Mr. Premier: It is not looking very good... IT WAS likely the best speech he had ever delivered. Mike Harcourt is not normally a great orator, but his message to the faithful in 1987, when he became leader of the New Democratic Party, was both eloquent and moving. As cheering party members stood before him at the Hotel Vancouver, Harcourt ran through a long list of questionable deeds by the still young Vander Zatm government. He paused after each item, repeatedly commenting, “Tt is not looking very good. ”” Over and over.again, that phrase echoed around the ballroom. The new opposition leader con- chided with the announcement of his 1,000-day march to the premier’s office. It would ultimately take much longer than that, the Socreds hanging by their fingernails until . the final minute of legal office, but the march was on and the destination would be reached. And now Mike Harcourt has been premier for seven months. The current controversy is the Commonwealth Holding Society of Nanaimo, owners of Red Square, operators of the Pinko Bingo, managers of 15 MLAs and entrepreneurs with an unbroken string of business duds. We have witnessed the most breathtaking list of patronage ap- pointments since the Boss Johnson coalition government of the late 1940s. We refer not to boards and commissions {appointing the faithful is normal), but to the high paying salaried and pensioned positions. The only credential that seems to count in Mr. Harcourt’s gov- ernment is the number of times an individual has been involved in NDP election campaigns. People who have lost as many as a dozen elections have been given six- figure contracts. in cases where the voter has repeatedly expressed an opinion on an individua!l’s competence, through NDP eyes, rejection becomes a credential. The Harcourt government has added a new dimension to the evolution of patronage. Perhaps it is merely a commit- ment to the family, but we have seen several examples of both husband and wife being awarded prime government jobs. This of course means two high salaries, two benefit packages and, ultimately, two pensions under one roef. Mr. Premier, it is not looking very good. ae0e Tourism minister Darlene Mar- zagi has produced my favorite pork barrel stories. She inherited a "A Place To Go When You're Pregnant And Need Support: | BIRTHRIGHT | 1 Call $37-7313 » Free Pregnancy Test « & fl 229 Lonsdale tn Vancouver Call B North vancouver 687-7223 Gary Bannerman OPEN LINES premier’s office reject as deputy minister, a loyal NDPer who ar- rived following party service in the north and in Winnipeg. This outsider has been assigned to promote the glories of British Columbia. Being a tourist himself, he will obviously relate to other tourists. This individual, we are told, is responsible for Ms. Marzari’s first two consulting appointments: both Winnipeg NDP loyalists. The one that attracted most of the publicity was a $50,000 assignment to Pradinuk Advertis- ing of Winnipeg to study the ministry’s advertising. This is the one that was award- ed to a Vancouver party worker, using a lawyer’s office as a mail . drop. This was necessary because anew B.C. company — not yet incorporated — would be fronting for the Winnipeg firm. There was no competition for this plum. But my favorite was the ap- pointment of yet another Win- nipeg firm, Viewpoints Research, to study the Seaitle- Victoria ferry market. There was no competi- tion. Winnipeg, a noted seaport, was obviously the best place io go for this. { could introduce Ms. Marzari to 100 competent shipping people here on the North Shore, who are intimately familiar with this marine services market. ; If we broaden the search to in- clude the Seattle-Victoria-Van- couver triangle, that number — engineers, accountants, marketers, shipping people — might be over I would wager that no one in passenger shipping anywhere in the world would be able to find ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER Barristers & Solicitors | Personal Injury 7 «6 AFTER HOURS FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION Criminal Mate Only | 986-4566 | 986-9286 #300-1401 LONSDALE, NORTH VANCOUVER, BC. even one individual in the City of Winnipeg who could meet any proper criteria required to handle Ms. Marzari’s assignment. We presume the B.C. taxpayer will finance the travel between Winnipeg and the west coast. Mr. Premier, it is not looking very good. The irony is that the Seattle- Victoria triumph since 1974 was a brilliant New Democratic Party gambie. The Barrett government rescued the venerable Princess Marguerite from Canadian Pacific, launching a dayliner service across Juan de Fuca Strait and down Puget Sound. The magnificent, historic adventure pumped up to 1,700 people per day onto the streets of Victoria. Despite a couple of awkward years and premature retirements, The Maggie and the British Col- umbia Steamship Co. energized the provincial capital for 15 years. Government lost several million dollars. The old ship took too large a crew, and burned too much fuel. Constant repairs were a persistent headache. But the tourism dollars, sales, tax, retail income tax, liquor taxes and a dozen other forms of direct government revenue made the ship a business marvel. When The Maggie finally retired, her days were done. The former government hoped that the Swedish company Stena could make a go of the route, but Stena refused to listen to any of the loca! experts (hullo, Mike ... are you listening?), and their mil- tions went down a salty drain. We compliment Ms. Marzari on her determination to get British Columbia back into this market. The first government inclination to load it on B.C. Ferries would have been a serious mistake. The ferry corporation is a vital public service, a highway extension. The Seattle route is Disneyland-at-Sea. This should be operated arm’s length from public transporiation, just as it was with B.C. Steamships. The government should be planning a comprehensive mari- time initiative to deal with ship- building, pocket cruising, tourism development, servicing the fishing fleet, recreational facilities and in- ternationally marketable con- sulting expertise. 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