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BEAEEETS

A political

‘poodle’

on BC
Ferries

takes

DURING HIS Legislature days, Sam Bawlf — to be
charitable — was a misfit, just as out of place in Billi Ben-
nett’s pugnaciously basic government as Herb Capozzi was
among the disciples of W.A.C. Bennett.

Sam was a poodle among the
Rottweilers. Herb was like having
a break ‘lancer at vespers.

Bawl: found that the energy,
egocentricity and creativity that
made him a boy wonder in the
development business, were
liabilities in politics.

Gary
Bannerman

OPEN LINES

The energy exhausted his
associates. The ego — defined as
ambition — made people nervous.
Creativity in politics has a tenden-
cy to blast the somnambuiists out
of their comfortable bunker.

When it’s said in ever-so-polite
Victoria that Sam Bawlf was ill-
suited to politics, what is meant is
that he was considered a disaster.

At the British Columbia Ferry
Corp. the mere mention of his
name generates perspiration. As
minister for the ferries, he did
“the unthinkable.”’

He meddled.

Ministers are not supposed to
meddle. They are supposed to
break champagne bottles at ship
launchings and stick to making
profound speeches about ‘‘the
best ferry system in the world.’’

One day a reporter should ask
rude questions such as: ‘‘Mr.
Minister, what do you think of
the Silja Line as opposed to the
Sally Line?”

Or, ‘‘Sir, where are the
Yaumatei Ferries te: thed in San
Francisco?”’ (They’re in Hong
Kong.)

Someone might also ask the
“Minister Responsible For The
Best Ferry System In The World”’
which of the four national part-
ners in Sealink does the best job.

Etcetera.

The best minister ever for the
B.C. Ferries, Phil Gaglardi,
wouldn’t know any of the above
answers, but by the time he got
through with the questions the
reporter would have forgotten
what he had asked.

Jack Davis would have known
all the answers. He always has
been a spoil sport.

aie

Bawlf was in the news again
this week questioning the B.C.
Ferries’ obsession with building
two $120-million super ferries. He
proposed high-speed catamarans.

As the official historian of B.C.
Ferries, (The Ships of British
Columbia, Hancock House, 1985),
it seems appropriate to me that
Bawlf does not know that ferries
management and the board of
directors have had repeated
junkets to Europe investigating
shipyards at company expense.
(No tourist attractions. All work.
No play. Vital business travel.)

They've also met many times
with Versatile Pacific Shipyards,
interrupting a wrestling match
with bankruptcy.

If the shell-shocked manage-
ment of Versatile tries to exploit a
political inevitability, the solution
is not the ridiculous suggestion
emanating from the Minister, Rita
Johnston. She says B.C. may buy
elsewhere. The corporation has
requested international bids.

The issue must be broached
with the vision and audaciousness
of W.A.C. Bennett: If Versatile is
greedy, or if it fails as a company
during the construction period, be
prepared to nationalize, rebuild,
and ultimately sell the revitalized

firm.
eee

So, mesmerized by Sam Bawlf’s
ship design, no one has paid at-
tention to his essential message. In
this, he is devastatingly correct.

The super ferries should not be
built at all.

What is so frequently
misunderstood about ferry services
is that the ships are less important
than the terminals and the high-
way access.

Every strategy we have should
be to increase frequency of ser-
vice, and to disperse the traffic
volume over broad stretches of
geography. Every possible incen-
tive should be devised to en-
courage people to park and sail.

B.C. Ferries should immediately
undertake the construction of the
tong ballyhooed Iona-Gabriola
(possibly via Lulu Isiand) route to

just north of Duncan. This third
link would be a Godsend to
Horseshoe Bay.

Small fast ships should be
devised for all the runs. Some of
them — free with free parking if
necessary — should be passengers
only.

This summer’s new run from
Tsawwassen to Nanaimo is cre-
ative and beneficial. De“ta’s
municipal government may argue
to the contrary, but Tsawwassen
has limitless growth potential.
Swartz Bay has room to
manoeuvre.

Horseshoe Bay and Departure
Bay are at capacity. Current plans
to expand Horseshoe Bay’s ramps
is lunacy of the highest order.

aan

Traffic volume to Vancouver
Island has grown steadily since
Expo. A good deal of that is
tourist traffic, but an expensive
Canadian dollar, higher gas prices
and an economic downturn will
dampen the escalation.

But there are more trucks and
more year-round traffic heading
for the Island. B.C. Ferries have
net studied the reason for this

growth. There has not been one
substantial non-forestry industrial
investment on the island in 20
years. No mines have been
discovered. Forestry is under siege
from environmentalists. Fishing is
poor. Government has been
downsized.

Perhaps all of Saskatchewan
has recently retired to Victoria?

They have the same knowledge
of ocean shipping as those who
retire to B.C. Ferries after life in
the Premier's office. The
Premier’s old buddy Bilt Long is
chairman and the recently
departed deputy minister Frank
Rhodes is president.

Sunday. September 2. 1990 ~ North Shore News - 9

North Shore drivers guilty of drinking

RECENT CONVICTIONS in
North Shore courts have resulted
in fines and penalties for drinking

Ethics important

From page 8
allow them.

“But also ...our young people
tell us that it gives them a great
sense of freedom because they're
not trapped by this boy-giri rela-
tionship. Instead they experience
that they can build friendships
with both sexes.”’

This applies to adult life as
well. Azizi, married for 26 years,
says that the principles of chastity
and fidelity allow freedom.

Since Bahai’s have equal par-
ticipation of the sexes on
assemblies and committees, she
and her spouse are free to work
with people of the opposite sex
without fear of ‘‘involvement.*’

As for ‘‘sin’’, the Baha’is do
not believe in original sin, nor
does their terminology include this
weighty word. Baha'is believe
that at birth humans are created
noble.

‘“‘However, we are not created
perfect...and that's why we need
spiritual guidelines,’’ Azizi
clarifies.

When it comes to ethical deci-
sions, such as those related to sex
and birth control, Baha'is are
asked by tl. ir spiritual assembly,
the Universal House of Justice to
‘“*determine according
lo...prayerful understanding of
the Writings precisely what (one's)
course of conduct should be."

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