PRINCE GEORGE
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Citizen
THURSDAY, APRIL 4,1996
Serving the Central Interior since 1916
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B.C. doctors agree to fee freeze
Deal pumps $28 million into health care and could cut hospital waiting lists
Southam Newspapers
VANCOUVER — B.C. patients will see shorter surgical waiting lists and a $28 million transfusion of cash into health care services.
That’s the bottom line of a new tentative contract deal negotiated by B.C. doctors.
The doctors agreed to reopen their current agreement with the provincial government because they were worried B.C. might go the way of Alberta and Ontario in imposing cuts to physician’s’ fees.
“The government was over a barrel fiscally,” said Dr. Victor Dirnfeld, president of the B.C. Medical Association. “They came to us and said. ‘These are the facts of life, let’s talk about
them reasonably.’”
The tentative deal was reached quietly March 31 after two weeks of negotiations. Voting is expected to take about a month.
Highlights include:
■ A hard cap on the Medical Services Plan for 1996/97, freezing the amount available to doctors at last year’s $1,407 billion.
■ Doctors forgo a scheduled $28-million increase which would have funded their raise. That money goes to other services such as reducing surgical waiting lists.
The doctors will get the money for the increase in 1997/98 along with some cash to cover increased demand due to population
growth.
■ The BCMA’s 7,600 doctors get a two-percent fee increase as of April 1, but the total amount of MSP expenditures remains fixed.
■ The BCMA takes responsibility for keeping a lid on costs and will look at billing patterns, fee schedules, and medical guidelines.
■ The government promises to to implement any reasonable cost-saving measure recommended by the BCMA, or kick in the equivalent amount into the MSP.
The BCMA was in the middle of a seven-year deal with Victoria struck in 1993, but reopened it after being approached quietly by Premier Glen Clark in February.
Clark, calling the pact “historic,” said he wanted a way for the BCMA to shoulder some of the burden of $600 million in federal transfer payment cuts “without confrontation.” The last agreement was reached after an 18-month dispute where some doctors threatened to opt out of Medicare.
But B.C. Liberal leader Gordon Campbell urged voters to to “read the fine print” of the agreement.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” said Campbell.
“If it can be done, great, but everyone in B.C. has to be careful about this vote-buying binge by Glen Clark.”
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Officer investigated after shooting at car
by DAVID HEYMAN Citizen staff
A Prince George RCMP officer with 13 years of service is undergoing a routine investigation after he fired several shots at the driver of a car that nearly ran him over, hitting the vehicle three times.
The officer’s name is not being released.
Const. Gord Molendyk says it’s not police policy to shoot at moving vehicles but “in this case it’s obvious the
by BILL SEYMOUR Citizen Staff
Prince George’s mayor and two of its MLAs linked with Environment Minister Moe Sihota by phone Tuesday to discuss a major industrial project for the city.
Also on hand for the meeting were representatives of Canadian Forest Products Ltd. who want to build a $ 133-million medium-density fibre-board plant in the city. Mayor John Backhouse said the meeting was called to discuss the environmental process tracking the project.
“1 didn’t ask anyone to intervene in a process,” Backhouse said
officer obviously feared for his life.
“He made a decision on something that took about four seconds but lie’ll have to live with it for the rest of his life.”
The investigation, being done by a senior officer in Prince George, should take a couple of weeks. A report then will be given to Supt. Ric Hall for a decision on whether charges will be recommended to Crown counsel.
The officer in question pulled over
Wednesday. “1 indicated there is a feeling . . . that this process is being unduly delayed.”
Canfor was issued a permit to discharge smoke and effluent from its MDF plant in June 1995. The permit essentially clears the way for the project to start and company officials said they wanted to start site preparation in the fall of that year.
But appeals to B.C. Environment and later to the B.C. Environmental Appeal Board have given the company cold feet in proceeding with the project.
Little or nothing has happened since the first appeals were launched
a Ford Explorer early Tuesday morning on Davies Road after hearing a vehicle of that description had just been stolen. As he approached the vehicle, the driver accelerated forward. The officer tried to dive away but slipped and ihe Explorer nearly hit him. As the vehicle passed, the officer fired several shots, hitting it three times: once in the door, once in the tire and once in the tailgate.
Police tracked the stolen car to Calhoun Crescent, where it hit the
and the project has been delayed at least a year.
The latest setback occurred this year after the Nechako Environmental Coalition launched an appeal to the EAP. All Canfor wants is an assurance that all environmental appeals to the project are cleared, said Education Minister Paul Ramsey (Prince George North).
“I didn’t hear any request other than that they get as quick an answer as possible,” Ramsey said Wednesday.
“This is an important project for Prince George.
“When I get people proposing it
police car a second time and escaped again.
It was located a third time on Wheeler Road but this time the police officer grabbed the driver through the window, arrested him and took him into custody. The youth was not injured but the officer was hurt slightly when he dodged the vehicle and during the scuffle.
A 15-year-old male has been charged with numerous counts including dangerous driving.
MDF plant
and they have a problem I want to assist them.”
MLA Lois Boone (NDP, Prince George-Mount Robson) also participated in the phone conference.
The Nechako Environmental Coalition will go before the EAP in June to request Cantor’s permit for the site located in the BCR Industrial Site be rescinded.
Health concerns over the MDF plant’s discharges of formaldehyde gas, smoke and ash are behind the NEC’s appeal.
The MDF plant would use material currently disposed of in beehive burners as waste.
You will have to go without your daily newspaper fix for one day this week as our staff gets a day off to observe Good Friday.
But we’ll be right back on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning as well as Monday.
Grits unveil plan to save B.C. salmon
by Canadian Press
VICTORIA — Liberal Leader Gordon Campbell unveiled the party’s environmental plan to save dwindling salmon stocks Wednesday, provoking a war of words with Environment Minister Moe Sihota.
Campbell, often accused of being weak on environmental issues, said the Liberals would introduce new laws to protect fish and their habitat under a program called Living Rivers.
“British Columbia’s rivers, and the salmon that inhabit them, are assets that must not be squandered and they are resources that must be saved,” Campbell said.
But Sihota released a four-page summary of past Liberal attacks on NDP environmental regulations, including comments by Campbell that existing environment-protection laws are bad for business.
“A leopard can’t change his spots,” Sihota said.
“The Liberals argued that the standards we had established were too tough on the industry and that we were over-regulating the industry.”
The exchange came a few days after the federal government announced plans to cut the west coast commercial fishing fleet in half to save salmon stocks.
Campbell said the Liberals would:
■ Introduce a Rivers Act that would establish “scientifically based standards” to protect river systems;
■ Provide greater protection for urban rivers;
■ Introduce a Water Act that would ban further major water diversions and review the operation of existing dams.
Joe Foy, spokesman for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, said he doesn’t trust Campbell.
Mayor, MLAs talk to Sihota about
INDEX
Ann Landers.................19
Bridge......................24
Business ................38-40
City, B.C..............3,15,17
Classifieds..............21-27
Comics .....................30
Commentary ..................5
Community Calendar .16,19
Crossword ..................30
Entertainment ...........31-33
Horoscope ..................24
Lotteries...................17
Lifestyles..................16
Movies......................32
Nation ...................6,14
Sports ...................9-12
Television..................31
World.....................7,13
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TV times
INCLUDED TODAY
SWAN SONG
Citizen freelance columnist Fred Gudmundson says his consulting work is heavy enough to keep him from the fun of writing a twice-weekly column. But in his swan song piece, he says he’ll be back when the muse strikes. Page 4
MOVIES
■ Spring at last. Time to come out of hibernation, let the VCR cool down, ditch the microwave popcorn and venture out to a first-run movie. Coming new releases are a mixed bag of mostly escapist titles. Spring
is not the “serious” season for a Schindler’s List or a Driving Miss Daisy. Page 31
RELIGION
■ The recent public rebuke of a United Church minister near Ottawa is a lesson in the nightmares churches face over their clergy’s sexual indiscretions. Public opinion surveys show the Hood of such cases over the past 10 years is a major reason Canadians have lost confidence in religious leaders. Page 8
NATION
■ In a precedent-setting deci-
sion, an Ottawa wifebeater has been ordered to compensate his teenage son for the mental trauma caused when the mother was beaten. Lawyers say the judgment from the Ontario Court opens the floodgates for similar claims. Page 6
WORLD
■ U.S. federal agents have taken a suspect in the Unabomber case into custody from his cabin near a mountain pass on the Continental Divide. At this stage police say they have some writings that match those of the Unabomber, but no hard evidence. Page 7
■ Experts say the Freemen
COMMUNITY
This morning’s top local headlines:
New building won’t be ‘glitzy’ /page 3 Young scientists show projects /page 13 City events soon on Internet /page 15
standoff, currently in its 11th day in northern Montana, becomes more volatile every day and a peaceful solution is less likely the longer it drags on. Page 13
■ A hearing on the future of Canada Post heard a dire warning from the union representing postal workers. It predicts that small town post offices will disappear and it will cost $1 to mail a letter. Page 14
Citizen photos by Chuck Nisbett
THE GREAT EGG DROP — The idea is to protect an egg and then drop it from a high place, if the egg isn't scrambled, you must have done something right. Left: Teacher Sheri-Lynn Mosseau helps Pineview Elementary student Kyle Barton, 6, check out contents of padded box. Right, Tyson Wall. 7, holds up surviving egg while mom Ruby is somewhat shocked by exploding balloon that had cushioned the egg’s fall.
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