember 1972, they will warn. But do ‘‘they’’ remember the staff running around the Legislature to catch drips of rain- water pouring in through the leaky roof? Or the British Columbia Railway engines seeming to spend as much time in ravines as they did on the track? Welfare rates and pensions — once the pride of W.A.C. Ben- nett’s government — had sunk to the worst in Canada. Highways were falling apart. Ferry line-ups meant six and eight-hour waits. This was symbolic of everything in government. ited. It is mystifying, but in the final stages of his brilliant tenure, W.A.C, Bennett stopped spending money on anything. The 1972-1975 policies of the NDP.have stood the test of time: Pharmacare, ICBC, better social programs, revision of the justice system and improved services in just about every area of govern- ment. wae It brings to mind one anecdote from the Barrett government. At the height of litigation involving expansion of BC Railway, a costly comedy that took years to resolve in court, Barrett convened an emergency meeting with the key lawyer representing the govern- ment, Charles Maclean. The inner sanctum included the premier, Bob Williams, Alex MacDonald and one or two others. After the lawyer had laid out the parameters of the problem, Barrett rose ia frustration, remov- ed his suit jacket and heaved it in- to a corner. “Charlie, what should I do?” the Premier asked. 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