FIRED B.C. ENERGY MINISTER GIVES HIS SIDE
Davis: 'I have never knowingly done wrong. . . '
The
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Friday. April 7. 1978 Vol. 22; No. 68 Prince George. British Columbia
by KM SOI’OW Citizen Stuff Reporter
VICTORIA — .lack Davis stood before a tense Legislature Thursday and explained how his own tardy bookkeeping and the government's bureaucracy cost him the job of energy, transport and communications minister.
He advised those aspiring to the cabinet not "to get bogged down in the finicky little details."
‘‘Leave the bookkeeping to others who are specialized in such things and keep your eye on the big issues as much as you can."
Davis also said he was innocent of any legal wrong-doing. Moments before he had heard Attorney-General Garde Gar-dom say a complaint by a private citizen led to a police investigation into Davis' use of airline tickets supplied by the government.
Gardom said the investigation is incon^)leteand nocharges have yet been laid.
It is that investigation which spurred Premier Mill Bennett to fire Davis as cabinet minister on Monday.
That dismissal came after NDP MLA Denis Cocke insinuated that he had some information linking the government to an unspecified airline.
It wa*- later disclosed that Cocke’s charge had to do with Pacifii Western Airlanes carrying free promotional material for the Socreds during the last election.
There is now speculation that Bennett misconstrued the original allegation by Cocke to be a reference to Davis and prematurely fired the minister.
Late Thursday Davis laid out a scenario to a silent Legislature showing how a dedicated and honest cabinet minister can be de.-troyed by the system he works for.
He said he often converted first-class airline tickets to
economy class because he preferred ‘‘less food, less lobbying by the well-to-do. more privacy and more time to work."
However. Davis was not a stickler for small details and when the refunds for the price differences came to his office months later, he could not remember exactly what his expenses were.
He said he often paid for drinks with his own money as well as taxis and entertainment costs when they exceeded available per day expenses.
“Result: I was often out of pocket on expenses, but I rarely
bothered to claim extras. 1 just didn't keep track of the details.
“I didn't keep track either of my exact expenses or the amounts of the refunds. I now acknowledge it would have beer, better to do so," he said.
Davis said as soon as he heard that his practice was being questioned he made a "generous estimate" of what the total refund might be and sent a cheque to the comptroller general.
However, he didn't deduct unrecorded costs borne by him and estimates "that the government owes me several hundreds of dollars on air travel accounts.”
Davis said Vancouver lawyer Allan McEachern has told him that nothing illegal has been done and that he has "not offended" any government regulation or ignored government policy.
“Mr. Speaker. I tried to be a good minister I was a good minister to the best of my ability. I have never knowingly done wrong,” he said.
Davis’ statement let! to a bitter denunciation of Hennett bv NDP MLA Alex Macdonald
Macdonald said Hennett has "destroyed the reputation of a colleague with a curtain of allegations."
He termed it a “total want of due process of law” and a "total want of fairness in handling the matter."
Crown housing company offered for sale
VICTORIA (CP) - TheBritish Columbia government has decided to sell its housing corporation, Housing Minister Hugh Curtis announced today.
Curtis told a news conference that the government is open to proposals for the Housing Corp. of B.C. (HCBC), formerly Dunhill Development Corp. Ltd.
The Crown corporation’s annual report, tabled in the legislature last week, showed that HCBC had net earning of $2.2 million on revenue of $19.2 million during the 12 months ended Oct. 31, 1977, and that the government had $11 million in equity in the firm.
Dunhill was purchased by the previous New Democratic Party government in 1974 for $5.8 million to provide expertise in the delivery of low-cost housing.
Curtis said the decision to sell HCBC was a philosophical one.
“There was a period under the former government where Dunhill Development Corp. was felt to be critical to delivery of housing,” he said. “With the increased responsibilities within the housing section of the ministry, with more decentralization of the ministry and with the change in the housing market, HCBC no longer is critical.
McGregor dam not ruled out
Fort George MLA Howard Lloyd says some kind of project for the McGregor River valley should not be ruled out.
Addressing the Northern Interior Lumber sector of the Council of Forest Industries today in the Inn of the North, Lloyd said the McGregor project has been “put off temporarily.”
Earlier this year, B.C. Hydro cancelled a proposed plan to divert the McGregor river, a tributary of the Fraser, into the Peace River water system. The reason B.C. Hydro gave for cancelling the dam was a possible parasite threat to fish because of mixing Arctic and Pacific water systems.
The project had been highly critizied by environmental groups. Lloyd blamed the media for publicizing what he termed small pressure groups, and gave the McGregor as an example.
"I don’t think you should rule out the McGregor” Lloyd said.
"We are fooling ourselves if we think there’s not going to be another flood on the Fraser, worse than the 1948 flood.”
Flood control was one of the reasons for the dam.
BIG CONVENTION HERE
Fiery web
('iti/4'n photo hy Milm*
Spring cleaning often involves more than washing and dusting. For people like (Jordon Moscrip of Rochester Cres. College Heights, it means clearing land, burning the debris and attending the fire even after it gets dark.
The fiery tracings are caused hy sparks from the fire being caught on film in a time exposure.
POLITICIANS' CHEESEBURGERS
We do it all for them
Citizen Staff Reporter
VICTORIA — Hungry MLAs don’t have to worry alx»ut their pocketbooks after a tough day in the House.
They can settle back in the cosy Legislative dining room and sink their teeth into a New York steak with all the trimmings. All for $2 95.
Like Legislative dining rooms throughout the country, this one is subsidized by the taxpayers so that our MLAs
and other public servants can get a better deal on food.
It’s not open to the public, although common mortals may go in as guests of people who work for the government. Also, the press may dine on cut-rate meals.
A high-ranking cabinet minister can be seen behaving like real folks and munching on a scrumptious cheeseburger and chips for $1.95.
Wash it down with milk and it’s another 30 cents.
Coffee, 25 cents.
Those with discriminating tastes can treat themselves to roast turkey with cranberry sauce for $2.75, spare-ribs or prime rib for $2.95 or a steak s/indwich $2.25.
As the bell rings signifying a supper break, the diningroom staff perks up for the rush.
"(Jet ready everyone," one woman says. "The zoo’s out.”
'300 women beaten by husbands'
by LESLIE PERRY Citizen Stuff Reporter
Every year more than 300 Prince George women come to the Phoenix Transition House after being beaten by their husbands.
And that’s probably only a fraction of the numbers who are actually beaten says Nora Harmider, director of the transition house for women in crisis.
“There are probably many more that are never reported,” she said.
She said about half of the women who use the centre come directly from their homes and the other half are brought by the KCMP.
Harmider spoke at the family violence workshop here Thursday. The two-day workshop for 70 social service professionals is being held at the Yel-lowhead Inn
"Between four and five thousand reports of battered women are given annually in the Lower Mainland. Many women don’t tell anyone if they have been beaten by their husbands because they’re j»jujid of the consequences and if they to the hospital they don’t
tell anyone how they sustained their injuries,” said Donnie Patterson, guest speaker at the workshop Patterson, who has herself been a victim of assaults by her husband, is a consultant in life skills and with the women’s program in Burns Lake.
Patterson urged the following steps be taken to aid the growing numbers of women who are battered by their husbands:
0 Transition houses need to be established in all communities across the north.
0 Wife battering should be seen as a crime and included in the Criminal Code of Canada
9 Adequate housing for single parents should be established as well as support services for children whose mothers have been battered.
O Emergency funds should be available for women who have to leave their homes immediately. Funds should be provided by the ministry of human resources.
• Studies on wife battering should investigate the apparent tolerance of wife-beating by wives and the rest of the community.
* Police should be trained to deal with domestic dispute calls. Currently, they are inadequately equipped to deal with these situations.
Market threatened, um bermen warned
by DON MORBERG Citizen Stuff Reporter
Northern B.C.'s major lumber market is in jeopardy unless companies start promoting their product, 700 lumbermen were told here Thursday.
The U.S. buys 85 per cent of the lumber produced in Northern B.C. but competition from U.S. species, high Canadian prices, transportation problems and costs and a lack of promotion of local products is causing worry about the market.
Delegates to the Northern Interior Lumber Sector of the Council of Forest Industries grappled with that problem during one of the opening day sessions Thursday.
The three-day annual general meeting of NILS is being held in the Inn of The North in Prince George.
Jim McMillan of Canadian Forest Products told a panel discussion on the U.S. market, “Competition pressure is building faster than we realize.”
Marketing was one of several topics touched during the opening day’s session.
Keynote speaker was Dr. Adam Little, chairman of the Workers Compensation Board, who talked about the board’s work and safety in the workplace.
The meeting opened with technical sessions, most about innovations in thesawmillingand lumber industry, including grading classes, in-grade lumber testing which revealed some interesting things about the nature of different grades of lumber and new machinery in the industry.
The marketing panel discussion heard Lou liuettle, marketing director for Carrier Lumber of Prince George, say, “We have to sell our product harder. Sell the services, the quality, the uniformity and consistency.”
Southern yellow pine, he said, is also cutting into the market, “because they have spent 15 years promoting it. Those guys are hustling and taking a .share of the market.”
Shipping is also a problem, he said, “Why would someone buy a G6-foot rail car of two by fours when he can buy a truckload? He won’t and doesn’t,’ he said indicating the buyers preferred smaller job lots.
liuettle also suggested SPF (spruce, pine, fir lumber) be identified as Western SPF, "because there is a difference (between it and Eastern Canadian SPF.) It was a bad day when we lost the Western White Spruce label ”
Jim Potter of Carrier Lumber of Prince George said COFI was paying between 12 and 13 cents per 1,000 board feet to "push paper” to get the lumber across the border; but only 7.5 cents per 1,000 board feet to promote the product in the U.S.
McMillan outlines a three-year promotional scheme for the sale of SPF which includes brochures, housing show participation, a technical field representative in the U.S. and a system of mill visits by wholesalers and buyers.
The program had the support of the NILS policy committee, he said, pending support of the logging companies.
Council business, environment and energy were to highlight today’s meeting sessions.
F e d e r a I E n v i r o n m e n t Minister Len Marchand was to have been today’s keynote speak but the serious illness of his mother has put his appearance in doubt.
If he cannot show for his scheduled speech, the speech he was to deliver will be read by Dr. Robert Kennedy of the Western Forest Laboratory.
B.C. Hydro general manager Charles Nash is scheduled to speak as is Dr. T. D. Bird, senior biologist with Environment Canada and B. II. Levelton will talk on the technology available for energy production from wood waste.
The convention continues Saturday.
See also page
Controls' death toll sounded
OTTAWA (CP)-The government’s legislation to end the country’s price wage control program passed third and final reading in the Commons Thursday night by a vote of 86 to 41.
The Conservatives, New Democrats and Social Credit all opposed the bill. Stan Shumacher (Independent-Palliser) voted with the government.
Prime Minister Trudeau ‘said earlier in the day that the post control legislation and the pipeline bill were the government’s two major priorities before parliament is dissolved.
Sun Life creates Que. arm
MONTREAL (CP) - Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada said today it is setting up a separate organization to take care of its Quebec business.
Sun Life president Thomas Galt said in a statement the Quebec organization will be responsible for the company’s individual insurance sales, administration operations and external relations in Quebec, as well as providing linguistic services throughout the company.
'Trudeau using postal workers'
QUEBEC (CP) - Prime Minister Trudeau “is using the postal workers as an election issue” instead of trying to negotiate a new collective agreement in good faith, Jean-Claude Parrot, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), said today.
The federal Liberal party, which gave public servants the right to strike 10 years ago, now is trying to protect itself going into an election campaign by threatening to take away that right, Parrot said in an interview at the Canadian Labor Congress tCLC) national policy convention.
Trudeau said Thursday he will introduce a special bill outlawing a postal strike during an election campaign if the government does not get another bill to amend the Public Service Staff relations Act through Parliament before an election is called.
TODAY
This week:
Killed:..................................I
Injured:.............................12
Arrested ii.h impaired:....20
This vear:
Killed:..................................4
Injured:...........................149
To same date, 1977:
Killed:................................5
Injured:.........^..............179
FEATURED INSIDE
• Two Prince George clergymen talk frankly about their different roles as married man and celibate. Page 43.
• The National Hockey League may form an all-star team to meet the Soviet Union in a three-game scries in New York next year. Page 13.
• A strong field is set to challenge surprise first round leader at the Masters golf tournament. Page 13.
• ' The B.C. intermediate hockey championship here this weekend could be a grudge match. Page 13.
Bridge............... ................28
Business........... ......8, 10, 11 Gardening column.. ........12
Church............. ..........12, III Horoscopes............... ........52
City, B.C......2..» ,0,9, 12,47 International............ ..........5
Classified......... ...........25-34 National.................... .........7
Comics............... ................17 Sports........................ ...i:i-ir>
Crossword....... ................27 Television................. ..18, 19
..........9
Kntertuinment. ...........18-22
THE WEATHER
A weak low-pressure area off the coast of Alaska is expected to bring Prince George and the Central Interior cloudy skies and showers today. The weekend forecast is mainly sunny skies with some isolated showers.
The forecast high today is 13, the low 0. The high Thursday was 13, the low -3, with no precipitation. On this date last year the high was 17, the low 1.
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NOW HEAR THIS
£ A Vancouver woman decided to keep her Prince George granddaughter busy and out of the house by having her pick all the dandelions in her lawn: "Those little yellow flowers out in the grass.” After a few minutes of fierce effort the little gardener returned saying she had picked everyone as grandmother watched all her daffodils being dumped on the table.
• Dr. Adams Little, chairman of the Workers Compensation Board, told Council of Forest Industriesdelegateshere Thursday: “If the WCB was doing pregnancy tests, there would be a 10-month waiting period.”
0 Prince George may not be heaven, but the Prince George Secondary School drama department still has hopes of finding a harp and harpist for its production of South Pacific. Anyone willing to help during the production May 3-6 is asked to call Doug Edgar at 562-6441
• The Prince George Cycling Club may make history Sunday. The club has an event scheduled to start at the corner of Ospika and Tabor Blvd. They don’t intersect.