‘page 6 - February 11, 1976 - North Shore News - SO re _

‘By Shane McCune

photos by Rex Weyler
If any of the ‘‘new Socreds”’ looked like a likely winner in the event of a

Bennett landslide in 1975, it was Herb Capozzi. Although he was a member
of the Social Credit regime of W.A.C. Bennett, he was never a cabinet.

minister during his six years as an MLA, and the premier made no secret of.
his dislike of Capozzi’s lifestyle and public i image.

Yet underneath the superficial trappings of the “swingér”” image that the
press so happily fostered, Capozzi was true to the constant planks in the
Social Credit platform—free enterprise, and individual initiative.

é

. In terms of financial success, Capozzi and his brothers make most of his successors in the
new government look like welfare recipients. They own large chunks of valuable real estate
including shopping centres.in Kelowna and Vancouver-and resort property in Mexico; the
Panabode company, which manufactures prefab housing units; the Marc building and spa
and the Vancouver Whitecaps soccer team: The Capozzi brothers were responsible for :
introducing the MacDonald's franchise business to Canada.

‘The country boy from Kelowna has been a pro football player, a program director for: a |
television Station, an MLA, and a successful businessman. :

Now he’s a city slicker, a pro soccer team owner, director of several biusinessés, and: ‘a
_ successful businessman. He still wants to own the Lions (and, one suspects, the.Cariucks), but

plays down his loss in the last election. He: Says it’s time for ‘‘younger people with new ideas’”’

in the government.

It’s not too convincing. Capozzi is 50, but youthful and senceyetio-is befits 2 man who has a .
_tennis court, a swimming pool anda fitness circuit surrounding his house, in addition to his

commercial gym and spa in the ‘Marc complex. ~

The North Shore News interviewed Capozzi in his home i in West Vancouver, a stone’s throw
from Taylor Way, where he lives with his wife Dorothy and their four children.

NSN: How , does it feck to be
one of the few left out of the .
‘Socred election sweep? ;

Capozzi: I’m the only guy

Fotheringham couldn’t get.

elected. ;
NSN: To what extent was.
your loss due -to your
running-mate, Alan Lau?

Capozzi: It’s difficult to say.
It was not so much due to
him as due to the confusion
surrounding him. His posit-.
ion on rent controls might
have been a factor, and then
there were all the. other
candidates running.

In a democracy, you elect a

dictatorship every four years,
if you do it correctly.

NSN: Why .did you go Into

_ politics in the first place? It

doesn’t scem to have been

‘your most successful area of .

endeavor.

Capozzi: I wouldn't say that
— I was elected twice and
served in the legislature for .
‘Six years.

If you really have a feel for.
the place you live, you do

something about it. I did feel '

that Vancouver Centre was a
riding that could be won,.and —
that we could win on the

. mistakes of the N,D.P.

_NSN: What do you think was
the N.D.P.’s biggest mis-
take? ,

Capozzis Moving - far too
quickly with inexperienced
people. Most governments

with inexperienced people.
When Bennett. came into

learned when government |
was one-tenth of what it is
now. .

*

ne eee a ee ere

outside ideas...

that get in with sweeps start:

power in the ‘fifties, they _

be mt euler enennnainmemramens eubionine ee

NSN: Are you. going to ran
again next time around?

Capozzi: That’s a long way

down the road. I doubt Jit, .

though. There’s a need for |
people with new ideas.

NSN: The Socreds . scour
exactly known for new ideas.

Capozzi: Not true. They. were .
the - first.

“bonds, the”
grant, hospital
plans...but. they get lost in
the fact that Bennett in many
ways became closed to

homeoger’s -

‘NSN: Why was there a ‘rife.
between the ‘premier; and -

yourself?

Capozzi: Because I grew up -
in the same area that was his

riding, he felt that'l would
_ push for things. Toward the

end I felt he was opposed to:

_ the problems of city areas.

NSN: Like what?

-_ Sapona The courthouse
. area in Vancouver.
“renter’s grant. We com-

promised on that.

Also, I felt that all votersin

provincial elections should
be citizens—being a British
subject
enough.

.NSN: Why ald Bennett Ob: |

_ fect to that?

Capozzi: 1. think he hada %
strong sentimental feeling

. for our ties with Britain. .
NSN What else?

| Capozzi: We had a huge
confrontation op the inde- «
pendent schools issue—all of |
these now. are government
‘policy, by the way. The
independent schools paid
most of their own way, but
we had the incredible ‘posi- ..
tion that someone. in the’
interior. who went to an
independent school could not |.
ride,the schoo! bus into town. '.

I also felt that'the greatest
‘approach toeducation was in
alternatives.

* NSN: You mot with ‘reals.
tance?

~

government. | in”
‘Canada ‘to develop. parity >

insurance |

The . a

should not be -}

Capozzi A
amount of resistance. The
whole independent school.
isue became entangled with:

a Jot of religious feeling. “At
‘that time people lacked an
‘ecumenical feeling
-Breater today.

‘Inde dent d altern- = :
epen ent an of leadership i in Perreault, or.
‘in anyone else around. There’.

ative ~ ‘schools...it’s
shopping around. —

like

‘NSN: Those are the sort of

: §fiberal”? ideas that did not, *

as you indicate, sit well with .
sections of the Social Credit
Party, and in fact it was often
sald, both within and without
the party, that.you - didn’t,
seem to belong there. Why
‘did you join 8 Social: Credit
instead of the Liberals or
Conservatives? — 7

. Capozzi: There is ‘no beiter
_leader than Premier. Bennett .

_was. He ‘was ‘the soundest
economist-politician in

* Canada for the past 25 years.
He: predicted in, the House,

' What the Lions have mun
aged to do is remain a

communiiy-owned team, and

_alfenate the community. |

tong before | the last two.
recessions, the real problems

in the U.S. economy—almost
. to the month. He made some
incredible projections of eco-
nomic forecasting. —

“But: then. he ‘reached the
stage where: he was ‘letting
‘economic. |
“overrule social concerns: like
health, welfare ond so on. It
was a case of the ‘‘save for a
rainy day”’ philosophy letter
the treasury build up, always -
waiting for a rainier day.

But ‘to answer your quces-
tion, I couldn't séd that kind |

tremendous _

that’s

: else—they .

. NSN: How

considerations

wept nerve abel eras .

Vancouver. -

‘was mno..one to lead. the
fouia as well as ; “Bennett

. re

"Essentially, ina. -democ-

‘racy, you elect a dictatorship |

every four years, if you do it
correctly. .

'' Governments are like foot-
ball teams or anything
need strong ~
‘leadership. Bennett was one
of the first.to try and prevent
‘teachers. and other key
unions from striking.

NSN: Do you believe that
essential service -workers

a. should not have the right to
Le - Stetke? .

Capozzi: Definitely. They
should know, when they take
that job, that that is one of

7 ' the conditions. Police,’ fire-

men,.on down to medical —
workers, are essential: to law

_ and order, and they can’t be .

allowed to walk off the job if
respect for the law is tobe

maintained. - OF: course, ‘in.

return, they have. a good deal.
of job security. 7 Haat o

‘shout
workers? ©

Cayourls There . are. “order
~ line areas. I'm not sure that
they should. not have ‘the |

‘tight to -strike, but | ‘they ’
shouldn’t be allowed to shut |
down the nation’s mail for .

. months-~you have to. legis-

late thém back to work when
it gets out of hand, *

NSN: And transport work.
ere, ina altlines and vallwaye?

“Caposai: Airline 7 .workers ‘
should . not. be. allowed to
strike. =

NSN: As long as wo'ro on.
controversial Issues, how do |

you foel about capital pun-
Islamneont? -

: believe ‘0:
‘who- kills. a’ policeman ‘or

prison guard—yes. Fo
crimes . of . Passion, it’
ridiculous. Be

NSN: The present ‘govern: : Ne ee
ment has dropped women’s: .:"' -

affairs quite abruptly. What ¢

does Herb Capozzi, sporis- a
_ man, business exec, man

about town, .
women’s role—

feel about,

Capozzi: What - titles! -You

career in the papers. |

‘When left Montreal there -

was a little headline: in the
back. of the sports. pages

saying~‘Second-string tackle -.
‘released,’’ when I came out.

to B.C. it was ‘Football star.
joins Lions,’’ and when I
became a general manager it
was ‘Grey Cup participant
returns.’’ When ‘I die the
headlines will read ‘‘Great-
est football player in Canada

: dies."’

“NSN: Back to the equeatin —_

. a women.

~ Capoxzh: There’ Sa "sisaitarity

_ between women’s lib and
‘bilingualism. It’ should be
: encouraged but. you can't

force it on ' People.

NSN: Do you “make much
‘money on the Whitecaps.
Capoxzl: Not ‘really. Most

aren't that Profitable. 7

the Whitecaps?

Caporats Soccer iz acing to
‘be the’ next major sport in
North America, There’s no
money in operating the team

tight now, but it’s a good

investment, because the cost

of franchises goes up so fast.

eo

Capozsix You can’t, own “any-

thing until someone wants to
Sell it. At the moment there’s |

quite a determined group

_ opposed t to selling the team.

é NSN: ‘Can: ‘public ownership~
now ‘you're getting old.
when they start calling you a‘
Sportsman.’ It’s like the way.

they, reported my football ©

of a football. club work? _

‘Capozzi: L don't. think the
Lions aré being run the way -
‘they should be. I think public
‘ownership can work, provi-.

ding the leadership atthe'top |
is strong, enough. os, ;

“When 1 left the Lions, the
team had ,: half a’ million »

dollars in: the: ‘treasury. ‘Now
they are $300,000 in debt.

Worse than that, they’ve lost :
fan. interest. What. they've.
managed to do is remain in a ‘

-community-owned team and
alienate the community. -

“NSN: Did. the Gary” Huis: a
‘ ‘borger affalr hurt the team? .

: Capozzi: Well, if you ‘want a
“good team, you. get big,

strong guys, and | you re.,
going to’ get. uys ‘who
periodically blow te. A

But’ they: handled vs the

. wrong way. First they try to

hush it up, then they got .
really worked Mp. over it. -

‘Once the case goes through
" court, why: become: a second
_ Sports franchises nowadays ...

jury?

NSN: What banponed with :

NSN: Thon why do you own ‘the Canucks deal?

Cagozzls Before ° it become
basically, the Canucks, we «
formed a group to buy. the
team—this: included :, ..Alrt
Phillips, among. “others —:
while it was stillin.the WHL.
We were outbid by: a Broup

i“ continued on page 32 |

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